Bylaws

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/technology and its surrounding culture. Headquartered on the second floor of Kings Court at Kings Court English College House, STWing fosters an exciting and empowering community for all residents–regardless of their declared academic major.

Article II: Definitions

Section 1: General Body Meeting

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

Section 2: STWingers, Non-STWingers, and STWing Alumni

Members of STWing (henceforth referred to as “STWingers”) are students still pursuing a UPenn degree who have officially joined STWing through the requirements described in Article IV. STWingers who have matriculated from UPenn are considered STWing Alumni. All other people are considered Non-STWingers.

Section 3: Continuum

STWing’s governing council, otherwise known as Continuum, is the elected and House-appointed legislative body of STWing tasked with upholding STWing’s mission statement. Continuum positions are outlined in Section V.

Article III: Meetings and Voting

Section 1: Required Attendance for Official GBMs and Continuum Meetings

An Official STWing meeting or event shall be one that is “properly advertised” (defined below) and meets the following attendance requirements:

GBMs must be authorized at the discretion of the most senior ranking member of Continuum present. The most senior Continuum member is defined by this succession: Parliamentarian, Sysadmin, a KC2 RAGA, then House Dean. Should the most senior Continuum member become unavailable, the following position in the line would fill in.

At least fifty percent of Continuum members must be present for a Continuum meeting to be official.

Section 2: “Properly Advertised” Definition

“Properly advertised” shall be defined as the use of both a physical and electronic medium for the marketing of an event. A physical medium includes, but is not limited to, signs or flyers in openly visible places (e.g. public posting spaces in Kings Court English House, etc.). An electronic medium includes, but is not limited to, an email announcement, a post in the STWing FaceBook group, GroupMe, etc. STWingers are also encouraged to verbally publicize meetings within the community.

Section 3: Conditions of GBMs

GBMs shall meet monthly (with some exception) throughout the Fall and Spring semesters in a public space of Kings Court English House. 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.

Section 4: Voting at GBMs for Non-Continuum Matters

For all voting to take place at a GBM, at least thirty-three percent of Active STWingers (see Article IV for definition) must be present. All general STWing votes shall pass by a simple majority of the votes cast; Continuum election votes and Bylaw amendment votes shall pass via procedures outlined below. Absentee voting may be arranged through the Continuum ahead of time.

Section 5: Voting at GBMs for Bylaw Amendments

Any amendment made to these Bylaws must be presented at an Official GBM and approved by a seventy-five percent vote of the active General Voting Body. All proposals for amendments must be shared one week before voting and must be published however Continuum decides. Any member of STWing may propose amendments, so long as they follow the preceding stipulations. Amendment votes will pass by a simple majority of the votes cast.

Section 6: Voting at GBMs for Continuum Election

Voting will be done via the Instant Runoff method:

Voters rank the candidates according to their preferences; first choice first, second choice second, third choice third, and so on. Voters do not have to rank all candidates. 

To count votes: distribute the votes according to the first choices. If there’s an outright majority, that candidate wins the position. If not, remove the candidate with the fewest votes, and then anyone voting for that candidate votes for their next choice. Repeat until a candidate has a majority.

Valid elections must have at least fifty percent of the active STWing membership present at the GBM election or else it is deemed unsuccessful. If unsuccessful, the Continuum must continue to try for a valid election.

Section 7: Conditions of Continuum Meetings

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 1) easily and publicly accessible and 2) openly announced to all STWingers at least once per semester. Meetings shall be open to all STWingers. Should the location or time of said meetings change at any time, the new location and time must be announced.

Section 8: Voting at Continuum Meetings for Continuum Issues

(under construction)

Article IV: STWing Membership

Section 1: Becoming a STWinger

To become a STWinger, a non-STWinger must have attended at least one GBM and opt to be classified as “active”, thereby expressing committed interest in the program. The GBM attendance requirement can be excused by Continuum. Non-STWingers who officially join STWing are considered active STWingers (see Section 2) for the duration of the semester they join into. 

