By-laws of the Student Committee On Medical School Affairs

I. Authority

The authority of the Student Committee on Medical School Affairs (SCOMSA) as constituted below and in all subsequent amendments to this constitution shall be by approval of the majority (>50%) of the student body and in accordance with the By-laws of Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston University (BU).

II. Purpose

A. To act as the representative body for pre-doctoral medical students (BUSM 1-4 MD and MD/PhD) at Boston University School of Medicine. These aforementioned students will hereafter be referred to as the “student body”. A class shall be defined as a cohort of the student body that is graduating in the same year.

B. To hear and solicit students’ opinions concerning issues which may be of interest or importance to them and to keep the student body informed on all such matters. A liaison position will be held open for an MD/PhD representative for each class.

C. To facilitate the participation of students in BUSM decision-making and policy-implementation.

D. To promote reciprocal and constructive communications between faculty and students.

III. Functions

A. To serve as a forum to which issues may be brought by faculty or students with the purpose of defining and initiating effective and appropriate action.

B. To recommend students to the BUSM Committee on Committees for appointment to BUSM committees by such means as are consistent with the BU and BUSM By-Laws. To ensure that students on BUSM committees access opinions of BUSM students and perform in a manner consistent with their charge as elected student representatives.

C. To appoint SCOMSA subcommittees and authorize individuals to pursue issues of interest to the student body and to solicit and review reports on such activities that it commissions.

D. To maintain a body of funds obtained by collection of an annual fee from the student body, and by other means, and to disburse these and all other monies of value in this body of funds in the interests of the student body. These funds shall be publicly published to the student body.

E. To prepare and submit an annual report to the BUSM Executive Committee and student body on all its businesses, including financial no later than one month after the conclusion of the last general council meeting of the academic year. The report shall be available publicly on the committee’s website and also be distributed via email to the entire student body.

F. To make such by-laws as are deemed necessary for the conduct of the committee’s affairs provided such rules are in accordance with this Constitution and the By-Laws of BU and BUSM.

IV. Membership, Representatives, and Advisors

A. Any member of the student body as defined in Article II is eligible to be elected as a member of SCOMSA.

B. A total of eight representatives from each class year shall be elected to SCOMSA’s General Council: 7 MD representatives, and one MD/PhD representative. SCOMSA representatives will be chosen as described in Section V.

• One General Council representative from each class year will also be elected with the additional title of Dean’s Executive Committee member and will be obligated to perform the duties therein. This position must be approved by the Dean, Associate Dean of Student Affairs (ADSA), and Associate Dean of Medical Education (ADME).
• One General Council representative from each class year will also be elected with the additional title of Wellness Liaison and will be obligated to perform the duties therein. This position must be approved by the Dean, ADSA, and ADME.
• Whenever possible, the Dean’s Executive Committee representative and the Wellness Liaison should not be the same person, unless in situations where no alternative candidate exists.

C. The Dean of the Medical School and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs shall be representatives ex-officio without voting privileges.

D. The Dean of Student Affairs shall serve as the Administration Advisor to SCOMSA to foster a reciprocal relationship between the Dean of the Medical School and SCOMSA members so that they may both address concerns pertinent to the student body.

E. Each representative shall hold tenure from the first meeting following their election until the meeting following the next election for their group. Each SCOMSA representative must be a member of the class that elected them (i.e. should a SCOMSA representative decide to take time off to graduate in another class year, they will no longer be a voting representative. That SCOMSA representative may continue to participate as a non-voting member of SCOMSA).

F. Tenure of any representative may be limited by a 2/3 majority of a quorum (Article VI, Section D) of the general council, or by petition signed by a majority of their constituents.

G. In the event that three of the eight representatives of a class are no longer able to maintain tenure, then an election will be held for three new SCOMSA representatives to take their place as defined in Article V.

H. Representatives are required to collect comments from their constituents prior to each meeting and to present this feedback to the general council. The Vice Chair shall be responsible for ensuring the implementation of this Section. Representatives are expected to maintain constant communication through town halls, office hours, email, or other means as deemed appropriate by their constituents.

V. Elections

A. An election for BUSM I representatives must occur within five weeks of matriculation.

B. All elections will be administered under the direction of the chair and vice chair and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs by secret ballot.

C. BUSM I SCOMSA representatives shall be reelected approximately six months after their initial election, on a date scheduled by the chair, vice chair, and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs. All members of the class who are eligible to be SCOMSA representatives are eligible for this election. Representatives elected at this time shall hold tenure through their fourth year, unless their tenure is limited by Article IV, Section E or F.

