Bylaws

Bylaws

Chemistry Student Safety Organization Bylaws

Article I.   PURPOSE

Section 1.  Mission Statement

The Chemistry Student Safety Organization is a registered student organization at the University of Texas at Austin, open to all undergraduate and graduate chemistry students. The goal of this organization is to improve the overall safety culture in chemistry research and teaching labs at UT by stimulating student involvement in safety activities and spreading awareness of good safety practices.

Section 2.  Action Goals

  1. Facilitate safety communication between chemistry students
  2. Improve student awareness of safety issues and good safety practices
  3. Promote student engagement through safety-related activities
  4. Consolidate safety resources for chemistry students online
  5. Team with faculty and Environmental Health and Safety to undertake initiatives aimed at improving safety culture

Article II.   MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.  Eligibility

Graduate and undergraduate students in the Chemistry Department who are currently enrolled or have been enrolled in the past year. Students from other departments like chemical or biochemistry are also welcome to join.

Section 2. Privileges and Responsibilities

  1. Members must provide a current email address through the membership form on the organization webpage.
  2. Members are eligible to vote in officer elections.
  3. Members may serve on subcommittees.
  4. Members may hold officer positions.

Article III.   OFFICERS

Section 1.  Titles

The Chemistry Student Safety Organization shall have the following officers elected from the current membership:

  1. President
  2. Vice-President
  3. Treasurer
  4. Secretary
  5. Web Master
  6. Event Coordinator
  7. Subcommittee Chairperson(s)
  8. Faculty Advisor

The Chemistry Student Safety Organization shall have the following non-elected members:

  1. Past President
  2. Subcommittee board of members

Section 2.  Terms of Office

  1. Incoming officers take office before the start of the spring semester, immediately after December elections.
  2. Outgoing officers maintain their responsibilities for two weeks after December elections in order to train new officers.
  3. President should serve as a “Past President” for the spring semester after December election to train the new President.
  4. Officers may be removed by a majority vote during a general meeting.

Section 3.  Elections

  1. Elections will be conducted annually in December or in case of vacancy.
  2. Nominations for December elections will open one week before voting and close one day before voting. Any CSSO member can self-nominate or nominate another CSSO member for board positions.
  3. Votes will be cast using online voting and will be counted by the sitting secretary. Any officer may count votes in the secretary’s unavailability.
  4. If an officer or subcommittee chairperson is removed or steps down before the end of his/her term, the remaining officers will appoint an interim replacement by majority vote to serve for a period of one month. Nominations for the vacancy will open immediately and a permanent replacement will be chosen by majority vote of the membership during the next general meeting.

Section 4.  Duties of Officers

  1. The President shall:
  • Oversee officers and settle internal disputes
  • Lead meetings, provide agendas, reserve room for general and officers meetings
  • Submit organizational paperwork to maintain registered student organization standing
  • Serve as an ex-officio member of all boards
  • Update the bylaws as needed once changes have been approved
  1. The Vice-President shall:
  • Assume the President’s responsibilities and act on the President’s behalf in his/her absence
  • Maintain contact with external affiliations: Graduate Student Assembly, Student Government, Senate of College Council, Council of Graduate Chemists, EH&S and other safety organizations on campus
  • Assist the Treasurer with budget preparation
  • Serve as a point of contact for Subcommittee Board
  1. The Treasurer shall:
  • Solicit funds from the University or external sources
  • Provide a semi-annual budget at the beginning of Fall and Spring semester
  • Distribute funds to individuals/committees as needed for purposes approved by the membership
  1. The Secretary shall:
  • Keep minutes at all meetings and send to the members within one week
  • Manage the membership list for CSSO and GSSO
  • Count votes for all elections
  1. The Web Master shall:
  • Develop and maintain the organization webpage and social accounts
  • Update list of officers and contact information on the webpage
  • Promote upcoming events via webpage and email
  • Update the members on anonymous reports from the website
  1. The Event Coordinator shall:
  • Plan one event per term as per the goals stated in Article I Purpose
  • Reserve rooms, pick up food/beverages/other materials needed for events, obtain reimbursements as needed, and ensure all other things are taken care of for the planned event
  • Relay the information to board members for the promotion of event
  1. The Faculty Advisor is:
  • Expected to serve as a mentor for the organization and a faculty liaison
  • A non-voting member of the organization
  • Selected by a majority vote of the officers
  1. The Past President shall:
  • Serve as a board member for Spring semester after the December election
  • Help in the transition of position by working with President
  1. The Subcommittee Chairperson(s) shall:
  • Lead the subcommittee meetings by providing agendas
  • Delegate tasks to subcommittee members
  • Provide updates during monthly officers meeting
  • Interface with Vice President and Webmaster for resources and advertisement

Article IV.  MEETINGS

Section 1.  General House Meetings

  1. Will be held once a semester
  2. Compulsory for Lab GSSOs to attend
  3. Will be open to anyone
  4. Will follow Parliamentary Authority as stated in Article VI

Section 2.  Board members Meetings

  1. Held once a month on a day decided by poll at the beginning of semester
  2. Can be called by President if needed
  3. Open to all officers and invited members of the organization

Section 3.  Subcommittee Meetings

  1. Held once a month or however often is necessary as decided by the subcommittee
  2. Can be called by subcommittee chair if needed
  3. To be attended by all subcommittee members

ARTICLE V.  AMENDMENTS

  1. Changes to the bylaws will be voted on by the membership during a general meeting.
  2. Voting on a new amendment will be announced sufficiently in advance of the proceeding officers meeting
  3. Amendments will be passed by a vote of at least 2/3 of the members present, including officers.
  4. If attendance is insufficient, the vote will be carried over to the next general meeting.
  5. The organization will operate under the newest version of the bylaws.

ARTICLE VI.  SUBCOMMITTEES

  1. Subcommittees may be established by a majority vote during a general meeting or a majority vote during an officer meeting.
  2. Subcommittees may be formed for any purpose relating to the goals of the organization (Article I Section 2).
  3. Each subcommittee will elect a chairperson among its member to serve for one year
  4. Subcommittee members are self-nominated volunteers from the department.

ARTICLE VI.  PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern the organization in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the bylaws or the special rules of order of the organization.

ARTICLE VIII.  UNIVERSITY CODE OF CONDUCT

The Chemistry Student Safety Organization, as a registered student organization, will abide by the University Code of Conduct.