Constitution and Bylaws of the American Chemical Society, Student Affiliates American Chemical Society of Louisiana State University Article I: Name The name of the organization shall be Student Affiliates American Chemical Society of LSU Article II: Purpose As the official student chapter of the American Chemical Society at Louisiana State University, it shall be the purpose of the chapter to facilitate opportunities for students in the chemical/biochemical sciences to become better acquainted, to promote the learning and advancement of chemistry and biochemistry, to obtain experience in preparing and presenting technical material before chemical/biochemical audiences, to instill a professional pride in the chemical/biochemical sciences, to foster an awareness of the responsibilities and challenges that face the modern chemist/biochemist, and to guide students to the resources needed to obtain degrees in higher education such as Masters and/or PhD post graduation. The chapter recognizes all the divisions of chemistry and biochemistry and shall always be based in the Department of Chemistry at Louisiana State University Article III: Basic Policies Section A: The organization shall be non-commercial. Section B: The name of the organization or the names of any members in their official capacities shall not be used in connection with a commercial concern. Section C: The organization shall cooperate with Louisiana State University to support the improvement of education in ways that will not interfere with administration of the University. Section D: The organization may cooperate with other organizations and agencies, but persons representing the organization in such matters shall make no commitments that bind the organization. Section E: The organization agrees to abide by all University polices and local, state and federal laws. Article IV: Membership Section A: Membership is open to any enrolled LSU student who: 1. Has an interest in the chemical/biochemical or related sciences or research. 2. Attends at least 2 meetings per semester. 3. Abides by the LSU Student Code of Conduct. 4. Any LSU student, faculty member or staff member who subscribes to the purpose and basic policies of the organization may become a member of this organization, subject only to compliance with the provisions of the constitution. 5. Active membership is restricted to LSU students. Associate membership is restricted to LSU faculty and staff. Associate members are non-voting members. Section B: A list of active members shall be furnished to the Department of Chemistry at LSU and be sent to the director of the Undergraduate Chemistry Office no later than the fourth week after the end of each term. Section C: The kickoff meeting at the beginning of each semester shall count as one of the required two meetings for that semester as required in Article III, Section A. Section D: Members who attend their second meeting fulfill the attendance requirement of Article III, Section A at the start of the meeting. Section E: It is not required of students to join the National American Chemical Society, but they are highly encouraged to do so to receive additional benefits. Section F: Eligibility for membership or appointed student officer positions in the campus-recognized chapter may not be limited on the basis of race, sex, creed, color, age, religion, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, parental status, sexual orientation, physical or mental handicap, ancestry or medical condition, except as explicitly exempted in federal law. Section G: Dues 1. If the President and faculty advisor agree that dues are necessary for the new academic year, they must decide before the first day of the fall term. 2. The chapter is not required to cover the fee to join the National American Chemical Society. 3. Members may be required to pay for trips, dinners, etc. in order to participate in an event. In such an event, a member shall only be responsible for his/her costs. Appeals are to be made to the faculty advisor.
Article V: Voting Section A: Students must have fulfilled the requirements of Article III, Section A in the current academic year to be eligible to vote. Section B: Proxy voting is not allowed and any member can request that voting be done by secret ballot. Section C: After establishing a quorum (at least twenty-five percent of all active members in the chapter, but no less than seven), an item may be brought to a vote. If voting is done by email, at least fifty percent of all active members must respond to the email. The time frame for voting shall be determined by the chair of the committee or subcommittee before voting begins. Section D: An item is considered passed if approved by over fifty-five percent of the members voting. Those who respond, but abstain, do not figure into the determination of the majority required. Section E: The item must be under the committee or subcommittee s jurisdiction for it to be passed. If two or more committees claim jurisdiction over an item that is not specified in this constitution, it shall be automatically sent to the Committee on Chapter Planning for consideration. Article VI: Faculty Advisor Section A: The faculty advisor shall be a faculty member or academic staff from the Department of Chemistry at Louisiana State University Section B: The power to select, replace, or remove a faculty advisor lies solely in the Department of Chemistry at LSU. The National American Chemical Society shall be informed of all changes. Section C: Only the faculty advisor may remove an officer from office. Section D: The faculty advisor is responsible for ensuring that they create and submit a chapter report to the National American Chemical Society when required by the national organization. Section E: The faculty advisor shall inform the National American Chemical Society of the chapter s current officers. Section F: The faculty advisor is responsible for performing all other duties that are required of them by the National American Chemical Society. Section G: Prior to an event, the faculty advisor must be made aware of monetary expenses and has the power to prohibit any transactions. Section H: The faculty advisor shall direct the budget, leaving the implementation of the budget to the Treasurer. Section I: The faculty advisor is solely responsible for approving the travel of members wishing to go to a conference or a national meeting of the American Chemical Society. Section J: The power of interpreting this constitution solely lies in the faculty advisor. Article VII: Officers Section A: To be eligible to be elected to, appointed to, or to hold an office or be a standing committee chairperson, a student must: 1. Undergraduate students must be enrolled as full-time students at Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge); graduate students must be enrolled as part-time (with at least 6 hours) or fulltime students at LSU; 2. Students must have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA and be in good academic standing with the University; 3. Students must not be on disciplinary probation or deferred suspension. This includes newly elected officers, as well as continuing officers. Students may continue organizational membership if on disciplinary probation. 4. Students must meet all other academic standards established by the student organization and included in the organization s constitution and/or bylaws. 5. Graduating seniors who are not registered full time may still hold office in a student organization during the semester in which they are scheduled to graduate. Section B: Student Affiliates American Chemical Society of LSU shall have a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Outreach Chair, Webmaster, and Graphic Design Chair. These officers comprise the governing board along with the faculty advisor. Section C: All officers must be undergraduates at Louisiana State University. Section D: An officer must have been an active member of the chapter for at least two full semesters prior to the start of his/her term in office. Section E: All officers must be members of the National American Chemical Society by the second month of their term unless exempted from doing so by the faculty advisor. Section F: Before the last day of class in the spring term, the current officers, in consultation with the faculty advisor, shall select future officers and assign offices. Section G: All new officers must read this constitution and sign an affidavit stating that they have read and understood the bylaws set forth by this constitution.
