Student
Academy Bylaws
ARTICLE
I
NAME
The
name and title of this organization shall be the STUDENT ACADEMY OF
THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS, herein referred to as
the Student Academy.
ARTICLE
II
PURPOSE AND MISSION
Section
1: Purpose
The Student Academy is organized and shall be operated exclusively for
educational and scientific purposes that are beneficial to patient care.
To represent physician assistant students and to maximize the benefit
of their services to the public as medical professionals, the Student
Academy shall:
a) participate in and support the purposes of the AAPA stated
in Article II of the AAPA Bylaws
b) educate physician assistant students regarding both the
profession and the AAPA
c) develop methods for support and strive to be of aid to
physician assistant students
d) promote the efforts of physician assistant training programs
to provide high quality and maximally uniform didactic and clinical
education; and
e) represent its members in matters of concern to them regarding
their profession and their education.
Section
2: Mission
The mission of the Student Academy is to foster the personal and professional
development of physician assistant students, encourage educational excellence,
and advocate for student and professional issues.
ARTICLE
III
MEMBERSHIP
The
Student Academy consists of student members of the AAPA as defined in
the AAPA Bylaws Article III, Section 4. Student membership in the AAPA
is granted on application to the AAPA as described in AAPA Bylaws Article
III, Section 10. The manner of this application is set forth in the
AAPA Bylaws.
ARTICLE
IV
THE STUDENT ACADEMY RELATIONSHIP WITHIN THE AAPA
Section
1: The Student Academy is the national representative body
of the AAPA student members and, as such, while embracing all the AAPA
policies and purposes, the Student Academy further strives to serve
students.
Section
2: The Student Academy is represented by, and provides input
to, the AAPA through the student delegates to the House of Delegates,
the student member of the Board of Directors, and the student members
of AAPA committees.
The
Student Academy obtains input from the AAPA through an advisor designated
by the AAPA Board of Directors.
Section
3: The authority of the Student Academy is comparable in functioning
for its members to those of an AAPA constituent organization, and may
not be usurped by another body of the AAPA unless in conflict with AAPA
policy.
Section
4: The Student Academy adopts the AAPA Guidelines for Ethical
Conduct for the Physician Assistant Profession.
ARTICLE
V
ELECTIONS
Section
1: Offices to be Filled - Elected offices of the Student Academy
include President, Vice President, Director of Internal Affairs, Chief
Delegate, Director of External Affairs (Junior), Special Projects Coordinator,
and Director of Diversity.
Section
2: Term of Office - All officers of the Student Academy, with
the exception of the Immediate Past President and Director of External
Affairs (Senior), shall be elected in the manner set forth in the Student
Academy’s Policy and Procedure Manual, “for a one-year term
commencing on June 10 or at the adjournment of the annual conference,
whichever is later; and terminating when the newly elected officers
take office.”
Section
3: Eligibility and Qualifications of Candidates - Eligibility
to hold office is limited to members in good standing of the Student
Academy. Each candidate for a position of the Student Academy Board
of Directors must be a student of a(n) (provisionally) accredited physician
assistant program at the time of election.
Section
4: Elections Committee - The elections shall be directed by
the Student Elections Committee. Members of this committee are designated
as per SAAAPA policy SA-EL-100.1.
Section 5: Time of Elections - The Student Academy
elections shall take place on the last day of the Assembly of Representatives
at the annual conference.
Section
6: Vacancies in office - In the event of a vacancy in
the office of President, the Vice President shall become the President
to serve the unexpired term. In the event of a vacancy in any other
position, the new officer shall be elected by a majority vote of the
remaining Student Academy Board of Directors from a slate of qualified
candidates prepared by the Student Academy Board. The AAPA Graduate
Advisor vacancy will be filled by appointment by the AAPA Board of Directors.
The PAEA Graduate Advisor vacancy will be filled by appointment by the
PAEA Board of Directors. All terms of office shall expire at the time
of the next regularly scheduled Student Academy election.
ARTICLE
VI
STUDENT ACADEMY BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section
1: The Student Academy Board of Directors is composed
of the President, Vice President, Director of Internal Affairs, Chief
Delegate, Immediate Past President, Director of External Affairs (Junior),
Director of External Affairs (Senior), Director of Diversity,
Special Projects Coordinator, the AAPA Graduate Advisor, and the PAEA
Graduate Advisor.
