Constitution

The Constitution of

Freshmen Leaders in Engineering

Article I:  Name

The name of this organization shall be the Freshmen Leaders in Engineering of Iowa State University, hereafter referred to as Freshmen Leaders in Engineering or FLiE.

 

Article II:  Purpose

A.)  The purpose of Freshmen Leaders in Engineering shall be

1. To coordinate activities with, but not limited to, the College of Engineering student body.
2. To offer the opportunity for members to gain leadership education, to work towards professional development, and to partake in hands-on experiences.
3. To organize social and outreach events.
4. To allow members to be a more valuable part of the Iowa State University community.
5. To prepare members for a dynamic career in engineering.

B.)  FLiE abides by and supports established Iowa State University policies and State and Federal laws.

 

Article III:  Membership

A.)  Eligibility

1. The Freshmen Leaders in Engineering is open to select first year engineering students at Iowa State and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, marital status, disability or status as a U.S. Veteran.
2. To be selected as a member, s/he must be a first year engineering student who has just completed high school and is enrolled in his/her first semester at Iowa State University, excluding the President and Vice Presidents.
3. All current members of FLiE must maintain a 2.50 GPA for his/her first fall semester.

B.)   Becoming a Member

1. Applications for membership will be conducted by written application and/or interview, as the President and Vice Presidents deem appropriate.
2. The President and Vice Presidents will review applications and will have the final decision regarding the next term’s members.

C.)    Membership

1. Members of FLiE shall:
   1. Have regular attendance.
      1. Removal from FLiE will be determined and executed by the Executive Board.
      2. Two excused absences will count as an unexcused absence.
      3. Two unexcused absences in a semester will result in a meeting with the Executive Board.
      4. Three unexcused absences in a semester will result in expulsion.
      5. Any absence can be excused by properly contacting either the Secretary, President, or Vice Presidents before the meeting. Those officers will have the final say about excused and unexcused absences.
   2. Work under a committee(s) of their choice.
   3. Work to promote FLiE and the College of Engineering in a positive manner.
   4. Elect an Executive Board of their peers excluding the President and Vice President positions.
2. An Advisor from the College of Engineering will serve in an executive-office role.

 

Article IV:  Executive Board and Duties of Officers

A.) Requirements and Eligibility

1. Members must have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) as stated below and meet that minimum GPA in the semester immediately prior to the election/appointment, the semester of election/appointment and semesters during the term of office. For undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, the minimum GPA is 2.50. In order for this provision to be met, at least six hours (half-time credits) must have been taken for the semester under consideration.
2. Be in good standing with the university and enrolled: at least half time (six or more credit hours), if an undergraduate student (unless fewer credits are required to graduate in the spring and fall semesters) during the term of office, and at least half time (four or more credits), if a graduate level student (unless fewer credits are required in the final stages of their degree as defined by the Continuous Registration Requirement) during their term of office.
3. Members will be ineligible to hold an office should the student fail to maintain the requirements as prescribed in (1) and (2).

B.)  President

1. S/he will establish the meeting schedule, agenda, and preside over the meetings.
2. S/he will oversee the activities of each committee and the Executive Board.
3. S/he will stay in regular contact with the FLiE Advisor and the Engineering Student Council Executive Board.
4. At the end of the Fall Semester, the President will make sure all of the members are meeting the GPA requirements and will take care of any discrepancies.
5. S/he will be a member of the Engineering Student Council cabinet.
6. S/he will act as a mentor to the newly elected Executive Board.

C.)  Vice President of Committees

1. S/he shall assist the president in FLiE operations.  In the event that the President is not available, the Vice President of Committees will assume all duties of the President.
2. S/he will be in charge of all committee chairs and will be responsible for establishing meetings between committees and committee chairs.

D.)   Vice President of Projects

1. S/he shall provide mentorship for the project co-chairs to guide them through the planning and execution of all projects.
2. S/he shall hold weekly meetings with the Project Co-Chairs to achieve this.
3. S/he shall work with the President and Vice President of Committees to plan and lead meetings.

E.)   Secretary

1. S/he shall be responsible for recording and emailing meeting minutes and meeting reminders to members.
2. S/he shall be responsible for recording attendance and notifying members when they have received an unexcused absence.
3. S/he shall be responsible for recording the hours spent on all projects.
4. S/he shall work with the President and Vice Presidents to enforce the attendance policy.

F.)  Treasurer

1. S/he will oversee the acquisition of funds through Engineering Student Council, the College of Engineering, sponsorship, or any other viable source.
2. S/he will take the required online training in order to be in charge of the funds for FLiE.

