Mission & Bylaws

Bylaws

Mission & Bylaws

Mission Statement & Bylaws

ARTICLE I: NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION

Section 1 – The name of this organization shall be the Beth-El Student Nurses’ Association (BSNA) a constituency of the Colorado Student Nurses’ Association (CSNA) and the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA).

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE AND FUNCTION

Section 1 – Purpose

A. To assume responsibility for contributing to nursing education in order to provide for the highest quality of health care.

B. To provide programs representative of fundamental current professional interests and concern to nursing students.

C. 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.

D. To enhance the positive image of nursing in the media, community, and among all health care professionals.

Section 2 – Function

A. To have direct input into standards of nursing education and influence the educational process.

B. To influence health care, nursing education and practice through legislative activities as appropriate.

C. To promote and encourage participation in community affairs and activities towards improved health care and the resolution of related social issues.

D. To represent the positive image of nursing to the consumer, institutions, the media, and other organizations.

E. To promote and encourage students’ participation in interdisciplinary activities.

F. To promote and encourage recruitment efforts, participation in student activities and educational opportunities regardless of a person’s race, color, creed, sex, lifestyle, national origin, age, or economic status.

G. To facilitate communication among nursing students and community representatives.

H. To promote and encourage collaborative relationships with nursing and health care organizations.

I. To promote unity and professionalism among nursing students.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERS

Section 1 – School Constituents

A. School constituent membership is composed of active and associate members who are current members of the NSNA and the CSNA.

B. The association shall be composed of at least ten members of the Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences. There shall be only one chapter on this school campus.

C. For yearly recognition as a constituent, an officer of the association shall submit annually the Official Application for NSNA Constituency Status which shall include the following areas of conformity: purpose and function, membership, dues, and representation.

D. A constituent association which fails to comply with the bylaws and policies of the NSN shall have its status revoked by a 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors of the NSNA, 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.

E. The association is an entity separate and apart from the NSNA and its administration of daily or regular activities, the NSNA and the CSNA exercising no supervision or control over these immediate daily and regular activities. The NSNA and CSNA have no liability for any loss, damages, or injuries sustained by third parties as a result of negligence or acts of the BSNA or members thereof. In the event that any legal proceeding is brought against the NSNA or the CSNA as a result of such acts of omission or commission by the BSNA, the BSNA will indemnify and hold harmless the NSNA and the CSNA from any liability.

Section 2 – Categories of Constituent Membership

A. Active Members

1. Students enrolled in state approved programs leading to licensure as a registered nurse.

2. Registered nurses enrolled in programs leading to a Baccalaureate degree with a major in nursing.

B. Associate Members

1. Students with interest in health care enrolled in college or university programs designed for preparation for entrance into a program leading to an associate degree, diploma, or Baccalaureate degree in nursing.

2. Associate members shall have all privileges of membership except the right to hold office as President or Vice President at the BSNA, state, and national levels in accordance with the NSNA bylaws.

C. Active and associate membership shall be renewable annually if student status is maintained.

D. Sustaining membership for the Advisor and the Consultant-at-Large shall be renewable.

Section 3 – Public Representation of BSNA Members

A. In order to professionally represent BSNA, it is imperative that appropriate language be used in public situations, i.e., no vulgar language.

B. The use of any substance (lawful or unlawful) resulting in inappropriate behavior or language will not be tolerated.

C. Identification badges are to be removed when away from official functions.

D. Public voicing of dissatisfaction with BSNA or its members shows lack or respect and professionalism for the organization. Any dissatisfaction is to be represented to the individual involved, an Executive Board member, and/or the Advisor or Consultant-at-Large.

E. A decision of resolution and action will be made by the Executive Board.

F. Decisions of resolution may be appealed to the full Board for reconsideration.

ARTICLE IV: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1 – Offices

President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Merchandise Director, Student-Faculty Liaison, Community Service Director, Community Health Director, Image of Nursing Director, Membership Director, and Accelerated Program Representative.

A. The President

1. Shall develop an agenda and preside at all meetings of this association,

2. Shall be a cosigner on the BSNA checking account

3. Shall appoint board members to special committees as needed

4. Shall coordinate and delegate duties and assignments as necessary within the organization

5. Is an ex-officio member of all committees.

6. Shall organize and coordinate election of next Board of Directors

7. Shall mediate conflict and aid in effective communication between members

8. Shall attend all BSNA sponsored events to represent the organization whenever able

9. Shall attend monthly BSNA and Board of Directors meetings

10. Shall record minutes from each meeting and keep a permanent record of said minutes

11 . Shall 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, CSNA, NSNA, and other professional student organizations.

