Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
Article 1: NAME OF ORGANIZATION
This organization shall be known as the student chapter of the Society Of Hispanic Professional Engineers at California State University, Sacramento, herein referred to as CSUS SHPE.
Article 2: STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Article 3: ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. REGISTERED MEMBERS:
Benefits: Chapter Registered Members may participate in all SacSHPE events and join a committee. Non-paid members may still benefit from general meetings and SacSHPE events not including regional and national events, but may not apply for scholarships or discounts that apply to the chapter or conferences. The exception being the Regional Leadership Development Conference which will be open to all community members.
Section 2. ACTIVE MEMBERS:
Benefits: Active Members may vote in elections, hold office, become a STAR member, obtain a SHPE t-shirt, and have the ability to attend the National Conference.
Section 3. STAR MEMBERS:
Star members must have:
Star members are selected from all active members by the SHPE board.
Benefits: Star Members will receive special recognition at the End of Year Gala and a special prize.
Article 4: OFFICERS
Section 1. OFFICER POSITIONS:
Executive Board
Directors
Chairs
Section 2. OFFICER ELIGIBILITY:
In addition to the above requirements, Presidential candidates must:
*Exception: If there are no eligible and willing candidates for executive or officer positions, candidates can be appointed by the current Executive Board
Section 3. OFFICER EXPECTATIONS:
Should an officer not meet these expectations, see Article 7.
Section 4. OFFICER DUTIES:
Executive Board:
All Executive Officers:
An Executive Officer can also give an assignment, known as an Action Item, to a fellow officer. All Action Items assigned will be stored in a Google Doc and shared with all officers at the beginning of the semester. It is at the discretion of the executive board whether an officer can assign an action item to a fellow officer. All executive board members will have to assist with the NRP (National Reporting Program as well).
President:
The chapter president shall develop a strategic plan that will be executed throughout the academic year. Furthermore, the duties of the chapter president include preparing general meetings, weekly officer meetings, delegating tasks, and overseeing the follow through of duties. The chapter president shall represent the CSU Sacramento student chapter in all SHPE “President’s Meetings” which occur at every regional event and at SHPE conferences as well as regional conference calls each month. The president shall be the first choice to represent the chapter at the National Institute of Leadership Advancement (NILA). After attending the conference, the chapter president must provide a brief summary report of the conference to the members and officers at the following general meeting. To comply with all University policies, the Chapter President must attend a Nuts and Bolts workshop at the beginning of each academic year. They will also be responsible for registering the organization with the university each academic year. The President does not have a vote in decisions, yet may discuss their opinion and will make the final decision in the case of a tie. SHPE National Reporting Program (NRP) responsibilities: Place completed and edited tasks into their correct place within the final NRP template document. Double check length requirements. Can assign tasks other than CFFs, and Goal related sections. The President is also in charge of the cover letter and contact information section of the NRP. They will oversee the Director of Membership and the Jr. Chapter Representative.
Vice President:
They will oversee the Director of Fundraising and the Director of Outreach. The ultimate purpose of the chapter Vice President shall be to assist the chapter President in his or her responsibilities. The Vice President will assist the President in establishing an agreement with officers’ responsibilities prior to each semester. In the event that the chapter President cannot attend the conference, event, or meeting, the vice president must assume the responsibilities of the chapter President for the conference, event, or meeting. To comply with University Policy the Vice President must attend a Nuts and Bolts informational at the beginning of each academic year. SHPE National Reporting Program (NRP) responsibilities: Evaluate SMART goals on a weekly to bi-weekly basis. Furthermore, within the SHPE board, they will maintain business professional relationships with SHPE sponsoring companies and speakers. The Vice President will be in charge of the Future’s Committee. Within the College of Engineering and Computer Science, they will represent the ideas, goals, and values of SHPE on the Engineering and Computer Science Joint Council (ECSJC) by attending every meeting of the ECSJC. If they are unable to attend an ECSJC meeting they will select another representative to replace them for the time being, and the replacement will assume the ECSJC responsibilities of the SHPE Vice President for the entirety of the replacement period. Within the ECSJC, the SHPE Vice President will have the authority to vote on behalf of SHPE in all ECSJC proposals. Additionally, they will have the duty to keep all in attendance at ECSJC meetings updated with the current happenings within SHPE and report back to the SHPE board the events of each ECSJC meeting. The SHPE Vice President will keep an updated excel spreadsheet of the events that SacSHPE holds in order to streamline the report to IRA regarding funding. The SHPE Vice President will also represent SacSHPE at the multicultural center committee and MESA Engineering Program.
