Bioengineering Undergraduate Student Society Constitution

We, the People of undergraduate McGill Bioengineering, in order to form a more perfect department, establish equality, insure solidarity, provide for the common interest, promote the general welfare, do ordain and establish this great constitution for the undergraduate Bioengineering students at McGill University.
All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a McGill bioengineering undergraduate council, which shall be officially known as the Bioengineering Undergraduate Student Society (BUSS) Council. The BUSS Council, as well as The Society shall be bound by all conditions presented in this constitution.
This constitution has been approved by a general referendum of the undergraduate students in Bioengineering

TITLE I – THE SOCIETY

Article 1 – Definitions

Article I.1.1 : The official name of the Society shall be the Bioengineering Undergraduate Student Society (BUSS).

Article 2 – Members

Article I.2.1 : The Regular Members of BUSS shall be all students currently registered at McGill University in an undergraduate program of the Faculty of Engineering, majoring in Bioengineering.

Article 3 – Governance and its Purpose

Article I.3.1 : A student-run student society to protect and promote the interests of the members of BUSS exists in the form of a council officially referred to as the BUSS Council.  Article I.3.2 : The BUSS Council has obligations to Regular Members of BUSS and the EUS. These obligations include but are not limited to:  i. Regroup in association the Regular Members of the BUSS Council.  ii. Represent and promote the views of its members, and to implement academic, cultural, educational, physical, professional, social, and other programs of interest to its members.  iii. Engage in other such activities and undertakings as may seem appropriate to the Society.  iv. Act as a liaison between the Members and the Department.

Article 4 – Rights of Regular Members

Article I.4.1 : The right to vote in the general elections for BUSS Council positions.  Article I.4.2 : The right to attend BUSS Council meetings.  Article I.4.3 : The right to speak for or against any Motion at BUSS Council meetings.  Article I.4.4 : The right to nominate candidates in the BUSS elections.

Article 5 – Privileges of Members

Article I.5.1 : A petition presented to BUSS Council with a minimum of 10% of undergraduate student signatures requires a formal response agreed upon by the Council within 7 days. This must take place by the President or acting President in 2 forms:  i. A personal class announcement response to all 4 years of undergraduate bioengineering by the class representatives. ii. A formally written email by the President regarding the position of the Council in response to the petition. Article I.5.2 : A petition presented to BUSS Council with a minimum of 20% of the undergraduate student signatures warrants an immediate response by the council.

Article 6 – Society Fees

Article I.6.1 : There shall be no additional membership fees aside from those already deducted from student fees and remitted to the BUSS by the EUS

TITLE II – BUSS COUNCIL OUTLINE (EXECUTIVE BRANCH)

Article 1 – The BUSS Council positions outline

Article II.1.1 : Executive branch positions  i. : President  ii. : Vice-President External iii. : Vice-President Internal  iv. : Vice-President Academic  v. : Vice-President Finance  vi. : Vice-President Communications  vii. : Vice-President Administration and Engagement

Article II.1.2 : Representative branch positions  i. : U4 Class Representative   ii. : U3 Class Representative   iii. : U2 Class Representative   iv. : U1 Class Representative

Article II.1.3 : The candidates for positions on the BUSS Council must be Regular Members of BUSS and remain Regular Members for the entire duration of their mandate.

Article 2 – Powers and Duties

Article II.2.1 : No member of the BUSS Council shall receive financial remuneration or any action taken as such.  Article II.2.2 : Coordinate and administer the policies, activities and other day-to-day affairs of the BUSS Council.  Article II.2.3 : Take action to inform themselves on matters to be debated at meetings of the BUSS Council.  Article II.2.4 : Call meetings of the BUSS Council.  Article II.2.5 : Report its activities and decisions to the EUS Council.  Article II.2.6 : Uphold the Constitution, Bylaws, Policies, and Regulations of the BUSS Council.  Article II.2.7 : Each member of the Council shall prepare a year-end report to be submitted before the end of their term.  Article II.2.8 : Any member of the Council shall cease to remain in office upon acceptance of their letter of resignation or their impeachment by the BUSS Council.  Article II.2.9 : All members of the Council are required to complete a full year term.  Article II.2.10 : Any Council member may delegate part of their mandate to another consenting Councillor.  Article II.2.11 : All councillors must support the decisions passed at BUSS Council.

