Preamble

The name of this organization shall be the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Student Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and known simply as the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). Here within, any mention of the "Chapter" and the "University" shall be in reference to the above said organization and university respectively. Any mention of the "Board" shall be in reference to the chapter's officer board as outlined in Article II, Section A.

Mission Statement

To promote the professional development of its members through its programs and via relations with its own student members, faculty, with other Student Chapters and with the parent body, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
Establish a professional standard of conduct and draw its members from those who subscribe to this standard. Provide an organization that promotes the wider recognition of engineering as a profession.
Provide forums where its members may meet with their colleague to discuss mutual interest and problems.
Publish a newsletter to create greater awareness of our activities and the chemical engineering profession.
Facilitate communication and interactions between students and the Chemical Engineering Department.
Provide relevant networking opportunities and promote the professional development of all engineering students.
Initiate interactions with other chemical engineering students.
Positively impact the University of Illinois and the surrounding community through service and mentorship.

Article I: Membership

Section A: Eligibility

Section B: Member Benefits

Opportunity to participate in Chapter sponsored activities
Voting privileges in elections
Access to test files
Opportunity to apply for a committee position
Participation in Intramural Sports
Positively impact the University of Illinois and the surrounding community through service and mentorship
Eligibility to attend national and local conferences

Eligibility for Chapter awards, recognitions and scholarships
Eligibility to run for chapter office
Given priority in Chapter sponsored events

Section C: Member Points and Dues

Tier I: Professional Development

Attendance at general body meetings
Attendance at a corporate sponsored event (e.g. coffee chat, tailgate, picnic, sport social)
Attendance on a plant trip
Attendance to professor lunches
Attendance at Mentor Program Seminars
Participation in EOH as a project member or leader
ChemE Car team participation
SAChE program participation
Committee participation
Attendance at the National or Regional AIChE Conference
Serving on Officer Board

Tier II: Personal Development

Giving a REAChE Presentation
Attendance to service events
Participation in the host program
Attendance at Maringa sister chapter events
Attendance at social events
Participation in Intramurals
Participation in the Mentor Program
Volunteering for Engineering Council (ESLC, SITE, EOH)
Committee participation*
Attendance at the National or Regional AIChE Conference*
ChemE Car team participation
Serving on Officer Board

Article II: ChaPTer Organization

Section A: Officer Board Positions
The administrative and policy-making responsibilities of the Chapter are vested in an officer board to serve the entire academic year consisting of the following positions in order of succession:

President
Internal Vice President
External Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Social Chair
Society Representative
Philanthropy Chair
Fundraising Chair
Engineering Open House Chair
Professional Chair
Intramurals Chair
Technology Master
Sister Chapter Chair
ChemE Car Chair
Regional Conference Chair
Freshman Representative

The President, External Vice President, Internal Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary will comprise the Executive Board. The Executive Board will meet whenever deemed necessary by the president during the school year in order to facilitate and evaluate the Chapter's progression towards its goals.

The officer board, by vote of ¾ of the officer board members, has the power to extend its membership by creation of a new and clearly defined officer position. Each new position may be constitutionally defined by a subsequent addition of an amendment to this constitution. The removal of an executive board position shall constitute a repetition of the above process and is effective on the final day of the semester during which the vote is made.

Section B: Eligibility
All officer board members must be undergraduate ChBE majors in good standing at the University, unless less than two undergraduate ChBE majors run for a position. At that time, it is open to all undergraduate students in good standing with the University. Transfer students that have completed all ChBE transfer requirements may run as ChBE majors. All officer board members must also hold the membership grade of paid active membership immediately prior to running for office. If a candidate has four points by the time he/she is running for office, he or she will be allowed to run for office if the officer completes the sixth point by the end of the semester.

If an officer will be absent for a semester during the time that they would serve on the board, they are ineligible for any position. Alternatively, any position besides President and those heads a committee can be split among two officers.

In addition to the requirements set further in the previous paragraph, the Chapter president must also have held an executive board position prior to election to the office of president or be nominated to run by the Executive Officer Board. In the case when less than two executive board members run for the office of president, any member of the officer board shall be eligible. In the case when no candidates who seek the office of president fulfill the above requirements, presidential requirements shall only be defined as in the previous paragraph.