B. The Vice President

1. Shall assume the duties of the President in the absence or disability of that officer.

2. Shall attend events if the President is unable and represent the BSNA

3. Shall run the monthly meeting and board meeting if the President is unable

4. Shall coordinate and oversee the annual BSNA Career Fair, and is always the leader of the Career Fair committee

5. Shall assist the President as delegated and act as an advisor to the President, acting as the President's right hand

6. Shall oversee and coordinate the BSNA mentorship program

6. Shall contribute to and volunteer for BSNA activities as able

7. Shall attend monthly BSNA and Board of Directors meetings

8. Shall perform all duties assigned by the President.

C. The Secretary

1. Shall post notification via a monthly flier at least one week prior of the association meetings. This will include posting the flier on social media outlets, having the flier forwarded out via email, and posting the flier on bulletin boards on campus.

2. Shall create a monthly newsletter to be approved by lead faculty and then submit it to be sent out via email to the college.

3. Shall maintain and update the BSNA website at the beginning of the new term with new board member information, and as needed throughout the year with newsletters and pertinent information.

4. Shall update and maintain the BSNA calendar as well as the BSNA MLC website.

5. Shall contribute to and volunteer for BSNA activities as able

6. Shall attend monthly BSNA and Board of Directors meetings

7. Shall perform all duties assigned by the President.

D. The Treasurer

1. Shall submit financial reports in writing to the Beth-EI Student Nurse Association Board of Directors as directed by the President or Faculty Advisor, including an annual financial report submitted at the installation of directors meeting.

2. Shall prepare financial reports submitted at the regular monthly meeting.

3. Shall be cosigner on the Beth-EI Student Nurse Association financial accounts.

4. Shall reconcile bank statements monthly.

5. Shall reimburse Beth-EI Student Nurses Association members debts after approval of the Board of Directors and Student Life and Leadership office.

6. Shall arrange for an association audit quarterly (February, May, August, & November)

7. Shall deliver to the newly elected treasurer, all financial records of the Beth-EI Student Nurse Association.

8. Shall contribute to and volunteer for BSNA activities as able

9. Shall attend monthly BSNA and Board of Directors meetings

10. Shall perform all duties assigned by the Beth-EI Student Nurse Association President.

E. The Merchandise Director

1. Shall collect, place, and distribute BSNA polo orders

2. Shall collect, place, and distribute nursing merchandise orders

3. Shall track all sales and order invoices to give to Treasurer

4. Shall organize and oversee used uniform sales

5. Shall contact MDF Instruments for merchandise and BSNA cut of sales

6. Shall create flyers to advertise all orders and sales

7. Shall contribute to and volunteer for BSNA activities as able

8. Shall attend monthly BSNA and Board of Directors meetings

9. Shall perform all duties assigned by the President.

F. The Student-Faculty Liason

1. Shall attend the monthly staff meeting and update the Faculty and Staff on the current activities of BSNA, as well as gather any information that the Faculty and Staff would like to be relayed to the student body at monthly meetings

2. Shall be available to hear concerns of both Faculty/Staff and the student body, and provide communication between the two.

3. Shall assist in creation and distribution of: BSNA advertising, website management, newsletter, monthly flier, and social media.

5. Shall contribute to and volunteer for BSNA activities as able

8. Shall attend monthly BSNA and Board of Directors meetings

9. Shall perform all duties assigned by the President.

G. The Community Service Director

1. Shall present and organize several community service opportunities for BSNA to participate in

2. Shall find and coordinate with volunteers for all community service events hosted/sponsored by BSNA

3. Shall coordinate and oversee the annual Build A Bear event and be the leader of the Build a Bear committee

4. Shall coordinate and oversee the annual Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo volunteer event each summer

5. Shall coordinate and oversee BSNA involvement in the annual American Heart Association events (Heart Walk, Go Red for Women, etc) and annual National Kidney Foundation events (Kidney Walk, etc)

6. Shall contribute to and volunteer for BSNA activities as able

7. Shall attend monthly BSNA and Board of Directors meetings

8. Perform all duties assigned by the President.

H. The Community Health Director

1. Shall assist the Community Service Director is creating and coordinating volunteer opportunities

2. Shall assist in finding and coordinating with volunteers for all community service events hosted/sponsored by BSNA

3. Shall assist with coordinating and overseeing the annual Build A Bear event and be the co-leader of the Build a Bear committee

4. Shall coordinate and oversee the annual Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo volunteer event each summer

5. Shall assist in contacting and setting up volunteer opportunities with outside organizations

6. Shall contribute to and volunteer for BSNA activities as able

7. Shall attend monthly BSNA and Board of Director meetings

8. Perform all duties assigned by the President

I. The Image of Nursing Director

1. Shall be the face of the BSNA on UCCS main campus and in the community

2. Shall strive to educate and provide a positive view of nursing, nursing careers, BSNA, UCCS, and the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-EI College of Nursing and Health Sciences to students and the community

