Pre-Veterinary Society

of the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce

Constitution and By-Laws

Last Updated: February 28, 2017
 PVS Constitution
ARTICLE I. NAME AND OFFICIAL LOGO
Section 1: Name
The name of this organization shall be Pre-Veterinary Society, hereafter referred to as
Pre-Veterinary Society of the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce.

Section 2: Official Logo

The official logo shall be:

ARTICLE II. PURPOSES

Section 1: Mission
The Pre-Veterinary Society of the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce is committed to
promoting the active improvement in pre-veterinary education. As a chapter, we want to
contribute in the academic, social, humanistic and extracurricular development of
students, in order to improve their preparation for veterinary school. Conjointly, this
Association is open to any student interested in the progressive improvement of animal
welfare, at a local and global scale.

Section 2: Vision
The Pre-Veterinary Society of the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce purpose is to help
the development of pre-veterinary students, and for them to consequently, help the
surrounding animal community. It is this chapter's commitment to help its members turn
into professionals and/or advocates in the veterinary medicine field, dedicated to the
improvement of animal welfare in our community and the world.

Section 3: Objectives
To promote, encourage and maintain a cohesive relationship between the
pre-veterinary students and non pre-veterinary students of the University of
Puerto Rico at Ponce (UPRP).
To serve as a forum for discussion of animal health issues for
veterinarians-in-training.
To effect a change in the veterinary education process in order to make it
responsive to the needs of the students from the University of Puerto Rico in
Ponce and the Puerto Rican community.
To maintain its status as an independent organization and be financially
independent by maintaining a stable financial base.
To maintain its primary identity as an organization for veterinarians-in-training.
To promote and maintain programs that enhance the quality of animal health care
in the surrounding and global community.
To continue to develop animal health care leadership
To seek, develop, and provide membership services to the
veterinarians-in-training community.
To increase the knowledge of veterinary medicine among members and the
public.
To periodically re-evaluate the above purposes and ensure that they are carried
out in a proper fashion.

Section 4: Goals
The chapter will have a minimum of two activities per semester (open to the
community).
The chapter will offer conferences of current animal health issues in the Puerto
Rican and global community.
The chapter will have at least one fundraiser every two months.
The chapter will volunteer in the animal shelter at least one time per semester.
The chapter will accept anyone who has an interest in studying veterinary
medicine, as long as they fulfill the requisites as stated at Article III, Section 1.
The chapter will have at least two community hours in activities per semester.
The chapter will revise its constitution before the beginning of every academic
year. It could be revised any time during the year, if the chapter officers determine
with a two-third vote that an immediate revision must come to effect.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: Eligibility
Students enrolled at the University of Puerto Rico at Ponce (UPRP) who have paid
current chapter dues and have an interest in joining this organization shall be considered
to become active members of PVS of the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce (UPRP).
Members of the above named organization shall be accepted without discrimination on
the basis of race, religion, national origin, disability, sex, sexual orientation and/or
preference, age, creed, marital status, parental status or veterans status. Furthermore, it is
understood that members of the above organization will not, at any time, engage in
hazing.

Section 2: Privilege of Membership

Members shall have the right to attend all meetings and participate in all PVS-sponsored
activities. "Special Events" are for active members only. Since PVS of the UPRP will be
affiliated to the American Pre-Veterinary Medical Association nationwide, members have
the right to attend any APVMA-sponsored activity.

Section 3: Dues
The PVS of the UPRP shall levy local dues, which shall be set at $15 dollars per
academic year to be collected during the beginning of the fall semester. For new
members there will be an initiation fee of $10 dollars.

Section 4: Active Status

Members are responsible for attending all meetings and activities. Only in the case of an
exam, class, or an emergency that may cause a member be absent; he/she must present an
excuse to the executive committee within 48 hours after the missed event. Active
members must attend to at least 60% of the PVS UPRP activities and meetings.

Section 5: Revocation of Membership

Case 1: Failure to comply with Article III, Section 4, without having proper
consent will result in active status revocation.
Case 2: Failure to comply with Article III, Section 9 will result in active status
revocation.

