IDAHO STUDENT NURSES ASSOCIATION BYLAWS

IDAHO STUDENT NURSES ASSOCIATION October , 2012 Key Terms: Bylaws: basic rules governing the internal affairs of the organization. Constituent Association: a school or state association that has met the requirements for constituency in NSNA; state approved associate degree, diploma, baccalaureate, and generic masters and generic doctoral programs (graduate programs that prepare students for initial RN licensure) are eligible for NSNA Constituency Status. Corporate Charter (Articles of Incorporation): legal document containing the name, purpose, officers, and any other information required by the state in which the organization is incorporated. Main Motion: a proposal that brings a particular subject before the assembly for consideration and action. Policy: a definite course of action or proposition adopted by a board of directors, house of delegates, or any other authorized voting body. Procedure: set method of conducting and managing business. Quorum: the minimum number of officers and members of a constitute body that must be present for the valid transaction of business. Resolution: a main motion put in writing on a subject of great importance expressed in formal wording (National Student Nurses Association, 2000)

Article I NAME OF ORGANIZATION

Section 1. Name A. The name of this organization shall be the Idaho Student Nurses Association here in after referred to as ISNA.

Article II PURPOSE AND FUNCTION

Section 1. The purpose of the ISNA is:

A. To assume responsibility for contributing to nursing education in order to provide for the highest quality of health care. B. To provide programs representative of fundamental interests and concerns to nursing students. C. To aid in the development of the whole person, his/her professional role, his/her responsibility for health care of people in all walks of life.

Section 2.

Functions

A. To have direct input into standards of nursing education and influence the education process. B. To influence health care, nursing education and practice through legislative activities as appropriate. C. To promote and encourage participation in community affairs and activities towards health care and the resolution of related social issues. D. To represent nursing students to the consumer, to institutions, and other organizations. E. To promote and encourage students participation in interdisciplinary activities, and educational activities regardless of a persons race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender, marital status, lifestyle, disability or economic status. F. To promote and encourage collaborative relationships with nursing and health related organizations, including the Idaho Nurses Association. G. To promote communication among student nurses association in Idaho.

Article III MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Definition Any student enrolled in a state-approved program leading to licensure as a registered nurse (associate degree, baccalaureate, generic Master's or generic Ph.D leading to initial RN licensure) and any student who is a registered nurse enrolled in a program leading to a baccalaureate degree with a major in nursing is eligible for membership in ISNA. Section 2. Qualifications and Privileges

Members of the constituent associations shall be: A. Active members: a)Students enrolled in state-approved programs as defined in Section 1 who are members in good standing of a ISNA Constituent chapter; and b) Active members shall have all the privileges of membership in ISNA. B. Associate members: a) Pre-nursing students, including registered nurses, enrolled in college or university programs designed as preparation for entrance into a program leading to licensure as a registered nurse or an RN to BSN program who are members in good standing of a ISNA Constituent chapter; and

b) Associate members shall have all of the privileges of membership in ISNA except the right to hold office as President or Vice President at state and National levels.

C. Individual members: Individual membership shall be open at the national level to any eligible student when membership in a constituent association is not available. Individual members shall have the privileges of membership as prescribed in NSNA bylaws. D. Active and associate membership shall be renewable annually. Active and associate membership may be extended six months beyond graduation from a students program in nursing, providing membership was renewed while the student was enrolled in a nursing program. Article IV- DUES A. The Annual NSNA dues for active and associate members shall be $25 the first year plus $5 state dues per member and $30 national plus $5 state dues for the second year, payable for the appropriate dues year. The dues year for membership shall be a period of twelve consecutive months. B. The annual NSNA dues for active and associate members joining for two years shall be $50 per member, plus $10 for state dues, payable for the appropriate dues years. The dues years for these members shall be a period of twenty-four consecutive months. C. The school association board of directors shall have the authority to change membership dues, in order to include school association dues.

