Constitution of Biochemistry Student Association

Enacted September 17, 2008 – Last Amended September 22, 2010

 

The Biochemistry Student Association (BiocSA) is an accredited student organization (ASO) with the College of Biological Science Student Council (CBSSC), at the University of Guelph, which has been founded for the purpose of giving all undergraduate biochemistry majors a specific and defined place to meet on a regular basis.

 

Our objectives are as follows:

 

- Enhance the sense of identity and community of biochemistry majors at the University of Guelph.

- Organize biochemistry-specific events and activities to promote greater interest in field of

   biochemistry.

- Meet at least 3 times with the general membership in each of the Fall and Winter semesters each academic year.

 

In order to fulfill our goals and objectives, we will utilize an executive of 7 (seven) members, with 4 core and mandatory positions as indicated below, who will work on behalf of BiocSA to organize the events, activities and finances of BiocSA.  Elections will take place no later than the last scheduled school day of every year (mid-April), and the new executive will take office on the following May 1.  The outgoing President will preside, or in their absence, will appoint another executive, to preside over elections of the new executive, and holds the power to appoint unopposed candidates.  All positions that are unfilled as of the following September will be filled by election or appointment at the discretion of the incoming President.  All positions that are vacated at any point in the semester may be filled by appointment or election at the discretion of the President.

 

The core (mandatory) executive positions are:

 

President

Vice-President (Finance)

Vice-President (Social)

Vice-President (Communications)

 

The following executive positions, filled as needed by discretion of the President are:

 

Recruitment Officer

Merchandise and Promotion Officer

Biochemistry Curriculum and Academics Officer

 

The role of the President is to preside over all BiocSA operations and to represent BiocSA on campus.  The President is responsible for booking rooms for, calling and chairing all meetings and elections.  The President may call executive-only meetings to discuss BiocSA operations at his/her discretion.  The President may put any matter to a vote by the general membership at any scheduled meeting.  The President will co-sign and approve all BiocSA expenses along with the Vice President (Finance).  The President will represent BiocSA on the CBSSC Accredited Student Organizations’ Council (ASOC), and will attend all ASOC meetings or appoint another member of the executive to attend in his/her absence.  The President has access to the BiocSA e-mail account (biocsa@uoguelph.ca), which is officially owned by the Chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology.  The President holds a key to the CBSSC lounge and storage room, if provided by CBSSC.  The President can lend the key to CBSSC lounge to any executive member at their discretion. The President will assist other executive members in their duties, at their request.

 

The role of the Vice President (Finance) is to manage and account for the revenues and expenses of BiocSA.  The Vice President (Finance) will prepare a budget for each of the Fall and Winter semesters, and appeal to CBSSC for accredited student organization funding.  The Vice President (Finance) will co-sign and approve all BiocSA expenses along with the President.  The Vice President (Finance) is responsible for t-shirt and other merchandise sales, including appointing a design team (or organizing a design competition), ordering, purchasing and distribution.  The Vice President (Finance) is responsible for fundraising through merchandise sales.  The Vice President (Finance) will be Acting President should the President permanently leave BiocSA, resign his/her position, or leave on Co-op work term and will preside over the election of a new President.

 

The role of the Vice President (Social) is to organize all events and activities of BiocSA in both the Fall and Winter Semesters.  At a minimum, the following events (under these or other names) must be held between the beginning of the Fall Semester, and the end of the Winter Semester: Student Social Night and Student-Professor Social Night.  The Vice President (Social) will organize the BiocSA College RoyalTM exhibit or display in the Winter Semester, and coordinate any members/students who wish to be involved.  The Vice President (Social) will collaborate with the Vice President (Finance) to ensure events are within the financial means of BiocSA and are properly accounted for.

 

The role of the Vice President (Communications) is to aid members/students in any issues or questions that they have regarding the Biochemistry program at Guelph.  They will act as a liaison with the Chair’s Office and Professors in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology.  The Vice President (Academics and Communications) has access to the BiocSA e-mail account (biocsa@uoguelph.ca), which is officially owned by the Chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology.  The Vice President (Academics and Communications) will maintain the BiocSA website (http://www.uoguelph.ca/~biocsa) or appoint a webmaster to do so.  The Vice President (Academics and Communications) will send out important messages to Biochemistry majors through the BiocSA mailing list (BiocSA e-mail account), through the Secretary to the Chair in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, through the official BiocSA Facebook group, through the website, and through the CBSSC mass e-mail.

 

In addition to these four core (mandatory) executive positions, the following executive positions can be filled in order to lighten the load of the previously described executive  positions.

 

The role of the Recruitment Officer is to recruit not only incoming first year students into BiocSA, but also recruit upper year students who may not be aware of the club. The Recruitment Officer must be available during Orientation Week (O-Week) of the new school year and help the President and Vice President (Finance) in activities and events of the week. At the President’s discretion the Recruitment Officer will attend ‘Club Days’ run by various campus organizations on campus throughout the Fall and Winter semesters and do lecture visits in order to increase awareness of or attendance at BiocSA events/meetings or ventures. Additionally the Recruitment Officer will aid the President with the BiocSA Peer Mentoring Program (under this or another name) at their discretion.

 

The role of the Merchandise and Promotions Officer is to provide additional support to the Vice President (Finance) in the merchandising area. This position is recommended in years that a high volume of merchandising activity is expected. The Merchandise and Promotions Officer can be responsible for t-shirt and other merchandise sales, including appointing a design team (or organizing a design competition), ordering, purchasing and distribution. The Merchandise and Promotions Officer is also responsible for any addition promotion of the club outside the traditional media (ie. email, website, official Facebook page) under the responsibility of the Vice President (Communications) and can support any of the other executive members in their roles.

 

The role of the Biochemistry Curriculum and Academics Officer is to represent BiocSA, or the degree of Biochemistry as a degree in general, at the various student and university-run committees and panels on the University of Guelph campus and beyond.  The Biochemistry Curriculum Officer may be required to attend meetings such as (but not limited to): Biochemistry Curriculum Meetings, SAC Meetings, Academic Meetings. Attendance to meetings is appointed at the discretion of the President or the CBSSC. At the minimum, it is the Biochemistry Curriculum Officer’s responsibility to send minutes from every meeting to the BiocSA email so that all executive members are knowledgeable of current events; ideally this information would be also discussed in person with the core executive members.

 

Membership includes any member of the University of Guelph community.  Members of the executive must be full- or part-time students of the University of Guelph OR currently on a University of Guelph Co-operative and Career Services sponsored co-operative education work term.  A minimum of ¾ of the voting members of BiocSA must be full- or part-time students of the University of Guelph.  BiocSA does not and will not discriminate or exclude members on the basis of race, ancestry, colour, ethnic origin, place of origin, citizenship, creed/religion, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, age, marital status, family status, record of offenses, or receipt of public assistance.

 

Amendments may be made to this document by the President with the approval of half the current executive membership, or with a simple majority at any scheduled and posted meeting of the general membership.

 

This document, the Constitution of the Biochemistry Student Association was adopted by the general membership, on the seventeenth day of September, in the year two thousand and eight, and was last amended on the twenty-second day of September, in the year two thousand and ten.  This constitution does not expire.

 

With the signature of the current President, the most recent amendment becomes official.