ASME Constitution

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ARTICLE Cl.

IDENTIFICATION

Cl.1.1

The name of this Society is The American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Cl.l.2

The Society is a corporation, organized April 7, 1880, and chartered under the laws
of the State of New York.

ARTICLE C2.1 PURPOSES

C2.1.1

The purposes of this Society are to:


*

Promote the art, science, and practice of mechanical


engineering and the allied arts and sciences;

Encourage original research;

Foster engineering education;

Advance the standards of engineering;

Promote the exchange of information among engineers and others;

Broaden the usefulness of the engineering profession


cooperation with other engineering and technical societies; and

Promote a high level of ethical practice.

in

In all professional and business relations the members of the Society


shall be governed by the Code of Ethics as stated in the Society
Policies.
C2.1.2 The Society may approve or adopt any report, standard, code, formula, or
recommended practice, but shall forbid and oppose the use of its name and
proprietary symbols in any commercial work or business, except to indicate
conformity with its standards or recommended practice.

ARTICLE C3.1 MEMBERSHIP

C3.1.1 The corporate membership shall consist of Honorary Members, Fellows and
Members. The non-corporate membership shall consist of Affiliates and Student
Members.
C3.1.2 Members of Honorary grade shall be elected by the Board of Governors. The
election for all other grades of membership may be delegated by the Board of
Governors.
C3.1.3 An Honorary Member shall be a person having distinctive accomplishment in
engineering or science or industry or research or public service and those allied
pursuits beneficial to the engineering profession.
C3.1.4 A Fellow, one who has attained a membership grade of distinction, at the time of
advancement shall be a corporate member of the Society, shall have been
responsible for significant engineering achievements, and shall have had either
a. not less than 10 years of active practice and 10 years of continuous
corporate membership in ASME, or
b. 20 years of active practice and 5 years of continuous corporate
membership in ASME.

C3.1.5 A Member, at the time of-admission or advancement to that grade, shall have
attainments amounting to the equivalent of at least eight years of engineering
experience of a character satisfactory to the Council on Member Affairs.
C3.1.6 An Affiliate should be a person who is capable of and interested in rendering service
to the field of engineering; and whose work should be so related to applications of
engineering that admission to this grade will contribute to the welfare of the
Society.
C3.1.7 A Student Member shall be a student regularly enrolled and working towards
a degree in an approved engineering curriculum, or towards an engineering
degree in a regionally accredited institution.
C3.1.8

Personal or professional achievement of members, within the Society and/or their


professions, may be designated by appropriate titles or descriptive words.

ARTICLE C4.1

GOVERNMENT

C4.1.1 The affairs of the Society shall be managed by a Board of Governors chosen from
its membership which shall have full control of the activities of the Society,
subject to the limitations of the Constitution and By-Laws, Society Policies and the
laws of the State of New York, The voting members of the Board of Governors
shall consist of the President, the most recent available past President, nine
members-at-large and the President elect (if not currently a member-at-large).
The nine members at-Iarge of the Board shall be elected from the corporate
members of the Society of Member grade or higher. The term of each member-atlarge shall be three years, beginning and ending during the Summer Annual
Meeting of the Society at a time designated annually by the Board of Governors.
The terms of three members-at-large of the Board shall end at each Summer
Annual Meeting.
Members-at-large of the Board of Governors shall be limited to one full term of
service. Additional service as a member-at-large may occur after an interruption
of one or more years or as a consecutive partial term.
C4.1.2 The Officers of the Society shall consist of the President, the President elect, the
past President who is serving on the Board of Governors, the members-at-large of
the Board of Governors, the senior vice presidents, the vice presidents, the
Executive Director, the Secretary, Treasurer, and such others as the Board of
Governors may appoint.
C4.1.3 The President shall be a corporate member of the Society who has reached at
least the grade of Member. He or she shall be elected for a term of one year.
The President may not serve more than one term except if he or she is
appointed to fill a vacancy.
C4.1.4 A senior vice president shall be a corporate member of the Society who has
reached at least the grade of Member. He or she shall serve a term of three years.
Additional service as the same senior vice president may occur after an
interruption of one or more years or following a partial term.
C4.1.5 A vice president shall be a corporate member of the Society who has reached
at least the grade of Member. He or she shall be elected for a term of three
years. Additional service as the same vice president may occur after an
interruption of one or more years or following a partial term.

