Preamble
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The Chandler Society for Undergraduate Chemistry is an organization dedicated to the advancement of science, technology, and in particular, chemistry, by the propagation of scientific spirit among undergraduates at Columbia University. We, as members of The Chandler Society, establish this Constitution to advance our shared goals.
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be The Chandler Society for Undergraduate Chemistry, hereafter referred to as The Chandler Society.
Section 2. The officers of The Chandler Society shall make up the Executive Board of The Chandler Society, hereafter referred to as the Board.
Section 1. The purpose of this organization shall be to generate, sustain, and further develop interest in chemistry and all of the sciences among Columbia University undergraduates. To this end, The Chandler Society shall be dedicated to providing opportunities for undergraduate participation in scientific endeavors and fostering cooperation between students and faculty. Furthermore, The Chandler Society shall be dedicated to extending enthusiasm for science to the wider community that the University serves in the city of New York.
Section 2. The Executive Board, in addition to fulfilling the specific duties detailed in this document, is to provide general guidance and organization for The Chandler Society.
Section 1. The requirements of membership are i) enrollment as an undergraduate
student in one of the schools of Columbia University and ii) attendance at any
combination of two general meetings or Chandler Society activities* per semester.
*the definition of which shall be determined by the Board.
Section 2. All members may vote, but only members who are undergraduate students in Barnard College, Columbia College, or the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences may hold office.
Section 3. The responsibilities of membership are to actively work toward the aims of The Chandler Society and to responsibly elect the officers of the Board.
Section 4. Membership may be revoked by full agreement of the Board and two-thirds
agreement of the quorum.* Criteria by which membership may come into question
include instances of unethical conduct and shall be further defined by the board
as situations arise.
*a quorum is one-third of all Chandler Society members.
Regularly scheduled meetings shall be determined by the Board. The dates and
times of meetings shall be determined by majority vote* at the first general
meeting of each academic semester. Officers have the authority to call supplementary
meetings during the semester.
*all undergraduates present may vote.
Section 1. The Chandler Society shall have the following officers: President, Secretary, and Treasurer. All undergraduates who have been members for at least one semester are eligible to hold office. A candidate must be nominated by a member. Self-nomination is allowed. The nomination must be then seconded by another member. A secret ballot election shall be held, and the candidate with a majority of votes shall hold office for one term.
Section 2. The duties of these officers shall be to provide leadership and organization for The Chandler Society. The officers should divide the responsibilities of leadership equally; however, in particular, the President shall coordinate activities, the Secretary shall maintain records of the club, ant the Treasurer shall oversee the club's finances.
Section 3. The duration of each office shall be for one year, beginning at the start of the spring semester and ending at the close of the fall semester. Officers may serve in a position for two terms only.
Article VI - Electing, Appointing, and Removing
Officers
Section 1. General elections shall take place toward the end of the semester during which the terms of office expire. Members shall vote by secret ballot. Specific election rules shall be described in the bylaws.
Section 2. If there is any need to appoint officers during the term, they shall be appointed by majority vote of the Board and two-thirds of the quorum. Specific appointment procedures shall be described in the bylaws.
Section 3. Unethical behavior, failure to fulfill duties of office, or separation from the University constitute sufficient grounds for removal from office. A letter explaining why an officer should be impeached must be submitted to the Board or brought to the attention of The Chandler Society during a general meeting. This may not be done anonymously. The quorum shall then vote by ballot on whether to continue the impeachment procedure. If impeachment procedures continue, a committee made up of members shall be appointed by a faculty member to make an inquiry into the accusations. The results of this inquiry shall be presented to the members, and the members shall then vote. The officers of the Board can be impeached by two-thirds of the quorum.
Section 4. Officers may resign.
Section 5. In case of a midterm vacancy of an elected officer, a temporary officer can be appointed by the Board until a permanent replacement is elected by the members.
Committees may be appointed by the Board.
Section 1. By-laws of The Chandler Society shall be established and altered by the Board. They must be approved by a two-thirds agreement of at least a quorum during a general meeting.
Section 2. By-laws of the Board shall be established or altered by the Board and must be approved by a two-thirds agreement of at least a quorum during a general meeting.
Article IX - Amendments to the Constitution
Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed by any member of The Chandler Society. A two-thirds agreement of at least a quorum during a general meeting is required for the adoption of an amendment.
This Constitution shall be established by a two-thirds vote of the membership of The Chandler Society.
