PREAMBLE
The Pre-Optometry Professional Society is an established student organization that works to inform students at the University of Texas at Austin about the field of optometry. We encourage strong relationships between students and optometrists and provide hands-on experience for vision care through shadowing, volunteering, and employment opportunities. Each year, we invite optometry school representatives and local optometrists to speak at our meetings to inform students greater detail about the optometry school application process as well as the profession.

ARTICLE 1: NAME AND PURPOSE 
1.1 The name of this organization shall be Pre-Optometry Professional Society, hereafter referred to as UT POPS or POPS. 
1.2 The purpose of this organization shall be:

1. To offer knowledge and professional development opportunities relating to the field of optometry. 
2. To offer leadership experience for the members of the organization.
3. To host events and programs relating to the field of optometry. 
4. To provide networking opportunities with representatives of optometry schools as well as local optometrists by inviting them to meetings.

ARTICLE 2: UNIVERSITY COMPLIANCE 
2.1 Statement of University Compliance: This organization is a recognized student organization at The University of Texas at Austin and shall comply with all campus policies as set forth in the Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities and Information on Students' Rights and Responsibilities.

ARTICLE 3: PROHIBITION OF HAZING
3.1 Prohibition of Hazing Policy: State law and Sec. 14-103(3) of the Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities and Information on Students' Rights and Responsibilities define hazing as any intentional, knowing or reckless act, occurring on or off the campus of an educational institution, by one person alone or acting with others, directed against a student, that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of pledging, being initiated into, affiliating with, holding office in or maintaining membership in any organization whose members are or include students at an educational institution.

ARTICLE 4: MEMBERSHIP AND ELIGIBILITY
4.1. Membership Restriction: In accordance with Sec. 6-202(a)(2) and Sec. 6-302 of
the Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities and Information on Students' Rights and Responsibilities, this organization restricts membership to students, faculty members, and staff members of the University.

• 4.1.1. All members of the organization shall pay their respective dues in order to maintain membership status. 

4.2 Eligibility of Membership: In accordance with Sec. 6-202(a)(3) of the Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities and Information on Students' Rights and Responsibilities, this organization may not deny membership on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, citizenship, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, except that a registered student organization created primarily for religious purposes may restrict the right to vote or hold office to persons who subscribe to the registered student organization’s statement of faith; and a registered student organization may restrict membership based on the provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
4.3. Membership dues for one academic year shall be $55, and dues for one academic semester is $40. 

• 4.3.1. All due payments shall  be required by the third general meeting in the fall semester for annual members and the third general meeting of the spring semester for semester members who join in the spring.
• 4.3.2. Upon paying membership dues, students shall be required to give their first and last name, phone number, year classification, and email.
• 4.3.3. Payments can be accepted in the form of cash, check (written to “Pre-Optometry Professional Society”), and Venmo (@UTPOPS). Cash payments shall be coordinated by the Secretary of the organization. 

4.4 Obtaining membership to the organization shall enable the paid members to attend major organization events, such as conferences and banquets, attend group-volunteering events with other members, and receive emails regarding open job opportunities for various local optometrists. Paid membership shall also include an organization t-shirt. 

• 4.4.1. Paid membership shall not be required to attend general meetings, socials, or other events specifically stated by the president. 
• 4.4.2. Organization t-shirts shall be made available for pick-up at each general meeting.

4.5. Membership Removal: Failure to pay membership dues shall result in membership removal. 

• 4.5.1. Removal of membership shall result in termination of all rights to attend all of the organization’s major conferences and banquets, volunteering activities, and termination of all job opportunity emails sent by the President. 
• 4.5.2. A request to attend membership-restricted events by non-members shall be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Executive Board. 
• 4.5.3. Removal of membership shall not affect the person’s eligibility to remain on the organization’s website, social media, or newsletter. 

4.6. Membership Points: All members of POPS shall be subject to a membership point system. The point system shall be used to determine the tier of activeness for the member as well as eligibility to run for office. Points are obtained by attending meetings, events, and driving. 

• 4.6.1 The tiers of activeness goes as follows: 
  • Active 
  • Honorable
  • Distinguished 
• 4.6.2. All point cutoffs shall be determined by the Executive Board prior to each academic year. The Executive Board may adjust the point cutoffs for activeness and officer eligibility throughout the year. 
• 4.6.3. Points for every event shall be determined by the Executive Board and may be adjusted at any time throughout the academic year.
• 4.6.4. All membership points shall be made available at all times to the members on the POPS website and shall be updated regularly by the Secretary. 

ARTICLE 5: OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD
5.1. The Executive Board shall serve as the leadership body of POPS. 

• 5.1.1. The Executive Board consist of all elected officers. This includes the 
• President, External Vice President, Internal Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Volunteer Coordinator, Social Chair, and Historian. 
• 5.1.2. All chairs of committees created by the President shall also be included in the Executive Board on a case-by-case basis. This includes the Ad-Hoc Chair.  

