I-100. Membership

I-101. Categories

1. Categories. The following categories of Nebula Labs membership are:

Recruit

Member

2. Recruit. The designation "Recruit" is given to individuals that indicate their interest in the organization through:

Opting in through electronic forms
Indicating interest to a member in the organization

Recruit status is conferred immediately following the indication of interest aforementioned, and will last indefinitely until the recruit:

Gets promoted to “Member”
Revokes their indication of interest in Nebula Labs

3. Member. The designation “Member” is applicable only to people who have served one semester (Spring, Summer, or Fall) as a recruit. Promotion to “Member” occurs by a standardized application and interview process. Members have more rights in the organization, as defined later in these Bylaws.

I-102. Qualifications

Recruit. The recruit membership status is self-appointed. If an individual expresses interest in the organization, they may join under this role.
Full Member. The member membership status may be conferred by a leader onto any recruit member who has been active in the organization for at least one semester after said recruit has applied for full membership. The status reflects a level of dedication to a project, division, or the organization as a whole.
Honorary Member. An honorary member is a status that is conferred onto someone by a unanimous vote of officers based upon exceptional skills or qualifications that can be of high value to the organization and thus justify expediting the recruit process. This membership comes with a probation period that extends to the length of what would have been their recruitment period. This enables someone of value to the organization to have access to the privileges of membership while still being kept under the scrutiny of a recruit level member and thus can be removed at any time by a simple majority of officers.
Probation Member. A probation member is any full member who meets the standards in the code of conduct to be put on probation. This status removes some of the privileges associated with full membership and is conferred onto a member by the leadership council or board of officers depending on the offense and position of the member within the organization.

I-103. Privileges

Recruits. Recruits shall have the rights and privileges of the Full Member grade, except the right to vote and to be eligible for leadership. Additional rights and privileges or limitations thereof, if any, shall be specified by the Officers and by the Board of Directors.
Full Members. Full Members shall be entitled to attend all Nebula Labs member meetings, to access documentation/communication for all projects, to vote only on matters presented to groups of members, and to be eligible for leadership with the right to vote when specifically approved by the Officers and by the Board of Directors.
Honorary Members. Honorary Members shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of the Full Member grade except the right to vote. Additional rights and privileges or limitations thereof, if any, shall be specified by the officers and by the Board of Directors.
Probation Members. Probation Members shall have the rights and privileges of the Full Member grade, except the right to vote and to be eligible for leadership. Additional rights and privileges or limitations thereof, if any, shall be specified by the Officers and by the Board of Directors.

The foregoing notwithstanding, the rights and privileges of members and affiliates shall be limited from time to time to the extent necessary to comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

I-104. Specialty Divisions Defined; Hierarchy, Structure, and Membership Types

Definition. A Nebula Labs Division is a subset of the entire Nebula Labs membership that has been formed to carry out particular educational, technical, or other appropriate activities of interest and service to those who are members of that organizational unit as permitted by law.
Hierarchy. Each Nebula Labs Division shall be an integral part of Nebula Labs and act as an overarching body over all Nebula Labs Projects. Exceptions to this can be specified by the Officers.
1. Each Division shall be managed by a Division Head elected through the process outlined in Bylaw I-203.
2. Each Division shall report directly to the Vice President, who shall report back to the council of the Officers.
Membership. Membership in any Nebula Labs Division may be automatic, that is, by virtue of being a Nebula Labs member, or it may be by member choice.
Structure. A Nebula Labs division may contain other divisions.
Creation. A Nebula Labs Division may be created through the means of internal need, or it may be acquired from an external source at the discretion of the Officers. A division may be formed as outlined in Article VII Section 2 of the Constitution of Nebula Labs
Dissolution. A Nebula Labs Division may be dissolved for the benefit of Nebula Labs as seen fit by the Officers. A 2⁄3 majority of Officers is required for dissolving a Division.

