Our Constitution

Article I- Name

The name of this organization shall be Chemistry Graduate Student Association (CGSA).

Article II- Purpose

  1. To provide career-enhancing opportunities for chemistry graduate students at UIC. These opportunities include but are not limited to social gatherings, community outreach, and hosting seminars from chemistry academia and
  2. To serve as a liaison between the chemistry graduate students and the chemistry faculty and

Article III- Membership Requirements
 

Section 1. Membership is limited to UIC students, faculty, and staff.

Members must be enrolled as graduate students in a division of chemistry.

Section 2. All requirements must meet the Board of trustee’s policies regarding nondiscrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex, or national origin.

Section 3. Eligibility requirements for new members.

Members must be enrolled as graduate students in a division of chemistry.

Section 4. Expulsion of a member.

Expulsion will occur after a member conducts himself or herself in a manner that brings negative attention to the organization/ university.

 

Article IV- Officers
 

Section 1. This organization shall have nine officers and two subcommittee board members. They are as follows:

Officers:

President

Vice President

Treasurer

Secretary

Analytical Division Representative

Biochemistry Division Representative

Organic Division Representative

Physical Division Representative

Inorganic Division Representative

 

Subcommittee Board Members:

Graduate Women in Chemistry Board Member

Graduate Student Safety Committee Board Member

 

Section 2. The qualifications of each office position:

All members must be chemistry graduate students that are willing to help fulfill the goals agreed upon by each meeting, contributing their fair share of work for each event.

 

Section 3. Timeline and time limits of officer positions:

Each office position is to be held for one year and allowed for renewal indefinitely.

 

Section 4. Duties of Officers:

a. President- Leadership in organization meetings, and delegation of work for members with respect to upcoming events. The President shall facilitate the implementation of goals for the

b. Vice President- Support of the President and shall act as president in the case of any absence of the

c. Treasurer- Responsible for the budget, and keeping track of incoming and outgoing expenses, including management of the Chem GSA COF account.

d. Secretary- Record-keeping, and distribution of minutes for each

e. Analytical Division Representative- In charge of participating in a discussion during meetings and helping out with planned events. Represent the graduate students who study analytical chemistry by understanding their wants and needs.

f. Biochemistry Division Representative- In charge of participating in a discussion during meetings and helping out with planned events. Represent the graduate students who study biochemistry by understanding their wants and needs.

g. Organic Division Representative- In charge of participating in a discussion during meetings and helping out with planned events. Represent the students who study organic chemistry by understanding their wants and needs.

h. Physical Division Representative- In charge of participating in discussion during meetings and helping out with planned events. Represent the students who study physical chemistry by understanding their wants and needs.

i. Inorganic Division Representative- In charge of participating in discussion during meetings and helping out with planned events. Represent the students who study inorganic chemistry by understanding their wants and needs.

 

Section 5. The secession of Officers:

The secession of officers will be determined by one’s own removal from the organization, or by a two-thirds vote of the current officers if the person is on grounds for expulsion.

 

Article V- Elections
 

Section 1. Date:

Elections of officers will occur on the first Wednesday of August.

 

Section 2. Nominations to office:

Nominations will be accepted from chemistry graduate students and sent to a staff member.

 

Section 3. Voting:

Voting will take place via email. Emails will be sent to a chemistry staff member who will count votes and announce the newly elected officers via email.

 

Section 4. Emergency Voting:

In the event that an officer can no longer perform their duties, an emergency vote will take place as soon as possible. There will be a call for nominations, followed by a vote in the same manner as the yearly election

 

Article VI – UIC Graduate Women in Chemistry (GWICH) Subcommittee
 

Section 1. Purpose:

To coordinate and organize female-focused events for any graduate students and post-doctoral fellows within UIC’s chemistry department.

 

Section 2. Objectives:

  1. Host at least two GWICH events per
  2. Events are initiated and organized, in part, by current board members of GWICH.
  3. Events are aimed to benefit all female chemistry graduate students either personally or
  4. Event topics of interest to the GWICH group:
    1. Promoting diversity in science by addressing discussions about women as a minority in STEM fields with invited distinguished female speakers within industrial and/or academic STEM fields.
    2. Creating networking opportunities for women in science by either social or professional gatherings
  5. Distribute information about other programs, groups, workshops and scholarships geared towards women in science.
  6. Organize fundraisers to financially support group events (examples include: outings, seminars, and workshops.)

 

Section 3. Board Members:

 

The GWICH executive board requires a minimum of 3 positions: secretary, treasurer and a CGSA representative.

