^{Revised: 10/22/09}

^{(Note: Areas of conformity are in BOLD print. These bolded areas must be in your bylaws in order to be a NSNA chapter.)}

^{Article I - NAME OF ORGANIZATION}

^{Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Nursing Science Student Association at UC Irvine (NSSA)}

^{ARTICLE II - purpose and function}

^{Section 1. Purpose}

^{1.        To assume responsibility for contributing to nursing education in order to provide for the highest quality of health care.}

^{2.        To provide programs representative of fundamental interests and concerns to nursing students.}

^{3.        To aid in the development of the whole person, his/her professional role, and his/her responsibility for health care of people in all walks of life.}

^{Section 2. Function}

^{1.        To have direct input into standards of nursing education and influence the education process.}

^{2.        To influence health care, nursing education and practice through legislative activities as appropri­ate.}

^{3.        To promote and encourage participation in community affairs and activities towards health care and the resolution of related social issues.}

^{4.        To represent nursing students to the consumer, to institutions, and other organizations.}

^{5.        To promote and encourage students' participation in interdisciplinary activities.}

^{6.        To promote and encourage recruitment efforts, participation in student activities, and educational opportunities regardless of a person's race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, or economic status.}

^{7.        To promote and encourage collaborative relationships with nursing and health related organizations.}

^{Article III - MEMBERS}

^{Section 1. School Constituent}

^{1.        School constituent membership is composed of active or associate members.}

^{2.        NSSA shall be composed of at least 10 active National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA) members from UCI. There shall be only one chapter on this school campus.}

^{3.        For yearly recognition as a constituent, an officer of the NSSA shall submit annually the Official Application for NSNA Constituency Status which shall include the following areas of conformity: purpose and functions, membership, dues, and representation.}

^{4.        A constituent association which fails to comply with the bylaws and policies of NSNA shall have its status as a constituent revoked by a 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors, provided that written notice of the proposed revocation has been given at least two months prior to the vote and the constituent associa­tion is given an opportunity to be heard.}

^{5.        NSSA is an entity separate and apart from NSNA and its administration of activities, with NSNA and CNSA exercising no supervision or control over these immediate daily and regular activities. NSNA and CSNA have no liability for any loss, damages, or injuries sustained by third parties as a result of the negligence or acts of NSSA or the mem­bers thereof. In the event any legal proceedings are brought against NSNA and CNSA, NSSA will indemnify and hold harm­less the NSNA and CNSA from any liability.}

^{Section 2. Categories of Constituent Membership}

^{Members of the constituent associations shall be:}

^{A. Active members:}

^{1.        Students declared in the nursing major of a state approved program leading to a baccalaureate degree and licensure as a registered nurse.}

^{2.        Active members shall have all the privileges of membership.}

^{3.        Active members must be a registered member of NSNA.}

^{4.        Active members must attend at least half of the NSSA meetings per quarter and attend at least one event per quarter to remain active.}

^{5.        Members who are unable to attend any meetings must submit a petition to the NSSA Board of Directors to remain an active member.}

^{B. Associate members:}

^{1.        Pre-nursing students, including registered nurses, enrolled in college or university programs designed as preparation for entrance into a program leading to an associate degree, diploma or baccalaureate degree in nursing.}

^{2.        Non-nursing students at UCI who support nursing and would like to be actively involved in NSSA.}

^{3.        Associate members shall have all of the privileges of membership except the right to hold office.}

^{D. Active and associate membership shall be renewable annually.}

^{Section 3.}

^{Active NSNA membership may be extended six months beyond graduation from a student's program in nursing, providing membership was renewed while the student was enrolled in a nursing program.}

^{Article IV - DUES}

^{Section 1.}

^{1.        The annual NSSA dues for active members shall be $10.  It is required for all active members of NSSA to be a member of NSNA.  The dues year shall be a period of twelve consecutive months.}  

^{2.        The annual dues for non-NSNA (associate) members shall be $10.}

^{3.        The school association Board of Directors shall have the authority to change membership dues, pro­viding the change is approved by 2/3 Active Member vote.}

^{4.        National and state dues shall be payable directly to NSNA. NSNA shall remit to each state constituent the dues received on behalf of the constituent. NSNA shall not collect nor remit school chapter dues.}

^{5.        Any member who fails to pay current dues shall forfeit all privileges of membership.}

^{Article V. - Board of Directors}

^{Section 1. Composition}

^{A. The Board of Directors will consist of: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Projects Chairperson, Staff Liaison, Website Coordinator, Publicity Chairperson, and Breakthrough to Nursing Representative}

^{B.  The only Board of Director positions permitted to have more than one representative is Projects Chairperson and Breakthrough to Nursing Representative.}

^{C.  All Board of Directors must be an active NSNA member.}

^{Section 2. Responsibilities}

^{A. The Board of Directors shall be responsible for:}

^{1.        Transacting business of the association between membership meetings and shall report such transactions at the next regularly scheduled membership meeting.}