Treasurer:
The Treasurer is responsible for the SHPE financial account. The Treasurer is responsible for collecting the receipts for all funds withdrawn from the account. The Treasurer must maintain accurate records of all transactions in the chapter account. Funds cannot be withdrawn from the account without prior approval of the executive board. The Treasurer is responsible for preparing a summary of all transactions related to the account prior to the end of both the fall and spring semester and presenting it to the board. In addition to the twice a year reports the Treasurer will also present a weekly balance at each executive meeting. The Treasurer will be the only person in charge of collecting membership fees (with exception of the executive board). The Treasurer can only hold up to $500 cash at a time. In the case they may exceed this, they may deposit it to the ASI account. The Treasurer will also be in charge of taking the minutes for officer meetings if the Secretary is unable to attend. To comply with all University policies, the Treasurer must attend a Nuts and Bolts workshop at the beginning of each academic year. Refunds will be given back in a timely manner (a month maximum). Officers who use SHPE funds must turn in receipts to the Treasurer within a week; any receipts lost by either party will be covered by that party. They will oversee the Director of Events, Director of Academics, and Webmaster.
Communications Executive:
The SHPE Communications Executive will handle the promotion of all SHPE related events within CSU Sacramento. They will maintain contact with the SHPE Sacramento Professional chapter, specifically, if one is elected, the Director of Outreach (Professional Chapter), and keep them updated on events and achievements of the student chapter and vice-versa.Is responsible for taking meeting minutes during the officer's meeting. In addition, they will be in charge of sending out a newsletter each Sunday between 12PM - 6PM of the academic semester, rough drafts will be due to the entire board on Thursday 6PM. In the case that the President and Vice President are unable to represent the chapter, the responsibility of the President would then fall on the Communications Executive. The Communications Executive will also be responsible for all contact information for each officer. Communications Executive will also provide feedback for each CFF a week from when turned in. To comply with all University policies, the Communications Executive must attend a Nuts and Bolts workshop at the beginning of each academic year. They will also be responsible for the misdemeanors, infractions, tardiness, absences, etc. Communications Executive will oversee the Director of Professional Development and Historian.
Directors:
All Directors:
Each Director must turn in a CFF for each event held to Communications Executive by the upcoming Monday. If an event requires SHPE funding, the officer must present a budget to the Treasurer at least three weeks prior to the event.
Director of Academics:
The Director of Academics is responsible for researching and informing the chapter of scholarships/grants for members and promoting time management, study skills, and graduate school workshops. The Director of Academics is responsible for scheduling and running the weekly study hours. Submit CFF for each event (with exception of study sessions which will be due monthly) to Communications Executive by the upcoming Monday after the event.
Must hold following or substitute for the following events: grad workshop, weekly study hours.
Director of Events:
The Director of Events is responsible for scheduling and planning events to unify and sustain the chapter (on Google calendar). They must keep the chapter calendar of events updated. They must plan and execute the End of the Year Gala which will take place within one week of elections.
Must hold following or substitute for the following events: SHPE welcome back BBQ, winter potluck, corn maze.
Director of Membership:
The Membership Coordinator is responsible for leading the chapter’s recruitment, retention efforts and voicing the concerns of the members. Membership coordinator will also collect all membership applications to organize the data. They must reserve a space out in the quad during the university’s recruitment weeks to promote our SHPE student chapter. The recruitment process will target all students in STEM fields of study. They are in charge of keeping track of participation hours and organizing them into the categories of professional, outreach, chapter development, leadership, academic development, general meeting, and community service to determine who is an active member. Must email the executive board the list of active members. Must conduct at least two surveys throughout the semester to receive feedback from members (beginning and end of semester).
Must hold following or substitute for the following events: hold a program to unify upper and lower division students (eg. Unity Program).
Director of Outreach:
The Director of Outreach is responsible for leading the chapter’s efforts to inspire Hispanic youth to pursue higher education through awareness, access, and support in STEM. Outreach will do this by hosting a minimum of one Noche de Ciencias per year, creating and/or organizing tutoring, and coordinating any other related events or activities (eg. Festival de la Familia, College: Making it Happen, etc...). Form a plan to obtain funding for the following school year.
Must hold the following or substitute for the following events: NdC (Noche de Ciencias) at least once throughout the year.
