BYLAWS OF THE SOCIETY OF HISPANIC PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT CHAPTER ARTICLE I NAME OF ORGANIZATION The name of this organization shall be The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers FSU Student Chapter. ARTICLE II PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: “The purpose of this student chapter is to promote academic excellence among members in engineering disciplines.” The objectives of this organization are to: 1)Increase the number of Hispanic engineering students at Florida State University. 2)Promote the advancement of Hispanic engineers and scientists in employment and education. 3)Improve the retention of Hispanic students enrolled in engineering and science. 4)Develop and participate in programs with the university, which benefit students seeking engineering and science degrees. 5)Provide a forum for the exchange of information pertinent for Hispanic engineering/science students enrolled at Florida State University. ARTICLE III ASSOCIATION SECTION 1. AFFILIATION The Florida State University student chapter will be an affiliated chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Inc. (SHPE, Inc.). The organization possesses the right to adopt its own rules and procedures within the framework of SHPE’s rules and regulations and Florida State University’s rules and regulations. This student chapter will be part of the “local” as defined by the Regional Vice-President and the local professional chapter presidents. SECTION 2. NON-DISCRIMINATION No person shall be denied membership in this organization because of race, color, sex, handicap, nationality, religious affiliation or belief, marital status, parental status, or the inability to pay dues. ARTICLE IV MEMBERSHIP SECTION 1. REGULAR MEMBERSHIP Requisites for regular membership: 6)SHPE membership is open to any student in any interdisciplinary studies program expressing interest for the organization. 7)Members must be in good standing academically in order to retain voting privileges. 8)Semi-annual membership fees must be paid in order to participate in organizational activities. 9)In the case there is any member not able to pay dues but seeking active participation in the organization, we will follow what is stated in Article IX section 1. SECTION 2. FACULTY MEMBERSHIP Requisites for faculty membership: SHPE faculty membership is open to any faculty member who supports the purpose(s) and objective(s) of this chapter. Voting privileges are granted to any faculty member who wishes to participate in the voting process. SECTION 3. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS a.) No hazing or discrimination will be used as a condition of membership in this organization. b.) No university student may be denied membership on the basis of race, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, parental status, disability, or the inability to pay dues. SECTION 4. REVOCATION OF MEMBERSHIP Membership may be revoked without mutual agreement for non-participation, misconduct, or violations of any provisions of the Constitution. The member will be notified in writing of the possible revocation at least 72 hours prior to the vote and will be allowed to address the organization in order to relate to members any relevant defense prior to the voting for removal. Membership can only be revoked upon a 2/3 majority vote of eligible members. Revocation of membership will be valid for one (1) semester. SECTION 5. APPEAL PROCESS Any student whose membership is revoked will have seven (7) calendar days to appeal the revocation. The appeal must be submitted in writing to the President or Secretary, and must include any relevant information that has not already been presented. The President will then submit the appeal to the Appeals Committee. This committee consists of 3 executive board members and 4 general members. This committee will then render a decision at the next general body meeting or in seven (7) calendar days, whichever occurs first. ARTICLE V OFFICERS/EXECUTIVE BOARD SECTION 1. Officers shall consist of a President, Vice President – Internal, Vice President - External, Secretary, Treasurer, Faculty Advisor, Public Relations Officer, Community Service Chair, Fundraising Chair, Conference Chair, Scholarship Chair, Social Chair, and a Webmaster. The term of office for all officers is two consecutive semesters. SECTION 2. President The President shall: Represent the chapter and be responsible for all business concerning the chapter Have full power in the management and business of the chapter Oversee all policy of the chapter and/or other functions or activities under the direction of this chapter Be the official spokesperson for the chapter Manage the other operation officers and manage the day-to-day affairs of the chapter Be responsible for meeting chapter objectives and maintaining chapter professionalism SECTION 3. Internal Vice President The Internal Vice President shall: Be responsible for the internal affairs of the chapter Act as a President Pro Temp in the President’s absence Be in charge of the internal affairs of the chapter including campus relations, social activities, etc. (i.e. HLSU General Assemblies, Multicultural Orientation & Gathering) Be responsible for