Constitution and Bylaws of
The University of Nebraska
Student Chapter
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
as of October 30, 2007
Article I - Name
1. This organization shall be called the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Student Chapter of
the Association for Computing Machinery, also referred to as ACM-UNL.
Article II - Purpose
1. The chapter is organized and will be operated exclusively for education and scientific
purposes and, in furtherance thereof, specific objectives are:
(a) To promote an increased knowledge of the science, design, development,
construction, language, and applications of modern computing machinery;
(b) To promote a greater interest in computing machinery and its applications; and
(c) To provide a means of communication between persons having interest in
computing machinery.
2. The above purposes will be fulfilled by the means of discussions, lectures, projects,
publications, affiliation with professionals in the field, and association with a professional
organization, specifically the Association for Computing Machinery, also referred to as
ACM.
Article III ~ Membership
1. This Chapter shall not discriminate in the selection of members or appointments when
discrimination is defined as denying individuals membership or appointment on the basis
of gender, age, disability, race, color, religion, marital status, veteran’s status, national or
ethnic origin, gender identity or expression, place of residence, or sexual orientation.
2. This Chapter shall consist of at least five currently enrolled student members.
Non-students will be allowed to participate in any Chapter activity, but will not be elected
or appointed officers of ACM-UNL. A non-student is someone who is not currently
enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
3. Membership in this Chapter is open to all persons who are currently enrolled as
undergraduate or graduate students, as defined by the standards of the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln.
4. A full-time student at University of Nebraska-Lincoln may become a member in good
standing of the ACM-UNL upon request and payment of dues.
Article IV - Officers
1. The officers of this chapter shall be chair, vice-chair, secretary, treasurer, and public
relations chair. The chair and secretary must be members in good standing of the ACM,
and all officers must be members in good standing of this chapter, and students at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
2. The officers shall be elected at the beginning of each academic year as defined by the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The officers will take on the full responsibilities of their
new positions effective upon election. If a special election is required during the year, the
circumstances that require the special election will determine when the newly elected
officer assumes responsibility; this period shall not exceed one month in length.
3. Any member who has served in either of the offices of chairman or vice-chairman in
each of two consecutive years may not hold either office in the immediately following
year.
4. Vacancies in any office other than chair, whether caused by resignation, removal, or
disability, shall be filled by a provisional chair elected by majority vote of the Executive
Council. In the following general meeting, the membership will vote to confirm or deny, by
majority vote, the new officer. In the event of a vote of denial, an election for the office will
be held at the meeting immediately following the denial vote. If the office of chair is so
vacated, the vice-chairman shall immediately assume that office, and the Executive
Council shall then fill the vacant office of vice-chairman.
5. If an officer is deemed unfit or unable to carry out the duties of office due to misconduct
or inactivity, that officer may be removed from the office by proposal of any voting
member which must be confirmed by three-quarters vote of the membership. Article V Duties of Officers
1. The chair shall preside at all meetings of the Chapter and the Executive Council. The
chair shall represent this chapter at all meetings with a ACM representative. The chair
shall also appoint all committees of this chapter and designate the committee chairman.
2. The vice-chair shall assume the duties of the chair in event of the chair's absence. The
vice-chair shall assume those duties of the chair that are so delegated by the chair.
3. The secretary shall keep minutes of all Chapter meetings and Executive Council
meetings. The secretary shall prepare the annual chapter report for presentation to the
Chapter at the annual Election Meeting and prepare the reports to the chair of the ACM
Student Chapters Committee. The secretary shall send official notification to ACM
headquarters of changes in the elected officers or chapter sponsor. The secretary shall
send official notification to the executive director of the ACM of any proposed changes in
this chapter's bylaws for approval prior to their distribution to the membership. The
secretary shall similarly notify the executive director promptly of the final action of the
proposed changes.
4. The treasurer shall collect dues and maintain financial and membership records. The
treasurer shall make the annual report of this chapter's finances required by the treasurer
of the ACM.
5. The public relations chair …
Article VI - Faculty Advisor
1. This Chapter shall have one Primary Advisor who must be a permanent
Academic/Administrative or Managerial/Professional faculty/staff member of the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and may have any number of Secondary Advisors who
may be permanent Academic/Administrative, Managerial/Professional, or Office/Service
staff members or Graduate Assistants of the University of Nebraska. Only the Primary
Advisor may approve expenditures of funds.
