Bylaws

Attention: This page is currently under renovation. For access to the most current version of STWing’s Bylaws, look here. The previous version can be viewed here.

Contents

Bylaws

The Bylaws of The Science and Technology Wing at the University of Pennsylvania:

These bylaws were created by present members of STWing in a majority vote. They represent both our rules and our mission. The bylaws were last amended on December, 2017.

Article I: Mission Statement

The Science and Technology Wing (STWing) as a Residential Program is dedicated to providing undergraduate students at the University of Pennsylvania with opportunities to explore novel aspects of science and technology. This is a place where students of similar interests learn and live together in a friendly and encouraging environment.

Article II: Mission Statement

SECTION 1

A General Body Meeting (GBM) is the monthly gathering where Members share information on upcoming events and Continuum members explain how they have carried out their duties, further detailed in Article III.

SECTION 2

Article IV details states a Member can be in, but when the Bylaws refer to a Member outside of that section they refer to someone who:

  1. Has performed the duties required to be promoted from Padawan to Jedi
  2. A Student Member rather than Alumnus
  3. Is not on Probation

SECTION 3

All Student Members of the previous year shall be assumed to be Members unless they otherwise inform the Continuum (see Article IV, Section 1). In order to maintain Membership, a Student Member is required to attend two thirds of the General Body Meetings held each semester, or have a valid excuse for absence, limited to health, family, or academic reasons. Extracurricular activities do not constitute as valid excuses for absences. It is the Member’s responsibility to inform Cronos of his or her excuse for absence prior to the General Body Meeting that he or she will be missing. If this attendance requirement is not met at the end of the semester, the individual will be notified by Cronos that they are on probationary status for the coming semester. Alumni Members are not subject to the requirements for attendance.

Article III: Members

SECTION 1

A Student Member of STWing is defined as an individual who has met the membership requirements set forth in Section 2. An Alumni Member of STWing is any member who has formally left the University of Pennsylvania as a student, and was in good standing with STWing before leaving. A graduate student at the University may choose either Student Member status or Alumni Member status.

SECTION 2

In order to become an active Member of STWing, an individual must attend a General Body Meeting (see Article V, Section 1) and request membership by obtaining an account on STWing’s main server, Force.

SECTION 3

All Student Members of the previous year shall be assumed to be Members unless they otherwise inform the Continuum (see Article IV, Section 1). In order to maintain Membership, a Student Member is required to attend two thirds of the General Body Meetings held each semester, or have a valid excuse for absence, limited to health, family, or academic reasons. Extracurricular activities do not constitute as valid excuses for absences. It is the Member’s responsibility to inform Cronos of his or her excuse for absence prior to the General Body Meeting that he or she will be missing. If this attendance requirement is not met at the end of the semester, the individual will be notified by Cronos that they are on probationary status for the coming semester. Alumni Members are not subject to the requirements for attendance.

SECTION 4

A Probationary Member is defined as one who has not met the Membership retention requirements as set forth in the previous section. A Probationary Member is subject to the following restrictions:

  • No longer considered a member of the General Voting Body (see Article III, Section 5)
  • Restricted rights to STWing computing resources at the discretion of the Systems Administrator.
  • Lowered priority for preferential housing in Major STWing Communities.
  • Lowered priority in the allocation of limited space opportunities.
  • Probationary Members may only be on Probationary status for one semester. At the end of that semester, the individual must have met the Membership retention criteria set forth in this document to be reinstated as a member; in this event they are once again Members in good standing. Otherwise, the Membership and associated privileges of the individual shall be revoked.

SECTION 5

The General Body of STWing shall be defined as the total Membership for that given academic year. The General Voting Body is defined as those Student Members who are in good standing. The Continuum may expand the General Voting Body to include Alumni Members for a particular vote if the issue is deemed an alumni-related matter. Otherwise, Alumni Members may not vote in Continuum Elections or on changes to the Bylaws.

SECTION 6

Any Member has the right to challenge any action taken by the Continuum by demanding a vote at the next General Body Meeting. A simple majority vote of the General Voting Body can override any decision made by the Continuum.

SECTION 7

The Continuum shall oversee and resolve all special cases regarding Membership.

Article IV: Officers

SECTION 1

The organizational entity of STWing, designed to facilitate the logistical handling of STWing, shall be referred to as the Continuum.

SECTION 2

The voting officers of the Continuum shall be the Parliamentarian, Cronos, Radar, the Beekers, Bacchus, Neelix, Samwise, Frodo, Wall-E, and Ada. The non-voting members of the Continuum shall be Resident Advisors and Graduate Associates of official STWing communities, and the STWing Sysadmin. Their responsibilities and other details are included below:

Non-Elected Continuum Members

Residential Advisor / Graduate Associate (assigned by Residential Living)
  • Approves spending of floor resources.
  • Fills out program assessment forms for Residential Living.
  • Is presiding officer of their floor meetings.
  • Is presiding officer of STWing meetings in event that the Parliamentarian (see below) is unavailable to do so.
STWing Sysadmin (chosen by previous Sysadmin)
  • Maintains and administers all STWing computing resources, defined as all computers owned by STWing and all computers in the STWING.UPENN.EDU subdomain.
  • Has the authority to respond to information security issues on all STWing computing resources, in order to maintain a level of security which matches or exceeds that required by the University’s information security policy.

