AMSA Constitution

PREMEDICAL CHAPTER CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

CHARTER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, MERCED
PREMEDICAL CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION

ARTICLE I. NAME

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The name of this organization shall be the American Medical Student Association of the University of California, Merced, herein referred to as AMSA. It is a premedical chapter of the national American Medical Student Association, hereinafter referred to as AMSA National.

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE

AMSA National is committed to improving health care and healthcare delivery to all people; promoting active improvement in medical education; involving its members in the social, moral and ethical obligations of the profession of medicine; assisting in the improvement and understanding of world health problems; contributing to the welfare of medical students, premedical students, interns, residents and post-MD/DO trainees; and advancing the profession of medicine.

AMSA National has four national aspirations to focus the activism of our membership and is dedicated to allocating time, energy, and resources toward fulfilling our goals within these areas:

     1.  Quality, Affordable Healthcare for All

     2.  Global Health Equity

     3.  Enriching Medicine Through Diversity

     4.  Professional Integrity, Development, and Student Well-Being

Please visit the National AMSA website to learn more about our Mission and Aspirations.

UC Merced AMSA is dedicated to fulfilling both local and national objectives as well as to provide information, support, and professional development for future physicians-in-training

    1.  To foster intellectual promise, diversity, and community service in the premedical student, while providing benefits and services that aid future physicians-in-training as they prepare for a career in medicine

    2.  To create activist leaders in health dedicated to serving the underserved and underrepresented population of the San Joaquin Valley

    3.  To inspire students pursuing premedical curricula with a broader perspective, appreciation, and understanding of their chosen major

    4.  To establish a peer support group that fosters an environment of camaraderie and guidance to help students avoid the pitfalls and common stressors that accompany the premedical undergraduate career

    5.  To provide students with the opportunities to network nationally with other premedical students, medical students, residents, and medical professionals

These objectives seek to optimize undergraduate candidacy for medical school through work in activism, leadership, research, academic excellence, journalism, tutorship, mentorship, and clinical and nonclinical volunteering.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

A. Eligibility

Students enrolled at UC Merced who are either current members of AMSA National or in the process of applying to AMSA National, and have paid current chapter dues shall be considered members of AMSA.  Members of above named organization shall be accepted without discrimination on basis of race, religion, national origin, disability, sex, sexual preference, age, creed, marital status, parental status or veterans status.  Furthermore, it is understood that members of the above organization will not, at any time, engage in hazing.

B. Privilege of Membership

Members have the right to attend AMSA-sponsored meetings and events.

C. Privacy

Member information is to be kept confidential and for administrative use only. If a separate party wishes to advertise to our organization, they may contact any officer and collaborate to reach out to any of our members.

D. Dues

Local chapter dues and late fees shall be determined by the incumbent officers.

E. Membership Ladder

To be considered an active member of our chapter per semester, all members, inclusive of officers, shall

Attend one general meeting

Participate in two chapter-sponsored events, one of which must be a chapter-sponsored fundraising event

Complete five community service hours

Complete five AMSA Study hours

To be considered a Bronze Member of our chapter per semester, all members, inclusive of officers, shall

Attend 40% of general meetings

One additional chapter-sponsored event

Complete ten service hours

Complete ten AMSA Study hours

To be considered a Silver Member of our chapter per semester, all members, inclusive of officers, shall

Attend 60% of general meetings

Two additional chapter-sponsored events

Complete fifteen service hours

Complete fifteen AMSA Study hours

To be considered a Gold Member of our chapter per semester, all members, inclusive of officers, shall

Attend 80% of general meetings

Three additional chapter-sponsored events

Complete twenty service hours

Complete twenty AMSA Study hours

ARTICLE IV. LEADERSHIP

A. Titles

Leadership in UC Merced AMSA shall consist of President, Vice President of Membership, Vice President of Communication, Vice President of Finance, Director of Education, Director of Outreach, Director of External Events, and Director of Internal Events.

B. Eligibility for Leadership Candidacy

Any member shall be eligible to run in the election process provided that he or she:

Has attained active membership in the fall semester prior to the spring election

Completes the Leadership Application for said process

Has a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 verified by the Elections Board

Submits a CV and tentative class schedule to the Elections Board

Interviews with the Elections Board for application review

C. Elections

Chapter officers for a given academic year shall be elected by ballot and inducted by the end of the April of the previous academic year.  A majority vote of general members present shall be necessary to elect.

D. Vacancies of Offices

In the event of a vacancy of office, the President shall appoint.  In the event of a vacancy of the presidency, the Vice President of Membership shall temporarily assume the role as acting President.

E. Inductions

The outgoing President shall administer the oath of every newly elected officer of the board.

“I ___(name)___ do solemnly affirm that I will faithfully execute the office of ___(officer position)___, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the American Medical Student Association at the University of California, Merced.”