5.2. The Executive Board shall attend bi-weekly meetings specific to the Executive Board itself at a date and time set by the President.
5.3. All members of the Executive Board shall be required to attend to all their duties. In the event that any officer within the Executive Board cannot perform all the duties in his or her position, the officer must speak with the President regarding the issue.
5.3.1 Officer Removal: All Executive Board officer removals shall be conducted on a case-by-case basis with the other Executive Board officers. All officer removal requests must be conducted in writing. An Executive Board officer may also be removed from their position due to improper conduct by a majority vote amongst the remaining officers. 
5.4. The duties of all elected officers and committee chairs shall be as follows. In addition to the listed roles, all officers may be required to perform additional tasks and/or have additional responsibilities as decided by the President. 
        5.4.1. The President shall:

1. Be the official representative of POPS at all events, meetings, and conferences.
2. Preside over organization meetings and activities.
3. Initiate committees as the need arises, with the consent of the organization.
4. Reserve rooms and plan for general meetings and officer meetings.
5. Invite guest speakers.
6. Organize all tours, field trips, and major events.
7. Help keep officers on task and aid with certain responsibilities as needed.
8. Send out all job opportunity emails to paid members when available. 
9. Keep organization’s documents and other miscellaneous papers together.
10. Pass on all documents and miscellaneous papers to the President-elect.
11. Be the authorized representative for all of the organization’s financial holdings alongside the Treasurer. 

        5.4.2. The External Vice President shall:

1. Assume Presidential duties if the President is absent from meetings. 
2. Assist President in managing and coordinating meetings, events, and activities.
3. Attend other functions in the President’s absence.
4. Write "Thank You" cards to all of our guest speakers and buy gifts of gratitude for selected speakers.
5. Carry out other duties as assigned by the President.
6. Compile a list of doctors that are willing to let students shadow them.
7. Secure sponsorships for organization.

        5.4.3. The Internal Vice President shall:

1. Oversee OptoFamily program and keep track of OptoFamily points. 
2. Design and order t-shirts. 
3. Seek out and be in contact with other university-affiliated organizations and departments as directed by the President. 
4. Create fliers for upcoming general meetings.
5. Collect extra brochures and documents from speakers and pass out when necessary. 

        5.4.4. The Secretary shall:

1. Create and update the website.
2. Take attendance at all meetings and events.
3. Pass out and compile the info sheets on all members.
4. Keep track of membership points for all events and meetings.
5. Make the newsletters for each meeting and pass out to members.
6. Update and manage the website regularly with announcements, member points, and other miscellaneous documents. 

        5.4.5. The Treasurer shall:

1. Collect dues and keep record of all payments.
2. Deposit money into the bank.
3. Reimburse members for meeting supplies, t-shirts, etc.
4. Set budgets during the year including meetings, socials, etc.
5. Organize and oversee fundraisers.
6. Be an authorized representative and keep records of all transactions with the bank.

        5.4.6 The Volunteer Coordinator shall:

1. Inform and remind members about new volunteer opportunities.
2. Help promote volunteer events related to the healthcare profession.
3. Be aware of possible volunteer opportunities throughout the semester.
4. Communicate and coordinate volunteering events with organizations both on-campus and off-campus and update the President with logistics. 
5. Attend all volunteering events.

5.4.7. The Social Chair shall:

1. Plan, manage, and oversee all social events during the year.
2. Coordinate intramural sports.
3. Plan an end-of-year banquet.
4. Manage and oversee all social media alongside the Historian.

5.4.8. The Historian shall:

1. Take pictures at meetings and events and upload to the website.
2. Create banner design for UH Spring Conference.
3. Organize the scrapbook with help from members.
4. Create a banquet slideshow at the end of the year.
5. Create signage, posters, and graphics for events.
6. Manage and oversee all social media alongside the Social Chair.

5.4.9. The Ad-Hoc Chair shall: 

1. Aid in operations and tasks assigned by the President.

ARTICLE 6: MEETINGS AND PROCEDURES
6.1. General meetings shall be held on a regular bi-weekly basis on Mondays at 7 PM. General meetings shall be conducted by the President alongside the other officers of the Executive Board. 

• 6.1.1. General meetings shall be run in a professional manner and shall be open to all students, faculty, and staff of the University of Texas at Austin. 
• 6.1.2. Guest speakers may be present with prior authorization from the Executive Board and shall be compliant with all university policy.
• 6.1.3. Food and beverages shall be provided at the general meetings and shall be compliant with all university policy on food and drink distribution. 

