BYLAWS OF THE IEEE STUDENT BRANCH AT THE KHAWAJA FAREED UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Preamble:
Section 1: Document Purpose.This document specifies the Bylaws of the IEEE Student Branch
at The Khawaja Fareed University as per Article VII of the Constitution of the
Branch (“the Constitution”).
Section 2: Scope.These Bylaws must be consistent with the Constitution and all other governing
documents of the Branch (“the Governing Documents”). Any Bylaw which is found to contradict
any facet of the Governing Documents shall be considered invalid and inapplicable.
Section 3: Changes.Bylaws can be created and removed through the process described in
Article VII of the Constitution.
Bylaw I Branch Leadership Duties
Section 1: Required Clause. All members of the Branch Leadership must fulfill the appropriate
duties for their positions, including all duties mentioned in this Bylaw, specific duties mentioned
in other Bylaws, and any other duties established under the provisions of the Governing
Documents.
Section 2: Failure to Perform Duties.Failure to perform duties shall be grounds for removal,
as discussed in Article III, Leon bet casino, Section 5 of the Constitution.
Section 3: Duties.All members of the Branch Leadership must perform the following duties:
1. Respond to communication from Branch Leadership within two (2) days.
2. Serve two regularly scheduled hours per week in the Branch office, except with the
express consent of the Executive Director.
3. Keep the Branch office clean at all times.
4. Attend all Branch Leadership Meetings, except with the express consent of the Executive
Director.
5. Document all important activities and events for future Branch Leaders.
6. Personally train their replacement(s) after elections.
Bylaw II Executive Officer Branch Leadership Positions and Duties
Section 1: Executive Officers.
The Executive Officer positions are Chair, Vice Chair, Executive
Director, and Corporate Director. The Executive Officers are elected each year as described in
Bylaw V. Duties of each Executive Officer are listed below.
Section 1.1: Chair
In addition to all general Branch Leadership duties, the Chair shall:
1. Provide overall direction for the Branch in line with Article I, Section 2 of the
Constitution.
2. Represent or delegate representation of the Branch in all cases not specifically indicated
elsewhere.
3. Coordinate activities with Section and Region officers.
4. Communicate frequently with the other members of the Branch Leadership.
5. Be responsible for knowing the general operation and intent of each of the Branch’s
major activities.
6. Assume any duties which have not been handled by other officers.
Section 1.2: Vice Chair
In addition to all general Branch Leadership duties, the Vice Chair
shall:
1. Coordinate efforts with the Chair and Executive Director.
2. Act in the position of Chair when delegated by the Chair or should the Chair be
unreachable.
3. Assist in all duties delegated by the Chair.
4. Maintain contact with other student organizations, cooperation with IEEE Society
Student Chapters, and interaction with IEEE Section and Region affiliates.
5. Handle paperwork and bureaucracy for the Branch, such as registration with the
University and Engineering Student Life, room reservations, and other forms.
6. Ensure that all members meet membership requirements and, if necessary, maintain a
database of members in good standing.
7. Facilitate regular communication between ECE students and Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering leadership.
Section 1.3: Executive Director
In addition to all general Branch Leadership duties, the
Executive Director shall:
1. Coordinate efforts with the Chair and Vice Chair.
2. Supervise and assist all Branch Leaders not specified in this Bylaw.
3. Ensure that all Branch Leaders specified in (2) adequately perform the duties required of
them.
4. Manage the duties of the offices listed in (2) in the absence of that Branch Leader.
5. Maintain the organization of the office environment.
6. Manage keys and office access.
7. Manage elections and other internal affairs.
8. Maintain lines of communication within the Branch Leadership, such as email,
phonebook, and shared documents.
9. Preside over regular Branch Leadership meetings.
10. Preside over one event planning meeting per semester. This meeting should set the dates
and budgets for all nonGeneral Meeting events for the semester.
11. Maintain documentation of all Branch Leadership meetings, including, but not limited to,
task lists for other Branch Leaders.
Section 1.4: Corporate Director
In addition to all general Branch Leadership duties, Corporate
Director shall:
1. Secure corporate support for all relevant areas of the Branch and all relevant events,
focusing on General Meetings.
2. Communicate regularly with corporations to maintain and build relationships.
3. Maintain and distribute a “corporate package” that advertises and describes how
corporations may support the Branch and its activities.
4. Ensure all corporate funds are received and deposited promptly.
5. Maintain any Branch accounts held at the University or offcampus.
6. Distribute member résumés to companies.
7. Maintain a corporate contact database for future Corporate Directors.
8. Supervise, assist, and delegate duties to the Treasury Officer.
9. Cooperate with the Treasury Officer to regularly evaluate and maintain target budgets
and make modifications to the budgets as necessary.
