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UPE Chapter Constitution and Bylaws
Constitution and By-Laws of the
Missouri Epsilon Chapter of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Association
An Honor Society in Computer Science
CHAPTER CONSTITUTION
Article I:
Name and Objective
1)The name of this organization shall be the Missouri Epsilon Chapter of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Association, an honor society in computer science.
2)The objective of the Missouri Epsilon chapter shall be the promotion of high scholarship and original investigation in the field of computer and information science.
3)The Missouri Epsilon Chapter of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Association shall be located at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Article II:
Government
1)The Missouri Epsilon Chapter shall be governed by this Constitution, together with amendments to the same, and by the By-Laws enacted to provide for those governmental functions of a more routine nature.
2)The By-Laws of this chapter shall be adopted and changes thereto enacted by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the active members of the chapter.
3)The provisions of this constitution shall be subordinate to those of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Association.
Article III:
Membership
1)This chapter shall consist of members and honorary members.
2)The membership of the chapter shall be made up of individuals whose academic achievements, reputation and creative abilities deserve recognition, and whose membership would enhance the stature of the Association. Specifically, the membership shall include graduate and undergraduate students, former students, and faculty in computer science at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, elected according to the procedures detailed in Article IV of this Constitution.
3)Honorary members shall be individuals of distinguished achievement in the field of computer and information science.
4)Membership and activities are open to all currently enrolled students regardless of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability or Vietnam era veteran’s status.
5)The active membership of this chapter of the Association shall consist of those members who satisfy the fiscal and attendance requirements set forth in the By-Laws. The privilege of voting in membership elections and participation in other official functions of the chapter shall be restricted to active members who are currently enrolled in the university.
Article IV:
Election of Members
1)The eligibility of students, former students and faculty for election to membership in this chapter of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Association shall be determined as follows:
a)A graduate student must be a candidate for a graduate degree in the computing and information disciplines, and must have completed at least 18 semester hours for graduate credit. Further, he or she must have a grade point average of at least 3.7, exclusive of research and seminar courses.
b)An undergraduate student must be a candidate for an undergraduate degree in computer science or information technology, and must have completed at least 45 hours for undergraduate credit, including 15 semester hours in the computing and information disciplines. In addition, he or she must have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, unless he or she is a senior transfer student. Further, he or she must have a grade point average of at least 3.5, with a grade point average of at least 3.5 in all computer science coursework, and must rank in the top 35 percent of the computing students satisfying the credit requirement.
c)A faculty member must have been teaching in the computer science program or in a field closely related to the computer science program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City for at least one year in order to be eligible for membership. He or she must have been in responsible charge of development, preparation, or presentation of courses, or in charge of research in the field of computer and information science. Achievements in research and/or teaching, involvement with student organizations, and promotion of academic ideas within the university or the community shall determine eligibility for a faculty member.
d)Former students, who at the time of their completion of degree requirements in computer science or information technology satisfied the grade point average requirements of subsections a or b of this section, shall be eligible for election to membership in this chapter of the Association.
e)Students, former students and faculty members who do not qualify under the provisions of the previous subsections, but whose achievements in and contributions to the computer and information science field qualify them, in view of the Membership Committee, shall be eligible for election to membership in the Association.
2)All candidates for election to membership, qualified according to the previous section, shall be reviewed by the Membership Committee. Further criteria in addition to that listed above may be used at the discretion of the committee. These criteria may include, but are not limited to higher GPA requirements, involvement in other student organizations. Those reported favorably by the Committee shall be proposed for election.
3)Further criteria in addition to that listed above may be used at the discretion of the committee. These criteria may include, but are not limited to, higher GPA requirements, involvement in other student organizations, academic achievements, publications and community involvement.
4)All candidates for election to membership are expected to adhere to the university’s student code of conduct. Any candidate for election that has violated any of these policies may be removed from the list of eligible candidates by the Membership Committee. If a candidate is guilty of committing any form of academic dishonesty at the University of Missouri-Kansas City they will not be considered for membership.