I-105. Project Teams Defined; Hierarchy, Structure, and Membership Types

Definition. A Nebula Labs Project Team is a subset of the entire Nebula Labs membership that has been formed to create or maintain a product or service to internal or external stakeholders.
Hierarchy. Each Nebula Labs Project Team shall be an integral part of Nebula Labs and not a separate organization.
1. Each Project team shall be managed by a Project Lead appointed through the nomination and voting process outlined in Bylaw I-202.
2. Each Project team shall report directly to the Executive Director, who shall report back to the Officers.
Membership. Membership in any Nebula Labs Project team may be at the discretion of the Project Lead, that is, by virtue of being a Nebula Labs member. Once granted membership to a project, membership can only be revoked with oversight from the Leadership as a whole.
Structure. A Nebula Labs Project team may be subdivided into pre-existing divisions or atomic initiatives by the Project Lead in service of the Project team’s main objective.
Creation. A Nebula Labs Project team may be created to advance a product/service at the discretion of the Officers. A simple majority of Leadership may vote to create a new Project Team as outlined in Article VIII Section 2 of the Constitution of Nebula Labs.
Dissolution. A Nebula Labs Project team may be dissolved for the benefit of Nebula Labs at the discretion of the Officers. A 2⁄3 majority of Officers is required to dissolve a Project Team.

I-106. Resignation

Written Resignation. Any full member or honorary member may submit a written notice of resignation to the Secretary of Nebula Labs at any time to withdraw their membership from the organization.
Exit Interview. If conditions permit, a member may request an exit interview with any 2 officers in lue of a written resignation, officers maintain the right to reject an exit interview if they feel it unnecessary or overly-burdensome. Additionally, if a simple majority of officers feels it would be useful to conduct an exit interview with a member who submitted a written resignation, they may request an exit interview, however, the resigning member maintains the right to refuse the interview without reason.
Resuming Membership. If a former member resigned their position in good standing with the organization, officers may reinstate their full membership status under a simple majority vote. If a former member was on probation upon leaving the organization or was still an honorary member, they must serve out the remainder of their probationary term before gaining full membership status.

I-107. Misconduct Complaints and Support

Misconduct Complaints

Any individual may file a formal complaint against a member or non-member associated with Nebula Labs to the Officers. Complaints must be made in writing and consist of the name of the person submitting the complaint, the name of the accused, the date(s) of the infraction, and a detailed summary with supporting documentation, if available. Only those complaints made within four years of the infraction will be considered by the Officers. All other complaints will be followed up on depending on the board’s discretion and the severity of the infraction.

Cause for Suspension, Expulsion, or Disciplinary Action

The board of officers will take disciplinary action for causes related to:

Physical or mental harm towards members
Violations of the organization’s rules and operating procedures
Violations of The University of Texas at Dallas’ code of conduct
Financial misconduct related to the organization’s activities
Other conduct seen as detrimental to Nebula Labs

Members or non-members of the organization found guilty of misconduct by the board will face disciplinary action deemed appropriate up to and including suspension or expulsion from Nebula Labs.

Rights and Privileges

Members or non-members who are suspended or expelled will have their access privileges revoked to all intellectual property of Nebula Labs. In addition, they may not attend any organization sponsored events or take part in any activity related to its operation.

Members that hold office within the organization will have their privileges revoked and be unable to act in their role for the duration of the suspension. Officers that are expelled will have their privileges permanently taken away and be exited from their role as per Section I-301.

Hearing Committee

The Officers will be responsible for hearing each complaint submitted to the organization. All parties named in the complaint will be given the opportunity to state their case and provide evidence to the committee. Judgment will be made solely on the testimony and evidence presented at the time of the hearing. The hearing committee may affirm the complaint by a simple majority vote assuming quorum is present.

Sanctions

The Officers may issue disciplinary action deemed fit for the circumstances. Conditions warranting suspension or expulsion may also be given and consist of the following:

Suspension shall consist of the revocation of privileges and access to all the organization’s intellectual property and services in support of that property for a duration determined by the hearing committee. Individuals may not participate in any organization sponsored events during this time.
Expulsion shall consist of the same disciplinary action as suspension, but the individual will no longer be a member of Nebula Labs and all privileges will be revoked permanently.

Notifications

The hearing committee will notify the member or non-member charged with the complaint upon receiving it within 5 business days. Upon an affirmative decision to suspend or expel the individual, the Officers may decide to notify the membership at their discretion. The notification may only consist of the most relevant information and not contain extraneous details regarding the complaint.

