Mission Statement
The biomedical engineering society (BMES) serves to promote the profession of biomedical engineering and to provide its members with activities to those ends. This chapter will provide its members with academic, professional, and social programming. The academic goals will involve acting as a voice for the students and provide services that will enhance and improve the knowledge and experience of our members. The professional development will involve increasing our relationships with engineers and industries in the field and provide resources to prepare our members to successfully enter their field of choice. The social events and activities will allow our members to interact with peers in the field and help promote collaborations and relationships that will strengthen us. The society not only welcomes those students majoring in biomedical engineering (BME) but any students who have an interest in aspects of BME.
Constitution of the Biomedical Engineering Society
ARTICLE I- GENERAL
Section 1: The official name of this organization shall be the Biomedical Engineering Society.
Section 2: The club shall operate as a non-profit organization.
Section 3: The club shall abide by the applicable rules and policies of the University
of Minnesota pertaining to student organizations.
Section 4: The society was created by students for students and will seek to benefit all students interested in Biomedical Engineering as written in the mission statement.
ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP/IMPEACHMENT
Section 1: Membership is allowed to any University of Minnesota undergraduate student regardless of major, who is interested in Biomedical Engineering and desires to be an active member in our activities.
Section 2: Membership is valid from 9/1 of each year to 8/31 of the following year.
Section 3: Membership is open to all students without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, creed, marital status, public assistance status, or sexual orientation.
Section 4: To become a member, one must fill out the membership application form and return it to an officer of the club. This may occur any time throughout the year.
Section 5: Any member/officer may be impeached for misconduct (to be defined by the group (for example - failure to perform duties, attendance, misuse of funds, etc.) The member/officer shall be given a seven day notice and an opportunity to defend him/herself. This impeachment vote shall require a majority vote.
ARTICLE III - OFFICERS
Section 1: The officers of this club shall consist of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Web Master, Directorship Coordinator, and any other officer positions voted in my the majority of the existing officers.
Section 2: The duties of the officers are as follows:
a. President - Preside over all meetings of the club. Act as official representative of the club at other meetings and events. Responsible for organization and execution of all societally activities.
b. Vice President - Preside at meetings of the club in the absence of the president. Succeed the president if the president were unable to complete his/her term of office. Assist in organizational and execution of all societally activities.
c. Secretary - Record and produce minutes of all meetings. Handle the societies correspondence.
d. Treasurer - Handle all financial transactions of the society. Maintain
thorough and accurate records of all transactions. Produce financial reports as required by the society and University of Minnesota BME department.
e. Web Master- Update and maintain the BMES website.
f. Directorship Coordinator- Organize and assist directors in planning and execution of monthly events.
Section 3: All officers must be currently enrolled students at the University of Minnesota and registered for at least six credits. All officers must be undergraduate students.
Section 4: Elections for new officers will be held each March.
Section 5: Elections will be held in a special session in which voters must be BMES members (membership can be obtained a day before if desired). Each officer candidate will be allowed to give a short (less than 3 minute) speech stating why he/she deserves the responsibilities of the position.
Section 6: No student can run for more than 3 officer positions.
Section 7: Ballot majority voting will be exercised.
Section 8: All BMES officers will pay membership fees as done so by all BMES members.
ARTICLE VI - FINANCIAL MATTERS
Section 1: The society shall not provide monetary gain, incidentally or otherwise to its directors or membership. This does not restrict the payment of wages, salaries or incentives by the society for services rendered.
Section 2: Unless otherwise specified by the membership at the time of dissolution of the organization, residual assets shall be distributed to the following organizations according to the proportions below:
-University of Minnesota: Biomedical Engineering Department 100%
ARTICLE VIII – AMENDMENTS
Section 1: Amendments to the constitution may be proposed by any member of the club. Such proposals shall be submitted in writing to the officers for a first reading to the membership at the regular meeting prior to the meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be voted on.
Section 2: Constitutional changes and BMES policy changes must be don so by the majority rule of the officers. Any tie-breakers will be decided by the President’s vote.
History
The Biomedical Engineering Society for undergraduate students was created in August 2003. The Society was originally a graduate only Biomedical Engineering Society but was dissolved and became the undergrad BMES in August 2003.
