Constitution and Bylaws for the Informatics Club

Article I: Name, Purpose, Non-Discrimination Policy, and Non-Hazing Policy

Section 1: Name

Informatics Club

Section 2: Purpose

Bring together all UAB students and trainees interested in bioinformatics and health informatics through professional development and social activities. With the guidance of various UAB faculty, students will self-organize monthly events to share research trends, network with one another, and enhance their understanding of the significance of research/education in data science, genomics, bioinformatics, health informatics, and related topics. The emphasis will be placed on student peer group learning so that these activities complement the myriad seminars, journal clubs, and faculty-led training workshops already available.

Section 3: Non-Discrimination Policy

The University of Alabama at Birmingham and UAB’s Informatics Club prohibits discrimination in admission, educational programs, and other student matters on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, disability unrelated to program performance, veteran status or genetic or family medical history.

Article II: Membership

Section 1: Student Eligibility Requirements

Voting members are limited to UAB-affiliated personnel.

Article III: Officers

Section 1: Officer Titles

To ensure effective operations within the organization, there are seven officer roles and an advisory board, as needed: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Social Media Manager, and two Event Managers.

Section 2: Terms of Office

All seven officers’ terms last an academic year, beginning in the fall semester and lasting through the end of summer. Voting is performed prior to the beginning of each academic year for new or vacant positions.

Section 3: Type of Selection

The president of the organization shall appoint the positions of vice president, treasurer, and secretary after approval by the current executive board prior to the beginning of the academic year. Current officers are eligible to maintain their position within the organization.

The positions of Social Media Manager, both Event Manager positions, and Webmaster shall be voted on at large by general body members of the Informatics Club. If no one runs for those positions prior to the academic year, the executive board shall be tasked with appointing them.

During the spring/summer semester, the organization will hold a meeting and vote on a president-elect who will work with and learn from the current president to ensure the stability of the organization. The president-elect should have held an office within the executive board for at least 6 months prior to being elected as president.

Section 4: Officer Responsibilities

Each officer has unique duties and responsibilities within the club. All officers are required to attend club-affiliated meetings and events.

President

Organize, plan, and facilitate the growth and success of the club.
Plan and coordinate executive and general body meetings of the club, including creating the meeting agenda.
Meet with the faculty/staff advisor as needed.
Run meetings in an orderly and democratic fashion.
Vote in case of a tie during the election of the new president.
Assist in the planning of events as needed.

Vice President

Work with the President to ensure the growth and success of the club.
Fulfill the duties of the President in their absence.
Maintain all communications between the club and faculty or staff.
Assist in the upkeep of roster and member recruitment.
Assist in the planning of events as needed.
Assist in planning general body meetings.

Secretary

Conduct all correspondence of the club.
Organize the distribution of materials to the members.
Inform members about the date and time of subsequent meetings.
Record minutes of the meetings and meeting attendance.
Keep a roster of current members up to date.
Help develop flyers while coordinating with Event Managers and Social Media Manager.

Treasurer

Manage and oversee, in conjunction with the President, all financial transactions of the club.
Prepare a budget for each semester.
Submit to the committee a monthly financial report.
Control catering options within the club’s budget.
Submit all financial information to the GSG Budget Committee liaison.

Event Manager

Coordinate and procure the venue and electronic equipment.
Ensure the successful conducting of the event.
Help the club recruit speakers for the events.
Coordinate with Treasurer to order food and create an event budget.
Coordinate with the Social Media Manager and Secretary to advertise events, which may include developing event flyers.
Post events on Engage a week prior to the event being held.

Serve as the liaison for all student experience initiatives, providing counsel and direction on the university’s policies and procedures.
Maintain social networking sites and advertise club-related information/events.
Develop flyers and other promotional materials for events.
Coordinate with Secretary and Event Managers to advertise events.

Webmaster

Maintain the website of the Informatics Club.
Manage the GitHub page and repositories for the Informatics Club.
Develop and maintain a blog for the Informatics Club.

Publicity and Event Planning Committee

Members of the Publicity and Event Planning Committee are appointed by the two Event Managers.
Members of the committee are not voting members of the executive board but are permitted to attend executive board meetings as needed.
Duties include, but are not limited to, hanging flyers around campus, creating flyers for events, helping in event setup and breakdown, promoting events via social media and other means, helping plan events, suggesting event ideas, and increasing student engagement.

Advisory Board

The advisory board meets as needed by recommendation of the executive board. This board may consist of faculty and staff members who may provide guidance and oversight from computer science, high-performance computing, medicine, industry, and informatics areas.

Article IV: Dues

No dues are collected from members.

Article V: Standing Committees

There is no standing committee appointed currently.

Article VI: Advisor Responsibilities and Authority

Section 1: Advisor Roles

The advisor will help the club in all operations as they see fit to ensure the continuation and overall effectiveness of the organization.

Section 2: Advisor Employment Requirement

The club’s official advisor must either be a faculty member or a full-time staff member at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Section 3: Qualifications and Responsibilities

The advisor of the organization ideally will have had a career in an informatics-related field. The advisor, when available, will attend meetings, trips, and official events. The club’s advisor will be reevaluated every 2 years or as needed pending any employment changes or relevant concerns.

Article VII: Meetings

Section 1: Meeting Requirements for Officers

Officers are expected to attend every meeting, which is held at least once a month. If unable to attend, the president must be notified. Officers are allowed to miss two meetings.

The president of the club maintains the right to replace any officer that continually misses meetings beyond those allowed. If the president misses three consecutive meetings, any executive committee member may call upon a meeting to replace the position. The vice president will act as an interim until the board finds an ideal candidate.

Section 2: Meeting Requirements for Members

To be considered a full member of the club, members must attend at least half of all meetings held by the club over the course of a semester.

Article VIII: Method of Amending Constitution and Bylaws

Section 1: Proposals

Proposals for amendment or change of this document shall be submitted formally in writing to the club and the Graduate Student Government.

Section 2: Notice

Upon receipt of the proposal, it will be read to all members. The proposal will then be read again at the beginning of the following meeting.

Section 3: Voting Requirements

The vote may only take place if these conditions are met:

Current president in attendance.
60% of officers in attendance.

If any of these conditions are not met, voting for the proposal shall be postponed until the next meeting and/or until all these conditions are met.

Article IX: Method of Dissolution of Organization

In the event that the Informatics Club should dissolve, any monetary fund remaining shall go back to the Graduate Student Government.