Section 1: Statement of Purpose

The Chapter is composed of a core of engineers, scientists and mathematicians within a body of technical disciplines that creates valuable relations with all academic fields, and encourages participation in the Latino culture within the collegiate community. By this we form the SHPE-CSUN Family.

 

Section 2: Objectives

"        Create awareness among students at CSUN of salient engineering achievements by the Latino community

"        Develop and participate in programs with industry and the university which can benefit students seeking technical degrees

"        Make students aware of graduate schools, employment and scholarship opportunities in their respective field

"        Develop programs that promote leadership and professional skills among chapter members

"        Promote relationships with SHPE student chapters at other colleges and universities, as well as professional SHPE chapters

"        Promote cultural and social activities

 

 

Official Name

This organization shall be known as the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Student

Chapter, California State University, Northridge, hence forth referred to as the Chapter, or SHPE-CSUN.

 

 

 

The Chapter at California State University, Northridge is affiliated with the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Inc. (SHPE, Inc.) The organization possesses the right to adopt its own rules and a procedure within the framework of SHPE national's bylaws and California State University, Northridge's rules and regulations.

 

Section 2: Non Discrimination

No person shall be denied membership to this organization because of race, color, sex, age, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, religious affiliation or course study.

 

 

 

Any person currently enrolled as a student at CSUN and fulfilling the membership requirements of the organization may be a member.

 

In accordance with State law and the regulations of the California State University, no organization shall discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender, pregnancy, marital affiliation, sexual or affectional orientation, age, ethnic origin, citizenship, nationality, veteran status, or disability.

 

In the SHPE-CSUN chapter there shall be three classifications of membership: Regular Members, Associate Members, and Honorary Members. 

 

Regular Members shall be full-time or part-time students enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate level program at the California State University, Northridge. Regular members must have a goal geared towards the math, science or engineering fields. To be in good standing with the chapter and retain all the rights and privileges of membership, (see Article III Section 4.1), the student must attend and participate in meetings, be involved in the activities and put forth an effort that perpetuates the mission of SHPE-CSUN. The membership application shall be resubmitted at the beginning of each academic year (see Article XII Section 4), in August, to the Chapter and after any changes of information.

 

Associate Members shall be full-time or part-time students enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate level program at the California State University, Northridge who share the goals of SHPE-CSUN and have submitted a membership application to the Chapter. To be in good standing and retain all the rights and privileges of membership, (see Article III section 4.2), the student must attend and participate in meetings, be involved in the activities and put forth an effort that perpetuates the mission of SHPE-CSUN. The membership application shall be resubmitted at the beginning of each academic year (See Article XI Section 4), in August, to the Chapter and after any changes of information.

 

Honorary Members shall be individuals who are non-CSUN students that have excelled in assisting SHPE-CSUN achieve its objectives (see Preamble). Honorary membership shall be awarded to the individual by a two-thirds (2/3) approval of the Regular and Associate Members attending the meeting at which the nomination takes place. To be in good standing and retain all the rights and privileges of the award, Honorary member must be involved with SHPE-CSUN affairs, (see Article III Section 4.3). All Honorary Memberships are awarded for a lifetime honor.

 

 

Regular Members shall have the privilege to attend and speak at all meetings, to present motions and resolutions concerning SHPE-CSUN; to nominate and vote for candidates for office; to be a candidate for office and  hold office, to inspect the official records of the organization, and to participate in any SHPE-CSUN activity.

 

Associate Members shall have the privilege to attend and speak at all meetings, to present motions and resolutions concerning SHPE-CSUN; to nominate and vote for candidates for office; to be a candidate and hold office, except that of the President's office; to inspect the official records of the organization, and to participate in any SHPE-CSUN activity.

 

Honorary Members shall have the privilege to attend and speak at SHPE-CSUN General Body

Meetings and participate in SHPE-CSUN activities. Honorary Members shall not have the privilege to nominate candidates, vote in elections and hold office.

 

 

 

The titles of the officers shall be President, Vice President, Director of Finance, Director of Communications, Director of Public Relations, and Director of Corporate Relations. The group of officers shall be known as the SHPE-CSUN Executive Board and shall be elected as stipulated in Article VI of this constitution.