The Freshman Class Representative must be a freshman.

The position of ChemE Car Chair must be filled by someone who has been on ChemE Car Team previously.

The position of Regional Conference Chair must be filled by someone who has previously been in that position or has been active on the committee (excluding the first year of establishing the position).

Section C: General Officer Responsibilities
Each officer shall be required to document all typed correspondences, informational publications, records of events and all other records of his/her activities. This documentation shall also include all event assessment forms that he/ she completed during his/her term. This record shall be transferred to the new officers before the end of the academic year to facilitate the transfer of administrations. The Chapter shall provide any supplies that Board members require in fulfilling their duties. Each officer is also endowed the power to form a committee to assist with the responsibilities of a position pending a majority vote among the executive and officer board. Each officer shall be also responsible for maintaining office hours in the AIChE office and attending all relevant chapter events barring conflicts. Each officer shall also follow all procedures and rules as outlined by the AIChE Officer Handbook.

For a current officer to be eligible to run for office again, he/she must obtain at least two Tier I points, at least two Tier II points, and at least a cumulative six points each semester that he/ she is in office. Officers must attend one half of all AIChE events or receive warning leading to disciplinary action (i.e. impeachment) if the behavior persists. Throughout the school year, each officer is required to participate in either ChemE Car or the Mentor Program. During the spring semester, each officer is required to participate in Engineering Open House to some capacity—this could be participating in a group, mentoring a group, volunteering for the Chapter’s EC requirements, or helping the EOH chairs with setting up/ taking down EOH exhibits.

Section D: Committee Involvement
Any officer may organize and lead a committee if it is beneficial to the chapter. Committee formation must be proposed to the executive board and approved by majority rule, then introduced to the officer board and approved again by majority rule. Committees may be structured at the discretion of the officer in charge. The President of the chapter serves as an ex-officio member on all committees within the chapter. The requirements of the committees are as follows:

Members may serve on only one committee within the chapter. This promotes more member involvement
Committees must be useful to committee members and the organization, or the committee will be dissolved by the Executive Board in conjunction with the committee head

Section E: President
The following shall be the responsibilities of the President during his/her term:

Act as the chief executive officer of the chapter
Execute the rules and laws of the Chapter as established by the constitution
Preside over all general body meetings
Serving as an ex-officio member of all other committees
Preside over Officer and Executive Board meetings for the purpose of organizing general meetings and other AIChE events
Delegate authority and tasks to each of the officers in an organized and fair manner
Oversee and maintain the proper registration of the organization with all appropriate organizations within the University and the University itself
Maintain the goals of the Chapter to the best of his or her abilities and to encourage the other officers to do likewise
Maintain the AIChE e-mail account
Serve as a representative for AIChE to the faculty or correspondence with industry (that does not overlap with the office of External Vice President)
Plan the regional and national conference trips in conjunction with the External Vice-President
Preside, along with the Treasurer, over the overall allocation of the organizations money and the compilation of an itemized budget
Veto any distribution of the organizations funds that the President deems inappropriate.
Veto any event that is held in the name of AIChE if the event is deemed as harmful to the organization
The President shall be notified of all publications, flyers, and letters that bear the AIChE logo or that represent the organization in due time before they are published. The President can halt the distribution of any such document(s) if deemed that the document(s) is not representative of the organization.
Should an individual be required to account for responsibility in any legal or criminal affairs involving the Chapter as a whole, the president is to be held responsible.
Work with the ChBE Undergraduate Advisory Board in order to help with the ChBE Department as a whole
Take on the responsibility of any vacant officer position and have the power to delegate duties associated with the position to other officers
Perform a yearly review of the constitution with Officer Board.
Oversee officer board transition and officer board documentation.

