Constitution for Buzzin’ for Babies at Georgia Tech
Created January 11, 2023
Article I – Name
This organization will be known as Buzzin’ for Babies at the Georgia Institute of Technology (a.k.a. Georgia Tech or GT).
Article II – Purpose
Buzzin’ for Babies is a Civic Engagement Organization whose purpose is to support the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Southern Regional Medical Center, a not-for-profit hospital just south of Atlanta. “In Clayton Country,” Southern’s “primary service area, 21.5% live below the federal poverty level.” [1] Largely because of this, in 2020, the hospital provided “$87.5 million dollars in the delivery of charity and uncompensated medical care.” [1] Southern’s NICU is a hospital ward providing such free care that is equipped and staffed to administer intensive care to critically ill or premature newborn babies. In addition to the extensive specialized medical attention these babies require, they still need such basic things as regular feedings, diaper changes, and simple nuturing. Without outside help, highly-trained NICU nurses have to take on these plethora of tasks, usually for multiple infants, which makes it more challenging for these professionals to attend to other more medically-related duties. With a bit of proper training, volunteers can assist the nursing staff with these simple but vital jobs. With its long history of community service, Georgia Tech and its students are perfectly positioned to fill some of these volunteer roles in this nearby special place. Buzzin’ for Babies will facilitate this volunteerism from Georgia Tech students to aid Southern Regional in meeting the healthcare needs of its youngest patients.
[1] “Southern Regional Medical Center Community Health Needs Assessement,” Southern Regional Medical Center, 2022, p. 2.
Article III - Membership Requirements
Members of Buzzin’ for Babies will be Georgia Tech students who meet eligibility requirements for participation in extra-curricular activities as stated in the GT Catalog. Only Georgia Tech students can vote or hold office.
There will be no maximum number of Members.
Membership will take effect when an interested party signs the membership roster.
Article IV - Officers
Section 1. Officer Requirements
According to the GT Catalog, students can only run for and hold office if they are eligible for student organization membership as stated in the Catalog. The Organization must maintain, at a minimum, the Officer roles as outlined in the GT Center for Student Engagement Registered Student Organization policy.
Section 2. Officer Roles and Descriptions
An Executive Board comprised of Officers will govern the activities of the Organization, and the specific duties of the Officers will be as follows:
President/Senior Executive Officer: The President will be the senior executive officer of the Executive Board and the main representative of Buzzin’ for Babies and will have general supervision of the affairs of the Organization. The president will schedule and will preside over all events and meetings; will serve a liaison role, maintaining contact with Southern Regional Medical Center personnel and Georgia Tech personnel; will facilitate training experiences for new and current Members; will preside over future Officer elections; will attend any training programs required of officers in student organizations held by Georgia Tech; and will maintain close ties of communication with Organization Members and other Executive Board Members.
Vice-President: The Vice-President will be the junior executive officer and will act on the behalf of the President in the event of their absence from Organization events. The Vice-President will also collaborate with the President and other Officers in executing the duties of their respective offices.
Secretary: The Secretary will record the proceedings of each Organization meeting, distribute the meeting minutes to the Members, and maintain the Organization membership roster and email distribution list. The Secretary will, no later than two (2) weeks before the first day of final examinations in the spring semester, complete and submit the following to the Center for Student Engagement: an “Annual Registration application,” the “Senior Executive Officer” form, and the “RSO’s Advisor form.” The Secretary will also update and/or maintain as needed any necessary information/documentation within Georgia Tech’s digital student organization management system (the RSO Engage Portal) and any social media groups or sites maintained by the Organization. This documentation will include current copies of this Constitution and a current roster of at least five (5) Georgia Tech student members (including, minimally among the officers, the President and the Treasurer) and the Organization Advisor.
Treasurer: The Treasurer will serve as the finance officer and will maintain records of any revenue and expenditures and ensure that generally accepted accounting practices and monetary controls are in place, should the Organization handle any monies. The Treasurer will collect dues should Organizatinal Members vote to begin collecting dues. The Treasurer will, no later than two (2) weeks before the first day of final examinations in the spring semester, complete and submit the “Finance Officer” form to the Center for Student Engagement. At the direction of the President, the Treasurer will also prepare and submit in the proper time frame and manner an Annual Budget Request (and any subsequent required appeals to same) to the Joint Finance Committee of the Student Government Association in the event the Organization elects to pursue obtaining an allocation of Student Activity Fee funds. The Treasurer will submit this Annual Budget Request via the online budget system by 11:59 P.M. EST on Friday of the twelfth week of the fall semester. As well, the Treasurer will also attend one of the Budget Orientation Sessions held by the JFC during the fall semester as this is a requirement for any organization submitting a request for funds.
