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ABOUT PAS |
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Mission Statement |
The Public Affairs Society was established to promote undergraduate student interest in domestic policy and international affairs. PAS is a non-partisan organization that focuses on providing opportunities for career development, academic advancement, and intellectual enrichment. We strive to educate and foster collaborative discussion in the areas of public policy, social welfare, and urban planning, between students, faculty, and administrators. |
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Constitution |
Article 1: Name
The official name of the organization shall be “UCLA Public Affairs Society,” also referred to in the abbreviated form “PAS.” |
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Article 2: Statement of Purpose
The Public Affairs Society was established to promote undergraduate student interest in domestic policy and international affairs. PAS is a non-partisan organization that focuses on providing opportunities for career development, academic advancement, and intellectual enrichment. We strive to educate and foster collaborative discussion in the areas of public policy, social welfare, and urban planning, between students, faculty, and administrators. |
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Article 3: Membership
Section 1: Statement of non-discrimination
The Public Affairs Society does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, medical condition, ancestry, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or status as a Vietnam Veteran or special disabled Veteran. The Public Affairs Society also prohibits sexual harassment. This non-discrimination policy covers organization membership, access to organization programs and activities, and the general treatment of members in the organization.
Section 2: General Membership
Meetings and events are open to all UCLA undergraduate students, graduate students, professors, faculty, and members of the community who are interested. However, membership in this organization is only open to registered UCLA undergraduate and graduate students.
Section 3: Honorary Membership
Each year, selected faculty member, staff, or community leader are asked to join as honorary members. Honorary members are elected in the spring quarter general meeting and will be inducted at the year-end organization celebration dinner. Honorary members receive the same privileges as general members. |
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Article 4: Organizational Structure Section 1: Elected Executive Board Members
The four elected permanent positions of the executive board positions are: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Elections will be held annually during the spring quarter general meeting. Voting and nomination for office will only be open to members who are present at the spring quarter general meeting. The nominated candidate who garners the most votes from the voting members is elected to serve an entire term. Executive Board members are to serve a term which begins in the summer prior to the school year until the spring term. The responsibilities of each position are outlined below:
President
Organize, plan and lead to ensure the perpetuation and overall success of the chapter
Work with the chapter advisor to plan a calendar of activities for the school year
Plan regular meetings and prepare agendas for the officers, delegating responsibilities as necessary
Plan meetings and prepare agendas for a general chapter meeting at least once per term
Vice President
Fulfill the president's duties in the absence of the president and assist the president in the completion of duties as needed
Coordinate executive board and committees to conduct ongoing campus awareness campaigns
Assist the president in coordinating events to help the chapter fulfill its mission
Treasurer
Manage all financial transactions of the chapter with guidance from the chapter advisor and president
Receive and distribute chapter funds
Work with the president and advisor to prepare an accurate budget for the chapter
Balance the chapter account and report to the chapter and advisor
Apply for base budget funding each quarter, and other funding sources each year
Secretary
Record and prepare the minutes of each executive board and chapter meeting to distribute to the chapter leaders and advisor
Post chapter minutes on the chapter webpage
Regularly update the chapter webpage
Distribute message from the chapter advisor, the chapter president, or other officers to all chapter members
Take attendance of each officer meeting and general membership meeting
Manage the contact information of all members and officers
Section 2: Appointed Executive Board Members
The six appointed permanent positions of the executive board positions are: Historian, Social Events Chair, Guest Speaker Chair, Public Relations Chair, Academic Events Chair, and Membership Chair. Application to fill these positions will be open to all general members. The process of appointing these positions will be conducted annually during the spring quarter officers meeting. Each member of the current executive board will have one vote for each appointed position, only officers present at the meeting are eligible to vote. Once elected by garnering the most votes, candidates must be approved by faculty advisor. Executive Board members are to serve a term which begins in the summer prior to the school year until the spring term. The responsibilities of each position are outlined below:
Historian
Save and document any evidence of chapter activities, including posters, newspaper clippings, etc.
