Student OrgsWomxn in STEM

ARTICLE I: NAME

1. The name of the organization shall be Womxn in STEM. 

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. The mission of the organization shall be focus on outreach and inclusion of womxn at Gustavus and in our surrounding community, inviting women in physics from the Minnesota community to Gustavus to present research and give talks as well as hostsmaller group discussions to allow our students to engage further with the speakers and learn about different career paths in STEM. Another focus will be outreach to womxn and girls in the community.
2. The mission, activities, and practices of the Organization shall be in accordance with applicable local, Minnesota state or federal laws or GAC policies and procedures presently in force or hereafter enacted.
3. Hazing and harassment practices shall be prohibited.
4. Membership should be open regardless of race, sex, handicap, age, sexual orientation, or political or religious affiliation.
5. All members of the Gustavus community may be able to attend the meetings and activities, but business on behalf of the organization can only be carried out by those who hold positions of responsibility. 
6. All Members shall be treated with respect and can equally participate in elections. 

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP AND JOINING

1. Membership is open to the Gustavus community and positions of responsibility are filled by voting.
2. Membership is defined as attending at least three meetings per month, as well as one event per semester. All members are eligible to vote in elections for officers and by-laws/amendments. Members are accepted continually throughout the year, so long as they abide by the by-laws. 
3. Members shall uphold the mission of the organization. Should an individual member not uphold the mission and disrespect the constitution, they can be removed from office or have their membership revoked through a majority (more than half of the votes) of the other officers.

ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS

1. The officers of the Chapter shall be two Co-Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and representatives from each of the STEM majors: Physics, Math, EGE, Chemistry, Biology, and BMB. Succession shall be in accordance with this order. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed by these bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by this organization. 

• Co-Presidents shall plan E-board and large group meetings as well as events throughout the semester. 
• The secretary shall take minutes during group meetings and manage communication for the club. 
• The treasurer shall manage the finances of the club and submit funding requests to the Student Senate. 
• Representatives from each STEM major shall contribute to E-board meetings by bringing up ideas for events or concerns related to womxn in their field. 

1. Regular meetings shall be held bi-weekly as determined by the officers. Special meetings may be called by the Co-Presidents. E-board meetings shall be held every other week (between large group meetings). 

ARTICLE V: ELECTIONS

1. Officers shall be elected at a scheduled meeting in April of each year. Nominations shall be by open nomination at a meeting in the previous month. The election shall be by closed ballot. Officers-elect shall assume their offices immediately following the election and shall hold office for one year or until their successors are duly elected.

• An exception may be made for officer elections under certain circumstances. Officers for the year of 2024-2025 will be elected in October of 2024, and elections following that will be held in April of each year. 

1. The bylaws may be amended by a two thirds vote, provided that the amendment shall have been proposed at least one meeting previous to the time of vote. Such amendments shall conform to the regulations established by the American Physical Society.

ARTICLE VI: BY-LAWS

1. By-laws may be established by club members and reviewed each April, so that the new officers are up to date on by-laws. Any member in good standing can propose the by-laws. They will be prepared for voting by the Executive Board members and submitted to members in writing prior to the meeting where voting is to take place. 
   1. If necessary, voting can take place online via confidential voting systems (e.g., Google Form, email, private polling, etc.) and members must be made aware of the proposed by-law(s) before the day of voting. Online votes may only be collected for a period of 24 hours; all votes casted outside of the designated date will not be counted. Members must be informed they will only have 24 hours to cast their vote before the voting day.
2. All members in good standing are eligible to vote, but must be present at the in-person meeting to do so. A majority vote is needed to allow the by-law to pass.

ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

1. All members of Womxn in STEM that are in good standing may propose Amendments. The proposed amendments will be reviewed by the Executive Board members and submitted to members in writing at least 2 weeks before voting is to take place.
2. All members in good standing are eligible to vote, but must be present at the meeting to do so. A two-thirds (2/3) majority is needed to allow the amendment to pass. 
   1. If necessary, voting can take place online via confidential voting systems (e.g., Google Form, email, private polling, etc.) and members must be made aware of the proposed amendment(s) before the day of voting. Online votes may only be collected for a period of 24 hours; all votes casted outside of the designated date will not be counted. Members must be informed they will only have 24 hours to cast their vote before the voting day.
3. If amendments are passed they take effect at the end of the meeting during which they are passed.

ARTICLE VIII: Finances

1. Funds of the organization shall be raised primarily through fundraising, departmental allocation, and any allocation awarded by the Student Senate
2. Upon dissolution of Womxn in STEM, any financial assets will be credited to the Gustavus Student Senate.

Date Ratified: 10/1/24