Student Chapter of the American Concrete Institute at the Ohio State University (ACI-OSU)

Student Chapter of the American Concrete Institute at The Ohio State University (ACI-OSU)

Constitution

Article I: Purpose

Section A: The purpose of the Student Chapter of the American Concrete Institute at The Ohio State University, under the guidance of the American Concrete Institute Central Ohio Chapter, is to expose and educate students on the concrete engineering field. In addition, ACI-OSU will provide opportunities for professional networking for its student members in order to help prepare members for employment.

Article II: Membership

Section A: Non-Discriminatory Policy

"This organization and its members shall not discriminate against any individual(s) for reasons of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status." (This is consistent with Ohio State University’s non-discriminatory policy)

Section B: Eligibility

Any student, graduate or undergraduate, enrolled at The Ohio State University may become a member of OSU-ACI. Meetings are open to all students of The Ohio State University and to alumni or others who may care to attend.

Section C: Anti-hazing Policy

All members have the right to abstain from participation in any activity of the organization, due to person or moral conflict, and not face consequences. All activities and interactions between members will be limited to guidelines stated by university policy as well as local, state, and federal laws.

Section D: Membership Removal

The OSU-ACI may remove a member due to failure to follow the policies of the organization with a 2/3 vote of attending members (when a quorum of 50% active members is met). A motion must be made in the prior meeting and a notification sent to the member.

Section E: Membership Requirement

Members must attend a minimum of one meeting a semester in order to retain active membership. In the event of being removed due to lack of meeting attendance, a student may regain membership by attending another meeting and re-enrolling for membership.

Article III: Executive Committee

Section A: Eligibility of Officers

Only full-time students of The Ohio State University may serve as officer for OSU-ACI. An Ohio State student who is working for a term in a co-op/internship position is also eligible for office, as long as they are able to attend meetings and perform the duties listed in the officer section below. To be eligible to be an officer, the person must have attended at least two meetings during the semester.

Section B: Officers

President: The President will be the spokesperson for the organization. He or she will preside over meetings and over the executive committee. The President shall be a devoted member of the organization and work diligently to execute a vision for improvement of the organization that is consistent with the purpose of OSU-ACI.

Vice President: The Vice President will serve as President in the absence of the President. The Vice President will assist the President in all of his or her duties as well as help the Treasurer in soliciting funds. The Vice President will be in charge of keeping communications with local companies that provide ACI-OSU with opportunities in the community. The Vice President will assist in planning meetings and advertising events.

Treasurer: The Treasure will manage the finances of the organization. The Treasurer will create a budget each semester for approval, collect dues, if necessary, and solicit funds for the organization. The Treasurer will approve all expenditures of the organization. The Treasurer shall keep records of all expenditures. The Treasurer shall inform the other executive committee members of an accurate rendering of the account on bi-weekly basis.

Secretary: The Secretary will take the meeting minutes as well as attendance at each meeting. The Secretary will keep records of all activities of the organization in order to pass along the knowledge gained and lessons learned to future members. The Secretary will also email the faculty advisor with the current meeting schedule of ACI-OSU.

Section C: Officer Elects

Officer Elects will act as an assistant to an officer who will be graduating during the one year term. They will shadow the officer to help with a smooth transition and they will take over as officer when the original officer graduates.

Section D: Election of Officers

1. Nominations will be taken for officers in the meeting following the return from spring break.
2. Elections will take place in a meeting during the first week of April.
3. Candidates may also run from the floor the day of elections.
4. Members may run for up to three offices.
5. Election for offices will take place in the following order: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary.
6. A majority of active members in attendance is required in order to elect an officer. In the event a majority is not reached, a runoff between the top two vote receivers will take place.
7. Ballots will be filled out on paper and counted by the current President (if graduating). If the current President is re-running, the advisor will count the ballots.
8. If an Officer Elect is needed for the following year, the same process will be used to elect them as is used for officer elections.

Section E: Terms of Office

Officers serve a one year term from April to April. If a person is scheduled to graduate in December, they can still be elected as an officer but, they must take on an Officer Elect (described in Article III, Section C).

Section F: Removal of Officers

Officers may be removed from their position with a 2/3 vote by active membership in attendance at a meeting with quorum. A motion must be made in the meeting prior to the vote and notification given to the officer.

Article IV: Standing Committees

Section A: Committee Chairmen

Competition Chairman: The Competition Chairman will be in charge of organizing the project to compete in national and/or regional ACI student competitions. He or she will set meeting times and locations, as necessary. If no regular member volunteers to be Competition Chairman, the Vice President will take over the necessary duties.

Section B: Appointments of Chairmen

Officers will appoint members into the chairmen positions and the members will approve appointments with a simple majority vote. Another appointment will be made if a majority vote cannot be obtained.

Article V: Meetings

Section A: Meeting Frequency

General body meetings shall be held monthly during the academic year. Committee meetings will be as frequent as deemed necessary by the committee chairman. A minimum of one week’s notice will be given to all members regarding meetings through e-mail.

Section B: Quorum

Quorum shall be defined as 50% of active membership. Quorum must be met in order to elect officers, amend the constitution, and expel members.

Section C: Parliamentary Procedure

The meetings will follow parliamentary procedure as defined by Robert’s Rules of Order. The President will preside over the meetings.

Section D: Voting

Only active members may vote. Quorum must be met in order to vote on issues. Majority is fifty percent of the active membership in attendance plus one.

Article VI: Finances

Section A: All funds will run through a bank account established by the Treasurer.

Section B: Treasurer must approve all expenses.

Section C: Dues, if required, will be per semester and will not be excessive.

Section D: The Treasurer will determine if dues are necessary with the consent of the President and the Advisor.

Article VII: Advisor

Section A: ACI-OSU will retain an Ohio State University faculty advisor at all times. The advisor will, preferably, be a professor within the College of Engineering. The advisor must be an active member of ACI- Columbus.

Article VIII: Amending the Constitution

Section A: Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed by presenting to the ACI-OSU Chapter Secretary a petition stating the desired amendment and containing the signatures of thirty percent of the active members of the ACI-OSU Chapter. The petition shall be read at the next regular meeting. The proposed Bylaw amendment shall be voted on by not less than a majority of the Student Chapter active members and shall receive an affirmative vote of not less than a majority of the ACI-OSU Chapter active members and shall receive an affirmative vote of not less than a majority of the active members voting to be adopted.

Section B: Changes to the constitution may not conflict with the guidelines of the university or those of the American Concrete Institute.

Last Revised 3-7-2017