PSMES Constitution

Article I. Name

The name of this organization shall be the Penn State Mechanical Engineering Society, hereinafter referred to as PSMES or the Society. This Society shall be an Affiliate Program Group (APG) of the Penn State Engineering Alumni Society (PSEAS).

Article II. Purpose

The purpose of the PSMES shall be to promote:

1. The support of both current students and graduates of both the ME Program and the College of Engineering through cultivating a body of active mentors.
2. Fostering fellowship and communication among the alumni, faculty, and students.
3. Building a formal network among current students and alumni, to include providing opportunities for one-on-one and group advising.
4. The professional development of all graduates of the Mechanical Engineering (ME) Program.
5. Fostering a diverse and inclusive membership, one where all identities, experiences, and backgrounds come together to create a strong and welcoming alumni community representative of the Penn Staters it proudly serves.

Article III. Membership

Section 1
Members: PSMES is an all-volunteer organization whose membership comprises all living graduates of Penn State’s Mechanical Engineering program who have indicated a desire to be a member of PSMES.s of Penn State’s Mechanical Engineering program who have indicated a desire to be a member of PSMES.

Section 2
Active Members: Members who actively participate in one or more committees or projects being conducted by the society.

Section 3
Associate Members: Penn State alumni who are not Mechanical Engineering graduates but who actively participate in one or more committees or projects being conducted by the Society. Associate Membership requires approval by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors.

Section 4
Honorary Members: When appropriate, the Board of Directors may designate non-alumni as Honorary Members in recognition of acknowledged eminence in engineering or who have rendered outstanding service to the ME Program. Honorary Membership requires approval by a three-fourths vote of the Board of Directors.

Article IV. Organization

Section 1
A Board of Directors shall govern the general affairs of PSMES. The Board shall consist of:

1. President, Vice President/President -Elect
2. Department Head of the ME Program, ex officio with vote
3. At least six (6) members up to fifteen (15) to be elected at-large

A Board of Directors should consist of:

1. Secretary/Treasurer
2. Current ME faculty or staff member
3. PSMES immediate past president
4. President of the PSEAS or designee, ex officio without vote

Section 2
All actions of the Board of Directors shall be decided by majority vote unless specifically noted in this charter. A majority vote is defined as a majority vote of those Board members who are present at any regular or duly called meeting of the Society. A quorum shall be considered to account for 50% plus one members of the Board.

If a quorum is not present at a Board of Directors Meeting or if a majority vote is not obtained, a detailed description of the proposed action will be prepared and distributed to all Board Members within 14 days of the meeting. Within two weeks of receiving the proposed action, each member must submit their vote by electronic survey to the Board president or designee.

Section 3
The Board of Directors may seek to solicit funding from members or the Department of Mechanical Engineering as necessary to cover the cost of special projects or operations.

Article V. Elections

Section 1
The Board of Directors will nominate a slate of candidates for at-large Board positions and for the society officers: President, Vice President/President-Elect and Secretary/Treasurer. The nominations will be posted on the web and/or electronic survey and the membership will be notified of this electronically two to three months prior to the election.  Additional nominations from PSMES members may be made over the next 30 days after the list of candidates is sent to the members provided that the nominee has agreed to be nominated.

Section 2
Board Members shall be elected by a majority vote of those members who have submitted their vote electronically. The electronic vote will be taken by posting nominees names on the web at the PSMES site for one month. Top vote getting-persons, up to the number of open positions, will be elected to the board. Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the board members

Section 3
At-large members’ terms shall be staggered such that half (or approximately half) are subject to rotation annually. At-large members may be appointed between annual meetings by the Board of Directors to fill vacancies. At-large members so appointed will serve the balance of the unexpired term.

Section 4
Officers and Board Members shall be elected for two-year terms, with the exception of the Vice President/President-Elect, who upon election will have a four-year obligation. Vacancies may be filled by appointment by the Board of Directors between meetings. Officers so appointed will serve the balance of the unexpired term.

Section 5
No officers or other Board members may be elected to the same office for more than two consecutive terms. The Vice President/President-Elect will have one combined term of four years.

Article VI. Duties of Officers

Section 1
The President shall preside at all board meetings and shall be responsible for general supervision of all work of the society and appoint all committee chairs. The President and Vice-President/President-Elect shall be Penn State Department of Mechanical Engineering graduates.

(a) The President, or designee, shall serve on all committees as an ex-officio member
(b) The President, or designee, shall serve as this society’s delegate to the PSEAS Board of Directors

Section 2
The Vice-President/President-Elect shall serve in the absence of the President and shall also perform such duties as may be assigned by the President. The Vice-President/President-Elect shall assume the duties of the President in the event of the incapacity or absence of the President.

Section 3
The Secretary/Treasurer or Penn State Department of Mechanical Engineering administrative staff member shall be responsible for the recording and reading of the minutes of all board meetings, taking care of correspondence and reports.

Article VII. Committees

The President may appoint or terminate ad-hoc committees as required to accomplish the purposes and objectives of the Society. The Board shall establish or terminate standing committees as required through the amendment of the constitution.

Article VIII.Meetings

Section 1
An Annual Meeting of the PSMES will be held at a time and place fixed by the Board. The Secretary shall provide the membership written or email notice of the annual meeting at least one month in advance.

Section 2
Special meetings of the Board shall be held at the call of the President or at the request of a majority of the members of the Board. The Secretary shall send to the membership written or email notices of the Board meetings at least one month in advance. The Board will meet at least twice per year.

Section 3
The committees shall meet on the call of the committee chairman or at the request of the President.

Article IX. Amendments

Section 1
This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the PSMES Board of Directors present at the annual meeting provided the amendments have been placed before the Board of Directors at least one month before the meeting.

Section 2
This constitution and its amendments must not be in conflict with the constitution of the PSEAS or the rules and regulations for constituent societies as established by the Executive Board of the Penn State Alumni Association.