UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
STUDENT CHAPTER BYLAWS
ARTICLE I
The Name of the Organization
The name of this organization shall be The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), University of Wisconsin-Madison Student Chapter.
ARTICLE II
The Purpose and Objectives
The purpose and objectives of this student chapter are to:
1. Promote and encourage the study and understanding of engineering and the sciences among Hispanic men and women college students;
2. Increase the number and improve the retention of Hispanic students in engineering and the sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison;
3. Provide a forum for Hispanic students in engineering and the sciences to exchange information relevant to their education and the University of Wisconsin-Madison;
4. Establish relationships with industry representatives to advance and promote the hiring of Hispanic engineering and science graduates;
5. Encourage the hiring and retention of Hispanic professionals at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, College of Engineering;
6. Provide information to students of engineering and the sciences related to scholarship opportunities, graduate studies and employment opportunities;
7. Promote relationships with other SHPE chapters, and other organizations throughout the campus, the state and the country;
8. Provide a link between the Hispanic community and SHPE members for the coordination of joint activities;
9. Promote and provide cultural and social activities.
ARTICLE III
Association
Section 1. Affiliation:
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, University of Wisconsin-Madison Student Chapter, will be an affiliated chapter of Society of Hispanic Professional, Inc. (SHPE, Inc.) The organization possesses the right to adopt its own rules and procedures within the framework of SHPE’s rules and regulations and the University of Wisconsin-Madison student chapter rules and regulations. This student chapter will be part of the “local” as defined by the regional vice-president and the local professional chapter presidents.
Section 2. Non discrimination:
No person shall be denied membership in this organization because of age, ethnicity, color, sex, handicap, nationality, sexual orientation, veteran status, religious affiliation or belief even though the name of this organization, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, University of Wisconsin-Madison Student Chapter was chosen.
ARTICLE IV
Membership
Section 1. Regular Membership:
Regular members shall be students enrolled full-or part-time at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and who have a grade-point average of 2.5 or above in al college course work. Regular members should have as their goal a career in the sciences or engineering, or fields considered appropriate by the membership. To be in good standing and retain all the rights and privileges of membership, a regular member must maintain the required grade-point average and participate in at least 60% of all meetings and activities during the academic year.
Section 2 Associate Membership:
Associate members shall be students enrolled full- or part-time at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who are interested in becoming regular members, do not meet the grade-point average requirement, but are willing to work to achieve the necessary grade-point average. Associate members shall not be eligible to vote or hold office.
Section 3. Honorary Members:
Honorary members shall be any alumnus /a, professional, college staff, faculty member or corporate representative who has demonstrated a sincere commitment to The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, University of Wisconsin-Madison Student chapter goals, and demonstrated devoted effort to accomplish these goals. Honorary members shall not be eligible to vote or hold office.
ARTICLE V
Officers/Executive Board
Officers of this organization shall consist of a president, vice-president, secretary, correspondence secretary, treasurer, regional committee representative, internal representative, and recruitment/retention representative. The term of office shall be one fiscal year, commencing July 1st of the year elected to office and ending Jun 30th of the subsequent year.
Section 1. President:
The president shall represent the UW-Madison chapter and be responsible for all business concerning the chapter. The president in consultation with chapter officers shall have the power in the management of the business of the chapter and other functions or activities under the direction of this chapter. The president also shall be the official spokesperson for the chapter, coordinate activities with other officers, prepare and submit the End of the Year Report, and manage the day-to-day affairs of the chapter.
Section 2. Vice-president:
The vice-president shall assist the president in all businesses concerning the chapter and shall act as the president pro term in the latter’s absence. The vice-president in coordination with the regional representative shall manage the external affairs and internal affairs of the chapter. The vice-president shall be the primary responsibility for public relation activities, including communications with community representatives, and other campus organizations.
Section 3. Secretary:
The secretary shall assist the president and vice-president in all business concerning the chapter. He/she will take minutes of the meeting and post them. The secretary will also be in charge of the bulletin boards. He/she will be responsible for registering the organization with the university each academic year.
