Article I: Name of the Organization
- The name of this organization shall be Palouse Aerospace Club (PAC). The organization may also informally be referred to as Palouse Aerospace. Washington State University may be abbreviated with WSU herein.
Article II: Objective
- The objective of PAC is to foster common interest in Aerospace and Engineering among students, through participation in competitions and relevant activities. PAC will seek to develop aerospace related knowledge at WSU Pullman and facilitate meaningful communication between members of the student-body and the aerospace community.
Article III: Membership
- Any graduate or undergraduate student enrolled at Washington State University may become a general member of PAC.
- All general members who attended at least three-quarters of club meetings in the previous 8 weeks are known as active members. Active club members may be granted access to the clubroom, Dana 51, by the president.
- A project team member is an active member who has committed to participate in one of the club’s officially recognized projects, subject to approval by the appropriate Project Lead, and the President. All project team members shall have door access to the clubroom, Dana 51.
- A student who jeopardizes any function of PAC may have their membership revoked by a two-thirds majority vote of the Executive Committee
Article IV: Officer Roles, Elections, & Impeachment
PAC shall be run by an Executive Committee consisting of an elected President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Safety Officer, and appointed Project Lead(s). The President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Safety Officer may be referred to individually as “Officers,” while the Project Leads may be referred to individually as “Leads.” The Executive Committee consists of all officers and leads.
- Duties of Office:
(a) President – The President is the point of contact with advisors, school administration, alumni, and industry members. Club members should act through the President to reach these contacts. The President facilitates the development of an action plan that gives explicit direction to the club in line with PAC objectives outlined in ARTICLE II.
(b) Vice President – The Vice President shall assist in the duties of the President. This includes, but is not limited to, communication with outside parties for sponsorships and community outreach, leadership and directing the club, making executive decisions with consideration of the club as whole, helping lead club meetings.
(c) Secretary – The Secretary maintains up to date minutes of meetings, to be published publicly within 48 hours of each club meeting, and for compiling new content to maintain an up-to-date online presence for the club. Additionally, the secretary will oversee meeting attendance, and universal record keeping.
(d) Treasurer – The Treasurer presides over the funds and physical resources of the club. The Treasurer is the point of contact for purchases using club funds or the use of club materials. The Treasurer is responsible for maintaining inventory and balancing the budget according to the guidelines outlined in ARTICLE VI.
(e) Safety Officer – The Safety Officer is responsible for monitoring activities in the workplace and ensuring adherence to appropriate regulations. The Safety Officer is required to provide members with safety procedures and necessary training to ensure everyone is fully aware of the applicable standards. The Safety Officer will be trained in basic laboratory safety.
(f) Project Lead – One Project Lead will be elected for each project approved by the Executive Committee. It is their sole responsibility to delegate within the project team as they see fit and ensure timely reports/deliverables are produced.
- All Executive Committee appointees or nominees must be active club members in good standing with the club and University.
- Formal Elections
Formal Elections shall occur once a year in the month of April. All formally elected Executive Committee members shall hold office from the end of Spring semester of the current academic year until the end of Spring Semester of the following year.
Officers shall be elected in the following manner:
(1) The date and time of formal elections should be formally announced at the general meeting following Spring Break, accompanied by a report on the status of the club and its trajectory for the following academic year. The election should be held within the first two weeks of April.
(2) Between the formal announcement and one week before the date of the formal election, the President shall collect all nominations for all Executive Committee Positions. Nominations should include the nominee’s name, and a personal statement as to why the nominated student would benefit the club in the nominated position.
(3) At least three days before the date of the formal election, the president shall compile a list of all nominated parties and personal statements to all active club members.
(4) During the formal election meeting the president shall make an anonymous poll or ballot available to all active members such that they may cast their vote.
(5) Results of the election must be released within one week of the formal election. Newly elected officers will shadow the current officers for the remainder of the spring semester to aid in the transfer of knowledge and responsibilities. New officers will take office at the end of the Spring Semester.
Newly elected officers will shadow the current officers for the remainder of the spring semester to aid in the transfer of knowledge and responsibilities. New officers will take office at the end of the Spring Semester.
- A special election will follow the same format outlined in Section 3. With the exception that once a vacancy in the Executive Committee is identified the election date will immediately be decided and will fall between two to four weeks from the vacancy date. All specially elected Executive
- Any Executive Committee member may resign from their position at any time, for any reason. Should an officer resign, the Executive Committee may appoint a temporary replacement to the position, and a special election shall occur after two weeks according to election meeting protocols outlined in Section 3. Should a Project Lead resign, the team may immediately appoint a new Project Lead according to the election meeting protocols outlined in Section 4.
- If an Executive Committee member is unable to or otherwise refuses to perform their duties, a vote between Executive Committee members may be called to impeach the Executive Committee member. Two-thirds support from Executive Committee members is required to impeach an Executive Committee member. If an Executive Committee member is impeached, a temporary officer must be appointed by the remaining Executive Committee members, and a special election must be held, in accordance with Section 4, to fill the vacancy. Electing a replacement officer from eligible nominated members shall be held according to the election meeting protocols outlined in Section 3. A previously impeached Executive Committee member is not eligible for election to any Executive Committee position.
ARTICLE V: Meetings, Procedure, and Quorums
Meetings shall be held weekly so long as campus remains open. A quorum at any PAC meeting shall consist of at least one-quarter of the active members. Alternatively, two-thirds of the officers of PAC may also constitute a Quorum given insufficient active members are present. The President shall preside over meetings, followed by the Vice President, followed by the next most senior officer as outlined in Article IV, Section 1. All meetings must have minutes taken by the Secretary, or an active member designated by the Secretary, to be posted publicly within 48 hours following the meeting.
ARTICLE VI: Financial Affairs
The fiscal year is August to July of the following year. PAC shall not incur any obligations in excess of $10.00 over the funds on hand. The Treasurer is solely responsible for balancing financial affairs.
Executive Committee approval must be formally obtained for any expenditure meeting one or more of the following:
(a) Expenses totaling greater than 10% of the total of account balances
(b) Funds intended for use in travel expenses, lodging, or food
(c) Funds that do not apply directly to an approved club project
ARTICLE VII: Selection & Approval of Projects
All major projects which intend to use club funds or operate publicly in association with PAC must obtain approval from two-thirds of Executive Committee members before beginning significant construction or contacting external connections.
Approval may be requested by a coordinated group of students in the form of a brief report that must address each of the following soundly:
- What knowledge and resources will be necessary to complete the project?
- How does the project advance or relate to the current state of technology?
- How does the project relate to the current trajectory of the club’s interests?
- In what ways does this project relate to the interests of the local professional community?
A request for approval will be accompanied by a list of all interested members, as well as a proposed project lead for the project. The introduction of a new project shall not be approved if its approval would detract from other active projects.
ARTICLE VIII: Amendments and Limitations
The members of PAC shall in all respects be governed by these by-laws which are subject to the provisions of the Constitution and the by-laws of the American Institute of Aerospace and Astronautics (AIAA) as necessary to maintain an AIAA section.
Amendments to this constitution may be made by a two-thirds majority vote of active members present at a Special Meeting called for the express purpose of changing these by-laws, formally announced no less than ten days prior to the special meeting.
ARTICLE IX: Discrimination Clause
PAC does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, ability, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. Additionally, PAC will seek to build an inclusive environment, accessible to all who wish to participate. Finally, PAC supports WSU’s continued commitment to our Land Acknowledgement and Lauren’s Promise.
Additional WSU Policies: