Engineers Without Borders-USA University of Georgia Student Chapter Constitution

Transcription

1 Engineers Without Borders-USA University of Georgia Student Chapter Constitution Preamble Engineers Without Borders at the University of Georgia (EWB-UGA) is founded in accordance with EWB-USA's mission "to work with disadvantaged communities to improve their quality of life through implementation of environmentally and economically sustainable engineering projects, while developing internationally responsible engineering students." In order to achieve this mission EWB- UGA enacts this constitution. Article I: Name This organization shall be called Engineers Without Borders-USA, University of Georgia Student Chapter (EWB-UGA). This organization is affiliated with the national organization, Engineers Without Borders-USA. Article II: Mission The mission of EWB-UGA is as follows: To mobilize the engineering resources gained through education at the University of Georgia to address problems in disadvantaged communities and localities in the world To recognize that basic human needs, such as clean water and sanitation, are lacking throughout the developing world and to do everything in our power to improve this To give students a direct, hands-on experience with sustainable and appropriate technologies that will serve as a valuable aid to the developing world To provide an opportunity for University of Georgia students to work in collaboration on sustainable development projects, increasing local awareness of international sustainable development issues To provide a method to advance the foundation of engineering programs at the University of Georgia by raising awareness and respect of the program To provide an opportunity to allow University of Georgia students to interact with other professionals in order to gain practical experience and valuable professional skills Section 1: Membership Requirements Article III: Membership Any University of Georgia undergraduate student, graduate student, or faculty/staff member will be eligible for membership. Membership is not restricted to engineering students but is open to all members of the UGA community. Any professional mentors are not required to be affiliated with the University of Georgia in any way. The qualification and role of the professional mentors are detailed in Article III, Section 5. Section 2: Active Membership

2 In order to be an active member of EWB-UGA with benefits, a member must pay an amount specified by a 2/3 majority vote of the executive board per semester to EWB-UGA. If payment is not possible, the individual must make special arrangements with the board to maintain membership. The individual must also attend a documented 2/3 of the scheduled meetings. Section 3: Privileges of Active Membership Due-paying members are entitled to: 1. Participate in and contribute to current projects 2. Attend all EWB-UGA sponsored events 3. Apply for new EWB-UGA projects, whether it be through the EWB-USA database or by initiating a new project 4. Reap the benefits of individual project guidance and possible scholarship from EWB-USA 5. Run for a position on the executive board 6. Apply to be a member of the travel team. 7. Vote on the topics specified in Article VI, Section 1 Section 4: Non-active Membership Any member of the University of Georgia community will be eligible for non-active membership. Non-active members are individuals that come to less than 2/3 of the meetings or do not pay the semester dues described in Article III, Section 2. The individual will not receive the benefits of active members but are entitled to attend scheduled meetings and any EWB-UGA sponsored events. Nonactive members are not entitled to vote, run for office or sub-office, or travel to work on projects. Section 5: Associate Membership: Faculty Advisors and Professional Mentors Advisors and mentors are considered associate members of EWB-UGA, in which; they will not be given the same privileges as active members. They are entitled to attend all meetings, attend any EWB-UGA sponsored events, and travel to work on projects. They are not however, permitted to vote nor will they be eligible to hold executive office or sub-office positions. The role of the Faculty Advisor is to provide guidance to EWB-UGA on matters of organizational direction, strategic vision, and finance. The responsibilities of the Professional Mentor are as follows: 1) Design: As the Professional Mentor, you will be responsible for the project design. EWB-USA requires that you sign off on all designs prior to implementing the project in the field. EWB-USA does recognize that often the installation does not go as smoothly in the field as during the planning process; however, the overall design must meet EWB-USA s standards, and must be safe for the host community. EWB-USA Project Manager approval and TAC travel approval must be granted prior to making any travel arrangements for assessment or implementation trips or purchasing any travel related items such as plane tickets. All designs must be submitted to the TAC on time for final approval prior to implementation. 2) EWB-USA Compliance: The Professional Mentor is responsible for making sure the project goes through all the design reviews. You are also responsible for ensuring that all EWB-USA paper

