Section 1 - Goals
The Texas A&M University
Economics Society (T.A.M.E.S.) will be an academically based
organization closely incorporated with the Dept. of Economics, and shall
focus on promoting both social and professional economic information and
networking for economics majors and any student interested in the field
of economics. This will be achieved through various speakers of
notoriety, group discussion such as seminars, diffusion of information
pertaining to employment and further education, and any other means
which benefit the members of the society.
Section 2 Honor Code and Guidelines
The Aggie Honor code will apply
at all students at any Economics Society event. In addition to this,
the dept. of student activities code will strictly adhere to the society
and all students who are associated with the society. Failure to meet
the Aggie Honor code or the dept. for student activities guidelines for
proper behavior will be grounds for removal from the society.
Article II Membership
Section 1 - Eligibility
Membership will be open to all
full-time students at Texas A&M University who are in good standing with
the university and the Economics Society, who also meet minimum GPR
requirements (above 2.0 GPR for undergraduate, and 3.0 for graduate
students). Dues of official membership shall be set at $15 per semester
or $25 per year to be listed on the official role. Due date shall be
within three weeks of the start of classes for that current semester.
Section 2 Requirements
In addition to the dues and
fees, each member will be expected to fulfill a given amount of service
hours for each semester. Depending on the charity the officers have
established for that semester, this may be accomplished through one
event or several. Membership is not required at meetings, or social and
economic events, but the proper amount of service hours are required to
be an official member. Failure to accomplish these goals will result in
a fine or additional activity if one still desires to remain on the
official role that is submitted to the university.
Section 3 Removal & Discipline of Members
If a member fails to uphold the
conduct befitting of a Texas A&M student (see student behavior in
university rules and regulations) or the Aggie Honor Code, the officers
or other members of the society may seek to have this member removed.
This will be done only after a notification to the member in question,
and the officers meet first to discuss with the member his/her conduct.
After this the officers will decide if they still feel it necessary to
remove him/her from the society for breaching the rules of student
behavior. If the officers find this to be the case, then at the next
meeting the member in question will address the society regarding
his/her point of view, then the society will take a majority vote to
decide whether this member shall be asked to leave the society or be
suspended as discipline. If asked to leave, this member must leave the
society, and any breach of university conduct will be reported. If the
member in question has not breached university guidelines, but only
society regulations, they shall be suspended for one semester from the
society as discipline.
Article III Meetings and
Events
Section 1 Society Meetings
The Economics Society will meet
once a week and a specified room and time, this should be reserved at
the same place and time each week with the economics department.
Attendance will be taken, but only required for officers.
Section 2 Officer Meetings
Officers shall meet aside from
regular meetings to discuss issues within the society at least once per
month. This will count toward any absence if officers are unable to
make it to the meeting. This meeting will be set up jointly by the
officers.
Section 3 Society Events
There will be at least one
social event per month, in addition there will be at least one strictly
professionally informative economics related event each month such as a
guest speakers, seminar, or group field trip. Social and economic
events can be combined; however, this will still count as one event, and
will require one more event to meet the monthly requirement for the
society. This is set up to keep membership active and the role of the
society functional.
Economic Events: For
the purpose of passing on information specifically related to the field
of economics to the society. These events shall be held either on
campus or off, and should be announced in advance. These may include
professional recruiters, professor lectures, academic advisors,
internship opportunities, former students, group discussions, debates,
field trips to places of economic interest, and any other informative
means of enriching the members of the society and achieving the goals of
the economics society.
Social Events: These
shall be within university guidelines, and do not have to incorporate
economic topics. Their purpose to is create strong ties and networking
within the members of the economics society and should be cleared with
all members before hand.
Charity Events: Either
through service hours, or through a year end charity fund raiser, this
will incorporate service learning into the organization and prepare
members for more active roles in society. It is preferably, but not
necessarily economics related. At the beginning of each term, officers
should decide and make members aware of any requirement or future dates
for service hours and requirements they will be expected to fulfill
through the economics society.
Article IV Officers
Section 1 Requirement for Officers
Officers of the Economics
society should be undergraduate students at Texas A&M University who are
currently, or planning on becoming in the near future Economics Majors.
They must be in good standing with the university (above 2.0 GPR) and
meet all student guidelines.