C4.1.6 Successor members of the Board of Governors shall be elected annually by the
members present in person or represented by proxy at the Business Meeting of
the Winter Annual Meeting.
C4.1.7 Each Board of Governors at its first meeting shall appoint for one year an
Executive Director, a Secretary and a Treasurer all of whom shall be corporate
members of the Society who have reached at least the grade of Member. The
Board of Governors may also appoint an Assistant Secretary and an Assistant
Treasurer who shall be Officers of the Society.

The corporate membership of the Society shall elect annually a Nominating Committee
whose duty shall be to select nominees for the positions of President, at-large members of
the Board of Governors and vice presidents to be filled at each annual election.
Other nominating committees having the same powers may be constituted by the
membership of the Society.
The incoming Board of Governors shall meet during the Summer Annual Meeting of the
Society, at such other times as the Board of Governors may select, and at the call of the
President. Seven voting members of the Board of Governors shall constitute a quorum.
The deposit, investment, and disbursement of all funds shall be subject to the direction of
the Board of Governors.
The Society shall indemnify each person (or heirs, executors and administrators) made, and
the Society may in the discretion of the Board of Governors indemnify each person (or heirs,
executors and administrators) threatened to be made, a party to an action or proceeding
(other than one by or in the right of the Society to procure a judgment in its favor), whether
criminal or civil, by reason of serving or having served as a member of the Board of Governors
or member of a council, board or committee, or an Officer, or employee of the Society, or of
another corporation or organization with which such person may serve or have served as
such or as a trustee, at the request of the Society, or by reason of otherwise serving or having
served as a nominee of the Society, against judgments, fines, amounts paid in settlement and
reasonable expenses (including attorney's fees actually and necessarily incurred as a result of
such action or proceeding, or any appeal therein) provided that such person acted in good
faith for a purpose which is reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Society and,
in criminal actions, had no reasonable cause to believe that the conduct was unlawful. Such
expenses shall include the cost of reasonable settlement made with a view to curtailment of
litigation. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of other rights to which
any such person may be entitled as a matter of law.

ARTICLE C5.1 SOCIETY STRUCTURE

The Society membership


and technical activities.

may

be

divided

into

smaller

units

for administrative

The provisions of the Constitution and By-Laws and Society Policies established by the Board
of Governors of the Society shall govern the procedure of all units of the Society but no action
or obligation of such units shall be considered an action or obligation of the Society as a
whole.

ARTICLE C6.1

MEETINGS OF THE SOCIETY

C6.1.1 Winter Annual and Summer Annual Meetings of the Society shali be held at such
time and place as the Board of Governors shall designate.
C6.1.2 General Meetings of the Society, primarily for the presentation and discussion
of technical papers, may be held at such time and place as the Council on
Engineering shall designate.
C6.1.3 There shall be a Business Meeting of the Society during the Winter Annual Meeting
and during the Summer Annual Meeting. At Business Meetings 100 corporate
members shall constitute a quorum, voting in person or by proxy.
C6.1.4 An action of a Business Meeting of the Society shall be deemed an action of the
Society as a whole but any question considered by the Board of Governors to
be of major importance shall be submitted to the corporate membership.
C6.1.5 A special Business Meeting of the Society may be called at any time and place at
the discretion of the Board of Governors, or shall be called by the Executive Director
upon the written request of at least one per cent of the corporate membership.
The call for the meeting shall be issued as required by law and shall state the
business to be considered. No other business shall be transacted at the

ARTICLE C7.1 PUBLICATIONS AND PAPERS

C7.1.1

The papers and publications of the Society shall be issued in such manner as the
Board of Governors may direct.

ARTICLE C8.1 AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

C8.1.1 At any Business Meeting of the Society corporate members may propose in writing
an amendment to the Constitution, provided that it shall bear the written
endorsement of at least 20 corporate members in good standing.
Such proposed amendment shall not be voted on for adoption at the meeting,
but shall be open to discussion and modification, and to a vote as to whether in its
original or modified form, it shall be mailed in printed form to the corporate
members of the Society for action.
If the corporate members present at the meeting, not less than 20 voting in favor
thereof, shall so decide, then the Executive Director shall mail in printed form to
each corporate member, at least 60 days previous to the next Business Meeting or
the subsequent Business Meeting of the Society, a notice of the proposed
amendment as so decided by said vote, setting forth the amendment in full,
accompanied by any comment the Board of Governors may elect to make.
A ballot shall be sent with the notice of the proposed amendment, and the voting
shall be by sealed letter-ballot, closing at 10:00 a.m. on the 20th day preceding the
Business Meeting of the Society following the mailing.
The adoption of the amendment shall require a vote in its favor of two-thirds
of the votes cast.
The Presiding Officer at the Business Meeting of the Society following the close of
the ballot shall announce the result, and if the amendment is adopted it shall
thereupon take effect.

