Bylaws of the CASA Student Leadership Council

Bylaws of the
Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere Engineering Research Center
Student Leadership Council

Article I. Identity and Objectives

The objective of the Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA) Engineering Research Center (ERC) Student Leadership Council (SLC) is to provide a platform for interdisciplinary and intercollegiate collaboration for students currently involved with all aspects of CASA. In addition the SLC shall provide student representation within the ERC administration.

The SLC mission is to:

1. Provide leadership for the undergraduate and graduate students of the ERC.

2. Act as a representative of the students in all discussions with the ERC administration.

3. Actively encourage and promote cooperation and camaraderie among the students.

Article II. Membership

1. Active Membership. An active member is any student at a university working in conjunction with CASA that is either studying or performing research in a CASA-related field. This includes graduate students, funded by the ERC or non-ERC sources, and undergraduates contributing through funded work or independent studies. Any active member is allowed to vote and take part in all SLC activities. Active members are responsible for attending the regularly scheduled meetings.

2. Advisory Membership. An advisory member is an advisor as defined in Article VII. These members are allowed to participate in any SLC activities but are not allowed to vote or hold office.

3. Alumni Membership. An alumni member is one who was at one time a member of the SLC but has graduated from their respective program.

Article III. Organization

1. The SLC shall have a presence at each CASA Core University (University of Massachusetts, Amherst, University of Oklahoma, University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez, and Colorado State University) in the form of a University Council as defined in Article IV.

2. The SLC shall unite ERC wide through the Cross-Campus Committee (CCC) as defined in Article V.

Article IV. University Councils

1. Each Core University shall have a University Council composed of their respective SLC membership as defined by the individual University.

2. Students who are not from a core university are by default members of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass) Council.

3. All SLC members at each University shall be members of their respective University Council.

4. Each University Council shall have officers consisting of the following positions:

a. President

i. The President shall select the location of, plan the agenda, and preside over all meetings of the University Council.

ii. The President shall serve as the supervisor to the University Council and its officers.

iii. The President shall ensure all constitutional duties, both local and national, are fulfilled.

iv. The President shall serve as a member of the Cross-Campus Committee, whose duties are enumerated in Article V.

v. The President shall have signing power over all material bought forth in need of a signature.

b. Secretary / Webmaster

i. The Secretary shall keep all internal records of the University Council.

ii. The Secretary shall take attendance and minutes at all meetings.

iii. The Secretary shall provide the meeting minutes to everyone in the University Council.

iv. The Secretary shall keep an updated copy of additional University Council bylaws on file with CASA ERC administration.

v. The Secretary shall notify members of up-coming meetings.

vi. The Secretary shall maintain a University Council website.

c. Treasurer / Activities Coordinator (TAC)

i. The Treasurer shall keep a record of the funds for the University Council.

ii. The Treasurer shall organize social activities sponsored by the University Council.

iii. The Treasurer shall serve as a member of the Cross-Campus Committee, whose duties are enumerated in Article V.

iv. The Treasurer shall have signing power over all material bought forth in need of a signature in the event that the President is unavailable.

d. Outreach Coordinator

i. The Outreach Coordinator shall be responsible for the planning of activities for the members of the University Council to participate in with surrounding K-12 schools.

ii. The Outreach Coordinator shall be responsible for the planning of activities for the members of the University Council to participate in with CASA industrial partners.

5. A minimum of one officer position being held by an undergraduate is highly desirable.

6. Vacancies. If there are any vacancies in the officer positions, the University Council officers may appoint by simple majority an active member to serve for the remainder of the term.

7. Removal from Office.

a. An officer may be removed if the University Council judges the individual is not performing the duties of his or her position outlined in these bylaws.

b. The active members shall submit a petition to the officers, signed by a simple majority of the active members.

c. A hearing will be held within thirty days of the petition submission, in which a majority of the members must be present.

d. The University Council President will preside at this hearing. In the event that the motion is against the President, the Treasurer shall preside.

e. An officer shall be removed by a 2/3 affirmative majority vote of the active voting members.

8. Meetings. The University Council and members shall meet as determined by the local University Council.

9. Advisors. At least one member of the local university faculty shall serve as an Advisory Member as defined in Article VII.

10. Budget. An annual budget shall be provided for each University Council by the CASA ERC.

11. University Council Responsibilities. The responsibilities of the University Council are as follows:

a. To represent the university students in all dealings with the local ERC representatives.

b. To represent the university students to the ERC as a whole through the CCC.

c. To prepare the annual campus Strength Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis as required by the National Science Foundation, in collaboration with the CCC.

d. To track, and periodically review actions being taken in response to the SWOT analysis.

e. To be responsible for carrying out the resolutions, policies, and activities of the SLC.

f. To refer to the CCC such legislation as the University Council may desire.

g. To advise the CCC President, as defined in Article V, of the coordination of all University Council affairs.

h. To analyze the past projects of the University Council, weigh their value, and determine the advisability of their continuance.

i. To analyze any particular problems of the University Council pertaining to its program or administration, and plan for their solutions.

j. To perform all other duties as directed by the Articles of the University Council, these bylaws, or the University Council.

Article V. Cross-Campus Committee

1. The Cross-Campus Committee shall consist of the four elected presidents and treasurers from the University Councils.

2. The President of the UMass University Council shall serve as the President of the Cross-Campus Committee and the President of the CASA SLC.

3. Meetings. The cross-campus committee will meet at least once a month.

a. Chairmanship of monthly meeting - chairmanship of the monthly cross-campus committee shall rotate each month as follows:

i. UMass

ii. UPRM

iii. CSU

iv. OU

b. The President of the University Council for the current school shall serve as chair.

c. If the current University Council President is unavailable, the Treasurer of the University Council shall chair the meeting.

d. A secretary nominated at each meeting will record meeting minutes and post to CASA Quickplace.

4. Responsibilities.

a. The CCC shall ensure constant collaboration between all partner universities.

b. The CCC shall construct a SWOT questionnaire to be filled out by each University Council for the use of the ERC as well as the National Science Foundation.

c. The CCC shall plan cross-campus events for the membership, such as retreats, planning sessions, and social activities.

d. The President of the CCC shall sit on the CASA Executive Committee as the representative of the Cross-Campus Committee.

5. Advisory Members. The CASA Education Coordinator shall serve as an advisor to the Cross-Campus Committee.

Article VI. Voting Rights and Elections

1. All students with active member status shall have the right to vote in the election of University Council officers.

2. Elections shall be held annually in September during the first bi-weekly student meeting of the academic year.

3. Any active member of the University Council during the forthcoming academic year shall be eligible to be a candidate for a position on the University Council.

4. The outgoing University Council shall appoint a responsible person, not standing for election, to serve as Election Officer.

5. Individuals seeking election shall be nominated by a minimum of two active members.

6. Elections shall be conducted by secret ballot.

7. When secret votes are cast in a meeting, they shall be cast one at a time in the following order: President, Secretary/Webmaster, Treasurer / Activities Coordinator, then Outreach Coordinator.

8. The individual with the highest number of valid votes, as determined by the Election Officer, shall be deemed elected to the position.

9. Once an individual has won a particular seat, he or she is ineligible for another position, unless there are fewer than four active members in the University Council.

10. The term of the University Council shall be one (1) year.

Article VII. Advisors

Any non-student member of the CASA ERC may serve as an Advisory Member of the SLC. This is to include ERC faculty, staff and employees of ERC industrial members.

Article VIII. Amendments

Any amendment to this document shall be ratified by a 2/3 majority of the active members of each University Council before taking effect.

Revision History:

September 30, 2005: Completion of CASA SLC Bylaws