Article V - Officer Selections
Section 1. Selections Timeline
The selections for Officers for the forthcoming year will take place in the spring semester no later than one (1) month before final examinations begin.
All positions within the Executive Board will be opened to all eligible Members for the selection process.
Applications and rubrics for the Executive positions will be released to all Members at least two (2) weeks prior to the application deadline.
New Officers take office upon selection or at the last meeting of the spring semester (whichever comes earlier) and remain in office until the next selection.
Section 2. Officer Selections Procedures
The current Executive Board as well as two (2) “at-large” Members of the Organization chosen by the President will comprise an “augmented” Executive Board and select the next Executive Board Members.
If a simple majority of the augmented Executive Board has applied for the same or different Officer position, the selections process will revert to a simple elections process as outlined in Art V. Section 3.
Returning officers cannot vote on the position for which they are running.
Applicants will be scored based on their written application and verbal interview.
Interviews will be conducted by the current augmented Executive Board, and decisions will be made through a majority vote of the augmented Board Members.
If a resolution for a position cannot be reached, the other positions will be selected, and the selected incoming Officers will be included in the next vote.
No Member can be selected to more than one (1) position on the Executive Board at a time.
If a position remains unfilled after the selections process, the incoming Senior Executive Officer will appoint a Member to the position or re-assign duties to another Officer.
Section 3. Simple Elections Process
Any eligible student Member may campaign or be nominated for any position on the Executive Board. The candidate names will be distributed to Organization Members at least 24 hours prior to the election meeting.
The candidate for each office receiving a majority vote of Members at the elections meeting will be considered the victor. If no candidate receives a majority vote, then there will be a run-off between the two candidates with the most votes. The candidate who receives the most votes will be the victor. If there is a tie, the highest-ranking outgoing Officer (as listed in Article IV, Section 2) not involved in the run-off will make the final decision. No Member can be elected to more than one position on the Executive Board at one time.
Article VI - Officer Removal
Section 1. Officer Removal Process
If an Officer fails to maintain Institute requirements as stated in the GT Catalog and Article IV Section 1, they shall resign immediately.
If it is believed that an Officer is not fulfilling their constitutional duties, then a petition requesting their removal must be signed by at least half of the voting Organizational Membership or Executive Board and presented at a general meeting. Then, upon verification of the validity of the petition by the Advisor and at least two (2) weeks, but no more than four (4) weeks from the date of submission, another meeting shall be held at which the grievance will be presented, with both sides having the opportunity to present a case.
The Advisor, if appropriate, shall preside over the removal hearing. After all arguments have been heard, a secret-ballot vote shall be held. If at least two-thirds of the voting Members present vote for removal, the Officer shall be removed immediately.
Section 2. Officer Vacancies
If the President is removed or resigns, the Vice-President will take their place in the interim until the next election cycle.
All other Officers will be nominated by the Organizational Membership and voted on in accordance with Article V at the next meeting. In this case, the victor will take office immediately following the election and will fulfill the term of the Officer that he/she is replacing.
Article VII - Member Removal
Membership of any kind, including specific privileges, can be revoked for failure to maintain membership requirements as stated in this Constitution. The Organization must strive to maintain the highest levels of objectivity in both setting membership requirements and in the process to remove a Member.
If it is believed that a Member has failed to maintain membership requirements, then a petition requesting a membership review must be signed by at least half of the voting membership or Executive Board and presented at an Executive Board meeting. Then, upon verification of the validity of the petition by the Advisor and at least two (2) weeks, but no more than four (4) weeks from the date of submission, another meeting shall be held at which the grievance will be presented, with both sides having the opportunity to present a case.
The decision-making process for Member removal must be explicitly outlined in the Organization’s meeting minutes.
If the membership review reveals that the Member has not maintained the membership requirements, then the Executive Board will 1) place the Member on a probationary status and 2) outline the objective criteria, including a timeline no shorter than two (2) business weeks, the Member must meet to remove the probationary status.
If at least 2/3 of the Executive Board votes to place the Member under probationary status, the Board must publicize its decision to the Organization via an electronic means and notify the Advisor.
a. If the Member requests privacy regarding the membership removal process, the Executive Board will not notify the Organization of probationary status.
At the end of the probationary period, the Executive Board will meet with the Member to determine if the criteria to remove probationary status have been met. If 2/3 of the Executive Board votes that the criteria still have not been met, then the Member shall be removed.
If the Member is removed, the Executive Board will provide written notification of the removal to the Member, the Organization, and the Advisor indicating the reason for removal and the timeline for application for new membership (if applicable).
If the Member is removed, they may appeal to the General Body of the Organization within two (2) business weeks. The appeal will be provided to the Executive Board and distributed to the General body by the Secretary. The appeal will follow the same procedures as listed in this article, and the General Body will act as the voting body.
