Pre-Medicine Club Constitution
Article I: Name and Purpose
Section 1: Name
Pre-Med Club
Section 2: Purpose/Mission
The purpose of the Pre-Med Club is as follows:
- To provide CSB/SJU students an outlet to explore future schooling and career opportunities in any aspect/area of medicine (Medical School, Optometry, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Biomedical Research, etc.).
- To provide a resource to students looking for a chance to intern, job shadow, and learn from current professionals in different medical fields.
- To assist students in the process of applying for admission to medical institutions.
This purpose of the Pre-Med Club will be carried out within the guidelines of the CSB/SJU institutional policies, along with the J-Book and the Every Women’s Guide.
Section 3: Affiliation
No current sponsors or affiliations.
Article II: Membership
Section 1: Eligibility for Membership
Membership is open to any CSB/SJU undergraduate student. The two categories of membership are: Voting-member and non-voting member.
Section 1 Item a: Voting Member Status Criteria
To be a voting member a CSB/SJU student must attend two club meetings a semester (one club meeting can be substituted with volunteering at an event that benefits the club) and at least one club learning activity (social activities do not count).
Section 1 Item b: Non-Voting Member Criteria
A non-voting member is a CSB/SJU student who has not attended the minimum amount of events to be a voting member, but has attended at least one club event and requests membership status from the Pre-Med Club’s Executive Board.
Section 2: Removal of Members
A member of the Pre-Med Club who is not in good standing may be removed by the following process: The Pre-Med Club’s Executive Board will decide whether a member’s action(s) merit that member’s removal from the club. A two week notice will then be given to the member indicating his/her potential removal; then at the next club meeting the person will be given the opportunity to defend his/her case. A call to vote will be made, and a blind vote of 2/3 of present voting members will be made to determine the removal of the member. A minimum of 10 members must be present for the vote to stand.
Section 2 Item a: Reasons for Removal
For a member not to be in good standing with the club, they must have committed an action, which is detrimental to the club or other club members. The identification of such detrimental actions will be at the discretion of the Pre-Med Club Executive Board; such actions include theft of club funds/materials, sexual harassment of a club member or club guest, hazing, or continued wrongful disruption of club activities (presentations, meetings, etc.).
Article III: Officers
Section 1: Officer Qualifications
All officers must be current CSB/SJU students, who have had voting member status in the Pre-Med Club for at least 2 semesters.
Section 1 Stipulation 1:
The expectation for eligibility based upon 2 semesters of voting member status will be void until the club has been in operation for two academic years. Therefore, this rule will not be enforced until club elections during spring semester of 2007.
Section 2: Elected Officers (Executive Board)
- Co-President – (1st Contact) (2 positions)
- Secretary – JCB contact
- Opportunities & Research Coordinators (2 positions)
- Events Coordinators (2 positions)
- Treasurer – CFB contact
Section 3: Duties of Officers
Co-President
The role of the Co-President will be to preside at meetings, call special meetings, be the primary contact with the institutions, appoint committee chairs, run the election process, have final delegation of all functions performed by council and committee members, supervise events, and develop the professional resource catalog in coordination with the Secretary. However, the role of the Co-President will not be limited to these duties.
Secretary
The role of the Secretary will be to take and distribute minutes of all club meetings, be a record keeper (current and past members, files minutes, etc.), update club member roster every semester, be the club historian, notify members of meetings, handle the official correspondence of the club, develop the professional resource catalog in coordination with the Co-Presidents, and be the primary contact for the JCB. However, the role of the Secretary will not be limited to these duties.
Events Coordinator
These two chairs handle the group learning aspect of the club. They will plan group learning events, such as talks, forums, speeches, and visits to on-site medical facilities and institutions, but their role will not be limited to these duties.
Opportunities & Research Coordinators
These two council members will handle the individual learning aspect of the club. They will develop opportunities for individuals in the club to learn directly from professionals: job shadowing, volunteering, research opportunities. They will also keep the club current with information for admission to medical institutions or the processes to obtaining jobs pre- and post-graduation. In addition, these members will work to provide mentoring or tutoring opportunities for club members. However, their duties will not be limited to these roles.
Treasurer
The role of the Treasurer will be to keep all financial records, submit monthly audit statements to CFB contact (this is a mandatory requirement if you receive CFB funds), notify organization of financial issues, and prepare budget/allocation requests. However, the role of the Treasurer will not be limited to these duties.
Section 4: Vacancy in Office
In the event a vacancy should occur (resignation or removal), the officer next in command may take the vacant position temporarily or permanently (until the term of office ends) and a special election will be held for the remaining vacant position.
Section 4 Stipulation 1: Vacancy
If the Executive Board feels it can operate with the vacant position, it may choose to leave the position vacant until regular elections take place in the following spring semester.