Readmission

If the Officers determine that an expelled member is eligible for readmission, a simple majority vote must be taken with quorum present. Former officers that were expelled may not resume their previous role once readmitted to the organization.

I-200. The Assembly

I-201. Membership

How Constituted. The Leadership shall consist of at least five delegates, who shall be the Nebula Labs President, the Nebula Labs Vice President, the Nebula Labs Executive Director, the Nebula Labs Treasurer, the Nebula Labs Secretary, the Division Heads, and the Project Leads.
Division Heads. A Division Head elected to a Division shall be a member of Nebula Labs and maintain membership within that Division and shall have a term of office of a calendar year. Additional eligibility requirements, beyond those stated in these Bylaws, shall be specified and approved by the Nebula Labs Board of Directors. If a vacancy occurs for any reason, it shall be filled in accordance with Bylaw I-301.7.
Project Leads. A Project Lead elected to a Project Team shall be a member of Nebula Labs and maintain membership within that Project Team and shall have a term of office of a calendar year. Additional eligibility requirements, beyond those stated in these Bylaws, shall be specified and approved by the Nebula Labs Board of Directors. If a vacancy occurs for any reason, it shall be filled in accordance with Bylaw I-301.7.
Terms of Directors. As stated in the Constitution, all Officers shall be elected Directors of the Nebula Labs Board of Directors by virtue of their election as Officers and shall serve terms as Directors concurrent with their terms as Officers.
Grade. All Members of Leadership shall be of Honorary or Full Member grade.
President. The presiding officer of the Leadership, as provided by the Constitution, shall be the President of Nebula Labs.
Vice President. The Nebula Labs Vice President shall supervise all Division Heads and report Division status to the Officers and Board of Directors. In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall perform the President’s duties or may delegate these tasks to another Officer.
Executive Director. The Nebula Labs Executive Director shall oversee the day-to-day operations of Project Teams and report project status to the Officers and Board of Directors.
Treasurer. The Nebula Labs Treasurer is the chief financial officer of the organization. The Treasurer shall oversee all fundraising initiatives, approve the organizational budget, and serve as the secondary signatory on all financial accounts.
Secretary. The Nebula Labs Secretary shall serve as Staff Secretary for the Leadership and provide the recordkeeping and secretarial functions. In the absence of the Nebula Labs Secretary, the Vice President shall perform the above functions or may delegate these tasks to another Officer.
Project Council. The Nebula Labs Project Council shall consist of the Executive Director and the Project Leads of each standing project supported by the organization.
The Division Council. The Nebula Labs Division Council shall consist of the Vice President and Division Heads of each standing Division of the organization.

I-202: Meetings

Regular Meeting

There will be a regular meeting held in a location open and accessible to the membership of the Organization. This meeting serves to inform members about (i) events planned for the semester, (ii) the current Senior Officers and Faculty Advisor, (ii) the Officer Training Program and other recruitment efforts. Notice for the meeting shall be provided at least one week in advance and will state the place, date, and hour of the meeting. If the location is not determined, the place may be excluded until the location is determined. There must be at least one Regular Meeting each calendar month.

Officer Meeting

There will be a regular meeting held in a closed location accessible to the Officers of Nebula Labs. Notice for the meeting shall be provided at least one week in advance and will state the place, date, and hour of the meeting. It shall specify the business which will be transacted at the meeting. If the location is not determined, the place may be excluded until the location is determined. There must be at least one Officer Meeting each calendar month. The President may allow additional relevant individuals or parties to attend an Officer meeting at their discretion.

Leadership Meeting

There will be a regular meeting held in a closed location accessible to the Officers and greater Leadership of Nebula Labs. Notice for the meeting shall be provided at least one week in advance and will state the place, date, and hour of the meeting. It shall specify the business which will be transacted at the meeting. If the location is not determined, the place may be excluded until the location is determined. There must be at least one Leadership Meeting each calendar month.

Project Council Meeting

There will be regular meetings held between the Executive Director and Project Leads of Nebula Labs. Notice for the meeting shall be provided at least one week in advance and will state the place, date, and hour of the meeting. If the location is not determined, the place may be excluded until the location is determined. The Executive Director must maintain communication between themselves and the Project Lead on the basis of once per month. This meeting can be held in either a group or one-on-one format.