10. Coordinate with offices of Chair and ViceChair.
Section 2: Branch Counselor
The Branch Counselor is considered to be an Executive Officer
who may be used as an advisor to the Executive Officers. The Branch Counselor duties are
enumerated in Bylaw III. The Branch Counselor is not subject to the global duties listed in
Bylaw I.
Bylaw III Branch Counselor
Section 1:
Description.The Branch Counselor (“Counselor” or “Advisor”) is an advisor to the
Branch Leadership.
Section 2:
Appointment. As indicated in National Bylaw 407.3, the IEEE Student Branch
members initiate the appointment of a Counselor for their Branch. To begin the procedure, the
Branch Leadership should hold a meeting at which candidates for the Branch Counselor position
are identified and discussed. When the Branch Leadership have agreed upon a faculty member
they would like to serve as their Branch Counselor, they should obtain permission from the
individual to proceed with the nomination. If the candidate agrees to serve as Counselor, Officers
complete the Counselor Appointment Nomination Form, obtaining signatures from the head of
the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The Section Chair should then if
possible, meet with the Chair of the Branch’s Section. If the Section Chair approves the Branch’s
choice for Branch Counselor, they will sign the Counselor Appointment Nomination Form, thus
appointing the nominee to the Branch Counselor position. The original form should then be sent
to IEEE Student Services and copies sent to
1. the Regional Student Activities Committee Chair (RSAC)
2. the Regional Student Representative (RSR)
3. the Section SAC Chair
4. the Regional Director
After two years, the procedure outlined above must be repeated according to National Bylaw
407.3, resulting in either a selection of a new Branch Counselor or the reappointment of the
current Counselor.
Section 3:
Responsibilities. In addition to a vibrant and good working rapport with the Student
Officers, the Counselor should be in frequent contact with the Section Student Activities Chair
(Section SAC). He or she should act as a liaison with the Section, the Region, and IEEE
Headquarters, and should be familiar with all aspects of Branch operations. Specifically, the
Counselor’s duties include:
1. Ensuring that information from IEEE Headquarters is transmitted to the Officers.
2. Meeting with the Chair on a regular basis.
3. Assisting Branch Leadership as necessary.
4. Participating in Regional Activities Committee meetings.
5. Consulting with the Section SAC Chair, Regional SAC Chair, or Region Director about
Branch activities or problems.
6. Promoting online student application and renewal.
7. Fostering good relations with the local Section and encourage students to establish
regular liaison with the Section SAC Chair.
8. Promoting student awareness of awards, contests and benefits of membership.
9. Establishing industrial contacts for Branch programs and activities.
10. Interesting other faculty members in the activities of the Branch.
11. Staying well informed about the plans and activities of the Branch.
12. Assisting interpretation of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Branch.
13. Ensuring that the Branch remains compliant with all rules and regulations from the
Governing Bodies.
14. Staying prepared to deal with major problems or emergencies within the organization.
Bylaw IV Officer, Representative, and Assistant Officer Branch Leadership Positions and
Duties
Section 1:
Officers.The Officers are Multimedia and Publicity Officer, Activities and Events
Officer, Membership Resources Officer, Treasury Officer, and Representative(s). The Officers
are elected each year as described in Bylaw V. Duties of each Officer are listed below.
Section 1.1:
Multimedia and Publicity Officer In addition to all general Branch Leadership
duties, the Multimedia and Publicity Officer shall:
1. Maintain and upgrade all office computers, servers, and donated electronic equipment.
2. Maintain external (web site, etc) and internal (Google Apps, etc) online services.
3. Maintain email lists and online presence (Facebook, Twitter, etc).
4. Inform the general membership of all activities and events of the Branch, information
from the ECE department, and all other information the Branch Leaders deem important.
5. Maintain and make available current copies of all official documents, including internal
(event handbooks, etc.) and external documentation (Constitution, Bylaws, etc).
6. Prepare the necessary reports for IEEE, such as the Annual Plan of Activities, Annual
Report of Activities, and Section newsletter updates.
7. Photograph and maintain records of events and meetings.
8. Maintain the signup and signin lists for all events, using current membership data.
9. Oversee and delegate to two (2) Assistant Officers that will act as assistants to the
Multimedia and Publicity Officer.
10. Report activities to and receive direction from the Executive Director.
Section 1.2:
Activities and Events Officer In addition to all general Branch Leadership duties,
the Activities and Events Officer shall:
1. Manage logistics of all public events not indicated elsewhere.
2. Coordinate room reservations and permits with the Vice Chair.
3. Coordinate participation in EWeek, other collegewide events, and other
Universitywide events in conjunction with the Representatives.