Article 3 – The President

Article II.3.1 : The President shall:  i. Manage and supervise of the affairs of BUSS  ii. Establish a schedule for BUSS Council meetings  Iii. Be the official spokesperson of BUSS  iv. Attend all the necessary BIEN departmental meetings, the MESC meetings, the EUS Council meetings and presidential meetings, amongst others  v. Delegate tasks to the Representatives and/or Executives of BUSS  vi. Prepare the President’s End of Year Report, compile and approve the BUSS End of Year Reports and be responsible for transferring this to the incoming president  vii. Attend all the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee meetings, at least one per semester.  Article II.3.2 : A President who misses three Regular Meetings of the EUS Council may be impeached as outlined in the EUS constitution. Article II.3.3 : The President is entitled to one vote during BUSS Council meetings.  Article II.3.4 : The President is to be democratically elected by a majority vote during the winter term preceding the beginning of their mandate May 1st. Article II.3.5 : All Regular Members of BUSS are eligible to vote for the President.

Article 4 – Vice-President External

Article II.4.1 : The VP External shall:  i. Represent the BUSS Council and its Regular Members in communication with professional, government and industry bodies as well as the other departmental bodies at McGill University  ii. Develop and maintain relations with industry bodies for the purposes of student career opportunities and BUSS sponsorship.  iii. Organize and create events dedicated to the participation of Bioengineering undergraduate in industry-related activities, such as but not limited to: lab visits, industry talks, career days. iv. Be responsible for maintaining relations with the McGill Engineering Career Center.  v. Organize at least one departmental trip during the duration of their mandate to visit an industry. vi. Organize at least one industry networking event during the duration of their mandate. Article II.4.2 : The VP External is entitled to one vote during BUSS Council meetings.  Article II.4.3 : The VP External is to be democratically elected by a majority vote during the winter term preceding the beginning of their mandate May 1st. Article II.4.4 : All Regular Members of BUSS are eligible to vote for the VP External.

Article 5 – Vice-President Internal

Article II.5.1 : The Vice-President Internal shall be responsible for the organization of events and committees that are internal to the bioengineering department. Such events include but are not limited to:  i. Welcome events for the U0 and U1 classes. ii. Apartment crawls.  iii. Blues Pubs.  iv. BUSS fall and winter semester banquets. v.Chair of E-Week Captain Selection Committee.  vi. Fundraising initiatives.  Article II.5.2 : The VP Internal is entitled to one vote during BUSS Council meetings.   Article II.5.3 : The VP Internal is to be democratically elected by a majority vote during the winter term preceding the beginning of their mandate May 1st.  Article II.5.4 : All Regular Members of BUSS are eligible to vote for the VP Internal.

Article 6 – Vice-President Finance

Article II.6.1 : The Vice-President Finance shall:  i. Conform to and follow all EUS Financial By-Laws.  ii. Prepare the current year’s End of Year Statement of Expenses.  iii. Keep proper financial accounts and records of all transactions of the BUSS Council. iv. Prepare budgets for all events and set prices. v. Prepare funding applications for events and trips.  vi. Prepare and present to the BUSS Council a review of the Budget. vii. Perform deposits and obey all By-Laws regarding the use of the safe.  vii. Help VP Internal in organizing fundraising events for BUSS.  Article II.6.2 : The VP Finance is entitled to one vote during BUSS Council meetings.  Article II.6.3 : The VP Finance is to be democratically elected by a majority vote during the winter term preceding the beginning of their mandate May 1st.  Article II.6.4 : All Regular Members of BUSS are eligible to vote for the VP Finance. 

Article 7 – Vice-President Engagement

Article II.7.1 : The Vice-President Administration and Engagement shall be primarily responsible for the organization and creation of small events and initiatives to promote spirit within the bioengineering department, which include but are not limited to: i. Bioengineering sporting events and/or tournaments.  ii. Clothing orders once per semester.  iii. Small events throughout the semester for bioengineering students. iv. Coordinating with class representatives to plan spirit days and activities Article II.7.2 : The VP Administration and Engagement is to aid the VP Internal in the organization and execution of larger events.  Article II.7.3 : The VP Administration and Engagement is entitled to one vote during BUSS Council meetings.  Article II.7.4 : The VP Administration and Engagement is to be democratically elected by a majority vote during the winter term preceding the beginning of their mandate, May 1st.  Article II.7.5 : All Regular Members of BUSS are eligible to vote for the VP Administration and Engagement.