8.1.2 Any changes in the order or numbering of paragraphs of the Constitution and ByLaws required by an amendment shall be made under the direction of the Board of
Governors.
8.1.3 This Constitution shall supersede all previous rules of the Society, and shall go into
effect upon the adjournment of the Business Meeting of the Society at which the
Presiding Officer announces its adoption.

C9.1 DUES
Any changes to the dues must be approved by at least two-thirds of the voting members
of the Board of Governors.
A dues increase shall be limited to the change in the Consumer Price Index since the previous
dues increase. A dues decrease shall not be limited.
Any proposed dues increase beyond the limit contained in C9.1.1 must be submitted to the
corporate membership for approval by letter ballot.

CONSTITUTION
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Wichita State University
Student Section
ARTICLE I

A. Purpose
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers shall be the governing
body representing the Mechanical Engineering Students of the College of
Engineering. The purpose of which shall be to organize activities that will
promote the growth and development of Mechanical Engineering students
and maintain a strong relationship with the Professional ASME Chapter.
B. Standards
ASME shall in all actions and activities conform to both the Articles
and relevant sections contained herein, the National ASME Constitution,
and the Constitution and Bylaws of the Wichita State University Student
Government Association.
ARTICLE II: Membership
A. ASME Membership Eligibility
1. All students who are enrolled in the College of Engineering as any
discipline of engineering are eligible for membership of ASME.
2. General body and committee meetings are open to all engineering
students of the College of Engineering.
3. Members are eligible at any time to become members of ASME
International giving members national recognition in the
organization.
B. Membership Expectations
1. Members must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 and be enrolled in a
minimum of 6 credit hours in Engineering Required Courses.
2. In the event that a member cannot attend a meeting because of an
unavoidable previous commitment or emergency, he/she shall
notify a member of the Executive Board.
3. Members will have an opportunity to create a project for
competition of which they are expected to represent Wichita State
University through competition. Members will be required to help
create a device to compete.
4. If a member is absent for 3 or more meetings, the member will
be put on inactive status. The student section membership will

be reviewed by the Executive Board.


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ARTICLE III: Officers and their Duties


A. Officers
Chair
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Attend ASME meetings.


Vote in the event of a tie vote.
Participate in meetings and define meeting agendas for all ASME.
Preside over all other officers.
Oversee all activities to make ASME successful.

Vice Chair
1. Preside over all officers with the exception of the Chair.
2. To assume the duties of the Chair when the Chair is unable to fulfill
his/her duties of office.
3. Act as a Sergeant-of-Arms in meetings by using Robert's Rules of
Order.
a. Discourage side-discussions. Keep the floor open to one
person at a time. Encourage questions and answers.
b. Ensure that all members can hear what is being discussed.
c. Ensure that members are not distracted by outside noise,
disturbances, within reason.
d. Calculate the maximum time available for each discussion;
ensure that each discussion is terminated at the proper time in
order to conclude the meeting on time.
4. To participate in ASME.
Treasurer
1. Manage all funds held by ASME.
2. Keep a ledger of all expenses accrued by ASME.
3. Keep track of all receipts and bills of ASME business.
1. Prepare the Student Fees Funds Request for SGA for the following
academic year.
2. To work with the SGA Treasurer and become familiar with SGA
procedures for requesting monies.
4. To participate in ASME.
Secretary
1. Maintain records of ASME meeting minutes and any noted changes
of policy.
2. To provide the recorded minutes to the Director of Communication
for e-mail distribution to members.
3. Must attend each meeting in order to fulfill duty.

