Catalyst: Rice Undergraduate Science & Engineering Review

Constitution

1.  The official name of this organization shall be “Catalyst: Rice Undergraduate Science & Engineering Review.” Whenever possible, the name shall be typeset obliquely.

2.  Catalyst: Rice Undergraduate Science & Engineering Review is a peer-edited, faculty-reviewed publication dedicated to fostering discussion of the sciences at Rice University. We strive to provide an avenue for students passionate about science to present their own research or express their views on scientific topics.

3.  Catalyst: Rice Undergraduate Science & Engineering Review shall

  1. serve as a platform for students involved in research to express their work in an engaging manner;
  2. serve as a platform for Rice students to express their views on scientific topics;
  3. promote interest in and discussion of the basic sciences at Rice University;
  4. inform the general public of the quality of undergraduate research at Rice University;
  5. inform students of science summer programs and various internships located internationally and worldwide;
  6. publish at least one issue at the end of each academic year to be distributed two weeks before the last week of classes; and
  7. serve as a way for undergraduates interested in graphic design, journalism, and photography to be able to develop their talents.

4.  All members of the Rice community are eligible to become members of this organization. There are 3 classes of membership: staff members, reviewers, and honorary members.

  1. Only undergraduates may become staff members.
  2. Faculty, staff, graduate students, and other interested community members may become reviewers.
  3. All others may become honorary members.

5.  The Editorial Board shall consist of:

  1. the Editor-in-Chief,
  2. the Managing Editor
  3. the Executive Editor of Student Research,
  4. the Executive Editor of Popular Science,
  5. the Executive Editor of Custom-Formatted Articles,
  6. the Treasurer,
  7. the Director of Design, and
  8. the Director of Publicity.
  9. All members of the Editorial Board must be undergraduate staff members and strive to attend each meeting.
  10. The Editorial Board has complete editorial authority over Catalyst: Rice Undergraduate Science & Engineering Review.

6.  The Review Board shall consist of all reviewers.

7.  In order to ensure on-time publication, all members are expected to maintain a sense of professionalism.

  1. The Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor shall:
  2. in concert with the other officers, develop a reasonable timeline for each issue;
  3. oversee the editing of all articles to ensure they are publishable;
  4. set the agenda for each meeting;
  5. create and publish the meeting minutes;
  6. ensure this Constitution is followed;
  7. oversee staff meetings, Editorial Board meetings, and fundraising events;
  8. field and answer general questions and complaints about this organization;
  9. secure adequate facilities for all meetings;
  10. be responsible for securing funding for each publication;
  11. ensure that interested Rice undergraduates are informed of submission deadlines; and
  12. ensure that no copyrights are violated.
  13. The Executive Editor of Student Research shall:
  14. oversee all articles on student research to ensure they are publishable;
  15. work with the Editor-in-Chief to create submission guidelines;
  16. ensure that interested undergraduate students are informed of the option of having their research published by promoting Catalyst: Rice Undergraduate Science Review at research fairs;
  17. ensure that all copyright release forms are signed by the authors;
  18. contact interested undergraduate research programs;
  19. work with interested faculty members to specifically ensure that interested students in their respective department are informed of the option of having their research published; and
  20. ensure that his editors and members of the Review Board return articles on time.
  21. The Executive Editor of Popular Science shall:
  22. oversee all articles on worldwide research to ensure they are publishable and that no copyrights are violated;
  23. work with the Editor-in-Chief to create submission guidelines;
  24. ensure that his staff writers submit article ideas by the set deadline;
  25. ensure that his staff editors edit their assigned articles by the set deadline; and
  26. be responsible for contacting his staff writers and editors if needed.
  27. The Executive Editor of Custom-Formatted Articles shall:
  28. oversee all other articles to ensure they are publishable and that no copyrights are violated;
  29. work with the Editor-in-Chief to create submission guidelines;
  30. ensure that his staff writers submit article ideas by the set deadline;
  31. ensure that his staff editors edit their assigned articles by the set deadline; and
  32. be responsible for contacting his staff writers and editors if needed.
  33. The Treasurer shall:
  34. attend any meetings required of registered student organization Treasurers;
  35. maintain this organization’s accounts;
  36. reimburse members as authorized;
  37. maintain a complete record of all income and expenses;
  38. maintain a complete record of how grant money is used; and
  39. update the club on the current financial situation as requested.
  40. The Director of Design shall:
  41. create the “look and feel” of each issue;
  42. assign Staff Layout Designers to each article; and
  43. ensure that an electronic copy of each issues is created by the set deadline.
  44. The Director of Publicity shall:
  45. ensure that Catalyst is appropriately promoted in the Rice community; and
  46. direct the publicity activities of the freshmen representatives.
  47. A Staff Editor shall:
  48. edit his articles on a timely basis and meet all deadlines set by the Editorial Board;
  49. attend at least one meeting a month; and
  50. meet with his Staff Writers and Layout Designers to discuss their articles.
  51. A Staff Writer shall:
  52. write his articles on a timely basis and meet all deadlines set by the Editorial Board;
  53. attend at least one meeting a month; and
  54. meet with his Staff Editor and Layout Designer to discuss his article.
  55. A Staff Design Photographer shall:
  56. take and edit photographs a directed by his Staff Editor and
  57. attend at least one meeting a month.
  58. A Staff Layout Designer shall:
  59. work with the Director of Design, Staff Editors, and Staff Writers to create appealing layouts for his articles and
  60. attend at least one meeting a month.
  61. A Staff Graphic Designer shall:
  62. create necessary graphics for Catalyst and
  63. attend at least one meeting a month.
  64. A Freshmen Representative shall:
  65. work with the Director of Publicity to promote Catalyst to the Rice community.
  66. A Blogger shall:
  67. submit one post to the webmaster each month on a uniform topic.
  68. The Webmaster shall:
  69. work with the Editorial Board and the Staff Editors to keep the website updated and functional and
  70. attend at least one meeting a month.

8.  Mandatory staff meetings shall be held at least monthly. Other meetings shall be held at the discretion of the Editorial Board.

9.  All decisions, unless otherwise specified herein, shall be made by majority staff vote.

  1. Only staff members have the right to vote.

10.  A quorum of at least a majority of the staff shall be required to conduct business.

11.  Members of the Editorial Board shall be elected by a majority staff vote either online or at one of the mandatory staff meetings. Members of the Editorial Board shall serve until a replacement is elected. Elections shall be held at least once a year in the spring.

12.  There will be a recruitment period at the beginning of each semester to fill necessary Staff positions.

13.  The faculty/staff sponsor shall be selected by majority staff vote.

14.  The Editorial Board shall have the power to spend this organization’s funds. All checks shall bear the signature of the Treasurer and another member of the Editorial Board.

This constitution may be amended by a 2/3 staff vote at a mandatory staff meeting after prior notice has been given at a previous mandatory staff meeting. Before going into effect, the amendment must be ratified by the Student Association Senate.