Division Head Meetings

There will be regular meetings held between the Vice President and Division Heads of Nebula Labs. Notice for the meeting shall be provided at least one week in advance and will state the place, date, and hour of the meeting. If the location is not determined, the place may be excluded until the location is determined. The Vice President must maintain communication between themselves and the Division Head on the basis of once per month. This meeting can be held in either a group or one-on-one format.

Special Meetings.

Special meetings of the Organization may be called by any Officer of the Organization. Notice of any meeting shall state the place, date and hour of the meeting, and indicate that it is being issued by or at the direction of the person or persons calling the meeting. It shall specify the business which will be transacted at the meeting. The notice shall be given not less than three days before the date of the meeting.

Quorum.

A simple majority of the voting members of the Organization shall constitute a quorum.

Action of the Organization at a Meeting of the Organization.

Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, the Constitution, these Bylaws, or the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law of the State of Texas, a majority of the votes cast, provided a quorum is present, shall be the act of the Organization.

I-203: Functions

Election of Officers

Nebula Labs Officers shall hold office for a period of one academic year. Elections shall be held no later than the second week of April. Ballots will be collected electronically and must be visible to all current officers for auditing. Only existing full members in good standing are allowed to cast ballots for officer elections. For further details on the operation of elections, see Section I-303 on nomination and election to positions.

Positions will be assumed by the newly elected officers following the end of the spring semester. Officer elections will be held for the positions of President, Vice President, Executive Director, Treasurer, and Secretary.

In order to qualify for election a candidate must receive a nomination by at least one full member of Nebula Labs in good standing. All nominations must be filed by the Friday before elections for the nominee to be considered in the election. All nominees must be full members in good standing to qualify for the election.

Each candidate must be allowed the following measures for campaigning and nothing further:

5 minutes of time to speak to the membership of the organization at the Regular Meeting meeting held prior to or during the election week.
A written summary of the candidate’s intent exceeding no more than 1 page to be attached to the ballots

This excludes candidates from speaking at other Nebula Labs or University functions or advertising their campaign on social media. If any candidate is found in violation they will not be considered for election or a new election will be held if it is determined after votes have begun being cast.

The election of an Officer must be by a plurality of Membership as outlined in the Constitution of Nebula Labs.

Election of Leadership

Nebula Labs Leadership shall hold office for a period of one academic year. Elections shall be held no later than the second week of April. Ballots will be collected electronically and must be visible to all current officers for auditing. Only existing full members who hold the role subordinate or equivalent to the elected position (i.e. Project Team Members or Division Members) and are in good standing are allowed to cast ballots for officer elections. For further details on the operation of elections, see Section I-303 on nomination and election to positions.

Positions will be assumed by the newly elected officers following the end of the spring semester. Officer elections will be held for the positions of Project Lead for all existing Project Teams and Heads for all existing Divisions.

In order to qualify for election a candidate must receive a nomination by at least one full member of Nebula Labs in good standing. All nominations must be filed by the Friday before elections for the nominee to be considered in the election. All nominees must be full members in good standing to qualify for the election.

Each candidate must be allowed the following measures for campaigning and nothing further:

5 minutes of time to speak to the membership of the organization at the Regular
Meeting held prior to or during the election week.
A written summary of the candidate’s intent exceeding no more than 1 page to be
attached to the ballots

This excludes candidates from speaking at other Nebula Labs or University functions or advertising their campaign on social media. If any candidate is found in violation they will not be considered for election or a new election will be held if it is determined after votes have begun being cast.

The election of a member of Leadership must be a plurality of their constituents as outlined in the Constitution of Nebula Labs.

Application of Full Membership

At the end of each Spring and Fall semester of an academic year, any Recruit grade member who has been in participation for the majority of that semester is entitled to apply for Full Membership. It is the responsibility of the Secretary to release applications in a reasonable time following the end of the semester to allow for them to be processed.

The applications must request the following information from the applicant:

Full Legal Name
Form of contact
Organizational Identifier (Net ID or other identifiable information)
The division or divisions to which the member seeks full admission
The Project Team or Teams to which the member seeks full admission

Additional information may also be requested at the discretion of the Secretary and Officers.