Section
2: The Student Academy Board of Directors directs the
activities and financial affairs of the Student Academy.
Section
3: The Student Academy advisors serve as non-voting members
of the Student Academy Board of Directors and include the AAPA Graduate
Advisor, the PAEA Graduate Advisor, and the SAAAPA Staff Advisor.
Section
4: The AAPA Graduate Advisor shall be appointed to take
office in June of every odd-numbered year, as outlined in the Student
Academy Policy and Procedure Manual and in the AAPA policy H-A-2400.2.3.
The duties of the AAPA Graduate Advisor are delineated in the Student
Academy policy SA-A-200.2.1.
Section 5: The PAEA Graduate Advisor shall be appointed
by the PAEA Board of Directors to take office in June of every even-numbered
year, as outlined in the Student Academy Policy and Procedure Manual,
and in PAEA policy. The duties of the PAEA Graduate Advisor are delineated
in the Student Academy policy SA-A-200.2.3.
Section
6: The SAAAPA staff advisor shall be appointed by the Executive
Vice President. The duties of the SAAAPA staff advisor are delineated
in the Student Academy Policy and Procedure Manual SA-A-200.2.2.
Section
7: All members of the Student Academy Board of Directors must
be student members of the AAPA in good standing while enrolled in a
PA program and must become fellow members upon membership renewal after
graduation. The AAPA Graduate Advisor must be a fellow member of the
AAPA. The PAEA Graduate Advisor must be affiliated with a PAEA member
program.
Section
8: Once elected, the SAAAPA Board of Directors are prohibited
from seeking leadership positions with other PA organizations without
approval from a majority of the Student Academy Board.
ARTICLE
VII
DUTIES OF OFFICERS
The
President shall preside over all business meetings of the Student
Academy, provide overall administration and management of the Student
Academy Board of Directors, and serve as the spokesperson for the Student
Academy. (S)he shall become the Immediate Past President on completion
of term as President and perform the functions of that office.
(S)he shall complete all other duties as delineated in the Student Academy
Policies and Procedures.
The
Vice President shall preside at Student Academy business meetings
in the absence of the President. (S)he shall coordinate activities
and maintain communication with Constituent Chapter Student Representatives,
student society presidents, and AOR members; and serve as the student
representative on the Constituent Relations Committee. (S)he shall complete
all other duties as delineated in the Student Academy Policies and Procedures.
The
Director of Internal Affairs shall maintain contact with AAPA committees
without Student Academy representation to monitor for any ongoing student-related
projects. (S)he shall maintain communication with appointed student
leadership positions. (S)he shall complete all other duties as delineated
in the Student Academy Policies and Procedures.
The
Chief Delegate shall coordinate the student delegation to the AAPA
House of Delegates (HOD) at AAPA's annual conference. (S)he shall complete
all other duties as delineated in the Student Academy Policies and Procedures.
The Immediate Past President shall serve as a full voting
member of the AAPA Board of Directors. (S)he shall maintain and
update all Student Academy documents and submit changes to the Judicial
Affairs Committee. (S)he shall complete all other duties as delineated
in the Student Academy Policies and Procedures.
The
Director of External Affairs (Junior) shall be responsible, with
the DEA Senior and President, for serving as the official liaison to
external health professional student groups and representing SAAAPA
at conferences and meetings of these organizations. (S)he will help
create new relationships outside AAPA that enhance the PA profession
and PA student visibility to other health professional student groups.
(S)he will become the Director of External Affairs (Senior) on completion
of the one-year term. (S)he shall complete all other duties as
delineated in the Student Academy Policies and Procedures.
The
Director of External Affairs (Senior) shall be responsible, with
the DEA Junior and President, for serving as the official liaison
to external health professional student groups and representing SAAAPA
at conferences and meetings of these organizations. (S)he will help
create new relationships outside AAPA that enhance the PA profession
and PA student visibility to other health professional student groups.
(S)he shall complete all other duties as delineated in the Student Academy
Policies and Procedures.
The
Director of Diversity shall serve as the representative of all PA
students and convey their interests of diversity to the Student Board
of Directors. (S)he shall serve as the student representative on the
Committee on Diversity. (S)he shall complete all other duties as delineated
in the Student Academy Policies and Procedures.
