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UC SWE Constitution and Bylaws For Questions, Comments, or Concerns about our Constitution and Bylaws Contact: Marie Borowczak
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CONSTITUTION
OF THE ARTICLE I –
NAME
The name of this organization is the UNIVERISTY OF CINCINNATI STUDENT SECTION OF THE SOCIETY OF WOMEN ENGINEERS. ARTICLE II – PURPOSEThe purposes of this Student Section are: A.
To promote, support and encourage fellow members through sharing of
common technical interests, aspirations, and problems. B.
To provide information to interested persons on the opportunities for
women in engineering and engineering related fields. C.
To encourage young women to pursue engineering as a possible career
option. D.
To further the purposes of SWE as stated in its National Bylaws. E.
To provide a support system for women in science and engineering. ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIPThe requirements for membership shall follow National Guidelines. There shall be two classes of members: voting and non-voting. ARTICLE IV – EXECUTIVE OFFICERSThe officers of this Student Section shall be (1)
President, (1) Vice President, (1) Secretary, and (1) Treasurer. If the membership deems necessary and opts
the following, the student section officers may allow for (2) Vice
Presidents, (2) Secretaries, and (2) Treasurers – one from each co-op
section. The Term of Office for all officers shall be one school year as designated by the program of studies. Terms for the same elected and appointed offices may be repeated simultaneously. Officers should be a student in
good standing of the ARTICLE V - EXECUTIVE COUNCILThe affairs of this Student Section shall be managed by the Executive Council consisting of the President, Vice-President(s), Secretary(s), and Treasurer(s). The SWE Counselor and Faculty Advisor shall be ex-officio members of the Executive Council. ARTICLE VI – MEETINGSThis Student Section shall hold a minimum of one meeting per quarter. Executive board must meet at least once a month. ARTICLE VII – ADVISORS
This Student Section shall have a SWE Counselor and a Faculty Advisor. Advisors are selected by majority vote of student section officers based on qualifications in the bylaws on a yearly basis. If the Student Section deems it necessary, a Graduate Advisor may be selected by majority vote of the student section officers based on the qualifications in the by laws on a yearly basis. ARTICLE VIII – AMENDMENTSThe Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the total voting membership. An amendment must be submitted to the Student Activities Committee Chairman c/o SWE Headquarters for review and consequent submittal to the SWE Executive Committee. An amendment will become effective only after the Executive Committee’s acceptance and Student Activities Board’s approval. ARTICLE IX – RATIFICATIONRatification requires a two-thirds majority vote of the total voting membership, approval by the SWE Executive Committee, and approval by the Student Activities Board.
BYLAWS OF THE ARTICLE I - ORGANIZATIONSECTION 1 - NAME
The
name of this organization if the UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI STUDENT SECTION of
the SOCIETY OF WOMEN ENGINEERS, operating under a charter granted by the
Board of Directors of the Society of Women Engineers (herein, referred to as
SWE) on June 12, 1976. SECTION 2 -
PURPOSE
The
purposes of this Student Section are: A. To promote, support and encourage fellow members through sharing of common technical interests, aspirations, and problems. B. To provide information to interested persons on the opportunities for women in engineering and engineering related fields. C. To encourage young women to pursue engineering as a possible career option. D. To further the purposes of SWE as stated in its National Bylaws. E. To provide a support system to women in science and engineering. SECTION 3 -
GOVERNMENT
This Student Section shall be governed by these
bylaws, the National Bylaws, SWE policies and procedures, and the rules and
regulations of the ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP SECTION 1 -
QUALIFICATIONS
Subject
to the Society's policies and purposes, this Student Section shall not
discriminate in connection with its membership and its service to the public
at large. Membership in this Student Section is limited to: A. Voting members, who are Student Members in good standing of SWE. Any person who meets one of the following requirements is eligible for the grade of Student member if such a person is not employed full time in an engineering position or a field related to engineering and: 1. Is pursuing an undergraduate course of study towards an associate or a baccalaureate degree in engineering, engineering technology, or a field related to engineering in a recognized college or university. 2. Is pursuing a full-time graduate course of study in engineering or a field related to engineering in a recognized college or university. B. One voting member who is the SWE Counselor. C. One non-voting member, who is the Faculty Advisor, when this is required by the college or university or when desired by the Student Section. SECTION 2 -
APPLICANTS
Applicants
for membership in this Student Section shall submit a completed,
school-certified SWE Student Membership Application, together with the
current dues and fees, to the Membership Committee, c/o SWE National
Headquarters ( SECTION 3 -
UPGRADING OF MEMBERSHIP IN SWE
In order to upgrade to “Professional/National Member,” it is necessary to submit a properly executed Membership Upgrade Application to the Admissions Committee, c/o SWE Headquarters, not later that June 1 of the year following termination of “Student Member” status. Failure to upgrade when required or failure to notify SWE headquarters of continued student status when requested to do so, will cause the SWE Board of Directors to drop these members from the Society as ineligible for the grade of Student Member. ARTICLE III - DUES SECTION 1 - ESTABLISHMENT AND REBATES OF DUES
