We, the students of the
Physician Assistant Program at the Jefferson College of Health Sciences, realize that through formal
organization we can benefit ourselves, our program, and our community. It is for this
reason that we have established the Captain Sean Grimes Physician Assistant Student Society of the American Academy of
Physician Assistants (AAPA). In all aspects of its function, this society will pursue
integrity, equality, dignity, and competence for the physician assistant as a health
practitioner.
ARTICLE I. Name
The name and title of this organization shall be
the Captain Sean Grimes Physician Assistant Student Society, herein referred to as the
Student Society.
ARTICLE II. Purpose
The purpose of the Student Society shall be to serve as the official
organization for the students in order to promote academic achievement, clinical excellence,
community involvement, and the physician assistant as a member of the health care delivery
team.
ARTICLE III.
Membership
Section 1. Only physician
assistant students enrolled in the program shall be eligible for membership.
Section 2. Active members shall be defined as full-time
students, paying dues of $25 for Fall semester and $25 for the Spring semester
of the first year, and retaining voting privileges. Inactive members shall be defined
as students who have left the program in good standing, or who no longer pay
dues; inactive members are ineligible to vote. If second-year students want to
remain active voting members, they may pay dues for the Fall and Spring
semesters of the second year.
Section 3. Students leaving the program for any
reason shall retain membership in the Student Society for the remainder of the current
academic year but shall be designated as inactive members.
Section 4. It shall be encouraged, but not required,
that Society members become active members of the American Academy of Physician
Assistants (AAPA) and of the Virginia Academy of
Physician Assistants (VAPA). However, officers are required to be student
members of the AAPA.
ARTICLE IV. Dues and Fees
Section 1. Upon payment of the
Student Society dues, students will become active members of the Student Society.
Section 2. Dues
must be paid by the second formal
meeting of the Student Society each year. Any dues left unpaid or partially paid will
inactivate the member until such time as all dues are paid in full.
Section 3.
Inactive members, as defined in Article III, Section 2, are ineligible for
benefits of funds raised by the Student Society, as described in Article X,
Section 3.
ARTICLE V. Officers and Their Duties
Section 1.
All officers shall
be first-year students, except the HOD representative, who shall be the previous
year’s Assembly of Representatives (AOR) officer, and the senior external
affairs officer, who shall be the previous year’s junior external affairs
officer. The officers of the Student Society shall be: president, vice
president, treasurer, external affairs officer, internal affairs officer, AOR
representative, AOR alternate, HOD representative, and student diversity
committee officer. In addition, there should be a graduate advisor (appointed by
the Program Director), and there will be an elected constituent chapter student
representative. All officers, representatives, and delegates must be student
members of the AAPA.
Section 2.
The office of President : The duties of this office shall include but not be limited to the
following:
- Preside over the monthly meetings, set the meetings’ agendas, and submit the same
to the secretary for copies and distribution.
- Assign committee chairs, coordinate the activities of the committees, and keep membership informed of the
activities of these committees.
- Relay information received from SAAAPA to the
Student Society.
- Hold regular business meetings of the Student
Society, at least every 4-6 weeks.
- Cooperate with the outgoing officers at the end of their terms of office to provide
assistance to the first-year officers.
- Attend biannually PA Program Advisory Board
meetings.
- Assist the program secretary with plans for
class graduation.
- Assume other duties as determined necessary by the
Student Society.
Section 3.
The office of Vice President: The duties of this office shall include but not
be limited to the following:
- Assist the president and preside in his/her absence.
- Register the Student Society after
elections have been held and before November 1, which includes sending the
Student Society bylaws to the SAAAPA staff advisor of the AAPA/SAAAPA
national office.
- Inform the membership on various student issues and activities of the SAAAPA.
- Oversee all elected committee chairs.
Section 4.
The office of
Internal Affairs officer: The duties of this office shall include but not
be limited to the following:
- Maintain all records of the Student Society
and record minutes of meetings.
- Notify members of forthcoming meetings.
