Bylaws

Bylaws give an organization structure and consistency from year to year.  The UWPA’s main purpose and leadership roles are defined in the bylaws as clearly as possible.

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Preamble

This constitution describes the structure and functioning of a postdoctoral association at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Article I: Name

The name of this organization shall be the UW-Madison Postdoctoral Association.

Article II: Mission

The mission of the association is to nurture a sense of belonging and identity among the vibrant community of postdoctoral researchers at UW-Madison, to promote their incorporation into the research establishment, and encourage service to the community at large. The association will facilitate career and social development, and provide networking opportunities with the goal of fostering collaboration among scientists and other professionals.

Article III: Membership

  • Section 1: Active Members. All persons formally appointed in postdoctoral scholar positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This includes persons designated as Research Associates, Postdoctoral Fellows, and Postdoctoral Trainees.
  • Section 2.  Associate Members.  Persons not eligible to be Active Members as described above may be included as Associate Members. Association alumni, faculty, and other persons agreed upon by the association may be Associate Members. Associate Members are welcome to participate in all association proceedings and events, but may not vote or hold office.
  • Section 3: Non-Discrimination Clause. Consistent with all applicable federal and state laws and University policies, this organization and its subordinate bodies and officers shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sexual orientation, religion, veteran’s status, sex, national origin, or disability in its selection of members, educational programs, or activities.

Article IV: Executive Council

The Executive Council is comprised of the leadership of the UWPA and is responsible for fulfilling the mission of the UWPA. The Executive Council is comprised of the elected Executive Council officers including the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Communications Director, and the unelected standing committee chairs. All elected Executive Council members provide oversight of a single UWPA committee except the President.

Section 1. Executive Council Officers and Responsibilities

President. The President is responsible for shaping and fulfilling the mission and vision of the association, managing the activities of the Executive Council, and providing ultimate oversight over all UWPA activities. In addition, the President is the chief liaison between the UWPA and the Office of Postdoctoral studies or other entities. This role shall be held by a single individual.

  • Regular duties include:
  • Leading the UWPA monthly Executive Council meetings
  • Delegating responsibilities for the planning and coordinating of UWPA activities
  • Serving as the UWPA representative to the BIG10+ PDA (Big Ten Plus Postdoc Alliance)
  • Providing opening remarks at major UWPA events
  • Coordinating the annual Executive Council elections in June
  • Organizing the Executive Council retreat at the end of June to welcome new Executive Council officers and celebrate the Executive Council’s achievements
  • Reviewing applications for the postdoc representatives to the Office of Postdoctoral Studies Advisory Committee

2. Vice President. The Vice President is responsible for fulfilling all the duties of the President during their absence and will assume the Presidency in the event of the President’s resignation. In addition, the Vice President provides oversight of the UWPA committees in general, and specific oversight of at least one UWPA committee.

Regular duties include:

  • Overseeing the establishment of UWPA committees including the Annual Postdoc Research Symposium committee and the Celebration of Postdoc Excellence committee
  • Recruiting committee chairs and members as needed
  • Providing oversight of any committee not managed by another Executive Council member due to the Executive Council member’s absence or resignation

3. The Treasurer oversees the management of the UWPA budget and fundraising. The Treasurer is also responsible for providing oversight to at least one UWPA committee.

Regular duties include:

  • Submitting budget requests to the Office of Postdoctoral Studies and other sponsors for pre-approval
  • Reporting all income and expenses to the Executive Council for approval at monthly Executive Council meetings
  • Maintaining financial records of all association expenditures.
  • Coordinating catering, room, and audiovisual reservations for major UWPA events in collaboration with the committee leading the activity
  • Overseeing all major spending that occurs through the UWPA
  • Securing sponsorship for UWPA activities

4. The Secretary is responsible for coordinating the monthly Executive Council meeting, organizing UWPA records, and coordinating the timing of UWPA activities. In addition, the Secretary provides backup to the Communications Director when needed. The Secretary is also responsible for providing oversight to at least one UWPA committee.

Regular duties include:

  • Scheduling the monthly Executive Council meeting, collecting agenda items in advance of the meeting from Executive Council officers and committee chairs, and taking the meeting minutes
  • Liaising with the Executive Council and committees to schedule activities in a coordinated manner
  • Organizing UWPA records to ensure association continuity including providing access to the UWPA shared drive and ensuring committees save files to appropriate locations

5. Communications Director. The Communications Director is responsible for UWPA communications. The Communications Director is also responsible for providing oversight to at least one UWPA committee.

Regular duties include:

  • Updating the UWPA website
  • Monitoring account activity and posting to the Badger Postdocs Twitter and Facebook accounts
  • Monitoring account activity, managing channels, and posting to the Badger Postdocs Slack workspace
  • Monitoring and responding to messages coming into the UWPA email account
  • Sending UWPA promotional emails created by the Executive Council

Section 2. Election of the UWPA Executive Council Officers

The offices of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasure, and Communications Director shall be elected annually in June prior to the start of the fiscal new year on July 1st. All postdocs present at the election meeting are eligible to vote in the election of the new officers. A simple majority determines who is elected to the position.

Section 3. Interim Appointments to UWPA Executive Council

Should temporary or permanent vacancies arise after the elections, the remaining members of the UWPA Executive Council shall determine the appropriate means to appoint a suitable person for the required duration.

Section 4. Standing Committee Chairs and their Appointment

The UWPA Executive Council includes the chairs of the committees which organize UWPA activities. The formation of new committees is overseen by the Vice President. Committee chairs are volunteers who are appointed by the President and Vice President and only require a vote of the Executive Committee if there is an objection to the nominee being appointed.

Article V: Terms of Office

All officers shall serve for one year and may be re-elected to subsequent terms. Officers must remain Active Members, as described in Article II, or the position will be vacated. Officers may be removed from the Executive Council by a vote of “No Confidence” by two-thirds majority of the Executive Council. Vacated officer positions will be filled by an election to take place at the earliest general meeting.

Article VI: Meetings

The association shall hold regular meetings as determined by the executive council that are open to all members. These meetings shall be held at minimum once every three months and the date, time, and location of the meetings shall be disseminated at least one week in advance of the meetings. The Executive Council may hold additional special meetings that are open only to Executive Council Members.

Article VII: Amendments

Any member of the UWPA is eligible to propose an amendment to the bylaws. All amendments to this constitution must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote of members present at the regular meeting in which such amendments are introduced. Should an amendment be introduced at a special meeting, it cannot be ratified until the
next scheduled regular meeting.

Article VIII: Ratification

This constitution shall become active upon a two-thirds majority vote of members present at a general meeting.