Section F: Internal Vice President
The following shall be the responsibilities of the Internal Vice President during his/her term:

Maintaining good relations between the Chapter and organizations within the University
Organizing and running the Mentor Program
Organizing and running the Host Program
Organizing the distribution of any awards or scholarships that Chapter endorses
Working with the secretary in creating end-of-the-semester goody bags for active members
Organizing office hours and open office events
Oversee inclusion of transfer students
Serve as chair of Internal Relations Committee
Facilitate officer bonding events

Section G: External Vice President
The following shall be the responsibilities of the External Vice President during his/her term:

Assisting the President in the performance of his or her duties and shall preside at meetings in the absence of the President
Maintaining contact with corporations regarding the organization of general body meetings, funding requests, plant trips, etc.
Acquiring room reservations and any further details required for smooth running of general body meetings including contracting speakers, when necessary, and obtaining any equipment they may require
Planning plant trips
Storing and organizing all external AIChE correspondences

Section H: Treasurer
The following shall be the responsibilities of the Treasurer during his/her term:

Maintenance of all AIChE expense accounts including the Department of Chemical Engineering Account, the Registered Student Organizational Account, and all private accounts
Collecting and maintaining a record of due paying members
Keeping adequate financial records and permit their inspection by any officer or the Advisor of the Chapter upon request
Maintain budgetary records of each officer

To avoid automatic impeachment (See Article V, section B) the treasurer must:

Submit the received reimbursement forms within two weeks of receiving them
Email the person confirming that the forms were turned in
Answer questions and follow up the reimbursement process when it takes longer than usual
Deposit checks written to the chapter within two weeks of receiving them

Section I: Secretary
The following shall be the responsibilities of the Secretary during his/her term:

Work with Technology Master to maintain sign-in sheets at all meetings and collecting member points from the officers for their committee members
Work with the Interval V.P. to organize the membership recognition awards and scholarships, including but not limited to Most Active Member and semester AIChE Scholarships
Publicizing all AIChE meetings, socials, and other events by e-mail, classroom announcements and fliers posted throughout Roger Adams Lab, Noyes Lab, and Chemistry Annex per University regulations
Upkeep of all display cases and bulletin boards maintained by AIChE
Publish a newsletter. The newsletter will highlight the previous month's activities and accomplishments as well as announce upcoming events. The format of the newsletter is left to the chair, but it should be presented in a manner that is professional, informative, and entertaining
Email a weekly update to the general body
Maintain an alumni database to the best of his/her ability
Organize AIChE test files and enforcing all AIChE test file policies
Organize officer clean up events to keep our office well maintained for officer and member use
Maintain the AIChE social media accounts (Illinois AIChE Facebook and Instagram)
Serve as chair of Publicity Committee

Section J: Social Chair
The following shall be the responsibilities of the Social Chair during his/her term:

Plan and budget for all social events including any picnics, cook-outs, banquets, and happy hours (all events are to remain non-alcoholic)
Promote faculty and student interaction through these events
Organize and utilize a committee consisting of volunteers

Section K: Society Representative
The following shall be the responsibilities of the Society Representative during his/her term:

Serve as an AIChE Representative to all organizations
Attend all Engineering Council General Meetings
As an AIChE Representative, report pertinent information to the Board and make appropriate announcements on behalf of AIChE when required
Preside over, along with the President, the completion of any forms or application that are related to the organizations stated above, including funding for the National and Regional annual conferences
Ensure active participation in E-week, including the formation of teams

Section L: Philanthropy Chair
The following shall be the responsibilities of the Philanthropy Chair during his/her term:

Oversee the organization of all AIChE volunteering
Preside over the REAChE program
Organize the publication of a Technical Elective Guide and Technical Work Survey for the Chapter membership
Organize fundraisers for philanthropy events, such as but not limited to Relay for Life

Section M: Engineering Open House Chair
The following shall be the responsibilities of the EOH Chairs during their terms:

Promoting safety in project development and assuring all project plans are approved and overseen by a safety advisor who is a faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering
Organizing and executing the annual College of Engineering Open House for the Department of Chemical Engineering
Organizing projects, project leader, project workers for EOH
Attending all Engineering Council (EC) meetings concerning EOH
Interacting with EC the Chemical Engineering Department and the College of Engineering on all items pertaining to EOH