2. The faculty advisor(s), otherwise known as the Chapter Sponsor, shall be nominated
by the Executive Council immediately following the annual Election Meeting. The faculty
advisor must also be approved by the chairman of the Computer Science and
Engineering Department of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
3. The Faculty Advisor(s) shall be a Member in good standing of the ACM.
Article VII - Organizational Structure
1. The Executive Council and its duties:
(a) The Executive Council shall consist of the current officers, the faculty
advisor(s), and all committee chairmen.
(b) The Executive Council may act on all matters not requiring full membership
participation. Minutes of the Executive Council meetings shall be available for
inspection by any member of the Chapter and shall be filed with the Chapter
records.
(c) The Executive Council shall meet at the discretion of the chair or at the request
of any member of the Executive Council.
Article VIII - Committees
1. Committees may be established by the Chair or the Executive Council as deemed
appropriate and useful.
2. The chair and members of committees are appointed by the Chair, except as otherwise
provided in the by-laws. All committee appointments shall terminate at the end of the
following election.
Article IX - Meetings
1. Meetings shall be held as planned by the Executive Council. All members shall be
notified at least one week in advance.
2. This chapter may hold meetings only in places that are open to all members of the
Association for Computing Machinery.
3 The annual election meeting shall be held at the beginning of the academic year as
defined by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
4. Minutes of the meeting and a roster of attendance shall be recorded by the secretary,
and shall be available on demand to any voting member.
5. A quorum shall be defined as fifty percent of the current membership.
6. Special meetings shall be called at any time deemed necessary by the Executive
Council or the faculty advisor. A special meeting may be called by a petition signed by
one-half of the membership.
Article X - Disbursements and Dues
1. Disbursements from the treasury for chapter expenditures shall be made under
authorization of the chairman or the treasurer and a faculty advisor. Current finances of
the organization shall be available on demand to any voting member. Organizational
monies will be handled by the Student Organizational Financial Services regardless of
source. All monies will be handled through the Treasurer.
2. Annual dues shall be set by the Executive Council each year as deemed necessary for
continuing operation of the Chapter and proposed to the faculty advisors. Upon approval
of the faculty advisors, the membership dues shall be set until the following year.
Article XI - International Affiliation
1. The international organization with which this Chapter is affiliated is the Association for
Computing Machinery.
2. The manner of affiliation is that of independent student/local chapter.
3. This affiliation is based upon submittal of a Chapter Constitution voted on by the
members of the Chapter and the approval of said Constitution by the international
organization.
4. Although affiliated with the international organization membership to the local Chapter
is independent of membership to the international organization and vice versa. Neither
organization requires the fees of the other for membership, and they are otherwise
financially independent.
5. The affiliation with the international organization maybe revoked only via dissolvement
by the international ACM. The local Chapter may not disassociate itself from the
international ACM by any means short of self-dissolution and establishment of a new
organizational entity.
Article XII - Amendments
1. Amendments to these bylaws shall be made in the following manner
(a) The proposed amendment shall be read at a regularly announced chapter
meeting.
(b) Chapter and Student bylaws and all amendments must be sent to the executive
director of the ACM. After the executive director has provided advice, the
proposals must be approved by the Executive Council. The Executive Council
may, by a quorum, cause any changes to be void.
(c) After approval has been received from the designated ACM authority, the
proposed amendment shall be distributed to the membership in writing with notice
of a subsequent meeting at which the amendment will be considered.
(d) At the designated meeting the amendment shall be read again, discussed, and
voted upon. Two-thirds of the voting members present and voting shall be
required to adopt the amendment.
(e) All amendments must be ASUN approved.
2. Rulings on any point of procedure not included in these bylaws shall be made by the
chairman with approval of the chapter advisors.
Article XIII - Dissolution
1. Upon the dissolution of the corporation, the board of Trustees shall, after paying or
making provision for the payment of all the liabilities of the organization, dispose of all the
assets of the organization exclusively for the purposes of the organization in such
manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for
charitable, education, religious, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an
exempt organization or organizations under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue code
of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue
Law), as the Board of Trustees shall determine. Any such assets not so disposed of shall
be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the county in which the principal office of
the corporation is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organizations, as
said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such
purposes.
Article XIV - Unauthorized Activities
1. Organizational monies will be handled by Student Organizational Financial Services,
regardless of source. No part of the earnings of this organization shall inure to the benefit
of or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except
that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable
compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in
furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article II hereof. This organization shall not
engage in any activities not permitted to an organization exempt from federal income tax
under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or corresponding provision of
any future United States Internal Revenue laws.)
2. No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the carrying on of
propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the organization shall
not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements)
any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.