This application must remain open to all members of the organization for a minimum of one week. At the time of closing the application, the following must occur to receive each classification of membership.

For Full Member status of the organization, at least one member of leadership must vouch for the participation of the Recruit over the previous semester.

For Full Member status of each Project Team, the appropriate Project Lead must vouch for the participation of the Recruit within their Project Team.

For Full Member status of each Division, the appropriate Division Head must vouch for the participation of the Recruit within their Division.

Upon completion of each of these tasks, the member will be granted the grade of Full Member within the appropriate organizational levels.

I-300. Management

I-301. Board of Directors

How Constituted. The Board of Directors shall consist of the following five Officers: the President, the Vice President, the Treasurer, the Secretary, and the Executive Director, all of whom shall be elected by members.
Meetings. The Board of Directors shall meet at least once per month not including the monthly Regular Meeting.
Approval of the Meeting Schedule. Once scheduled, a meeting date or location may be altered or canceled by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Notice of any changes must be sent to all other Directors no less than seven days before the original or new date of said scheduled meeting, whichever is earlier.
Special Meetings. Special meetings shall be held upon notice to each Director at the call of the President, or by any three voting Directors. Notice of any special meeting shall be communicated to all Directors no less than 48 hours before it is to take place.
Electronic Participation. One or more members of the Board who are not physically present at a meeting of the Board may participate by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment or by electronic video screen communication. Participation by such shall constitute presence in person at a meeting provided that all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time and each Director can participate in all matters before the Board.
Action of the Board by Unanimous Written Consent. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Board may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board consent to the action. Such consent may be either written or electronic.
Vacancies. In the event the Presidential office becomes vacated outside of an election, the Vice President shall operate as the President of the Board until a new election takes place. All other vacancies shall remain vacant until an election occurs.

I-302. Officers and Duties

How Constituted. The Officers of Nebula Labs shall be the President, the Vice-President, the Executive Director, the Treasurer, and the Secretary elected by the Members.
Incapacity of the President. An incapacity of the President that does not constitute a vacancy of office shall be determined by the Board of Directors. In addition, the President may declare a condition of incapacity and the duration thereof by written communication to the Secretary. During such incapacity of the President, the Vice President or, if the Vice President is unavailable or incapacitated, such person as designated by the Board of Directors shall assume the Presidential duties.
Duties of the Nebula Labs Secretary. In addition to the duties specified in the Constitution, the Secretary shall prepare a Trimester Report on membership, meetings, and Nebula Labs activities to be submitted to the Board of Directors.
Duties of the Nebula Labs Treasurer. In addition to the duties specified in the Constitution, the Treasurer shall make a report to the Board of Directors trimesterly concerning the status of Nebula Labs income and expenses.
Vacancies. A vacancy among the Officers and the duration thereof shall be determined by the Board of Directors. Any vacancy in the Officers shall be filled as provided in Bylaw I-301 in accordance with Article IV Section 3 of the Constitution of Nebula Labs.
Reimbursement of Expenses. Reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses is authorized for the Officers by the Treasurer, incurred in the performance of their Nebula Labs duties over and above their duties as Directors.

I-303. Nominations and Elections

Election Chair and Committees

The Secretary of Nebula Labs shall function as the Election Chair for all organization elections, as stated in Article IV: Officers - Section 6 of the constitution. The chair shall manage and oversee the nomination and voting process during the annual election period. A special election committee may be formed at the behest of the Chair during special elections or circumstances that warrant special consideration.

Election Chair Responsibilities

The Election Chair will make an official call for nominations beginning no sooner than the first week of the Spring semester and no later than 30 days prior to the end of the same semester. The Chair will communicate all details regarding nominations to the general membership of Nebula Labs. The announcement will take place at a meeting that is open to the entire membership of the organization.

The Chair shall state, in detail, the process and eligibility requirements for each open position. All questions and concerns must be addressed by the Chair, or Committee, no later than 30 days from the date of the announcement.

