Comet Robotics at UT Dallas is a student-run and student-elected organization focused on providing members with the opportunity to collaborate on real world engineering challenges. Through various robotics competitions and projects, members will gain experience and refine their knowledge of design, manufacturing, and marketing using the organization's resources.

The ultimate goal of the club is to build and sustain an engaged community that hopes to gain knowledge while having fun in the fields of robotics and STEM.

Article III - Organizational Structure

Section 1. Tiers

There are four tiers to the structure of the organization:

Officers
Project Managers
Team Leads
General Members

The organization’s leadership is composed of the top three tiers: officers, project managers, and team leads. Projects usually have at least one project manager and at least one team lead, though numbers may vary depending on the requirements of the project. Members cannot hold more than one leadership position at any given time. General members participate in at least one project and are managed by those projects’ respective leadership.

Section 2. Branches

The organization is also separated into three branches: Combat Robotics, Corporate Robotics, and Competitive Robotics. Projects are placed into a branch depending on whether they are combat-related, corporate-driven, or neither (Competitive). Each branch has officers that direct the operation of the branch, who are called the branch officers for each of the projects under that branch; the Competitive and Combat branches have two officers each, while the Corporate branch has one officer.

The projects under the Combat Robotics branch are:

Plants
Combat Development
Full Combat
SumoBots

The projects under the Competitive Robotics branch are:

ChessBots
VEXU
Solis Rover Project

The projects under the Corporate Robotics branch are expected to be changing and evolving regularly and are thus not outlined here.

Section 3. Committees

The organization has officer-led committees that members can apply to join to help out with organizational tasks and operations. Each committee will be led by an officer who will assign members tasks to complete and be responsible for the smooth operation of the committee. Creating a committee requires unanimous approval of the officer leading the committee, the President, and the Vice President. A list of joinable committees shall be maintained by leadership and be publicly accessible.

Section 4. Timeline Definitions

The organization defines an academic year as starting at the beginning of the Summer semester and ending at the end of the Spring semester. For membership purposes, a Fall membership will cover the beginning of May to the end of January, and a Spring membership will cover the beginning of December to the end of August.

Article IV - Membership

Section 1. Composition

Membership shall be open to current students at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTDallas) (unless specifically exempt by law) regardless of sex, race, color, religion, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Section 2. Limits

UTDallas students who have paid their membership dues of $15 per semester are considered members of the organization. Leadership is also considered under this definition, as long as they have paid their membership dues.

Section 3. Responsibilities

All members are expected to follow the Comet Robotics Code of Conduct (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YGKmXfqZNeNq_P8QvPE7vA1NTljDLloUsTUljIK4WBc/edit?usp=sharing) and the UT Dallas Student Code of Conduct (https://policy.utdallas.edu/utdsp5003).

Section 4. Relevant Training

Officers and project managers are required to do the online BioRAFT training and are encouraged to do the in-person UTDesign Fab Shop training. Members are highly encouraged to complete the online BioRAFT training and are also encouraged to do the in-person UTDesign Fab Shop training.

UTDesign Fab Shop training process (https://utd.bioraft.com/):

Shop Safety (Hand and Power Tool Safety)
General Safety Orientation Course
PPE Course
Fire Extinguisher Course
(In-person) UTDesign Fab Shop training

Article V - Organization Officers and Duties

The following officer positions shall form the heart of the organization. The officers reserve the right to open new officer positions by a unanimous vote based on the necessity of the position. The officers also reserve the right to add and remove projects and project manager positions under the Combat and Competitive branches by a unanimous vote based on the necessity of the project and position. The Director of Corporate Robotics reserves the right to add and remove projects and project manager positions under the Corporate Robotics branch with approval from the President and Vice President.

Comet Robotics at UTDallas welcomes undergraduate and graduate students, currently enrolled at UTDallas, of all majors as members and encourages all members to consider and run for officer position openings. The officers reserve the right to remove any club member at any time under their discretion. An additional expectation of the officer team is that they host at least one public event per year that includes program showcases and workshops.

Section 1. Term of Office

The term of office for the President and Vice President is fixed for 2 academic years. The term of office for all other officers is fixed for 1 academic year.
Officers are required to attend all general and officer meetings except in the case of emergencies or when the officer informs the other officers in advance that they cannot attend the meeting.
If an officer does not attend 3 officer meetings in a row, excluding the conditions mentioned in item (2), they will lose their position as an officer.

