Constitution of By-Laws
of
Accounting Society
of
California State University, Sacramento
of
Accounting Society
of
California State University, Sacramento
[+] ARTICLE I – NAME OF ORGANIZATION
- The name of this organization shall be: Accounting Society
- This organization is not organized for the pecuniary benefit and shall not declare or pay dividends.
[+] ARTICLE II – PURPOSE
- To develop a better understanding of the accounting and finance profession.
- To unite through membership in the society, persons interested in accounting and finance.
- To provide a forum for interaction between students, faculty, practicing professionals, and prospective employers of student members.
- To provide a focal point for the socialization among College of Business Administration majors with interest in accounting or finance.
[+] ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 – Classes of membership
There shall be two classes of membership in the organization: gold and good standing. All meetings and events are open to both classes of members.
Section 2 – Non-Discrimination- Membership may be granted to any College of Business Administration student.
- Membership may also be granted to students who have not yet declared a major, or are considering changing to the School of Business Administration.
- Membership may also be granted to students at other local colleges interested in Accounting or Finance, declared as one of the above at another school or interested in transferring.
The membership of this organization shall not be restricted on the basis of race, age, religion, sex, handicap, or national origin. The organization will operate in the compliance with the University, Title IX, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 policies on discrimination.
Section 3 – Membership Standing
A member in gold standing is a member who has completed all requirements stated in Appendix A – Gold Member Requirements by the end of the semester. Only members in good standing will be entitled to hold office, or otherwise enjoy the privileges of the Society.
Section 4 – Discharge or Expulsion
The Society’s President shall have the power to suspend or expel any member for conduct considered to be contrary to the best interests of the organization. Such action is to be taken only after due notice has been given in writing to the member in question. Membership will be canceled for any member who becomes ineligible or fails to meet membership requirements. Re-application must be made and approved by the Executive Board before such a member may be reinstated.
[+] ARTICLE IV – MEETINGS
- The Society shall hold at least 6 meetings during the regular school semester. Special meetings may be called at any time by the President or by written request of at least ten percent of the membership. Notice of any special meetings shall be posted in a prominent place at least five days prior to the date of the meeting. Special Meetings can only be conducted or held by a quorum (see Article VI) of the Executive Board.
- The Society may accept donations from sponsors to assist with meeting expense (food, etc). In exchange for donation, the person or company will receive mention in the Society’s newsletter, a place to display informational materials during the meeting, and allowed up to thirty minutes to speak to the members. During this time, the sponsor may explain their line of business, but not solicit a request for their services to members, according to University policy.
[+] ARTICLE V – FINANCES
- The treasurer shall manage and control the property of the Society.
- All financial policies shall be consistent with university requirements. The Executive Board shall review all expenditures and approve reimbursements.
- A semester budget should be prepared and approved by the Treasurer and approved by the Executive Board.
- Semester membership fees shall be set and established by the Executive Board.
- The Society’s fiscal year shall begin on July 1 and end as of June 30.
- Scholarships
- The Society will award scholarships during a given semester if funding is available from outside sources. Scholarship awards may not consist of funds from membership dues.
- The Scholarship Selection Committee shall be for the sole purpose of choosing the recipient(s) of Accounting Society Scholarships.
- The Committee shall consist of:
- The Scholarship Director (who will serve as the Chair of the Committee);
- The President of Accounting Society;
- The Faculty Advisor;
- The chair of the CSUS Accounting Faculty Scholarship Committee (optional).
- Application Eligibility:
- Must be a member in good standing
- Must not be an Accounting Society recipient in the prior semester
- The selection shall be based on the following:
- GPA
- Involvement in the Accounting Society. This is based upon the quantity and quality of committee activity, leadership activity, and length of membership in the Society; it is weighted with the GPA as a possible offsetting factor. That is, a high level of activity can bring a candidate with a relatively lower GPA into contention for the scholarships.
- At the meeting, each committee member shall evaluate each application and form an opinion of each application according to the above criteria. The committee member will then initial the application, indicating that he/she has reviewed it.
- Each committee member will vote on whether an applicant should be considered for a scholarship. Applicants who receive a majority affirmative vote will be ranked after discussion by the Committee. Scholarships will be awarded in order of ranking.
- The number of scholarships awarded will be based on the funds available and will be announced prior to the submission deadline.
[+] ARTICLE VI – QUORUM
One third of the members in good standing of this organization constitute a quorum at any meetings. 50% of the Executive Board constitutes a quorum at Board meetings.
[+] ARTICLE VII – RULES OF ORDER
Rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order – Revised shall govern the Society in all cases to which they are applicable.
[+] ARTICLE VIII – RESTRICTIONS
- The Society shall be non-racial, non-partisan, and non-secular, and shall abstain from political or labor affiliation or endorsement of any public office.
- The use of Society funds, either directly or indirectly, to pay for alcohol is prohibited.
[+] ARTICLE IX – OFFICERS
There shall be ten officers for the Society. The term of each office shall be no more than one semester except for Treasurer which will be two semesters. The ten officers will constitute the Executive Board. The titles and primary responsibilities are listed below:
- President – The president shall provide leadership to the organization and preside over all organizational meetings.
- Vice President of Programs – The Vice President of Programs shall provide leadership in the development, coordination, and presentation of programs of interest and value to the members of the organization. The Vice President of Programs shall preside over meetings if the President is unable to do so.
- Vice President of Professional Relations – The Vice President of Professional Relations shall provide leadership in professional development by creating opportunities for Student Members and professionals in the accounting field to communicate and build relationships around their interests. The Vice President of Professional Relations shall preside over meetings if the President and Vice President of Programs are unable to do so.