Annual national dues, as established by the SWE Council of Section Representatives, are payable to the SWE when billed by the National Treasurer. In accordance with National Bylaws, a Section I member failing to pay dues by November 1 is delinquent and is ineligible to vote, and a Section II member failing to pays dues by February 1 is delinquent and is ineligible to vote, and a member failing to pay dues by February 1 of the fiscal year in which she/he is delinquent automatically forfeits membership. No Student Section is permitted to levy local dues. The Student Section receives a rebate (20% of current dues) toward the operating expenses of the local Student Section. All other funds shall be raised as is deemed necessary by the Executive Council, approved by the Student Section, and the appropriate University office. SECTION 2 - PAYMENT OF DUES
A student is a member in good standing for the fiscal year in which the SWE Headquarters receives the correct dues and updated membership information. ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS AND DUTIES SECTION 1 -
OFFICERS
A. The Executive officers of this Student Section shall be one President, one Vice President, one Secretary, and one Treasurer. If the membership deems it necessary and opts the following, the officers of this student section shall be one President, two Vice Presidents, two Secretaries, and two Treasurers – one from each co-op section. B. If only one person for each office is elected, executive offices shall be elected at the end of winter quarter. If two officers are elected for each different co-op section, executive officers for Section I co-op shall be elected at the end of Spring quarter and shall serve the following Autumn and Spring quarters. Officers for Section II co-op shall be elected at the end of Winter quarter and shall serve the following Summer and Winter quarters. Note: Only Vice-presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers have the opt of two officers – one from each co-op section. Officers shall assume duties upon completion of official elections. The date of elections shall be determined by the Executive Council. C.
A vacancy
in the office of President shall be filled by the Vice President. A vacancy in any other office shall be
filled by a special election of the Student Section's voting members or
appointed by the President with approval from the Executive Board for the
remainder of that term of office. D. The officers shall be elected no later than May for a one-year term beginning July 1 & ending June 30. E. The board of this Student Section shall also include any committee chairs deemed necessary and defined by the officers of the executive board. F. The Executive Officers and Board must be paid National Members. SECTION 2 – EXECUTIVE OFFICER DUTIES
A. The President shall: 1. Preside at all meetings of this Student Section. 2. Appoint all committee chairmen, subject to approval of the Executive Council. 3. Assume all other executive duties not otherwise delegated. 4. Prepare the annual report of this Student Section’s activities and obtain the SWE Counselor’s and Faculty Advisor’s counter-signatures. The Section President will submit this report to the SWE Region G Coordinator and to SWE Headquarters prior to the close of the school year. 5. Receive all complaints, requests, and notification of matters to be brought before SWE. 6. Coordinate Executive Meetings, Board Meetings, and General Meetings. 7. Assume regular contact with the Dean of College of Engineering and President of Engineering Tribunal (ET). 8. Review and update Constitution and By Laws for this Student Section on a yearly basis, subject to approval by the Executive Council, Board, and National SWE members. B. The Vice-President shall: 1. Perform all duties of the President in the absence, or at the request of that officer. 2. Inform any and all duties performed in absence of President, to the President. 3. Perform any other duties assigned by the Executive Council. 4.
Chair the Outreach program with: (1) Engineering
Outreach Program (EOP), (2) Big Brother / Big Sister Mentoring Program, and
(3) a. Coordinating at least one activity with high school women each quarter. b. Maintaining regular contact with the SWE Counselor for Women in Engineering events. c. Providing regular feedback regarding events and activities occurring in the Outreach Program to the Executive Council. C. The Secretary shall: 1. Keep minutes of all meetings of the Student Section. 2. Count votes for the officer elections unless this officer is running for an elected position or unless the student section opts to use email, mail, or some other form of secret ballots approved by the Executive Council and the majority of student members. 3. Notify student members being one co-op quarter in arrears in dues payment of their suspension. 4. Update the SWE bulletin board quarterly. 5. Keep track of all attendees at meetings including Executive Council meetings, Board meetings, and General Meetings. 6. Track “SWE bucks” for each member of SWE. 7. Maintain a record of all SWE meetings in the file cabinet and on the website. 8. Assume responsibility for maintenance of the SWE website (www.swe.uc.edu) by: a. Manually updating the website or b. Maintaining regular contact with the Webmaster. D. The Treasurer shall: 1. Receive all funds and pay all bills for this Student Section authorized by the Executive Council. 2. Keep an exact account of all receipts, expenditures, and fundraising. 3. The Treasurer of Section I co-op shall report both sections accounts to the SWE Region G Coordinator at the end of Spring Quarter on the Student Section Financial Report due no later than 30 days following the close of the Fiscal Year (July 30). 4. Provide Undergraduate Funding Board (UFB) requests and attend appropriate meetings needed to receive funding. 5. Attend the mandatory Student Activities Board Treasurer’s Workshop (beginning of Fall Quarter). 6. Report all transactions to the executive board at each of the executive board meetings. 7. Treasurer will present transactions throughout the quarter to the President and Vice President quarterly. ARTICLE V - EXECUTIVE COUNCIL The