Section 5: Removal of Officers
If there is reason to remove an officer, based upon wrongful actions by the officer, the officer can be removed from office–reasons for removal follow the guidelines dictated by Article II, Section 2 of this constitution. The process for removal will be as follows. First, a petition for removal containing 60% of the signatures of the voting members of the Pre-Med Club, which states the reason(s) for removal, must be submitted to the club advisor and the two highest ranking officers, not mentioned in the petition. These two officers and the club advisor will then review the reasons for the petition. After this review, the petition and grounds for removal will be presented at the next all club meeting by the presiding officer. The officer in question shall be provided an opportunity to defend him/herself in person or in writing, up to two weeks after the petition has been presented. Then a quorum of 2/3 majority, blind vote, of the present voting members will be made to decide if the officer will be removed. 10 voting members must be present for the vote to be official. The advisor to the club will monitor this voting process to ensure legitimacy.
Section 6: Appeal of Removal of Officers
If a removed officer believes he/she has been wrongfully removed he/she can appeal the removal. First the person will consult with the club advisor(s) and the club Co-President(s). If during this consultation it is established that the person has a legitimate right to be reinstated to an officer position a vote of the existing council board members will be taken. The vote of the board officials must be unanimous to allow the person to continue the appeal process. If the entire board council votes that the person should be reinstated then a vote will be taken by all the present voting members. A quorum of 2/3 majority, blind vote, of the present voting members will be made to decide if the officer will be reinstated. 10 voting members must be present for the vote to be official. The advisor to the club will officiate this voting process to ensure legitimacy.
Article IV: Elections
Section 1: Nomination Process
A nomination for candidacy to an open Executive Board position will be recognized as the submission of a platform describing the candidate’s qualities and intentions for office. This platform will then be read by the candidate or an official proxy (should the candidate be unavailable) at an all club meeting, where the election will take place.
Section 2: Election
Each position will be voted on the same ballot, it will be a blind vote by all voting members, including the nominees. This election process will occur at an all-club meeting during or before the month of March. The votes will be counted by the Advisor and the current club council. 10 non-council members must be present for the vote to be official. The results of the election will be processed and the Joint Club Board and Student Activities and Leadership Development will be notified by April 1st.
Section 3: Special Elections
Special elections will occur in the case of officer resignation or removal, or the immediate need of a newly established council board position to be filled. The procedure for Special Elections will follow directly from the provisions in Article IV, Sections 1 and 2. The exception being that the vote occurs immediately at the soonest all-club meeting, or during a called special all-club meeting.
Article V: Advisor
Section 1: Selection
The advisor will be from the CSB/SJU faculty, and the current club council board will make a request to the faculty member of their choice.
Section 2: Duties
The Advisor will meet with the Co-Presidents of the club when necessary, will be present at the all-club meetings, and be welcomed to attend club council board meetings as a non-voting member.
Article VI: Meetings
Section 1: Regular Meeting/Club Activities
The club council members will have mandatory meetings, held every other week, and will hold special council meetings at their discretion. A monthly all-club member meeting will also occur. In reference to club member status (Article II), these all-club member meetings can only be substituted by volunteering for an event, which benefits club maintenance. Members will be notified by e-mail as to the regularly scheduled meetings and the special session meetings.
Section 2: Special Meetings
Special Meetings can be called by the Co-President(s) and Advisor upon agreement of the council members. However, it is suggested that special meetings take place only in the case of extreme circumstance, and that all business is accomplished at the regular monthly meetings.
Section 3: Parliamentary Authority
The Standard Set of Robert’s Rules of Order will be used.
Section 4: Quorum
A quorum will be 2/3 of the present voting members, with a minimum of ten (10) being necessary for the vote to be official.
Article VII: Committees
Section 1: Committee Structure
When it is decided that the club requires a committee to address any special/particular interest of the club, the Pre-Med Club Executive Board will appoint club members to head the committee. The decision for formation of the club can occur by a petition of current club members followed by a 2/3 vote by the council board.
Section 2: Special Committees
There are currently no special committees within the club, but they will be formed, according to the guidelines in Article VII, Section 1, as the club requires.
Article VIII: Finances
Section 1: Co-Funding Board
The Pre-Med Club will apply to the CFB for monies and will follow the outlined regulations of the CFB as they appear in the CFB Constitution.
Section 2: Fund Raisers
The club council members will explore ways of making extra money for events, and will follow all CFB and Institution Regulations with generated funds, particularly no off campus accounts.
Article IX: Amendments
Section 1: Ratification
A proposed amendment or change to the constitution must be written and submitted to the club Executive Board by a voting member in good standing (including the council members themselves). The executive committee will determine whether the amendment shall be brought to vote at the next all club meeting. A quorum of 2/3 vote is needed to approve the amendment, and the necessary requirement of 10 voting members must be present for the vote to be official.
Section 2: Submission of Changes
Before the constitutional changes or amendments take effect the constitution must be submitted to the Joint Club Board and the Department of Student Activities and Leadership Development.
Article X: Non-Discrimination
The Pre-Medicine Club admits students without regard to their race, religion, color, sex, age, sexual orientation or national or ethnic origins to all the rights, privileges, programs and other activities, generally accorded or made available to members of the organization.
Article XI: Anti-Hazing
The Pre-Medicine Club considers having to be a degrading and destructive activity which is inconsistent with the standards of this student organization. The Pre-Medicine Club recognizes the dignity of every person and opposes all forms of hazing.