BY LAWS 2019-2020
Article I. Preamble
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Chapter, was created on September 1973 under the name of the Chicano Engineering Organization (CEO). The CEO was created as a result of a few engineering students interested in helping each other achieve success in academic endeavors as well as prepare for a career in engineering and related fields. On the fourth month of the year 1977 the CEO was chartered as a student chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. SHPE was then renamed the Society of Hispanics in Science and Engineering (SHSE) but was then reverted back to the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.
At the last general meeting of the spring quarter of the year 1983 a majority decision was carried to include science majors and therefore the organization was renamed the Society of Hispanics in Science and Engineering.
In the year 2014, the bylaws were amended again and the club name was changed back to the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Chapter.
Section 1. Purpose: General
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Chapter, exists for the betterment of the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Section 2. Purpose: Specific
Social and Professional Networking
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers provides a forum for the free exchange of ideas and opinions amongst engineering students, other organizations, faculty, industry, and facilitates the programming of activities for the enrichment of the social, cultural, and educational aspects of university life.
Professionalism
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers provides the development and training of mature and responsible leaders and instills within its members a professional attitude.
Community Outreach
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Chapter provides outreach programs for the improvement of the community as well as the promotion of higher education to local schools.
Section 3. Purpose: Non-discrimination
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers shall not be discriminatory in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, color, age, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, gender, physical or mental ability, marital status, financial or social status.
Section 4. Purpose: Off-campus Issues
This organization and/or its members, when taking stands on issues, recognizes and will fulfill the obligation to make clear that it/they in no way represent(s) the official position of the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. The organization will be nonsectarian and nonpartisan.
Section 5. Purpose: Campus Policies
This organization and/or its members, when conducting organizational business, on or off campus, recognizes and will uphold the University’s Alcohol & Other Drugs Policy.
Article II. Name
The official name of the organization shall be the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Chapter. The official logo of the organization shall be enclosed within the bylaws.
Article III. Trust Accounts
Section 1. ASI Maintenance
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, pursuant to its charter obligation, shall maintain a trust account with the ASI business office. Pursuant to the California State University Board of Trustees, the Executive Orders 648 and 731 states that all funds received on behalf of the University, its auxiliaries or affiliated organizations are required to be administered through the campus’ Chief Financial Officer, the Vice President of Administrative Affairs. Student clubs and organizations are identified as affiliated organizations. The policy further states that any account with a bank or financial institution not approved by the campus’ Chief Financial Officer is strictly prohibited.
Section 2. Foundation Maintenance
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, shall maintain a trust account with the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Foundation Incorporated. All checks for this account must be made out to “Cal Poly Pomona Philanthropic Foundation”.
Section 3. Usage
All monies, with the exception of donated funds, of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers shall be deposited in and disbursed from the ASI Accounts, following procedures outlined by the ASI business office.
Donated funds of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers shall be deposited in the Foundation Incorporated account.
Section 4. Dispersal of Funds
Should the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers become inactive by failing to apply for charter renewal, the trust account will be held as an inactive account for two (2) academic years. In the event the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers does not become active during the two (2) year period, it is hereby declared that any funds remaining in said account are to be transmitted to:
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
13181 Crossroads Parkway North
Suite 450
City of Industry, CA 91746
SHPE is an educational, charitable organization to aid the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers in carrying out its objectives. If said organization is no longer functioning at that time, or if its objectives are no longer consistent with its original educational, charitable purposes, then the funds of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers shall be transferred to the Associated Students, Inc., California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, General Fund.
Article IV. Membership
Section 1. Categories of Membership
The categories of membership shall be as follows:
o Active
● Active members will have the privilege of voting, holding office, and attaining recognition as a member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, at both the national and chapter level.
o Associate
● Associate members will have the privilege of voting and attaining recognition as a member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers at both the national and chapter level.
o Alumni and Honorary
● Alumni and honorary members will have the privilege of being recognized as outstanding individuals who have made a significant contribution to the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Chapter and will be kept informed, through mailings, of the society’s activities.
Section 2. Eligibility Requirement
No more than 20% of our membership will be non-CSU student.
Active Members
Active members must be members of the Associated Student, Inc. at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and must pay the required memberships fee, whether it be annual or term dues. In addition, active members should attend general meetings, participate in club events, and serve the purpose of the society as a whole.
Associate Members
Associate members must be members of the Associated Student, Inc. at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and must pay the required membership fee, whether it be annual or term dues.
Alumni Members
Alumni members must be a graduate of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona who are willing to contribute to the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and be willing to submit their name and email address to our alumni mailing list.
