Constitution and Bylaws

Article I. Name

The name of this organization shall be the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Graduate Student Association (hereafter referred to as the Graduate Student Association or GSA).

 

Article II. Purpose

To promote interest in the field of science among young students in our community, encourage camaraderie among students, and facilitate communication between students and faculty.

 

Article III. Membership

  1. Members

    1. Any student attending the Texas Tech Health El Paso Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) will automatically be registered as a member in the GSA.
      1. This includes master’s and post-baccalaureate students

  2. Responsibilities of Membership

    1. Members must be present for at least the following three GSA meetings:
      1. Welcoming of new students
      2. Research colloquium preparation
      3. Election
    2. Members must maintain a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale each academic semester.
    3. Members must complete at least 20 hours of community service per semester.

  3. Privileges of Membership

    1. Members are each entitled to one vote per officer position at the electoral meeting.
    2. Members are each able to run for an executive office position.
    3. Members shall be entitled to all services and participation in functions of the association. However, if a service or function is limited to a certain amount of participants, priority will be given to members who show the greatest commitment, as determined by the executive committee (e.g. consistent attendance at meetings, events, etc.)

  4. Active Member

    1. Members who participate in 80 percent or more of the available GSA activity hours are to be considered active members.
      1. These activities include GSA meetings, journal club meetings, and any event with GSA presence.

 

Article IV. Executive Officer Committee

  1. Titles

    The society shall have the following officers elected from current membership:
    1. President
    2. Vice President
    3. Secretary
    4. Treasurer
    5. Public Relations Director
    6. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Senators (four)

  2. Qualifications

    1. To run for office, a member must be in good standing with the GSA.
    2. A member must be in good academic standing, with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
      1. Failure to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 will result in removal from office; nominations will then be held for the vacant position.

  3. Duties of Officers

    1. President:

      1. Sees that the GSA operates in accordance with Texas Tech Health El Paso’s operating procedures.
      2. Ensures the execution of the responsibilities of the Executive Committee and coordinates the activities of the GSA officers.
      3. Establishes, with the approval of the Executive Committee, temporary offices and committees, as necessary, to ensure the GSA operates efficiently.
      4. Serves as an ex-officio member on all committees.
      5. Serves as the chair of the Executive Committee, and in the event of a tie, serves as the tie-breaker.
      6. Presides over all meetings of the GSA.
      7. Represents the GSBS student body at appropriate Texas Tech Health El Paso business and social functions or appoints a representative to do so.
      8. Meets with the dean of the GSBS at the end of the academic term to give a report and receive feedback on the organization’s progress.
      9. Meets with the director of student services and confirms that all documentation required by Student Services is completed and submitted on time throughout the fiscal year.
      10. Welcomes new GSBS graduate students at every fall orientation, informs them of their membership in the GSA, and delivers a copy of the GSA constitution and amendments.
        1. Distributes GSA constitution (every two years) and funding guidelines to GSA members on an annual basis.

    2. Vice President

      1. Assists the president in his/her duties.
      2. Acts as president in his or her absence.
      3. Chairs and oversees special assignments, as needed.
      4. Serves as a GSA liaison to guest speakers.

    3. Secretary

      1. Maintains an accurate membership list.
      2. Records the minutes of all GSA meetings and distributes them to all graduate students and the GSA advisor.
      3. Maintains up-to-date records of all business conducted by the association.
      4. Produces and distributes meeting agendas at least 24 hours in advance of all GSA meetings, along with meeting reminders.
      5. Maintains attendance records of all GSA meetings.
      6. Ensures that information on the GSA website is up-to-date.
      7. Distributes information to members, including email and text notices.
      8. Responsible for all official GSA correspondence (e.g. emails, post mail, etc.).
      9. Serves as the Journal Club coordinator.
        1. Schedules students and guest speakers to present at Journal Club meetings.
        2. Advertises Journal Club meetings.
        3. Maintains attendance records of all Journal Club meetings.

    4. Treasurer

      1. Collects all monies intended for the organization (e.g. fundraising, donations, etc.).
      2. Adheres to the budget.
      3. Reports on financial matters to SGA leadership.
      4. Keeps accurate records of finances.
      5. Has primary access to the GSA’s bank account.
      6. Is responsible for the financial stability of the association.
      7. Submits a financial report to the Executive Committee at the conclusion of each school semester.
      8. With the help of the advisor and president, audits the GSA’s books at the end of his/her term.