- Vice President of Membership – The Vice President of Membership shall provide leadership in the recruitment and retention of membership in the organization. The Vice President of Membership shall preside over meetings if the President, Vice President of Programs and Vice President of Professional Relations are unable to do so.
- Vice President of Social Activities – The Vice President of Social Activities shall provide leadership through social events. The Vice President of Social Activities shall be responsible for keeping members informed of social events at all times. The Vice President of Social Activities shall preside over meetings if the President, Vice President of Programs, Vice President of Professional Relations and Vice President of Membership are unable to do so.
- Vice President of Committees – The Vice President of Committees shall provide leadership through community service and recruitment. The Vice President of Committees shall be responsible for planning and coordinating all community service events, for keeping members informed of all upcoming events through weekly emails and handle recruitment. The Vice President of Committees shall preside over meetings if the President, Vice President of Programs, Vice President of Professional Relations, Vice President of Membership, and Vice President of Social Activities are unable to do so.
- Vice President of Community Services - The Vice President of Community Services shall provide leadership through community service events. The Vice President of Community Services shall be responsible for keeping members informed of community service events at all times. The Vice President of Community Services shall preside over meetings if the President, Vice President of Programs, Vice President of Professional Relations, Vice President of Membership, Vice President of Social Activities, and Vice President of Committees are unable to do so.
- Vice President of Information Systems - The Vice President of Information Systems shall maintain and update all upcoming events and information on the website, and shall be responsible for incorporating new technological opportunities into Accounting Society's resources. The Vice President of Information Systems shall train the Webmaster in these duties. The Vice President of Information Systems shall preside over meetings if the President, Vice President of Programs, Vice President of Professional Relations, Vice President of Membership, Vice President of Social Activities, Vice President of Committees, and Vice President of Community Services are unable to do so.
- Secretary – The Secretary shall record, distribute to members, and maintain a file of minutes of meetings. The Secretary shall preside over meetings if the President, Vice President of Programs, Vice President of Professional Relations, Vice President of Membership, Vice President of Social Activities and Vice President of Committees are unable to do so.
- Treasurer – The Treasurer shall maintain records of financial transactions of the Society. The Treasurer shall provide leadership in the development of a semester budget for the Society. The treasurer shall preside over meetings if the President, Vice President of Programs, Vice President of Professional Relations, Vice President of Membership, Vice President of Social Activities, Vice President of Committees and Secretary are unable to do so.
[+] ARTICLE X – DIRECTORS
- The board shall select the following directors to assist in the operations of the organization:
- Community Outreach
- Facilities
- Fundraising
- Membership
- Newsletter
- Professional Relations
- Professional Liaison
- Recruiting
- Scholarship
- Social
- University Relations
- Webmaster
- Officers will be responsible for their corresponding directors according to the attached organizational structure (Appendix B). Each officer will keep in regular contact with and update the other officers as necessary as to the activities of the directors for which are responsible:
- President
- University Relations
- Vice President of Programs
- Facilities
- Vice President of Professional Relations
- Professional Relations
- Professional Relations Liaison
- Vice President of Membership
- Membership
- Vice Preisdent of Social Activities
- Social
- Vice President of Committees
- Recuriting I
- Recruiting II
- Vice President of Community Services
- Community Outreach
- Vice President of Information Systems
- Webmaster
- Secretary
- Newsletter
- Treasurer
- Scholarship
- Fundraising
- President
- The functions and duties of the committees shall be outlined, documented, and kept as a part of the Society’s permanent file along with undated descriptions as deemed necessary.
[+] ARTICLE XI – ELECTIONS
- Nominations shall be conducted and formally concluded at a pre-scheduled membership meeting. Nominations shall be closed with a motion and a second. All persons not nominated in this manner and running for office shall be write-in candidates only. All persons who are interested in running for office and are unable to attend nominations must submit an essay no more than 200 words to the President by a date determined by the Executive Board.
- Polling hours and location shall be determined by the Executive Board prior to the nominations taking place and then announced at the meeting where nominations take place.
- Candidates campaigning for office shall observe the following restrictions:
- Candidates shall not use the Society’s border or logo on their posters.
- Campaign materials should be displayed only where allowed.
- No displays shall be posed prior to nominations.
- Candidates may send literature through the mail or e-mail to members in order to solicit votes.
- Candidates may not receive a list of Society members and subsequently call members to solicit votes.
- Candidates shall not be allowed in the vicinity of the voting, i.e. the hallway in which the poll booth is located, except the few minutes necessary to vote unless the elections are held the same time as meetings.
- The votes shall be counted by the Society’s advisor, if possible, and the current President or other officer in the same manner as the order given in Article X.
- Candidates shall be contacted immediately after the ballots have been counted.
- When two nominees run for an office, the candidates receiving the most votes shall be declared elected. When more than two nominees run for an office, and no candidate receives more than half the votes cast, then whoever has the highest percentage of votes shall be elected.
[+] ARTICLE XII – POINT SYSTEM
- The point system shall be established and updated by the Executive Board in conjunction with the number of events planned each semester. Notification of the current point system will be included with the membership packets and distributed at the first meeting of each semester.
- The member will be responsible for verification of all events participated in.
- A member has until 24 hours prior to an event to cancel attendance. If such announcement is not made, points equivalent to that event may be reduced from such member. If enough events are missed, the Society has the right to charge fees. Unpaid fees may result in further consequences, including holds on student records.
- By missing two events unannounced, a member forfeits the right to be enrolled for a third event.
[+] ARTICLE XIII – AMENDMENTS
- Proposed amendments to the Society’s Constitution and By-Laws must be submitted in writing to the Secretary by a Board member. The Secretary will promptly notify all officers.
- Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws shall be made at any regular or special meeting of the organization by a two-thirds vote of the CSU Sacramento student members present, including properly registered proxies, provided a quorum is in attendance.