^{2.        Filling vacancies in any office by two-thirds majority vote of Board of Directors except the office of President which is to be filled by the Vice President.}

^{3.        Reviewing monetary disbursements, acquisitions and fund raising activities and shall be responsible for procuring persons for audit of all accounts on an annual basis.}

^{Section 2. Quorum. A quorum for the board meetings shall be the president, vice president, three other board members and one faculty advisor.}

^{Section 3. Duties of the Board of Directors shall consist of:}

^{A. President}

^{1.        Shall preside at all meetings of this association, appoint special committee as needed, perform all other duties pertaining to the office and represent this association in all matters to the local state nurses association, the local league for nursing, state nursing student association, National Student Nurses' Association, and other professional and student organizations.}

^{2.        Shall serve as chairperson of the Board of Directors}

^{B. Vice President}

^{1.        Shall assume responsibility of the office of President in the event of the vacancy occurring in the office until the next regular election.}

^{2.        Shall preside at meetings in the absence of the President.}

^{3.        Shall assist the President as delegated and act as advisor to the President.}

^{4.        Shall attend all Council of Chapter Representatives (COCR) meetings.  If unable to attend, he/she is responsible for assigning another representative to attend.}

^{5.        Shall collaborate with the Secretary to monitor activity of members.}

^{C. Secretary} 

^{1.        Shall record and distribute the minutes of all meetings of this association as directed by the President.}

^{2.        Shall keep on file as a permanent record all reports, papers and documents submitted to the Secretary.}

^{3.        Refer to dully appointed committees the necessary records for the completion of business.}

^{4.        Forward minutes to the state nursing student association board as well as the names and addresses of all officers and committee chairpersons after their election or appointment.}

^{5.        Deliver to the newly elected Secretary all association papers.}

^{6.        Shall collaborate with the Vice President to monitor activity of members.}

^{7.        Shall respond to e-mails sent to the Nursing Student account.}

^{D. Treasurer} 

^{1.        Shall serve as chairperson of the budget.}

^{2.        Submit financial reports to the membership as directed by President.}

^{3.        Prepare financial reports submitted at the monthly Board of Directors Meeting.}

^{4.        Keep a permanent record of all dues received from members and any other income and disbursements.}

^{5.        Remit payment for approved debits.}

^{6.        Disbursement of Funds}

^{7.        Requests for disbursement of funds shall be made in writing to the Board of Director.}

^{8.        Upon approval the treasurer will issue checks for those requests approved.}

^{9.        No funds will be disbursed without prior approval.}

^{10.      All checks must have two signatures, that of the Treasurer and that of the President}

^{11.      Shall coordinate at least one fundraiser per quarter with proceeds going to NSSA.}

^{E. Projects Chairperson}

^{1.        Serves as chairperson of Projects committee.}

^{2.        Attend student activities council meetings.}

^{3.        Be accountable to the membership for notification of pending student activities.}

^{4.        Organize and lead at least two community health projects per quarter.}

^{F. Staff Liaison}

^{1. Serve as a student representative to the Faculty Board for the College of Health Sciences, Program in Nursing Science.}

^{2. Serve as main correspondent to Faculty advisor.}

^{3. Attend faculty meetings once per month or as often as needed.  If unable to attend, he/she is responsible for finding another representative to attend.}

^{G. Website Coordinator}

^{1. Maintain website with up-to-date information about NSSA.}

^{2. Maintain a photo album for NSSA.}

^{3. Coordinate with the previous Website Coordinator.}

^{H.  Publicity Chairperson}

^{1. Shall use advertising mechanisms to publicize and promote events/affairs of NSSA to students, faculty, and the surrounding community.}

^{2. Work in conjunction with committee chairperson(s) of individual program events.}

^{3. Appoint a committee, if necessary, that may include not only board members, but also any and all active members of NSSA.}

^{I.  Breakthrough to Nursing (BTN) Representative}

        ^{a. Promote a positive image of nursing throughout the community.}

        ^{b. Promote diversity in nursing.}

        ^{c. Promote recruitment and retention of men and minorities in nursing.}

        ^{d. Identify and compile a listing of state and national financial aid resources for nursing students.}

        ^{e. Shall plan at least one outreach project per quarter.}

        ^{f. Shall be responsible for the up-keeping of the weekly scheduling of volunteer nursing students for the UCI Outreach Clinic.}

        ^{g. Must officially be a part of the nursing student volunteer pool for the UCI Outreach Clinic.}

^{Section 4. Absences}

^{1.        Members of the Board of Directors who have missed more than two regularly scheduled meetings of any current term year without prior notification to the Board of Directors and who offer no valid reason for such absences may be removed from office by a plurality vote of the current membership present at the next scheduled meeting. The officer in question will be notified in advance of the meeting.}

^{2.        An officer may also be removed from office by a plurality vote of the members of the Board of Directors present at a meeting called for that purpose if that officer is deemed negligent in the functions of that office as stated in these bylaws.}

