OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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Initially Adopted 09/12/2013. Last revised 09/29/2017 to reflect amendments in regards to the First-Year Representative position, passed per Article VII procedure.
Article I – Name, Purpose, and Non-Discrimination Policy of the Organization
Section 1 – Name
Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering Graduate Student Association (CBEE GSA)
Section 2 – Purpose
The CBEE GSA is dedicated to the scientific achievement, academic success, community building, and professional development of graduate students in the School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering at Oregon State University.
Section 3 – Non-Discrimination Policy
Membership shall not be denied to any student on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. The GSA is committed to maintaining the policies of Oregon State University regarding discrimination as defined by the Office of Equity and Inclusion (see oregonstate.edu/oei).
Article II – Membership: Qualifications Criteria and Expectations
Section 1 – Active Members
Active members of the CBEE GSA shall be graduate students in the School of CBEE enrolled for at least the minimum credits required by the School of CBEE at Oregon State University. Officers must be full-time graduate students in the School of CBEE.
Section 2 – Voting Members
Voting members of the CBEE GSA shall consist of all active members of the CBEE GSA including officers.
Article III – Officers: Titles, Terms of Office, Type of Selection, and Duties of the Leaders
Section 1 – Titles
The officers of the CBEE GSA shall consist of one Environmental Engineering Student Representative, one Chemical Engineering Student Representative, one Biological Engineering Student Representative, one Seminar Chair, one Social Chair, one Treasurer, one Webmaster, one International Student Representative, one Interdepartmental Chair, and one First-Year Representative. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed by the constitution and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the association.
Section 2 – Terms of Office
Officers shall be elected to serve for one year beginning with the start of the summer academic term and terminating at the end of the following spring academic term. Vacancies in offices shall be filled by nomination and voting of the CBEE graduate student body in the same manner as the general election that is held each spring.
Section 3 – Type of Selection
With the exception of the First-Year Representative, candidates for officer positions from the CBEE graduate student body shall be nominated by themselves by indicating to the current CBEE GSA officers their desire for a specific officer position. Elections shall be held during the third week of the spring academic term. The CBEE GSA faculty advisor shall collect votes from the CBEE graduate students and those candidates receiving a plurality of the vote shall be elected to their respective positions. Candidates for the First-Year Representative shall be nominated by themselves when the presiding GSA officers asks the first-year class for nominations within three weeks of the beginning of fall term. In the event that there is more than one self-nomination, a special election shall be called in the same manner as the general election that is held each spring.
Section 4 – Duties of the Leaders
The officers shall share the responsibility of setting the CBEE GSA agenda for the academic year. The Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Biological Engineering Student Representatives shall be the primary liaisons between the CBEE faculty and the CBEE graduate students of their respective departments. The Student Representatives shall attend each faculty meeting of their respective departments as representatives of the CBEE graduate student body. The Student Representatives shall also be responsible for interacting with any other SSOs at Oregon State University, and shall serve as the main point of contact for the OSU and Corvallis community.
The Seminar Chair shall assist the faculty with organizing the School of CBEE’s seminar series, including recruiting, inviting, scheduling, and introducing speakers for each seminar.
The Social Chair shall organize social and career building events with CBEE GSA funds in addition to other non-funded social events throughout the year. The Social Chair shall act as the main point-of-contact for the School of CBEE with respect to the orientation week events each fall for new CBEE graduate students and to the recruitment visit each spring by prospective CBEE graduate students.
The Treasurer shall handle all monetary transactions by the CBEE GSA, including events organized by the Social Chair and expenses related to the seminar series. The Treasurer shall act as the lead on the application for funding from the School of CBEE and on any applications for funding outside of the School of CBEE. The Treasurer shall also act as the lead for any fundraising ideas. Ideally CBEE GSA funds shall always be spent in a manner which benefits the CBEE graduate student body as a whole and not exclusively the CBEE GSA.
The Webmaster shall have control of and maintain the CBEE GSA website and any social media outlets including the CBEE GSA Facebook and Instagram accounts.
The International Student Representative shall represent the interests of international students at GSA meetings and shall be the primary liaison between CBEE faculty / the CBEE GSA and the international student community in CBEE.
The Interdepartmental Chair shall work to foster increased participation of CBEE GSA members in non-CBEE departmental events at OSU, including seminars. They shall work to plan a few events each year, put on by the CBEE GSA, that are designed to increase networking with other OSU departments.
The First-Year Representative shall represent the interests of new graduate students at GSA meetings with all equivalent voting rights and privileges. They shall be the primary liaison between the CBEE GSA and all first-year graduate students in CBEE.
It is each Officer’s responsibility to ensure a smooth transition for the newly elected officers each spring for their respective positions.
Article IV – Method of Removing Officers and Members
Elected officers shall conduct themselves in a manner which reflects well on the University, the College of Engineering, the School of CBEE, and the CBEE graduate student body at all times. Should an elected officer not meet these expectations or not satisfactorily perform their duties specified by this constitution, they shall be removed from office. A review of their conduct shall be held by the CBEE GSA officers and faculty advisor, and removal shall require the consent of a majority of the CBEE GSA officers.
Article V – Advisor(s)
The faculty advisor of the CBEE GSA shall be a faculty member of the School of CBEE, appointed by the sponsoring unit head.
Article VI – Meetings of the Organization
Meetings shall be held weekly during the fall, winter, and spring terms. Meetings shall be held once a month during the summer academic term. All meetings shall be open to the CBEE graduate student body.
Article VII – Method of Amending Constitution: Proposals, Notice, and Voting Requirements
Proposed amendments must be made in writing and presented before the CBEE GSA officers and faculty advisor. Amendments shall require at least two-thirds approval of the CBEE GSA officers. Any amendment to the constitution should be made known to the CBEE graduate student body.
Article VIII – Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the organization in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the constitution.
