CONSTITUTION Ratified October 12, 1994
ARTICLE I: Name
This organization shall be called the Society of Cal Integrative Biology Undergraduate Students and may also be referred to as SCIBUGS.
ARTICLE II: Purpose
This organization is dedicated to representing the undergraduate Integrative Biology students of the UC Berkeley campus. It will serve as an academic and social organization designed to provide members with forums for discussion with various professionals and faculty, research opportunities, tutoring, peer advising, and other student services.
ARTICLE III: Membership requirements and nondiscrimination statement
Section A: Hazing and Non-Discrimination Clause
SCIBUGS will not haze according to California State Law; we will not restrict membership based upon race, color, national origin, religion, sex, physical and mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or status as a covered veteran (special disabled veteran, Vietnam-era veteran, or any other veteran who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized).
Section B: Definition of Membership
A member may be classified according to these three states: non-member, active member, or honorary member.
A non-member is anyone who has never formally applied for membership into SCIBUGS.
An active member is any undergraduate of the University of California at Berkeley who has applied for membership. The only reasons for refusal of membership are lack of enrollment at the University of California at Berkeley and gross misconduct determined by the Executive Board. Only currently registered students, faculty, and staff may be active members in a registered student organization. Only active members may vote or hold office.
A honorary member is any alumnus, present or former faculty, graduate student, staff member of the University of California at Berkeley, or off- campus participant who is recognized by SCIBUGS.
SCIBUGS shall have five elected officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Public Relations Officer. These five elected officers shall constitute the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall appoint project coordinators for each major project. The duties and powers of the officers are as follows:
The President is the chief executive officer of SCIBUGS and will chair all meetings according to Robert's Rules of Order. S/he will be ultimately responsible for the execution of all actions of SCIBUGS, shall maintain close contact with the Integrative Biology faculty advisor as well as the Integrative Biology Department, and shall register SCIBUGS as an officially sponsored student organization with the University of California and the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC). The President shall keep good relations with other campus organizations. In addition, the President shall be responsible for the training of the officers of the next administration. The President shall also have all other powers and responsibilities described in the Constitution.
The Vice-President shall assist the President in the execution of his/her duties, and be responsible for the duties of the President in his/her absence. The Vice-President shall also have all other powers and responsibilities described in the Constitution.
The Secretary shall maintain all non-financial records of SCIBUGS, take minutes of all meetings for publicly accessible records, and have all other powers and responsibilities described elsewhere in the Constitution.
The Treasurer shall maintain publicly accessible records of all financial transactions of SCIBUGS, shall file for an annual budget and contingency funds, when appropriate, with the ASUC, obtain signatory power from the ASUC as soon as possible after being elected, and have all other powers and responsibilities described elsewhere in the Constitution.
The Public Relations Officer shall maintain good relations will all other groups SCIBUGS associates with, be responsible for all publicity of SCIBUGS, and have all other powers and responsibilities described elsewhere in the Constitution.
Section A: Selection
Only active members may be officers of SCIBUGS. Officers must resign their office upon losing active status.
Elections for officers will be held each semester at least one week before the last day of instruction. All elections must be publicized at least two weeks in advance. Names shall be placed in nomination for any one of the five following offices: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Public Relations Officer. For each office, the candidates will address the members of SCIBUGS with a brief speech. After all the candidates for that office have presented themselves, there shall be a period of question and answer. After this period is officially closed by the President, the vote will be conducted by secret ballot. Abstentions and votes not for a nominee are discarded. If any candidate achieves a majority, then that candidate is elected and takes on all the powers and responsibilities of the office at the end of the semester. If no majority is achieved then runoff elections will be conducted until one candidate achieves a majority of the votes. In the case of an emergency election for a vacated office, the newly elected officer will take office immediately. If there are no candidates for a vacated office at the time of the election, the Executive Board may appoint an active member to the office, and their selection must be ratified by a two-thirds vote at the next general meeting.
Section B: Replacement
In the case that the President is removed from office, resigns, or otherwise vacates the office, the Vice-President will take his/her place until an emergency election can be held. If the Vice-President declines to replace the open office or if another office is vacated, the Executive Board will appoint an interim officer to occupy that office until an emergency election for that position can be held. Elections for vacated offices will be conducted according to the rules in Section A of this Article.
Section C: Recall
At any general meeting, anyone may propose a motion to recall an elected officer. If this motion passes with a two-thirds vote, then the President or next-highest ranking officer will conduct an emergency election for that office according to the rules in Section A of this Article. Only one such motion per officer per meeting may be proposed.
Section D: Suspension
Any officer may be suspended from office by a unanimous vote of all the other officers. This suspension is valid only until the next general meeting, at which time a recall motion MUST be entertained. The normal rules of officer replacement apply during the suspension.
ARTICLE VI: Meetings
SCIBUGS will hold at least six general meetings a semester. The Executive Board will hold meetings on weeks for which no general meeting is scheduled. Informal meetings may be called by project coordinators for meetings concerning their projects. Emergency meetings may be called by the authorization of all members of the Executive Board or upon the written request of ten members of SCIBUGS. All meetings must be publicized at least one week in advance.
ARTICLE VII: Constitutional Amendments
All amendments, additions, or deletions must be filed with the Office of Student Life, 102 Sproul Hall, and with the ASUC Students Affairs Office within one week of adoption. They must be approved by a two-thirds vote of members at a general meeting. The vote must be publicized at least two weeks prior to the meeting.
ARTICLE VIII: Dissolution
SCIBUGS will be dissolved after one academic year passes in which no general meetings are held. In the event of the dissolution of SCIBUGS, all unspent funds shall revert to the ownership of the ASUC. All privately obtained assets shall be donated to a non-profit organization at the discretion of the Executive Board.