Constitution
Article I
Name
The name of this organization shall be the Undergraduate Student Division of the American Dairy Science Association (hereafter called the Undergraduate Student Division).
Article II
Purpose
The purpose of this organization shall be: to provide a channel of communication whereby information of mutual interest may be exchanged between the various member chapters and between the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA); to acquaint students with ADSA, its scope, purpose, and program; and to develop leadership and promote scholarship among students interested in the dairy industry.
Article III
Membership
Section 1. The Undergraduate Student Division shall consist of undergraduate and graduate students who are certified by a Professional Member as regularly enrolled college students who do not hold full-time positions at the time of application for, or annual renewal of, student membership and who do not hold ranks of instruction or higher, or the equivalent. These graduate students, however, are not eligible to serve as officers or voting delegates.
Section 2. Student Branches of the Undergraduate Student Division shall consist of local chapters organized at colleges and universities offering courses which pertain to dairy manufacturing and/or production. A local chapter may be authorized as a Student Branch by the Board of Directors on petition from a majority of the local chapter members and on recommendation of two Professional Members of the Association. Members of approved Student Branches may participate in the affairs and activities of the Undergraduate Student Division.
Section 3. Annually at a date to be set by the Executive Committee, each local chapter shall submit a brief report of its activities to the Second Vice President of the Undergraduate Student Division who will serve as editor, then forward them to the Executive Secretary of ADSA. The charter of a local chapter may be revoked by the Board of Directors of ADSA upon recommendation of the Executive Committee of the Undergraduate Student Division if that local chapter fails to submit an annual report or evidence of effective action in line with the objectives of this organization.
Section 4. The local chapters shall elect their own officers and make rules to govern themselves in a manner consistent with their charter, the Constitutions and By-Laws of ADSA, and of the Undergraduate Student Division.
Article IV
Officers and Undergraduate Student
Division Advisory Council
Section 1. The officers of this Division shall be President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Third Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, and Officer-at-Large. These officers shall be elected by the voting members of the Undergraduate Student Division at the national convention of the organization according to the National SAD Election Guidelines. They shall serve a term of one year or until their successors are elected. Their terms of office shall begin at the time of their installation during the national convention. If no national convention is held, officers shall be elected by mail ballot to all Student members and their terms of office shall begin on July 1.
Section 2. Officers of the organization must be undergraduate members of the Undergraduate Student Division of ADSA.
Section 3. The Undergraduate Student Division Advisory Council shall consist of three Professional Members that serve to advise the Undergraduate Student Division. Each Professional Member shall serve a term of three years with one new member being elected at the annual meeting after the Undergraduate Student Division officers are elected.
Section 4. The six officers of this division, together with the Undergraduate Student Division Advisory Council, shall constitute the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall transact the business of the Division.
Article V
Regions and Sections
Section 1. Regions of the Undergraduate Student Division shall be organized on the basis of geographical division as is the American Dairy Association. The regional division may be authorized by the Board of Directors of the American Dairy Science Association upon petition by the local chapters involved and recommendation by the Executive Committee of the Undergraduate Student Division.
Section 2. Sections of the Undergraduate Student Division organized by members on the basis of special interests may be authorized by the Executive Committee of the Undergraduate Student Division upon petition of not less than ten members.
Section 3. The regions and Sections of the Undergraduate Student Division shall elect their own officers and make rules to govern themselves in a manner consistent with the Constitution and By-Laws of ADSA and of the Undergraduate Student Division.
Article VI
Conventions
Section 1. The national convention shall be each year in conjunction with the annual meeting of ADSA.
Section 2. Each local chapter may send as many delegates as it desires to the national convention providing each delegate is a member in good standing of his local chapter and of the Undergraduate Student Division. A delegate from an institution at which no local chapter exists must be a Undergraduate Student Division member in good standing.
Section 3. For the purpose of election of officers, each local chapter with a delegation at the convention will be entitled to two votes provided it has at least two delegates in attendance. If only one delegate is present, only one vote will be allotted to that club. Each academic institution which does not have a local chapter will be entitled to one vote providing it is represented by at least one Undergraduate Student Division member in good standing.
Article VII
Ratification and Amendments
Section 1. This Constitution, when ratified, shall direct all proceedings and activities of this organization and its local chapters.
Section 2. This Constitution shall be ratified when it has been approved by a two-thirds vote of the delegates at the national convention.
Section 3. Any other Constitution of the Undergraduate Student Division which was written and approved prior to the ratification of this Constitution shall be considered void.
Section 4. This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the voting members in attendance at the national convention, providing that the proposed amendment has been submitted in writing by the Secretary-Treasurer of the Undergraduate Student Division to each local chapter and to each Undergraduate Student Division member at least 60 days prior to the national convention. Publication in the Journal of Dairy Science may be used as an alternative to written notification.
BY-LAWS
Article I
Dues
The Board of Directors of ADSA shall determine the dues to be paid by members of the Undergraduate Student Division.
Article II
Meetings
Section 1. Robert`s Rules of Order shall govern the meetings of this organization in all cases where they are applicable and when they do not conflict with the Constitution, By-Laws, or special rules of the organization.
Section 2. Any action which will effect a change in the manner in which competitive activities are judged at the current national meeting must:
a) be approved by a 100 percent vote at that meeting in order to be effective at the current meeting
b) or not take place until the following annual meeting.
Article III
Duties of Officers
Section 1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the organization and the Executive Committee. He or she shall be responsible for the program at the national meetings as well as appointing any committees, other than the Executive Committee, that are deemed necessary. It shall be his or her responsibility to see that the other officers and the appointed committees carry out their duties in a satisfactory manner. The President shall be an ex officio member of the ADSA Board of Directors and of the ADSA Program Planning Committee.
Section 2. The First Vice President shall be responsible for the educational activities of the organization, which includes overseeing the judging of the chapter contest.
Section 3. The Second Vice President shall be responsible for membership and will assist the various chapters with their membership problems as well as helping to organize new chapters. In doing this, he or she shall be responsible for the student articulates, student symposiums, and the Student Newsletter.
Section 4. The Third Vice President shall be responsible for the awards given by the Undergraduate Student Division. He or she shall also coordinate any other award involving Student Members such as the Most Miles Traveled Award and the Yearbook Contest Award. Other duties may be assigned by the President.
Section 5. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep the records and handle the correspondence of the organization in accordance with policies established by the Executive Committee. A copy of all records, important correspondence, and all business transactions will be sent to the Executive Secretary of ADSA.
Section 6. The Officer-at-Large shall be responsible for the undergraduate paper contest. Other duties may be assigned by the President. In the case of any office becoming vacant he or she shall fill that office and assume all of the responsibilities of that office. However, if the office of President becomes vacant the First Vice President will assume this position and the Officer-at-Large will assume the duties of First Vice President.
Section 7. The order of succession, in the absence of the President, shall be: First Vice President, Second Vice President, Third Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, and the Officer-at-Large.
Section 8. All officers are required to submit an annual report to the Secretary-Treasurer for the minutes.
Section 9. The Executive Committee shall serve as an advisory group and for major decisions, new programs, significant appointments, and other significant matters, this committee must give its approval before they can be enacted.
Article IV
Ratifications and Amendments
Section 1. These By-Laws shall be ratified when approved by a two-thirds vote of the voting members at the national convention.
Section 2. These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the voting members at the national convention, providing that the proposed amendment has been submitted in writing by the Secretary-Treasurer of the Undergraduate Student Division to each member at least 60 days prior to the time of the national convention. Publication in the Journal of Dairy Science may be used as an alternative to written notification.
(revision as of June 2022)