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Constitution

Student Chapters of The American College of Veterinary Pathologists

Model Constitution

Adopted September 16, 2004 (Organizational Meeting)

Article I

NAME

Section1. The name of this organization shall be The Texas A&M University Student Chapter of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists.

Section 2. The Chapter shall operate under an official charter granted by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists.

Section 3. The Chapter shall be self-governing in all matters not in conflict with the provisions of this constitution.

Section 4. Upon the dissolution of this organization assets shall be distributed for exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to the American College of Veterinary Pathologists for existing student chapters to promote collegiality, professional development, and encourage veterinary student involvement in the field of veterinary pathology.

Article II

OBJECTIVES

Section 1. To promote collegiality and professional development of its associates through its programs and by its relations with other Student Chapters and with the parent body, the American College of Veterinary Pathologists.

Section 2. To encourage veterinary student involvement in the field of veterinary pathology and provide an additional opportunity for its associates to gain professional knowledge in this field.

Section 3. To make available to the students the opportunities offered by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists to its Student Chapters.

Section 4. To contribute to the development of the field of veterinary pathology at Texas A&M University through activities involving the faculty and student associates.

Article III

ASSOCIATESHIP

Section 1. Associateship shall be limited to students in good standing enrolled in the professional veterinary curriculum of AVMA accredited training institutions in veterinary medicine.

Section 2. Each chapter may have mentors consisting of: a. Trainees currently enrolled in veterinary pathology residency programs established by that college or training institution. b. Graduate students currently enrolled in veterinary pathology graduate programs established by that college or training institution.

Article IV

OFFICERS AND FACULTY ADVISORS

Section 1. To direct the activities of the chapter, the following officers and committee members shall serve for the entire academic year: President, Vice-President and Secretary-Treasurer. Mentors shall be ineligible to hold office.

Section 2. The President and Secretary-Treasurer, shall have held a Chapter Associateship for at least one complete year before being elected. The first officers of every individual chapter shall be exempt from this requirement.

Section 3. All officers may be reelected for any number of successive terms, or may be replaced before completion of their terms by a majority vote of the chapter.

Section 4. One but no more then two faculty advisors from the faculty of the college where the student chapter is organized shall be elected by the chapter by a nomination procedure as specified in the Bylaws. Advisors shall be elected to four-year terms. All faculty members designated as faculty advisors shall be members in good standing of the College.

Section 5. Names for mentors will be submitted by the faculty advisor and elected by a majority of the Associateship of the chapter. The number of mentors shall not exceed half the number of associates of the chapter.

Article V

CUSTODY OF THE CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

Section1. A copy of the Constitution and Bylaws shall be in the possession of the President of the Chapter.

Section 2. A copy of the Constitution and Bylaws shall be in the possession of the Advisor(s) of the Chapter.

Section 3. A copy of the Constitution and Bylaws shall be in possession of the Secretary-Treasurer of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists.

Section 4. The School or Training Program where the Chapter is located may require additional copies of the constitution.

Section 5. Each of the aforementioned officers shall promptly deliver his/her copy to their successor.

Section 6. Upon the dissolution of the chapter, all remaining funds will be forwarded to the Texas A&M SCAVMA.

Article VI

AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

Section 1. Any associate of the chapter may propose amendments to the Constitution at any regular meeting.

Section 2. Adoption of an amendment shall be by two-thirds vote of all associates attending a later regular meeting, provided that such two-thirds majority shall include at least half the associates of the chapter.

Section 3. All amendments shall be reviewed and approved by the Student Chapter Subcommittee of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists' Recruiting Committee prior to their adoption.



Student Chapters of The American College of Veterinary Pathologists

Model Bylaws

 

Article I

ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND FACULTY ADVISORS

Section 1. Election of the officers listed in Article IV of the constitution for the subsequent academic year shall take place no later than the next to the last meeting of each academic year.

Section 2. Nomination for President shall be by written ballot. Choice between the two candidates receiving the first and second largest number of nominating ballots shall then be made by written ballot.

Section 3. The remaining officers shall be elected by the same procedure in the order in which they are listed in Article IV of the constitution.

Section 4. Faculty advisor(s) shall be elected no later then the last meeting of the academic year in which the current advisor's term expires. Nomination for Faculty Advisor shall be by written ballot. Choice between the two candidates receiving the first and second largest number of nominating ballots shall then be made by written ballot. Chapters with two co-advisors should provide for continuity by electing one advisor every two years, the first two co-advisors shall be nominated for two years only, and the second one for four years. Advisors may be reelected for any number of successive terms, or may be replaced before completion of their terms by a majority vote of the charter. When any advisor becomes unable to serve, a new advisor shall be elected to serve the remainder of the unexpired term.

Article II

DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1. The President shall be the chief executive officer of the chapter, shall preside at all meetings, and shall serve as chairman (or considered ex-officio member) of any committees formed in the chapter.

Section 2. The Vice-President shall assist the President in the performance of his/her duties and shall preside in the absence of the President at Chapter meetings and shall succeed to the office of the President should that office be vacated. The Vice President is also the elected chair of the annual Pathology Open House room and will be responsible for all the duties that come with this.

Section 3. The Treasurer shall be the sole custodian of the financial resources of the chapter and shall collect dues and fees promptly. He/she shall keep adequate financial records and permit their inspection by any other officer of the chapter or by the Advisor upon request. Upon request of the President, he/she shall present an oral financial report at any meeting of the chapter. He/she shall present a complete and final written report at the last meeting of each school year, and at that time he/she shall deliver to his/her successor all chapter records and funds in his/her possession. A copy of the final report signed by the President of the Chapter and Faculty Advisor shall be submitted to the Secretary Treasurer of the ACVP, as a function of coordination of the Student Chapters.

Section 4. Mentors shall not constitute more than fifty percent of the Associateship of the chapter. The mentor's role shall include sharing their post-graduate learning experiences with the associates of the chapter and assist with the functions of the Faculty Advisor.

Section 5. The secretary of the Chapter shall preside at meetings of the Chapter in the abscence of the President and Vice-President. The Secretary shall take and keep minutes of all meetings. He/she shall preserve all papers relating to the affairs of the Chapter and deliver the same promptly to their elected successor. The Secretary shall create a database of members' information at the beginning of each school year and give this information to the President. He/she shall take minutes at all Officer Meetings and shall email the minutes to Officers within one week of the meeting. The Secretary will also be in charge of keeping track of member participation points throughout the year.

Section 6. Any officer who does not perform his/her duties as stated by the SCACVP Constitiution may be removed at the discretion of the rest of the officer team. The offending officer shall recieve one formal warning that his/her duties are not being performed up to the standards of the Constitution. If the problem persists, he/she may be removed from the officer team by a majority vote of the remainder of the SCACVP officers.

Article III

DUES

Section 1. Dues to the Texas A&M Student Chapter of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists are set at $15.00 per person per accounting period. Accounting period begins on September 1 of each year and concludes on August 31 of the following year.

Section 2. No dues to the ACVP are required for the chapters or their members.

Article IV

AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS

Section 1. Amendments to the Bylaws shall be proposed and adopted by the procedure specified in Article VI of the Constitution.