Section H: An officer who graduates or withdraws from the university shall automatically relinquish their office. Section I: An officer must relinquish their office at the end of their undergraduate program. Section J: Only the faculty advisor may remove an officer as per Article V, Section D. Section K: Any vacancy that results shall be filled by the start of the new semester. This section does not apply to the Secretary or Outreach Chair. Section L: Should a conflict arise between officers, the conflict shall be brought to the attention of the faculty advisor who shall resolve the conflict. Article VIII: Officer Responsibilities Section A: The President 1. The President shall chair the Committee on Chapter Planning. 2. The President shall be the chief representative of the chapter when engaging with other student chapters. The President and the faculty advisor shall be the chapter s official delegates when representing the chapter for the National American Chemical Society. 3. If it is determined that another officer is not fulfilling their respective duties, it is the job of the President to ensure the duties are carried out. 4. In respecting the duties given by this constitution to the other officers, the President shall organize/plan meetings and other events. 5. The President shall re-register the chapter with the University no later than the third week of September and shall update the chapter s contact information and roster, if necessary. 6. The President shall obtain from their predecessor knowledge on where chapter records are kept. Section B: The Vice-President 1. The Vice-President shall chair the Committee on Departmental Relations. 2. In the absence of the President at an event, the Vice-President shall assume any necessary roles. 3. The Vice-President will keep copies of the constitution. 4. The Vice-President will perform other duties as directed by the President. Section C: The Treasurer 1. The Treasurer shall chair the Finance Committee. 2. The Treasurer shall keep an archival record of all financial transactions. 3. The Treasurer will be responsible for checking the accuracy of all bills and invoices and paying them correctly and on time. 4. The Treasurer will implement the budget as directed by the faculty advisor. 5. The Treasurer shall take a primary role in chapter fundraising. 6. The Treasurer will perform other duties as directed by the President. Section D: The Secretary 1. The Secretary shall chair the Committee on Local Section Relations. 2. The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping the minutes of all general meetings and making them accessible. The Secretary shall also keep and make accessible a record of votes for all meetings. 3. The Secretary shall maintain a complete and accurate account of attendance and membership status. 4. The Secretary shall be responsible for sending out emails and updates to all members. 5. The Secretary will keep track of events in which members have participated. 6. The Secretary is responsible for carrying out the requirements of Article III, Section B. 7. The Secretary will perform other duties as directed by the President. 8. This position can be left unfilled by unanimous consent of the current officers. If left unfilled, the President shall Section E: Outreach Chair 1. The Outreach Chair shall chair the Committee on Member Relations. 2. The Outreach Chair shall head the recruitment and retention of members. 3. The Outreach Chair shall be in charge of discovering and locating community service opportunities. 4. The Outreach Chair will perform other duties as directed by the President. 5. This position can be left unfilled by unanimous consent of the current officers. If left unfilled, the President shall Section F: Webmaster 1. The Webmaster shall act as the Committee s historian. 2. The Webmaster shall chair the Committee on all forms of Technology and Social Media. 3. The Webmaster shall head the Committee s Official Website and keeping it up to date.
