CONSTITUTION OF PURDUE ASTRONOMY CLUB PREAMBLE ARTICLE I ARTICLE II ARTICLE III

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1 CONSTITUTION OF PURDUE ASTRONOMY CLUB PREAMBLE The Purdue Astronomy Club is established to serve all students of Purdue University, West Lafayette, hobbyists and beginners alike, in the field of general astronomy. ARTICLE I The name of this organization is Purdue Astronomy Club ARTICLE II This student organization shall cater to the student body of Purdue University and operate under 4 general motivations: 1) To promote interest in the field of astronomy among its members through meaningful discussion of past and current events, and prospective advances in our knowledge of the field; to acknowledge its relevance in society through appreciation of astronomy as both an art and a science. 2) To develop basic technical skills relevant to amateur astronomy, such as astrophotography, spectroscopy, image processing etc. 3) To set up and maintain correspondence with the astronomy community outside of Purdue University, including other clubs, organizations etc. 4) To actively conduct public outreach by hosting events such as public talks, star parties etc. ARTICLE III All students, part-time or full-time, enrolled at, and all faculty and staff employed by Purdue University, West Lafayette may qualify for membership of this student organization. Hence, membership and participation are free from discrimination based on race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, disability, or status as a veteran. Purdue Astronomy Club welcomes all students to join, regardless of background experience in science/astronomy. It will serve as a forum where beginners can be introduced to the field, and where active hobbyists can advance their interests. Only members that are enrolled students hold the right to vote or hold office. Therefore all non-student members, including the faculty advisor, may exercise all privileges of general membership except for the right to vote and hold office. This organization reserves the right to expel any member if one of the following conditions holds true: 1) Member is found to be in possession or consumption of illicit drugs. 2) Member has inflicted deliberate physical harm/damage to any students, personnel or property of Purdue University. Membership status of said member will be decided upon by a majority vote by officers on the executive board. He/she will be notified of expulsion if deemed necessary following the executive board decision.

2 ARTICLE IV Officers This section mentions the titles of each position held in office, and the procedures to conduct an election. There are two types of elections. Type I elections shall be held at the start of every fall semester. Each elected officer shall serve a term that lasts one academic year, i.e. from the beginning of a fall semester to the end of the following spring semester. Each officer elected for the first time (for a particular position) through Type I elections has one opportunity to renew his/her position the following year. No officer that is elected through Type I elections may hold the same position for more than four consecutive semesters. Type II elections shall be held if an officer resigns or leaves University in the middle of his/her term in order to replace him/her. This new officer shall serve the club until the next Type I elections take place. In both types, each student member is entitled to nominate themselves or another member for a designated position available. For each position, each student member who is not a nominee for that position is entitled to cast one vote by paper ballot. Once collected, votes may not be changed or added. The following is a list of positions that will be held in office: 1) President 2) Vice-President 3) Secretary 4) Treasurer 5) Director of Events & Affairs 6) Director of Technical Assets 7) Webmaster

3 ARTICLE V Officers and Duties The following is a list of duties to be carried out by each officer: 1) President Organize the agenda for general bi-weekly club meetings. Organize the agenda for bi-weekly executive board meetings Organize the agenda for annual call-outs. Maintain any correspondence if necessary, with Purdue administrative offices. Represent the club when communicating with other astronomy clubs or organizations elsewhere. Together with the Vice-President, develop goals for the club and ensure the sustainability of the club in the future. Oversee annual elections for positions held in office. 2) Vice-President Assume presidency in the absence of President. Collect and count ballots during elections Together with the President, develop goals for the club and ensure the sustainability of the club in the future. Reserve rooms for meetings. Oversee the Director of Outreach and the Director of Events & Affairs 3) Secretary Maintain minutes of each meeting. Maintain an organized record (soft copy) of all documentation for future reference, including meeting minutes, event summaries etc. Co-ordinate with webmaster to update calendar online. Maintain a roster of membership that includes contact details and attendance of each general meeting. Follow up with members with poor or zero attendance record. Prepare flyers for call-outs and special events. Set up events and invitations on Get Involved. Determine appropriate meeting times/places by means of group survey. 4) Treasurer Keeps accounts, deposits the organization s funds, and makes expenditures in a manner approved by the Business Office for Student Organizations. Collect dues from each member every semester Hunt for pirate treasure Collect checks and cash payments made towards the club for any purpose. Maintain a record of funding sources for projects and each project budget. Collect all receipts/bills of items purchased by officers such as the Director of Events & Affairs, and the Director of Technical Assets 5) Director of Events & Affairs

4 Manage and ensure smooth operations of projects, track progress Assess locations, weather conditions etc for star parties Maintain a list of possible sightings of eclipses, comets, rare/interesting planetary conjunctions, meteor showers etc from the local region. Conduct outreach programs such as local school visits, star parties for the local public etc Arrange for food and beverages if necessary 6) Director of Technical Assets Maintain responsibility for any gear and hardware owned by the club such as telescopes, cameras, tripods, accessories etc Ensure all equipment is stored and locked in a safe location Procure cleaning solution for optical media, batteries for electronic devices, when necessary. Conduct diagnostics for faulty items. Maintain a list of all assets owned by the club Maintain a list of members who have borrowed equipment from the club. Include details such as name of member, specifications of equipment, and duration of lending. 7) Webmaster Design, create and maintain an online presence of the club. Report to Secretary, Director of Events & Affairs, and Director of Technical Assets, to ensure an updated calendar of events, membership list, list of assets, and list of officers on the executive board. Maintain a news section. Maintain an online astrophotography gallery of pictures taken by members of the club, including details and specifications (if known) of each picture.

5 ARTICLE VI Amendments If any of the above articles prove to be insufficient as deemed by a member on the executive board, an amendment may be added to the constitution in order to provide more clarity regarding the issue. Any member on the board may suggest an amendment, whose inclusion in the constitution will be determined by a majority vote by the members on the executive board. Any amendments not directly relevant to Articles II through V may be added to the Bylaws section below. All amendments to the constitution and bylaws are subject to the approval of the Office of the Dean of Students. They may not take effect until they have been approved. BYLAWS This section contains guidelines on regular club operations. Meetings: The group shall meet at a time and place that suits the majority of its members. As noted in Article IV, the Secretary shall be responsible to determine this. Regular group meetings shall be held either on a weekly basis, or such frequency as agreed upon by the current members on the executive board. Damage to Equipment: As mentioned in Article IV, the Director of Technical Assets shall be responsible for equipment in storage. However, each member who has borrowed any piece of equipment that belongs to the club shall be financially liable for any physical damage caused to it. Said member shall reimburse the club at a price that is determined by members on the executive board. Date of Adoption Date of Recognition President s signature Office of the Dean of Students Advisor s signature