6.2. Officer meetings shall be held on a regular bi-weekly basis on Mondays at 6:30 PM before every corresponding general meeting. Officer meetings are restricted to members of the Executive Board and shall be conducted for the purpose of reviewing plans, planning events, and handling logistics of the organization. Officer meetings may be open to members outside of the Executive Board through prior approval from the President.
6.3. All meeting dates and times for each long semester shall be decided by the President and announced to the officers of the Executive Board and the rest of the organization beforehand. 
6.4. The President may call special meetings when necessary. 

ARTICLE 7: UNIVERSITY ADVISOR
7.1 University Advisor: In accordance with Sec. 6-101 (14) and Sec. 6-101(15) of
the Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities and Information on Students' Rights and Responsibilities, this organization may have a University Advisor who is at least twenty-one years of age, is not enrolled as a student at the University, and serves as either:

1. a part-time or full-time employee of the University.
2. a representative of a national organization that is associated with the registered student organization. 
3. serves as either:
   1. a part-time or full-time employee of the University.
   2. a representative of a national organization that is associated with the registered student organization (registered student organizations only).

ARTICLE 8: ELECTIONS AND COMMITTEES
8.1. All elections shall be held in the latter half of the spring semester, and logistics shall be announced to the organization prior by the President. 
8.2. All positions on the Executive Board except for the President position shall be made available for general members to run. The President-elect must be or have been a part of the Executive Board and shall be decided upon by the current President on a case-by-case basis. 

• 8.2.1. Potential candidates must apply to run for each respective position and send in their applications in writing to the Executive Board. All members who submit an application for intent to run shall state their first and second choice officer positions.
• 8.2.2. Eligibility to run for office shall be determined by the number of membership points obtained and attendance to meetings and events. All candidates shall abide by the minimum requirements for points and attendance set each year, but exceptions shall be made on a case-by-case basis by the Executive Board. 

8.3. Elections and voting shall be conducted at the last general meeting of the spring semester. Voting is restricted to members of the organization. Each candidate shall give a presentation on their first and second choice officer positions. 

• 8.3.1. The order of presentations shall be: President, External VP, Internal VP, Secretary, Treasurer, Volunteer Coordinator, Social Chair, and Historian.
• 8.3.2. After all candidates for each officer position have presented, all attending members at the meeting shall vote for their top choice candidate, and a chosen officer of the Executive Board shall collect every person’s vote and tally up the numbers with the President.  In the event of a tie, all tiebreakers shall be decided amongst the current Executive Board in private outside the meeting room. Winners for each officer position shall be announced after votes for the respective positions have been tallied up.
• 8.3.3. Candidates that win their first choice position shall accept or decline that position. If accepted, they are no longer required to present for their second choice position. If declined, they shall present for their second choice alongside the other candidates. If the candidate loses their second choice position, they cannot go back and accept their first choice. 

ARTICLE 9: FINANCES 
9.1. All financial operations shall be conducted and managed by the President. Budgets shall be reviewed at each officer meeting, and payments shall be kept on record by the Treasurer. 

• 9.1.1 The President shall oversee and manage all major transactions such as t-shirts, food for meetings, conference fees, and university charges. The President shall also decide on any necessary reimbursements.
• 9.1.2. The Treasurer shall oversee and manage all minor transactions such as membership due payments, fundraiser disbursements, and reimbursements. The Treasurer shall also manage and keep physical and digital copies of all receipts.
• 9.1.3. All reimbursements for members shall require proof of purchase and prior approval from the President. 

9.2. Banking: All major funds shall be kept in the organization’s bank checking account at the University Federal Credit Union (UFCU) and Venmo account. Membership dues received in the form of cash or check shall be deposited into the checking account by the Treasurer periodically. Membership dues received in the form of Venmo transactions shall be kept in the POPS Venmo balance.

• 9.2.1. The President shall be the only person with access to the organization’s debit card and shall only use the debit card for purchases for the organization.
• 9.2.2. The Venmo balance shall be used for payments and reimbursements when necessary. The Treasurer shall keep the President updated on the Venmo balance at every meeting, and the President may set limits on the balance when necessary. 
• 9.2.3. All bank information and authorized use shall be transferred to the President-elect and Treasurer-elect at the end of each academic year. All activity and access to the bank account and Venmo account shall be terminated for any previous President and Treasurer thereonafter. 

ARTICLE 10: AMENDMENTS
10.1. Constitution Updates: All amendments or changes to this constitution must be reflected in an updated constitution that must be submitted to Student Activities in the Office of the Dean of Students at 2609 University Ave., Suite 2.112 within 14 days of its approval. 
10.2. Amendments to the constitution may be submitted by a member at any time for review and approval by the Executive Board. The President shall submit all approved amendments to the constitution to the department of Student Activities in the Office of the Dean of Students. 
10.3. An amendment to the constitution that becomes ratified shall take effect immediately unless otherwise stated within that amendment.