Honorary Members
Honorary members must be outstanding individuals (i.e. faculty, industry professional, etc.) who have made a significant contribution to the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. They will be voted to this status by the members of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers at a scheduled meeting.
Section 3. Suspension
A member may be suspended or removed for those actions deemed detrimental to the organization. These may include, but are not limited to: disorderly conduct, gross misdemeanor, or other behaviors unacceptable to the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. A member may be suspended or removed following a hearing by the membership of the organization.
Article V. Officers
Section 1. Categories of Officers
The categories of officers shall be as follows:
o President
o External Vice President
o Internal Vice President
o Treasurer
o Secretary
o Chapter Ambassador
Section 2. Duties
President
The President will be responsible for coordinating the activities of the organization through the Executive Board Committee and other committees that will be stated in Article IX. The President will preside over all general membership meetings and Executive Board meetings and will have the authority, with the approval by a majority vote of the membership or the Executive Board Committee, to disburse the organization’s funds or to carry out decisions. The President shall act as chairperson for the Board of Committees in the absence of the Committee Chairperson.
External Vice President
The External Vice President shall preside over the general meetings and act as Executive Board chairperson in the absence of the President. The External Vice President will be responsible for coordinating the activities of the organization through the committees they are responsible for. The External Vice President will preside over Board of Committee meetings, coordinate the efforts of the committees and provide a report for the Executive Board Committee.
Internal Vice President
The Internal Vice President shall also preside over the general meetings and act as Executive Board chairperson in the absence of the President and External Vice President. The Internal Vice President will be responsible for coordinating the activities of the organization through the committees they are responsible for. The Internal Vice President will preside over Board of Committee meetings, coordinate the efforts of the committees and provide a report for the Executive Board Committee.
Treasurer
The Treasurer is responsible for all financial accounting, disbursements, deposits, and paperwork pertaining to the society’s trust and Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) accounts and for compiling and submitting requests for funding when needed. The Treasurer will keep record of membership dues, and will have the authority, with the approval of the Executive Board, to disburse money from the society’s accounts. The Treasurer will be the financial advisor for all the committees.
The Treasurer will be responsible for coordinating the activities of the organization through the committees they are responsible for. The Treasurer will preside over Board of Committee meetings, coordinate the efforts of the committees and provide a report for the Executive Board Committee.
Secretary
The Secretary is responsible for recording the minutes and calling roll at all meetings. The Secretary will keep an updated membership list, alumni list, honorary member list, and calendar. The Secretary shall also be responsible for the skeletal structure of the powerpoint presentations for general meetings as well as keeping SHPE points updated, if in effect, and sending electronic correspondence to the membership.
The Secretary will be responsible for coordinating the activities of the organization through the committees they are responsible for. The Secretary will preside over Board of Committee meetings, coordinate the efforts of the committees and provide a report for the Executive Board Committee.
Chapter Ambassador
The Chapter Ambassador is responsible for representing the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers at engineering council meetings. The Chapter Ambassador will also represent the society at meetings outside the society that the Executive Board Committee feels will benefit the society. The Chapter Ambassador shall be responsible for being informed of the society and the society’s activities and recruitment of members.
The Chapter Ambassador will be responsible for coordinating the activities of the organization through the committees they are responsible for. The Chapter Ambassador will preside over Board of Committee meetings, coordinate the efforts of the committees and provide a report for the Executive Board Committee.
Section 3. Eligibility
o At the time of assuming office and during tenure in office, an elected officer must meet all of the eligibility requirements as stated by the University: Officers must meet a minimum 2.0 term and cumulative GPA; be enrolled in at least 9 units (undergraduate students) / 4 units (graduate students) during office; and be in good judicial standing with the University.
o The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Chapter requires that all Executive Board officers must be enrolled at the university and maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA. Officers must be enrolled at least part time per term for a minimum of two terms. They will sign a statement of eligibility form when assuming office, and thereafter will accept the responsibility of monitoring their own grades and unit load to meet these requirements each semester while in office.
o At the time of assuming office and during tenure in office, an elected officer must be an active member and must maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA.
o President, External Vice President, Internal Vice President, Treasurer
● Members applying for the position of President, External Vice President, Internal Vice President, or Treasurer must have been an active member for one year and have held a position of office or chair for an additional year at a nationally recognized Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers student chapter.
o Secretary, Chapter Ambassador
● Members applying for the positions of Secretary, or Chapter Ambassador must have been an active member for at least one third of the Fall Term, or at the discretion of the current Executive Board.
