Bylaws

RENEWABLE ENERGY INITIATIVE COMMITTEE BYLAWS

ARTICLE I: STUDENT COMMITTEE MEMBER REQUIREMENTS

Section 1: Student Commitment

  1. Student members must commit to a minimum of one year, and a maximum of two academic years of service within the ASUREI committee.
  2. Student members may not miss more than one monthly committee meeting per semester. At the time of the second absence, disciplinary action may be taken.

Section 2: Equal representation

  1. In order to best represent the student body, the committee will include members from three of the six colleges and schools at Appalachian State University which are: the College of Arts and Sciences, Reich College of Education, Walker College of Business, the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Hayes School of Music, and the Cratis D. Williams Graduate School.
    1. Students will go through the standard application process to fill these positions

Section 3: The SGA Appointed Student Member

  1. The SGA appointed member has the ability to vote on:
    1. New student member applicants
    2. Positions student members hold within the committee
    3. All other committee voting topics
  2. The SGA appointed member is subject to the same absence and conflict resolution regulations as the other student committee members
    1. If an SGA appointed member resigns or is discharged, the SGA will be responsible for finding a new person to fill the position.

Section 4: Mandatory Committee Positions to Fill

  1. All Committee members have the ability to vote on:
    1. New student member applicants
    2. Positions student members hold within the committee
    3. All other committee voting topics
  2. Other than the SGA appointed member, the following positions should be filled with at least one member at all times:
    1. Chair
      1. This position should be filled by a member that has served for at least one semester.
    2. Vice Chair
      1. This position should be filled by a member that has served for at least one semester.
    3. Public Relations
    4. Secretary
    5. Treasurer
    6. Grant Master
  3. It is recommended that the following positions be filled as well:
    1. Data Management
      1. In the event that this position cannot be filled, the duties of this roll will fall under the Vice Chair.
    2. Web Master
      1. In the event that this position cannot be filled, the duties of this roll will fall under the Public Relations Officer.
  4. The committee may add needed positions at any time and can have more than one person serving in a position, given that all other positions have been filled.

ARTICLE II: EXCESSIVE ABSENCES

Section 1: Absences Leading to Member Dismissal

  1. At the time a student member has a second absence from a monthly committee meeting in a semester, the committee can opt to vote during the meeting to ask the absent student to relinquish or defend her or his position within the committee.
    1. The committee Chair will notify the absent member in question and will give her or him the opportunity to voluntarily resign or present her or his defense at the next monthly meeting.
    2. If the student chooses to defend her or his position at the next meeting, the presentation will be added to the next monthly agenda.
    3. After defending her or his position to the committee, the student member can participate in the committees vote on her or his status.
  2. A student that is absent from more than two committee meetings in a semester can be dismissed from the committee without a defense statement or the chance to vote on the decision.
    1. A motion will be made during the meeting of the third absence.
    2. The motion will be put up for discussion and voted on by the present members.

Section 2: Committee Voting on Student Members Defense of Excessive Absences

  1. If the committee votes in favor of keeping the student, committee activities will continue as normal.
  2. If the committee votes in opposition of keeping the student, it will be at the committees discretion as to when the open position will be filled.

ARTICLE III: STUDENT MEMBER CONFLICTS LEADING TO DISMISSAL

  1. If a student member feels that there is a conflict with another member that should lead to the students dismissal; that student, called the concerned student, may contact the Chair of the committee and her or his own faculty advisor and arrange to make a meeting with the conflicting student.
    1. The conflicting student and her or his faculty advisor, the Chair of the committee, and the concerned student and her or his faculty advisor should all be present at the arranged meeting.
    2. Both the conflicting student and the concerned student have the opportunity to opt out of inviting her or his faculty advisor, at which time the advisor is no longer required to be present.
  2. During this meeting each party should have the chance to present her or his case and have open discussion; the Chair will act as the meeting mediator.
  3. If peaceful resolution cannot be obtained from this meeting, the discussion will be brought to the entire committee; a special meeting may be requested.
  4. If two members voice the same complaint against another member, the discussion will come before the entire committee; a special meeting may be requested.

ARTICLE IV: RESIGNATIONS

Section 1: Individual Student Member Resignations

A. A student member that chooses to resign during their term must do so by contacting the committee Chair and signing an official resignation form.

ARTICLE V: SELECTING NEW STUDENT MEMBERS

Section 1: Filling a student position for a member who has completed their term (Standard Application Process)

  1. A two week application acceptance period must be given.
  2. At the end of the two week period, a 2/3 quorum of student members will meet to review applications and select the applicants that will be interviewed.
  3. The applicants will either be contacted with their invitation to an interview, or with a personalized letter explaining what the committee found to be their strengths and weaknesses and an explanation of why they were not invited to an interview.
  4. A 2/3 quorum of student members are also required to be present during the interviews
  5. After the interview process is completed, a 2/3 student quorum will meet to decide on who will be invited to join the committee.
    1. If the approval of an applicant is unanimous, voting does not have to take place.
    2. If there is a disagreement among the student members, a majority vote will take place after a period of open discussion.
    3. Minutes will be taken for the discussions in which new members are chosen, only the final invited members will be named within the minutes. The total number of applicants, the number selected for interviews, and the final number of new members chosen will be included in these minutes.
  6. The members serving as the initial 2/3 student member quorum should remain present throughout the interview process, but all student members are strongly encouraged to participate in the interview process.
  7. The SGA appointed student member is able to vote during the new member application process.

Section 2: Filling a student position for a member who has resigned

  1. A university wide application process must happen in order to fill a resigned members position.
  2. The application process will follow the same guidelines as the process for replacing a member who has completed her or his term.

Section 3: Spring Application Process

  1. Dates for the application process will be set at the first meeting of the spring each semester. Dates set will include:
    1. Fall/Spring Open Forum date
    2. Two week application acceptance period, which must end before Spring Break
    3. Application review and interview period
    4. End date of application process
  2. It is recommended that new members must sit-in on one spring semester meeting during the semester they wish to apply.
  3. Official duties of new members begin at the end of the last meeting of the spring semester.

ARTICLE VI: FACULTY AND STAFF MEMBERS

Section 1: Faculty member term

  1. The APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY- Renewable Energy Initiative and its constituent committee require three Appalachian State University faculty members to sit on the ASUREI general committee as advisers. The term is for three years. Faculty members may be reappointed.

Section 2: Faculty member recommendations

  1. The committee will present a list of recommended faculty members to the faculty senate. The faculty senate shall request a statement of intent and qualifications from the faculty candidates and then hold a general vote for unoccupied faculty positions on the ASUREI committee.
    1. It is required that both the College of Arts and Science and the College of Fine and Applied Arts be represented at the faculty level.
  2. This does not preclude any faculty residing in other colleges from candidacy for and membership on the ASUREI Committee.

Section 3: University Staff

  1. In addition to faculty members, the ASUREI Committee must also have representation from Appalachian State University's office of Design and Construction and the Physical Plant. These representatives may be appointed by their respective supervisors and/or their assigns. The term is for three years.

ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENTS

  1. Amendments can be made to any of the bylaws by any member presenting a case for a change during a formal meeting. Open discussion will follow the presentation, followed by a formal vote on whether or not amendments will be made. Included in the voting decision will be who is responsible for writing the revisions and when the revisions will be voted on to be included in the bylaws.