Preamble

Whereas students often lack tools that assist in their academic and career success; whereas students benefit from applying their knowledge outside of the classroom; and whereas there should be a place to learn and have fun while building tools for the community, we establish the Nebula Labs organization to build and maintain tools that help students, to foster an interdisciplinary and welcoming community, and to teach the community what we learn.

Article I: Name

The name of this organization may be called Nebula Labs or Nebula.

Article II: Purpose

The goals of Nebula Labs are to:

• Create and maintain an interdisciplinary community of learners

• Improve the lives of students by providing a platform that allows students to build and maintain tools for the UT Dallas community

• Provide students opportunities to serve the UT Dallas community through experiential learning

• Host technical and design workshops, teach-ins, and other events for the UT Dallas and surrounding community

Article III: Membership

Section 1: Definition

A member is a person who directly contributes to or supports the projects or operations of Nebula Labs. The members of Nebula Labs (“Membership”/“Members”) may establish additional rules or requirements for membership in their other governing documents.

All members have the right to:

• Participate in all project meetings and contribute to discussion

• Attend member-only meetings and socials

• Propose and contribute to projects

• Vote in officer elections

• Broadly participate in the organization's governance

Section 2: Eligibility

Membership must be open to all students of The University of Texas at Dallas regardless of sex (unless specifically exempt by law), race, color, religion, age, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Membership must be limited to UT Dallas students, faculty, and staff.

Section 3: Process

To become a member, a person must pass an evaluation to determine their fit for the organization. This process must be fair and accessible to all people eligible to be members. This process may be further defined in other governing documents of Nebula Labs.

Section 4: Responsibilities

A member must abide by all attendance obligations and follow all communication standards in the rules established by membership.

Article IV: Officers

Section 1: Overview

An officer for Nebula Labs is a member with a unique title who takes responsibility for some aspect of the organization's upkeep and high-level governance. An officer has the same rights as any other member, but no member may be an officer for multiple positions simultaneously. The offices for Nebula Labs must include a president, a vice president, a secretary, a treasurer, and an executive director.

Section 2: Selection

Whenever there is a vacancy for an officer position, the members of Nebula Labs must fill that vacancy through an election. This election should take place no later than one week after that vacancy occurs.

A member may become a candidate for office only after receiving a nomination from any other member of the organization and by notifying the Secretary. Any member may nominate any other member for an officer role.

The election of officers must be conducted using a plurality vote. The winner of each election is the member who receives the most votes for that office. If a member wins multiple elections, they must choose one office. In the event the winner of a race is unable to assume that office, the next runner up becomes the winner.

If a candidate is assuming an office that is empty at the time of election, the winning candidate for each officer race immediately takes office when election results are certified. Otherwise, they assume office seven days following certification of their election.

Elections for every officer position must take place no later than the calendar week before the eighth week of class each spring semester.

Section 3: Vacating an Office

An officer may be removed from their position if they neglect their duties of their office. An officer may be removed if two-thirds of members present at an organization-wide meeting vote in favor of that officer’s removal. No officer may be removed without advance notice for a meeting. Removal of an officer immediately vacates their office.

An officer may resign their position by notifying the Secretary or by making an announcement to all members. A resignation from an office immediately vacates that office. A member who has their office vacated may remain a member of Nebula Labs.

Section 4: President

The President is the chief executive officer and primary representative of Nebula Labs. This member is responsible for:

• Planning the organization’s activities at a high level

• Setting the agenda for organization-wide strategy

• Initiating formal contact with other organizations

• Delegating authority on matters of executing organization operations

• Overseeing member recruitment

• Facilitating conflict resolution among members

• Advocating for its members and their activities

• Setting the strategic direction of the organization

• Promoting organization culture

• Managing auxiliary directors for the organization excluding the Executive Director

• Serving as the primary signatory on all financial accounts

The President may recommend the creation of and appointment of director positions who are subordinate to the President. A director for Nebula Labs is a member who oversees a specific functional administrative area that is auxiliary to its mission. Each director may have staff who report to them or assist them in their duties. Director positions must be open to the public through an application process. No director may be appointed without the approval of the Leadership Team.

Section 5: Vice President

The Vice President supervises all division heads and serves as support to the President. This member is responsible for:

• Overseeing events and coordinating activities and events for all divisions

• Regularly meeting with division heads

• Attending mandatory meetings of the Student Organization Center or selecting someone to attend in their place

• Assisting the President in their duties

• Leading meetings or performing their duties when the President is temporarily unable to serve

If the office of President becomes vacant for any reason, the Vice President immediately assumes the office of President and vacates their office as Vice President.