Section N: Professional Chair
The following shall be the responsibilities of the Professional Chair during his/her terms:

Plan and organize workshops to increase professional development skills for members
Maintain updated resume booklet to send out to company sponsors
Have good relation with the SCS Career Services to collaborate on events

Section O: Intramurals Chair
The following shall be the responsibilities of the Intramural Chair during his/her term:

Determining the sports of interest and signing up Chapter intramural teams
Recruiting and organizing participants for the games
Maintaining the team jerseys
Acting as captain or finding a captain for the teams

Section P: Technology Master
The following shall be the responsibilities of the Technology Master during his/her term:

Maintaining and updating the AIChE website
Maintaining and updating the AIChE calendar
Overseeing any technological challenges encountered by the Chapter
Work with the Secretary to maintain sign-in sheets at all meetings and collecting member points from the officers for their committee members Maintaining and updating a point database for the Chapter’s paid members
Work with the Regionals Chairs on any conference website needs

Section Q: Sister Chapter Chair
The following shall be the responsibilities of the Sister Chapter Chair during his/her term:

Maintain relations with Sister Chapter’s Officer Board
Plan cultural exchange events such as video chats and gift exchanges
Organize Pen Pal program and recruit members to participat
Work with president to secure new sister chapter if needed

Section R: ChemE Car Chair
The following shall be the responsibilities of the ChemE Car Chair during his/her term:

Organize a ChemE Car team to compete at National and Regional conferences
Work with faculty to acquire lab space and necessary equipment
Report to the officer board monthly on the progress of the team
The chair must have been on the ChemE Car Team in the past
Assemble and submit key ChemE Car documents including, but not limited to, the Engineering Design Package, safety forms, and the competition poster.
Work with the Regional Chairs to organize the regional ChemE Car Competition if preparing to host regional conference

Section S: Regional Conference Chair
The positions of Regional Conference Chair is a temporary board position established upon a successful bid for a future Regional Conference up to the point when the conference has been executed and an officer report has been filed for future reference. The following shall be the responsibilities of the Regional Conference Chair during his/her term:

Planning and executing the AIChE North Central Regional Student Conference 2015
Setting up and running a committee to oversee the event
Presenting monthly updates at officer meetings to inform the board of planning and committee progress
Writing a report each semester on all activities that will be given to the President and the Faculty Advisor
Organize ChemE Car competition for regional conference
Schedule speakers, panels, and workshops from both corporate and student perspectives
Organize the regional conference career fair
Secure funding through the department and corporate sponsorship program by working with the EVP and President
Organize the research paper and poster competitions and collect submissions
Work with the Technology Master on creating a website
Prepare all internal shirts, logos, publicity, and hand outs for the event
Executing the welcome mixer, tours, jeopardy, and banquets
Work with the department and university to secure room requests for the event, hotel accommodations, and shuttles for other chapters

Section T: Freshman Class Representative
The following shall be the responsibilities of the Freshman Class Representative during his/her term:

Organize freshman only events
Announce AIChE events in freshman chemistry and ChBE classes
Oversee freshman committee dedicated to freshman participation and events

Article III: Elections

Section A: General Information

The fall and spring academic semesters at the University of Illinois shall be the operating academic semesters for the Chapter. The semester begins on the first day of instruction and concludes on the final day of examinations. General elections for positions on the officer board shall take place in the month before the conclusion of the academic year, ideally prior to the Spring Regional Conference. Election to a newly created board position must occur during the regularly scheduled elections. A new board position may not be created and filled during the course of an operating semester. Barring vacancy, the officer board roster on the final day of an elective operating semester shall remain unchanged until the final day of the next operating semester.

Special elections are deemed necessary if an officer board position has been vacated and shall operate in the same manner as to be described for general body elections. Special elections will be held as necessary. For special elections held at the end of the fall semester (in preparation for the spring semester), any current paid active member is eligible to run for the position. In the case that a special election is required before the end of the semester (in the case that an officer resigns or is impeached), only those members who were paid active members in the previous semester, who were part of the leaving officer's committee, or who are nominated by the leaving officer or President are eligible to run.