Section 6: Financial Obligations

Penalty for non-payment: Any eligible member that fails to pay dues will lose
membership status and benefits.
 Section 7: Committee Obligations
Active members must represent actively the organization they signed up for, which
means that if the members fall under the cases stated in Article III, Section 5 and Section
6 the committee will take proper disciplinary actions. If the member cannot get any
response from the committee advisor, they will contact the president for proper actions.

Section 8: Recommendation
Pre-Veterinary Society of the UPRP will write letters of recommendation to those in
active status as mentioned in Article III, Section 4. A list of active members will be
provided to the current pre-veterinary advisor at University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
(UPRP) to aid in reports.

Section 9: Code of Conduct

Members must at all times be respectful. If a member during an PVS UPRP activity or in
an activity in which he/she is representing this chapter commits a disrespectful act, the
Executive board is to evaluate such act and determine if Article III, Section 5, Case 2 will
be enforced.

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS

Section 1: Titles
The officers of the Executive Board of the Pre-Veterinary Society of the UPRP shall
include: president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, public relations/webmaster,
historian, and any other positions the chapter wishes to create.

Section 2: Elections
The officers may be nominated and elected by ballot at the last regular meeting in April.
A majority vote of the members present shall be necessary to elect. When there is only
one nominee for an office, there may be a vocal vote. All officers shall take office the
next academic semester in which they are elected.

Section 3: Eligibility of Officers

Any member of the American Pre-Veterinary Medical Association UPRP Chapter shall
be eligible for election provided that he/she:
Possesses a GPA of at least 2.5
Is enrolled in more than 12 academic credits per semester.
Is an active member of PVS UPRP for at least one semester before nomination.
 Has met with the executive board to understand the details of the desired position.

Section 4: Vacancies of Offices

Case 1: If any office shall become vacant, the president shall, at the earliest
possible date, order a special election for the purposes of filling such office. The
member then elected shall immediately enter his/her duties and shall hold office
until the next regular election.
Case 2: If the vacant office is the presidents, then the vice-president will assume
the role of president and hold office until the next regular election.

Section 5: Duties of the Officers

The President shall:
Preside at all general membership and special meetings.
Direct discussions, suspend and/or commence the sessions, when the order is
altered.
Sign with the Secretary every document.
Appoint committees and serve as ex-officer (non-voting) of said committees
Prepare the workplan of the corresponding academic year with the Executive
Board and the Advisor, and present it to the members at the beginning of the
academic year.
Present the activity calendar to the Dean and Administrative Secretary of the
Office of Extracurricular and Cultural Activities.
Authorize the disbursement and use of funds for the expenses of the Organization
Assist the treasurer in the preparation of a budget for his/her term of office by
June 1 of each academic year.
Carry out assignments and instructions from the office of the president.
Serve as a chapter delegate to any event where a delegate is needed.
Present the Annual Report by the end of the academic year to the members and
the Dean of the Office of Extracurricular and Cultural Activities.
Has the right to open another office in the Executive Board according to the needs
of the organization. If another office is to be open, the President has the
responsibility to redact an official document in which specifies all the functions
and duties of the new office.
Has the responsibility to redact a report about their own performance or the
performance of the chapter Advisor. This report will be sent to the Dean of the
Office of the Extracurricular and Cultural Activities.

The Vice-President shall:

Be an aide to the president.
 In case of the absence or disability of the president, assume his/her duties.
Oversee the coordination of all projects.
Examine and remain periodically informed on the state of all the files of the
organization.
Process all documentation that is required and submit it to the corresponding
offices.
Supervise the attendance of all the members of the Organization, alongside the
Secretary.
Inspect all publications of activities of the organizations in all social media,
alongside the coordination held by the Public Relations/Webmaster.
The Vice-President is capable of taking decisions with previous written
authorization from the President in a moment where he is incapable of taking a
decision or decides not to make a decision because they are involved in the
particular situation.

The Secretary shall:

Keep a written record of all meetings (general membership, executive, and special
meetings, etc.) in order to provide the chapter with a record of issues discussed,
problems posed, ideas raised, and of the people who participated in the group
discussion for benefit of the chapter and its members.
Take a printed copy of the assistance sheet to all meetings.
Sign with the President every document, if required.
Recite or summarize the record of minutes for approval by the membership.
Keep a current list of active members.
Record minutes to be open to all members.
In case of absence, have a substitute appointed that day by any member of the
executive committee.
Appoint any meetings or sessions, alongside with the President.
Maintain an annual record of all the members of the organization.
Establish an agenda, alongside the Executive Board, for all meetings.