Section 4. Correspondence Secretary:
The correspondence secretary shall assist the secretary in all business concerning the chapter and shall act as secretary in the latter’s absence. He/she will be responsible for all external and internal correspondence. He/she will be responsible for setting mailing lists of members, SHPE chapters, community, industry and campus representative for networking and contacts purposes
Section 5. Treasurer:
The treasurer shall keep accurate books and records on all financial matters concerning the chapter. Monies received and/or disbursed will be properly recorded. The treasurer shall provide the other officers with a summary of finances at least once a month. He/she will make quarterly financial reports available listing all assets and liabilities of the organization to the Executive Board and the general membership. It will be the treasurer’s responsibility to present annual budgets and complete financial reports to the Executive board.
Section 6. Internal Representative:
The internal representative shall assist the vice-president with internal chapter and campus affairs.
Section 7. Regional Committee Representative:
The regional committee representative shall be responsible for correspondence with regional bodies, representing the chapter at regional meetings and functions, and coordination of communication with other SHPE student chapters.
Section 8. Recruitment/Retention Representative:
The recruitment/retention representative will recruit Hispanic students to the organization and to the campus, disseminate information to them, and help coordinate retention programs for the chapter.
ARTICLE VI
Committees
Section 1 . Committees:
Standing and ad hoc committees shall be established by the Executive board as needed to carry out the programs and functions of the chapter. Committee chairpersons shall be elected by the committee members, except for those committees established to assist the Executive Board members with areas for which they are responsible such as finance, public relations, publicity.
Section 2. Elections Committee:
The elections committee shall consist of regular members in good standing. They will be responsible for coordinating and planning the election. The committee will be appointed by the outgoing member of the executive committee who are not running for re-election. Candidates for positions cannot serve on the elections committee.
ARTICLE VII
Nominations and Elections/Voting
Section 1. Nominations:
Nominations shall be held two weeks prior to elections. Only regular members shall be nominated to hold office. Nominations shall be during a general meeting as part of the regular business of that meeting. A candidate may run for more than one office provided that there is more than one person running for the position. Each candidate shall present a three minute speech to the chapter members in acceptance of nomination for office. All nominations must be seconded. Any regular member in good standing will be eligible to be a candidate for office.
Section 2. Elections/Voting:
Elections shall be held on Thursday of the 10th week of Spring Semester. Votes can be casted at the SHPE UW-Chapter office in 1084 Engineering Centers Building. A ballot box will be available for casting votes. The ballot box will be supervised at all times by a member of the elections committee. All regular members in good standing are eligible to vote. Voting shall be by secret ballot Absentee ballots must be submitted in a sealed, signed and dated envelope at least twenty-four hours prior to the voting of the membership. Tallying of the vote shall be conducted by the members of the elections committee in closed section. The winning candidates shall take office the last meeting in May and shall hold office for the term specified under Article V.
Article VIII
Meetings
Section 1. Definition of Quorum:
A quorum shall consist of sixty percent (60%) of all regular members.
Section 2. General Meetings:
General meetings shall be determined by consensus of the Executive board and regular members. There shall be at least 8 meetings during the academic year.
Section 3. Executive Board Meetings:
The Executive Board meetings shall be held twice a month. A quorum of the Executive Board will consist of sixty percent (60%, 5 out of 8) of the board members.
Article IX
Resignation and impeachments
Section 1. Resignations:
A letter of resignation shall be submitted to the President or Vice President by any person wanting to resign from office at least a week before the next chapter general meeting. During the meeting when a resignation is presented, nominations will be taken to fill the office. A person shall be elected by the group during the following week by secret ballot.
Section 2. Impeachments:
When any member feels that an officer is not fulfilling his/her duties. He/she may call upon the officers to meet within the next week to discuss/resolve the matter.
During the impeachment proceedings the case will be presented. The officer under investigation will be given the opportunity to present his/her defense before the officers vote. A two-thirds majority (2/3) of the officers will decide whether the impeachment process will be carried out. In the event of dismissal, a new officer will be nominated and elected as described in Article VII.