Take pictures to include in the chapter's annual scrapbook or to post on the chapter website
Observe and document the success and areas of improvement for each activity and report to officers during executive board meetings
Social Events Chair
Plan and coordinate at least one social event for chapter members each term
Coordinate a social committee and call committees to meetings as necessary
Survey members for ideas for future events
Guest Speaker Chair
Coordinate with executive board and chapter advisor to arrange for guest speaker for the quarterly faculty-student lunch
Survey members to find out member interests for guest speakers
Help organize the format of guest speaker and faculty speaker events
Plan ahead and reserve facilities necessary for guest speaker events
Order refreshments for each faculty-student lunch
Serve as a liaison between guest speaker and executive board
Public Relations Chair
Coordinate all publicity for chapter activities and events
Maintain good relations with campus organizations and media agencies
Place and public service announcements in campus and local media
Write and submit press releases for important chapter activities
Explore creative methods of advertising to increase awareness of organization
Use MYUCLA and POP-UPS
Academic Events Chair
Plan and coordinate at least one academic workshop or event each term
Plan ahead and reserve the facilities necessary for events
Survey members to find out interests and needs for future academic programming
Membership Chair
Investigate sources of local funding
Coordinate activities to enhance membership participation
Contact members to inform them of chapter meetings and events
Coordinate annual membership drive and freshman fair
Use MYUCLA and POP-UPS to advertise membership meetings
Section 3: Permanent Positions
These permanent positions were initially chosen by the founder of Public Affairs Society. If a permanent advisor is no longer to fulfill his/her duties, a replacement will be appointed by the Executive Board.
Faculty Advisor
Assist the Executive Board with planning events
Serve as liaison between faculty and students
Graduate Student Advisor
Assist the Executive Board with programming ideas
Serve as a liaison between graduate students and undergraduate students
Help plan and coordinate the graduate mentorship program
Section 4: Resignations and Replacements
Both elected and appointed officers are expected to serve a full term. However, in the case that officers resign from their Executive Board duties before the term is over, the position shall be open to all members interested in serving on the Executive Board. Regardless of whether the newly opened office was originally an elected or appointed position, an application process will be used to select candidates interested in serving on the Executive Board. The current Executive Board, along with the Faculty Advisor will select the new officers based on a voting procedure. The candidate receiving the most votes will serve on the Executive Board in that position until the end of the term. |
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Article 5: Operating Procedures
Section 1: Meetings
Membership meetings shall take place at least once per quarter. Special meetings may be called, as needed, by the President or Faculty Advisor. For approved events, executive board members in charge may organize committee meetings. Executive Board meetings will convene at least twice per quarter and additional meetings will be held as deemed necessary by the President or Faculty Advisor. These meetings will be open to PAS members—unless otherwise noted—and the date, time, and location will be published. |
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Article 6: Voting Eligibility and Procedures
Section 1: Eligibility for Voting Privileges
Voting privileges are open to all general members and executive board members who have submitted a membership application to join PAS at least one quarter before.
Section 2: Voting Procedures
All voting will be by hand, with the exception of officer elections, which shall be cast by secret ballot. A majority vote must be reached by the members in attendance to pass a vote. For general matters, the Secretary will be in charge of counting and recording the votes. For elections, the Faculty Advisor, or his/her designee, shall be in charge of counting and recording the votes. The Executive Board may also initiate a secret ballot process as deemed necessary by the Faculty Advisor. |
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Article 7: Finances
A record of all financial transactions will be kept by the Treasurer. The Public Affairs Society will make all financial records available to authorized University officials upon request. |
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Article 8: Procedures for Amending the Constitution
Amendments to the PAS constitution and bylaws may be made at any of the quarterly Public Affairs Society general membership meetings. Copies of proposed amendments must be furnished to all members present before the vote can occur. Amendments will be passed if it receives the vote of three-fourths of the general members. The changes shall be in agreement with existing University regulations and shall be filed with the Center for Student Programming immediately upon adoption. |
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