Section 2 Electing Officers
Within two weeks before the end
of classes for that semester, officers must be elected for the following
semester. The current officers will continue to make all decisions and
fulfill their current duties until the officers-elect take authority the
day following the last day of class for that current semester. The
election of all positions will be done democratically at an Economics
Society Meeting, and must be announced at the previous meeting. Each
society member will cast one vote for each office; the person who has
the most total votes in each officers' category will serve one term (one
semester) at that position. The exception will be the position of
vice-president, which shall be given to the person who has the second
most votes in the presidential race.
Section 3 Limitations
Officers will be allowed to
serve no more than two terms (two semesters) in a specific office while
an undergraduate student at Texas A&M University. This may or may not
be consecutive terms. A student will be allowed to serve in another
Economics Society office even if he/she has exhausted the two term limit
in another office (i.e. someone who has served two terms as President
can run as Treasurer). No student may run for more than one office in a
given semester.
Section 4 Officers and
Duties
President: Shall
preside over regular and executive meetings, responsible to coordinate
functions and facilities, communicate with all officers and delegate
between the society and faculty. He/She shall keep in close contact
with the Dept. of Student Activities and students both in the society
and those outside. In charge of making sure all officers fulfill their
responsibilities and that member in the society represent the society
accordingly. The president shall be the tiebreaking vote in any split
decision in the society or among officers. The president shall in
involved and notified of all financial transactions and events. The
president will also be responsible for any other miscellaneous workings
and functions of the society.
Vice President: Shall
assist the president in his/her roles, or act as a representative of the
president if he/she is unable to make as a decision or unreachable to
the society. The vote of the vice-president shall be the second highest
deciding factor, and in the absence of the president shall make all
executive decisions for the president. If the president steps down, the
vice-president assumes the role until the end of the term. The
vice-president shall also assist the president in all the planning and
applications of the societys functions and inner planning. (This shall
be the only officer position that is not run for; the vice-president
shall be the person who has the second most votes for president. All
term limits and regulation still apply.)
Economics Chair: Shall
be responsible for planning all economic related events. This may
include but is not limited to contacting and setting up seminars with
guest speakers, recruiters, internships opportunities, job information,
and any other events or informative material specifically pertaining to
the professional aspect of the Economics Society. The economics
chairperson shall have constant communication with the department of
student activities and shall act as a prime authority on the
dispersement of professional information to the society that will help
the members gain knowledge and networking in the field of economics.
Social Chair: Shall
plan, and create events for the sole purpose of social gatherings and
networking within the Economics Society. He/She shall also be the
foremost knowledgeable authority on the proper behavior at these events.
He/She will work with the dept. of student activities to make sure all
events are within university guidelines and that all events are
accessible and acceptable with every member of the society. These
events can be but are not required to be economically related. They are
intended to bring members of the society in closer contact with each
other and promote networking.
Philanthropy Chair:
Shall be in charge of communication and set-up of official society
charity or philanthropy. Shall establish requirement for service hours
for each member toward that philanthropy or charity, and work closely
with the treasurer in making sure all money raised gets allocated
properly. Will be in constant communication with the organization the
society chooses to benefit and with the president and vice president.
Will keep the member informed on their duties toward the charity and
provide information to the society. Will also be in charge of possibly
changes in the official charity the society will sponsor.
Treasurer: Shall along
with the president and vice-president be responsible for the financial
aspect of the society. However, the treasurer will be the foremost
authority on the balancing and proper allocation and collection for
funds within the society. He/She will work closely with the president
to make sure all transaction, both in and out are within society
guidelines and that no money is unaccounted for while he/she is in
office. They will be required to keep track of all transactions while
in their term in office, which shall include collection of dues and
fees, payment for events and expenses of speakers, and other financials
the society will encounter. They will be required to turn in all
transactions to the economics department accountant at the end of each
term.
Secretary: In charge of
tracking both officer attendance and member attendance at meetings.
Shall keep the minutes and keep track of all votes and society has at
each meeting. Turn in all votes and any decisions and meeting
information at the end of each semester to the dept. of student
activities. He/She shall also keep track of dues and service hours for
members for official records.
Web Master: Will be in
charge of setting up or maintaining a message board or central source of
communication and information about the Economics Society. This will be
a place where members can communicate and form study groups, or outside
organization can find information about the society. It will also
provide updates on economic events and provide students with general
economic education.
Section 5 Officer
Attendance
Officer attendance is required,
no more than five absences from meetings throughout the semester are
allowed. If this happens, the officers will meet and decide on whether
the officer in question will be replaced, or if they will be warned.