The Name of the Organization
The name of this organization shall be The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), University of Wisconsin-Madison Student Chapter.
ARTICLE II
The Purpose and Objectives
The purpose and objectives of this student chapter are to:
1. Promote and encourage the study and understanding of engineering and the sciences among Hispanic men and women college students;
2. Increase the number and improve the retention of Hispanic students in engineering and the sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison;
3. Provide a forum for Hispanic students in engineering and the sciences to exchange information relevant to their education and the University of Wisconsin-Madison;
4. Establish relationships with industry representatives to advance and promote the hiring of Hispanic engineering and science graduates;
5. Encourage the hiring and retention of Hispanic professionals at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, College of Engineering;
6. Provide information to students of engineering and the sciences related to scholarship opportunities, graduate studies and employment opportunities;
7. Promote relationships with other SHPE chapters, and other organizations throughout the campus, the state and the country;
8. Provide a link between the Hispanic community and SHPE members for the coordination of joint activities;
9. Promote and provide cultural and social activities.
ARTICLE III
Association
Section 1. Affiliation:
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, University of Wisconsin-Madison Student Chapter, will be an affiliated chapter of Society of Hispanic Professional, Inc. (SHPE, Inc.) The organization possesses the right to adopt its own rules and procedures within the framework of SHPE’s rules and regulations and the University of Wisconsin-Madison student chapter rules and regulations. This student chapter will be part of the “local” as defined by the regional vice-president and the local professional chapter presidents.
Section 2. Non discrimination:
No person shall be denied membership in this organization because of age, ethnicity, color, sex, handicap, nationality, sexual orientation, veteran status, religious affiliation or belief even though the name of this organization, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, University of Wisconsin-Madison Student Chapter was chosen.
ARTICLE IV
Membership
Section 1. Regular Membership:
Regular members shall be students enrolled full-or part-time at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and who have a grade-point average of 2.5 or above in al college course work. Regular members should have as their goal a career in the sciences or engineering, or fields considered appropriate by the membership. To be in good standing and retain all the rights and privileges of membership, a regular member must maintain the required grade-point average and participate in at least 60% of all meetings and activities during the academic year.
Section 2 Associate Membership:
Associate members shall be students enrolled full- or part-time at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who are interested in becoming regular members, do not meet the grade-point average requirement, but are willing to work to achieve the necessary grade-point average. Associate members shall not be eligible to vote or hold office.
Section 3. Honorary Members:
Honorary members shall be any alumnus /a, professional, college staff, faculty member or corporate representative who has demonstrated a sincere commitment to The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, University of Wisconsin-Madison Student chapter goals, and demonstrated devoted effort to accomplish these goals. Honorary members shall not be eligible to vote or hold office.
ARTICLE V
Officers/Executive Board
Officers of this organization shall consist of a president, vice-president, secretary, correspondence secretary, treasurer, regional committee representative, internal representative, and recruitment/retention representative. The term of office shall be one fiscal year, commencing July 1st of the year elected to office and ending Jun 30th of the subsequent year.
Section 1. President:
The president shall represent the UW-Madison chapter and be responsible for all business concerning the chapter. The president in consultation with chapter officers shall have the power in the management of the business of the chapter and other functions or activities under the direction of this chapter. The president also shall be the official spokesperson for the chapter, coordinate activities with other officers, prepare and submit the End of the Year Report, and manage the day-to-day affairs of the chapter.
Section 2. Vice-president:
The vice-president shall assist the president in all businesses concerning the chapter and shall act as the president pro term in the latter’s absence. The vice-president in coordination with the regional representative shall manage the external affairs and internal affairs of the chapter. The vice-president shall be the primary responsibility for public relation activities, including communications with community representatives, and other campus organizations.
Section 3. Secretary:
The secretary shall assist the president and vice-president in all business concerning the chapter. He/she will take minutes of the meeting and post them. The secretary will also be in charge of the bulletin boards. He/she will be responsible for registering the organization with the university each academic year.
