Articles of Operation

Click here to download the PDF file of the Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship Program, Inc. Articles of Operation

  1. Name
    1. The name of the program shall be the Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship Program, Inc.
    2. The Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship Program is named for Nellie Stone Johnson, a longtime member of the Minnesota State University Board, the Higher Education Board and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees. The scholarship program shall be a permanent reminder of Nellie Stone Johnson's contributions to civil rights, human rights, higher education, and the rights of workers.
    3. The Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship Program shall be referred to in these Articles as the Scholarship Program.
  2. Statement of Purpose
    1. The Scholarship Program exists to provide financial service to racial minority union members and their families who wish to pursue post-secondary education at one of the Minnesota State Universities which includes Bemidji, Mankato, Metropolitan (St. Paul/Minneapolis), Moorhead, St. Cloud, Southwest (Marshall), and Winona or any of the two-year institutions that are a part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU).
    2. The Scholarship Program exists to further interest and participation in cultural diversity at MnSCU institutions.
    3. The Scholarship Program exists to focus on the recruitment, retention and graduation of greater numbers of racial minority students, particularly those with a labor background.
    4. The Scholarship Program exists to reduce dependence on loans, easing a student's debt burden while the student is enrolled and after graduation.
    5. The Scholarship Program shall provide financial assistance to MnSCU students who qualify and meet the selection criteria as outlined in Section VI.
    6. Restricted grants will be permitted if they are in the interest of the Scholarship Program, as determined by the board of directors of the Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship Program (the "Board").
  3. Location
    1. The Scholarship Program shall be located at
      Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship Program, Inc.
      P.O. Box 40309 St. Paul, MN 55104
  4. Board of the Scholarship Program
    1. The Board shall consist of a maximum of 25 voting members with two-thirds of those seats being held by labor union members.
    2. Vacancies in the Board shall be filled by a majority vote of the Board members in attendance at a regular meeting.
    3. The Board shall elect a chair and vice chair each year at its spring meeting.
    4. MnSCU shall be requested to nominate a representative for consideration by the Board. This representative shall be ex-officio and non-voting.
    5. All Board members shall be elected to two year terms.
    6. There shall be no limit to the number of terms a Board member may serve.
    7. The Board shall be composed of representatives from organized labor, the minority community, MnSCU, faculty and MnSCU students and the community at large.
    8. Quorum of the Board shall be one-half of the voting members and more than one-half of those being union members.
  5. Board Duties
    1. The Board shall:
      1. meet at least quarterly;
      2. eview the financial condition of the Scholarship Program;
      3. fund-raise for the Scholarship Program; and
      4. appoint a sub-committee to review applications from student candidates for scholarships.
    2. Board meetings may be called by the chair of the Board or by five (5) Board members.
  6. Guidelines for Scholarship Applicants
    1. An applicant must be a racial minority group member, in addition to being a union member or the child, grandchild, or spouse of a minority union member.
      1. A racial minority group member is defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget as:
        1. American Indian or Alaska Native
        2. Asian
        3. Black or African American
        4. Hispanic or Latino
        5. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
      2. Child and grandchild definitions include:
        1. "dependent child" means a union member's (1) biological child, (2) child legally adopted or placed for adoption with the union member, (3) foster child, and (4) step-child.
        2. "grandchild" includes a union member's (1) grandchild, (2) grandchild placed in the legal custody of the union member, (3) grand child legally adopted by the union member or placed for adoption with the union member, or (4) grandchild who is the dependent child of the union member's unmarried dependent child.
    2. An applicant must be accepted or enrolled at a MnSCU institution.
    3. Preference will be given to Minnesota residents. Minnesota residency is defined by state voting eligibility.
    4. An applicant must meet the academic and admissions standards of the institution they are attending.
    5. If more than one award is made in any one year, at least one recipient must be female.
    6. No current Board member shall be eligible for a scholarship award.
    7. Deadlines for applications shall be set by the Board.
    8. All applications must be submitted prior to the period covered by the scholarship.
    9. Recipients must have a least a cumulative 2.0 grade point average for undergraduates and two-year students, and 3.0 for graduate students to be eligible for a scholarship. If the grading systems change, the scholarship review committee will consider the grading changes when reviewing applicants.
    10. RENEWING APPLICANTS:
      1. Current recipients may apply for scholarship renewal for up to four years for undergraduate work, up to two years for graduate work and up to two years for a community or technical college program. While the intent of the scholarship is to encourage students to pursue a degree to completion through successive years of study, recipients may have a scholarship renewal in a non-successive year if, in the judgment of the scholarship committee, extenuating circumstances exist.
      2. To be eligible for annual scholarship renewal, the student must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress and must satisfy other standards applied by the institution to scholarship recipients. The student must submit a renewal application along with a copy of his/her official cumulative academic transcript.
    11. FIRST-TIME APPLICANTS:
      1. An official copy of the academic transcript will be submitted with the candidate's application.
  7. Accountability and Disbursements
    1. At least one scholarship ranging from $500 to $2,500 will be awarded each year.
    2. The amount of the scholarship will be determined by the Board and will depend upon the student's financial need and the availability of funds.
    3. The Board shall receive verification that each scholarship recipient has received award and has maintained eligibility for scholarship.
    4. Scholarships awarded shall be disbursed each semester. Fifty percent of the award shall be disbursed for fall semester and fifty percent for spring semester. Summer disbursement must be approved by the Board. Awards for nonconsecutive semesters may be considered by the committee.
  8. Amendment
    1. TThe process of amending these articles of operation shall require a notice of proposed amendment at least ten (10) days prior to the board meeting of which the amendment will be voted.
  9. Rules of Order
    The latest revision of Robert's Rules of Order shall be followed unless superseded by these articles of operation.

Approved by the Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship Steering Committee on October 27, 2006.