4. Coordinate events with IEEE Society Student Chapters and other student organizations.
5. Host an appropriate number of service and social events for the members each semester.
6. Oversee and delegate to three (3) Assistant Officers that will act as assistants to the
Activities and Events Officer.
7. Report activities to and receive direction from the Executive Director.
Section 1.3:
Membership Resources Officer In addition to all general Branch Leadership
duties, the Membership Resources Officer shall:
1. Make purchases for the Branch. All purchases require the approval of an Executive
Officer.
2. Maintain shelf and storeroom stocks of food and beverages for sale.
3. Clean the refrigerator, microwave, and other related appliances.
4. Manage clothing and other promotional materials.
5. Manage tab sheets and ensure monthly repayment with the Treasury Officer.
6. Order and sell electronics such as parts, lab kits, and technical manuals, as appropriate.
7. Maintain sales and transaction records for accounting purposes.
8. Coordinate sales taxes with the Treasury Officer, if required.
9. Oversee and delegate to one (1) Assistant Officer that will act as an assistant to the
Membership Resources Officer.
10. Report activities to and receive direction from the Executive Director.
Section 1.4:
Treasury Officer In addition to all general Branch Leadership duties, the Treasury
Officer shall:
1. Oversee all Branch deposits and withdrawals.
2. Ensure that all reimbursements are handled promptly and appropriately.
3. Summarize Branch financial status at each Branch Leadership Meeting.
4. Manage all tax filings and payments, should they be required.
5. Maintain a budget of all income and expenditures.
6. Report activities to and receive direction from the Corporate Director.
Section 2: Representatives.
The Representatives are Branch Leaders that are elected or
appointed to serve as representatives of the Branch to committees, councils, and other external
organizations. They are responsible for representing Branch interests and relaying information to
and from the Branch.
Section 2.1:
Student Engineering Council Representative(s)(“SEC” Representative(s)). The
number of SEC Representatives is to be determined according to SEC requirements. One SEC
Representative position shall be defined as an Officer of the Branch and will be considered the
“head” SEC Representative for the Branch, and the remaining SEC Representatives will be
defined as Assistant Officers. The head SEC Representative shall oversee and delegate to the
remaining SEC Representatives. Of the SEC Representatives defined as Assistant Officers, one
position must be reserved for first year students. In addition to all general Branch Leadership
duties, the SEC Representative(s) shall:
1. Fulfill all requirements of SEC Representatives as defined by SEC.
2. Report SEC activities to the Branch.
3. Represent Branch interests to the SEC.
4. Assist the Activities and Events Officer in coordination of IEEE efforts for all
SECrelated activities, including EWeek.
5. Report activities to and receive direction from the Executive Director.
Section 3:
Assistant Officers.Assistant Officers are defined as members of the Branch
Leadership. Assistant Officers are appointed and not elected as defined in this Section.
Assistant Officers shall be titled similarly to the Officer to which they are linked. That is, an
Assistant Officer linked with the “Membership Resources Officer” shall be titled as
“Membership Resources Assistant Officer,” and similar for the remaining offices.
Section 3.1: Appointment of Assistant Officers.The appointment process of Assistant
Officers is as follows.
Section 3.1.1: Timeline.Assistant Officer positions will be announced and applications will be
made available at the first General Meeting of the Fall semester. Assistant Officer appointments
will be announced at the second General Meeting of the Fall semester.
Section 3.1.2: Eligibility.All Members of the Branch, including firstyear students, are eligible
to run for an Assistant Officer Position, provided they meet the qualifications listed in the
Constitution.
Section 3.1.3: Application. Candidates for an Assistant Officer position will fill out a simple
application after the positions are announced and before the following Branch Leadership
Meeting.
Section 3.1.4: Discussion. At the Branch Leadership Meeting following the announcement of
the Assistant Officer positions, all candidates for the positions will be discussed by the attending
Branch Leaders. The Branch Leaders, by simple majority vote, will pick up to two (2) plus the
number of positions assigned to a particular officer for interviews.
Section 3.1.5: Interviews. Interviews will be conducted by, at minimum, two (2) Executive
Officers plus the Officer to which interviewees may be assigned. Interviews will be brief and
should follow a standard set of questions so as to promote fairness between interviews. The
Executive Officers plus the Officer conducting the interviews will pick, by consensus, the
interviewees to be appointed.
Section 3.1.6: Contentions in Appointment. Should a contention arise after appointments have
been announced, the person raising the contention will have the opportunity to meet with all
Executive Officers and the Branch Counselor to discuss the contention. The Branch Counselor
will have final say in all matters of contention, including removal or replacement of the
appointed Assistant Officer(s).
