Constitution For the Georgia Tech Pre-Veterinary Medical Association
Created October 7, 2010 Revised April 8, 2014
Article I – Name
This organization will be known as the Pre-Veterinary Medical Association at Georgia Tech. Hereafter referred to as the Pre-Veterinary Medical Association, or GT PVMA.
Article II – Purpose
The purpose of the Pre-Veterinary Medical Association is to: A. Promote and stimulate interest in the field of veterinary medicine.
B. Provide its members with opportunities in community service projects involving animals. (Provide its members with community service opportunities supporting animal welfare organizations)
C. Provide its members with a forum for educational and informational guest speakers (experienced in) the field of veterinary medicine and animal health.
D. Provide a network of academic and professional support to connect students interested in similar goals in the field of animal health and sciences.
Article III – Membership
A. Members of the Pre-Veterinary Medical Association will be Georgia Tech students who meet eligibility requirements for participation in extra curricular activities as stated in the GT Catalog and SGA policies. Only Georgia Tech students can vote or hold office. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for membership.
B. Associate members are GT faculty, staff, or alumni and their spouses and spouses of student members. They may not vote or hold office.
C. There will be no maximum number of members.
D. Membership will take effect when an interested party enrolls on the membership roster, submits a valid email address, and pays all dues set for the year.
Article IV – Officers
Section I. Only GT students eligible according to the GT Catalog can hold or run for office and they must already be members of the organization.
Section II. The duties of the Executive Board will be as follows:
A. President: The President will be the executive officer of the Executive Board and will have general supervision of the affairs of the Pre-Veterinary Medical Association and will preside at meetings. The President will represent the organization at conferences, conventions and faculty or alumni meetings.
B. Activities Coordinator: The activities coordinator will organize and oversee all club activities, including fundraisers, community service, tours, speakers, social events, and any other event planned for the term.
C. Secretary: The Secretary will record the proceedings of each meeting and distribute the minutes to the members via email. The Secretary will maintain the current email addresses of each member and set up a group email for all communications of the association.
D. Treasurer: The Treasurer will maintain records of all revenue and expenditures and ensure that generally accepted accounting practices and monetary controls are in place. The Treasurer will collect dues.
Section III. Officers will be elected in the following manner:
A. The elections for officers for the forthcoming year will take place in the spring semester no later than April 15th of each year.
B. Any student member of the PVMA may campaign or be nominated for any position on the Executive Board. Self-nominations are allowed. The candidate names will be distributed to organization members via email at least 24 hours prior to the election meeting.
C. The candidate for each office receiving a majority vote of members at the elections meeting will be considered the victor. If no candidate receives a majority vote, then there will be a run-off between the two candidates with the most votes. The candidate who receives the most votes will be the victor. If there is still a tie, the highest-ranking outgoing officer not involved in the run-off will make the final decision. No member can be elected to more than one position on the Executive Board.
D. New officers take office at the last meeting of the spring semester.
E. If a position remains unfilled after the elections process, the President will appoint a member to the position or re-assign duties to another officer.
Section IV. Officers shall be removed in this manner:
A. If an officer fails to maintain Institute requirements for holding office (good standing, for example), he or she shall resign immediately.
B. If it is believed that an officer is not fulfilling his or her constitutional duties, then a petition requesting his or her removal must be signed by at least half of the voting membership and presented at a general meeting. Then, upon verification of the weeks from the date of submission, another meeting shall be held at which the grievance will be presented, with both sides having the opportunity to present a case.
C. The Advisor, if appropriate, shall preside over the removal hearing. After all arguments have been heard, a secret-ballot vote shall be held. If at least two-thirds of the voting members present vote for removal, the officer shall be removed immediately.
D. If the president is removed or resigns, the Vice-President will take his/her place in the interim until the next election term. All other officers will be nominated by the membership and voted on in accordance with Article IV, Section III at the next meeting.
Article V – Committees
A. Committees may be created as necessary by the President for specific events and projects, and are not to last longer than the current officer term.
B. Each committee will have a chair, as appointed by the president.
C. Any member or officer may be selected as a committee chair.
D. Any number of members may be on a committee.
Article VI – Advisor
A. A full time GT faculty or staff member will serve as Advisor to the organization.
B. Nominations for Advisor will take place within the Executive Board. An Advisor will be chosen within two weeks of a vacancy. The Executive Board will choose the Advisor by a majority vote and invite him/her to serve as Advisor for the next academic year.
C. During officer elections, the organization will vote on whether to continue the Advisor appointment or not. The vote must be majority of those voting in order to retain the Advisor for the next academic year.
D. The duties of the Advisor include: meeting with organization officers, reviewing the yearly budget, singing all required paperwork and advising on issues of risk management, organization leadership, and Georgia Tech policy.
E. The Advisor can be removed for not carrying out the duties and expectations as defined in this document. Any member can bring concerns to the Executive Board. The Executive Board will meet with the advisor to discuss the concerns. After this meeting, the Executive Board will meet with the Advisor to discuss the concerns. After this meeting, the Executive Board will vote on whether to remove the Advisor. If there is a majority vote, then the Advisor will be removed.
F. If an Advisor steps down, is removed, or is not re-appointed, the Executive Board will follow the process stated in Article VI, Section B.
Article VII – Dues
Dues will be $20 annually and are to be paid by the third week of the semester or by the second week of membership.
Article VIII – Raising of Funds Besides Dues
Funds can be raised by any event hosted by the GTPVMA if a portion of the proceeds goes to an animal-related organization or charity. GTPVMA reserves the right to take up to 40% of the total profit for each event.
Article IX – Spending of Funds
Any funds raised may be spent in the following ways:
A. Reimbursement for gas for trips (i.e. veterinary school tours, open houses, etc.), any purchases made for GTPVMA from a member’s personal expenses, any companies used for hosting an event.
B. GTPVMA official apparel and promotion.
C. Food and materials for events.
Article X – Parliamentary Procedure
Robert’s Rules of Order will be used in instances not covered in this constitution.
Article XI – Constitutional Amendments
A. Amendments to the constitution shall be submitted by members of this organization to the Executive Board in writing for consideration.
B. Written notification of the proposed amendment to all voting members must be made by email, at least two weeks in advance of any vote on changes in the constitution.
C. A two-thirds vote of members present will be required for adoption.
D. Amendments are subject to the approval by the Student Government Association and the Student Activities Committee.