Carnegie Mellon University Global Medical Brigades Constitution

Carnegie Mellon University Global Medical Brigades Constitution

TABLE OF CONTENTS ARTICLE Page(s) 1. Organization Name 2 2. Mission & Goals 2 3. Membership 3, 4 4. Officers 5, 6 5. Selection of Officers & Elections 7, 8 6. Meetings 9 7. Fundraising 10 8. Advisor 11 9. Finances 12 10. Ratification & Empowerment 13 11. Amendments 13 1

ARTICLE I. ORGANIZATION NAME Official Name The official name of this organization is Carnegie Mellon University Global Medical Brigades. Organization Acronym This organization will use the official name or the acronym, CMU GMB, in all publicity materials and correspondence. ARTICLE II. MISSION & GOALS Purpose CMU GMB is a chapter of the national organization Global Brigades. Global Brigades is a student-led global health and sustainable development organization that aims to empower rural communities in Central America and Africa. CMU GMB s mission is to aid in this initiative by providing access to medical care and creating sustainable infrastructures in underserved communities abroad. Our organization focuses on holistic health care development of the rural areas we visit. For half of our trip abroad, we facilitate free mobile clinics. With a team of recruited students and licensed medical professionals, we provide basic and essential health care to those in need. A large aspect of clinics also targets long-term health problems by hosting educational talks about dietary health and water sanitation. Educational talks about dental hygiene are also held with the children that visit the clinic. The other half of our trip consists of public health related projects aimed to eliminate the root causes of the most common diseases seen in clinic, like bacterial infections and parasitic disease. Some of our public health goals have included laying concrete floors, laying clean water pipelines, building septic tanks, building eco-friendly stoves, and building sanitation stations that each include a toilet, a shower, and an area to wash clothes. We work alongside community members to build these facilities. This important fact reflects our goal to empower the communities to help themselves obtain a healthier lifestyle. Our organization believes that a multifaceted approach that targets health problems with immediate and long term relief can help these communities reach a better standard of living. Associated Activities All activities of this organization must be directed toward this purpose. 2

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP Requirements Part A - CMU Student Eligibility All currently enrolled CMU students, both undergraduate and graduate, are eligible to be members, and no major or career path will be discriminated against. Brigade members will be selected by an application and interview process. Part B - Other Person's Eligibility All CMU staff, faculty, alumni, and alumnae are eligible to be members. Part C - Membership Travel Costs All brigade members traveling are required to pay the total trip cost prior to the trip. This money will cover the in-county cost of the brigade (food, lodging, in-country transportation, etc). Airfare cost will also apply, but will vary per trip and per departure location due to changing airfare costs. This amount may be divided into smaller installments due throughout the preparation time before the trip, as determined by the co-presidents and clearly explained to all brigade members soon after they are accepted into the group. Part D - Member Support All members are required to demonstrate support for the purpose of this organization. Part E- Meeting Requirement All members will attend a mandatory weekly meeting. Any additional meetings will be given more than 72 hours notice, and it is the responsibility of the member to notify the officers if a conflict is present. Part F- Assurance Statement The organization will abide by the CMU Statement of Assurance ( www.cmu.edu/policies/documents/soa.html ). Part G- Anti-Hazing Statement Hazing will not be used as a condition of membership in this organization. 3

Rights Part A- General Body Meetings All members are eligible to attend all general body meetings and events of this organization. Part B- Brigade Participation All members are eligible to participate on the spring break brigade, subject to timely fulfillment of associated costs and adherence to membership requirements. Part C- New Officer Positions Any member may petition for the creation of a specific office position, however the actual requirement or need of this position will be evaluated by the current officers. Withdrawal of Membership Part A- Adherence to Requirements Members may have their membership withdrawn for failure to adhere to the requirements for membership as stated above. Part B - Voting A simple majority vote of the executive board at a regular or special meeting shall be sufficient to withdraw membership. Part C - Notification Members to be voted upon in this regard will be notified of the intention to do so in writing at least one week prior to the meeting at which the vote will be taken. Contract At the start of the year, the Co-Presidents will draft a contract stipulating the details of a member's commitment to the group. The contract will include the membership requirements stated in this constitution, as well as dues associated with membership. The contract will be written with advice from the Student Activities Office of CMU, and will bind specific membership dues, associated with airfare and in-country logistics to members after specific dates. 4