Section 3.2: Duties of an Assistant Officer.In addition to all general Branch Leadership duties,
an Assistant Officer shall:
1. Assist, primarily, the Branch Leader to which the Assistant Officer has been appointed
2. Assist, secondarily, other Branch Leaders besides the Branch Leader to which the
Assistant Officer has been appointed.
3. Report activities to and receive direction from the Branch Leader to which the Assistant
Officer has been appointed.
Bylaw V Elections
Section 1: Administration. All elections shall be managed by the Executive Director, or in the
event that the Executive Director is running for the position being elected, the Chair. In the
absence of either person, the Counselor shall designate an appropriate replacement. The person
managing the election shall herein after be referred to as the “Administrator”.
Section 2: Voting Eligibility.All Branch Members in good standing are eligible to vote in all
elections with the exception of Branch Members scheduled to graduate during the semester of
the election. No candidate for a particular position may cast a vote in that position’s election;
however, they may vote in elections for other positions.
Section 3: Opendoor Policy. All elections shall be open to the public for observation and this
Bylaw shall be communicated in full to all Branch Members eligible to vote prior to the election.
Section 4: Nominations.The Administrator shall accept nominations for a position starting at
the General Meeting prior to the elections. Nominations shall be made at a designated location,
possibly online. Nominations will continue to be accepted until the vote for that position has
commenced. Selfnominations are accepted.
Section 5: Interference. Interference with the election process shall not be tolerated.
Interference is defined as any action that could potentially bias the election. The Administrator
shall have the authority to take any measures necessary to ensure a fair election process.
Section 6: Discussion. During any discussion, only constructive comments are admissible.
Therefore, any negative aspects of a particular candidacy must be addressed during that
candidate’s question and answer session where he/she has the opportunity to respond to negative
or damaging comments. The Administrator runs the discussion, and it is his/her responsibility to
control negative discussion. The Administrator shall have the authority to expel from the meeting
any person making negative or damaging comments.
Section 7: Election Process. The following steps shall be used to conduct each election.
1. Once nominations for an office have been closed, each candidate will have the
opportunity to make a twominute speech before the voting body, in the absence of the
other candidates for that office. Candidates for the Chair position may make a
fiveminute speech.
2. After a candidate’s speech has ended, the candidate then has an opportunity for a brief
question and answer session. During the question and answer session, the candidate is
responsible for acknowledging and fielding questions from the voting membership. No
other candidates for that office may be present during the question and answer session.
3. After all candidates for a particular office have spoken, the voting membership may
engage in a brief general discussion moderated by the Administrator. No candidates for
the office may be present during the discussion.
4. After discussion is closed, a secret ballot must be taken. Once ballots have been
collected, they must be counted and confirmed by at least two Branch Leaders. All
confirming Branch Leaders must be serving at the time of the election and must be
Members in good standing with the Branch. Ballots may not be counted by a person
running for the position in question. The Administrator may appoint Branch Leaders to
count and confirm ballots.
5. If a majority winner can be declared, the candidates will be invited back into the room,
and the winner will be announced to the voting body. If no majority winner can be
declared, an immediate runoff vote is taken between the top two (2) candidates, as
determined by number of votes, and will continue to be taken until a majority winner can
be declared. If there is a repeated tie of votes during an election, the candidates in
question will be given the opportunity to appear individually for another question and
answer session, to be conducted in the same manner as before, until a decisive vote can
be taken.
6. Once a winner for a particular office has been declared, the election process for that
office will be officially closed, and the ballots should be collected and destroyed.
7. In the event that the winner of a position declines the position, the runnerup shall receive
the position.
8. IEEE Headquarters shall be notified of the names of newly elected Branch Leaders
immediately upon election.
Bylaw VI Code of Conduct
Section 1: Consequences of Breaking Code of Conduct. Any person found in violation of the
Code of Conduct shall be reported directly to the Chair. If the Chair is unable to resolve the
situation, the Counselor shall be notified directly, who shall resolve the situation. Possible
consequences may include, but are not limited to, removal from office, removal of membership,
temporary or permanent ban from participation in Branch activities, and temporary or permanent
ban from access to the office.
Section 2: Expectations. All persons involved in Branch activities are expected to be courteous
and professional at all times. All Members of the Branch are expected to maintain the University
Honor Code as well as the IEEE Code of Ethics.
Section 3: Discrimination. Any person found to be engaging in talk or action of a sexual,
sexist, racist, or other derogatory manner while in the Office or at any Branch event is in
violation of the Code of Conduct.