Section 6: Secretary

The Secretary is the chief record-keeper of the organization. This member is responsible for:

• Keeping an accurate record of all members of the organization, including membership of all divisions and projects

• Administering elections

• Ensuring that the organization is following all local, state, and federal laws and university policies

• Executing all routine administrative procedures that are outlined in the the organization’s rules and not otherwise delegated to another authority

Section 7: Treasurer

The Treasurer is the chief financial officer of the organization. This member is responsible for:

• Overseeing all fundraising initiatives

• Approving the organization’s budget

• Ensuring the organization is in compliance with all laws and and regulations

• Keeping a record of all financial transactions conducted on behalf of the organization

• Reimbursing individuals for expenses incurred on behalf of the organization

• Serving as the secondary signatory on all financial accounts.

• Setting the organization’s policies for managing its revenues and expenses.

Section 8: Executive Director

The Executive Director oversees the organization’s projects. The Executive Director oversees the day-to-day operations of member projects and reports project status to the rest of the organization's leadership. The Executive Director is responsible for:

• Reporting the status of projects on request to membership

• Regularly meeting with the lead of each project

• Proposing a timeline for the development of each project

• Following up on roadblocks to projects

Article V: Organization Advisor

Section 1: Purpose

The Organization Advisor for Nebula Labs provides continuity to Nebula Labs and assists in connecting the organization to staff and faculty in the university and advocating for its success.

Section 2: Selection

Whenever a new Organization Advisor is needed, the officers of Nebula Labs must form a nominating committee for all advisors. Any staff or tenured faculty member at The University of Texas at Dallas may be nominated. The membership of Nebula Labs may elect any nominee from the committee through a simple majority vote of all members.

Section 3: Responsibilities

The Organization Advisor for Nebula Labs must meet with the president at least once per calendar month during fall and spring semesters. This meeting may take place using any modality but must take place synchronously. Meetings with the Advisor must be open to all officers but meetings need not include any other members except the advisor and president.

The Advisor is expected to lend their relevant expertise and advice regarding the activities and operations to Nebula Labs, with respect provided to their other commitments and obligations.

The Advisor may serve as a neutral mediator in the event of any internal organizational disputes. Recommendations given by the advisor are non-binding for the parties involved in mediation.

Article VI: Divisions

Section 1: Purpose

The members of Nebula Labs may establish divisions that share knowledge, coordinate activities, and host events for their areas of expertise to further the organization’s mission. A division should focus on conducting activities and providing mentorship for a single, specific type of work, such as, but not necessarily, software engineering or user interface design.

Section 2: Formation and Dissolution

A division may be established at any organization-wide meeting when a simple majority of those present vote to form one and if at least five members of Nebula Labs are willing to be members of that division.

The members of each division must elect the head of that division using a plurality vote. The head of a division may resign at any time by notifying the Secretary.

One may become a member of a division by informing the secretary. Every member of a division must be a member of Nebula Labs.

Section 3: Responsibilities and Scope

Each division may form its own rules of procedure that are consistent with the organization’s rules. Members of each division are expected to meet regularly to discuss concerns related to their division’s scope. Any member of Nebula Labs is eligible to be a member of a division. Each division must meet at least once per calendar month during each fall and each spring semester.

Article VII: Governing Boards

Section 1: Overview

The members of Nebula Labs may establish governing boards to delegate specific duties and execute activities on behalf of membership. Standing boards may be established by outlining them in the organization’s governing documents. Temporary boards may be formed by membership to address specific purposes and dissolve once they are no longer needed. All members of a board have voting rights unless otherwise stated.

Section 2: Leadership Team

The Leadership Team (“Leadership”) is the governing board that is responsible for making high-level decisions and proposing organization-wide policy for Nebula Labs. Its purpose is to provide unity across the organization and conduct activities that membership delegates to it or that Leadership determines is necessary for the continued stability of the organization.

All officers, directors, and division heads may serve as ex officio members of the Leadership Team. The Organization Advisor may serve as a non-voting ex officio member of this board.

The Leadership Team is led by the President. The President must hold a regular meeting of the Leadership Team at least once per month. The Vice President may hold a meeting of Leadership in the absence of the President. Any member of Leadership may call for a special meeting by obtaining the consent of a majority of its members and by providing an agenda for the meeting.

