BU Psychology Club Constitution

Preamble

The Constitution of BU Psychology Club has been established to provide an outlet for students, faculty, and staff to learn more about the discipline of psychology, as well as related disciplines and to provide the opportunity to network with others of like interest. We intend to establish a strong base for the general student population to enhance their knowledge of psychology and provide an avenue of mutual understanding and respect for the ethics of our discipline through communication, education, and social activities. 

Article I

The name of this organization shall be BU Psychology Club.

 Article II

PURPOSE

The purpose of this organization shall be to articulate and promote the educational, career, and social needs and goals of Bellevue University students:

·         To provide the opportunities to develop a greater awareness, sharing, and learning about psychology and related disciplines.

·         To help dispel the stereotypes that exist about psychology.

·         To help new students who are interested in pursuing a degree in psychology/related disciplines.

·         To encourage students to participate in service learning and research/conference endeavors.

The benefits of participating in the organization:

·         Networking opportunities within and outside of the university.

·         Educational opportunities outside of the university (i.e. conferences, seminars, etc.).

·         Volunteer opportunities that benefit the community.

·         Gain leadership skills and experiences in being an officer or active member which can be added to resume.

Metrics for assessing the purpose:

·         Number of meetings held per year/number of members attending.

·         Number of guest speakers/number of members attending

·         Number of field trips/number of members attending

·         Number of conference trips/number of members attending/number of members presenting

·         Number of volunteer opportunities/number of members participating               

Article III

 Section 1

Membership in the BU Psychology Club is open to all students interested in learning more about psychology and related disciplines at Bellevue University.

 Section 2

Academic Standing: All active members of the BU Psychology Club must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher.

 Section 3

A full-time staff member will be assigned to act as the advisor (Full-time psychology faculty member).

 Section 4

Members whose actions are contrary to the principles of Bellevue University Policies, Rules, and Procedures in Academics or Conduct shall be subject to reprimand, suspension, or removal from office as voted upon by the Officers of BU Psychology Club. 

Article IV

Executive Officers and Active Members

 Section 1

Executive Officers (consist of the following positions: President, Vice-President, Marketing/Communications Director) and Active Members Roles and Responsibilities:

 President:

·         Serve as club’s chief executive officer, responsible for general supervision and operation of the club

·         Preside at club meetings

·         Make sure members and guests are warmly and enthusiastically welcomed and introduced

·         Allow time before and after the meeting to speak with guests

·         Ensure that all officer duties are completed in a timely and quality manner

·         Ensure that all officers are adequately trained for their positions

·         In cooperation with executive team, establish long-term and short-term goals for the club

·         Ensure that Officers are meeting monthly

·         Maintain an accurate record of meetings and email out to the club afterwards

·          Develop the needed budget along with the club Advisor

·          Maintain an accurate record of expenses and transactions along with the club Advisor

·          Order materials as needed/requested for events by committee chairs

·          Make recommendations for money allocation

·          Submit club accounts for audit upon request

 Vice-President:

·         Preside at club and officer meetings in absence of the President

·         Speak with fellow members to determine if their needs are being met

·         Work with groups inside and outside of BU Psychology Club to promote club membership and membership retention

·         Monitor member attendance and participation; follow up with missing members

·         Lead the institution of a membership recognition and rewards program

·         Work with President and officer team to prevent problems in the club and address any member concerns that arise

 Marketing/Communications Director:

·         Oversee and direct internal and external event promotion; including print and web materials, social media, email, etc.

·         Maintain connections and relationships within BU and the outside community

·         Assist in recruitment of membership through self-promotion materials

·         Send reminders of the meeting time or dates and cancelations

·         Encourage people to participate in events

·         Maintain spreadsheet with the current member roster, role, and attendance history

·         Maintain the club email list

 Active Members:

·         Officers are required to attend all Officer meetings unless unavoidable, notice of an absence shall be communicated to the VP prior to the meeting

·         Are required to attend/participate a minimum of 75% of the meetings in one academic year

·         Are required to participate in a minimum of 50% of the service projects (i.e. volunteer work) in one academic year

·         Are required to participate in a minimum of 50% of the social events (internal or external to club) in one academic year

 Section 2

Nominations and elections of each of the offices shall be held during the last general meeting of the academic year.  Elected officers will assume office at the end of this meeting.  Officers will be elected by a ¾ majority vote by the general membership.  Officers shall be the nominees receiving the largest number of votes from the members. If there is more than one candidate, nominees are required to give reasons why they want to serve as the specific officer. Officers are required to hold their position for a full academic year.  

Article V

 Meetings

Section 1 Frequency of the officer meetings will be designed and announced by the officers of BU Psychology Club during the first meeting of the fall session. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all officer meetings will be conducted via Zoom.

Section 2 The general membership meetings will be held at least once a term during the academic year.  The specific time and day of each meeting will be chosen by majority vote of the general membership during the first meeting of the fall session. Other meetings may be added as needed based on the availability of speakers, events, etc.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all meetings will be conducted via Zoom.  The meetings will be recorded and posted to the club’s Facebook page, as well as the Psychology program web page when completed.

Section 3 Officers who miss more than two (2) meetings per quarter may be subject to disciplinary action. 

Article VI

 Discipline of Members

Grossly improper actions or misconduct, or actions contrary to principles of the association by any member shall be grounds for reprimand, suspension, removal from offices as voted upon by all members of BU Psychology Club.  

Article VII 

Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of “Robert Rules of Order” shall govern the association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these by-laws and any special rules of order the association may adopt.  

Article VIII 

Amendments

These by-laws may be amended at any regular meeting of the association or any special meeting duly called for this purpose by two-thirds vote of members present.