 

All officers must be enrolled CSUN students.  The President, Vice President, and Director of Finance are required to meet the following minimum requirements:

 

The president, vice president and treasurer must be matriculated and enrolled at California State University, Northridge with a minimum overall 2.0 grade point average each term (term is defined as Fall and Spring semester).  The student must be in good standing and must not be on probation of any kind.

 

Undergraduate students in the role of president, vice president and treasurer are required to earn six (6) semester units per term while holding office Graduate and credential students in the role of president and treasurer must earn three (3) semester units per term while holding office. 

 

Undergraduate students in the role of president, vice president and director of finance are allowed to earn a maximum of 150 semester units or 125 percent of the units required for a specific baccalaureate degree, which ever is greater.  Graduate and credential students in the role of President and Director of Finance are allowed to earn a maximum of 50 semester units or 167 percent of the units required for the graduate or credential objective, whichever is greater.  Student holding more than this number of units, including students pursuing a double major, will no longer be eligible.

Section 3: Code of Ethics

It is the Executive Board's pledge:

"        To practice their position with integrity, honesty, truthfulness and absolute adherence to the mission of SHPE

"        To act according to the highest standards and visions of the organization, profession and conscience

"        To put SHPE's mission above personal gain

"        To inspire others through their own sense of dedication and high purpose

"        To improve member's professional knowledge and skills, so that their performance will better prepare them for leadership positions

"        To avoid  professional misconduct

"        To value the privacy, freedom of choice and interests of all members

"        To promote academics as a priority to the Chapter

"        It is recommended for the Executive Board to maintain a minimum of a 3.0 Grade Point Average, GPA, but must keep an overall CSUN GPA of a 2.0(see Article IV Section 2.1).

 

The duration of a term (see Article XI Section 5), shall be one year, extending from the first of June of the winning year, to the thirty first of May of the following year.

 

 

The President shall be responsible for all business concerning SHPE-CSUN. Has full power in the management and business of SHPE-CSUN.

The President:

"        Works with the Executive Board to set and establish any and all policies.

"        Serves as a liaison and the official spokesperson to all external entities in the national and regional meetings and events.

"        Prepares the Executive board meeting agendas along with the general body meeting agendas in conjunction with the Director of Communications.

"        Presides over both general and executive meetings along with day to day events.

"        Aids in the preparation of the proposed budget for the academic year.

"        Appoints temporary chairpersons, pending approval of committee.

"        Delegates any of the responsibilities of any of the positions to the executive board when necessary.

"         Has a part in all decision making policies

"         Appoints a representative to attend the Region 2 President's meeting, when President cannot attend.

"        Is the default Banquet Committee chair member if no graduating member is available for the position

"        Oversees the election committee

"        Organizes both the summer and winter Executive Board retreats

 

The Vice President shall assist the president with the duties of the Chapter and the duties in respect to other student SHPE chapters, professional SHPE chapters and other organizations.

The Vice-President: 

"        Delegates any of the responsibilities of any of the positions to SHPE CSUN members when necessary with approval of President

"        Chairs meetings in absence of the President

"        Serves as a representative at any event held on campus

"        Acts as a liaison between members, administration, and corporations

"        Serves as the vehicle through which the concerns and needs of the general body are expressed

"        Shall coordinate between Executive Board, committee chairs, and the General Body

"        Helps provide guest speakers for meetings

"        Reserves room for general body meetings

 

 

The Director of Finance is responsible for the financial status of the organization and bookkeeping of all transactions.

The Director of Finance:

"        Shall make a financial status report for the executive board at the second meeting of the month

"        Updates financial status reports for general body meetings at least bimonthly

"        Keeps record of income and outcome for the Chapter's account

"        Document all transactions

"        Keeps a balance sheet of the chapter's account in a spreadsheet

"        Meets with Associated Students (A.S.) for cash/check deposits or payments

"        Meets with Associated Students (A.S.) at least once a month to obtain a copy of the account statement.

"        Discusses any large upcoming expenses, such as conferences or a scholarship award and discuss the allocation of the restricted funds.