5)Each candidate must be discussed individually by name, and the balloting for his or her election shall be carried out before the next candidate is considered. In case a candidate fails a first ballot, he or she may be discussed further, and a second and final vote shall be taken.
6)Election of a candidate to membership shall be by three-fourths affirmative vote by the members present and voting.
7)The maximum number of members shall not be limited.
8)The election of new members shall be held within six weeks before the end of fall and spring semesters.
9)The President of the chapter shall appoint a standing committee on eligibility and membership upon his or her installation which shall serve until his or her successor is elected.
10)Membership should not be offered to a particular individual a second time if such membership has been previously declined by that individual for any reason with the exception of hardship cases.
Article V:
Officers
1)The Executive Council of the chapter shall consist of the faculty advisor and the following elected officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Historian.
2)The duties of the President shall be to call and preside at all meetings, to appoint committees and to authorize payment of bills presented against the chapter, upon approval of the Executive Council.
3)The duties of the Vice-President shall be to perform the duties of President in the absence of the President. He or she shall also become President in case of the resignation or disability of the President. In addition, he or she shall be responsible for the coordination of committees and the proper conduct of meetings.
4)The duties of the Secretary shall be to keep records of all transactions of the chapter, and in particular, to keep the minutes of the meetings. In addition, he or she will be responsible for the handling of all correspondence for the chapter.
5)The duties of the Treasurer shall be to collect all dues and assessments and to issue, with the assistance of the Secretary, notices of special assessments. He or she shall have charge of all funds of the chapter, and shall pay there from bills presented against the chapter and approved for payment.
6)The duties of the Historian are to keep a systematic account in chronological order of events of the chapter.
7)Officers must also be voting members of the chapter and must therefore be active members who are currently enrolled in the university.
8)A qualified faculty, staff, or community member must be selected by the membership as an advisor. The chapter must at all times have a Faculty Advisor. The Faculty Advisor shall be a member of the computer science staff who is also a member of the association. The Faculty Advisor will be invited to serve by the Executive Council. The Advisor’s term of office is at the discretion of the Advisor and the Council. The duties of the Faculty Advisor shall be to consult on matters of chapter policy and to act as auditor of chapter finances. He or she shall also be the presiding member of the Membership Committee.
9)Election of officers shall be held immediately after the election of new members each spring semester. Newly elected officers shall be installed and shall begin to serve the meeting following their election.
10)Vacancies in any office other than the President shall be filled by appointment by the President with the approval of the Executive Council
11)The Membership Committee shall consist of the Executive Council, the faculty advisor and at least two additional faculty members appointed by the Executive Council. The termination of service of the members of the Membership Committee shall be by resignation, submitted to and accepted by the Executive Council of the chapter. The Membership Committee shall be responsible for the screening of students who meet the scholastic eligibility requirements of the Association and shall recommend for election those they deem otherwise qualified.
12)It may become necessary at some time to remove an officer from his or her position. Suitable reasons for removal of an officer include dereliction of duties and ethics violations. Removal of an officer must be by a consensus vote of the remaining officers and the faculty advisor.
13)Officers of this organization must be chosen in an election format open to all current members. Every effort will be made to notify all members of said election and, further, to reasonably accommodate the needs of all members desiring to participate.
14)Officers must meet minimum eligibility requirements, including a cumulative GPA of 2.5 and six credit hours of current enrollment, and must not be on student conduct disciplinary or honor code probation. The requirement to be enrolled in six credit hours will be waived for Doctoral students who have completed their formal degree course work, have passed their comprehensive or matriculation examination, and are continuously enrolled in at least one hour of research in the Fall and Winter semesters.
Article VI:
Ratification and Amendment
1)This Constitution shall become effective immediately upon ratification by a three-fourths affirmative vote of the invited charter initiates and the Membership Committee of the whole.
2)This Constitution shall remain in effect until revised or amended.
3)Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed by any member of the chapter at a regular or special meeting. The proposed amendment shall be discussed and a vote for further discussion shall be taken; a simple majority of the active members present shall determine that consideration. On approval, the proposed amendment shall be formally framed by the Executive Council.