- Coordinate with fundraising committee chair
in advertising all fundraising events.
- Maintain contact with Student Society
committee to monitor any ongoing student-related projects. He/she shall
maintain communication within appointed student leadership positions.
Section 5. The office of
Treasurer: The duties of this office shall include but not
be limited to the following:
- Coordinate the collection of dues.
- Maintain the Student Society bank account and report to the membership the
Student Society’s financial status at each meeting.
Section 6. The
Graduate Advisor shall provide
insight and direction into the proper, ethical, and professional standards of the physician
assistant. He/she shall have no voting privilege.
Section 7. The Constituent Chapter Student
Representative is expected to do the following:
- Attend constituent chapter board of directors meetings and report back to his/her
Student Society.
- Increase interaction among the Student
Society, constituent chapter, the Student
Academy, and AAPA national office.
- Inform the new incoming class about the importance of professional involvement and AAPA
membership.
- Represent the Student Society by participating
as a student delegate in the AAPA House of Delegates
meetings at the AAPA’s annual conference.
- Inform the AAPA national office of his/her position as
student delegate to the House of Delegates.
- Educate Student Society members on national and local PA issues.
- Submit an After Action Review (AAR)
following Lobby Day activities.
Section 8. The
Assembly of Representatives (AOR) Representative is expected to do the
following:
- Distribute all Student Academy information to
the students at his/her program.
- Serve as a point of contact for the SAAAPA
Board of Directors and committees.
- Attend the AAPA annual conference to
represent the students society by participating in the SAAAPA assembly of
representatives meetings.
- Inform the AAPA national office of his/her
position as student representative to the Assembly of Representatives.
- Educate Student Society members about
national and local PA issues.
- Should the AOR representative by unable to
fulfill his/her duties, the AOR alternate shall take his/her place.
- Submit an After Action Review (AAR)
following the National Conference.
Section 9. The
House of Delegates (HOD) Representative, the second-year student who
was the previous year's AOR, is expected to do the
following:
- Distribute all HOD information to the students at his/her
program.
- Serve as a point of contact for the SAAAPA
and AAPA.
- Attend to AAPA annual conference as a SAAAPA
delegate in the formal meeting of the AAPA House of Delegates.
- Represent the Student Society by participating
in the Student Academy Assembly of
Representatives meetings at the
AAPA’s annual conference.
Section 10. The Student
Diversity Committee Representative
is expected to do the following:
- Inform the AAPA national office of his/her
position as student representative to the Assembly of Representatives.
- Increase awareness of different and diverse
cultures.
- Act as liaison between the Student Society
and the SAAAPA Director of Diversity.
- Represent all PA students and convey to the
SAAAPA any and all concerns regarding diversity.
Section 11. The office of Junior
External Affairs Officer. This office shall be filled by a first-year
student. The duties of this office shall include but not be limited to the
following:
- Promote the Student Society and the physician
assistant profession.
- Work with the Senior External Affairs officer.
- Assist the Director in coordination of PA Day.
Section 12.
The office of Senior
External Affairs Officer. This second-year position shall be filled by the
previous year’s Junior External Affairs officer. The duties of this office shall
include but not be limited to the following:
- Promote the Student Society and the physician
assistant profession.
- Work with the Junior External Affairs officer.
- Assist the Directors of Education of medical
schools in our area.
ARTICLE VI. Elections
Section 1.
- All Student Society officer nominees shall be active members of the
Student Society and
the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
- Nominees must submit in writing their intent to run for office along with a personal
profile by the election deadline of September 1.
- Profiles of nominees shall be distributed to all members of the
Student Society no later
than one week before the election date.
- Secret ballot elections for officers’ positions will be held no later than the
fifteenth day of September.
- The faculty advisor shall be responsible for
distributing and tabulating ballots.
- Tabulation must be done immediately and the election results posted and winners
notified. In event of a tie, a run-off election shall be held immediately.