In the case where two officers choose to run together to split a position for the fall and spring semesters, both must be active paid members and require the approval of the outgoing officer. The positions of President and those which head a committee are not allowed to be split across semesters.

Members may be allowed to run for a position even if they are off-campus for a co-op or study abroad term if they were paid active members in the previous semester.

Section B: Voter Eligibility

The membership, as determined from a week prior to elections, includes paid members of the Chapter. Only the membership is entitled to vote and each member may only cast one vote for each position. Voters must have two points prior to elections.

Section C: Election Application & Publicity

Written applications will be taken up to one week before the Election Day and an individual may apply for, but not hold, a maximum of three officer positions. Applications will request the applicant's name, year in school, email address, relevant experience data, and a chance for the applicant to submit a brief statement of their choice. For each application, candidates will be required to obtain the signature of the current officer in the position.

In the update prior to Election Day, all applications submitted will be compiled alphabetically and by position and be made available to the membership for viewing.

Announcements of elections shall be made through flyers, and e-mailings of general body members. A copy of the Constitution and By-Laws of the chapter will be made available to candidates prior to the election. Online forms will be made prior to the elections.

Section D: Election Supervision

The highest-ranking non-running officer shall preside over all electoral meetings and processes following the outlined restrictions below. No member of the membership outside the officer board is entitled to participate in the operation of the elections. The three highest-ranking board members not running for a position shall be responsible for distributing, collecting, and counting of the ballots and shall be referenced to as "voting officials." If no such board member(s) exist, the highest-ranking board member(s) who are not candidates for that particular election shall fill the vacancy. No candidates shall be allowed to participate in the distributing, collecting, and counting of the ballots for their own elections.

Section E: Voting Process

The voting process shall be followed as outlined below. The order of election shall follow the order of succession as outlined in Article II: Section A. This order will be flexible to accommodate candidates placing a special request at least three days prior to elections in the case where their order of preference for the positions of interest do not follow the order of election and requires the approval of all candidates in the positions where the order would be switched.

Candidates will be allowed to speak on their own behalf in alphabetical order. Speeches will be limited to a time of 2 minutes for an Executive Board position and 1 minute for the remaining Officer Board positions. Candidates will then be asked to leave the electoral room. Supportive comments from the audience only will be taken (unless the President or voting officials, feel it is imperative that a bad trait be expressed). "Pros" will be limited to three per candidate per position. The officer presiding over elections will not be allowed to "pro" a candidate. Also, the voting official tallying the votes for any given position will not be able to present a supportive comment for that particular position.

All elections shall be decided by secret ballot and based on majority vote. If a nominee receives a majority of those voting, the election is complete and the nominee is considered elected to the board position for the following academic year (two operating semesters). If more then 3 candidates are running for the same office and one candidate does not receive a majority of the votes, a runoff vote will be held with the top two candidates. Candidates will not be allowed to speak again prior to the re-vote. In the case of a tie in a runoff vote, the presiding executive board, minus the said candidates, shall break the tie via a secret ballot. Floor nominations shall only be taken in the situation where no individuals run for a position, but successful nominees must still meet candidate eligibility rules as stated in earlier. A recount of a vote shall be taken when at least two nominees request the recount.

Any officer positions not filled during regularly held elections can be filled at future general body meetings following voting procedures outlined above.

The election process for the position of Freshman Representative will be operated in a different fashion. Applications for the position of Freshman Representative will be accepted at the beginning of each school year. The top applicants, as chosen by the President will be invited to deliver a one minute speech followed by a short Q and A period at an officer board meeting. The “pro” process will be used again as it was for the general election process, and each officer will submit their vote to the president. The candidate receiving the most votes will be selected and in the case of a tie, the president will break the tie. If desired, a Freshmen Committee can be formed from two of the other applicants that were interviewed for the position.

Article IV: Finances

The funding for the activities of the Student Chapter of AIChE is obtained through the Department of Chemical Engineering, Engineering Council, company grants, SORF funds (when available), fundraisers and membership dues of $20. Money is not solicited until ample time is given for companies to offer such gifts. The Department of Chemical Engineering contributes the largest sum and is the ultimate source when all other options have been explored. Funding for philanthropy can be done through fundraisers, corporate sponsorship, or the Department of Chemical Engineering.