A. The annual NSNA and ISNA dues for active and associate members shall be $35 for the first year, and $35 for renewals. This includes the $25 national dues and $10 state dues. B. The annual NSNA and ISNA dues for active and associate members joining for two years shall be $65. This includes $50 national dues and $15 state dues. C. The school association board of directors shall have the authority to change membership dues, in order to include school association dues. D. National and state dues shall be payable directly to NSNA. NSNA shall remit to each state constituent the dues received on behalf of the constituent. NSNA shall not collect nor remit school chapter dues.

Article V- CONSTITUENT CHAPTERS A. School constituent membership is composed of active or associate members who are
members of the NSNA and the state association.

B. Each school chapter shall be composed of at least 10 members, and must submit NSNAs
Official Application of Constituency Status annually. The deadline for this application to be submitted is at NSNAs Annual House of Delegates meeting. If representatives are not able to attend, application must be submitted no later than 10 working days after the close of NSNAs House of Delegates meeting of the same year. There shall be only one chapter on each school campus. C. For yearly recognition as a constituent, an officer of the school chapter shall submit annually the Official Application for NSNA Constituency Status which shall include the following areas of conformity: purpose and functions, membership, dues, and representation.

D. A constituent association which fails to comply with the bylaws and policies of NSNA shall have its status as a constituent revoked by a 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors, provided that written notice of the proposed revocation has been given at least two months prior to the vote and the constituent association is given an opportunity to be heard. E. Each school association is an entity separate and apart from NSNA and its administration of activities, with NSNA and ISNA exercising no supervision or control over these immediate daily and regular activities. NSNA and ISNA have no liability for any loss, damages, or injuries sustained by third parties as a result of the negligence or acts of the school association or the members thereof. In the event any legal proceedings are brought against NSNA and ISNA, the school association will indemnify and hold harmless the NSNA and ISNA from any liability.

Article VI. Board of Directors

Section 1. Executive Board

The Executive Board shall consist of the elected officers, elected directors, and a faculty advisor. Section 2. Composition , Officers and Directors of ISNA A. B. C. D. E. President Vice President Secretary Treasurer, Chairs a. Communications Chair b. Membership Chair c. Nominations Chair d. Legislative Chair

e. Community Health Chair f. Breakthrough to Nursing Chair g. Education Chair, h. Two Directors-at-Large. F. Ex-Officio, non-voting members a. State Advisor b. Faculty Advisor c. Presidential Advisor d. New-Graduate Advisor e. School Delegate(s) Section 3. Eligibility A. All officers must be members of NSNA. B. President and Vice President must meet requirements of Article III Section 2 Active Members. C. All other officers must meet requirements of Article III Section 2 Active Members or Associate Members.

Section 4. Term of Office The term of office for all Board of Directors runs from May 1 to May 1. Section 5. Responsibilities

The Board of Directors shall be responsible for: A. Transacting business of the association between membership meetings and shall report such transactions at the next regularly scheduled membership meetings. Membership meetings will be held each fall, at the Idaho Student Nurses Association Convention and House of Delegates. B. Filling vacancies in any office by 2/3 majority vote of Board of Directors except the office of President. C. If a board of director steps down or is elected off the board, the following rank will fill the position per discretion of the board member until an elected person fills the vacancy: a) Vice President b) Secretary c) Treasuerer D. Reviewing monetary disbursements, acquisitions and fund raising activities and shall be responsible for procuring persons for audit of all accounts on an annual basis.