Section 2. Once elections are completed, the Student
Society Roster Form must be completed and returned to the AAPA national office
by November 1.
Section 3. Each officer will serve for a one-year
term of office commencing immediately upon election and terminating after the new officers
for the next year have been elected and oriented by the outgoing officers.
Section 4. In the event an office becomes vacant, all active
members will be notified of such vacancy. Potential nominees have one week to submit an
intent to run for office. Profiles of nominees shall be distributed to all members at least
one week before an election. Elections will be by majority vote.
ARTICLE VII. Officer Training
It will be the responsibility of the outgoing
officers to train and familiarize the new officers with their duties and
responsibilities and the material needed to perform their jobs. Training must be
completed within 30 days of the officer elections and may consist of phone and
e-mail communication.
ARTICLE VIII. Meetings
Section 1. The Student
Society should meet
every four to six weeks
for the transaction of society business. The date and location of these meetings will be
decided by the board and announced to the student membership.
Section 2. Additional meetings may be called at the
discretion of the president provided no less than one week’s notice has been given to
the membership.
ARTICLE IX. Committees
Section 1. The standing committees of this society
shall be
- The Fundraising Committee, whose purpose will be to develop and implement (with majority
approval) the ideas necessary to raise funds for society activities.
- The Social Committee, whose purpose is to coordinate social events.
- Any other committees as deemed necessary by
the Student Society.
Section 2. Committee membership shall be open to
society members on a volunteer basis.
Section 3. All committees shall report their
proceedings to the board at the regularly scheduled meeting.
ARTICLE X. Money Appropriations from Student Society Fundraising
Section 1.
AOR and HOD representatives shall each receive 12.5 percent of total funds
from their respective class account, at the end of April, as payment toward
travel expenses to the AAPA annual conference, provided the officer presents
a receipt of registration.
Section 2. The Host City Prevention Campaign shall receive at
least 10 percent of funds raised by March 1, the approximate deadline for
this donation.
Section 3. Active Student Society members shall equally
divide 30 percent of funds raised for travel to the AAPA annual conference.
These funds shall be reimbursed at the end of the second semester (end of
April) provided the member presents a receipt of registration. The only
students eligible for this benefit are active members who have volunteered
for at least two Student Society fundraisers. Any disagreement with this
expectation can be addressed within and at the discretion of the Student
Society.
Section 4. The remaining 35 percent of funds raised shall be
used for miscellaneous expenses, such as state lobby day, national lobby
day, or any other events to support the PA profession. Any funds remaining
after the summer semester of the 1st year shall be put toward graduation or
designated at the discretion of the Student Society.
ARTICLE XI. Amendments and Parliamentary Procedure
Section 1. The Parliamentary source used by the
Student Society shall be Robert's Rules of Order. In all proceedings, the
Constitution and the Bylaws of the Student Society shall take precedence.
Section 2.
The Constitution and Bylaws may be
amended by a majority vote, provided all amendments proposed are submitted to the
president at the preceding month’s meeting and are in turn submitted to all members,
in writing, at least two weeks prior to the vote.
Section 3.
Any bylaws necessary to supplement this
Constitution shall be approved at a monthly meeting and voted upon at the following
monthly meeting with two-thirds of the society’s active membership voting. Absentee
ballots are allowed.
ARTICLE XI. Impeachment
Any officer, for the abuse of his or her authority, misconduct in
office, or gross neglect of duties, may be impeached and therefor removed from office by
two-thirds vote of the all active members at a regular business meeting. Any charges
against an officer must be formally written and filed with the secretary at least one
month before any vote shall be taken on the charge(s). A copy of the letter shall be
served upon the officer at least two weeks before a vote shall be taken.
ARTICLE XII. Disbandment
This organization shall not disband except by a two-thirds vote
of the active membership at any given regular meeting. A written notice of the intent to
disband must be issued to all active members and faculty advisors approximately one month
prior to the vote.
Adopted: September 15, 1997
Latest revision: October 15, 2008 |
Jefferson College of Health
Sciences
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