The Constitution of the American Chemical Society (ACS)
W.T. Schrenk Chapter
- Name, Insignia and Affiliation
- The name of this organization shall be American Chemical Society, W.T. Schrenk Chapter, hereinafter referred to as ACS.
- The insignia of the organization shall be the ACS phoenix.
- The W.T. Schrenk Chapter will be affiliated with American Chemical Society (ACS).
- Aims and Objective of the Organization
- The aims and objectives of this organization shall be
- To acquaint individuals with professional opportunities for chemists in education, industry, and government service.
- To inform individuals of recent advances in chemistry and related disciplines.
- To provide public outreach during National Chemistry Week and throughout the year with various programs such as demonstrations, activities, community service, etc.
- To inform members of possible research opportunities.
- Membership
- Qualification
- Membership shall be open to all undergraduate and graduate students and Missouri University of Science and Technology faculty.
- The chapter must maintain a minimum of six National ACS undergraduate students.
- Non-discrimination clause: The W.T. Schrenk Chapter of ACS does not discriminate against race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, veteran status, etc.
- Class of membership
- Regular members – shall be any undergraduate student interested in chemistry.
- Only regular members who pay dues shall be allowed to vote in any officer elections.
- Associate members – shall be any graduate student, faculty, and staff interested in chemistry.
- Associate members shall not have any voting privileges.
- Advisors- faculty or professional staff at least 75% Full-Time Equivalent (FTE).
- Advisors shall not have any voting privileges.
- Method of removing membership
- The removal process as described below may be initiated against any member in the event of misconduct that prohibits ACS from fulfilling its objective. Any member of ACS can initiate a drop process by moving a motion in a regular meeting.
- The individual is summoned for hearing by the executive board and is addressed personally.
- A hearing is held and the individual should be present at the time of hearing.
- The individual can waive his/her right to attend the hearings and any decision reached by the executive board is binding on him/her.
- If the individual repeatedly fails to attend two hearings, he/she is considered to waive their rights and the next hearing must be held without him/her.
- A decision to remove is reached by the executive committee in collaboration with the advisor by majority vote.
- A written notification from the executive board outlining the grounds for such decision is sent to the individual.
- Officers
- Officer Positions
- President
- Vice-President of External Affairs
- Vice-President of Internal Affairs
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Schrenk Representative
- Composition of the Executive Board
- The Executive Board shall consist of the President, Vice-President of External Affairs, Vice-President of Internal Affairs, Secretary, Schrenk Representative and Treasurer.
- Qualifications of officers
- All officers must be in good academic standing with the university.
- All officers must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours.
- The President, Vice-President of Internal Affairs, and Vice-President of External Affairs must have been a regular dues paying member for a semester.
- All officers must be National American Chemical Society members.
- President must have held an executive board office for at least one semester prior to taking office as President.
- The term of the new officers begins on the last day of the semester.
- Duties and Responsibilities of Officers
- President
- Shall preside over meetings.
- Ensure that all of the other officers fulfill their responsibilities.
- Submit the yearly report to the National organization.
- Vice-President of External Affairs
- Shall plan all on campus recruiting.
- Shall plan fundraising activities
- Shall plan volunteer outreach events
- Shall preside over National Chemistry Week (NCW) in the fall and Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW) in the spring
- Vice-President of Internal Affairs
- Shall plan meeting agendas, activities, and socials
- Shall preside over in-meeting lab demos
- Shall preside over meetings in the absence of the President or vacancy in the presidential position.
- Shall assist Vice-President of External Affairs with outreach events if deemed necessary by current officers.
- Secretary
- Shall take minutes during the meeting.
- Maintain an active membership list.
- Maintain the chapter website.
- Maintain the chapter online file system.
- Maintain the chapter social media accounts.
- Treasurer
- Shall collect dues from members.
- Shall present a balanced budget for the Society’s approval every semester.
- Shall maintain and report the balance of the Society account at each meeting.