Section 2: Active and Passive STWingers

Active STWingers retain their active status by attending at least one GBM in the semester they wish to be active in, and opting to remain active at any GBM of the semester. This opting is accounted for by the Continuum, and once active, active STWingers remain active until the start of the first GBM of the subsequent semester.

Passive STWingers are STWingers who did not opt to stay active for the semester. Passive STWingers may opt to become active mid-semester at a GBM–the same conditions for retaining the active status.

Freshmen who have been accepted to STWing are automatically granted active status for the duration of their first semester.

Continuum members automatically gain active status for the duration of their term.

STWingers who take any form of leave from UPenn are frozen in their status. For example, active STWingers who leave will be considered active the semester they return; passive STWingers who do the same will be considered passive. Returning STWingers follow the same procedure above should they wish to change their status mid-semester.

Section 3: STWing Alumni and Honorary STWingers

STWingers who have fully matriculated from UPenn are considered STWing Alumni, as mentioned in Article II. STWing Alumni are not considered active STWingers for any purpose. STWing Alumni who return to UPenn to pursue another degree in the future may opt to become active again, but otherwise are considered passive.

Honorary STWinger is a colloquial status that can be awarded to only non-UPenn students by Continuum for committed interest and engagement with STWing. Honorary STWingers receive the same benefits of passive STWingers with the following exceptions:

  • Cannot receive UPenn subsidy of any kind
  • Cannot run for Continuum
  • Cannot apply for STWing housing

Section 4: Perks of Memberships

Non-STWingers:

  • Can attend all GBMs and Continuum meetings
  • May attend STWing events, given availability

All STWingers:

  • Continuum position eligibility
  • Can attend all STWing events, GBMs, and Continuum meetings
  • Benefits from STWing subsidy
  • Access to the Blimp Room Makerspace

Passive STWingers:

  • May opt to become active at GBMs
  • Can vote on all STWing decisions, except Continuum elections and Bylaw decisions

Active STWingers:

  • Can vote on all STWing decisions
  • Get bonus points in room selection process
  • Prioritized in STWing subsidy and attendee space
  • May opt to become passive at GBMs

Alumni:

  • Contacted via STWing emails
  • Can attend STWing Banquet

Continuum reserves the right to add perks as they become available, ex. Free printing in the Blimp Room.

Section 5: Member Overturn Power

Any STWinger may challenge any action taken by the Continuum by requesting a relevant vote to be held at the subsequent GBM. If there are no more planned GBMs for the remainder of the semester, that STWinger may resolve the issue separately with Continuum at an open, “properly advertised” meeting. The relevant vote mentioned above will follow the conditions outlined in Article III, Section 5.

Section 6: Member Emergency Power

In the case of an emergency that renders Continuum severely hindered or defunct, all STWingers shall have the opportunity to make all adjustments necessary and proper for sustaining STWing’s community and agenda until the next Continuum election. 

Emergencies occur if and only if:

  1. there is an urgent, unsolved issue within STWing that cannot be solved before the semester is over
  2. the House Dean declares it to be an emergency.

Condition 2 is necessary and sufficient for there to be an emergency; condition 1 is only sufficient for there to be an emergency.

Article V: Officers

Section 1: Officers and Their Terms

Continuum officers are members who are elected at the first or second GBM of the Spring semester of each academic year (exception is the Freshman Representative, which is elected during the Fall semester). Every officer’s term shall be until the next successful Spring election, until impeachment, or until resignation. Once a new successful Spring election has taken place, the now-replaced Continuum members are encouraged to continue mentoring their new counterparts for an additional month. 

Section 2: General Responsibilities of All Officers

All Continuum positions are required to fulfill the following general responsibilities:

  • Attend all Continuum meetings and GBMs, bar emergencies
    • Physical, voice, or video attendence
  • Advertise their projects, events, and progress to Continuum and STWing
    • Slack, email, flyer, newsletter, Daily Penn, etc.

Section 3: Visual Structure of Continuum

(under construction)

Section 4: Outlined Duties of All Officers

Below is a summarized list of the goals and deliverables of each Continuum position. 