"        Creates a budget proposal for the year (in conjunction with the President)

"        Documents all donations; their respective sources and purpose  

"        Orders food for meetings and events when needed

"        Is responsible for the ACE proposal/evaluation for SHPE National, with the aid of the Executive Board and committee chairs

 

The Director of Communications is

"        Is responsible for general body meeting agendas

"        Is responsible for keeping track of attendance

"        Records and maintains a list of current members

"        Registers members for chapter and national membership, this includes collecting national fees (see Article VII Section 1).

"        Updates Bulletin Board

"        Provides information to Webmaster about Calendar of Events

"        Sends out a weekly e-mail with all announcements pertaining to SHPE-CSUN business

"        Manages input information to OneSHPE

"        Fulfills all duties of the Historian in the absence of an Historian

In the event that the Director of Communications cannot fulfill any of the duties to SHPE-CSUN, it shall be the responsibility of the President to appoint a temporary substitute.

 

The Director of Public Relations is in charge of the publicity of the organization and the promotion of the events.

The Director of Public Relations:

"        Prepares fliers to be available for the General Body meetings

"        Serves as a representative at any event held on campus.

"        Serves as a liaison between the Chapter and other organizations on campus.

"        Maintains good communication channels with the staff and faculty in order to keep SHPE-CSUN informed of events and possible projects, as well as the college's goals

"        Maintains a strong relationship between SHPE-CSUN, faculty and staff

"        Organizes the SHPE-CSUN Region II annual softball tournament held in the spring semester, in the absence of an athletics coordinator

"        Shall be responsible for publishing SHPE-CSUN's newsletter at least once every semester

 

The Director of Corporate Relations is in charge of the information between SHPE-CSUN and the Professional Chapter, as well as any other corporations

The Director of Corporate Relations:

"        Shall represent the student chapter at all Executive Board and General Body professional meetings

"        Will maintain correspondence with companies and processes any necessary paperwork

"        Shall aid in the development of corporate sponsorship

"        Will keep current sponsors informed of activities and events that SHPE-CSUN hosts

"        Will collect and file resumes from the General Body and submit them to corporations upon availability

"        Shall aid in the publication and distribution of the Chapter's newsletter to corporate companies

"        Will develop a Corporate contact spreadsheet for documentation purposes

 

The Historian is in charge of keeping track of all SHPE CSUN records along with working with the Director of Communications to all current documents are obtainable for the following year.

The Historian:

"        Is responsible for the End of Year Report (EOYR) for SHPE National, with the aid of the Executive Board and committee chairs

"        Collects Continuous Feedback Forms (CFFs) for every SHPE event

"        Is responsible for executive board meeting minutes

"        Is responsible for general body meeting minutes

"        Is responsible for having pictures taken at every event

 

"        Attends all Region II meetings at conferences*

"        Attends all Executive Board Meetings*

"        Attends all General Body Meetings*

"        Shall be responsible for the recruitment and retention at SHPE-CSUN

"        Represents SHPE-CSUN at any event

"        Are responsible for the knowledge and practice of SHPE-CSUN's constitution

"        Are advised to maintain a minimum GPA of a 3.0 (See Article IV Section 2.1)

*with exceptions of illness, family matters and or life's situations the Executive Board decides what is excusable. Note:  At Executive Board meetings quorum must be met (see Article XI Section 1).

 

In the event of the vacancy of the President's office, the Vice President shall assume the office of the President and a new Vice President shall be elected through the methods described in Article IV Section 6.2. If the Vice-President is an Associate member, elections will take place as describe in Article IV Section 6.3

 

If for any reason any office other than the President's office is vacated the remaining officers shall nominate one candidate for office subject to a two-thirds (2/3) approval of the Regular and Associate members attending the present General Body meeting. In the event of a non-approval, nominations will be taken from the floor and voted on that present general meeting. The candidate receiving a majority vote will be declared the new officer and will serve the remainder of that term.

 

In the event of the Vice-President being an Associate member the General Body at the present meeting will decide whether it is unconstitutional to vote an associate member to Presidency. Approval of 2/3 of the General Body at present meeting will allow for this circumstance. If vacancy happens during the summer vacation or the winter vacation the Vice-President shall continue to hold their present office but with the responsibilities of a President until the approval of the General Body is confirmed, in Article IV Section 6.2.  

