Sample Bylaws

Article I.

The name of this organization shall be the "[name of institution] Student Chapter of the Optical Society of America."

Article II.

The objective of this chapter shall be: (1) to promote awareness of the optical science and optical engineering among the academic and local communities, (2) to serve as a means of communication and interaction between students, faculty, and administration, (3) to establish interaction between students and local sections and national headquarters of the Optical Society of America, and (4) to broaden the student’s insight of post-graduate opportunities.

Article III.

Membership in this chapter shall be open to any [name of institution] student with an interest in optical science and optical engineering. In accord with the objectives stated in Article II, members of the chapter shall be either student or regular members of the Optical Society of America.

Article IV.

A quorum of thirty percent of the total membership shall be required for business to be transacted or elections held at any meeting.

Article V.

1. Chapter Officers

1. All officers shall be full time students of [name of institution], members of good standing of the chapter, and national members of the Optical Society of America.

2. Nominations and Elections

1. The elected officers will be President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary.
2. Nominations for the officers shall be conducted by a committee consisting of three members appointed by the President. The committee’s role will be to ensure a full slate of candidates for the officers.
3. Nominations will be open for one week after the first regular meeting of either the Fall or Spring semester.
4. Elections will be held at the second regular meeting of the either the Fall or Spring semester. Voting must continue until a candidate wins by majority of members present. If no majority is obtained, the candidate with the fewest number of votes will be eliminated and voting will continue.
5. In case of a vacant office, a special election will be held at the next regular meeting.

3. Term of Office

1. The term of all officers shall begin at the completion of the election

4. Removal From Office

1. An elected officer can be removed from office for misconduct or failure to perform the duties of his/her office.
2. Removal must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the members present, after the charges have been openly preferred against the officer by a member of the chapter - one meeting prior to the meeting at which the removal vote is to be taken.

5. Duties of Officers

1. President — To run meetings in an orderly fashion, to make necessary decisions, and to represent and be responsible to the chapter.
2. Vice President — To assist the President and to serve in his/her absence. To preside over chapter activities.
3. Treasurer — To be responsible for the financial obligations to the chapter, coordinate payment of dues, and distribute funds accordingly.
4. Secretary — To take minutes of all chapter meetings and to be responsible for all correspondence of the chapter. To maintain communications with OSA. Responsible for submitting annual reports to the National OSA.

Article VI.

1. Student chapter dues shall be paid and funds will be managed by the Treasurer.
2. The Treasurer shall provide appropriate membership information and materials and coordinate dues payments to the OSA National Headquarters.
3. The OSA National Headquarters shall annually rebate the chapter $5 per each student chapter member who is also a member of the OSA National organization. All monies will be distributed to the chapter faculty advisor who will distribute the funds to the Treasurer.