 

Section 4. Duties of Board Members:

 

  1. Treasurer: Archives financial records for the gWiCh group including (but is not limited to): documenting the amount of funds CGSA provides each spring semester, deductions from gWiCh allowance per cost of an event, requesting additional funds from the CGSA if annual allowance is expended and distributing fundraising profits accordingly, based on the fundraiser clause mentioned A report shall be presented at each board meeting.
  2. Secretary: Manages all documentation required for the gWiCh group including (but is not limited to): recording minutes of all gWiCh board member meetings, updating gWiCh member contact information annually and updating compliance of this document with the CGSA constitution; organizes the board
  3. Outreach: Communicates to resources outside of UIC’s chemistry department such as: inviting applicable speakers from outside UIC, contacting UIC departments/groups/programs to arrange career workshops and the like, develops face-to-face relationships with as many graduate students as possible.
  4. Communication: Maintains the gWiCh google account, gWiCh Facebook and LinkedIn social media pages, updates gWiCh members (via email) about upcoming events or other pertinent information, shares gWiCh events on CGSA
  5. GWICH representative in CGSA: Attends CGSA board meetings by contacting the CGSA president and/or upon invitation when communication is required between both groups: presentation of revised gWiCh constitution, request of additional annual funds, allocation of fundraised

 

Section 5. Voting:

 

Each year, during the beginning of July, the secretary organizes an election (self-nominations are accepted) for new GWICH board members. The newly elected board starts at the end of July.

Each board member position is to be held for one year with the possibility of renewal. If a board member leaves the department of chemistry during the year following the election, it is the responsibility of the current board to find a substitute until the new election.

 

Section 6. Faculty Advisor:

The advisor is to be a female faculty member within the UIC department of chemistry that is chosen by GWICH and has accepted the group’s offer.

 

Section 7. Membership:

All female graduate students and post-doctoral fellows enrolled within the UIC department of chemistry are automatically members. Also, membership is open to all graduate students within the chemistry department at UIC.

 

Section 8. Affiliations:

  1. CGSA: GWICH is a subcommittee of
  2. UIC WISE Section Meetings:

The GWICH board will meet at least twice a semester to prepare the scheduled events and prepare for the election of the new board.

Section 9. Budget:

Up to 500 is allocated to GWICH every year with an additional fundraiser clause. If extra money is requested by GWICH within the same year, the CGSA board must vote on the approval of the requested funds. If there are funds remaining by the end of the spring semester of the following year, CGSA will provide only the difference needed to reach the 500 maximum.

Section 10. Fundraiser Clause:

For any GWICH fundraiser organized, or financially supported, solely by GWICH group board members or participants, 100% of the profits from the fundraiser benefit solely the GWICH group. For any GWICH fundraisers financially supported by CGSA, 50% of the profits will be allocated to the GWICH group; and the remaining 50% will benefit the CGSA.

 

Article VII – Safety Officers Committee (SOC) Subcommittee
 

Section 1. Purpose:

  1. Liaison between graduate students and faculty concerning laboratory safety practices for research and upper-level undergraduate course
  2. Encourage and appreciate safety advancements/engagement by graduate students in research
  3. Provide information to graduate students and/or faculty to promote better lab safety

 

Section 2. Objectives:

  1. Create a central hub for information related to proper safety practices that encourages communication and positive reinforcement.
    1. o SOC does not hold power to enforce the safety policy but maintains a status as a resource to the graduate students for information and faculty for
  2. Each semester, publicize thematic chemical/laboratory hazards and best practices for containment thereof.
  3. Host safety seminars annually for all Chemical Hygiene/Safety Officers of all chemistry department research
    1. Update attendees with any new EHSO or OSHA
    2. Provide EHSO documentation, such as, Chemicals of Concern Survey, Lab Safety Checklist,
    3. Problems or issues to bring to the attention of faculty members or
    4. Relay requirements for safety training by each researcher and/or the CHO/Safety
  4. Provide a calendar for upcoming events, seminars, speakers, and lab hazard concerns
  5. Promote the education and awareness of safety practices to graduate students concerning general laboratory
  6. Generate one centralized database containing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) accessible to all graduate students, post-docs, undergraduates, faculty, etc. engaged in
  7. Host seminars for speakers detailing industrial standard safety
  8. Host particular safety training sessions (fire extinguisher use, CPR training, )
  9. Ensure the chemistry stock room has essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to remedy immediate safety violations or
  10. Suggest an annual budget on safety supplies in order to comply with EHSO
  11. Suggest chemical inventory databases to safely store and organize

 

Section 3. Membership Requirements:

Members of the SOC must hold a particular safety position/responsibility within a research group or class. This includes but is not limited to Chemical Hygiene Officer, Safety Officer, upper level lab TA coordinator.

 

Section 4. Board Members:

The SOC will consist of the chair, secretary, up to two PR/Event Coordinators and up to two upper level lab TA coordinators. Board members serve a two-year term.

 

Section 5. Board Member Responsibilities:

  1. Chair: Organizes annual safety meeting with all Chem. Department CHO’s, schedules meetings with other board members when needed, liaison between faculty and CHO’s (attends safety faculty meetings when needed), liaison between EHSO and SOC, must be extremely versed in all EHSO safety guidelines/ regulations and documentation, oversees and aids in the preparation of a SOC event/ safety meeting/ seminar/ workshops, etc.
  2. Secretary: Take, distribute and archive meeting minutes. Maintain any databases under the jurisdiction of the SOC. Prepare and distribute flyers and announcements for events not specifically delegated to other boards should keep active records of tenure for all board members serving in committee to adhere to the 2-year term limit.
  3. PR/ Event Coordinator: Chief organizer all planned SOC events/seminars/workshops, and communicates details of such events to the graduate students of the Chemistry Sends out information about bi-annual/annual elections. SOC liaison to non-university affiliates.
  4. Upper Level Lab TA Coordinator: Reports to SOC on the status of safety in upper level undergraduate labs (222, 343, 421 etc...). Coordinators must work with the chemistry department’s safety officer to be aware of the status of the most recent safety audits. Member may either currently hold a position as an upper level TA coordinator for one of the division specific undergraduate labs, or have sufficient experience instructing in upper level labs as judged by the board prior to Communicates departmental themes and/or changes to working TAs and/or instructors for implementation into teaching labs.

 

Section 6. Elections:

  1. Elections will take place during the third week of
  2. Nominations will take place first (self-nominations accepted) followed by voting for any available
  3. Only SOC members beyond their first year of graduate school are eligible for
  4. The nominations and voting will be handled by a third
  5. Should there be two nominees for the same board member position, preference should be given to the nominee that would fill an otherwise absent division (organic, biochemistry, inorganic, analytical and physical) amongst the other board
  6. Newly elected board members must meet with existing board members of their position after annual safety meeting to sustain new responsibilities. Meeting date for newly appointed board members is at the discretion of current board members.

 

Article VIII- Meetings
 

Section 1. Regular Meetings:

Regular meetings will occur once every other month.

 

Section 2. Emergency Meetings:

Any officer can call for an emergency meeting which will be announced via email.

 

Section 3. Structure for meetings:

  1. Roll Call will take
  2. Review of the minutes from the previous
  3. The president will go through the points of the
  4. Any new ideas can be presented from other
  5. Call for

 

Article IX- Advisor
 

Section 1. Qualifications of Faculty Advisor:

The faculty advisor for CGSA will be an employed member of the chemistry department faculty.

 

Section 2. Nomination of Faculty Advisor:

The CGSA officers will unanimously nominate a member of the faculty to act as the advisor for the CGSA. The president will then meet with the nominee to determine if he/she is able to perform the duties of the advisor.

 

Section 3. Duties:

The faculty advisor will:

  1. Attend all CGSA
  2. Act as the representative of the faculty and staff of the UIC chemistry
  3. Provide guidance in all CGSA related events and
  4. Ensure all points of this constitution are carried over with each new elected CGSA

 

Article X- Dues
This organization does not collect any dues from its members.

 

Article XI- Handling of Funds

Section 1. Primary Handler:

The organization’s on-campus COF account will be managed primarily by the Treasurer/financial officer including reimbursement of funds.

 

Section 2. Control of Funds:

The registration form allows the President, Vice President, and Treasurer to authorize or sign documents concerning funds.

 

Section 3. Collected Funds:

All monies collected on campus MUST BE DEPOSITED into the organization’s COF account within 48 hours of collection.

 

Article XII- Amendments and Revisions
 

Section 1. Amendments:

Amendments and revisions to the organization constitution can be made by a vote of the officers.

 

Section 2. Voting on Amendments:

A vote of 50% +1 is required by membership in attendance to approve such changes, with the membership receiving advance notice of the vote.

 

Section 3. Changed Constitution:

The president is responsible for initiating the creation and distribution of the new/changed document. The Campus Programs staff should receive a copy of the revised document.

 

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