Section 2. President (Serves as President under SOC clauses)

The President shall be vested with the executive powers with responsibilities to:

Serve as the voice of the organization.
Preside over officer and general meetings.
Ensure effective functioning of the organization.
Make officer appointments official.
First point of contact for the Student Organization Center and school administration.
Risk Management Representative – Student Organization Center
Ensure registration of the club with the Student Organization Center every semester.
Complement the maintaining of corporate relations.
Work with the Vice President to redistribute resources based on club interest while working with directors and project managers to keep projects going.

Section 3. Vice President (Serves as Vice President under SOC clauses)

The Vice President shall be vested with the following responsibilities:

Serve as the voice of the organization.
Record officer and general meetings.
Ensure effective functioning of the organization and maintain a record of all proceedings.
Ensure the safety of the workspace and that of the members.
Risk Management Representative – Student Organization Center.
Complement the maintaining of corporate relations.
Work with the President to redistribute resources based on club interest while working with directors and project managers to keep projects going.

Section 4. Director of Combat Robotics (There are two positions for this role)

The Director of Combat Robotics shall be vested with the following responsibilities:

Lead the combat robotics branch of the organization.
Manage combat-related projects, workshops, and meetings.
Manage the organization’s inventory of combat robotics parts.
Work with the Director of Finance and Vice President to order combat robotics parts.
Work with the President and Vice President to keep the combat robotics branch running smoothly.
Communicate with project managers and team leads and take appropriate actions to ensure that all combat teams run smoothly.

Section 5. Director of Competitive Robotics (There are two positions for this role)

The Director of Competitive Robotics shall be vested with the following responsibilities:

Lead the competitive robotics branch of the organization.
Manage competitive-robotics related projects, workshops, and meetings.
Work with the Director of Finance and Vice President to order competitive robotics parts.
Work with the President and Vice President to keep the competitive robotics branch running smoothly.
Communicate with project managers and team leads and take appropriate actions to ensure that all competitive projects run smoothly.

Section 6. Director of Corporate Robotics

The Director of Corporate Robotics shall be vested with the following responsibilities:

Lead the corporate robotics branch of the organization.
Manage corporate-related projects, workshops, and meetings.
Appoint corporate branch project managers and the Connections Manager.
Approve and sign off on all corporate-related project plans, outlines, and communications with company sponsors.
Approve and manage procurement for corporate-related projects.

Section 7. Director of Marketing

The Director of Marketing shall be vested with the following responsibilities:

Maintain all social media platforms for the club.
Maintain the club website.
Communicate with project managers to obtain project media.
Ensure project managers appropriately represent sponsors.
Capture media of all events to use for marketing purposes.
Manage on-campus advertising and presence.
Participate with the President, Vice President, and Director of Finance in corporate relations.

Section 8. Director of Outreach

The Director of Outreach shall be vested with the following responsibilities:

Reach out to potential sponsors for the club.
Work with the Director of Finance to secure sponsorships.
Work with the Director of Marketing to use social media to advocate for the club.
Ensure project managers appropriately represent sponsors.
Participate with the President, Vice President, and Director of Finance in corporate relations.

Section 9. Director of Finance (Serves as Treasurer under SOC clauses)

The Director of Finance shall be vested with the following responsibilities:

Manage sponsorships.
Work with the Director of Events to organize fundraisers.
Handle the recording of membership dues.
Handle timely ordering of items.
Handle all reimbursements.
Maintain accounts and track expenses and inventory.
Prepare a financial report at the end of each semester to be distributed to the other officers.
Submit fiscal reports to the SOC every semester.
Work with the President, Vice President, and other officers to create a semesterly budget for the club.
Finalize funding decisions with the Vice President and President.

Section 10. Director of Events (Serves as Secretary under SOC clauses)

The Director of Events shall be vested with the following responsibilities:

Lead management of all organization-related public events.
Communicate with branch officers and project managers about event expectations and goals.
Interface with school administration and external organizations for hosting events and reserving rooms.
Collaborate with the Director of Finance to order event supplies.
Coordinate with officers, project managers, and team leads to host workshops and general meetings.

Section 11. Director of Facilities

The Director of Facilities shall be vested with the following responsibilities:

Maintain the organization's asset management system to keep track of tools.
Perform monthly tool audits to maintain the club's inventory and communicate with the finance officer to replace missing tools.
Make sure that other members of leadership are putting away tools and parts in an orderly manner after meetings.
Oversee the development of internal organizational tooling.
Maintain the club's physical space including equipment and storage.