E. Attending the ISNA Board of Directors meetings Section 6. Quorum

A quorum for the board and membership meetings, which may be held via phone conference, shall be the president or vice-president, and four other board members. Should there not be a full board of directors to fulfill this requirement, 2/3rds of the Board of Directors is required to make quorum. Section 7. Duties of the Board of Directors:

A. Duties of the Board of Directors shall consist of: 1. President a) Shall preside at all meetings of this association and its Board of Directors. b) Shall appoint special committees as needed. c) Shall perform all other duties pertaining to the office. d) Shall represent this association in all matters to the Idaho Nurses Association, NSNA and other professional and student organizations. e) Serve as chairperson of the Board of Directors f) Serve as ISNA representative on Idaho Nurses Association Board of Directors 2. Vice President a) Shall assume responsibility of the office of President in the event of the vacancy occurring in the office until the next regular election. b) Shall preside at meetings in the absence of the President. c) Shall assist the President as delegated and act as advisor to the President. 3. Secretary a) Shall record and distribute the minutes of all meetings of this association as directed by the President. b) Shall keep of file as a permanent record all reports, papers and documents submitted to the Secretary. c) Refer to duly appointed committees the necessary records for the completion of business. d) Deliver to the newly elected Secretary all association papers. 4. Treasurer a) Shall submit annual budgets of the ISNA for approval at the annual state House of Delegates. b) Submit financial reports to the membership as directed by President. c) Prepare financial reports submitted at the annual state House of Delegates and at all Board of Directors meetings. d) Keep a permanent record of all dues received from members and any other income and disbursements.

e) Remit payment for approved debits. Debits may be approved for items costing less than $50 by the Board of Directors. Larger debits are approved via budget approval at the annual House of Delegates. f) Sign checks for the ISNA along with a co-signature by the State advisor. 5. Communications Chair a) Request articles from all school associations by Nov. 1 for a fall newsletter and by March 1 for a spring newsletter. b) Prepare the ISNA newsletters from the school association submissions and other items of interest and distribute the newsletter to all school associations for distribution to members. c) Submit bills for the newsletter costs to the Treasurer. d) Submit articles to NSNA News according to publication deadline. e) Maintain the Idaho Student Nurses Association website. 6. Membership Chair a) Coordinate membership drives on the school campuses. Represent own school association at Board of Directors meetings. May co-sign checks for ISNA if needed. 7. Nominations Chair a) Coordinate efforts to get members to run for the various offices and positions on the school campuses. Represent own school association at Board of Directors meetings. b) Be responsible for the election process to held no later than April of each school year. 8. Community Health Chair a) Coordinate volunteer health service activities in the communities of the various school campuses. Represent own school association at Board of Directors meetings. 9. Breakthrough to Nursing Chair a) Coordinate Breakthrough to nursing activities on the school campuses. Represent own school association at Board of Directors meetings. 10. Education Chair a) Coordinate Continuing Education events for the ISNA convention, which is held in conjunction with INA. Represent own school association at Board of Directors meetings. 11. Legislative Chair a) Coordinate legislative activities on the school campuses. Represent own school association at Board of Director meetings.

b) Follows the state and national legislature, and updates the board of directors on issues pertaining to ISNA. c) Helps draft policies in accordance with NSNA and ISNA bylaws, as needed. d) Helps update and review ISNA bylaws annually. 12. Directors-at-Large a) Attend Board of Directors meetings. Represent own school association at such meetings. Assist with other Board business as delegated by the President. 13. State Adviser a) The State Adviser(s) will attend all meetings and support the activities of ISNA members through mentorship and guidance, as well as represent the students as necessary to the Idaho Nurses Association. The state adviser(s) must be a member of the INA. 14. Faculty Adviser a) The Faculty Adviser(s) will attend all meetings and support the activities of ISNA members in the roles of educator, coach, and adviser. The faculty adviser(s) must be a faculty member at a nursing school, preferably within Idaho. 15. Presidential Adviser a) The Presidential Adviser shall be a past President of ISNA to help guide the President and ISNA in areas where it is seen fit, such as clarification of roles and responsibilities on the state and national level. 16. New-Graduate Adviser a) The New-Graduate Adviser(s) shall be students who have been a past board member of ISNA, and have transitioned into the professional role. This position is to help guide ISNA in activities, provide additional support, and mentorship for upcoming graduates. 17. School Delegate: a) Each school with a student nurse population within Idaho, regardless of NSNA constituency status, is allowed representation on the ISNA Board of Directors meetings. Should this school not be represented on the Board of Directors, the school is allowed to nominate one individual to represent their school at the Board of Directors meetings, pending approval by the Board of Directors. This individual is expected to communicate on behalf of the school to ISNA Board of Directors, and to communicate on behalf of ISNA Board of Directors at the school level. Section 8. Absences A. Members of the Board of Directors who demonstrates behavior as determined by the Board of Directors, that is inconsistent with the purpose, functions and expectations of NSNA, who if officer has rationale- DUI, unethical behavior could remove from BOD, or who have missed more than two regularly scheduled meetings of any current term year without prior notification to the President or the Vice President and who offer no valid reason for such absences may be removed from office by a plurality vote of the current membership present at the next scheduled BOD meeting. The officer in question will be