Role Sector / Function Deliverable
RAGA Lounge Lounge cleanliness
Parliamentarian STWing Website, Continuum, marketing
Outreach Chair Recruitment Outreach events
Freshman Rep Freshmen Small-scale events
Social Chair Social Social events
Academic Chair Academic Academic events
Special Projects Chair Preprofessional Projects, workshops
Sysadmin Alumni Alumni events, marketing
Merchandising Chair Merchandise Products

Section 5: Specific Duties of All Officers

Below are the specific duties of all Continuum positions; collaboration between Continuum members is encouraged. Below is an overview of the duties of Continuum Officers:

Resident Advisor/Graduate Advisor: Terra (Roman Mythology)

Not electable; KC2 RAGAs are appointed to this position per KCECH/CHAS protocol.

Function: Maintains floor community and STWing spaces

Type of work: Disciplinarian, Events

Focus audience: KC2

Collaborates with: Continuum

Additional Responsibilities:

  • Fulfills all the responsibilities of a RAGA, as detailed by KCECH Administration
  • Reports any house-side announcements to Continuum

Deliverables:

  • Maintains the spaces:
    • KC2/STWing Lounge
    • A Wing Elevator Lounge
    • C Wing Elevator Lounge

The RAGAs fulfill all responsibilities as detailed by the KCECH/CHAS Administration, maintain floor community and KC2 spaces, interface with KCECH administration, collaborate with Continuum to promote KC2 and House events. 

Parliamentarian: Picard (Star Trek)

Spring election, must live in KCECH, no academic year requirement.

Function: Manages STWing 

Type of work: Secretarial, Managing

Focus audience: STWing

Collaborates with: RAGAs, Sysadmin, Continuum

Additional Responsibilities:

  • Directs all STWing budgets (card held by System Administrator)
  • Pilots any STWing developments (event, project, etc.)

Deliverables:

  • Hosts the events:
    • Monthly STWing GBMs
    • Weekly Continuum Meetings
    • STWing Convocation
  • Produces:
    • Meeting Minutes
    • Website content/updates
    • STWing Annual Newsletter (for sending out)

The Parliamentarian manages Continuum, schedules and takes notes at Continuum meetings and GBMs, and updates the STWing website when needed; they work with the System Administrator to interface with the KCECH administration and to manage STWing’s budget. They are also responsible for hosting the STWing Convocation event at the beginning of each academic year (see description below), and help pilot any STWing developments (events, projects, etc.). As the face and leader of STWing, which is based on KC2 and whose activities mainly occur in KCECH, they are required to be a resident of KCECH. 

Outreach Chair: Arngeir (Skyrim)

Spring election; no housing requirement, no academic year requirement.

Function: Recruitment

Type of work: Correspondence, Events

Focus Audience: Non-STWingers on KC2, KCECH, or at Penn

Collaborates with: Freshman Representative, Sysadmin

Deliverables:

  • Hosts the events:
    • STWing Does Quaker Days
    • STWing Does NSO
    • STWing Does Club Fair
    • STWing Does CHAS Upperclassman Housing Fair
  • Produces:
    • Daily Pennsylvanian advertisements
    • STWing marketing content

The Outreach chair facilitates STWing promotion within both the current and prospective student bodies. They coordinate promotion efforts to prospective Penn students during Quaker Days, and showcase STWing to current students during NSO, club fairs, and the CHAS Upperclassmen Housing Fair. Promotion methods are at the discretion of the chair; in the past these have included events, hosting prospective students, and creating and distributing flyers. Additionally, they interface with the Daily Pennsylvanian and the Penn Science Magazine, and work with the System Administrator to produce an annual newsletter to alumni.  

Freshman Representative: Korra (The Legend of Korra)

Fall election; must live on KC2, freshman only.