Section 4. Removal From Office
An officer may be removed from office if that person neglects the duties of their position or violates the organization’s bylaws. In order to remove an officer from an elected position, an officer must recommend the removal from office at an Executive Board meeting or a special meeting, following the club meeting bylaws, when quorum is met, as stated in Article VIII. The officer in question will be notified in writing of the removal from office recommendation, and will be invited to defend their position at the next Executive Board meeting. A vote will be taken at this meeting and shall pass by simple majority approval. Once an officer is removed from office, the procedure for filling a vacancy in Article VI, Section 5, will be implemented.
Article VI. Elections
Section 1. Nominations /Application
Nominations for Executive Board positions shall be made through an application process. First, the member shall be nominated for a position via an online application. Secondly, once the candidate has confirmed their position of interest and has met eligibility requirements, the signature application may begin. The application consists of the applicant’s name, position desired, any prior positions held in the society, and in the following order, fourteen signatures of present members, a signature from the Executive Board member that is not the position they are running for nor the President, a signature from the Executive Board position they are running for, a signature from the President, a signature from an advisor as defined in Article XI, and a signature of acceptance from the applicant. A complete application can be submitted by any member of the society, but a member may only apply for one position. The deadline of this application will be, when campaign speeches are held.
Section 2. Time of Election
Elections shall be announced during a general meeting at least 10 weeks before the last term ends and elections for all officers will take place at general meetings before the annual Awards & Installation Banquet.
Section 3. Procedure
Officers shall be elected by receiving the most votes of active and associate members present at the time of elections. Voting shall be by online ballot and votes will be counted solely by the faculty advisors. In the absence of the faculty advisors, the Executive Board Committee must appoint another impartial person to count the votes. Voting for the officers will continue until an officer is elected for each position.
Section 4. Assumption of Office
Officers shall read the organization’s bylaws and will assume their offices immediately following their installation, which will be held at the Awards & Installation Banquet and will hold that office until the next installation.
Section 5. Vacancies
In the case of the incapacity or the resignation of the President, the External Vice President may be appointed the successor, pending the approval of the Executive Board Committee. The position of the External Vice President will be filled by a member who is selected by the Executive Board Committee with approval, by a quorum vote stated in Article VII, of the membership. In the case of the incapacity or the resignation of any of Vice Presidents, Treasurer, Secretary, or Chapter Ambassador, the position will be filled by a member who is selected by the Executive Board Committee with approval, by a quorum vote, of the membership. Voting will take place at the first available general meeting.
Article VII. Meetings
Section 1. Regular Meetings
o General Meetings
● The organization shall hold a minimum of five meetings per semester.
o Board of Committees Meetings
● The Board of Committees will hold a minimum of one meeting per semester.
o Executive Board Committee Meetings
● The Executive Board Committee will hold a minimum of five meetings per semester. During the summer, a minimum of two meetings is required for the new board.
Section 2. Special Meetings
A quorum must be present at all special meetings and only the business for which a special meeting is called may be transacted at the meeting. Special meetings shall be called by the President or advisor by appointing the Secretary to inform the membership of the day, time, place, and purpose.
Article VIII. Quorum
At a general meeting of the organization, a quorum vote will be represented by a minimum fifth (1/5) of the membership and will pass by simple majority approval.
At an Executive Board meeting of the organization, a quorum will be represented by a minimum two-thirds (2/3) of the board members and will pass by simple majority approval. In the event of a tie, the president shall cast the deciding vote.
Article IX. Committees
Section 1. Eligibility
At the time of assuming responsibility of a committee and during tenure in office, committee members must meet all the eligibility requirements as stated by the university and must maintain a GPA equal to or above 2.2 in all categories.
At the time of assuming office and during tenure in office, a chairperson must be an active member.
Section 2. Procedure
The chairpersons shall be selected by an application process immediately following the installation of the new officers. They will hold their position(s) until the end of the academic year, or until the new board appoints new chairpersons. The Executive Board Committee and the Board of Committees are appointed according to Article V Sections 2 and 3. The committees listed in Article IX Section 3, are required, but the Executive Board retains the right to appoint additional committees. The duties of each committee are subject to the discretion of the Executive Board.
Section 3. Duties of Required Committees
o Executive Board Committee
● This committee will consist of the members in Article V Section 1. The Chairperson for this committee will be the president.
● The Executive Board Committee will be responsible for formulating the intentions and positions of the organization as well as coordinating the various activities of the organization by delegating to the chairpersons of the various committees and members.
o Board of Committees
● This committee will consist of the members in Article V Section 1 and each committee chairperson. The chairs for this committee will be the External Vice President, Internal Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Chapter Ambassador.