Article 8 – Vice-President Academic

Article II.8.1 : The Vice-President Academic shall be responsible for the organization of departmental academic related activities including but not limited to:  i. Academic forums.  ii. Undergraduate Curriculum Committee meetings at least once per semester.  iii. The update and modification of course packs and other useful academic material.  iv. McGill open house in conjunction with the Department and President.  Article II.8.2 : Be aware of the academic concerns of the BUSS electorate and represent bioengineering students on all the necessary committees.  Article II.8.3 : Be the primary representative responsible for managing the BUSS portion of the Engineering Equipment Fund (EFC), including but not limited to:  i. Verifying all purchases made in the previous year.  ii. Working in conjunction with the Department of Bioengineering to realize the current requests.  Article II.8.4 : Act as a liaison between BUSS students and departmental officials for all academic issues and concerns.  Article II.8.5 : The VP Academic is entitled to one vote during BUSS Council meetings.  Article II.8.6 : The VP Academic is to be democratically elected by a majority vote during the winter term preceding the beginning of their mandate May 1st. Article II.8.7 : All Regular Members of BUSS are eligible to vote for the VP Academic. 

Article 9 – Vice-President Communications

Article II.9.1 : The Vice President Communications shall: 

i. Be responsible for the promotion and advertisement of all BUSS related events and activities

i. Be responsible for all internal council communication systems including the BUSS official email address, and maintenance of appropriate discussion groups. 

ii.  Manage other social networking communication methods. 

iii. Maintain and update the BUSS website.

iv. Take minutes during meetings and distribute them to all council members.

Article II.9.2 : The VP Communications is entitled to one vote during BUSS Council meetings. 

Article II.9.3 : The VP Communications is to be democratically elected by a majority vote during the winter term preceding the beginning of their mandate May 1st.

Article II.9.4 : All Regular Members of BUSS are eligible to vote for the VP Communications. 

TITLE III – THE BUSS COUNCIL (REPRESENTATIVE BRANCH)

Article 1 – Class Representatives 

Article III.1.1 : The main responsibility of the Class Representatives is to serve as a liaison between their constituency in that particular year with the EUS and BUSS councils. Class Representatives shall: 

i. Inform their constituents on matters of the BUSS Council. 

ii. Represent the interests and concerns of their Constituents at the BUSS Council. 

iii. Represent their class at EUS Council Meetings. 

iv. Support the executives in event planning and execution of all BUSS activities. 

Article III.1.2 : A Class Representative who misses three Regular Meetings of the EUS Council may be impeached as outlined in the EUS constitution. 

Article III.1.3 : The term of office for a Class Representative shall begin on May 1, and last for one year. 

Article III.1.4 : Class representatives are entitled to one vote at BUSS Council meetings and one vote at EUS Council meetings. 

Article III.1.5 : The class representatives are to be democratically elected by a majority vote during the winter term preceding the beginning of their mandate May 1st.

Article III.1.6: BUSS Members can only vote for the representative in their respective year. 

i. Note there is an exception for the U1 representative due to the enrollment of additional U1s after the semester of the election period, see Article III.1.7 

Article III.1.7: The U1 Representative is to be selected by a Selection Committee chaired by the President prior to the first meeting of the EUS Council in the fall semester.   

TITLE IV – MEETINGS , TERMS OF OFFICE , AND VACANCIES

Article 1 – Meetings

Article IV.1.1 : The BUSS council shall meet at least once every two weeks while classes are in session during the Academic Year. 

Article 2 – Terms of Office

Article IV.2.1 : Refer to EUS constitution for the terms of office of the all elected councillors.

Article 3 – Vacancies

Article IV.3.1 : Shall any Council position (except President) become vacant due to resignation, disappearance or impeachment, a replacement will be sought by the Council by selection.  Article IV.3.2 : In the case of a vacancy in the position of President, VP Internal shall assume the responsibilities of President of the BUSS Council until a selection is made for a new President by the Council.

Article 4 – Impeachment

Article IV.4.1 : Any member of the BUSS Council may be removed from office for impropriety, violation of the provisions of the BUSS Constitution, violation of BUSS Bylaws, or delinquency of duties.  Article IV.4.2 : A Motion to impeach a BUSS Council member may be presented to Council in the two following manners:  i. A Motion to remove a BUSS Council member must be signed by at least one-third of the members of the BUSS Council.  ii. The President may call a motion for a BUSS Council member’s impeachment due to delinquency of duties. Article IV.4.3 : Quorum of two-thirds of the members of the BUSS Council shall be required to consider a Motion to remove a member of the BUSS Council.  Article IV.4.4 : A two-thirds majority of members present shall be required to carry a Motion to remove a member of the BUSS Council.