notified in advance of the meeting. B. An officer may also be removed from office by a plurality vote of the members of the Board of Directors present at a meeting called for that purpose if that officer is deemed negligent in the functions of that office as stated in these bylaws. C. Prior notification of two weeks shall be given to the individual in question and a special Board of Directors meeting shall be held to review the circumstances.

Article VI - ELECTIONS
Section 1. Election of the Officers: A. President shall be statewide, B. The position of Treasurer will remain at where the state advisor can help the student treasurer. C. Terms of office for all Board of Directors runs from May 1 to May 1. The outgoing officers need to meet with their replacements to turn over materials and to orient them to their duties and to ongoing business of the ISNA at a final joint board of directors meeting. D. Ex-officio members are nominated by members of ISNA, and approved by the Board of Directors. E. Annual Elections shall be held no later than April at the Annual NSNA Convention, with electronic ballots, so that members not able to attend the voting would be able to vote. F. All elections shall be by secret ballot. G. A plurality vote of the members present and entitled to vote and voting shall constitute an official election. H. In the event of a tie, a revote shall be held. I. All candidates shall contact with Nomination Chair at least 4 weeks of prior to the election. J. A special election may be held to fill a vacant position on the Board of Directors.

Article VII MEETINGS

A. There shall be at least one meeting per month of the Board of Directors. The President will schedule the date, location with conference call options, and time for the first meeting. The subsequent meetings will be approved (date, time, location) by a majority vote of the members present at the first meeting. The ISNA House of Delegates will be one of the fall semester

meetings, and a caucus at the NSNA convention in the spring will be one of the spring semester meetings. B. The President shall have the authority to convene a special meeting at such time as is deemed necessary and shall notify the Board of Directors of such meeting, location, and time. Article VIII COMMITTEES Section 1. Appointments A. Committee chair appointments shall be made by the Board of Directors and shall be deemed standing committees unless otherwise stated at time of appointment. B. Committee members shall be appointed by the committee chairperson or selected by the Board of Directors from a group of volunteers. C. Committee members must be members of ISNA, but are not required to be on the Board of Directors. Section 2. Responsibility All committees shall be responsible to the Board of Directors for reporting committee activities on a regular basis and shall, upon direction of the Board of Directors, report same to the general membership.

Article IX DELEGATES
Section 1. Purpose and Function

A. To serve as spokesperson for this association at the annual state and national conventions. B. Present to the state and national organizations all proposed resolutions or amendments to bylaws or policies proposed by this association. C. Keep informed as to all current and proposed resolutions at the state and national levels and report information to this associations membership at regularly scheduled membership meetings. D. Make available to members updates, explanations, and copies of current and proposed state and national resolutions. Section 2. Qualifications and Appointment

A. Any member maintaining a grade level of C or above, who is active in his/her school association projects and is nominated by current membership of his/her school association at a regularly scheduled meeting is eligible to hold the position of delegate.