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS Officer Positions CMU GMB s Executive Board consists of a group of officers. This group includes: Two Co - Presidents One Vice President One Fundraising Chair One Education Chair One Secretary Two Supplies Managers* Two Vision Chairs** *The two Supplies Managers will also each hold a second officer position, Vice President and Secretary. **The two Vision Chairs will also each hold a second officer position, Education Chair and Fundraising Chair. Duties Part A - Co - President The Co - Presidents will chair all general body and Executive Board meetings of CMU GMB. They will also call and chair additional meetings as needed. The Co - Presidents will produce all official correspondence for the organization which includes, but is not limited to, writing and submitting scholarships, grants, formal applications, Student Activities paperwork, and financial documentation. The Co - Presidents will assume leadership and responsibility in-country and serve as the liaison between Global Brigades representatives and CMU GMB. Part B - Vice President The Vice President will assist the duties of the Co - Presidents. The Vice President will also serve as a Co-Supplies Manager. Part C - Fundraising Chair The Fundraising Chair is responsible for developing and supervising non-medically focused fundraisers as well as reporting any financial requirements for fundraising to the Executive Board. The Fundraising Chair s goal is to organize events to gain profits for each contributing member s travel and in-country costs. Another goal of the Fundraising Chair is to organize fundraisers that foster awareness of our organization s purpose and mission to the CMU and larger Pittsburgh communities. The Fundraising Chair will also serve as a Co-Vision Chair. 5

Part D - Education Chair The Education chair is responsible for educating CMU GMB members in Spanish and cultural awareness, specific to the area we will be visiting. The Education Chair is also responsible for teaching the group any necessary skills to properly run the mobile clinic. This task can be done through mock clinics or demonstrations. Lastly, the Education Chair is responsible for helping students understand which medications are for what purpose and how to pronounce and recognize the medications in Spanish. The Education Chair will also serve as a Co-Vision Chair. Part E - Secretary The Secretary will take meeting minutes during all meetings. The Secretary will also serve as Co-Supplies Manager. The Secretary will also collect and keep track of all vaccination records, ISIC card records, passport records, and insurance card records. The Secretary will bring an electronic and hard copy of these files on the trip. The Secretary is also responsible for taking attendance during meeting and is obligated to notify the Co-Presidents when a member has missed two meetings unexcused. Part F - Co - Supplies Managers Co - Supplies Managers are responsible for making sure the organization collects and brings the necessary medications and medical supplies with them on the brigade. Throughout the academic year, Co - Supplies Managers will contact businesses and health facilities to ask for donations on behalf of CMU GMB. Their role is also to organize and run the Rite - Aid Medication Drives. They are responsible for making sure these fundraisers run accordingly and that no other organization interferes with CMU GMB s efforts. Ad Hoc Committees or Task Forces Any number of officers in conjunction shall create any ad hoc committees or task forces within the organization as necessary. Such committees can also consist of non - officers but need the approval of the Co - Presidents. Executive Board Changes Changes to Executive Board officer positions or duties are only authorized by the current Co - Presidents. If changes are made, they will only become active at the start of the next brigade cycle (at the start of a new team). 6

ARTICLE V. Selection of Officers Nominations Part A -Timeframe Nominations for all open offices will be taken during the spring semester. Part B- Selection Process Any members may nominate any other member, including him or herself. A member may run for as many positions as he or she would like to. Part C- Board Positions The executive board positions that will be filled via the nomination and election procedure include the Fundraising Chair, the Education Chair, and the Secretary. The Co- Presidents and Vice-Presidents will be appointed every year by an application and interview, followed by agreement of the previous brigade s Co-Presidents. Part D-Requirements All members nominated and who decide to run for an officer position must intend to go on the brigade in the following year. Elections Part A- Election Process Elections will be held at the meeting following nominations and will determine who fills the available position. Following candidate speeches, each member gets one vote for each position. Part B - Ties In the case that there is a tie for a position, there will be a re-vote to choose between the two finalists. Part C- Multiple Elected Positions In the case that a member is elected (gets the highest number of votes) for more than one position, the member will choose the position he or she would like to fill, and the runner-up(s) for the other positions will fill the position. 7

Part D- Election Requirements No office shall be filled by someone who has little or no intention of accompanying students on the brigade. Removal Part A - Removal Criteria Officers may be removed from office for failure to perform duties or for violation of membership clause. Officers who have no intention on accompanying the trip will lose their position at the discretion of the majority vote of other officers. Part B- Removal Notification Officers to be voted upon in this regard will be notified of the intention to do so in writing at least one week prior to the meeting at which the vote will be taken. Part C - Officer Removal A unanimous decision by both Co-Presidents shall be sufficient for removal from office. 8