Function: Freshmen programming and voice

Type of work: Events 

Focus Audience: KC2 and KCECH freshman

Collaborates with: Outreach Chair, Social Chair, Academic Chair, Special Projects Chair

Additional Responsibilities:

  • Keeps availability in the KC2/STWing lounge

Deliverables:

  • Hosts the events:
    • Various freshman-initiated event examples
      • Theater/museum trips
      • Karaoke
      • Movie nights
      • Anime nights
      • Music-minded events
      • LAN parties

The Freshman Representative focuses on building community on KC2 and within KCECH; as they are the voice of the freshman class of STWingers, they must be a freshman residing on KC2. They host smaller scale, community-oriented events aimed primarily at the KC2/KCECH STWing population, working with the Outreach and Social chairs; past events have included theater/museum trips, karaoke, movie/anime nights, and LAN parties. 

Social Chair: Zelda (The Legend of Zelda)

Spring election; must live in KCECH , no academic year requirement

Function: Social programming

Type of work: Events

Focus Audience: STWing

Collaborates with: Freshman Representative

Deliverables:

  • Hosts the events:
    • STWing Game Tournaments
    • STWing Hotpot
    • STWing Paint Nights
    • STWing Goes Outside
    • STWing Goes to Marrakesh
    • STWing Goes to Dave and Busters/Hibachi
    • STWing Boardgame Parties
    • STWalloween
    • STWecret STWanta
    • STWalentines
    • STWing Banquet

The Social chair organizes and hosts STWing’s traditional large-scale social events, aimed at the entire STWing population; these traditional events are outlined below. 

Academic Chair: Gandalf (The Lord of the Rings)

Spring election; should live in KCECH, no academic year requirement.

Function: Academic programming

Type of work: Events

Focus Audience: STWing and any relevant organizations for events

Collaborates with: Freshman Representative

Deliverables:

  • Hosts the events:
    • Regular dinner discussions with Professors
    • STWing’s Rude Silverberg or equivalent replacement
    • STWing’s Robotics Fair or equivalent replacement
    • STWing’s Hebo-Con or equivalent replacement
    • STWing’s Student Research Colloquium/STWEDx
    • STWing Explains Research
      • CURF Research Fellowship
      • KCECH Research Fellowship
      • John Parker Grant

The Academic chair is in charge of academic STWing events, both small- and large-scale.

Special Projects Chair: Professor Oak, Elm (Pokemon)

Spring election, can be multiple persons involved; should live in KCECH, no academic year requirement.

Function: Projects and pre-professional programming

Type of work: Events

Focus Audience: STWing and any relevant organizations for projects

Collaborates with: Freshman Representative

Deliverables:

  • Hosts the events:
    • STWing’s Yearly Project
    • STWing’s Biweekly Mini-project
      • “One-shot” study-break style mini-projects where people can enjoy an hour or two working with their hands
        • E.g. build model airplanes, create slides, cast resin objects, etc.
    • STWing’s Informal Hands-on Classes/Lecture Series
    • Various pre-professional events
      • Resume workshops
      • Interview workshops
      • LinkedIn workshops
  • Maintains the space
    • Blimp Room
    • Encourages involvement and engagement with the space

Merchandising Chair: Bob Ross (The Joy of Painting)

Spring election; should live in KCECH, no academic year requirement.

Function: Branding

Type of work: Content Creation

Focus Audience: STWing

Deliverables:

  • Creates:
    • STWing Shirt
    • STWing Fling Tank
    • STWing Online Store (Redbubble)
    • STWing Logo (maintains)

System Administrator: GLaDos (The Portal Series)

Not electable (Previous Sysadmin chooses); must live in KCECH, must be an upperclassman.

Function: Alumni voice

Type of work: Correspondence, server maintenance

Focus Audience: KCECH Servers and Alumni

Collaborates with: Parliamentarian, Outreach Chair

Additional Responsibilities:

  • Fulfills all the responsibilities of a manager, as detailed by KCECH Administration
  • Reports any house-side announcements to Continuum
  • Assists STWing with any other projects
  • Serves as the de-facto leader in STWing projects/meeting
  • Manages alumni relations, including the STWing Alumni Barbecue

The System Administrator (or Sysadmin) is the a KCECH house manager for STWing, and in addition to fulfilling their responsibilities as a house manager, they interface between KCECH and Continuum, assist on STWing projects where appropriate, and manage STWing’s servers and mailing lists. 

For access to the last version of STWing’s Bylaws, look here. Recorded past versions can be found here.