- Schrenk Representative
- Shall attend Student Council meeting as the Society is eligible
- Shall attend local ACS section meetings
- Can be held in conjunction with another office
- Shall represent the Society at any other external affairs
- Election process for Officers
- Officer elections for Vice-President of External Affairs, Vice-President of Internal Affairs, Secretary, Treasurer, and Schrenk Representative shall be each semester occurring during meetings in both November and April.
- Election of the President shall occur annually during the April officer elections.
- Nominations for elections will open one meeting prior the official election.
- Any regular member may make nominations.
- Any regular member may vote during elections by secret ballot or absentee ballot. All absentee ballots must be turned into the President by Friday of the election week.
- The election shall be won by a simple majority. If a majority vote is not established then the top two candidates will run again to establish a simple majority winner.
- Filling vacant Executive offices
- Vacant positions shall be announced by the highest ranking officer.
- Vacant positions will be filled within one month of the position becoming vacant (not including the school designated breaks), following the election process for officers.
- Method of Impeachment
- The removal process as described below may be initiated against an officer in the event of misconduct that prohibits ACS from fulfilling its objective. Any officer of ACS can initiate a drop process by moving a motion in a regular meeting.
- The individual is summoned for hearing by the executive board and is addressed personally, within a week of the drop motion.
- A hearing is held and the individual should be present at the time of hearing.
- The individual can waive his/her right to attend the hearings and any decision reached by the executive board is binding on him/her.
- If the individual repeatedly fails to attend two hearings, he/she is considered to waive their rights and the next hearing must be held without him/her.
- A decision to remove is reached by the executive committee reaching a majority vote for the removal of the officer.
- If the executive committee votes for to remove the officer and the vote passes, then the impeachment must go the general body to be voted upon.
- If the general body passes the removal by a two-thirds majority then the impeached officer is forthwith stripped of all chapter duties.
- A written notification from the executive board outlining the grounds for such decision is sent to the individual.
- Advisors
- Advisor(s) is to be appointed by a two-thirds majority vote of the regular members.
- Term of Office for the Advisor(s) is not limited.
- Advisor(s) must be at least 75% FTE faculty or professional staff.
- An Advisor can be removed if he/she prohibits ACS from fulfilling its objectives or any other reason approved by the executive committee by simple majority. Removal of the Advisor(s) shall occur by a two-thirds majority vote of the regular members.
- Committees
- Standing Committees
- There shall be no standing committees.
- Temporary Committees
- Shall be appointed by the President for a specific purpose and presided over by an officer.
- A temporary committee may exist until the purpose of its inception is completed or the President deems it necessary to dismiss the committee.
- Dues
- Members are required to pay dues each semester in the amount approved by a two-thirds majority vote of the executive board.
- All members wishing to have voting rights must pay their dues to the Treasurer one week prior to the official voting date.
- Failure to pay dues as a regular member makes him/her ineligible for election and negates all voting rights.
- Meetings
- Types of meetings
- Regular: any meeting called by the President during the regular meeting time.
- Special: any meeting called by an officer outside of the regular meeting time for the purpose of impeachment of another officer or the advisor or for the purpose of removing a member.
- Definition of a quorum
- Quorum shall occur when 35 percent of the voting members are present at a meeting.
- Quorum shall be assumed to exist unless a member asks for the verification of quorum.
- Parliamentary authority to be used is Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.
- Rules and Regulations
- ACS will follow federal and state laws and abide by the rules of the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
- ACS will follow the rules/regulations of the National ACS organization.
- ACS has a code of conduct for members (e.g. University of Missouri Standards of Conduct).
- Hazing is prohibited whether mental (including but not limited to public embarrassment or humiliation) or physical.
- Constitution
- Adoption
- The W.T. Schrenk Chapter of ACS must have a two-thirds majority vote to adopt a constitution.
- Approval of Student Organization Recognition Committee.
- Approval of Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs.
- Amendments
- All proposed constitutional amendments must be submitted to the President in writing at a meeting.
- Any proposed constitutional amendments must be announced to the chapter one week prior to voting.
- The adoption of a constitutional amendment requires approval by a two-thirds majority vote.
- Approval of Student Organization Recognition Committee or its representative.
- Student Life will be notified of any amendments voted in, and provided with a copy of the changes made.