3 work has been submitted to EWB-USA on time and that all project design reviews have been completed and revisions made to the design prior to making any travel arrangements or implementing the design. You are required to travel with the team to assess and implement the project. 3) Student Learning: For EWB-USA student chapters, learning is a significant result of the implementation of successful projects. This means that the Professional Mentor is there to guide the project and teach the students. The students are not professionals, and they will often be unable to perform tasks on their own or know what is required to complete the project successfully. As the Professional Mentor, it will be your responsibility to help the students learn these necessary skills by doing such things as arranging for training, teaching them yourself, or by asking other professional members of EWB-USA to help with the project. The Professional Mentor is a manager and a teacher for the students and must travel on the implementation trips to carry out that responsibility in the field. Section 6: Revocation of Membership Any member deemed unable by the current members of EWB-UGA to fulfill EWB-UGA s goals may be dismissed by a 2/3 majority vote of active members and for due cause. This vote must follow the procedure outlined in Article VI, Section II. The member in question must be present at this meeting and allowed a chance to speak. A faculty advisor must also be present at the meeting. Article IV: Non-discrimination EWB-UGA abides by the membership policies set forth by the University of Georgia for student organizations, as determined by the annual student organization registration certificate. Membership and all privileges, including voting and officer positions, must be extended to all students without regard to age, ethnicity, gender, disability, color, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Section 1: General Responsibilities Article V: Executive Board Board members are expected to attend a weekly board meeting and to stay in regular /phone communication throughout the year. Each board member must archive their respective activity regularly in the format of which may be determined by the incumbent President and/or officers. Officers must attend all EWB-UGA scheduled events unless excused by the President. Officers are allowed five unexcused absences per semester. Any subsequent absences past five must be excused by the other members of the executive board. Each executive board member is expected to carry out ALL of his/her duties as outlined in the EWB-USA University of Georgia Chapter Constitution and delegated duties deemed necessary by the President. Section 2: Officer and Sub-Officer Positions The Board of Officers of EWB-UGA will consist of the following executive positions and their respective roles:

4 President: The President oversees all EWB-UGA affairs and acts as the official liaison to EWB-USA authority and the EWB-USA regional manager for the UGA chapter as well as UGA Campus Student Organizations (CSO).Duties include monitoring and maintaining relationships with professional, national and other student chapters, leading board meetings, leading general meetings, ensuring officer accountability, organizing conference trips, dealing with organizational/constitutional issues, handling emergencies in projects and other chapter affairs, and acting as the public face of the organization. Also, at the end of the year the President is responsible for organizing fair elections. The President will oversee the chapter s Ag Hill representative to ensure his/her tasks align with the needs of the chapter in terms of the chapter s relationship with the Ag Hill Council. Vice President: The Vice President is the public face of the organization along with the President. S/he also establishes a favorable relationship with EWB-USA, UGA CSO, other EWB university and professional chapters, faculty, alumni, companies, NGOs, and any other interested persons. S/he is in charge of public relations for the organization. This includes promoting EWB-UGA throughout the campus and global engineering community, as well as overseeing public relation events. The Vice President is to take the place of the President in the event that the President is unable to fulfill his/her duties. The Vice President will oversee the chapter s Webmaster to ensure his/her tasks align with the needs of the chapter in terms of public relations. Secretary: The Secretary shall be responsible for taking and maintaining minutes at all scheduled and unscheduled meetings, preparation of the general meetings (bringing food, preparing the location, etc.), taking roll call at meetings and maintaining the roll book, tallying votes, checking the EWB-UGA daily, monitoring the chapter s listserv, and updating the club s calendar. Treasurer: The Treasurer is to maintain financial records and manage the local and national accounts. The individual is to make monthly updates of the club s accounts, hold members accountable for paying dues, keep track of the club credit card(s), make weekly deposits into the appropriate account, and file all receipts and bank statements. The Treasurer shall insure that the cash box does not exceed $200 unless it is at the end of an event, in which case a deposit should be made within a 24 hour period after the event. Project Lead: The Project Lead oversees all matters involved with the current project. This individual should be the most informed member on project affairs. S/he is responsible for making sure all deadlines are met, all paperwork submitted is of outstanding quality, calling and leading travel team meetings, and ensuring all members of the travel team have the proper shots and paperwork. The Project Lead also serves as the chapter s official liaison between the project site, including community members and NGO representatives, and campus. If in the future there are multiple projects at one time, there shall be multiple project leads. There is to be one project lead per project. Fundraising Chair: The Fundraising Chair is responsible for overseeing all fundraising activities. This includes organizing and running fundraising events. The Fundraising Chair will also oversee the Grants and Aid Lead to ensure his/her tasks align with the needs of the chapter in terms of applying for grants and aid. If necessary he/she shall establish a committee for the purposes stated above.