The Constitution of The Chandler Society for Undergraduate Chemistry was ratified by unanimous vote on January 26, 1995, by the following individuals:
President - Eva Garland
Secretary - Tina Trnka
Treasurer - Kathleen Cordero
Louis Castellanos
Nick Chang
Rachel Ching
Jonathan Cruz
Ka Wai Lam
Xiaodan Liang
Dan Lin
Jack Merrin
Elizabeth Mirowski
Mark Morgan
Andy Mulkerin
Wayne Narucki
Daryl Palsulich
Jenny Ramirez
Rob Trask
Ying Hang Tsang
Richard Urman
EJ Weppler
Jimmie Wong
Man Yiu Wong
In addition to the positions of President, Secretary, and Treasurer, The Chandler Society shall have an officer in the position of Academic Liaison. The Academic Liaison shall act as a representative for the club's members in academic affairs.
Amendment I of The Chandler Society for Undergraduate Chemistry was ratified on December 6, 1995, by the following individuals:
President: Eva Garland
Secretary: Tina Trnka
Louis Castellanos
Kathleen Cordero
Dan Lin
Jack Merrin
Jenny Ramirez
Elizabeth Robilotti
Tricia Roehrig
Seth Rubin
Ying Hang Tsang
Richard Urman
Man Yiu Wong
In addition to the positions of President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Academic Liaison, The Chandler Society shall have an officer in the position of Public Relations Officer. The Public Relations Officer shall act as a representative of the club's member's to affiliated organizations both inside and outside of Columbia University.
Amendment II of The Chandler Society for Undergraduate Chemistry was ratified on December 1996, by the following individuals:
President: Tina Trnka
Academic Liaison: Eva Garland
Secretary: Richard Urman
Treasurer: Seth Rubin
individual list forthcoming
The position of Vice President shall be created and shall replace the postion of Academic Liason as an officer of the board. The duties of the Vice-President shall include those duties which were previously taken by the Academic Liason. Additional duties of this officer shall include assisting the President in the organization and administration of The Chandler Society.
The position of Academic Liason shall remain intact until the end of the current semester. The selection of a Vice President shall take place during the next election of the board for The Chandler Society.
Amendment III of The Chandler Society for Undergraduate Chemistry was ratified
on Octobler 17, 1997 by the following individuals:
President: Richard Urman
Academic Liaison: Seth Rubin
Secretary: Jackson Cheung
Treasurer: Michael McLaughlin
Public Relations Officer: Helen Rho
Lea Alhilali
Kathleen Cordero
Sybil Dodge
Colin Eckman
Orna Kleinman
Jorge Olan
Rahmila Nadi
Skwati Sehgal
Paul Wehn
Richard Weinberg
Daniel Weix
By-Laws on Election Procedures
1. The President shall be the moderator of the election unless there is a conflict of interest, e.g., if he or she is running for a position. In that case, the President may still moderate the portions of the election excluding the position(s) he or she is running for. An incumbent officer who is not running for that position shall moderate the remaining portions of the election. If all the incumbent officers are running for the same position, a member of The Chandler Society shall moderate.
2. Before the election proceedings begin, the Secretary shall check that all the people present are indeed official members of The Chandler Society.
3. The moderator shall request nominations for the position of President. The moderator may not nominate or be nominated. Note Article V, Section 1 of the Constitution: "All undergraduates who have been members for at least one semester are eligible to hold office. A candidate must be nominated by a member. Self-nomination is allowed. The nomination must then be seconded by another member."
4. The moderator shall close all nominations. Each nominee shall then have the opportunity to speak for a maximum of five minutes. After all the nominees have spoken, the members may pose questions for all the nominees to answer; the questions should not be directed to any particular nominee.
5. The moderator shall distribute ballots to all the members, and each member shall vote for one candidate. The moderator shall also vote.
6. The moderator shall collect the ballots, and along with one other officer, shall count the ballots in front of the members. The candidate with a majority of votes wins the election. If there is a tie, a runoff vote shall be held.
7. This procedure shall be repeated for the election of Secretary, then Treasurer, and finally Academic Liaison. Nominees not elected may run for other positions.
The By-Laws of the Procedure for the Election of Officers of The Chandler Society for Undergraduate Chemistry was ratified on December 6, 1995, by the following individuals:
President: Eva Garland
Secretary: Tina Trnka
Louis Castellanos
Kathleen Cordero
Dan Lin
Jack Merrin
Jenny Ramirez
Elizabeth Robilotti
Tricia Roehrig
Seth Rubin
Ying Hang Tsang
Richard Urman
Man Yiu Wong