Upsilon Pi Epsilon

Computer Science honors society at the University of Texas at Arlington

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Constitution

Table of Contents:

Article I: Name and Object
Article II: Purpose
Article III: Membership
Article IV: Consultants
Article V: Executive Council
Article VI: Meetings
Article VII: Cost of Membership
Article VIII: Committees
Article IX: Affiliations
Article X: Advisor
Article XI: Rules and Regulations
Article XII: Ratification and Amendment
Bylaws
Article I: Scope of the Bylaws
Article II: Election of Officers
Article III: Procedure of Meetings
Article IV: Finances
Article V: Initiation
Article VI: Committee
Article VII: Cost of Membership
Article VIII: Election of Members
Article IX: Adoption and Amendment

Article I: Name and Object

1. The name of this organization shall be Upsilon Pi Epsilon, Texas Gamma Chapter, an honor society for the computing sciences.

2. The Texas Gamma Chapter of the Association shall be located at the University of Texas at Arlington.

3. The Texas Gamma Chapter, hereafter referred to as the "Chapter", shall be governed by this Constitution, together with amendments to the same, and by the Bylaws enacted to provide for those governmental functions of a more routine nature.

4. The Bylaws of this chapter shall be adopted and changes thereto enacted by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the active members of the chapter.

5. The provisions of this constitution shall be subordinate to those of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Association.

Article II: Purpose

1. The purpose of the Texas Gamma Chapter of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Association shall be the promotion of high scholarship and original investigation in the field of computer and information science.

Article III: Membership

1. This Chapter shall consist of members and honorary members.

2. The membership of the Chapter shall be made up of individuals whose academic achievements, reputation and creative abilities deserve recognition, and whose membership would enhance the stature of the Association. Specifically, the membership shall include graduate and undergraduate students, former students, and faculty in Computer Science and Information Systems and Management Sciences, hereafter known as the Computing Sciences, at the University of Texas at Arlington, elected according to the procedures detailed in Article VIII of the Bylaws of this Constitution.

3. Honorary members shall be individuals of distinguished achievement in the Computing Sciences.

4. Eligibility for membership shall not be restricted according to race, creed, color, sex, nationality origins, disability, age, veteran status, or sexual orientation.

5. The active membership of this Chapter of the Association shall consist of those members who satisfy attendance requirements set forth in Article XI of this Constitution. The privilege of voting in membership elections and participation in other official functions of the Chapter shall be restricted to active members.

6. Inactive members of this Chapter of the Association shall consist of all those members not otherwise considered active.

7. The maximum number of members shall not be limited.

8. Membership should not be offered to a particular individual a second time if that individual for any reason, with the exception of hardship cases, has previously declined such membership.

Article IV: Consultants

1. This Chapter may recognize alumni and honorary affiliates as consultants for the purpose of extending assistance in areas directly related to Chapter activities, fund-raising, ceremonies, and promotions of the Chapter.

2. Consultants may not hold an office within the Chapter, nor shall they vote on any matter before the Executive Council.

Article V: Executive Council

1. The Executive Council of the Chapter shall consist of faculty advisors from each of the departments represented and the following elected officers: President, Vice-President, two Secretaries, one from each department represented, and Treasurer.

2. The duties of the President shall be to call and preside at all meetings, to appoint committees. The President of the Chapter shall appoint a standing committee on eligibility and membership upon his or her installation, which shall serve until his or her successor takes office.

3. The duties of the Vice President shall be to perform the duties of President in the absence of the President. He or she shall also become President in case of the resignation or disability of the President. In addition, he or she shall be responsible for the coordination of committees and the proper conduct of meetings.

4. The duties of each Secretary shall be to keep records of all transactions of the Chapter, and in particular, to keep the minutes of the meetings. Additionally they will be responsible for the handling of all correspondence for the Chapter.

5. The duties of the Treasurer shall be to collect all dues and assessments and to issue, with the assistance of the Secretary, notices of special assessments. He or she shall have charge of all funds of the Chapter and shall pay there from bills presented against the Chapter and approved for payment by the Executive council.

6. The Faculty Advisor shall be a members of one of the Computing Science programs. The duties of the Faculty Advisor shall be to consult on matters of Chapter policy and to act as auditor of Chapter finances. He or she shall also be the presiding member of the Membership Committee.

7. Election of officers shall be held in accordance with Article II of the Bylaws.

Article VI: Meetings

1. There shall be at least one Chapter business meeting and one social, literary, or technical meeting each long semester.

2. Special meetings may be called by the President, the Executive Council, or by petition of one-third of the active membership of the Chapter.