G.)  Events Chair

1. S/he shall oversee the Events Committee.
2. S/he shall coordinate internal activities for the members of FLiE.

H.) Communications Chair

1. S/he shall oversee the Communications Committee.
2. S/he shall be responsible for maintaining and developing the FLiE web page, SharePoint site, publications, advertisements, and social media, if applicable.

I.)  Outreach Chair

1. S/he shall oversee the Outreach Committee.
2. S/he shall be responsible for making FLiE visible to the University through whichever means deemed necessary by the Outreach Committee.
3. S/he shall develop a relationship through philanthropic events between FLiE and other groups including the College of Engineering and the community.

J.)  Projects Co-Chairs

1. The co-chairs shall oversee the Projects Committee.
2. They shall be responsible for coordinating the planning and execution of all FLiE projects.
3. They shall be responsible for organizing projects among FLiE members and will communicate information about projects to both general and executive meetings.

K.) Tutoring Chair

1. S/he shall be responsible for organizing tutoring programs with local middle and high schools.
2. S/he shall be responsible for organizing study groups for FLiE members and helping to foster good academic performance.

L.) Risk Management Chair

1. S/he shall be responsible for identifying areas of risk during FLiE events and working to reduce risk.
2. S/he shall be responsible for food safety, tool safety, and any other safety training that FLiE members are required to have for various events.

M.)   Advisor

1. Selection
   1. The FLiE advisor shall be chosen by administration within the College of Engineering.
   2. The College of Engineering shall determine the timeline for selection and approval of advisors for FLiE.
2. Responsibilities
   1. Maintain communication and meet with executive officers on a regular basis.
   2. Approve and maintain awareness of financial expenditures.
   3. Ensure that the organization is operating in conformity with the standards set by the Iowa State University Student Activities Center.

N.)   Responsibilities of the Executive Board

1. The Executive Board is defined as all officers including Secretary, Treasurer, Events Chair, Communications Chair, Outreach Chair, Project Co-chairs, Tutoring Chair, and Risk Management Chair along with all sophomore level positions including the President, Vice President of Committees, and Vice President of Projects.
2. To initiate all activities of FLiE.
3. To maintain communication between committee members.
4. To have regular meetings with the Executive Board.
5. To ensure continuation of FLiE through mentoring the next generation.

O.)  Election Process and Terms of Members

1. President and Vice Presidents
   1. The general body of FLiE will elect a President and the Vice Presidents during the spring semester.
   2. The President and Vice Presidents shall have a term of one year, starting at the end of the spring semester and ending at the same time the next year.
2. Executive Board
   1. Terms begin with the first semester of the student’s first year and end at the end of the following spring semester.
   2. All positions other than President and Vice Presidents shall be elected by current members of FLiE as early as possible during the fall semester.
3. Election
   1. Executive Board candidates will announce themselves and present their reasoning to FLiE.  Then the general body will vote and the position will be given to the member who receives the highest number of votes.  The elected members shall assume roles the meeting following the election.
   2. All elections shall be by a secret ballot. The elections will be presided over by the President and Vice Presidents.
4. Removal of Officers
   1. Executive officers may be removed from office by vote of the other officers and of the general membership if their actions are deemed inappropriate by the membership.
   2. Any member of FLiE can call for an Executive Board member to be removed, but this motion must be seconded by a different Executive Board member.
   3. Officers are permitted to speak before the Executive Board and the general membership before such a vote would be cast to remove them.
   4. The accused officer may not participate in the deliberation of the Executive Board regarding the charges.
   5. The vote taken to remove an officer shall be by a secret ballot, officiated by the advisor.
   6. In order to remove an officer, at least two-thirds of the attending students must vote in favor of the removal at a meeting where a majority of members are present.
   7. Any such removal of officers is effective immediately after the vote is taken.
5. Replacement of Officers
   1. Any vacancies on the Executive Board shall be filled in accordance with the general election procedure for FLiE Executive Board members.

 

Article V: Finances

A.) Management

1. The treasurer shall be responsible for management of all finances during his/her term of office.

B.)  Handling of Funds

1. All monies belonging to this organization shall be deposited and dispersed through a bank account established for this organization at the Campus Organizations Accounting Office and/or approved institution/office (must receive authorization via Campus Organizations Accounting Office). All funds must be deposited within 24 hours after collection. The advisor to this organization must approve and sign each expenditure before payment.

C.) Dues

1. No regular dues shall be collected from by FLiE from its members.

 

Article VI: Amending the Constitution

A.)   To amend the constitution, there must be a two-thirds vote on the amendment in a meeting where the majority of FLiE members are present.

B.)   Any amendments passed shall become effective immediately.