Article VI - Organization Project Managers and Duties

The following project manager positions shall manage the individual projects of the organization. The project managers reserve the right to propose new team lead positions for their projects that will be voted on by a unanimous vote by their branch officers based on the necessity of the position. Project managers can move to remove any of their team leads with a unanimous vote by their branch officers. Comet Robotics at UTDallas welcomes undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at UTDallas of all majors as members and encourages all members to consider and run for project manager position openings.

Section 1. Term of Office

The term of office for project managers is fixed for 1 academic year, unless stated otherwise in the role’s description.
Project managers are required to attend all of their project meetings except in the case of emergencies or when the project manager informs their branch officers in advance that they cannot attend the meeting.
If a project manager does not attend 3 project meetings in a row, excluding the conditions mentioned in item (2), they will lose their position as a project manager.

Section 2. Project Manager Responsibilities

Each project manager shall have the following responsibilities:

Manage and organize project meetings.
Coordinate project team leads and members to meet their goals.
Create and manage a Bill of Materials (BOM) to track project costs, budget, and ordering needs.
Maintain project documentation.
Create a welcoming and inviting environment for students.
Reach out to potential sponsors for the project and communicate with the Director of Outreach to secure sponsorships.
Advocate for the project and the club outside of the university.
Be equipped to explain the details and inner workings of their project.

Section 3. Combat Development Manager

The Combat Events Manager shall be required to have the following skills:

Experience in CAD (e.g., SolidWorks, OnShape, Fusion360).
Experience in 3D printing.
Experience in combat robotics electronics.
Knowledge of combat robotics safety.

Section 4. SumoBots Project Manager

The SumoBots Project Manager shall be required to have the following skills:

Basic knowledge in software tools used in the SumoBots project (e.g., C/C++, Arduino, Git).
Experience in CAD (e.g., SolidWorks, OnShape, Fusion360).
Experience with robotics electronics.
Basic knowledge of PCB design.

Section 5. ChessBots Project Manager

The ChessBots Project Manager shall be required to have the following skills:

Basic knowledge in software tools used in the ChessBots project (e.g., C/C++, TypeScript, React, Git).
Experience with robotics electronics.

Section 6. VEXU Project Manager

The VEXU Project Manager shall be required to have the following skills:

Knowledge in the VEXU competition.
Experience in CAD (e.g., SolidWorks, OnShape, Fusion360).
Experience with robotics electronics.
Basic knowledge in software tools used in programming Vex robots (e.g., C/C++).

Section 7. Solis Rover Project Manager

The Solis Rover Project Manager shall be required to have the following skills:

Basic knowledge in software tools used in the Solis Rover Project (e.g., Git, C/C++).
Experience in CAD (e.g., SolidWorks, OnShape, Fusion360).
Experience with robotics electronics.

Section 8. Corporate Robotics Project Manager (There are multiple of these positions)

A Corporate Robotics Project Manager shall be required to have basic knowledge in all of the tools used to execute their respective project. Their term shall be 1 academic year or the completion of their project, whichever comes sooner. Additionally, they shall be required to:

Lead and oversee creation of the project plan.
Maintain proper communications with project stakeholders along with the Director of Corporate Robotics.

Section 9. Connections Manager

The Connections Manager is a position under the Corporate Robotics branch, and all requirements, duties, rules, and otherwise that apply to a Project Manager shall also apply to the Connections Manager. The Connections Manager shall:

Lead and accept members into the Connections Committee.
Collaborate with the Director of Corporate Robotics to secure new projects within club capabilities.
Maintain connections and build job pipelines for club members.
Secure funding or events for the club and its projects, when appropriate as determined by the Director of Corporate Robotics.

Article VII - Organization Team Leads and Duties

Team lead positions shall manage the teams of projects of the organization. The project managers will decide how team lead positions for their projects will be elected. Project managers must share and maintain a document listing their team leads and their roles and responsibilities with their branch officers. Team lead roles can be created, modified, or removed at the project manager’s discretion with unanimous approval of their branch officers. Project managers can move to remove any of their team leads with a unanimous vote by their branch officers. Comet Robotics at UTDallas welcomes undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at UTDallas of all majors as members and encourages all members to consider and run for team lead position openings.