Article VIII - Committees
Committees may be created as necessary by the Executive Board for specific events and projects not to last longer than the current Officer term.
Each committee will have a chair as appointed by the Executive Board.
Any Member or Officer may be selected as a committee chair.
Any number of Members may be on a committee.
Article IX - Advisor
A full-time, salaried GT faculty or staff member will serve as Advisor to the Organization. The Advisor must receive annual supervisory approval to serve as the Advisor for Buzzin’ for Babies.
In the event of an Advisor vacancy, a new Advisor must be selected and installed within two (2) weeks. The Organization will notify the Center for Student Engagement of the new Advisor immediately upon installment.
Nominations for Advisor will take place within the Executive Board. The Executive Board will choose the Advisor by a majority vote and invite him/her to serve as Advisor for the academic year. There is no term limit for Advisors.
If an Advisor desires at the end of their year of service to continue advising the Organization, the incoming Executive Board will vote immediately following regular Officer selections on retaining the Advisor appointment or not. The vote must be a majority of those voting in order to retain the Advisor for the next academic year.
The duties of Advisor include: Completing any training required for Organization advising; consenting to receive electronic Advisor updates from the Center for Student Engagement; meeting, virtually or in-person, at least twice per academic year with the Buzzin’ for Babies President or other designated member of the Executive Board; confirming acceptance of the Advisor role during the Chartering and Annual Registration processes; reviewing Georgia Tech policies with the Organization; reviewing the yearly Organizational budget (if applicable); signing all Institute paperwork (but not contacts) requiring the signature of an Advisor; advising on issues of risk management, Organization leadership, and Georgia Tech culture and/or policy; communicating with the Center for Student Engagement when the Advisor becomes aware that the Organization is violating a municipal, county, state, or Federal law, rule, or regulation; or policy of Georgia Tech or the Board of Regents; and notifying the Center for Student Engagement when their Advisor role ends (e.g., due to leaving Georgia Tech, loss of eligibility, voluntary resignation, involuntary removal, etc.).
The Advisor can be removed for not carrying out the duties and expectations as defined in this document. Any Member can bring concerns to the Executive Board. The Executive Board will meet with the Advisor to discuss the concerns. After this meeting, the Executive Board will vote on whether to retain the Advisor. If there is a majority vote favoring non-retention, then the Advisor will be removed.
If an Advisor steps down, is removed, or is not re-appointed, the Executive Board will follow the process stated in Article VIII, b.
Article X - Dues
Whether dues will be collected, when (annually or per semester), and in what amount will be determined at the beginning of the academic year by a majority vote of the Organization membership. Dues are to be paid by the third week of the semester or by the second week of membership for individuals joining mid-term, whichever is later.
Article XI - Parliamentary Procedure
Robert’s Rules of Order will be used in instances not covered in this constitution pertaining to matters of parliamentary procedure.
Article XII - Non-Discrimination Statement
Membership and all privileges, including voting and Officer positions, must be extended to all students without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity or national origin, religion, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status, unless exempt under Title IX.
Article XIII - Affiliation
This Organization is a Registered Student Organization (RSO) at the Georgia Institute of Technology but is not part of the Institute itself.
In all correspondence and publications, Buzzin’ for Babies may refer to itself as an organization at the Georgia Institute of Technology, but not as part of Georgia Tech itself.
Buzzin’ for Babies accepts full financial and production responsibility for all activities it sponsors.
Buzzin’ for Babies will abide by all pertinent municipal, county, state, and federal laws, rules, regulations, policies, guidelines, and will abibe by all standards set by Georgia Tech and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Where GT policies and regulations and those of Buzzin’ for Babies might differ, including those regulations and policies mandated by an external affiliated organization, the policies and regulations of GT take precedence.
Buzzin’ for Babies recognizes and understands that Georgia Tech assumes no legal liability for the actions of the Organization.
Article XIV - Constitutional Amendments
Amendments to the constitution shall be submitted by Members of this Organization to the Executive Board in writing for consideration.
Written (hard copy) or electronic (e-mail) notification of all Members must be made at least two (2) weeks in advance of any proposed changes to this Constitution. Written notification of voting for such changes must be made by email at least two (2) weeks in advance of any vote.
A two-thirds vote of Members present will be required for adoption.
Amendments are subject to the approval of the Student Activities Committee of the Georgia Tech Faculty Senate.
In the event of amendment or revision of this constitution, the Secretary shall submit an updated copy of the constitution to the Center for Student Engagement, along with a copy of the minutes of the Organization meeting during which the vote was held. These materials will be submitted within seven days of revision.
Article XV - Enacting Clause
This constitution shall become effective upon ratification.
We, the undersigned, have read, understand, and agree to the contents of this document and hereby ratify this constitution.
Constitution ratified (month, day, year):