affairs of this Student Section shall be managed by the Executive Council consisting
of the President, Vice-President(s), Secretary(s), and Treasurer(s). The SWE
Counselor and the Faculty Advisor shall be ex-officio members of the
Executive Council. ARTICLE VI - SWE COUNSELOR SECTION 1 -
QUALIFICATIONS
The
SWE Counselor should be a voting member of SWE whenever possible, but the
Board of Directors can be petitioned to approve an Associate Member in the
event that a voting member is not available and if the qualifications of the
Associate Member are acceptable. Any SWE Counselor approved by the Board of
Directors must be a member in good standing of the Society. SECTION 2 -
ELECTION PRIOR TO PETITION FOR CHARTER
The
SWE Counselor shall be elected by majority vote of the proposed membership of
this Student Section prior to submission of a petition for charter. The
election is subject to approval by the SWE Executive Committee and will be
considered with the petition. SECTION
3 - REPLACEMENT
The Student Section may at any time by a majority vote of its
membership replace the SWE Counselor subject to the approval of the Board of
Directors. The Board of Directors, via
the Student Activities Committee, must be notified, in writing, of the
proposed new Counselor's name and address.
The incumbent SWE Counselor shall be informed of this action and the
SWE Counselor-elect shall understand and be willing to accept the
responsibilities of the office if approved by the Board of Directors. SECTION 4 -
RESPONSIBILITIES
A. The SWE Counselor is responsible to the Board of Directors through the Student Activities Committee, for this Student Section’s compliance with the Bylaws, policies, and procedures of the Society. B. The SWE Counselor shall countersign the annual report indicating this Student Section’s compliance with the minimum membership requirements for Student Section as specified in the National Bylaws. If this Student Section is not in compliance or is not expected to be in compliance the following school year, the SWE Counselor shall attach an explanation letter and forecast of expected date of compliance. ARTICLE VII - FACULTY ADVISOR The
Faculty Advisor shall: 1.
Be a faculty
member of the 2.
Keep this
Student Section informed about University policies and procedures. 3.
Countersign the
annual report. 4.
Ensure that the
organization is consistent with its stated purpose. 5.
Grant approval
for off-campus SWE activities. 6.
Be present when
off-campus speakers are present. 7.
Be a voting
member in case of a tie in elections. ARTICLE VIII – GRADUATE ADVISOR
The Graduate Advisor shall: 1. Be
a Graduate Student of the 2. Advise the Student Section when needed. 3. Be a current SWE member. 4. Help with recruitment of graduate student members. ARTICLE IX - MEETINGS This Student Section shall hold a minimum of one meeting per quarter, the time and place to be designated by the Executive Council. At all meetings, a quorum shall be one-third (1/3) of the voting members of the Student Section. All matters coming before the Student Section, which require the approval of the membership and the election of officers, shall be carried by the majority vote of the voting members providing that a quorum is present. ARTICLE X - OFFICER ELECTIONS
A. The Secretary shall count the votes for the officer elections unless this officer is running for an elected position or unless the Student Section opts to use email, mail, or some other form of secret ballots approved by the Executive Council and the majority of the membership. The format for conducting another form of secret ballot must be written and approved by the Executive Council and the majority of the membership prior to implementation. B. The SWE Counselor, Faculty Advisor, or Graduate Advisor shall confirm the counted votes made by the Secretary. C.
Only paid members in good
standing are permitted to vote in officer elections and any other decisions
which require a vote. D. Absentee ballots are permitted, provided that the absent member has paid and is in good standing. This ballot may be mailed or emailed to the SWE Counselor or Faculty Advisor. ARTICLE XI - COMMITTEES Committees
shall be established by the Executive Council as required to carry out /
further the work of this Student Section. Committee chairmen shall be
appointed as in Article IV, Section 2A (1.b) of these Bylaws. These elected chairmen will serve of the
board. ARTICLE XII - RETENTION OF CHARTER In
order to retain an active charter and participate in campus activities as a
Student Section of the SWE, the following minimum requirements must be met: A. At least ten (10) student members; B. At least fifty (50) percent of the Section membership shall be women majoring in engineering; C. Operation under the guidance of a SWE Counselor. ARTICLE XIII - AMENDMENTSThese Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of this Student Section membership provided the amendment shall have been proposed at least one meeting prior to the time of voting. After acceptance by the membership, an amendment must be submitted to the Student Activities Committee Chairman, c/o SWE Headquarters, for National Bylaws Committee review and submittal to the SWE Board of Directors. An amendment will become effective only after acceptance and approval by the Board of Directors.
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