● The board of committees will be responsible for coordinating the various activities of the organization by delegating to the members.
o Advancing Careers in Engineering (ACE)
● The ACE committee will be responsible for coordinating all outreach programs. It is also responsible for the submission of all proposals and budgets that are required by the university, SHPE National, and other charitable organizations for the adequate funding of the outreach programs.
o Alumni Relations
● The alumni relations committee may be composed of undergraduate members and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona graduates, who serve as advisors for SHPE. Their duties are to assist the members in furthering chapter development and to maintain open channels of communication with alumni.
o Banquet
● The banquet committee is responsible for planning and organizing the Annual Awards and Installations Banquet.
o Chapter Relations
● The chapter relations committee is responsible for organizing networking events amongst surrounding chapters as well as maintaining open channels of communication with local chapters.
o Community Service
● Community service committee is responsible for the organization of any community outreach and service learning which is not related to the ACE and Junior Chapter outreach.
o Conference
● The conference committee is responsible for the organization of the regional conference and national convention.
o Engineering and Academics
● The engineering and academics committee is responsible for the coordination of all academic and technical related events and projects, which include study groups, workshops, and study sessions.
o Fundraising
● The fundraising committee is responsible for coordinating fundraising activities and providing food for general meetings.
o Industry Relations
● Industry relations committee is responsible for organizing professional networking events and tours as well as maintaining open channels of communication with industry partners.
o Jr. Chapter
● Jr. Chapter is responsible for establishing and maintaining SHPE Jr. Chapters.
o Media Relations
● Media relations is responsible for maintaining and updating the website, advertising club events, and keeping a photography catalog of all events.
o Membership Development
● Membership development committee is responsible for the coordination of socials, intramural sports, and other sports related events.
o MentorSHPE
● MentorSHPE committee is responsible for coordinating and maintaining a mentor/mentee program, as well as organizing supportive events.
o Professional Development
● The professional development committee is responsible for the coordination of events which provide professional and leadership development.
o SHPEtinas
● The SHPEtinas committee is responsible for the coordination of events which support womxn’s technical and leadership development by equipping them with the tools needed to succeed. Along with raising awareness for gender representation and advancement.
Article X. Dues
Dues for the organization will be collected at any general meeting during the year for the potential members desiring annual membership. Dues will be assessed according to the previous year and can be changed by a quorum vote of the Executive Board Committee.
Article XI. Advisor
Section 1. Eligibility
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers shall have an advisor over 21 years of age who shall be a full-time member of the faculty, administration, or staff of the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. The advisor may not be on leave of absence at any time during the term of appointment. Advisors shall not be employees of auxiliary organizations.
Section 2. Selection and Appointment
An advisor shall be selected through a thorough interview process by a panel of active members approved by the Executive Board Committee. All Office of Student Life & Cultural Centers and University policies shall be followed as well.
After an advisor has been nominated by the organization and approved by their Department Head, final approval and actual appointment will be made by the Director of The Office of Student Life & Cultural Centers. If the advisor is the Department Head, then the immediate supervisor would also need to approve before final appointment is made by the Director of The Office of Student Life & Cultural Centers.
Section 3. Duties
The advisor’s responsibilities include attendance and participation in as many organizational meetings and activities as is practical, signing all forms related to the scheduling of activities and the disbursement of funds, and the other duties outlined in Office of Student Life & Cultural Center’s Advisor’s Guide.
Section 4. Removal
The organization’s advisor may be removed from office by a quorum vote of the Executive Board, as described in Article VIII, if they fail to complete the necessary duties.
Article XII. Amendment
Section 1. Means of Amendment
o Proposed Amendments to these bylaws may be submitted to the members by a majority vote of the Executive Board, or by petition to the Executive Board of at least ten active members.
o Bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the membership when quorum, as stated by Article VIII, is present provided that the amendment was introduced in written format at the previous meeting.
o The standing rules and policies may be amended by a simple majority vote when quorum, as stated by Article VIII, is present provided that the amendment was introduced in written format at the previous meeting.
Section 2. Approval
All amendments to the bylaws shall be filed as a public document in the organization’s myBAR page and the Executive Board will alert the Senior Coordinator of Student Life in the Office of Student Life and Cultural Centers via email within 90 calendar days indicating the date and method of adoption. Any amendment(s) which change(s) the purpose or intent of the organization or substantively modify the bylaw’s provisions shall be approved by the University before taking effect.
Section 3. Compliance
o This charter shall not conflict with the By-Laws of the Associated Students, Inc., or with the policies and regulations of the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, the Trustees of the California State University and Colleges, or the State of California. Any stipulations applying to all chartered organizations made by the university shall be considered to be immediately enforceable, whether contained in these Charter Provisions or not.