ARTICLE VI. MEETINGS Weekly Meetings Weekly meetings will be held from the time the team of students is established to the trip itself. Attendance will be taken by the Secretary at every meeting. All weekly meetings are mandatory for all members of CMU GMB. Additional Meetings Additional group meetings may be scheduled in addition to the weekly meetings if necessary. Executive Board Meetings The executive board will also have mandatory weekly meetings to discuss group logistics and issues. These meetings are intended to keep the entire executive board up-to-date on all sectors of the planning process, like education, fundraising, and medicine collecting. 9

ARTICLE VII. FUNDRAISING General Fundraising Events General fundraising events will be dedicated to raising funds for members personal trip costs. Only participating members will be able to obtain funds from fundraising event. Rite - Aid Medications Drives Part A - Purpose Rite - Aid Medications Drives are medicine and medical supplies fundraising events that occur every weekend from 10AM - 4PM outside the the Rite - Aid at the intersection of Murray Avenue and Forbes Avenue. Members will ask Rite - Aid customers to buy and donate specific items during their shopping trip to Rite - Aid. Part B - CMU GMB Member Obligations Members of CMU GMB take one hours shifts standing outside Rite - Aid at the intersection of Murray Avenue and Forbes Avenue. CMU GMB members are required to participate in this fundraiser every weekend. Members must oblige by Rite - Aid management rules and be respectful and mindful of the Rite - Aid staff and Rite - Aid customers. Part C - Cancellations Weekly Rite - Aid Medication Drives may be canceled due to weather conditions, finals periods, or government or school holidays. Fundraiser may also be canceled when organization finishes collecting all necessary medication and medical supplies that can be found at Rite - Aid. 10

ARTICLE XIII. ADVISOR Advisor versus Three Officers As a recognized student organization at Carnegie Mellon University, CMU GMB is required to have an official advisor. This advisor must be part of the CMU faculty. An alternative option would be to have at least three officers and be completely student run. Both an advisor and three officers are allowed. Advisor s Role In the event that CMU GMB has an advisor, the officers that run CMU GMB are obligated to inform the advisor of major decisions and issues that occur within CMU GMB and with Global Brigades. Advisor - Organization Dialog Officers are required to meet regularly with the advisor. Meeting with the advisor at least three times a semester is recommended. Advisor s Influence The advisor may not vote in CMU GMB matters, hold office, or unduly influence decisions of the student organization. 11

ARTICLE IX. FINANCES Membership Dues Part A- Costs Each member will be subject to dues associated with the organization s annual spring break brigade. These costs will cover airfare, food and lodging during the week in-country, and associated costs with supplies needed for the brigade. If any circumstances occur that prevent a member from going on the trip and the expenses tied to their attendance have already been paid by the organization, the member will be responsible for full payment of any such costs that cannot be transferred to another attendee or be reimbursed to the organization. Part B- Refunds Any payments made by members are non-refundable, except at the discretion of the executive board. Part C- Reimbursements At the end of the academic year, reimbursements may be allocated for personal funds not used to pay for the total trip cost. Personal funds encompass personal or guardian payments made to CMU GMB for the member s overall trip cost. Part D- Rollover Dues Members who have received non-personal donations exceeding the total cost of the trip will be subject to their donations rolling over to the next academic year. The funds will be put to the members full trip cost for that following year. Rollover non-personal funds of members who do not return the following year will be allocated at the discretion of the executive board. Budget Approval Process The Co-Presidents will be designated as the authorized signers for any financial transactions in the organization. All purchases with the organization s money will need to be approved by one of the two authorized signers. Budget Limitations Organizational funds will not be used for anything illegal under University, local, state, and federal laws. 12

ARTICLE X. RATIFICATION & EMPOWERMENT Ratification The constitution will be ratified by an unanimous decision by the two current co-presidents. Empowerment The constitution will take into effect immediately after approval and ratification from the student government. ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENTS Proposal Amendments to this Constitution may be initiated by five-sixth vote of the members of the organization. Notification Notification of such a motion must be made to members at least one meeting in advance of the one in which the actual vote is taken. Ratification Once an amendment has been approved by a two-thirds vote, the amendment under consideration cannot be amended again, and must be voted on as is. Amendments proposed and voted by the all members of the organization will take into effect immediately after the vote. 13