Director of Professional Development:
The Professional Development Director arranges for professionals to speak at our meetings, provide workshops, and other activities that promote professional development. The Professional Development Director is responsible for preparing the members for events such as the National Conference, Career Fairs, etc. The Professional Development Director is also responsible for reviewing the qualifying Star members’ resumes and providing helpful feedback.
Must hold following or substitute for the following events: Etiquette Dinner (optional).
Chairs:
All Chairs:
Each Director must turn in a CFF for each event held to Communications Executive by the upcoming Monday. If an event requires SHPE funding, the officer must present a budget to the Treasurer at least three weeks prior to the event.
Historian:
The Historian is responsible for documenting all SHPE events. The Historian will keep social networking accounts updated. Pictures that illustrate SHPE’s purpose should be accessible for viewing within a week after an event. The Historian shall set up a display board to meet SHPE National requirements. The Historian will coordinate with the Webmaster for any pictures needed for the website. In addition, they are responsible for marketing all events that SHPE holds or participates in. Will be in charge of Gala video / slideshow, any flyers for any event held by the other officers.
Webmaster:
The Webmaster is responsible for the construction, programming, and the maintenance of the chapter website, application and officer tools that is needed. The Webmaster must be able to relay the important information regarding the purpose of SHPE through consistent updating on the website to members and those who are interested in SHPE. The organization of the content within the website must be tailored and reflect the needs of the chapter. The Webmaster must also be able to lead the Webmaster Committee with the help of the Webmaster Committee Head to provide tasks/goals within the members of the committee on development of tools needed in the chapter as mentioned before. The role for the Webmaster in the committee would be the Scrum Leader, as they would keep track of the progression and be able to report back to the rest of the board throughout the year. The qualifications of the nominee for the position must be familiar with the MERN Tech Stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Next.js), database experience, Github commands, PHP, JavaScript, and Unix.
Fundraising:
Fundraising will help develop the chapter by obtaining the funds necessary to support the President’s vision and strategic plan. They will be responsible for updating and creating a contact list of all corporate connections, as well as alumni of SHPE. The Fundraising Chair must create/maintain our chapter’s proposal throughout the year so that it may be presented to corporate sponsors and other applicable parties.
Jr Chapter Representative:
Must maintain good contact with our Jr Chapter on a weekly basis. Has the option of creating a new Jr Chapter with approval of the board.
Must hold the following or substitute for the following events: Project Days, weekly meetings with Jr Chapter, shadow day
Article 5: OFFICER ELECTION:
Section 1. ELECTIONS:
At the general meeting prior to this, the members will be informed that an Elections will soon commence and be encouraged to look over descriptions of officer positions before the election period.
Week 1: (Brief) Informing of positions /Nominations
At the general meeting, the board will briefly explain each position. The body will then nominate whom they believe would do a good job and reason why. A single person may get nominated for and accept multiple positions at this time, but may only run for one position. The nominees will then have until the next general meeting to review the bylaws and notify the board if they accept a nomination. If a member is nominated for multiple positions, the same deadline to notify the board which position they will be running for. A nominee may choose to drop out of the election at any time. (Please note that only eligible nominees, according to Article 4, Section 2, will give speeches).
Week 2: Nominations Candidate Introduction/Speech Order
The board will then introduce the order that the qualified candidates will present their speeches. Each nominee will then have until the next general meeting to complete a one page Plan of Action. Each Plan of Action will be posted on the club website prior to the next general meeting.
Week 3: Speeches Part 1
The Directors and Chairs will give their speeches.
Week 4: Part 2 Speeches/Voting/Gala
The Executive Officers will give their speeches. Active members as of February 15th will then have an opportunity to vote for each position, but they must be present at this meeting. The ballots are then counted by the executive board. The winners will be presented at the Gala.
Section 2. POST ELECTION:
For officer positions not filled after the elections, the chapter must nominate interested individuals qualified to fill each available position. All those interested in holding a position in office must satisfy the eligibility requirements and must clearly understand the responsibilities and duties associated with each position. The student advisor is responsible for verifying the eligibility of each candidate. The entire executive board will discuss the candidates and then the executive board (president, vice president, SHPE Liaison, treasurer, Communications Executive) must vote on which individuals will be elected for a position.
Article 6: COMMITTEES:
A committee will be defined as A group created/designed to help accomplish the purpose (Article 2) of SHPE. Committees meet separately from general meetings. A member will be considered an “active” committee member by the discretion of the Committee Leader.