 

In order to receive A.S funding, the Chapter must have a CSUN faculty or staff advisor. Advisors are responsible but not limited to provide advice to SHPE members as well as serving as a faculty-staff advocate for the organization. These advisors are encouraged to be supportive of SHPE's mission and objectives.

 

 

 

Elections of officers will be held in April of each fiscal year (see Article XI Section 3), before the last day of formal instruction, but not after the last SHPE-CSUN General meeting.

 

Persons eligible to run for office must have been a Regular or Associate member of SHPE-CSUN for at least one complete semester by the beginning of the office term. In order to be eligible to run for office, each candidate shall run with the intent of serving one complete fiscal year and to abide by the Code of Ethics (see Article VI Section 3) of this constitution. The same person may not hold the same office for two consecutive terms.

 

Candidates for office may be self-nominated or nominated by any other member. If not able to attend the nominations meeting, the candidate may submit a written notification to the executive board. This notification may be mailed in or hand delivered prior to or at the general meeting, where nominations are held. All nominations will be final and closed at the end of the nominations meeting.

 

An elections committee made up of non-candidates for office and the President shall run the elections. Voting shall take place at least one week after the nominations meeting and will last for two consecutive days. The voter will personally deposit all non-absentee ballots into the election box. All members eligible to vote shall sign a checklist at the election station and may cast only one vote per office. Regular and Associate members unable to vote on the scheduled election dates shall obtain an absentee ballot from the elections committee, all absentee ballots will be submitted in a signed, sealed and dated envelope to the elections committee no later than the election dates.

 

The candidates receiving a majority (50%+1 vote) for a particular office shall be declared the new officer for the following fiscal year.

In the event of a draw, the election committee shall conduct a run off election in the same manner as stated in Article V, Section 2.3 excluding the election dates. The run off election dates shall be held the following week where candidates are present, give their speech and are voted into office (see Article V Section 2.4).

 

(See Article IV Section 6.1-6.3)

 

A petition of two-thirds (2/3) of total regular and associate membership shall be cause for a recall election.  A recall election shall be held at the next regular business meeting after presentation of the recall petition. Recall will require a favorable vote of three-fourths (3/4) of the total voting membership.

 

 

 

All officers shall conduct themselves and their designated responsibilities in a manner that is in accordance with this constitution and with the best interest of SHPE-CSUN. All officers not conforming to the above will be subject to Removal From Office (R.F.O.). If the individual feels that they have not completed their responsibility as an officer they have the option of resigning.

 

All initial petitions for a R.F.O. shall be submitted to the Executive Board and to the subject of the R.F.O. petition.

This petition shall:

a) Contain all grounds that have led to the R.F.O. procedure.

b) Be signed by a minimum of one-fourth (1/4) of the total regular and associate membership.

c) Shall be posted on the SHPE-CSUN Bulletin Board immediately following the General Body meeting at which it is submitted.

 

No further grounds shall be added to the R.F.O. petition after its initial presentation at a General Body meeting.

 

The subject of an R.F.O. shall be allowed to present the reasons, purpose, motive, and argument in their defense relating to the R.F.O. prior to when the vote is to be taken.

 

In the absence of the subject, voting for the R.F.O shall continue at the present General Body Meeting. 

 

An R.F.O. approval shall consist of a two-thirds (2/3) closed ballot vote from the

Regular and Associate members attending the General Body meeting at which the R.F.O. is to be discussed and voted on.  Absentee ballots are to be available two days prior to voting and are to be submitted two hours before voting. 

 

If an R.F.O. is approved, the subject shall immediately step down from office and a new officer shall be elected (see Article IV Section 6). All members running for office shall run with the intent of executing a complete and quick transfer of information to the up-stepping officer if they become the subject of an R.F.O.

 

Any Executive Board member who resigns from office shall submit a letter of resignation to the Executive Board. Presidential resignation shall result in the Vice President taking over the responsibilities of the president (see Article IV section 6.1) In the case of any other officer's resignation, the Executive Board has the option of filling the vacant position through a General Body meeting election process (see Article IV Section 6.2). 