Elected Continuum Members

Parliamentarian
  • Presiding officer of STWing meetings.
  • Liaison to university administrators.
  • Liaison to alumni.
  • Enforcer of the STWing Bylaws.
Cronos
  • Keeps and posts the minutes of STWing meetings.
  • Maintains a database of all STWing members, past and present, and their statuses.
  • Takes attendance at Official STWing meetings.
  • Notifies members of probationary status at the end of Spring and Fall semesters.
  • Shall keep records of important events in STWing history.
Radar
  • Publicizes all STWing events and communicates all STWing information as per the rules of Proper Advertising (see Article V, Section 4).
  • Maintains a public calendar of STWing events.
  • Helps schedule future events (i.e., prevent time conflicts).
Beekers
  • Position shall be jointly held by two members of STWing.
  • Maintains STWing’s workshop and storage area, also known as the “Blimp Room”.
  • Assists with projects and events that make use of STWing workshop resources.
  • Coordinates funding for STWing projects, and publicizes opportunities to obtain grants and other resources.
  • Coordinates and documents all ongoing STWing research projects and archives completed projects.
  • Maintains the STWing research guidelines, and may modify them with the approval of the Continuum. The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that research is conducted in an efficient and productive manner.
  • Shall review applications for and grant money from the John Parker Fellowship.
  • Shall organize & host the annual STWing Rube Goldberg Competition, to be held in March or April of the Spring Semester
Bacchus
  • STWing social coordinator & treasurer.
  • Plans and manages a calendar of all proposed social events for a semester at the beginning of that semester.
  • Shall hold a minimum of 4 events, including, but not limited to, field trips, per semester.
  • Shall be responsible for the documentation and management of STWing expenses & funds
  • Shall coordinate with Residential Advisors & Graduate Associates concerning all floor funds.
Neelix
  • Coordinates and arranges dinner discussions.
  • Ensures that at least 4 dinner discussions take place every semester.
  • Works with the Parliamentarian in maintaining alumni contact.
Samwise (Freshman Representative)
  • Ensures that the views and opinions of the Freshmen Members of STWing are being addressed by the Continuum.
  • Liaison between the Upperclassmen and Freshmen Members of STWing, with the purpose of helping the two groups integrate.
Frodo (Off-Floor Freshman Representative)
  • Ensures that the views and opinions of the Freshmen Members of STWing are being addressed by the Continuum.
  • Liaison between on-floor and off-floor members of STWing, with the purpose of helping thetwo groups integrate.
  • Should be a member of STWing who does not live on the second floor of Kings Court, the main STWing floor.
Wall-E
  • Shall organize & host the annual STWing Robotics Fair, to be held in March or April of the Spring Semester
  • Shall organize & lead a committee of STWing members to organize the STWing Robotics Fair
Ada
  • Shall act as a liaison to the Women in Computer Science (WiCS) residential program
  • Shall report STWing events at WiCS GBMs, and WiCS events at STWing GBMs
  • Shall assist in organizing joint events between STWing and WiCS.
Gandalf
  • Ensures that the views and opinions of off-floor upperclassmen members of STWing are being addressed by Continuum.
  • Liaison between the on-floor and off-floor members of STWing, with the purpose of strengthening the community between the two groups.
  • Should be a member of STWing that has lived on the floor for at least one year previously, but is currently not living in Kings Court or English House.
  • Shall organize and host at least two events per semester to acquaint off-floor and on-floor STWingers.
  • Shall be elected at the first GBM of the fall semester.
  • During the fall semester, if there are afew upperclassmen off-floor, there will be an vote to decide if the position should be elected that year.

SECTION 3

The elected Members of the Continuum shall be determined by an election to be held at the first general body meeting of the second semester of each academic year, where the term of election shall be one calendar year and one month with no term limits. The outgoing Continuum members shall overlap with the incoming Continuum members for the period of one month, during which all responsibilities will be transferred to the incoming Continuum. The outgoing Continuum is strongly encouraged to attend Continuum meetings for an additional month to advise the new members. However, the following Continuum positions shall be elected at the first general body meeting of the fall semester: Wall-E, Ada, Samwise, Frodo, and Gandalf. The term of election on these positions shall be one calendar year from the time of election. For an election to proceed and to be legitimate, at least fifty percent of the General Voting Body must be present, or the election shall not be held until the attendance requirement is met. Ada shall be elected at the first GBM of the fall semester, pending direct communication with WiCS. In the event that WiCS has not provided candidate(s) by this time, Ada shall be elected at the second GBM of the fall semester. During this interim period, either the WiCS manager or a member of Continuum that is also part of the WiCS board shall act as a temporary representative. The Parliamentarian must be selected from candidates who have either previously been a member of the Continuum, or have attended at least 2/3 of the Continuum meetings in the current academic year.

