Article One. Name.
The name of this organization shall be Biomedical Graduate Student Organization.
Article Two. Purpose.
The Biomedical Graduate Student Organization, hereafter referred to as BGSO, is dedicated to the goal of promoting and providing activities for the education and entertainment of members of the Harvard community and, specifically, for graduate students within the Division of Medical Sciences (DMS). The activities of the BGSO shall include, but not be limited to: Presenting the academic concerns of students within the Division of Medical Sciences to faculty and administrators within the Division of Medical Sciences; funding of academic organizations and activities that foster interest in the biomedical sciences or related fields of study; funding of non-academic organizations that promote a sense of community within DMS; organization of social activities that promote interaction among members of DMS.
Article Three. Criteria for Membership.
1. Membership in the BGSO shall be open to all students currently enrolled in the Division of Medical Sciences in Harvard University, regardless of sex, race, creed, age, color, national origin, physical disability, or sexual orientation.
2. All of the members of the BGSO shall be registered in the Division of Medical Sciences and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
3. All students enrolled within the Division of Medical Sciences are members of the BGSO.
4. Membership shall continue until a student severs connections with the University, whether by graduation or withdrawal. Any member may formally withdraw by so informing in writing one of the officers.
Article Four. Officers.
1. The officers of the BGSO shall be the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer. Any student currently registered in the Division of Medical Sciences is eligible to serve as an officer.
2. The President shall be the chief executive officer of the BGSO and shall exercise general supervision and control over its programs as well as chair its business meetings.
3. The Vice President shall assist the President in the duties of that office. Should the President leave the office prior to completing the term, the Vice President shall assume the office until the next regularly-scheduled election. The new President shall fill the vacancy in the Office of Vice President by appointment.
4. The Secretary shall be responsible for distributing information about the organization, handling correspondence, notifying members of BGSO meetings, maintaining written records of meetings and other business.
5. The Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping the financial records, collecting dues which the organization may have, handling other financial matters as they occur, and submitting financial reports.
6. If there are vacancies within different offices, those responsibilities described for each vacant office will be distributed among existing filled offices. The distribution of responsibilities will be decided upon by the Officers of the BGSO.
7. Members of the BGSO may be appointed by the President to any vacant office. Such members will assume the office until the next regularly-scheduled election.
Article Five. Funding of DMS Organizations by the BGSO.
1. To be eligible for DMS funding exclusively, an organization must be run by DMS students . Furthermore, membership to such an organization must be limited to students enrolled in DMS. An organization with members outside of DMS must receive funding from sources in addition to BGSO to remain eligible for DMS funding.
2. A DMS organization must submit a formal request to obtain funding from the BGSO. This request must include a statement of purpose, a proposed budget and, if the organization is requesting renewal of funding from the BGSO, an expense report from the previous year.
3. Unanimous approval is required by the Officers of the BGSO in order to grant a funding request for an organization.
4. Organizations for which funding has been allocated shall submit receipts to the Financial Office of the Division of Medical Sciences for reimbursement. The organizations will be reimbursed by the Financial Office of the Division of Medical Sciences.
Article Six. Elections.
1. Officers shall be elected every two years by the membership of the BGSO. Elections shall be held in August. The term of office shall commence one week after the date of the election.
2. Students interested in serving as officers shall so inform any Officer of the BGSO prior to the day of the elections. In electing officers, each member shall have one vote, and members shall be entitled to vote by written proxy. Candidates must obtain a majority of all votes cast in order to be elected to office. In the event that no candidate attracts the requisite number of votes for election, a run-off shall be held between the two candidates with the highest number of votes.
Article Seven. Meetings.
1. Meetings of the BGSO may be called by the President, who shall so inform the Officers at least one week prior to the date of the proposed meeting.
2. The President shall preside over all meetings of the BGSO. In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall preside.
3. The Secretary shall be responsible for informing the membership of the date, time, place, and agenda of all regular and special meetings.
4. For the purpose of voting at business meetings, a quorum shall be defined as a majority of the membership present at the meeting. Each member shall have one vote, and may vote by written proxy if necessary.
Article Eight. Amendments.
Any Officer shall be entitled to propose amendments. These proposed amendments shall be communicated to the Secretary, who shall inform the other Officers of the proposed amendment and schedule a meeting for the purpose of voting on these amendments. If the date of submission of these amendments is near the date of a regular or special business meeting, then no additional meeting need be scheduled. A vote shall be held among the Officers. A majority of votes among the Officers shall be required for any changes to this constitution.