5 Sub Officer Positions: Ag Hill Representative: The Ag Hill Rep is the official liaison between the Ag Hill Council and EWB-UGA. He/she is responsible for attending biweekly Ag Hill meetings to report club activities to the Ag Hill council. He/she is also responsible for gathering CAES information from Ag Hill Council meetings and passing relevant information along to the executive board and general members. In the event that Ag Hill meetings coincide with other EWB events, the Ag Hill Rep s attendance at the Ag Hill meeting will serve as an attendance at the respective EWB event. Grants and Aid Lead: The Grants and Aid Lead is responsible for overseeing all grants and aid for the chapter. This includes ensuring the completion of all paperwork and/ or forms for the all grants and aid received and sought after by the chapter. Webmaster: The Webmaster is responsible for the upkeep of the chapter s local and national website. This includes the frequent update of photography, event blogs, and project information for the local website and the completion of an up-to-date summary of project for national website. As the needs of the organization change the responsibilities of the officers listed above will also change. It is the responsibility of the President to recognize these shifts and document them accordingly, via additional amendments. This constitution is not intended to document the very specifics of each position but to describe the general outline of the responsibility. The specific details should be documented elsewhere on an annual or bi-annual basis with the input of the board members. Section 3: Creating or Terminating Officer Positions Officer positions may be created or terminated in the future as the needs of the organization change. An officer position may only be created or terminated by a 2/3 majority vote by active members. The revised board will be put into effect the semester following the vote. Section 4: Qualifications of Officers In order to run for an EWB-UGA office the candidate must be an active member of EWB-UGA. The candidate must have been active for at least one full semester. To run for President, the candidate must have been an active member for at least two full semesters. Section 5: Election Process and Term of Office The vote for new officers will occur at the last meeting of every fall semester. An officer s term lasts for one year. If a current officer wishes to keep their current position, they are required to be nominated and run again. Anyone who wishes to run should submit his/her name and desired position(s) at the second to last meeting in the fall semester. An individual is able to run for up to 3 positions. The positions shall be voted on in the following order: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Project Lead, and Fundraising Chair. The sub-officer positions shall be appointed by the appropriate overseeing executive board member as outlined in Article V, Section 2. In the event that more than one member seeks an appointed sub-officer position, the overseeing

6 executive board member will conduct an applications process to determine the best qualified candidate. For elected positions, each individual must give a short speech before the vote can take place. If an individual is running for more than one position, they only need to give one speech. All candidates must leave the room while the vote involving them takes place. The candidates do not get to place a vote for the position they are running for but can vote on any other position. Each active member has one vote. Section 6: Extenuating Circumstances 1. Should a board member leave mid-term due to study abroad, graduation, etc., the procedure outlined in Article V, Section 5 will take place on an abbreviated scale; however, the transfer of files and responsibility should be made prior to the departure of the incumbent officer. 2. Should an officer depart due to serious illness, impeachment, or other extenuating circumstances, the responsibility of orchestrating a smooth transition shall fall to the president. Section 7: Rearrangement of Officer Positions In the event that an officer is experiencing difficulties with his/her current position or if an officer feels that they would be better suited for a different role, s/he may switch positions with another officer. Any officer may suggest this rearrangement, not just the individuals included in the switch. In order for officers to switch positions it must be voted upon by the process described in Article VI, Section 2. Section 8: Removal From Board In the unfortunate event that a board member fails to fulfill his/her duties to EWB-UGA the board may remove him/her from office. The impeachment process is as follows: 1. If any active member has a concern over an officer s performance to such a degree as to consider removal, that member must submit a concern in writing to the president and he/she will consider the issue at the next officer meeting and inform the board member in question. If the board member in question is the president, the concerned member will contact the vicepresident and vice-president will consider the issue at the next board meeting where he/she will inform the member in question. 2. There must be a hearing held in which the officer in question must be present and given a chance to give a speech confronting the issue and answer any relevant questions. One professional mentor or faculty advisor must also be present at the hearing. Removal requires a vote that follows the procedure in Article VI, Section 2. In the event of a removal the person removed from office may remain a member of EWB-UGA. The individual has all the privileges of an active member, including the opportunity to run for office again. Article VI: Voting Procedure