Section 4. Correspondence Secretary:
The correspondence secretary shall assist the secretary in all business concerning the chapter and shall act as secretary in the latter’s absence. He/she will be responsible for all external and internal correspondence. He/she will be responsible for setting mailing lists of members, SHPE chapters, community, industry and campus representative for networking and contacts purposes
Section 5. Treasurer:
The treasurer shall keep accurate books and records on all financial matters concerning the chapter. Monies received and/or disbursed will be properly recorded. The treasurer shall provide the other officers with a summary of finances at least once a month. He/she will make quarterly financial reports available listing all assets and liabilities of the organization to the Executive Board and the general membership. It will be the treasurer’s responsibility to present annual budgets and complete financial reports to the Executive board.
Section 6. Internal Representative:
The internal representative shall assist the vice-president with internal chapter and campus affairs.
Section 7. Regional Committee Representative:
The regional committee representative shall be responsible for correspondence with regional bodies, representing the chapter at regional meetings and functions, and coordination of communication with other SHPE student chapters.
Section 8. Recruitment/Retention Representative:
The recruitment/retention representative will recruit Hispanic students to the organization and to the campus, disseminate information to them, and help coordinate retention programs for the chapter.
ARTICLE VI
Committees
Section 1 . Committees:
Standing and ad hoc committees shall be established by the Executive board as needed to carry out the programs and functions of the chapter. Committee chairpersons shall be elected by the committee members, except for those committees established to assist the Executive Board members with areas for which they are responsible such as finance, public relations, publicity.
Section 2. Elections Committee:
The elections committee shall consist of regular members in good standing. They will be responsible for coordinating and planning the election. The committee will be appointed by the outgoing member of the executive committee who are not running for re-election. Candidates for positions cannot serve on the elections committee.
ARTICLE VII
Nominations and Elections/Voting
Section 1. Nominations:
Nominations shall be held two weeks prior to elections. Only regular members shall be nominated to hold office. Nominations shall be during a general meeting as part of the regular business of that meeting. A candidate may run for more than one office provided that there is more than one person running for the position. Each candidate shall present a three minute speech to the chapter members in acceptance of nomination for office. All nominations must be seconded. Any regular member in good standing will be eligible to be a candidate for office.
Section 2. Elections/Voting:
Elections shall be held on Thursday of the 10th week of Spring Semester. Votes can be casted at the SHPE UW-Chapter office in 1084 Engineering Centers Building. A ballot box will be available for casting votes. The ballot box will be supervised at all times by a member of the elections committee. All regular members in good standing are eligible to vote. Voting shall be by secret ballot Absentee ballots must be submitted in a sealed, signed and dated envelope at least twenty-four hours prior to the voting of the membership. Tallying of the vote shall be conducted by the members of the elections committee in closed section. The winning candidates shall take office the last meeting in May and shall hold office for the term specified under Article V.
Article VIII
Meetings
Section 1. Definition of Quorum:
A quorum shall consist of sixty percent (60%) of all regular members.
Section 2. General Meetings:
General meetings shall be determined by consensus of the Executive board and regular members. There shall be at least 8 meetings during the academic year.
Section 3. Executive Board Meetings:
The Executive Board meetings shall be held twice a month. A quorum of the Executive Board will consist of sixty percent (60%, 5 out of 8) of the board members.
Article IX
Resignation and impeachments
Section 1. Resignations:
A letter of resignation shall be submitted to the President or Vice President by any person wanting to resign from office at least a week before the next chapter general meeting. During the meeting when a resignation is presented, nominations will be taken to fill the office. A person shall be elected by the group during the following week by secret ballot.
Section 2. Impeachments:
When any member feels that an officer is not fulfilling his/her duties. He/she may call upon the officers to meet within the next week to discuss/resolve the matter.
During the impeachment proceedings the case will be presented. The officer under investigation will be given the opportunity to present his/her defense before the officers vote. A two-thirds majority (2/3) of the officers will decide whether the impeachment process will be carried out. In the event of dismissal, a new officer will be nominated and elected as described in Article VII.