local chapter events such as the International Dinner or Spring BBQ Be responsible for reserving space and time for all chapter activities, with exception to community service and fundraising Construct a monthly events calendar for all general body meetings Update Calendar on Blackboard Be responsible for the time efficiency of all meetings SECTION 4. External Vice President The External Vice President shall: Be responsible for the external affairs of the chapter including industrial relations Seek company corporate sponsorship Seek to bring in company representatives to host meetings concerning professional development Be responsible for representing the chapter at potential networking events, such as Engineering Day, Industry Day, FAMU Career Expo, etc. SECTION 5. Secretary The Secretary shall: Be in charge of maintaining meeting minutes Ensure that the agenda for general body meetings are decided upon at the preceding executive board meeting Be responsible for registering the organization with the university each academic year Holding officer elections Be responsible for all external and internal correspondence Maintain and organize all chapter documentation, including Blackboard, OneSHPE, and Executive Board documentation Record and maintain all chapter meeting attendance Be responsible for announcing deadlines, assigning and submitting all National Point System Items SECTION 6. Treasurer The Treasurer shall: Keep books and records on money received and disbursed Report of all financial transactions that have occurred between officer meetings at the subsequent officer meeting Be responsible for presenting monthly, semesterly, and annual financial reports Listing all liabilities and assets of the organization to the Executive Board and the general membership Be solely responsible for the depositing and withdrawal of money from any chapter related account (SunTrust or otherwise) SECTION 7. Faculty Advisor The Faculty Representative shall: Be a faculty member of Florida State University Act as a mentor and aid to the meetings and proceedings of our organization Assist the Internal VP in campus affairs SECTION 8. Public Relations Officer The Public Relations Officer shall: Be responsible for informing the Engineering, University, and Tallahassee community of upcoming events. Information may take the form of flyers, poster boards, and newsletters Producing a newsletter for all chapter events in order to give information to the chapter, engineering student body, and potential corporate sponsors Provide a newsletter concerning upcoming events at all general body meetings Be responsible for representing the chapter with the assistance of the VP – Internal at Campus related events, i.e. HLSU Assemblies, Multicultural Gathering & Orientation, etc. SECTION 9. Community Service Chair The Community Service Chair shall: Be responsible for planning a number of community service projects The number should be a goal decided by the executive board on a semester basis Be responsible for maintaining relations with the community service chairs of other organizations in order to collaborate in multi-organization community service projects Be responsible for enlisting chapter participation for all community service projects The chair should find out early in the semester chapter member’s availability for community service projects SECTION 10. Fundraising Chair The Fundraising Chair shall: Be responsible for planning and organizing various fundraising events throughout the year (i.e. Bake Sales, Car washes, Viva Technology, etc.). Special Consideration should be taken to give enough to plan events SECTION 11. Conference Chair The Conference Chair shall: Be responsible for encouraging member participation at all conferences Be responsible for informing chapter of conference deadlines and requirements Be responsible for organizing the travel arrangements for all conferences Ensure that 2 members (preferably the incoming President, VP-Internal or VP-External) attend NILA during the summer SECTION 12. Scholarship Chair The Scholarship Chair shall: Be responsible for keeping all members informed about upcoming scholarship opportunities, research opportunities, internships, co-ops, graduate study opportunities etc. Members should be notified by email (via Chapter Secretary) when the scholarship is available, and two weeks prior to the deadline Be responsible for keeping the chapter aware of all AHETEMS deadlines Be responsible for assessing the academic needs of the chapter and proposing solutions to the executive board to meet those needs Specifically figure out the demographic of our chapter GPA, Major, Career Interest, Academic Standing, etc. SECTION 13. Social Chair(s) The Social Chair(s) shall Be responsible for planning and arrangement of all meeting food, in accordance with chapter budget Be responsible for proposing and planning of all social events Be typically held by 2 members SECTION 14. Webmaster The Webmaster shall: Be responsible for maintaining that chapter website is up to date for corporate sponsorship and member interest prior to each General Body Meeting Confirm all website postings with the President to confirm that the image of the chapter will not be compromised ARTICLE VI ELECTIONS/VOTING SECTION 1. NOMINATIONS 10)Nominations are to be held at the first general meeting of the second semester of school. 