 

 

No dues will be collected from our members, except for National dues, which are mandatory to become a National SHPE member.

 

This organization, pursuant to its charter obligation, shall maintain an agency account with the Associated Students for the official conducting of University business.

 

All monies of this organization shall be deposited in, and disbursed from, this account following procedures outlined by the Associated Students, Inc.

 

Should this organization become inactive, including the failure to apply for university recognition annually, the agency account will be handled in accuracy with the procedures of the Associated Students.

(See Article XI Section 3)

 

 

 

 

The Academics Chair is in charge of the GPA Awards Program and all events established for academic purposes.

The Academics Chair:

"        Implements the GPA Awards Program

"        Organizes Study-a-thons

"        Organizes weekly study sessions

"        Gets tutors for study sessions and study-a-thons

 

The Outreach Chair is responsible for making sure that SHPE CSUN stays active with community outreach programs

The Outreach Chair:

"        Works in participations with all outreach programs

"        Organizes volunteers for all outreach programs

"        Is in contact with potential sponsors

"        Organizes Elementary, Middle School and High School visits

"        Works with High Schools in effort to establish a SHPE Jr. Chapter

 

The Athletics Coordinator Chair is in charge of all sporting events held by SHPE CSUN and all sporting events that SHPE CSUN will participate.

The Athletics Coordinator Chair:

"        Organizes the SHPE-CSUN Region II annual softball tournament held in the spring semester

"        Ensures that SHPE CSUN is aware of all sporting events that SHPE CSUN members may be a participant in a timely manner this includes date, time, price and location of the event.

"        Ensures that all SHPE CSUN members are aware of any practices that may come forth due to any sporting event that SHPE CSUN is a participant.

"        Arrange carpool meets for all sporting events for SHPE CSUN that SHPE CSUN is a participant.

"        Ensures that there is water for participants.

 

The Web Designer Chair is in charge of both SHPE CSUN website located at http://www.csun.edu/~shpe/ and on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/shpe_csun.

The Web Designer Chair:

"        Keeps both websites up to date with all SHPE CSUN activities and events related to SHPE CSUN.

"        Ensures the website is easy to access and obtain information.

"        Ensures the websites' information is clear and concise.

"        Ensures that all of SHPE CSUN board contact information is available on each website.

"        Ensures that SHPE CSUN meetings are posted with the date, time and place on each website.

"        Ensures all SHPE CSUN public documents are add to the website, this includes the SHPE CSUN constitution

 

Committees shall be established by the President or may be voted into existence by the Chapter, by majority vote, at a General Body Meeting. The committees shall research and implement projects necessary to the Chapter's objectives and interests.

 

The duties of the committee shall be to research and present proposed projects, its budget if necessary, and its alternative to the Executive Board for a majority approval. Upon approval, the committee shall present it to the General Body to make official project guidelines. Upon disapproval, the proposed project shall be returned to the committee.

 

Prior to the first committee meeting, the President shall appoint a non-committee member whose responsibility will be to post the chairperson election notification for that particular committee.

The non-committee member shall post notice of chairperson elections no less that one (1) week prior to the meeting at which committee members shall elect their chairperson. This notice shall contain the name and duties of the committee as well as the time, place, and date the committee will elect its chairperson. This notice should also have available spacing for anyone interested in running for that particular chair.

 

A chairperson's maximum duration in the position shall be from the present academic year to the end of that academic year.

 

 

 

All chairpersons shall conduct themselves and their designated responsibilities in manner that is in accordance with this constitution and in the best interest of SHPE-CSUN. All chairpersons not conforming to the above will be subject to Removal From Chair (R.F.C)

 

All initial petitions for a R.F.C shall be submitted to all members of the committee and the Executive Board and to the subject of the R.F.C petition.

This petition shall:

a) Contain all grounds that have led to the R.F.C procedure

b) Be signed by a minimum of one-forth (1/4) of the members of the committee

c) Shall be posted on the SHPE-CSUN Bulletin Board immediately following the committee meeting at which it is submitted.