The
Special Projects Coordinator shall increase student awareness of
SAAAPA and external activities by promoting projects as delineated by
SAAAPA Policy and Procedures.
ARTICLE
VIII
MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section
1: The Student Academy Board of Directors shall meet at each
annual conference of AAPA, and at such other times as it is appropriate
and necessary by a two-thirds vote of the Student Academy Board of Directors.
Section
2: The time and place of Student Academy Board of Directors
meetings shall be designated by the Student Academy President. An absolute
majority of the voting board members shall constitute a quorum for the
purpose of transacting business.
ARTICLE
IX
COMMITTEES AND COUNCILS
Section
1: Committees shall be established and/or dissolved by the
Student Academy Board of Directors. The committee chair shall
be appointed by the President in consultation with the other student
board officers and the outgoing committee chairs. The chairs shall report
to the SAAAPA board at the President's request.
Section 2: All ad-hoc committees shall be established
with a designated function and an established time of dissolution.
Section 3: Councils of the Student Academy shall be
established by the Student Academy Board of Directors. The members of
the councils shall be appointed jointly by the Student Academy President
and Chief Delegate in accordance with current policy.
ARTICLE
X
ASSEMBLY OF REPRESENTATIVES
Section
1: The Assembly of Representatives shall meet at AAPA's
annual conference to elect new officers of the Student Academy, to establish
and amend policy of the Student Academy, and to conduct business as
necessary.
Section
2: Fifty percent of the on-site registered AOR members shall
constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Assembly of Representatives.
Section
3: The Assembly of Representatives shall include the SAAAPA
Leadership, defined as elected and appointed national student leaders,
and one (1) representative per officially recognized student society,
who shall be a PA student at the program s/he is representing and a
member in good standing of the AAPA.
Section
4: Each officially recognized PA program may elect/appoint
one (1) AOR alternate as defined in the Student Academy Policy and Procedure
Manual.
ARTICLE
XI
STUDENT DELEGATES TO THE AAPA HOUSE OF DELEGATES
As
specified in the AAPA Bylaws (Article VIII, Section 3), the Student
Academy shall be entitled to one delegate for each 600 student members
as of January 31 of each year. The Chief Delegate holds the first delegate
seat. The remaining delegates shall be selected as outlined in the Student
Academy Policy and Procedures as determined by AAPA Bylaws/Policy.
ARTICLE
XII
JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
Any
officer or elected or appointed official of the Student Academy may
be disciplined or removed from office in accordance with SAAAPA Policy
and Procedure SA-A-200.4.0.
ARTICLE
XIII
REGIONS OF THE STUDENT ACADEMY
There
shall be five regions of the Student Academy to be titled Northeast,
Southeast, North Central, South Central, and West, whose boundaries
have been approved by the Student Academy Board of Directors and correspond
to the AAPA boundaries.
ARTICLE
XIV
SAAAPA HOMEPAGE
The
SAAAPA homepage is the officially recognized homepage of the Student
Academy.
ARTICLE
XV
RULES OF ORDER
In
the absence of any provisions to the contrary in the Bylaws, all meetings
of the Student Academy, Board of Directors, and Assembly of Representatives
shall be governed by the parliamentary rules and usages contained in
the current edition of Sturgis' Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedures.
ARTICLE
XVI
AMENDMENTS
Section
1: The Assembly of Representatives may amend these Bylaws
provided that two-thirds of the representatives voting on said amendment(s)
vote in favor of it (them). The Student Academy Board of Directors may
propose amendments at any time during the business year and those amendments
may be voted on by a mail ballot sent to the AOR. A two-thirds majority
of those responding is needed to pass the amendment. Approved amendments
become effective immediately.
Section
2: Amendments may be proposed by any Student Academy member.
Proposed amendments must be submitted for consideration by the Student
Academy Board of Directors no later than the final regularly scheduled
Student Academy Board of Directors meeting before the annual conference.
Ratified
April 1978; Amended May 1980, April 1981, May 1982, May 1983, May 1984,
May 1985, May 1986, May 1988, May 1989, May 1990, May 1991, May 1992,
June 1993, May 1995, May 1996, May 1997, May 1998, May 1999, May 2000,
May 2001, May 2003, May 2004, May 2005, May 2006, May 2007