F. Responsibilities of the Officers

1. The President shall

Serve as a chapter delegate to the AMSA National, or select a proxy if he or she cannot

Call, oversee, and adjourn meetings, elections, inductions, and impeachments

Write and require written semester reports from all officers

Serve as one of two financial signatories to the Office of Student Life, along with the Vice President of Finance

Maintain order at chapter meetings and events

Collaborate with Vice President of Finance to approve chapter budgets

Delegate tasks and create projects that advance chapter objectives

2. The Vice President of Membership shall

Assume the duties of the President, if the President is unable to

Assist the President in meetings, elections, inductions, and impeachments

Have jurisdiction over and maintain records of membership information, involvement, and attendance

Organize and manage chapter storage of all supplies

3. The Vice President of Finance shall

Serve as one of two financial signatories to the Office of Student Life, along with the President

Have jurisdiction over chapter apparel including, but not limited to, T-shirts, graduation stoles, national pins

Have jurisdiction over and maintain records of all chapter finances

Advise fundraising committees and oversee fundraising projects

Safeguard petty cash and chapter bank accounts

Serve as representative to the Inter-Club Council (ICC) and ASUCM, or appoint proxies

Have jurisdiction over financial bills and grants in regard to ICC, ASUCM, and sponsors

4. The Vice President of Communications shall

Prepare and make accessible meeting minutes, powerpoints, resources, etc.

Establish and maintain the chapter organizational means including, but not limited to,calendar, listserv, website, etc

Maintain chapter documents and reports

Publicize meetings and events via email, physical means, social media

Oversee committees within AMSA

5. The Director of Education shall

Have jurisdiction over educating members about AMSA National’s mission and aspirations

Coordinate the Premedical Rx

Have jurisdiction over establishing and facilitating educational committees

Provide members with academic support in regard to services, programs, and scholarships

Have jurisdiction over establishing and facilitating academic committees

Coordinate the AMSA Narrative

6. The Director of Outreach

Receive and coordinate collaborations within the city of Merced to establish community service opportunities for membership

Have jurisdiction over and maintain records of chapter volunteerism

Have jurisdiction over establishing and facilitating community-centered committees

7. The Director of External Events shall

Organize and oversee the coordination of all chapter events that include collaboration/involvement with other organizations within or outside of UC Merced.

Coordinate and document any activities pertaining to chapter travel, along with organizing officers if applicable

Have jurisdiction over establishing and facilitating external event coordination committees

8.  The Director of Internal Events shall

Organize and oversee the coordination of all chapter events that are intended only for AMSA’s general body membership

Coordinate and document any activities pertaining to member bonding or chapter strengthening

Have jurisdiction over establishing and facilitating internal event coordination committees

G. Voting Powers of Officers

All officers retain voting rights. Officers submitting proposals may not vote for the proposals that they present.

H. Impeachment of Officers

Officers can be removed from office by both a two-thirds majority vote of officers and two-thirds majority vote of the active membership. The President or Vice President of Membership may call an impeachment one week after a written request for impeachment with reasons is submitted to the either the President or Vice President of Membership by any officer or member. Officers who receive the two-thirds majority for conviction shall be removed from office.  Such officers must forfeit all previous officer powers granted by this Constitution, return the officer email to the incumbent leadership, and forfeit the right to run in any special election for the remainder of the academic year in which they are removed.

ARTICLE V. MEETINGS

A. General Meeting Structure

Welcome

Meeting Topic

Announcements

Committee Meeting

Adjourn

B. Officer Meeting Structure

Welcome

Open Forum Meeting

Closed Officer Meeting

Adjourn

C. Quorum

Quorum for general meetings and all elections shall be 50%+1 of the active membership, inclusive of officers, provided that proper notice is given.  Quorum for officer meetings shall consist of 50%+1 of the voting members.  Webinars may be used to fulfill quorum.

ARTICLE VI. COMMITTEES

To create and maintain a chapter committee, members of said committee must, in writing,

State the committee name

State the committee purpose

State the committee members

State the assisting officer(s), if applicable

State the committee leader(s), if applicable

State established or in-progress goals and projects

State that the committee is open to all chapter members

State that committee members must be official members; national and local.

State that committee members asking ASUCM for funding under the American Medical Student Association at UC Merced to be active members.

to the Vice President of Communications upon creation of the committee and in regard to ongoing goals and projects.  Committees are encouraged to present their work regularly to the general body membership during General Meetings.

ARTICLE VII. FINANCES

The President and Vice President of Finance shall have jurisdiction over chapter finances, with a budget to be established and maintained by the Vice President of Finance.  All funds must be spent on organizational purposes only.  Budgets must be approved by the Vice President of Finance.  Expenditures exceeding set budgets may not be reimbursed.  Receipts or proofs of purchase must be submitted to the Vice President of Finance within seventy-two hours of expenditures.  In the event of chapter dissolution, funds shall remain the property of UC Merced AMSA under the university agency account.  All privately obtained funds shall be donated to a non-profit organization.

ARTICLE VIII. ADVISOR

Our chapter shall have a minimum of one local advisor and one national advisor per given term.  The local advisor must be a faculty or staff member of UC Merced and has a sincere interest and commitment to the welfare of the chapter.  AMSA National annually elects a regional director, who shall serve as the national advisor for our chapter in a given academic year.

ARTICLE IX. EXTERNAL AFFILIATIONS

The Premedical Chapter of the American Medical Student Association at the University of California, Merced, is affiliated with the national American Medical Student Association.  Governed by both local and national laws, as well as those by the University of California, Merced Office of Student Life, our chapter is free to govern itself under the guidelines set forth. The national American Medical Student Association is located at the following address:

1902 Association Drive

Reston, VA 20191

1-800-767-2266 | members@amsa.org

ARTICLE X. AMENDMENTS

This constitution may be amended at any General Meeting by both a 50%+1 majority vote of the incumbent officers and a 50%+1 majority vote of active members present at the time of an amendment proposal, provided that the amendment proposed has been submitted in writing to the officers at an Open Forum at least one week prior.  Additional articles and amendments may be included only if they are in consonance with the current Constitution and Bylaws.