UTEP Geology Club Mission Statement and Constitution Jacquelyn Cordova, President Kara Ludwig, Vice-President Sandra Hardy, Secretary Nessly Torres, Treasurer Dr. José M. Hurtado, Jr., Faculty Advisor
MISSION STATEMENT The purpose of the UTEP Geology Club is to further the understanding, exploration, and promotion of Earth Sciences to our members and the community through field trips, guest speakers, and community outreach. Exposure to scholarships, internships, and career opportunities will also be emphasized in order to aid our members in fulfilling their career goals. Activities: Tentative for Fall 2011 Field trips under consideration: Kilbourne Hole / Aden s Crater, NM Carlsbad Caverns, NM Mt. Cristo Rey, El Paso, TX Jemez Caldera, NM Hot Springs, NM White Sands, NM Mt. Guadalupe / Mt. Indio, TX Mt. Franklin, TX Portillo, NM Bishop Cap, NM Guest speakers will be sought from: Professional Geologic Careers UTEP Graduate students and faculty Other research Universities Club-led Insights Museum geologic hikes (Year-round) Club-led Celebration of Our Mountains hikes (Year-round) Earth Science Week (October 9-15) Scenic Sundays (starting October 16) Volunteer research assistantships Weekly Graduate Seminar lectures
CONSTITUTION Article I Name The name of the organization shall be the UTEP Geology Club. Article II Purpose The purpose of the UTEP Geology Club is to expose its members, and the El Paso community, to the Earth Sciences. We want to promote the exploration and understanding of local geology and to assist our members in their future career goals. We aim to do this through geologic hikes, community outreach, and pairing our members with faculty to do undergraduate research. Article III Organization Section 1. MEMBERSHIP Membership is limited to UTEP students with an interest in Earth Sciences. All other community members with interests in geology and club activities are welcome to attend. Dues will be collected every semester at the beginning of the semester. Cost of membership is $10. Club members shall be required to attend at least 80 percent of club meetings and provide assistance as required to assure the club s success. Section 2. QUALIFICATIONS To be eligible to hold any office or be a club member a person must: A. Be currently enrolled at UTEP. B. Have a minimum GPA of 2.0. C. Not be on any disciplinary or scholastic probation. D. Must be a member to hold office. Section 3. OFFICERS Officers shall consist of: A. President B. Vice-President C. Secretary D. Treasurer E. Standing Committees: Fundraising Committee, Trips Committee, Outreach Committee Section 4. DUTIES A. The President shall preside over all scheduled meetings, appoint officers, fill vacancies in elected offices, and perform other duties as required to assure the Club s success under the council and consent of the other officers and faculty advisor. The President shall also monitor club activity including fundraising, community service, and club resources. B. The Vice-President shall assist the President as asked, and will perform other duties as required of the Vice-President. The Vice-President will oversee committees, monitor record keeping, and preside over meetings if the President is unable to attend.
C. The Secretary shall keep a record of the minutes of every UTEP Geology Club meeting, distribute minutes to members, keep record of attendance, and participation, and other important documents. D. The Treasurer shall prepare and maintain financial statements, a semester budget, and financial records that will be available for inspection at all times, and will collect semesterly dues. Section 5. ELECTIONS A. Nominations for office shall take place on the penultimate scheduled Club meeting. B. Elections will be hosted on the SurveyMonkey website. C. Election for officers shall be announced during the final Club meeting of every semester. D. All nominations and elections are subject to review by the faculty advisor. Section 6. VACANCIES IN OFFICER POSITIONS Lest an officer resigns or is removed from office, vacancies will be filled by holding a meeting in which a quorum of 10 members are present. The election of a replacing officer will be determined by a 2/3 majority vote. The Vice President will assume the President's position until a new President is elected by the quorum. If another elected officer s office becomes vacant, another officer shall volunteer to hold the position during the interim until a new officer is elected. Section 7 REMOVAL OF OFFICERS AND MEMBERS A member may not be removed arbitrarily. Reasons constituting removal of members and officers includes but is not limited to: significant amount of unexcused absences from meetings/activities, violation of rules explained in the Student Handbook or failure to abide by the policies of the UTEP Geology Club, and conduct unbecoming the UTEP Geology Club. Reasons for Removing Officers: Officers are expected to fulfill all responsibilities of their offices and those of standard membership. Failure to fulfill the responsibilities of his or her office (as discussed in Article III, Section 4) are grounds for removal. Procedure for Removing Members and Officers: Minimum due process must be followed: The accused person must be provided written charges and an opportunity to defend him/herself before the officers and UTEP Geology Club members. A quorum of ten UTEP Geology Club members must be present, and a 2/3 majority vote is mandatory for expulsion of a member or officer. The accused member/officer must be notified in writing of their status after the decision is made whether or not to remove the member or officer from the club or organization. Article IV Meetings Meetings are to be held at least twice a month or as needed. The date and time for future meetings will be decided upon at each meeting. Officers and club members are expected to attend and participate at club meetings as deemed necessary.
Article V Amendments Amendments to the UTEP Geology Club Constitution may be proposed by any Club member and shall be voted upon at the following meeting or after sufficient notice has been provided to all Club members. A quorum of no fewer than ten members will be required to vote on an amendment. The amendment will need a minimum of a two-thirds majority vote by the quorum, as well as the faculty advisor s approval. Article VI Fundraising Benefits In order for members to be eligible to use club funds to attend club trips, members must participate in at least 70% of club activities including, but not limited to, attendance of meetings, participation in community outreach, and participation in fundraisers. An officer present at each event will record participation using a sign-in/sign-out sheet. Members who participate in fundraising and outreach and other Club activities will receive credit towards the stated fundraising benefits based on time and effort spent. The budgeted amount for trips will be divided among participating members equally. Article VII -- Non-Discrimination Policy No person shall be denied membership because of ethnicity, gender, religion, economic background, sexual orientation, major, etc.