The Chair, or Committee, will oversee the collection of nominations and verify with those nominated their intent to run for the nominated position. All nominations must be submitted to the board for approval prior to the start of elections. The Chair, or Committee, shall also oversee the voting process, and be responsible for the counting of ballots. Final counts must be submitted to the board for approval prior to the announcement of the results.

Candidate Qualifications

All candidates must be voting members of Nebula Labs prior to the acceptance of a nomination. They must also be in good standing with the organization and The University of Texas at Dallas. Candidates currently under a probationary status must first be approved by the board prior to the official acceptance of their nomination.

Nominations

Nominations must be submitted to the Chair, or Committee, within 15 days following the official announcement of the voting period. Nominations will be verified by the Chair, or Committee, by verbal or written confirmation from the nominee.

Voting Member Notification

All voting members shall be notified of the pool of nominees after the 15 day nomination period ends and all nominees have been accepted and approved by the board. Notification shall be done in person at an official meeting or distributed electronically to all voting members.

Voting Eligibility

Full Members that are not probationary and in good standing with Nebula Labs and the University of Texas at Dallas shall be eligible to vote in all regular and special elections.

Voting

The voting period shall take place after the announcement of the approved nominees and shall be no less than 10 days and no more than 15 after the start of the period. Voting shall be done with paper or electronic ballots and shall be overseen by the Election Chair or special committee. Special accommodations for voting members must be made during the voting period and reviewed by the board.

The Chair, or Committee, must submit the final results of the election to the board where it must be certified prior to the announcement to the organization. The announcement must be made at an official meeting with the majority of members present or by electronic means to the entire organization.

Special Elections

Special elections shall be held for the following circumstances:

Provisionary/Temporary positions (such as directors appointed by the President: See Article IV Section 4 of the Constitution of Nebula Labs)
Absent Positions due to disciplinary action
Absent Positions due to resignation

Such elections shall be overseen by a Special Elections Committee proposed by the Secretary of Nebula Labs and approved by the board. The Committee shall follow the general election procedure outlined in this section or submit an altered procedure to the board for approval.

Contesting Election Results

Complaints or concerns regarding the election must be sent to the Election Chair, or Committee, once the nomination period begins, and no later than 30 days after the official results of the election have been announced to the organization. Communications will be reviewed by the Chair, or Committee, and sent to the board for consideration. Actions taken as a result will be immediately communicated to all members of the organization.

Candidate Withdraw

Candidates who choose to withdraw from the nomination process must do so in writing and send it to the Chair, or Committee, prior to the approval of nominees.

Candidates who choose to withdraw from the election after the nomination has been certified must do so in writing and send it to the Chair, or Committee. If the candidate is the only one running for the position, then a new nomination period will begin. The timeline for voting shall follow the same procedure as a general election and shall be adjusted for the additional time needed for the new nomination.

I-304. Amendment and Voting Procedures

An amendment to these Bylaws 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.

Amendments 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 Bylaws is made.

I-400. Geographic & Technical Groups/Organization of Members

I-401. Geographic Organization of Members

Nebula Labs is a Student Organization of the University of Texas at Dallas. Its sole locality resides within the scope of the university and the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

I-402. Groups of Members

The following groups of members are hereby established to promote the objectives and interests of Nebula Labs.

I-403. Technical Organization of Members

Board of Directors. The board of directors shall consist of all members of the officer team.
Officers. The officers of Nebula Labs shall consist of at least five members which at minimum must consist of a president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary. See the membership section for individual responsibilities as defined in Bylaws I-201.
Divisions. A division is an organizational unit that consists of members within a similar discipline. Each division shall also have one division head. Divisions are responsible for enforcing discipline level practices.
Division Establishment and Operation. Divisions shall only be created through a proposal process that is evaluated and approved by the officer team.
Division Membership. Membership guidelines for division members and the division heads are defined in Bylaws I-201.
Teams. A team is a community of members and non-members that work together towards achieving a set of common objectives. Each team will consist of one and only one Project Lead as well as any number of members and non-members. A team's scope and objective shall be approved by the Officers.
Team Establishment and Operation. Teams shall only be created through a proposal process that is evaluated and approved by the officer team.
Team Membership. Membership guidelines for team members and team leads are defined in Bylaws I-201.