    5. Public Relations and Community Service Director

      1. Records the association’s activities, events, and functions through media.
      2. Is responsible for putting together a scrapbook and/or multimedia presentation displaying the organization’s community involvement/events every three months.
      3. Responsible for newsletters, Tech View articles, and any other media communication.
      4. Organizes and publicizes participation in community service events sponsored by the GSA, as well as events for which GSA is a collaborator.
      5. May organize events for members of the GSA with money raised by the GSA and kept in the GSBS Student Association Fund.

    6. GSBS Senators

      1. Number of senators is determined by the SGA constitution and by-laws (two from each class).
      2. Serve as the GSBS representatives for the SGA.
      3. Fulfill all duties of the position of senator, as outlined in the SGA constitution and by-laws.
      4. Inform members of Graduate Student Association of SGA minutes.
      5. May be called to attend Executive Committee meetings.

  4. Terms of Office

    1. Each newly elected officer shall take office the fall after they are elected.
    2. Officers will hold their positions until new officers are elected.

  5. Vacancies and Removal from Office

    1. Failure to meet duties of the office without reasonable cause shall be grounds for removal from office.
    2. The vice president shall fill a vacancy in the office of the president. If the vice president is unable to serve as president, an election for the position of president will be held at an Electoral Meeting.
    3. A vacancy in the office of the vice president shall result in an election for the vacant position.
    4. No current officer may run for office to fill the vacancy of another officer.
    5. Any officer, including the president, may be removed from office or suspended from office by a vote of two-thirds of the total official membership at a regular meeting. Removal or suspension must be with justifiable cause. The person under consideration for removal or suspension of office shall be given an opportunity to be heard at the meeting with sufficient notice of the proposed removal or suspension. Upon a successful vote for removal or suspension of the president, the vice president shall preside at the meeting. This applies to any executive officer.

 

Article V. Meetings

  1.  Meetings

    1. Executive Committee Meetings shall be held on a bi-monthly basis, as determined by the officers.
      1. The secretary records minutes for every meeting.
    2. General meetings of the GSA will be held at the beginning of each month at times decided upon by the officers.
      1. These meetings will serve one of the following purposes:
        1. To update students on volunteer and social events.
        2. To assign a new member of the Journal Club.
        3. To recruit committee members.
        4. To elect officers.
      2. All officers will give a report at every meeting.
    3. New motions or items of business to be voted on must be submitted to the president to be placed on the agenda prior to the next executive meeting.

  2. Electoral Meeting

    1. Shall be held toward the end of the fall semester to conduct elections for officer positions.
    2. Special Electoral Meetings shall be held as deemed necessary by the Executive Committee.

 

ARTICLE VI. Activities

  1. Activities include:

    1. Community service activities
    2. Journal Club
    3. Student Research Week
    4. Fundraising events

  1. Journal Club

    1. Provides a forum for GSA members and guests to give presentations on scientific and related subjects to other GSA members and guests.
    2. All second-year graduate students are required to present a Journal Club article.
    3. Community service hours for presenting and questionnaires will be given based on the following rubric:
      1. Maximum community service hours given for a presentation: 5.
      2. Maximum community service hours given for a questionnaire: 3.
      3. Service hours may be appealed through a written form, which will then be reviewed for approval or denial of additional hours by the secretary and community service director.

 

Article VII. Election Process

  1. Nominations

    1. Members can nominate any other member for office position.
    2. Members wishing to run for office shall make their intention known.
    3. Members are able to run for multiple offices, but are prohibited from holding more than one officer position. Members nominated to office should prepare a platform speech listing their intent as well as any previous experience or qualifications that would make them suitable for the position.
    4. Members nominated have the right to politely decline the nomination.

  2. Voting Procedure

    1. Members shall vote for officers through a secret ballot.
    2. Members can cast only one vote for each officer position.
    3. In the event of a tie between candidates, the two candidates will be allowed to address the organization before a second ballot.
    4. A candidate must win by majority of the ballots in order to be elected.

  3. Election Results

    1. Immediately after the Electoral Meeting, the advisor or his/her designee shall count the ballots.
    2. Results shall be announced immediately after the ballots have been tabulated.

 

Article VIII. Amendments

  1. These bylaws may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the members of the organization present at any regular meeting or at a special meeting called for that purpose. The members shall be notified of adopted bylaw amendments by the most feasible means.