 

No further grounds shall be added to the R.F.C petition after its initial presentation at a committee meeting.

 

The subject of an R.F.C shall be allowed to present the reasons, purposes, motives, and arguments in their defense relating to the initial R.F.C petition at the committee meeting in which the final

R.F.C vote is to be taken.

 

Section 5: Absence of the Subject

In the absence of the subject, the vote for the R.F.C shall still be taken.

 

An R.F.C approval shall consist of two-thirds (2/3) closed ballot vote from the committee members attending the committee meeting at which the R.F.C is to be discussed and voted on.

 

If an R.F.C is approved the subject shall immediately step down from the position and a new chair shall be appointed as per Article IX, Section 3. All members running for chair shall run with the intent of executing a complete and quick transfer of information to the up-stepping chairperson if they become the subject of an R.F.C. approval.

 

In the case of a chair resignation, a letter of resignation must be submitted to the committee during a meeting and the Executive Board at one of their meetings. At this point the Executive board has the option of filling the vacant position through the chair election process (see Article IX Section 4) or they may have the committee decide what is in their best interest to continue with their projects.

 

 

Executive Board Meetings shall be meetings in which chapter business shall be discussed and transferred. Executive Board Meetings shall be held weekly, they may also be open to committee chairs by invitation only. The General Body is invited to the meeting but only for auditing.  It is recommended that the Executive Board appoint a timekeeper for the efficiency of meetings.

 

General Body meetings shall be determined by consensus of the Executive Board.

 

There should at least be six general meetings during each semester.

 

A special meeting can be called by the president, a majority of the executive board, or a majority of the membership and the membership must be notified a week prior to the meeting by email.

 

(See Article XI Section 1)

 

Committee Meetings shall be called by the chairperson or by a committee member, upon notification to the chairperson, for the purpose of conducting committee business. A notification shall be given to the Executive Bored prior to its announcement to the General Body Meetings. Committee meetings shall be open to all chapter members.

 

The Nominations Meeting shall be a General Body Meeting held no later than two (2) weeks prior to the last General Meeting for the purpose of nominations of candidates for office.

 

Rules of Procedure for this organization shall be Robert's Rules of Order, or Sturgis' Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedures which is recommended but left for the present Executive Board to agree of its use. 

 

 

 

A General Body Meeting quorum shall consist of at least thirty-three percent (33%), of all regular and associate members. An executive board meeting quorum shall consist of four Executive Board members. The President or Vice President shall always be present to complete the quorum.  

 

The duration of a Calendar Year shall be from the first of January to the thirty-first of December of the same year.

 

The duration of a Fiscal Year shall be from the first of June of a Calendar Year to the thirty-first of May of the following calendar year.

The duration of one Academic Year shall be from the first day of formal instruction of the fall semester of a Calendar Year to the last day of formal instruction of the spring semester of the following Calendar Year.

 

The duration of a term shall be the same as for a Fiscal Year, (see Article XI, Section 3), and may be used interchangeably.

 

 

 

All proposed amendments should be formally proposed at a General Meeting and posted on the

SHPE Bulletin Board at least two (2) weeks prior to the General Meeting at which they shall be approved or rejected.

 

Chapter approval of proposed amendments shall consist of a two-thirds (2/3) majority approval vote of Regular and Associate Members present at the General Meeting at which the amendment is to be voted on.

 

Pursuant to Executive Order 969 any substantive change or amendment must be submitted to the Matador Involvement Center within 90 days.

 

All amendments to this constitution shall become effective immediately after Chapter approval unless the disapproval of the Student Activities Office.

 

 

 

This constitution shall become the official governing document of the Society of Hispanic

Professional Engineers, Student Chapter, California State University, Northridge, upon ratification by a (2/3) vote of the membership, and approval from the Matador Involvement Center and the Associated Students, Inc., this constitution shall become the official governing document of the organization

 

CSUN Chapter Region II. || Contact us. SHPE-CSUN. Student Services and Equity Center. 18111 Nordhoff Street. Northridge, CA 91330-8295.    Phone: 818.677.2191 || e-mail: shpe_csun@yahoo.com  ||SHPE History || Region II || Join SHPE CSUN