3. Shall create and coordinate new outreach projects and opportunities for the BSNA to become involved in

4. Shall plan and lead informational visits to local high schools

5. Shall oversee and coordinate blood drives to be hosted by the BSNA on campus

5. Shall represent the BSNA at UCCS main campus events and functions as they are able

6. Shall assist the Community Service Director as needed with community-based events

7. Shall assist with mentorship program coordination and management

8. Shall contribute to and volunteer for BSNA activities as able

9. Shall attend monthly BSNA and Board of Director meetings

10. Perform all duties assigned by the President.

J. The Membership Director

1. Shall coordinated and oversee obtaining funding from the Student Government Association for travel for the National Student Nurses' Association Conference

2. Shall attend training for the SGA funding in August

3. Shall fill out the University of Colorado Colorado Springs SGA Funding Proposal Form on MLC, attend the SGA Budget Advisory Committee meeting, and all other meetings required to obtain the funding

4. Shall submit the Intent to Travel and Budget Review Forms related to attending the conference

5. Shall recruit people to become NSNA members by holding membership drives at least once per semester

6. Shall Email the receptionist at the NSNA for an updated membership count every month before BOD meetings.

7. Shall Take attendance at every BSNA meeting and keep track of active members.

8. Shall manage and oversee orders for the graduation cords for the seniors and the Board of Directors

9. Shall contribute to and volunteer for BSNA activities as able

10. Shall attend all BSNA and Board of Directors meetings

11. Perform all duties assigned by the President

K. The Accelerated Cohort Representative

1. Shall act as a resource person and communication link between the accelerated class and the association

2. Shall assist in coordination of activities in relation to the accelerated class schedule

3. Shall coordinate and organize specific review sessions with the NCLEX prep companies (Kaplan and Hurst) that work with the accelerated schedule

4. Shall set up and maintain the BSNA bulletin board

5.Shall contribute to and volunteer for BSNA activities as able

6. Shall attend all BSNA and Board of Directors meetings

7. Shall perform all duties assigned by the President

Section 2 – Duties of Officers

A. All officers must familiarize themselves with the Robert's Rules of Order in order to perform duties.

B. All officers are expected to attend meetings of the association. Absence from two (2) consecutive board meetings without prior notice and approval of the President, shall constitute resignation from the office and the Board of Directors shall be required to declare the office vacant and actively seek a qualified replacement.

C. The Board of Directors if responsible for properly appropriating funds to finance the business of the association.

D. All members shall submit information to be included in the newsletter as necessary by the deadline set by the Secretary.

E. All officers shall compile a written summary of duties and updates from their term, and this will be placed in the official binder for their position and passed on to the newly elected board members each year.

F. If a member of the Board of Directors fails to fulfill his/her responsibilities as defined by the bylaws and in policies of the NSNA, the Board of Directors shall have the option of removing that Board member from the office. The action will require 51 % majority of the Board of Directors. An appeal case will be considered by the Board of Directors via conference call or Board meeting within two weeks of the receipt of the appeal. The appealing officer shall be reinstated by a 51% majority of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE V: OPERATING FUNDS

Section 1 – BSNA Account

BSNA account will be maintained, by the Treasurer, as a functioning account for purposes set forth by the BSNA Board.

1. Operations of account.

a. All money spent out of the BSNA account must be approved by a majority vote from the Board of Directors.

b. An officer of the Board of Directors may incur debt up to $50.00 for the organization, within ordinary operations, and have this reimbursed through the Treasurer.

c. Debt exceeding $100.00 must be processed through UCCS to be reimbursed from the BSNA account by check.

f. When expenses are incurred on behalf of BSNA all receipts must be turned in to the Treasurer. This will facilitate accurate accounting of the operating budget for that office.

g. A petty cash fund in the amount of $75.00 shall be maintained by the Treasurer in the BSNA cash box for purposes of making change at fundraising events.

2. Request for BSNA funds for unaffiliated Activity Subsidy.

a. BSNA members may request funds from BSNA to assist in financial needs of attending an event function.

b. A proposal in writing stating funds requested, student's objective for attending event, purpose of event, and total cost of attending must be submitted 60 days prior to the need for funds.

c. A written notice will be posted to inform members at large of the involved event. If general members wish to apply, they must submit a proposal within ten days of the posting.

d. Funds will be granted on a case-by-case basis depending on the availability of funds and approval of the Board.

e. If funds are provided, information and a written report of the event will be submitted to BSNA within two meetings. Recognition that funds were provided by BSNA will also be made.

f. Funds can be granted to a BSNA member only one time per academic year.

ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS

Section 1 - All meetings of the association shall be open to the membership at large unless voted by the Board of Directors of the Executive Board as a closed meeting. The President may also declare a closed meeting at any time.