7 Section 1: Topics that Require a Vote The topics which must be voted on by general members include but are not limited to: Spending of club monies (detailed in Article VI) Election of officers Criteria for travel team selection Voting requests made by active members as outlined in Section 2 Section 2: Voting Process Any active member is entitled to present an issue to be voted upon. In order for a vote to be valid, quorum, as defined in Article VIII Section 2, must be held. Only active members at the meeting may cast a vote. If a member is absent, they cannot express their vote in advance. Faculty advisors and professional mentors may not cast a vote. If something is to be voted on, it must be submitted to the entire club by at least 3 days before the next general meeting in a detailed proposal. At the meeting, the proposer must explain or justify their topic and answer any questions the other members may have. The proposal will be enacted with a 2/3 majority vote. If any single person requests a written vote, it will be done. Otherwise a vote will be taken by a raise of hands. The topics listed above may be discussed at officer or travel team meetings but the vote to enact them must take place at a scheduled general meeting. Section 3: Exceptions In the event of a time-sensitive matter, the officers may call an emergency meeting to make a quick decision. All officers must vote and the vote shall be enacted by a 2/3 majority decision. Article VII: Spending of Club Monies Section 1: Categories of Spending No single person may decide to spend club money without seeking out the approval of others. The following protocols must be taken with no exceptions: 1. For amounts of $50 or less: The person wishing to spend money must get the approval of both the treasurer and the president. If it is a reoccurring expense (such as meeting snacks), the person in charge should obtain written approval from the president and treasurer for the entire semester. This approval should state the limit that is allowed to be spent. 2. For amounts exceeding $50 but less than $1000: The person wishing to spend the money must submit a formal proposal to be voted upon by the officers. If the submitter requests a vote by all active members, it shall be done. If the person wishing to spend the money is an officer, s/he may bring it up at the meeting without a formal proposal. The money will be approved with a simple majority vote. If it is a reoccurring expense (such as Chick-fil-A), the person in charge should obtain written approval from the president and treasurer for the entire semester. This approval should state the limit that is allowed to be spent. 3. For amounts of $1000 or more: The person or group wishing to spend the money must follow the voting procedure detailed in Article VI. However, Section 3 is not valid for the issue of spending money.

8 Section 2: If Protocol is Not Met The first time an individual makes a purchase with club funding without following the procedure described above, s/he may go through the appeals process explained below to be reimbursed. If an individual makes an additional breach of protocol the individual will either not be reimbursed or must return their purchase. There will be no discussion. Section 3: Appeals Process The appeals process may be used only in the event that a) a request of $50 or less was made and denied by either the president or treasurer or b) protocol was breached (see Article VII, Section 2). To make an appeal for the former reason, the individual must submit a formal proposal to be voted upon by the officers. It shall be approved with a simple majority vote. To make an appeal for the latter reason, the voting procedure described in Article VI, Section 2 must be followed. Section 1: Calling of Meetings Article VIII: Meetings At the beginning of every term, the officers shall determine a regular time and location for EWB- UGA meetings that complements the schedules of the majority of EWB-UGA members. General meetings shall be held weekly at the scheduled time. The President alone has the right to call for an unscheduled meeting. Section 2: Quorum All members of the Board of Officers and a 2/3 majority of the body of active members must be present for any voting to take place. Article IX: Hazing Policy Hazing, defined as the harassment of an individual or group of individuals by another individual or organization, is not permitted by EWB-UGA. The prohibition of behaviors under this rule includes actions threatening the physical or mental health and safety of an individual, actions in the form of social pressure that can cause harm to an individual, actions exposing the individual to situations against their will, and actions of forced consumption of alcohol or drugs. Article X: Amendments to this Constitution For any changes or amendments to this document the proposed change must be written out and voted upon by three-quarters of the board and one-half of active members. Amendments must be proposed at least three days prior to a general club meeting. The resulting changes from an amendment will go into effect immediately following the active member vote.