Article V: Impeachment

Section A: Normal Impeachment

If an officer board member is found to be acting in their position in a way which may be defined as extraordinarily detrimental to the objectives of the Chapter or to be guilty of crimes and/or misdemeanors or fail any requirements set forth in Article II, the Chapter may begin procedures for impeachment amongst the executive board. A formal impeachment of an officer may be rendered through the signing of a majority of executive board members to a written statement detailing the causes for impeachment or by a similar petition signed by one of the membership of the Chapter.

To remove an impeached board member from a board position, the signing board members must present the impeachment statement to an officer board meeting with all board members present and receive 2/3 majority vote in favor of removal from the position. The vote shall be done through secret ballot. The impeached board member shall be informed of the impeachment with adequate time before its presentation, and allowed to speak against the impeachment at the event and is allowed to vote. Impeached board members unwilling to speak against impeachment shall submit a resignation and thereby be removed from the officer board position, thus creating a vacancy.

Section B: Automatic Impeachment

Due to the nature of the position, the treasurer and only the treasurer, may be subject to automatic impeachment. For the treasurer to avoid automatic impeachment, he/ she must follow all guidelines set forth in Article II, and must also adhere to the following rules. The treasurer must:

Give a written receipt to each person who turns in reimbursement forms
Submit the received reimbursement forms within two weeks of receiving them
Email the person confirming that the forms were turned in
Answer questions and follow up the reimbursement process when it takes longer than usual
Deposit checks written to the chapter within two weeks of receiving them
In the case that someone turns in reimbursement forms that cannot be accepted due to the nature of the purchase (e.g. alcohol) the treasurer must explain verbally and through email why the reimbursement cannot be accepted.

To assist the treasurer, he/ she is allowed to establish arbitrary deadlines for reimbursements relative to when the expense was incurred. In addition, the treasurer is allowed two strikes against these guidelines. Upon the third strike, the automatic impeachment will begin.

Upon determination that the treasurer has had three strikes, the treasurer is automatically impeached, and a special officer meeting will be called to address the issue. The President will explain what the circumstances surrounding the strikes/ impeachment, and the treasure will be given a chance to explain him/herself. Following this, the officer board will vote on the impeachment via secret ballot. This vote is to reverse the impeachment. A positive vote with a 2/3 majority will reverse the impeachment, bringing the treasurer back into office. With any less than 2/3 majority, the impeachment shall not be reversed and this decision shall be final.

Article VI: Maintenance of Constitution

All officer board members shall maintain a copy of the current Constitution. Any Chapter member may request a copy of the Constitution from any board member. A signed, up-to-date copy of the constitution shall be kept on file in the Chapter's office and with the University RSO office at all times.

It shall be the policy of the Board to review the Constitution and Bylaws at the beginning of the spring semester and propose any changes to the general body. The Internal Vice-President along with the President shall facilitate the revision process and administer the adoption of changes made to the Constitution prior to the end of the semester.

Article VII: Amendments to the Constitution

Any member of the Chapter may propose amendments to the Constitution at any regular general body meeting. Petitions signed by at least 1/5 of the current members must accompany amendments.

All proposals shall be reviewed by the officer board and with 2/3 majority vote by the board, the proposal shall be brought before the membership. Adoption of an amendment shall be by three-fourths vote of all paid members attending a regular general body meeting. All approved revisions and amendments to the constitution shall take effect the semester following the acceptance vote.

Article VIII: Ratification

This constitution shall become law of the Chapter upon ratification. Proposed changes to the constitution shall be advertised to the general body and presented at a general body meeting. Successful ratification shall entail the approval of 2/3 of current Board members and by three-fourths vote of all paid members attending a regular general body meeting. Members unable to attend the voting session shall be allowed to review the proposals and cast their vote up to one week prior to the meeting. This constitution recognizes the validity of previous by-laws and constitutions, the validity of all officer elections that were completed previous to ratification, and general University guidelines and policies.

University of Illinois AIChE Constitution