B. Appointment shall be for one (1) year and shall be made by nomination of those members eligible and voted on by the current membership eligible to vote and voting. The nominee/s receiving the majority of votes cast shall be awarded the position/s. Section 3. Delegate Representation to NSNA House of Delegates

A. School constituents: 1. Each school association, when recognized as an official NSNA constituent, shall be entitled to one voting delegate and alternate at the NSNA House of Delegates, and in addition, shall be entitled to one voting delegate and alternate for every 50 members. 2. The school association delegate(s) and alternate(s) shall be a member in good standing in the chapter and shall be selected and/or elected by members of the school chapter at a proper meeting according to chapter bylaws. The school association may designate an alternate delegate for each delegate by one of the following two mechanisms: a) Selection and/or election by members of the school chapter according to chapter bylaws; or b) Written authorization to the State Board of Directors requesting them to appoint a member of the State Board to act as a state-appointed alternate for their school chapter. B. School chapters shall approve the appointment: 1. The State Board of Directors shall verify that any state appointed alternate is a member in good standing of the NSNA and the state association. 2. A school chapter must have a selected and/or elected delegate present at the NSNA Convention in order to have a state-appointed alternate seated in the House of Delegates. 3. All alternates, whether school selected or state-appointed, shall have the same privileges as an elected delegate when seated in the House. C. The school association shall be entitled to delegates according to the number of members in good standing in NSNA. Delegates shall be computed on the basis of the number of members in each constituent as evidenced by the annual dues received by NSNA on a date eight weeks prior to the annual meeting. Section 4. Delegate Representation to the ISNA House of Delegates A. Each school association is entitled to five delegates and five alternates to the annual ISNA House of Delegates. The delegates must be members in good standing.

Article X AMENDMENTS
Amendments to the Bylaws may be made with a 2/3 vote of those present and voting at a membership meeting provided that notice of proposed amendments has been sent to members at least four weeks prior to the meeting. Only proper amendments submitted in writing and carrying the proponents signature will be considered.

Article XI PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

All meetings of this association shall be conducted according to the parliamentary law as set forth in Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised where the rules apply and are not in conflict with these bylaws. Bylaws amended October, 2012 SPECIAL NOTES ABOUT PREVIOUS CHANGES TO THE BYLAWS: CHANGES IN BYLAWS PASSED IN OCTOBER 2010 HOUSE OF DELEGATES Bylaws Changes: The proposed changes to the bylaws, announced in the April 2010 Idaho Caucus, were voted upon in total and passed unanimously. They were as follows: To strike the requirement for state advisor to be present at board meetings for quorum to be met Board of Directors to change meetings from a semester to semester basis to monthly meetings, excluding members meeting months (Idaho Caucus at NSNA Convention and ISNA Convention currently held in the Fall) Changing the Newsletter Editor to Communications Chair, a reflection to include the new duties of state website management Changing maximal spending amount by the Board of Directors without full membership vote from $25 to $50 Changing the structure of the election process. President shall be statewide, and Treasurer will reside at the institution of the state advisor, but chapters will nominate 2 representatives, and they will define their board position with the guidance of the president at the first board meeting of the term in May. These representative positions will be from May to May. CHANGES IN BOARD ELECTIONS FOR 2009-2010 During the April, 2009 Idaho Caucus at NSNA Convention certain Bylaws pertaining to the elections of officers other than President were suspended for the 2009-2010 year by forum vote. The goal was to fill chair positions, to have an stronger Board of Directors so as to provide a foundation to develop a new beginning for the Idaho Student Nurses Association. Officers were elected from the members at the Idaho Caucus, filling the positions Secretary, Community Health Chair, Legislative Chair, Education Chair, Director-At-Large and Vice President. Positions not filled at that time were filled subsequently by the 2008-2009 ISNA Board by essay petition solicited either statewide or, for positions originally assigned to them, to the schools that had members at the NSNA Convention.