3. A quorum shall consist of one-third of the active members of the Chapter in the conduct of the business of the Chapter, except for the election of officers and new members, at which three-quarters of the active members of the Chapter must be present. Rules of a quorum may be suspended by a vote of four-fifths of the entire Executive Council.

4. All Chapter meetings shall be conducted in accordance with procedures outlined in Article III of the Bylaws.

Article VII: Cost of Membership

1. Each initiate shall be required to pay all dues and initiation fees prior to his or her initiation.

2. Special consideration for hardship cases shall be considered by the Executive Council when it is shown that all other requirements for membership have been met and an undue burden would be placed upon the candidate.

3. Cost of membership shall be of the amount stated in Article VII of the Bylaws.

Article VIII: Committees

1. The President shall appoint any committee deemed necessary by the Executive Council to handle the affairs of the Chapter.

Article IX: Affiliations

1. UPE is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS).

2. Special temporary partnerships with other organizations and businesses with similar goals may be formed by the Executive Council in order to accomplish the Chapters purpose as stated in Article II of this constitution.

Article X: Advisor

1. There shall be an Advisor to the Chapter selected each of the departments represented whose duties shall be as described in Article V of this Constitution.

2. Acceptance of the Faculty Advisor shall be by two-thirds of the active membership.

3. The termination of service of the Faculty Advisor shall be by resignation, submitted to and the Executive Council of the Chapter or by replacement by the Executive Council.

Article XI: Rules and Regulations

1. This Chapter will function in accordance with all University rules and regulations.

2. Active members shall be required to attend all meetings of the Chapter.

Article XII: Ratification and Amendment

1. This Constitution shall become effective immediately upon ratification by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the invited charter initiates and the Membership Committee of the whole.

2. This Constitution shall remain in effect until revised or amended.

3. Any member of the Chapter at a regular or special meeting may propose amendments to this Constitution. The proposed amendment shall be discussed and a vote for further discussion shall be taken; a simple majority of the active members present shall determine that consideration. On approval, the proposed amendment shall be formally framed by the Executive Council.

4. Amendments framed according to the previous section shall be circulated to the entire active membership of the Chapter, together with appropriate commentaries and a written secret ballot. The ballots will be returned to the Secretary within two weeks of distribution. The Secretary and Vice-President shall tally the votes and make the results of the balloting public at the following regular meeting of the Chapter.

5. A two-thirds favorable vote of the returned ballots shall be required for ratification of each amendment.

6. The amendment shall become effective immediately upon announcement of the results of the ratification election.

Bylaws

Article I: Scope of the Bylaws

1. These Bylaws shall govern the conduct of the Chapter in those matters not specifically treated in the Constitution.

2. Provisions of these Bylaws shall be subordinate to those of the Constitution.

Article II: Election of Officers

1. The officers of the Chapter shall be elected during the spring semester, immediately after the election of new members.

2. Newly elected officers will assume their duties upon installation, which is to take place immediately the first official day of the semester following their election.

3. In order to be eligible to hold office, the President must have been active in the Chapter for at least one semester.

4. The officers of this Chapter shall be elected by secret ballot.

5. Officers may be elected to a single office for no more than two consecutive terms.

6. If an officer other than the President is incapable of completing their term in office, that office shall be filled by appointment by the President until the next initiation period at which point a special election will be held.

7. If the President is unable to complete the full term of office, the Vice-President shall assume duties as President and shall appoint a replacement for the aforementioned office until the next initiation period at which point a special election will be held.

8. An office filled by a special election will be for a term lasting until the next official election.

9. Officers shall be elected from Chapter members.

Article III: Procedure of Meetings

1. Meetings will be held as scheduled during the spring and fall semesters as stated in Article VI of the Constitution.

2. Except as specifically stated in the Constitution and Bylaws, the parliamentary guide for the conduct of all meetings shall be current Robert's Rules of Order.

3. The order of conduct of a regular meeting shall be as follows:

1. Call to order

2. Roll call

3. Reading of minutes

4. Committee reports

5. Unfinished business

6. New business

7. Program or technical session (optional)

8. Adjournment

4. Notification of all active members shall be given by the Secretary one week prior to a special meeting. The notification shall state the purpose of the meeting.

5. No business other than that which the meeting was called for shall be conducted at a special meeting.

6. Any member who misses four consecutive meetings, shall automatically revert to inactive status.

7. Restoration of a member to active status shall be by affirmative vote of a majority of the active members present.

Article IV: Finances

1. A financial record showing all Chapter monies shall be kept by the Chapter Treasurer. The record shall be maintained up-to-date and available at all times. The faculty advisor shall be allowed to audit all financial records at his or her discretion.

