Article I: Name

The name of the association shall be The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston Alumni Association.

 Article II: Mission

The mission of this Association shall be to advance the cause of graduate education, to promote the interests of The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston (GSBS), and to encourage participation of all alumni in GSBS activities. Specific goals include the following:

 Article III: Location

The office of the Association shall be in The Office of the Dean of The University of Texas–Houston GSBS.

 Article IV: Membership

Categories of membership shall be regular members, benefactors, special members, Distinguished Alumni, and affiliate members.

 Section 1.  Regular members.   All GSBS graduates shall automatically become regular members.  Members of the GSBS administrative staff may be elected to regular membership by the Association Steering Committee.

 Section 2.  Benefactors.  Regular members or special members who donate $500 or more to the GSBS Alumni Association Scholarship Program shall be benefactors.

 Section 3.  Special members.  Individuals other than regular members or benefactors who have made outstanding contributions to or demonstrated long-standing support of the GSBS shall be special members.  Special members shall be nominated by the Steering Committee at the annual meeting and elected by the Association membership.  Special members will have the same privileges as regular members and benefactors.

 Section 4.  Distinguished Alumni.  The Association shall nominate persons each year for the GSBS Distinguished Alumni Award.  The Steering Committee and the Dean of the GSBS shall choose the award recipient.  The Distinguished Alumni Award is a means of recognizing alumni for their extraordinary contributions to science or the community and the GSBS. 

 Section 5.  Affiliate members.  Current graduate students shall be affiliate members.  Affiliate members are not eligible to vote.

 (Section 6.  Advisory Committee status is provided to those who have  previously served on the Steering Committee and may continue  to serve as consultants.

 Article V: Steering Committee

Section 1.  The affairs of the Association shall be governed by a Steering Committee.  Administrative assistance shall be provided by an executive officer named by the Dean of the GSBS.

 Section 2. The Steering Committee shall consist of at least six members. The terms of the Steering Committee members will be three years. New members will be added annually from nominations or volunteers elected by the existing  Steering Committee consisting of alumni in good standing.  

Section 3.  Current Steering Committee members may fill any vacancy on the Steering Committee by appointment from the membership at large.

 Section 4. The President of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, the President of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, and the Dean of the GSBS (or their designates) shall serve as ex officio members of the Steering Committee.

 Section 5.  Three Steering Committee members constitute a quorum.  Any Steering Committee Meeting is defined as a Meeting if called with at least two (2) weeks’ notice.  A quorum is met by the number of 3 present at a Steering Committee Meeting.  Business will be conducted, and the absent members will be given email notice of the business conducted.  Any concern must be offered within five (5) days of the email and voted upon as discussed in Article V, Section 10.

 Section 6.  The Steering Committee Officers shall be a President and a Vice President-Treasurer. The Vice President-Treasurer shall be nominated at the annual meeting and elected by the general membership to serve for one year.  The President shall serve for one additional year ex officio. The Vice President-Treasurer will be the President-Elect.

 Section 7.  The President shall preside at all meetings of the organization, serve as host for events, set policy with input from the Steering Committee, appoint committees, fill committee vacancies by appointment, and perform such duties as are customary for a presiding officer.

 Section 8.  The Vice President-Treasurer shall preside in the absence of the President and shall function as the Treasurer for the organization.  The Vice President-Treasurer shall perform other duties assigned by the President.

 Section 9.  The Steering Committee shall meet regularly,  10 times each year, or as requested by the President. 

 Section 10.  Steering Committee members may meet and vote by mail, telephone, or e-mail as necessity demands.  A decision may be reached by a simple majority vote, with the Dean having the authority to cast a vote in the instance of a tie.

 Article VI: Meetings

Section 1.  The annual meeting of the membership may be held in conjunction with one of the programs sponsored by the GSBS at a date determined by the Steering Committee.

 Section 2.  Special meetings may be called with at least two weeks notice, at any time by the President and at the discretion of the Steering Committee.  Any Association member may submit an agenda item in writing to the Steering Committee.  Notice of such meetings shall be distributed by the Steering Committee to the Association membership and shall state the purpose of the special meeting.

 Article VII: Dues

There are no dues for regular membership in the Association.

 Article VIII: Committees

The President shall have the authority to appoint standing or ad hoc committees.

 Article IX: Amendments and Dissolution

The bylaws or any part thereof may be amended or repealed by a majority vote of the membership.  Proposed amendments or repeals shall be submitted in writing to the Steering Committee no less than thirty days prior to the annual meeting or a special meeting.  In the event of dissolution of the Association, or should its operation be discontinued, all available funds and/or assets of the Association shall become the property of the GSBS.