The Treasurer shall:

Present a budget and a tentative schedule of suggested fundraising activities for
the finance of the chapter with approval needed by the president and the executive
committee to the membership by June 1.
See to the day-to-day expenditures of the chapter.
Obtain any prices required for activities.
At the 5th each month construct and deliver a report of the expenses and gains on
sales, activities, etc. to the president.
 Construct at the end of each semester a report of the expenses and gains on sales,
activities. This report must be revised and signed by the president and advisor.
Sign, alongside the president, any documentation required by the Office of
Treasury.
Maintain a contability book for the Organization.
Make sure the chapter does not assess any liabilities.
Responsible for all finances that belong to the organization.
Identify the bank that is receiving any organization funds.
Oversee the fund-raising committee on behalf of the chapter.
See to the best of his/her abilities that money used on behalf of the chapter is used
wisely and in a manner that suits the purposes of the chapter.

The Public Relations/Webmaster shall:

Prepare the promotion of meetings, community, social, and fundraising activities.
Post activities through all communication media and social networks.
Create and oversee the PVS UPRPs website and social network Pages.
Maintain effective communication at all times with the chapters officers and
members.

The Historian shall:

Must attend to all and take evidence of each activity.
If the historian cannot attend an activity, he/she must notify the president with a
24 hour notice by email, phone call, or text message, in order for the president to
find a substitute for the historian.
Prepare each individual report on each activities including the information such as
description, summary, evidence and promotions of the activity.
Will have two days to be deliver each report to the president of the chapter.
Assist the president at the end of academic year in preparing the Annual Report.

Section 6: Removal of Officers

A majority of the members in the Executive Committee can vote to remove officers from
office.

Section 7: Voting Powers of Officers

Officers retain voting rights. However, the president votes only in case of a tie.
ARTICLE V. MEETINGS
Section 1: Time and Place
At least four general meetings shall be held in an academic year; the place and hour shall
be determined by the Executive Committee.

Section 2: Types of Meetings

The various meetings of the organization, as defined by the by-laws, include:
General Meetings
Annual Election Meetings
Special Meetings
Executive Committee Meetings

Section 3: Quorum
Quorum for general meetings, annual elections, and special meetings shall be those active
members present, provided proper notice is given, as defined in the bylaws. Quorum for
the meetings shall consist of 75 % of the voting members.

ARTICLE VI. FINANCES

The president and treasurer only shall control all finances. There must be a budget each
year as proposed by Article IV, section 5. All funds must be spent on organizational
purposes only. The transfer of power of controlling all funds shall be done one week after
the new officer has been appointed.

ARTICLE VII. COMMITTEES

Section 1: Committee Reports
Committee chairs must have a written bi-monthly report of committee progress. The
following must be presented in the committee reports:
Committee name.
Committee Coordinator.
A list of people who helped your committee complete each goal.
A list of goals accomplished since the last meeting.
A list of goals that were not completed, and an explanation of why and what
action will be taken.
A list of goals you plan to accomplish by the next meeting.
Indication of any announcements that need to be made at the general meeting.
Indication if you need to have a written report provided to your committee
members.
 Provide a copy of the report. Members can join as many committees as they wish,
but must be active in at least two or else face penalties provided by the executive
committee.

Section 2: Types of Committees

Executive committee: must present a calendar of annual goals at the beginning of
the year to general members. This committee can appoint new committees at any
time.
Fundraising committee: must seek projects to finance the chapter.
Any other newly formed committees shall run in the best interest of the chapter.

ARTICLE VIII. ADVISOR

The advisor of American Pre-Veterinary Medical Association UPRP Chapter shall be a
non-voting member of the executive committee. He/she must have a sincere interest and
commitment to the welfare of the chapter. The advisor must be a faculty or staff member
of University of Puerto Rico in Ponce (UPRP).

