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GMU Economics Society |
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Constitution |
Article I Name of Organization
Section A Name Declaration This organization shall be called Economics Society. Article II Purpose
Section A General Purpose
The Economics Society is committed to the personal, professional, and academic development of all students interested in the study of economics. By organizing lectures series, discussion sessions, and other interactions between professional economists and students, we hope to meet the unique goals and desires of our members. Article III Membership
Section A General Membership Membership shall be granted to any George Mason University student who is currently enrolled at GMU, who has a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0, who is in good academic standing with the university, and who has an interest in economics. Membership of this organization will not be restricted on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, sex, or age. Three types of memberships shall exist within the organization: Active members Those GMU students who regularly attend 50% of scheduled meetings. Active members have the right to vote on all proposals and in all elections and to run for office. 2) Auxiliary members Those GMU students who do not regularly attend meetings and/or events (less than 50%) because of valid time constraints or other understandable reasons and have an active interest in staying members of the organization. Auxiliary members shall not have the right to vote nor run for office, however they may attend all scheduled meeting and events. 3) Associate members Those community members, or other non-GMU persons, who wish to be a part of this organization. Associate members shall not have the right to vote nor run for office; however they may attend all scheduled meeting and events. Those members who fail to comply with the guidelines for academic standing delineated in this document and/or by the Office of Student Activities will face a membership suspension until academic standing is returned to its required level. Article IV Officers
Section A Executive Board The Executive Board shall be one component of the group’s membership with no more power at general membership meetings than any other member. Section B Offices The executive offices of this organization include president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer. The president may create new non-executive offices during each term of office to better serve the organization. Each new non-executive officer must be approved by 50% of the current executive board. The minimum qualifications to become an officer of the Economics Society are fulfillment of those requirements necessary to become an active member. Officers must also be dedicated to this organization and willing to commit their time and effort. Section C Terms of Office Each office term shall begin immediately following the election and conclude at the last meeting of the year. Section D Duties of Officers The President must: Run all general membership meetings Prepare the agenda prior to the meeting Oversee all official business of the organization. The Vice-President Must Act in the capacity of the President when the President is absent The Secretary must: Take minutes at all meetings Reserve the meeting location Send out meeting reminders Organize group newsletter/e-mail Organize and run officer elections Provide bylaw amendments to all members The Treasurer must: Be responsible for all funding requests Meticulously keep the books, or keep track of expenses, income, and general funding Organize fundraisers. Section E Removal of an Officer An officer may be removed if an Executive Board officer feels that another officer is not performing his or her duties as enumerated in the Bylaws. The procedure takes place as follows: The officer in favor of the other’s removal must submit a written statement to each Executive Board officer to prove his or her case or An active member may submit a written statement to the executive board requesting the removal of one of its members Any officer with threat of removal shall have seven days from the submission of the Declaration of Removal to submit a counter declaration, proving why this officer should not be removed A two-thirds vote from the Executive Board is necessary to remove an officer. Following removal of an officer an emergency election shall take place at the next general meeting; the officer who filed original complaint will be prohibited from running. Section F Officer Resignation An officer may resign from the Executive Board at any time. Said officer will be relieved of all his or her duties and privileges at the time of their resignation. The procedure takes place as follows: Resigning officer informs the Executive Board of their intention to resign in written form. An acting officer is appointed by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Executive Board. At the next scheduled election, the process of filling the position of the resigned officer takes place normally, as outlined in Article V. Article V Elections Section A Elections Elections of Executive Board officers will be held during the last month of the semester. An officer will be elected with a two-thirds majority of the active membership present. Section B Election Process Elections will be conducted as follows: Members present will sign in Quorum will be determined by the secretary by taking roll The secretary and/or his/her designated appointee will ask for nominees for each given office. - A person can either be nominated by another active member or by him or herself. Nominees must be active members in good standing with our organization Elections will begin with the President and then on down the list of officers described in Article IV Section A. Each candidate will be given two minutes to present his or her qualifications, only positive language may be used. Following the speeches of the Presidential candidates there will be a vote for that position, so as to allow those who do not obtain the president position to run for other executive board positions, and so on down the line. Elections will be conducted on a ballot and collected Secretary and Treasurer will count the votes, verifying the other’s work; if the current and/or acting Secretary or Treasurer is running for an office, then an appointed alternate will count the ballots for that office Section C Voting All active members in good standing may cast one vote in any election. In the case of officer elections, each active member in good standing may cast one vote per office. Section D Run-off Procedure In the event of a tie for a position as officer in the election process the Executive Board shall have a re-vote to decide the winner. If there is a tie between more than 2 candidates for the co-chair position the executive board shall have a re-vote among the candidates who tied. Should a person on the Executive Board be running for that position, that member will be excluded from the re-vote. Article VI Advisor Section A Advisor Selection and Responsibilities This primary advisor shall be a member of the faculty or staff of George Mason University. The faculty advisor(s) shall be responsible for: Assisting the group in formulating and in planning and initiating projects Being present at club-sponsored events when necessary and available Promoting student awareness of, and adherence to, policies governing the Economics Society Serving as a resource person for alternative solutions to problems confronting the group Assisting in evaluating group projects, performance, and progress Making suggestions that will permit the officers to improve leadership skills Though the advisor(s) may offer guidance and support in the above suggested manners he/she may not have a vote in the organization. Section B Removal of Advisor If an advisor to the Economics Society fails to effectively work with members of the group, or if an advisor does not demonstrate the intention of upholding the policies and/or message of the Economics Society then said advisor could be removed of duties regarding the group. Removal will be implemented after a unanimous vote by the Executive Board. Article VII Meetings
Section A Meeting Time
Club meetings will be held at minimum one time per month at a time, location, and date so designated by the President. The President shall preside over the meeting. Section B Quorum Quorum will be attained by the majority of the membership plus one officer.
If circumstance necessitate the calling of a special meeting notice will be sent out by e-mail to the membership at least 48 hours in advance. Section D Attendance All active members of the Economics Society are expected to attend all general meetings. Sign in sheets will be present to keep a record of attendance. Article VIII Finance Section A Dues The Economics Society reserves the right to collect dues to cover expenses and purchases. Section B Fundraising All necessary funds will be obtained through fundraisers organized by the Treasurer and with the help of the membership and/or through the Office of Student Activities. Article IX Constitutional Amendments
Section A Student Activities Review The Office of Student Activities must review all amendments in the same manner as a completely new constitution. Section B Submitting Amendments
Amendments must be submitted to the secretary at least twenty-four hours before the general membership meeting in which they will be discussed. Section C Voting Amendments will be voted on by the general membership and of the general membership, only by active members in good standing. An amendment will pass if it receives two-thirds of the total votes. Article X Adherence to Laws & Policies The Economics Society will adhere to any and all relevant George Mason University policies, as well as to laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia and other local and federal laws. Article XI Dissolution Section A Dissolution This organization will be dissolved at the request of two-thirds of the general membership. Article XII Ratification Section A Ratification This constitution shall become effective upon approval by a ¾ vote of the membership, the Council of Student Organization Umbrella Leaders and the Associate Dean of University Life/Director of Student Activities. |
GMU Economics Society Constitution - Established Fall 2005
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To contact us: |
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E-mail: GMUEconSociety@gmail.com Blog: GMUEconSociety.blogspot.com |