Section 1. STANDING COMMITTEES:
Academics
Events
Fundraising
Outreach
Professional Development
Future’s
Membership
Webmaster
Historian
Project Committee
Alumni Committee
Section 2. COMMITTEES LEADERS:
Any active member who complies to the officer eligibility requirements outlined in Article 4, Section 1 may propose to form a committee. If the committee is approved, the committee leader will become a Director of the new committee for the remainder of the academic year. As a Committee Director, they will be held to the officer standards listed in Article 4, Section 3 as well as the specific Director requirements listed in Article 4 under “all directors”. All Committee Leaders must hold committee meetings and submit the attendance records to the Director of Membership within two weeks of the end of the semester.
Section 3. COMMITTEES FORMATION PROCESS:
New committees must be approved by the executive board. Any eligible active member (see Article 3 Section 2) may form a committee by submitting the Committee Formation Proposal form to an officer. The Communications Executive will then have two weeks to review the proposal and schedule a brief presentation at the next available officer meeting. The proposal must have a two thirds approval from the Executive Board and Directors present at the meeting.
Article 7: OFFICER REPERCUSSIONS:
Section 1. DEFINITIONS
1.1 A Dress code violation will be given if:
1.2 An Action Item will be defined as:
1.3 An Action Item will be considered Missed if
1.4 An Action Item will be considered Neglected if
1.5 An Officer will be considered late if:
1.6 An Officer will be considered absent if:
1.7 A Critical Event will be defined as:
1.8 A General Event will be defined as:
1.9 A General Meeting will be defined as:
1.10 An Officer Meeting will be defined as:
1.11 A Contumacious Action will be defined as:
Section 2. MISDEMEANORS
Misdemeanors will be given to those who have conducted the following.
2.1 Dress code violation: 1m
2.2 Missed Action Item: 3m
2.3 Neglected Action Item: 6m
2.4 Arrived Late to Critical Event: 1m
2.5 Absent during Critical Event: 6m
2.6 Arrived Late to General Event: 1m
2.7 Absent during General Event: 2m
2.8 Arrived Late to General Meeting: 1m
2.9 Absent during General Meeting: 4m
2.10 Arrived Late to Officer Meeting: 1m
2.11 Absent during Officer Meeting: 4m
2.12 GPA dropped below 2.5 (overall and semester): 6m
2.13 Presidents GPA dropped below 2.7 (overall or semester): 6m
2.14 Contumacious Action: 6m
Section 3. EXCEPTIONS TO MISDEMEANORS
3.1 Pre-approved exceptions to avoid misdemeanors can only be made by a three-fourths vote of the executive board and must be awarded 1 week prior to the event/meeting/deadline. A written request must be submitted to the executive board with ample time to decide on a verdict.
3.2 Should an officer feel that they do not deserve misdemeanors due to an emergency, a written request describing the situation must be submitted to the executive board. In each case, the situation will be considered an emergency and misdemeanors waved by a three-fourths vote of the executive board.
Section 4. INFRACTION PROCESS
1 infraction will be recorded to an officer per 6 misdemeanors.
Verbal Warning: After receiving 1 infraction, a verbal warning will be given to the officer.
Written Warning: After receiving an additional infraction, a written warning will be given to the officer at fault unless they were not given a verbal warning prior to earning this infraction. In this case, only after they earn an additional infraction will they be given a written warning.
Probation: Should an officer receive an additional infraction after receiving a written warning, they will undergo a period of probation. If an officer is not given a written warning, then only after receiving an additional infraction will they undergo probation. The duration of probation will last until the end of the semester.
Impeachment: If an officer receives 3 misdemeanors while on probation, they will be removed from office and relieved of their duties.
Collateral Damage: After an officer is impeached, their duties will be distributed according to the executive board or, if time permits, a new officer will be elected.
Article 8: AMENDMENTS:
Section 1. INTRODUCTION OF NEW AMENDMENTS OR CHANGES:
A proposed constitutional amendment shall be presented to the board in writing and thoroughly explained at least one officer meeting before it may be voted on. Should an amendment be altered in any way, it must be re-proposed to the board in writing as a new amendment during any officer meeting after the current one has passed. Should an amendment be denied, it may be re-proposed in writing at any officer meeting after the current one has passed and the board will then revote.
Section 2. RATIFICATION AND ENACTMENT:
Ratification will occur upon a three-fourths majority vote of all the officers present at an officer meeting. This newly adjusted document shall become the constitution, the official governing document of the organization, and henceforth be enacted.