LEGISLATURE OF AMERICAN INSTITUTE

OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING – COM

SATS LAHORE CHAPTER
The following are the bylaws by the Student Chapter Committee of the AIChE to be used as a m
odel for new and/or existing chapters. Changes may be made to conform to particular college reg
ulations but not to the extent that such changes relegate the intent of the Bylaws or interfere with
specific requirements of AIChE. Texts in italics and parentheses are intended to guide you in wri
ting your bylaws; the wording should not be in your final bylaws. You may wish to consult the L
ocal Section Model Bylaws, which provides additional guidance on drafting bylaws.

American Institute of Chemical Engineers

Student Chapter Bylaws
[COMSATS Institute of Information Technology]

Article I – Name
The name of this organization shall be the (COMSATS Institute of Information Technology) Stud
ent Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

Article II – Objectives
The objectives of this chapter shall be

− To promote the professional development of its members through its programs and its
relations with other Student Chapters and with the American Institute of Chemical
Engineers (hereafter referred to as the “Institute”),
− To contribute to the development of chemical engineering at (COMSATS Institute of
Information Technology) through activities involving faculty and student members,
− To allow a strong and firm understanding of the field of Chemical Engineering by
exploring the diversity and depth in research and industries,
− To council students on career by highlighting the opportunities available after graduation
and to hold seminars in this respect,
− To strive actively to form strong industrial liaison with the department and
− To play its part in holding job fairs and guide students wishing to continue their studies
on university application and scholarship procedures
Article III – Membership
Any student enrolled in a curriculum in (name of chemical engineering department ) at (name of
college or university) leading to a degree in chemical engineering shall be eligible for membershi
p. Students enrolled in a related engineering discipline are also eligible for membership if they ar
e interested in chemical engineering as a profession. Membership shall be granted to applicants s
elected after due recruitment procedure as set by the council that entitles them as General Mem
bers (or Members) and automatically charges them with duties as required by the institute. The
members of the institute will consist of Officers, Program Committee Members and General Me
mbers.

Article IV – Chapter Advisor

An advisor for the Student Chapter shall be selected from the faculty of the department. The Adv
isor shall be a Fellow, Senior Member, or Member of the Institute and shall advise the Student C
hapter in its relation to the Institute.

Article V – Meetings
Regular meetings shall be held during the school year. Special meetings may be held at any time
when called by the President or by two of the officers. At any meeting, any procedural question r
equiring parliamentary ruling not provided in the Bylaws shall be decided in accordance with Ro
bert’s Rules of Order, Revised Edition. Meeting or part of meeting held to make amendments to t
he legislature or deciding matters involving voting procedures will consist of particular members
, Officers and Program Committee Members, who will be termed as the council for that session.

Article VI – Voting
A quorum is a simple majority of chapter members. All proposals require a majority vote by the
quorum except as noted in the Bylaws (e.g., Amendments). In absence of a quorum, no formal ac
tion shall be taken except to adjourn.
Voting shall be conducted by the show of hands unless otherwise the council decides to maintain
secrecy of votes in some matters; the votes may be taken on chits/cards and the presiding officer
of the meeting shall read out the votes to the council before declaring result based on the majorit
y votes. It is mandatory for council members to ensure their presence during voting procedures a
s proxies or absentee votes will not be accepted.

Article VII – Officers and Program Committee Members

Officers of the chapter will include the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, each o
f whom must be a Student Member of the Institute. All officers shall have held a chapter member
ship for at least one complete term (one semester) before being elected. The Program Committee
shall consist of (12) chapter members, each of whom must also be a Student Member of the Instit
ute. Program Committee members shall include at least one representative from each class (Fresh
man, Sophomore, Junior, Senior). No more than half of the committee shall be Seniors.

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Article VIII - Duties of Officers and Program Committee members
The President shall be responsible for providing leadership and direction for the chapter, shall pr
eside at all meetings, and shall serve as chair of the Program Committee and as an ex-officio me
mber of all other committees. The president shall also plan activities for the term and communica
te and assist the Chapter Advisor on the matters of the institute.

The Vice President shall assist the President in the performance of his/her duties and shall presid
e at meetings when the president is unable to attend.

The Secretary handles correspondence for all activities of the institute. He/She shall keep records
of all meetings and preserve all papers relating to the affairs of the chapter. He/She shall preside
at meetings of the chapter in the absence of the President and Vice President.

The Treasurer shall keep complete financial records and permit their inspection by any other offi
cer of the chapter or by the Advisor upon request. He/She shall collect all dues and assessments p
romptly and submit a treasurer’s report at chapter meetings. He/she shall submit a complete and f
inal written financial report at the end of the school year. He/she shall preside at meetings of the
chapter in the absence of the President, Vice President or Secretary.

The Program Committee shall be responsible for planning and arranging the various activities o
f the chapter.

Article IX - Election of Officers and Program Committee members

Election of the officers and Program Committee members listed in Article VII for the upcoming
school year shall take place before the end of the current school year.

Nominations of Officers or Program Committee members can be made by any member of the ch
apter. A member can nominate himself/herself for any office. The candidate receiving a majority
of the votes cast shall be declared elected. In the event of a tie, there shall be a runoff election bet
ween the candidates with the highest votes.

All other committee members shall be appointed by the President.

Any vacancies that should occur before the end of the school year shall be filled by means of a s
pecial election conducted in the same manner as specified above.

Article X - Length of The Office Term

All office bearers i.e. Officers and Program Committee Members shall hold the office for one ac
ademic year (2 semesters). A member can hold the office more than once by standing victorious i
n the annual elections.

Article XI – Dues
Chapter (semester) dues shall be set by a majority vote of the Officers and Program Committee
members. Such dues, if any, may be collected at any time during the school year, unless the Offi
cers and Program Committee Members decide on a specific time frame for collection of such due
s.

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Article XI - Suspension or Dismissal of Membership
- Each Member of the society reserves the right to request a legal complaint against any member
of the society
- A Member (General Members, Program Committee Members and Officers) may be suspended
or Dismissed of chapter membership if he/she fails to comply with the guidelines set forth by the
legislature of the institute
- A Member (General Members, Program Committee Members and Officers) may be suspended
or Dismissed of chapter membership by the observance of any activity, show of character or
attitude that may be deemed unsuitable by the institute or the university
- The suspension or dismissal of a member will be decided by the council through two third
majority where the council may hold a trial to allow the member to justify his/her actions before
moving to voting procedure
- The council would have the right to impose fine on the member found guilty
- A member may contact the Chapter Advisor in the event he/she observes injustice on the part of
the Council.

Article XII - Amendments to the Bylaws

Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed at any regular meeting by any member of the chap
ter. Adoption of an amendment shall be by three-fourths of the votes cast, provided there is a qu
orum present.

Approved by
Dr. Asad U. Khan
Chapter Advisor
AIChE COMSATS Lahore Chapter

Drafted by Revised by

President Secretary
AIChE COMSATS Lahore Chapter AIChE COMSATS Lahore Chapter
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