Section 6 Officer Replacement & Discipline
If an officer does no
accomplish the proper role of his/her office as outlined, the other
officers or members can request a motion to remove. This will be done
at the meeting and will be a simple majority vote. The other officers
will first meet with the officer in question to discuss the issue, and
then he/she will be allowed to address the society as a whole regarding
the his/her point of view before the vote takes place. As long as the
officer has not broken any university rules or codes, they will only
be disciplined by losing his/her office, but allowed to remain in the
society as a member, or be suspended in more serious cases for one
semester. If the officer removed is the president, he/she will be
replaced by the vice president, for any other officer an interim officer
will appointed by the president until a new vote can be taken for a
permanent replacement.
Section 7 Officer Removal
If an officer violates student
rules or the Aggie Honor Code (regardless if he/she has still upheld
his/her official duties), a motion may be presented by a member or other
officer for the officer in question to be removed from the society. The
officer in question shall first be notified, and then have a meeting
with the other officers, then shall address the society before a
majority vote to remove takes place. The university will then be
contacted in the event any rules and regulation were breached by that
officer. If removed, that officer may not be allowed to stay in the
society.
Article V Revisions and
Amendments
Section 1 Changing Charities
At the beginning of any term
the society may vote to change the official charity or events. This
will be done by a simple majority vote. At the first meeting following
the deadline for dues and fees, and society will vote to keep the
current charity or choose a new one. The philanthropy chair will
oversee the execution and delegate the proper amount of service hours
for that term with the president.
Section 2 Amending the Constitution
Only by unanimous vote of ALL
officers shall the constitution be amended. This shall be done during
officers meetings with recording by the secretary. However, any member
can move to amend the constitution also, but submitting their request
during a society meeting. This request shall be reviewed by the
officers privately and again only through unanimous decision granted.
Section 3 Revisions
Revisions to the constitution
can be motion for and enforced in the same way as amendments. The
Economics Society Constitution will be re-submitted to the dept. of
student activities every term even when not renewing recognition status
to ensure the MSC and dept. of student activities retains and current
copy of it at all times. The revisions and the entire constitution will
be publicly accessible to anyone who shall inquire, either within or
outside of the society.
Article IV Incorporation
of Economics Society
Section 1 Recognition
It will be the responsibility
of the president and vice-president to make sure the society is kept
current with all recognition requirements and SOFC requirements. This
includes having at least one faculty advisor who meets the StuAct
advisor requirements. The president and vice-president elect for the
following term shall be in charge with the help of the other officers to
maintain and set up the society during summer and winter breaks. The
president and vice-president of the current term that is ending will be
responsible for passing on all information about recognition and society
records to the incoming officers. All meetings and information to new
students at the start of each semester will be the strict responsibility
of the officers elected for that new semester in order to maintain the
integrity and function of the society and to further its progress and
goals in helping inform and prepare student in the field of economics.
Section 2 Advisors
At least faculty member of the
Texas A&M Economics Dept. will act as society advisor. They will be
required to go through advisor training as part of their responsibility,
and meet all of the actions defined by the advisor training guidelines
through the dept. of student activities. If the current student advisor
cannot meet their requirements, or leaves the university, the officers
shall select a new one from the Economics Dept. This advisor shall
counsel and help guide the officers in the governance of the society,
and consort with them on the regulations of recognized student
organization as laid out by the department of student activities. They
will meet and have officer meetings with them to help guide the course
in an economics empowering curriculum.
Section 2 Finances
All funds shall be overseen by
the president, vice-president, and kept track of by the treasurer. This
shall be done through strict adherence to dept. of student activities
financial guidelines and through the bank account provided to the
student organization through the MSC. All transaction or deposits
should be recorded by the treasurer within 24 hours of their accordance,
and receipts shall be kept to turn in with the books at the end of each
semester. All monies belonging to this organization shall be deposited
and disbursed through a bank account established for this organization
at the Student Organization Finance Center and/or the Fiscal Office. All
funds must be deposited within 24 hours after collection. The advisor to
this organization must approve and sign each expenditure before payment.
Section 3 Integrity
The previous constitution shall be strictly followed and enforced by the officers, and all members of the society to the best of their ability. For the procurement of the Economics Society, the constitution will be enacted as a guideline for the society in all its functions and shall be referred to and used to settle any argument or debate within the society. The integrity of the constitution shall be enforced and kept current to ensure for future students the existence of Texas A&M University Economics Society and the benefits of its goals.