4)Amendments framed according to the previous section shall be circulated to the entire active membership of the chapter, together with appropriate commentaries and a written ballot. The ballots will be returned to the Secretary within two weeks of distribution. The Secretary and Vice-President shall tally the votes and make the results of the balloting public at the following regular meeting of the chapter.
5)A three-fourths favorable vote of the returned ballots shall be required for ratification of each amendment.
6)The amendment shall become effective immediately upon announcement of the results of the ratification election.
7)It is further understood that if this organization desires at any time in the future to change in any way the provisions of this charter, that before such action is taken, the organization will submit for approval to the Student Government Association and the Student Life Office every detail of the desired changes to be made.
Article VII:
Finances
1)The books of account shall be kept up to date and open to the inspection of the University auditor
Article VIII:
Hazing
1) Hazing is strictly prohibited in the State of Missouri and by the University. Hazing is defined as any willful act, occurring on or off the campus of an educational institution, directed against a student or a prospective member of an organization operating under the sanction of an educational institution, that recklessly endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student or prospective member for the purpose of initiation or admission into or continued membership in any such organization.
Acts of hazing include, but are not limited to:
• Any activity that recklessly endangers the physical health or safety of the student or prospective member, including but not limited to physical brutality, whipping, beating, branding, exposure to the elements, forced consumption of any food, liquor, drug or other substance.
• Any activity that endangers the mental health of the student or prospective member, including but not limited to sleep deprivation, physical confinement, or other extreme stress inducing activity.
• Any activity that requires the student or prospective member to perform a duty or task which involves a violation of the criminal laws of this state or any political subdivision in this state.
Hazing is a class C Felony.
Chapter By-Laws
Article I:
Scope of the By-Laws
1)These By-Laws shall govern the conduct of the chapter in those matters not specifically treated in the Constitution.
2)Provisions of these By-Laws shall be subordinate to those of the Constitution.
Article II:
Election of Officers
1)The officers of the chapter shall be elected at the last business meeting of each spring semester of the school year, immediately after the election of new members.
2)Installation of officers shall take place immediately following their election. The new officers will assume their duties upon installation.
3)In order to be eligible to hold office, the President must have been active in the chapter for at least one semester. An exception can be made to this only if there are no candidates that meet this criterion.
4)All candidates for office must voting members of the chapter and therefore must be active members who are currently enrolled in the university.
5)The officers of this chapter shall be elected by secret ballot and there shall be no voting of proxies allowed. Voting by remote methods, such as internet voting, is not permitted. All votes must be cast in person and the identity of each voter must be verified.
6)Voting is restricted to active members of the chapter who are currently enrolled in the university, except in the case of newly initiated members. New members will be allowed to vote during their first semester. After that time they will only be allowed to vote if they are listed as active members.
Article :
Meetings
1)Monthly meetings will be held as scheduled during the spring and fall semesters.
2)Special meetings may be called by the President, the Executive Council, or by petition of one-half of the active membership of the chapter.
3)A quorum shall consist of one-half of the active members of the chapter in the conduct of the business of the chapter, except for the election of officers and new members, at which three-quarters of the active members of the chapter must be present.
4)Except as specifically stated in the Constitution and By-Laws, the parliamentary guide for the conduct of all meetings shall be Robert's Rules of Order.
5)The order of conduct of a regular meeting shall be as follows:
a.call to order
b.roll call
c.reading of minutes
d.committee reports
e.unfinished business
f.new business
g.program or technical session (optional)
h.adjournment
6)Initiation of new members may be conducted at a regular meeting or a special meeting called for the purpose.
7)Notification of all active members shall be given by the Secretary one week prior to a special meeting. The notification shall state the purpose of the meeting.
8)No business other than that which the meeting was called for shall be conducted at a special meeting.
Article :
Government
1)Active members shall be required to attend all meetings of the chapter.
2)Any member who fails to attend twenty-five percent of all meetings, or who misses three consecutive meetings, shall automatically revert to inactive status.
3)Restoration of a member to active status shall be by affirmative vote of a majority of the active members present, and the payment of one year's dues to the chapter.
