Bylaws of the Plant Center

Article I. Name and Purpose

Section 1. The name of the organization is The Plant Center.

Section 2. The purpose of The Plant Center is to foster and support interactions among those members of The University of Georgia research community who share common interests in cellular and molecular aspects of plant growth and development, in plant evolution, in plant genome organization and function, in the application of molecular and genetic tools to improve cultivated plants, or in organisms that interact with plants.

Article II. Membership

Section 1. Voting Members: The voting members shall be composed of any person at The University of Georgia who has been appointed by the Board of Regents to a faculty position or to a research professional or academic professional position, or of any adjunct faculty member from the United States Department of Agriculture who works at a facility affiliated with The University of Georgia, and who declares an active interest in the purposes and functions of The Plant Center as described in Article I. Section 2. To maintain a voting member status, a voting member must attend an annual meeting of voting members or Plant Center sponsored retreat at least one (1) time during a three (3) year period.

Section 2. Non-voting Members: Any University of Georgia personnel not included in Article II. Section 1. and any persons outside of The University of Georgia may become non-voting members if they declare an active interest in the purposes and functions of The Plant Center as described in Article I. Section 2. To maintain a non-voting member status, a non-voting member must attend a Plant Center sponsored retreat at least one (1) time during a three (3) year period.

Article III. Officers

Section 1. Director: The Director shall coordinate all activities of The Plant Center and shall preside at any meeting of the Advisory Group and at all meetings of the voting members. The Nomination Committee (Article V. Section 5.) is responsible for proposing a slate of candidates for Director to be considered by the voting members at the annual meeting. At the annual meeting, any voting member may also nominate other candidates for consideration. A vote on the slate of nominees for Director will be held by the voting members, and the results of the vote will be submitted to the Vice President for Research and Associate Provost by the Chair of the Nomination Committee. The Director is then appointed to a three year term by the Vice-President for Research and Associate Provost from this slate of nominees.

Section 2. Advisory Group: A six (6) member Advisory Group shall assist the Director in coordinating the activities of The Plant Center including fund raising and budgetary activities. Only two members shall rotate off this Advisory Group each year. The Nomination Committee (Article V. Section 5.) is responsible for proposing a slate of candidates for open positions on the Advisory Group to be considered by the voting members at the annual meeting. At the annual meeting, any voting member may also nominate other candidates for consideration. An election for Advisory Group members will be held by the voting members, and the results of the election will be submitted to the Vice President for Research and Associate Provost by the Chair of the Nomination Committee. The Vice President for Research and Associate Provost shall then appoint persons to fill any open positions from this slate of nominees. Advisory Group members shall serve for a three (3) year term. During the first year the Director shall identify the two members who will rotate off the Group at the end of each of the first and second years.

Article IV. Meetings

Section 1. Frequency: The voting members shall meet at least once each year. Special meetings of the voting members may be called as the need arises by the Director, by at least three members of the Advisory Group, or by request of at least 30% of the voting members. The Advisory Group shall meet at least once each semester and at other times as deemed necessary by the Director or by at least three members of the Advisory Group.

Section 2. Notice of Meetings: Written notice, to include an agenda, shall be mailed to all members at least two weeks prior to the Annual Meeting. Items may be placed on the agenda by the Director, the Advisory Group, or by petition of any five of the voting members.

Section 3. Conduct of Meetings:

A. The Director, or the Director's designee, shall preside at all meetings.

B. Conduct of business shall follow the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order, except as modified by vote of the voting members.

Section 4. Quorum: Thirty percent of the voting members representing at least five (5) separate academic units shall constitute a quorum. If a quorum is not obtained at a duly called meeting, another meeting shall be called and members shall be notified of the new date. At the rescheduled meeting, the business shall be transacted by members present at that time, regardless of their number.

Section 5. Voting: Voting shall be by secret ballot when requested by any member of the Center.

Article V. Committees

Section 1. Standing Committees:

A. Standing committees are established to carry out the functions and operations of The Plant Center. Standing committees shall include the Seminar, Symposium, Retreat, and Nominations committees. Additional standing committees may be established by action of the voting members upon recommendation of the Director and the Advisory Group.

B. Membership: 1) Number: The membership of each standing committee shall be set by the Advisory Group and the Director, but will have no fewer than three and no more than five members. 2) Qualifications: All voting members are eligible to serve on each standing committee subject to the restrictions specified for certain committees. Non-voting members may also serve on standing committees if deemed appropriate by the Director and the Advisory Group.

C. Officers: Each standing committee shall elect from its own membership a Chair. The Chair will handle the day-to-day routine responsibilities of the committee.

D. Subcommittees: The Chair of each standing committee may appoint such subcommittees as needed to perform the functions of the committee.

E. Meetings: Each standing committee shall meet as often as necessary to perform its functions.

F. Appointment of Committee Members: Members of each standing committee shall be appointed by the Director after consultation with the Advisory Group. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner. This appointment process shall take place by the end of the spring semester of each year, except that in 1999 the members of each committee shall be appointed no later than July 15.

G. Tenure and Rotation: Committee members shall be appointed for a period of three years with one-third of the membership appointed each year. The year shall begin July 1 and continue through the following June 30.

H. Quorum: A quorum for committee meetings shall consist of three (3) members.

I. Report: A report will be submitted to the Director at least once a year by the committee chair.

Section 2. Seminar Committee: Within budgetary limits established by the Director and the Advisory Group, this Committee shall establish and coordinate the annual seminar program for The Plant Center.

Section 3. Symposium Committee: Within budgetary limits established by the Director and the Advisory Group, this Committee shall establish and coordinate an annual symposium on a timely topic to be given to the membership during the year.

Section 4. Retreat Committee: Within budgetary limits established by the Director and the Advisory Group, this committee shall coordinate the annual retreat of The Plant Center including setting dates and place, conducting registration, and setting up the program.

Section 5. Nomination Committee: This committee shall be responsible for proposing a slate of nominees for Director (Article III. Section 1.) and for Advisory Group (Article III. Section 2.) for an election to be held at the annual meeting. The slate of nominees shall be distributed to the voting membership at least two weeks prior to the annual meeting. The Chair of the nomination committee is responsible for conducting the elections at the annual meeting, including taking additional nominations from the floor, and then to report to the Vice President for Research and Associate Provost the results of the votes for all the nominees for Director, and the results of votes for all the nominees for membership in the Advisory Group.

Section 6. Special Committees: The Director, after consultation with the Advisory Group, shall appoint, in addition to the specific Standing Committees, such Special Committees as are deemed appropriate to fulfill the responsibilities of The Plant Center.

Article VI. Amendments

The foregoing Bylaws may be added to, amended, or repealed at any regular or special meeting of the voting members by a two-thirds vote of all voting members present, provided that written notice of the proposal shall have been sent to each voting member at least one month prior to the meeting at which the amendment is to be moved.

Article VII. Effective Date

These Bylaws were originally adopted on May 10, 1999, and become effective on July 1, 1999.