ARTICLE IX. EXTERNAL AFFILIATIONS

The Pre-Veterinary Society of the UPR in Ponce is affiliated with the national American
Pre-Veterinary Medical Association and governed by APVMA laws and its own. The
American Pre-Veterinary Medical Association UPRP Chapter is free to govern itself
under the guidelines set forth. PVS UPRP will meet with APVMA once a year at the
Annual Symposium.

ARTICLE X. AMENDMENTS
This constitution may be amended at any general membership meeting of the
organization by a two-thirds vote of the active members present, provided that the
amendment proposed had been submitted in writing to the president and posted in a
conspicuous location for at least two weeks prior to the meeting. All amendments,
additions and/or deletions to the constitution of the above named organization shall be
adopted only after a vote of two-thirds of the members present considering quorum was
reached. Also the constitution may be amended at any ordinary executive board meeting
as long as the meeting has a 75 percent of quorum or higher of executive board members
present. Additional articles and amendments may be included only if they are in
consonance with the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce (UPRP) and APVMA
 regulations and policies. These must be filed with the University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
(UPRP) Office of Extracurricular Activities within one week of adoption.

ARTICLE XI. DISSOLUTION

In case of dissolution of the above named organization, all unspent University of Puerto
Rico in Ponce (UPRP) funds shall remain the property of the PVS of the UPRP. All
privately obtained funds shall be donated to a non-profit organization.
 PVS-UPRP By-laws
ARTICLE I. NOMINATIONS AND CAMPAIGNING PROCEDURES
Section 1: Candidacy Announcement
Any member of the Pre-Veterinary Society of the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce
shall announce their wishes to run for an office in the Executive Committee during a
nomination meeting.

Section 2: Candidacy Campaigning Regulations

There shall be no campaigning of any form prior to the candidacy announcement.
During the nomination meeting, the member nominated shall do a speech of why
the wish to run that position, and why the rest of the members should vote for
them.
Any violation of the above regulations will prohibit the nominated member to run for
their desired position in the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE II. ELECTION

To facilitate the voting process, this will be done online in order to facilitate the election.
A day after the nomination, an online form shall open and voting will begin. The form
will be available for one week and will include the picture of the nominees (which they
will submit via e-mail directly after the nomination meeting). The newly elected
members of the executive board must meet with the previous executive board members
for transition of chapter functions.

ARTICLE III. MEETINGS

Ample notification shall be given to all local members regarding meetings held by the
executive and publicity committees.
General membership meeting: shall be held at a set location(s).
Annual nomination meeting: The annual election meeting shall be held by the
beginning of April and shall be executed by the president. Only active members
may vote.
Special meetings:Any member of the executive board or any five members of the
general membership can call Special meetings. The purpose of any special
meeting shall be stated in the announcements of the general meetings.
Executive board meetings: The executive board shall be required to meet in the
second week of each month. The executive board shall consist of the president,
 vice-president, secretary, treasurer, historian, public relations/webmaster and any
other positions the chapter wishes to create. Quorum at the executive board
meetings shall consist of 50% of the voting members of the executive board.

ARTICLE IV. AMENDMENTS OF BYLAWS

Amendments to these bylaws may be amended at any general membership meeting of the
organization by a two-thirds vote of the active members present, provided that the
amendment proposed had been submitted in writing to the president and posted in a
conspicuous location for at least two weeks prior to the meeting. All amendments,
additions and/or deletions to these by-laws of the above named organization shall be
adopted only after a vote of two-thirds of the members present considering quorum was
reached. Also the by-laws may be amended at any ordinary executive board meeting as
long as the meeting has a 75 percent of quorum or higher of executive board members
present. Additional articles and amendments may be included only if they are in
consonance with the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce (UPRP). These must be filed
with the University of Puerto Rico at Ponce (UPRP) Office of Extracurricular Activities
within one week of adoption.

ARTICLE V. REFUNDS
A member will receive a refund of a semester's local membership dues only after the
second official meeting of the semester of the complaint and only if, the member has
participated to at least 60% of the activities/meetings. The refund, if approved by
president and treasurer, will be given at the end of the semester. Refunds will be declined
if Article III, Section 9 is violated or Article III, Section 5, Case 2 is enforced, both found
in the Constitution.