Leadership has the exclusive power to confirm all director appointments. This process may be further defined in other governing documents of Nebula Labs.

Section 3: Project Council

The Project Council (“Council”) is the group responsible for determining strategy for, discussing updates for, and providing oversight to the organization’s projects.

The Executive Director and the lead of each project must serve as an ex officio member of the Council.

The Council is led by the Executive Director. The Council must hold a regular meeting to report updates on the projects of Nebula Labs. It may formulate its own rules of procedure.

Article VIII: Projects

Section 1: Purpose

The members of Nebula Labs may establish projects that serve their mission. A project for Nebula Labs is a collaborative initiative that receives funding in addition to promotion and other non-monetary support from the organization.

Section 2: Formation and Dissolution

The Leadership Team has the ultimate authority to approve new projects, acquire existing external projects, and dissolve existing member projects.

Anyone may propose a new project by notifying any member of the Leadership Team. No project may be formed unless a simple majority of Leadership votes in favor of its formation after receiving a recommendation of a project feasibility committee. This committee must include the President and Executive Director as voting members and must be led by the President.

This process for creating, acquiring, or dissolving projects may be further defined in other governing documents of Nebula Labs.

Section 3: Operations

A project must have a team for its development and maintenance. The members of a project team have the authority to choose their project lead.

Non-members must be allowed to contribute to the projects of Nebula Labs.

Article IX: Meetings

Section 1: Regular Meetings

An organization-wide meeting is one that is open to all members of Nebula Labs. The President of Nebula Labs must call an organization-wide meeting at least once per calendar month during the fall and spring semesters. Each organization-wide meeting should include updates from leadership and allow members to share updates on their projects.

The President of Nebula Labs must organize a kick-off meeting near the start of each fall semester to promote the organization and member recruitment.

Section 2: Special Meetings

The President of Nebula Labs may call a special meeting to order by providing an agenda and notice at least 48 hours in advance.

The voting membership of Nebula Labs may call a special meeting to order if a majority of its members consent and if it agrees on an agenda beforehand.

Article X: Funding

Section 1: General Provisions

The Treasurer has the authority to create financial policies for the organization with the consent of the Leadership Team that are consistent with the governing documents of Nebula Labs.

Nebula Labs may create and operate a bank account to store its money.

Nebula Labs may accept donations to finance its operations. These donations may be used for maintaining its technical infrastructure, hosting its events, or promoting the organization. Funding may be used to reimburse members for expenses incurred only on behalf of the organization. However, money may not be used to fund solely personal expenses of its members.

Nebula Labs may receive funding from The University of Texas at Dallas or any of its departments or offices.

Financial transactions conducted on behalf of Nebula Labs must abide by all legal, regulatory, and contractual restrictions and obligations to all parties involved.

Section 2: Transparency

Any member must be able to view a record of all financial transactions and official final reports of the organization.

Article XI: Dissolution

Section 1: General Provisions

Upon dissolution, the voting membership must determine who will receive ownership of each of its projects and its other intellectual property. All votes for how all other assets are divided must be done at a meeting organized for that purpose by membership.

Section 2: By Popular Demand

If two-thirds of the membership of Nebula Labs vote to dissolve the organization at a regular meeting, the organization will be dissolved.

Section 3: By Leadership

If two-thirds of the Leadership Team and the Organization Advisor vote to dissolve the Nebula Labs at any meeting of the Leadership Team, the organization will be dissolved.

Article XII: Authority

Section 1: Bylaws and General Provisions

The members of Nebula Labs may create bylaws to govern their operations to outline procedures not defined in the Constitution. Organization-wide policies must be defined in the Bylaws. Provisions in the Constitution supersede the Bylaws. Amending the bylaws requires a two-thirds majority of members present at an organization-wide meeting in favor of an amendment or a simple majority of all membership in favor of an amendment.

Any rules or policies that conflict with the Constitution or Bylaws are null and void.

Section 2: Amendment

An amendment to the Constitution may be proposed by any member – its sponsor – by submitting it in writing to the Secretary or to all members if the office of Secretary is vacant. For it to take effect, it must be ratified by at least two-thirds of all members and by at least two-thirds of the Leadership Team during any organization-wide meeting or at any meeting called for that purpose. Ratification may be conducted by absentee ballot. Every member must be notified when a change to the Constitution is made.

Section 3: Enablement

This Constitution will take effect immediately when a majority of those who agree to its terms ratify it. This Constitution will replace and supersede any previous versions of the constitution and procedures of Nebula Labs.