4. Maintain the WSU Student Section ASME notebook.


5. To participate in ASME.

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Revision 1,

Director of Communication
1. To work with the Chair and assign an agenda prior to general
session meeting times.
2. To distribute previous meeting minutes within 48 hours after the
meeting and current meeting agendas 4 days prior to the next
meeting.
3. To maintain and update the WSU ASME web page.
4. To communicate and advertise all ASME events to campus.
5. To participate in ASME.
Director of Relations
1. To remain in contact with the Professional ASME chapter and
forward any ASME related news to the Director of
Communications for notification.
2. Maintain contact with old members of ASME.
3. Ensure support from the Professional ASME chapter for funding or
projects events.
4. To participate in ASME.
Design Competition Chair
1. To oversee all ASME design competition rules, regulations, and
activities.
2. The Design Chair shall:
a. Delegate tasks to members of ASME or form a committee.
b. Keep in contact with Central Region ASME on design policy.
c. Direct the planning and designing of the competition device.
d. Oversee the purchasing of materials and supplies.
e. Create a production schedule to ensure progress.
f. Represent WSU student organization at the ASME Regional
Student Conference with select group of members.
g. Maintain contact with Treasurer for SGA funding needs.
B. Faculty Advisor
1. There will be one Mechanical Engineering Faculty Advisor.
1. This Advisor must attend each meeting.
2. The Faculty Advisor shall:
a. Work with the Director of Relations to create a link
between the Student Chapter and Professional Chapter.

b. The advisor will represent both sections of the society.


c. Advertise membership to students not already involved in
ASME.
d. Be the governing body and ensure that the society follows
the National ASME rules and regulations along with Wichita
State University rules and regulations.
e. Attend Student Section activities and conferences.
C. Multiple Positions
No officer is able to hold multiple offices on the Executive Board.

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D. Funds Management
1. No member or officer may incur debt or monetary obligation for
the student section without the consent of ASME.
2. All SGA requests must be made first to the Treasurer, then
submitted by the Treasurer to the SGA Budget Committee.
ARTICLE IV: ELECTIONS
A. Eligibility

All current and active members are eligible for voting on ASME
issues and in the election of officers.
B. Elections of Officers
1. The election of officers shall occur no later than 3 weeks after the
first day of fall semester classes.
2. Duties will be explained and respective documents handed
down after the officer has been chosen.
C. Nominations
1. Nominations shall take place during the first official ASME meeting.
2. An individual must be nominated by a general assembly member.
3. An officer must then support the nomination, and if the nominee
accepts, they are entered into the election.
4. This process shall occur for all the officer positions, including Chair
and Vice Chair.
D. Voting
The voting shall occur at the end of the nomination meeting.
ARTICLE V: MEETINGS

A. Meeting Schedule
1. Regular meetings of the council must occur at least twice a
month, at a specified time, which is determined by ASME at the
beginning of each semester, with the exception of the summer
semester.
B. Additional meetings.
1. Special meetings may be called by the Chair or as requested by a
majority of the ASME membership.
C. ASME Voting Procedure
1. All general issues that involve ASME, and requiring a vote, shall
be voted on by a simple majority of the members present at that
particular general assembly meeting.

2. If any issue is considered to be a major issue, a set day may be


required for voting, and ballots may need to be distributed.
3. This shall all be done as the active Chair sees fit.
D. Council Quorum
At all meetings a majority of ASME Officers shall constitute a quorum,
and the majority of members present may pass a motion.
ARTICLE VI: AMENDMENTS
A. Amendments to the constitution may be submitted at any time to any
group or department representative on the ASME Executive Board.
B. Amendments will be accepted by a 2/3 majority.
C. Amendments must contain a date on which they become effective.
ARTICLE VII: REFERENDUMS

A. Referendums shall be held for all matters which, in the opinion of ASME
Executive Board, or in the opinion of the ASME membership (determined either
via a petition of no less than half of the active members, or via vote during a
ASME meeting.)
B. The Director of Communications shall place a notice informing the ASME
members of the proposed measure. At the required meeting, a majority of
members of the active ASME membership must be in attendance and must
vote on the measure for it to be passed.
C. The voting shall take place during the second meeting after the referendum

has been submitted, and shall be run by the ASME Executive Board.
D. Referendums can be suggested by any active member, but must be authored
by an officer.
ARTICLE VIII: CODE OF CONDUCT
A. ASME will not participate in, support, or advocate any activities that violate
Federal, State, or local law, University Policy, or SGA bylaws.
B. ASME will not explicitly or implicitly advocate acts of cruelty toward other
individuals or groups, or advocate the violation of any individual civil rights.

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ARTICLE IX: IMPEACHMENT


A. Any motion calling for the removal from office of any officer or representative
shall require a three-fourths majority vote of the council, excluding the vote of
the officer or representative named for removal.
B. If a motion is made for removal from the office of Chair, the Chair shall
relinquish his/her gavel, and the Vice Chair shall preside for the duration of
the motion.
C. Any member found failing in their duties may have their members revoked
through a two-thirds vote of the quorum.

Created on 2/27/2005

Revision 1, 2/27/2005

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