11)Those eligible for office must be in good academic standing with a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.5 or better, and have all membership fees paid. 12)Each candidate for election must be seconded by another member of the organization. 13)Candidates may run for more than one office, but may only obtain one position. In the event of multiple elections, the office will be granted to the candidate with the second highest number of ballots. SECTION 2. VOTING Voting will be held at the final general meeting of the second semester of school. Candidates elected into office will obtain their position throughout the summer and into the following school year. A quorum of 50% is required for voting. Voting will be conducted by a secret ballot. The winner will be the candidate with the majority of votes. Absentee voting may be submitted to the Secretary by electronic mail as an attachment and will be opened on the date of the election. Absentee ballots can also be submitted is a sealed envelope, which shall be signed and dated. Absentee ballots must be submitted to the Secretary at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the scheduled beginning of the annual election. The Secretary is responsible for distributing and tallying ballots, and announcing the winner of each official position. Winning candidates assume office the immediately following elections. ARTICLE VII MEETINGS SECTION 1. DEFINITION OF QUORUM A quorum shall consist of at least 5 active members and 2 officers. SECTION 2. GENERAL MEETINGS General membership meetings shall be held on the second and last week of each month during the academic year. SECTION 3. SPECIAL MEETINGS Special meetings may be called by the President or Vice President provided one week of notice is given to all members. ARTICLE VIII RESIGNATIONS AND IMPEACHMENTS SECTION 1. RESIGNATIONS Any person willing to resign from office at least a week before the next chapter meeting shall submit a letter of resignation to the President or Vice President. During a meeting when a resignation is presented, nominations will be taken to fill the office. The group shall elect a person during the following week by secret ballot. SECTION 2. IMPEACHMENTS When any member feels that an officer is not fulfilling his/her duties, he/she may call upon the rest of the officers to meet within the next week to discuss/resolve the matter. During the impeachment proceedings, the case will be presented. The officer under investigation will be given the opportunity to present his/her defense before the officers’ vote. A majority of 2/3 of the officers will decide whether the impeachment will be carried out. A new officer will be nominated and elected as described under article VI, Sections 1 and 2. ARTICLE IX FINANCES SECTION 1. MEMBERSHIP DUES Membership dues shall be five (5) dollars per year to the national organization; local chapter dues will be determined at a later date. Membership dues will be collected at the first meeting of the Fall Semester. No membership dues will be collected during summer terms. As stated in Article III Section 2, no university student may be denied membership due to inability to pay dues. If a member is seeking active voting membership status and is not able to pay dues, other arrangements will be made. Members may be asked to supply proof of financial hardship. SECTION 2. SPENDING ORGANIZATION’S MONEY For the protection of the organization and its officers it is required that two authorized signatures sign all monetary transactions. Only the President, Treasurer, and FSU Faculty/Staff Advisor can be signers on the organization’s account. Organizational funds may be spent on items such as office supplies, events/activities, publicity, travel expenses, conference fees, etc., but will not be used for anything illegal under University, local, state, and federal laws. SECTION 3. OFFICER TRANSITION It shall be the responsibility of all account signers to change contact information as well as assist in the update of new account signatures after each election with the organizations financial institution. In addition, the Treasurer will be responsible to pass along all information from previous year’s budget and current budget. SECTION 4. DISSOLUTION OF ORGANIZATION In the event that the organization ceases to exist, any funds remaining in the organization’s account shall be remitted back to the Student Government Association, or donated to a charity chosen by the organization. ARTICLE X PUBLICATIONS SECTION 1. COMPLIANCE All advertisements of the organization must comply with the University Posting Policy (http://www.fsu.edu/~posting/fsupolicy.html). SECTION 2. APPROVAL The President and Secretary must approve all publications, shirts, flyers, etc. prior to duplication and distribution. ARTICLE XI AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS 14)Proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to the membership at a general meeting. 15)A favorable vote of 2/3 of the members on the issue is required for amendment passage. 16)The amendment shall be submitted to the SHPE Membership Coordinator (MC) for approval.