Connecting Learning, Life and Aloha
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Hanakahi Council

Hanakahi Council By-Laws

Article 1: Membership

1.1 There shall be two types of membership in Hanakahi Council: 1) General, and 2) Affiliate.

1.2 General members of the Hanakahi Council (Council) are Native Hawaiians associated with the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo as faculty, staff, adjunct faculty, administration and students who support the Council's vision, mission and values.

  • 1.2.1 General members are strongly encouraged to participate in meetings, committees, activities and initiatives of the Council.
  • 1.2.2 General members have decision-making power in the Council as defined in article 3.

1.3 Executives consist of three elected individuals who represent student services, academic, and administration program areas at UH Hilo. The categories represent the functions they perform in the institution.

  • 1.3.1 Executives are selected from the general membership to represent the Council and provide leadership and shall be chosen by the Council annually and shall represent the Council at the Pūko‘a Executive Council. Terms of each executive will be for two years, and are staggered.
  • 1.3.2 Executives must participate in Council meetings by regularly participating in meetings, committees, activities and initiatives.
  • 1.3.3 Executives shall be required to sit on at least one campus or Council committee.

1.4 Affiliate members are non-Native Hawaiians who support Hanakahi Council's vision, mission and values may be sponsored to the Council.

  • 1.4.1 Approval of a prospective affiliate member by the Council shall result in an invitation being extended to become an affiliate member.
  • 1.4.2 Affiliate members do not have voting privileges and are not eligible to serve as an executive.

1.5 Change of membership status

  • 1.5.1 In the event that a general member fails to support the mission, decisions, activities and initiatives of the Council, the Council may recommend and vote the member be removed as a general member of the Council.
  • 1.5.2 In the event that an executive determines that he/she can no longer perform his/her duties, the member may inform the council at a meeting or submit a letter of resignation to the Council and revert to general membership status.
  • 1.5.3 In the event that executive fails to actively participate in the Council or support the mission, decisions, activities and initiatives of the Council, the Council may recommend to appoint another executive.
  • 1.5.4 Actions taken against any member, executive or general, shall be decided in a manner consistent with the Hanakahi Charter and with these ByLaws, with the exception that the member in question shall not have decision-making power on the matter.
  • 1.5.5 In the event that an executive fails to participate in four (4) consecutive meetings without notifying the Council of his/her absence, the Council will replace its executive.
  • 1.5.6 Executive members may be removed through either:
    • Recall by the Council according to the Council’s internal procedures; or
    • A two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Council.

1.6 Membership lists and dissemination of information

  • 1.6.1 The Council shall maintain an e-mail listserv for all members of the Council.
  • 1.6.2 The list shall be used for disseminating information purposes only.
  • 1.6.3 One of the executives shall keep the listserv current and updated.

Article 2: Meetings

2.1 Hanakahi Council shall meet a minimum of 4 times a year and should precede Pūko‘a Council and/or BOR meetings. The executives shall determine the time and place of the meetings.

  • 2.1.1 Conference and distance learning technology may be utilized to facilitate meetings.

2.2 Notice and Agenda

  • 2.2.1 At the beginning of each semester, the Council shall establish a Hanakahi Council master schedule, including meeting dates, times and places.
  • 2.2.2 One of the executives shall be assigned to solicit agenda items from council members to establish the agenda for each meeting. At the beginning of each meeting, the Council shall determine the final agenda.
  • 2.2.3 At least one week prior to a scheduled meeting, the executives shall send a meeting notice, which shall include the agenda for the upcoming meeting, to all council members.
  • 2.2.4 If a member is unable to attend a meeting during which an agenda item that is of particular importance to that member is discussed, that member has the following options:
    • Under extenuating circumstances and with consensus of the Council, a member may elect to ask another member to cast a proxy vote on that issue;
    • The member may submit written mana‘o to the Council on the matter and ask that his/her mana‘o be read at the meeting;
    • The member may request that the Council table the item until the following meeting. The Council shall then decide whether or not to table the agenda item at the beginning of the meeting.
  • 2.2.5 The duration of the meeting shall be announced with the agenda.

2.3 The Council by consensus may convene an emergency meeting for a stated purpose and waive the requirement of the one-week notification of the agenda.

2.4 Proxies are decided by the Council members and are emailed to one of the executive members 24 hours prior to the meeting and are only given to another when video communication is not available.

2.5 A non-member of the Council wishing to attend a meeting must be sponsored by a member. All guests must be approved by the Council prior to that guest's attendance.

2.6 One of the executives shall take attendance and report on any decisions that are voted on.

2.7 Members shall abide by a Code of Conduct (Values) adopted by Hanakahi Council (article 3 of the charter).

Article 3: Decision Making

3.1 Hanakahi Council has no elected officers and reaches decisions on policies and recommendations through consensus.

3.2 Decisions by the Council can only occur when a quorum is present. A quorum exists when at least 8 general members eligible to vote are present. General members are eligible to vote if they have attended at least four (4) meetings of the Hanakahi Council throughout the previous 12 months prior from the date of the vote.

3.3 Conference and long distance technology, e-mail and telephone communication may be utilized for attendance and decision-making purposes. Any general member using such technology shall be construed as present and counted in the quorum.

3.4 Decisions shall be made by consensus of the Council, with the exception of decisions made pursuant to section 3.6 of this Article.

3.5 Consensus shall be general or wide-spread agreement equivalent to majority of members of the group present at the meeting.

3.6 The Council may elect at any time to decide a matter by majority vote. The decision to use majority vote shall be made by consensus.

3.7 When consensus can not be reached then the matter shall be referred for a majority vote.

3.8 Any decision determined by consensus or majority vote by the Council shall be upheld by all members of the Hanakahi Council.

Article 4: Committees

4.1 The Council may create and establish committees as necessary. (Committees of the Council have included: Administrative Liaison, Budget, Personnel, Policies and Procedures, Protocol, Public Relations, and Student Services).

4.2 All public actions of a committee shall be subject to the approval of the Council.

Article 5: Amendment

5.1 Any alteration, amendment, addition to or repeal of these By-laws, not inconsistent with the Hanakahi Council Charter, may be made by the Council.

Adopted: 02/09/2009
Amended: 07/28/2011
Amended: 01/10/2013
Amended: 03/10/2020