^{3.        Prior notification of two weeks shall be given to the individual in question and a special Board of Directors meeting shall be held to review the circumstances.}

^{Article VI - ELECTIONS}

^{Section 1. Election of Board of Directors}

^{1.        Elections shall be held at the last meeting of the pervious school year}

^{2.        All elections shall be by secret ballot.}

^{3.        A plurality vote of the members present and entitled to vote and voting shall constitute an official election.}

^{4.        In the event of a tie, a re-vote shall be held.}

^{5.        All nominations shall be made from the floor.}

^{6.        Candidates are not permitted to vote for themselves.}

^{7.        Only active members are permitted to run for a position on the Board of Directors.}

^{8.        Graduating NSSA members are permitted to vote in an election provided they do not comprise 2/3 or more of the voting pool.}

^{9.        Candidates are permitted to run for only one position.}

^{Article VII - MEETINGS}

^{Section 1. Membership Meetings}

^{1.        The President shall have the authority to convene a special meeting as such time as is deemed necessary and shall notify the general membership of such meeting, location, and time.}

^{2.        Meetings will be held every other week of the quarter.}

^{Article VIII - COMMITTEES}

^{Section 1. Appointments}

^{1.        Committee chair appointments shall be made by the Board of Directors and shall be deemed standing committees unless otherwise stated at time of appointment.}

^{2.        Committee members shall be appointed by the committee chairperson or selected by the Board of Directors from a group of volunteers.}

^{Section 2. Responsibility}

^{1.        All committees shall be responsible to the Board of Directors for reporting committee activities on a regular basis and shall, upon direction of the Board of Direc­tors, report same to the general membership.}

^{Article IX - DELEGATES}

^{Section 1. Purpose and Function}

^{1.        To serve as spokesperson for this association at the annual state and national conventions.}

^{2.        Present to the state and national organizations all proposed resolutions or amendments to bylaws or policies proposed by this association.}

^{3.        Keep informed as to all current and proposed resolutions at the state and national levels and report information to this association's membership at regu­larly scheduled membership meetings.}

^{4.        Make available to members updates, explanations, and copies of current and proposed state and national resolutions.}

^{Section 2. Qualification and Appointment}

^{1.        Any member maintaining a grade level of C or above, who is active in (school association) projects and is nominated by current membership at a regularly scheduled meeting is eligible to hold the position of delegate.}

^{2.        Appointment shall be for one (1) year and shall be made by nomination of those members eligible and voted on by the current membership eligible to vote and voting. The nominee receiving the majority of votes cast shall be awarded the position.}

^{Section 3. Delegate Representation}

^{A. School constituents:}

^{1.        NSSA, when recognized as an official NSNA constituent, shall be entitled to one voting delegate and alternate at the NSNA House of Delegates, and in addition, shall be entitled to one voting delegate and alternate for every 50 members.}

^{2.        The NSSA delegate(s) and alternate shall be a member(s) in good standing in the chapter and shall be selected and/or elected by members of the school chapter at a proper meeting according to chapter bylaws. The school association may designate an alternate delegate for each delegate by one of the following two mechanisms:}

^{1.        Selection and/or election by members of the school chapter according to chapter bylaws; or}

^{2.        Written authorization to the State Board of Directors requesting them to appoint a member of the State Board to act as a state-appointed alternate for their school chapter.}

^{a.         School chapters shall approve the appointment.}

^{b.        The State Board of Directors shall verify that any state appointed alternate is a member in good standing of the NSNA and the state association.}

^{c.         A school chapter must have a selected and/or elected delegate present at the NSNA Convention in order to have a state-appointed alternate seated in the House of Delegates.}

^{d.        All alternates, whether school selected or state-appointed, shall have the same privileges as an elected delegate when seated in the House.}

^{3. The school association shall be entitled to delegates according to the number of members in good standing in NSNA. Delegates shall be computed on the basis of the number of members in each constituent as evidenced by the annual dues received by NSNA on a date eight weeks prior to the annual meeting.}

^{Article X - AMENDMENTS}

^{1. Amendments to the By-laws may be made with a 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors and voting at a membership meeting. Only proper amendments submitted in writing and carrying the proponent's signature will be considered.  Members present at the meeting have the option to abstain from voting.}

^{2. The Board of Directors must review and if necessary, revise, the Constitution every year.} 

^{3. In order to make a proposed change to the Constitution, the proposed change must be contingent upon at least 2/3 of the Board of Directors.} 

^{4. In order for the proposed change to be made final, it must be approved by at least 2/3 of the voting pool during the second general NSSA meeting of the school year.}

^{5. Members of NSSA who would like to propose changes to the Constitution may do so in writing with the support of at least five other NSSA members.}

^{Article XI - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY}

^{All meetings of this association shall be conducted according to the parliamentary law as set forth in Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised where the rules apply and are not in conflict with these bylaws.}