SECTION 4

All Members of STWing are equal in importance and weight of opinion, regardless of position in the Continuum or lack thereof. For Continuum voting, all members of the Continuum are equal. In the case of a tie in voting, a voting recount shall be called. If the recount again results in a tie, the Continuum shall confer and choose the outcome of the vote.

SECTION 5

Any Continuum votes cast may be recorded at the request of any Member so that any Member of STWing may know who voted for or against the proposition.

SECTION 6

Any Member can initiate an impeachment (implying desire for dismissal of a person or persons from a post on the Continuum). In the event of an impeachment, the Continuum must vote on whether there exists just cause for review of the indicted Continuum member. A simple majority vote of the Continuum, excluding the indicted member, shall be sufficient to require a tribunal before a General Body. The Continuum shall review the member in question before the General Body, and subsequently vote as to whether to remove him or her from the Continuum. An eighty percent vote of the General Body is necessary to expel a Continuum member. The indicted member may not vote, but may speak in his or her own defense. Furthermore, an expelled member may not run again at the next election. If the impeached member was not an elected official (such as a residence advisor), he or she shall nevertheless be removed from the Continuum. The only reason for impeachment shall be for failure to perform responsibilities satisfactorily, and not for personal reasons, unless they hinder the performance of responsibilities.

SECTION 7

In the event of a vacant position on the Continuum, the Continuum shall choose a member of the current Continuum to fill the position until a replacement can be elected. The Continuum shall then call a General Body Meeting for the purpose of a special election to fill the vacant position. The voting procedure is the same as that for regular elections. The member elected will fill the position until the next regular election for that position.

SECTION 8

All pertinent STWing documents shall be made available upon request to STWing Members, associated faculty, and staff by the appropriate member of the Continuum. “Pertinent documents” shall include but not be limited to meeting minutes and correspondence.

SECTION 9

The Continuum shall oversee and resolve all special cases pertaining to Continuum members that are not addressed by prior sections.

Article V: Meetings

SECTION 1

The General Body of STWing shall meet at least once a month during the Fall and Spring semesters of the academic year General Body Meetings (GBMs) shall be held in a public space in Kings Court English House, and consecutive GBMs shall never be on the same day of the week. No STWing GBMs may be held during reading days, final exams, or official school vacation time. Elected Continuum members must report on their activities at each GBM.

SECTION 2

The Continuum shall meet weekly during the Fall and Spring semesters. The time and place for all Official Continuum meetings shall be decided by the Continuum, but the location and time of all meetings shall be easily and publicly accessible, and openly announced to all members of the General Body at least once per semester. Meetings shall be open to all members of STWing. Should the location or time of said meetings change at any time, the new location and time must be announced.

SECTION 3

An Official STWing meeting or event shall be one that is properly advertised (as defined in the following section) and which meets the following attendance requirements. For General Body Meetings, at least one third of the first-year Members must be present. For Continuum meetings, at least seventy-five percent of the Continuum must be present.

SECTION 4

Proper Advertising shall be defined as the use of at least two of the following three methods at least one week in advance of the event: the internet excluding email (e.g. the public STWing Facebook group, STWing newsgroups, etc.), signs or flyers in openly visible places (e.g. public posting spaces in Kings Court English House, etc.), and an email announcement. Radar is required to announce by email all General Body Meetings, Dinner Discussions, and any annual events.

SECTION 5

The minutes of the General Body and Continuum meetings shall be publicly posted within three days after the meeting. Minutes shall be distributed at least via email to the appropriate STWing listserv, as well as via any other methods desired.

SECTION 6

For any voting to take place at a General Body Meeting, at least fifty percent of the General Voting Body must be present. A vote for all issues, excepting changes to the Bylaws, shall pass by a simple majority of the votes cast. Absentee voting may be arranged through the Cronos ahead of time.

SECTION 7

A vote by the Continuum shall be decided by a simple majority, except where otherwise stated in the Bylaws. All members of the Continuum possess one vote each: Yes, No, or Abstain. In case of a tie, the Parliamentarian shall vote Yes or No to break the tie.

SECTION 8

The Continuum shall see and decide upon all special cases pertaining to meetings that are not addressed by prior sections.

Article VI: Amendment of Bylaws

Any amendment made to these Bylaws must be presented at an Official General Body Meeting and approved by a seventy-five percent vote of the General Voting Body. The amendment is also subject to approval by the appropriate college residence representatives (i.e. administrators). All proposals for amendments must be published one week before voting, and must be published via an email link, as well as by a posting in the STWing Lounge and any other means desired. Any member of STWing may propose amendments, so long as they follow the preceding stipulations.