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

Section 2 - Membership Meetings

A. Meeting dates, location and time shall be set forth by a majority vote of the members present.

B. The President shall have the authority to convene a special meeting of the Board of Directors, or the membership at large at such time as is deemed necessary and shall notify the general membership of the meeting, location and time.

C. A quorum of the Board of Directors is required at meetings of the membership to conduct business. A quorum shall consist of ~ of the Board of Directors.

Section 3 - Minutes

A. Minutes are a permanent record of the association and are available to the public.

B. Minutes are typed and distributed to the Board of Directors, the Advisor(s), and the Consultant(s)-at-Large at the next regularly scheduled meeting.

ARTICLE VII: ELECTIONS

Section 1 - Elections of Officers

A. Voting membership is defined as having attended one BSNA meeting in the academic calendar year prior to the elections of the new Board of Directors.

B. Elections shall follow the state election but precede the annual NSNA Convention. Appropriate notification shall be given to the membership at large prior to election.

C. Candidates nominated for a position must attend the annual election meeting and present a speech of no more than two minutes or submit a written presentation to the President to be presented in the case of an emergency.

D. All candidates nominated must either be current NSNA members at the time of election or become members within 30 days of being elected and must maintain membership during their term of office.

E. To facilitate smooth transition following elections, a 60 day period of mentorship shall occur. The newly elected board shall be considered Board-elect positions and the current board will remain in place until the 60 day period has expired. The following tasks should be completed during the mentorship period: orientation of BSNA organizational structure and bylaws, familiarization of basic Robert's Rules of Order, education of the responsibilities and duties specific to the Board position, transfer of official notebook for the position, relinquishment of all records to the incoming Board member, provision of an orientation packet to include a copy of BSNA bylaws, "8 Steps to Making a Motion", and NSNA "Getting the Pieces to Fit".

F. All elections shall be by secret ballot. Each member voting shall receive one ballot after membership has been verified.

G. Members shall not vote by absentee ballot.

H. A plurality vote of the members entitled to vote and voting shall constitute an official election. Election will be rescheduled in the event that the voting body is less than 15 members present.

I. Vacancies of any office shall be filled by appointment of the Board of Directors.

J. For the Accelerated Class, voting for the Accelerated Representation with occur during the summer and the current Accelerated Representation will run this election. This representative will be chosen by a majority vote of the new accelerated class.

ARTICLE VIII: COMMITTEES

Section 1 - Appointments

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

B. Committee members shall be appointed based on each members' qualification.

Section 2 - Responsibility

All committees shall be responsible to the Board of Directors and the membership for reporting committee activities at scheduled meetings of the association. A written report from the committee chair is to be submitted to the President before the next scheduled Board meeting.

ARTICLE IX: NSNA CONVENTION DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES

Section 1 - Purpose and Function

A. Attend the House of Delegates and all meetings pertaining to the House of Delegates.

B. Serve as a spokesperson for this association at the annual national convention.

C. Vote on resolutions brought to the NSNA. House of Delegates and vote for the NSNA Board of Directors.

D. Present to the local organization all resolutions, amendments, bylaw, and policy changes voted on at the national convention.

Section 2 - Delegate Representation

A. The association delegate(s) and their alternates shall be elected from the membership of the Beth-EI Student Nurses' Association.

B. Funding for the convention expenses (as available) shall be allotted to the delegates and their alternates, pre-slated national Board candidates, and then to active members-at-Iarge.

C. All delegates, alternates, and other members being financed by the BSNA to attend the NSNA Mid-year Conference or the Annual Convention will sign and uphold the BSNA Convention/Conference contract.

ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS

A. Amendments to the bylaws will be made annually, in time for NSNA to receive any changes prior to the deadline date.

B. Amendments to the bylaws will be passed by a simple majority of those present and voting within 30 days of the annual election meeting.

C. Amendments to the bylaws will be made provided that appropriate notice has been given to the general membership that bylaws revisions will be voted on within 30 days of the annual election meeting.

ARTICLE XI: ADVISORS AND CONSULTANTS-AT-LARGE

Section 1 - Role

The role of the Advisor and the Consultants-at-Large is to serve as resource people and consultants to the Board of Directors, members, faculty, and other associations as appropriate and to assist in the conduction of association business.

Section 2 - Selection

A. The Advisor shall be a current faculty member of the school of nursing.

B. The Consultants-At-Large shall be knowledgeable in the operations of the association and available to assist as necessary.

C. The Advisor and the consultants-At-Large must be current members or sustaining members of the NSNA.

D. Opportunity to attend the events of the NSNA and the CSNA shall be offered to the Advisor and/or Consultants-At-Large and % of the expenses incurred for two of the aforementioned people to attend such events shall be paid by the association if funds are available.