TITLE V – FREEDOM OF INFORMATION, THE CONSTITUTION AND SPENDING

Article 1 - Freedom of information

Article V.1.1 : All take out documents attached to the BUSS Council shall be public documents, except for minutes of a confidential session.  Article V.1.2 : The President of the BUSS Council shall not be obliged to release information, or documents concerning ideas, actions, or motions which were not acted upon.

Article 2 – The Constitution

Article V.2.1 : This Constitution supersedes all previous BUSS constitutions that may have existed.  Article V.2.2 : The EUS shall take precedence over BUSS. In the case of conflict between the EUS Constitution and the BUSS Constitution, the EUS Constitution shall prevail.

Article 3 – Spending restrictions

Article V.3.1 : The amount of money contributed from Council Funds must not exceed a proportion of the Funds three times the proportion of BUSS Members attending the event.  i. Objective of this Article is to prevent careless spending on events that do not fully represent the student body  Article V.3.2 : An exclusive event, which for whatever reasons, a significant proportion of students in the undergraduate body are barred from attending due to reasons beyond their control; restricts the event to receiving a maximum subsidy that is proportional to the amount of students attending that event.  i. This Article is to prevent the excessive spending of funds that are acquired from Members who are excluded from participation in an event. ii. Events with a capped attendance amount such as banquet, or apartment crawls do not fall under this category, since there is considerable diversity at these events and no barriers to entry. Article V.3.3 : A deficit should never be budgeted for. A future Council should never inherit debt. However, a future Council should never inherit a surplus that is greater than 25% of the average balance maintained throughout the year.  i. As a non-profit organization with a primary objective to serve its students, money must be spent and not-hoarded for future Bioengineering cohorts. This insures students see the return on their money, rather than the depreciation of a stagnant balance losing its value over time.

Article 4 – Definitions

Article V.4.1 : The Academic Year shall be defined to begin the first day of class in the Fall semester and end the last day of final examinations of the Winter semester as defined by the McGill calendar.  Article V.4.2 : A Bylaw shall be any of a set of rules adopted by the BUSS Council for governing its own meetings or affairs.  Article V.4.3 : A Constituency shall be defined as all students of a department who began their studies in that department during the Academic Year.  Article V.4.4 : A Departmental Society shall be a group of Regular Members of the EUS who are representative of a particular department.  Article V.4.5 : The EUS shall be the Engineering Undergraduate Society of McGill University.  Article V.4.6 : The McGill Community shall be defined as the staff, students, and faculty of the University.  Article V.4.7 : A Motion shall be defined as a proposal formally made in a meeting of the BUSS Council.  Article V.4.8 : Quorum shall be defined as the required attendance and conditions for a meeting of an official body of the BUSS Council to be opened and for all subsequent transactions to be ratified.  Article V.4.9 : To Ratify shall mean to pass or approve a Motion or appointment.  Article V.4.10 : A Regular Meeting shall be any meeting of the BUSS Council not otherwise stipulated.  Article V.4.11 : A Resolution shall be defined as a formal statement of opinion or determination of the BUSS adopted by a meeting of the BUSS Council.  Article V.4.12 : A two-thirds majority shall be defined as two-thirds of votes cast by all members of the BUSS Council. An abstention shall not count as a vote cast.  Article V.4.13 : A Regular Member shall be defined as any student enrolled in undergraduate Bioengineering.  Article V.4.14 : Term of Office or mandate, shall be defined as beginning on the first of May and ending on the 30th of April.

TITLE VI – LANGUAGE RIGHTS

Article VI.1 : English and French are the official languages of the BUSS. At all meetings of the BUSS, and its committees, members may use either official language providing that translations are provided upon request.

TITLE VII – ELECTIONS

Article VII.1 : The elections shall be conducted in accordance with the Electoral Bylaws of the EUS. Article VII.2 : The elections for the aforementioned BUSS council positions shall occur annually during the months of February and March, with the exception of the U1 Representative.  Article VII.2.1 : The U1 Representative is to be selected by a Selection Committee chaired by the President prior to the first meeting of the EUS Council in the fall semester. The U1 Position will have a term of less than one year, commencing at the end of the winter semester along with the rest of the BUSS positions.   Article VII.3 : The length of term shall be one year, commencing at the end of the winter semester during which the new council was elected. Article VII.4 : Current and future BUSS council members shall take proper steps in facilitating the transition from one council to the following.