Constitution

Mission Statement
The mission of the Biomedical Engineering Society is to build and support the biomedical engineering community at Rice with activities designed to promote professional development by showcasing perspectives in medicine, industry, and academia. Furthermore, we seek to provide students with research opportunities in bioengineering by organizing events integrating students with research professors. Through the mentoring program and other events, we provide prospective bioengineering students with resources and advice to make informed academic decisions. The Biomedical Engineering Society chapter at Rice is dedicated to serving the broad interests of bioengineers and promoting their success at Rice.

Article I
Name and Purpose

  1. This organization is the Rice University Student Chapter of the national Biomedical Engineering Society, referred to herein as BMES.
  2. The purposes of the organization shall be:
    1. To bring about closer cooperation between faculty and the student body;
    2. To promote an interest in and a better awareness of the fields of bioengineering and biomedical engineering;
    3. To foster industry-academic relationships and promote industrial internship opportunities for students;
    4. To provide a forum for student discussion of issues in bioengineering and biomedical engineering;
    5. To provide bioengineers and biomedical engineers the knowledge, networking, and education necessary for addressing biomedical problems.

Article II
Officers and Representatives

  1. Executive Officers are:
    1. President
    2. Vice President
    3. Secretary
    4. Treasurer
    5. Webmaster/Historian
  2. Qualifications of Officers:
    1. All officers must be full-time undergraduate Bioengineering students at Rice University.
    2. All officers must become members of the national BMES.
    3. Part-time undergraduate Bioengineering students will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Eligibility of part-time student should be approved by outgoing Executive Board and Faculty Sponsor based on previous involvement with the organization.
  3. Duties and Powers of Officers:
    1. The President shall:
      1. Call general meetings on a regular basis, create agendas for meetings, and preside over these meetings as well as executive meetings;
      2. Be responsible for carrying out the purposes of BMES;
      3. Have the power to appoint committees and respective chairs as the needs arise;
      4. Be the official representative of BMES at meetings of University sanctioned clubs and events;
      5. Be the official representative to the national chapter of BMES;
      6. Attend the national convention. If unable, attendance defers first to another executive officer by the discretion of the president.
      7. Register BMES annually with the Student Association and the National BMES Chapter;
      8. Oversee publication of all BMES events.
    2. The Vice President shall:
      1. Serve as presiding officer in the absence of the President;
      2. Serve as temporary President if the office is vacated;
      3. Promote Rice BMES to prospective employers for both internships and permanent careers;
      4. Coordinate special events and programs by contacting students, professors, and other departments;
      5. Solicit companies to attend BMES seminars, the Rice University career fair, and coordinate other similar special events and programs;
      6. Attend the national convention. If unable, attendance defers first to another executive officer by the discretion of the president;
      7. Maintain an active company contact list;
    3. The Secretary shall:
      1. Send, receive, and answer all outside correspondence addressed to BMES;
      2. Keep the minutes of all BMES general and executive meetings;
      3. Record attendance at BMES general and executive meetings;
      4. Keep a copy of the constitution;
      5. Maintain established committees (if any) and report their activities to the Executive Board;
    4. The Treasurer shall:
      1. Keep a record of all money held, acquired, and disbursed by BMES and report of this record at each BMES business meeting;
      2. Develop a budget for next year’s activities;
      3. Oversee the progress of fundraising;
      4. Promote pecuniary affairs;
    5. The Webmaster/Historian shall:
      1. Oversee the creation and maintenance of the BMES web page and social media accounts.
      2. Submit descriptions of BMES events to other university organizations for inclusion on their calendars of events;
      3. Create and post a calendar of BMES events.
      4. Oversee the progress of campus public relations.

Article III
Dispersion of Funds
All funds gathered by the organization must be deposited into a club account through the Office of Student Activities within one business day of their receipt. Any executive officer, with the approval of a second executive officer, has the authority to spend BMES money. Any expenditure over $500 must be approved by all 5 executive officers.

Article IV
Misuse of Funds
The sponsor shall refer to the relevant University office(s) if any member is reasonably suspected of spending club funds without authority, failing to deposit club funds appropriately, or otherwise misusing or abusing club funds.

Article V
Faculty Sponsor
The faculty sponsor must be a member of the department of Bioengineering at Rice University. The appointment of the advisor must be approved by a two-thirds vote of active members present at the time of the appointment. If the sponsor resigns, is replaced, or is otherwise unable to continue serving as the sponsor for the remainder of the academic year, the organization shall select a new sponsor and notify the Office of Student Activities of the change within 15 class days.

Article VI
Voting and Elections
All officers must be elected by majority vote during a general election. The election must be run according to the following procedures.

  1. The election of the officers of BMES will take place at large during the month of March.
  2. The elected candidates shall assume their offices after the final meeting of the previous year’s officers.
  3. All active members in good standing with Rice BMES may participate in the election.

For elections and all general votes, the number of voting members must exceed the number of voting executive officers.

Article VII
Membership
Membership shall be open to those students enrolled at Rice University with interest in bioengineering and biomedical engineering. At no time shall fewer than half of the organization’s members be student members. There will be no membership discrimination based on academic classification. Membership in any other organization shall not prevent a student from active membership in BMES. Membership in the national BMES organization will not be required for membership in BMES.

Article VIII
Dismissal of Members and Officers
Officers and representatives may be dismissed from BMES if they have missed three meetings during the year without good cause. Only student members who are not on Disciplinary Probation or otherwise prohibited from holding office in a registered student organization shall be eligible to seek and hold office. The sponsor shall be present at all meetings where dismissal of a member is being conducted. An executive officer must resign if three-fourths of the executive officers of BMES feel that person is not carrying out his duties.

Article IX
Amendments to the By-Laws
Amendments shall be proposed and supported by three-fourths of the Executive Board for approval. Amendments approved by the membership shall be submitted to the Student Association Parliamentarian. Amendments may not take effect until they are approved by the Parliamentarian or the Student Senate in accordance with the Constitution of the Student Association. The Date of Last Revision on the title page of this constitution shall be updated to reflect the date of approval by the Parliamentarian or Senate.

Article X
Nondiscrimination Policy
This organization shall not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, disability, or veteran status.

Article XI
Anti-Hazing Policy
This organization shall not engage in any form of hazing, as defined by the Code of Student Conduct and any other applicable Rice University rules and regulations.

Article XII
Conflict of Interest Policy
The business of this organization shall not be conducted in any manner that creates a conflict of interest or the reasonable appearance thereof.

Article XIII
Approval of Contracts
No commitments or contracts shall be made by any member of this organization on behalf of this organization without the approval of both the sponsor and a majority vote of the Executive Board.

Article XIV
Primacy of the Student Association
This organization shall recognize the primacy of the Student Association Executive Branch, the Student Senate, and ultimately, the Student Association. This organization shall be bound by the requirements of the Constitution of the Student Association and any associated rules and regulations. This constitution and any bylaws or policies adopted by this organization are subordinate to the Constitution of the Student Association.