Article IV:
Attendance
1)The Missouri Epsilon Chapter shall be governed by this Constitution, together with amendments to the same, and by the By-Laws enacted to provide for those governmental functions of a more routine nature.
2)The By-Laws of this chapter shall be adopted and changes thereto enacted by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the active members of the chapter.
3)The provisions of this constitution shall be subordinate to those of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Association.
Article V:
Finances
1)The minimum cash balance at the end of each school year shall be fifty dollars. Any deficiency from this amount shall be made up by an assessment of the active members.
2)The initiation fee charged each new member by the chapter shall be ten dollars, in addition to that of the Association.
3)Annual dues payable to the chapter shall be ten dollars, in addition to the dues of the Association.
4)Each initiate shall be required to pay the Association initiation fee prior to his or her initiation.
5)One week prior to the election of officers, the Treasurer shall submit to the President and faculty advisor a written statement of the financial condition of the chapter. At the election meeting, this will be submitted to the chapter and entered into the minutes upon acceptance by the chapter.
6)Special assessments may be made at any time, upon approval by three-fourths of the active members of the chapter.
7)Paying chapter dues is not a mandatory requirement to be considered a member of this organization.
8)A special Initiate Aid fund will be maintained at all times for the purpose of subsidizing the Association initiation fee for any new initiate willing and able to demonstrate persistent financial hardship. The presentation must be made to the Executive Council prior to initiation.
a.One half of all chapter dues will be applied to the Initiate Aid fund up to the amount of the initiation fee.
b.Initiate Aid funds may not be used for any purpose besides subsidizing the Association’s mandatory initiation fee.
Article VI:
Initiation
1)The initiation of new members shall be held within four weeks of the time of their election.
2)The initiation shall specifically avoid any practice which conflicts with the University of Missouri-Kansas City regulations or which constitutes an attack on the personal dignity of the initiates. The activities shall be devised to stimulate the candidate's interest in computer science and to acquaint them better with the members of the chapter.
Article VII:
Election of Members
1)There shall be two elections of new members each year.
2)The Membership Committee shall prepare a list of all eligible candidates, ordered with faculty members first, followed by students ranked according to decreasing grade point average.
3)The initial list of student candidates shall be created according to Article IV of the constitution.
4)Faculty candidates will be the result of nomination by faculty and active student members of the chapter.
5)The list prepared according to the previous sections shall be submitted to faculty members who are members of the Association, who shall be asked to make written remarks with respect to the fitness of the candidates with whom they are acquainted.
6)The list of eligible candidates, together with the faculty members' remarks shall be submitted to the chapter Membership Committee for final screening.
7)The names of those elected to membership shall be given to the Secretary, who shall then issue them invitations to become members of the Association, and of this chapter.
8)Failure of a member-elect to notify the chapter of his or her acceptance of the invitation to membership within two weeks of its issuance shall constitute notice of refusal.
Article VIII:
Ethics Violations
1)All members of the Epsilon Chapter of Upsilon Pi Epsilon are expected to adhere to a high standard of ethics. All members of the chapter are required to follow to the university’s student code of conduct. Any violation of this code of conduct or other university policies may result in disciplinary measures. Any violation of state, federal or local laws not covered by university policy may also result in disciplinary measures.
2)The means of discipline shall include suspension or expulsion from the Epsilon Chapter.
a.The means of discipline shall include suspension or expulsion from the Epsilon Chapter.
b.Expulsion shall result in the removal of the individual's name from the Epsilon Chapter's rolls with possible recommendations to the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Association.
3)A member may be disciplined by a consensus of the Epsilon Chapter's officers and Faculty Advisor.
Article IX:
Adoption and Amendment
1)These By-Laws shall become effective immediately upon adoption.
2)These By-Laws shall remain in effect until revised or amended.
3)A provision of these By-Laws may be temporarily suspended by a three-fourths vote of the active membership of the chapter.
4)A two-thirds affirmative vote of the active membership of the chapter shall be required for the adoption of an amendment to these By-Laws.
5)These By-Laws shall be kept current by pen and ink correction and insertion of supplementary sheets, when such is necessary.
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Page last edited 02/05/2009
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