Section 1. Term of Office

The term of office for team leads is determined by their project managers and branch officers and must not exceed the length of the appointing project manager’s term. The term length for all team leads of a project must be the same.
Team leads are required to attend all project meetings and team meetings except in the case of emergencies or when the team lead informs the project manager in advance that they cannot attend the meeting.
If a team lead does not attend 3 project meetings in a row, excluding the conditions mentioned in item (2), they will lose their position as a team lead.

Section 2. Team Lead Responsibilities

Each team lead shall have the following responsibilities:

Manage and organize team meetings.
Coordinate team members to meet their goals.
Maintain team documentation.
Create a welcoming and inviting environment for students.
Be equipped to explain the details and inner workings of their team.

Article VIII - Voting Clause

Section 1. Eligibility

All members that have paid their membership dues and have attended at least 5 meetings during a semester are considered eligible voting members for that semester and can vote on all matters they are qualified to vote for.

Section 2. Calling a Vote

Any officer will be able to call a vote if a matter could not be resolved diplomatically. Details of the vote will be worked out on a case-by-case basis by the officer team.

Section 3. Process

Voting shall be done through Qualtrics.
The result of the vote will be determined through a majority* of votes cast by eligible voting members.

*In case the threshold value of a majority is not specified with the vote, the majority is defined as the option with the highest percentage.

Article IX - Officer and Project Manager Selection Process

Section 1. Elections

This section applies to all officers and project managers, except for the Director of Corporate Robotics, the Connections Manager, and any Corporate Robotics project managers.

Officer elections will take place at an election meeting at the end of each Fall semester, and project manager elections will take place at the end of each Spring semester. The dates of each will be selected by the officer team.
Only current officers can apply for the President and Vice President positions. All other officer positions are open to any eligible voting member.
Any eligible voting member can apply for a project manager position.
Only current officers can vote for the President and Vice President positions.
Any eligible voting member can vote for all officer and project manager positions. Team leads will be chosen through a member body and election procedures defined by the project manager at least a month prior to the election; all team leads in the same project must be elected in the same way.
Members are not eligible to apply for any position if they will not be a UTDallas student at the start of the next Fall semester. Additionally, members must be able to serve for at least half of the position’s term to be eligible to apply.
In the event of permanent incapacitation, resignation, removal, or graduation of an elected officer or project manager, a special election will be held to decide on a replacement. This will include the officers informing the faculty advisor, sharing details and opening applications for the vacant position, and holding the election meeting for the selection of a new officer or project manager who will serve for the remainder of the previous officer’s or project manager’s term.

Section 2. Appointments

This section applies to only the Director of Corporate Robotics, the Connections Manager, and any Corporate Robotics Project Managers.

The eligibility rules to become an officer or project manager outlined in Section 1 shall apply to positions outlined in Section 2.
The appointment process for the Director of Corporate Robotics shall take place at the end of each Fall semester, aligning with officer elections. The process shall involve the current Director of Corporate Robotics, the President, and the Vice President (“Participating Officers”) and shall be carried out as follows:

Applications must be publicly announced and collected.
After a reasonable timeframe determined prior to the commencement of the appointment process, applications shall be reviewed individually by the Participating Officers, and each shall select 2-3 applicants they wish to interview. (Two or more Participating Officers may individually select the same applicants; in this case, no new applicants may be selected.)
The Participating Officers shall schedule interviews with every selected applicant. All of the Participating Officers shall be present for all of the interviews. Afterwards, all Participating Officers must agree on the interviewee to appoint as the new Director of Competitive Robotics.

The appointment process for Corporate Robotics Project Managers shall take place at the end of each Spring semester to align with project manager elections, or when a new project is created. The process shall primarily involve the Director of Corporate Robotics and shall be carried out as followed:

Applications must be publicly announced and collected.
After a reasonable timeframe determined by the Director of Corporate Robotics, President, and Vice President, applications shall be reviewed by the Director of Corporate Robotics, and applicants shall be selected to interview.
After interviews, the Director of Corporate Robotics shall select a candidate. At this point, the President and Vice President may veto the candidate through unanimous vote if they feel the candidate is unfit to be a Corporate Robotics Project Manager. If vetoed, the candidate is ineligible to be Project Manager for that specific project until the next appointment process is begun.
The selected candidate becomes the Corporate Robotics Project Manager for the selected project.