2. The minimum cash balance at the end of each school year shall be fifty dollars. Any deficiency from this amount shall be made up by an assessment of the active members.

3. One-week prior to the election of officers, the Treasurer shall submit to the President and faculty advisor a written statement of the financial condition of the Chapter. At the election meeting, this will be submitted to the Chapter and entered into the minutes upon acceptance by the Chapter.

4. Special assessments may be made at any time, upon approval by two-thirds of the active members of the Chapter.

Article V: Initiation

1. The initiation of new members shall be held no later than the 14^th week of the semester in which they are elected.

2. The initiation shall specifically avoid any practice, which conflicts with University of Texas at Arlington regulations or which constitutes an attack on the personal dignity of the initiates. The activities shall be devised to stimulate the candidate's interest in the Computer Sciences and to acquaint them better with the members of the Chapter.

Article VI: Committee

1. The Membership Committee shall consist of the Executive Council and at least two additional faculty members appointed by the Executive Council as stated in the bylaws. The termination of service of the members of the Membership Committee shall be by resignation, submitted to and accepted by the Executive Council of the Chapter or by replacement of member by the Executive Council. The Membership Committee shall be responsible for the screening of students who meet the scholastic eligibility requirements of the Association and shall recommend for election those they deem otherwise qualified.

Article VII: Cost of Membership

1. Cost of Membership shall not be more than twenty dollars above that of the national fees.

2. Cost of Membership shall not increase without a two-thirds affirmative vote of active members.
   

Article VIII: Election of Members

1. There shall be two elections of new members each year, once in the spring semester and again in the fall semester, both should take place before the fourteenth week of the semesters.

2. Eligible students will be those who meet the minimum requirements as stated in Article III of the Constitution in addition to the following requirements.

1. An undergraduate student must be a candidate for an undergraduate degree in one of the Computing Sciences and have been accepted into the upper division of that program. Undergraduates must have an overall minimum grade point average of 3.5.

2. A graduate student must be a candidate for a graduate degree one of the Computing Sciences and must have completed at least one half of the degree program. Graduate students must have an overall grade point average of at least 3.7 exclusive of research and seminar courses, and must obtain a written letter of endorsement from their graduate advisor.

3. Faculty must have been in responsible charge of development, preparation, or presentation of courses, or in charge of research in the field of computer and information science. Achievements in research and teaching rather than scholastic achievements shall determine eligibility for a faculty member. A faculty member must have been teaching in a field of the Computing Sciences at the University of Texas at Arlington for at least one year in order to be eligible for membership.

4. Former students, who at the time of their completion of a degree in one of the Computing Sciences satisfied the grade point average and class rank requirements of subsections a or b of this section shall be eligible for election to membership in this Chapter of the Association.

3. Students, former students and faculty members who do not qualify under the provisions of the previous subsections, but whose achievements in and contributions to the Computing Sciences qualify them, in the view of the Membership Committee, shall be eligible for election to membership in the Association.

4. The Membership Committee shall prepare a list of all eligible candidates, ordered with faculty members first, followed by students ranked according to decreasing grade point average.

5. The Membership Committee shall review all candidates for election to membership, qualified according to Article III of the Constitution. Those reported favorably by the Committee shall be proposed for election.

6. Each candidate must be discussed individually by name, and the balloting for his or her election shall be carried out before the next candidate is considered. If a candidate fails a first ballot, he or she may be discussed further, and a second and final vote shall be taken.

7. Election of a candidate to membership shall be by the majority affirmative vote by the members present and voting.

8. The names of those elected to membership shall be given to the Secretary, who shall then issue them invitations to become members of the Association, and of this Chapter.

9. Failure of member-elect to notify the Chapter of his or her acceptance of the invitation to membership within two weeks of its issuance shall constitute notice of refusal.

Article IX: Adoption and Amendment

1. These Bylaws shall become effective immediately upon adoption.

2. These Bylaws shall remain in effect until revised or amended.

3. A provision of these Bylaws may be temporarily suspended by a two-thirds vote of the active membership of the Chapter.

4. A two-thirds affirmative vote of the active membership of the Chapter shall be required for the adoption of an amendment to these Bylaws, however, a four-fifths vote within the Executive Council may suspend the bylaws.

5. These Bylaws shall be kept current by pen and ink correction and insertion of supplementary sheets, when such is necessary.

UPE Sponsoring Faculty

• Dr. Barasch
• Dr. Reyes

Links

• UPE National Organization
• ACM National Organization
• Joint Council of Engineering Organizations @ UTA
• ACM@UTA
• UT Arlington