4. The Webmaster shall be in charge taking photos at all meetings and events. 5. The Webmaster will perform other duties as directed by the President. 6. This position can be left unfilled by unanimous consent of the current officers. If left unfilled, the President shall Section G: Graphic Design Chair 1. The Graphic Design shall chair the Committee on Advertising. 2. The Graphic Design shall be in charge of making fliers for meetings and events. 3. The Graphic Design shall be in charge of designing t-shirts. 4. The Graphic Design shall be in charge of maintaining the Society s Bulletin Board and keeping it up to date. 5. The Graphic Design will perform other duties as directed by the President. 6. This position can be left unfilled by unanimous consent of the current officers. If left unfilled, the President shall Article IX: Standing Committees and Subcommittees (Optional) Section A: The chapter shall consist of five standing committees chaired by their respective officer: Committee on Chapter Planning, Committee on Departmental Relations, Finance Committee, Committee on Local Section Relations, and Committee on Member Relations. 1. Committee on Chapter Planning: Charged with providing guidance and leadership on the activities of the chapter. 2. Committee on Departmental Relations: Charged with carrying out the duty of maintaining goodwill with the Department of Chemistry as well as planning activities within the Department of Chemistry. 3. Finance Committee: Charged with the implementation of the budget and maintaining chapter finances and fundraising. 4. Committee on Local Section Relations: Charged with collaborating with the Louisiana Local Section. 5. Committee on Member Relations: Charged with recruiting and retaining members as well as developing opportunities for members to network with each other. Section B: The Committee on Chapter Planning shall resolve any conflicts that arise from time-to-time between the committees. Section C: All active members in the chapter are automatically members in the standing committees and any subcommittees that form. Section D: Each committee shall ensure that proceedings and votes are recorded and made accessible. Section E: A committee may decide to form a subcommittee whose chair shall not be an officer. Section F: The subcommittee s powers are defined and limited to the powers given to it at the time of formation and any powers cannot be in conflict with this constitution. Section G: Before a subcommittee can form, it must first be approved by two-thirds of the active members. At the time of formation, the committee shall seek and select a subcommittee chair. Section H: Any individual who has been an active member for at least one full semester and who is compliant with Section III, Article A, may become a subcommittee chair. Section I: A subcommittee chair can be relieved of duty by a four-fifths vote in the committee that the subcommittee is under or can be automatically removed by the faculty advisor. Section J: Each committee and subcommittee chair shall be responsible for calling and leading meetings and will be the official representative of their committee or subcommittee. Section K: Committees and subcommittees may determine their own procedures for conducting meetings. However, all meetings must take place in a university owned building at a reasonable time. Section L: Voting within the committee or subcommittee shall be in accordance with Article IV. Section K: If the position or secretary is left unfilled, the duties of their respective committees shall be dispersed to the other committees as determined by Committee on Chapter Planning. Article X: Notice of Meetings Section A: The power to determine the times and dates of meetings lies in the chairs of committees or subcommittees. It is highly recommended, but not required, that members plan their meetings around each other. Section B: The standing committees shall meet at least every semester to plan events and discuss other items. Section C: Members shall be given at least a seven-day notice before a meeting. Section D: Special or emergency meetings may be called by a committee or subcommittee chair with no less than 24 hours notice by the committee or subcommittee chair.
Article XI: Parliamentary Procedure If a question is brought up to one of the members of the committee or by the chair, a discussion of the whole committee will commence, followed by voting on the topic, if necessary. Article XII: Amendments Section A: No committee or subcommittee has the sole power to amend the constitution, but they may make non-binding recommendations for amendments. Section B: Amendments to this constitution may be made at a joint meeting of all standing committees with the faculty advisor as the presiding officer. The faculty advisor may defer this responsibility to the President, but this President may not defer this responsibility to another officer or member. Amendments may also be done via email. Section C: This article shall supersede any conflict with Article IV. Section D: A two-week notice must be given before the meeting or email as well as a reminder notice two days before the meeting or email. Section E: To cast a vote, a currently active member must have been a member in the chapter for at least one full semester. Section F: Of the eligible voting members in Section E, fifty percent of them must be present at the meeting to maintain a quorum. If voting is done by email, at least sixty-five percent of all eligible members must respond to the email to maintain a quorum. Section G: A two-thirds majority of the eligible voters defined in Section E is required to pass an amendment. Section H: If voting takes place by email, the frame to cast a vote shall be one week. Section I: An amendment takes place at the start of a new semester, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Section J: The Department of Chemistry may also make changes to this constitution per its usual policies for making such changes. Section K: Changes that are mandated by the National American Chemical Society shall take effect at the start of the new semester, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Section L: All amendments shall conform to the National American Chemical Society s regulations established for American Chemical Society s student chapters. Section M: This constitution may be amended at any regular meeting of the organization by a two thirds vote of the members present and voting, provided that notice of the proposed amendment shall have been given at the previous meeting and that the proposed amendment shall be subject to approval of Campus Life. Article XIII: Archival Section A: The original of this signed constitution shall be kept with the faculty advisor and a copy be sent to the Center of Leadership and Involvement. Section B: All electronic records generated by the chapter shall be placed on the Department of Chemistry Server to be available for future reference. Archived paper copies shall be kept with the faculty advisor. Article XIV: Ratification The ratification of the constitution by the below faculty advisor and officers in the same week shall be sufficient for the establishment of this constitution governing the Louisiana State University Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society. Article XV: Equal Opportunity (PS-1) and Non-Discrimination Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society at LSU, through its recruitment policies, will recruit personnel for all its diverse activities and will provide equal opportunities during the selection process and without regard to race, color, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, or veteran s status. The following guidelines are designed to achieve the recruitment and placement objectives set forth in the University s Affirmative Action Plan.