Section 3. Impeachment

In cases of gross negligence, mishandling of organization funds or assets, ignorance of responsibilities, or other high-level offenses and breaches of trust, any officer or project manager can be impeached.
Officer or project manager impeachments shall only be used as a last resort if they don’t take steps to remediate their actions.
Any officer, project manager, or team lead can bring up a motion to impeach an officer or project manager. A meeting shall be organized by members of leadership at the next officer meeting with regards to the motion. The vote shall succeed in case of a 2/3rds majority. The individual under consideration shall be given the right to make his or her defense; however, they are not eligible to vote in this scenario.
Project managers or branch officers can move to impeach any of their team leads with a 4/5 vote by the project manager, branch officers, the Vice President, and the President.
Upon impeachment, an officer, project manager, or team lead must vacate their position. The impeached individual is ineligible to apply for any leadership position in the future. If necessitated, officers may start the special election process to fill this position.

Article X - Meetings

Section 1. General Meetings

General meetings will occur weekly.
General meeting times will be determined by officers through a 2/3rds majority vote.
General meetings are open to the public.
Only members that have paid their membership dues will be allowed to work on projects.

Section 2. Project Meetings

Project meetings are specific to each project, although multiple projects can meet on the same day and/or same time.
Project meeting times will be determined by their respective project managers.
All members that have paid their membership dues will be allowed to participate at project meetings.

Section 3. Officer Meetings

Officer meetings will occur weekly.
Meeting times will be determined by officers through a simple majority vote.
All members have the right to bring an issue to an officer to be discussed during officer meetings.

Section 4. Special Meetings

Officers may call special meetings in case of emergencies or unforeseen circumstances.
Special meeting attendees shall be decided on a case-by-case basis by the officer who called for the meeting.
Attendance is not strictly mandatory and does not count toward the terms of office.

Article XI - Organization Funds

Section 1. Obtaining Funds

Funds will be obtained through fundraising, donations, sponsorships, funding requests from the Student Organization Center, and funding requests from the Jonsson School Student Council.

Section 2. Fund Distribution

Funds will be distributed throughout the organization on a need basis determined by the budget created by the President, Vice President, and Officer of Finance.

Article XII - Faculty Advisors

The current faculty advisors are Mr. Tim Givens and Dr. Yonas Tadesse. The advisor(s) shall be selected by all eligible voting members through a 2/3rds majority vote.

Section 1. Faculty Advisor Responsibilities

Represent the organization in the school administration and provide knowledge about school policies and procedures.
Assist the organization in its activities.
Evaluate the club's progress monthly through a progress update that will be sent to them by the President.
Help make sure the club continues to survive.
Help the organization deal with major problems and emergencies.

Article XIII - Method to Amend the Constitution

Any officer can bring up a motion to amend the Constitution. A written motion must be given to the officers to discuss during an officer meeting.
Amendments to the constitution shall require a 2/3rds majority vote by all officers.

Article XIV - Dissolution Clause

Dissolution of the organization is considered a last resort for exceptional circumstances in which the club cannot continue. Conditions for dissolution are decided on a case-by-case basis and must require at least a 2/3rds vote by the current leadership to pass.
Upon the dissolution of the organization, all organization funds shall be donated to a charity decided by eligible voting members through a simple majority vote.
Upon the dissolution of the organization, all organization assets shall be donated to the university.

Article XV - Enabling Clause

This constitution shall go into effect on January 28, 2026. This Constitution shall replace and render null any and all previous constitutions for this organization.

SIGNATURE BLOCK:

Name	NetID	Position	Date (MM/DD/YYYY)
Om Davra	osd220000	President	1/28/2026
Colin Wong	csw220002	Vice President	1/28/2026
Neil Blatzheim	ngb170030	Director of Combat Robotics	1/28/2026
Deklen Nates	dmn230001	Director of Combat Robotics	1/28/2026
Lucas Igl	lqi230000	Director of Competitive Robotics	1/28/2026
Mudit Upadhyay		Director of Competitive Robotics
-	-	Director of Corporate Robotics	-
-	-	Director of Marketing	-
Ana Azalea	axw230026	Director of Outreach	1/28/2026
Jason Antwi-Appah	jxa220013	Director of Finance	1/28/2026
Nathan Wignall		Director of Events
Dylan Bigini	dmb220002	Director of Facilities	1/28/2026