D. Announcement of all elections shall precede the balloting by at least two weeks.

E. Nominations shall open immediately upon announcement of any election and shall close two days before the day of balloting. All nominations must be full-time students in good academic standing who are members of the class that they wish to represent, and may be self-nominated or nominated by a class member with the consent of the nominee.

F. Duly elected representatives shall be those ranking highest in simple vote totals. A quorum for a vote will be 60% of the BUSM class.

G. Elections of replacement representatives (Article IV, Section G) shall be completed using the same methods no later than four weeks from the time the third vacancy occurs.

VI. Meetings, Voting, Quorum

A. Meetings shall be held monthly or more frequently at the discretion of the chair who shall notify all representatives and publish the time and place of the meeting.

B. Meetings shall be open to the student body and BUSM faculty for the purpose of participation and discussion except when the committee votes to meet in executive session.

C. Only elected representatives from their class year (Article IV, Section E) shall have a vote. All votes shall be administered by the Chair by secret ballot.

D. A quorum shall consist of a minimum of one-half of the current voting membership at a meeting plus one, with a minimum of one representative per class, unless a class has graduated and representatives from the incoming class have not yet been elected, during which a minimum of one representative is required from only the three remaining classes. [If there is an odd number of voting members, then “one-half” shall be rounded up and then add one. Example: if total membership is 13, then quorum shall be 6.5>>7+1=8].

E. A majority (>50%) of those voting shall decide all issues except limitation of tenure of a SCOMSA representative (Article IV, Section F) and standard budgetary expenditures (Article XII, Section A).

F. All representatives must attend every meeting. Should a representative be unable to attend a scheduled meeting, they must submit justification in writing to the Executive Board at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting or as soon as possible to be excused. Such justification shall include but not be limited to: academic and clinical obligations, medical reasons, personal reasons, and time conflicts and do not need to be extensive, nor do representatives need to provide proof. Representatives who fail to attend meetings without excuse, or fail to fulfill their duties as delineated in Article VI, Section G as described shall be presented at the final meeting of the year by the Vice-Chair and their tenure shall be put to a vote of the general council. Representatives may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of a quorum (Article IV, Section F).

G. Representatives who do not attend meetings are required to either:

i. Email a list of comments and questions from their constituents to the executive board prior to the general council meeting.

ii. Or, if no comments are received, provide proof of outreach in good faith to the executive board prior to the general council meeting.

Outreach may be done through email, town halls, office hours, class group chats, in-person meetings, or any venue deemed appropriate by the representative to maximize outreach. The executive board shall present these comments and questions to the general council in the representative’s place.

H. The minutes of each meeting will be reviewed by the chair and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs or designee before publication. The minutes of the meeting and record of attendance by the general council shall be published before the next meeting on the committee’s website in a location accessible to the student body.

VII. Officers

A. The executive board shall consist of eight permanent positions: a chair, vice-chair, treasurer, vice-treasurer, social chair, secretary, third year officer, and fourth year officer. The executive board may invite special liaisons on subjects of interest to SCOMSA to attend and participate in executive board meetings. Such liaisons do not need to be SCOMSA representatives, are not members of the executive board, should not be privy to confidential matters of the executive board unless absolutely necessary to their role, and shall not have a vote on any matters that the executive board has authority to decide on. The executive board shall have authority to decide the tenure of these liaisons, which should generally be brief and limited. The executive board for the subsequent academic year shall be elected for 1-year tenures on a date scheduled by the outgoing chair, outgoing vice-chair, and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs. The total composition of SCOMSA’s Executive Board shall not exceed these 8 positions. The roles of the executive board members shall include but not be limited to those outlined below, and members are expected to perform additional tasks as required for the operations of the executive board and SCOMSA:

B. The chair shall be a pre-clerkship phase representative who was elected pursuant to Article V, Section C and will have the following duties:

• Prepare an agenda for all SCOMSA meetings.
• Shall call meetings at their discretion and run them by the rules of parliamentary procedure (Robert’s Rules of Order).
• Vote in cases of ties and administer all votes by secret ballot, ensuring integrity of SCOMSA’s decisions.
• Maintain the file of official documents, in particular the organization and upkeep of all documents in the Drive.
• Conduct and review the formal committee correspondence and maintain oversight of SCOMSA subcommittee activity, ensuring active participation and progress.
• Designate a member of the executive board, usually the Vice-Chair, to run meetings if unavailable.
• Represent SCOMSA, in conjunction with other executive board members as appropriate, at official functions at the request of BUSM administration.
• Administer the annual SCOMSA Common Application for Student Group Leadership.
• Assist the Secretary in the development of SCOMSA’s public reports.
• Identify and co-lead new and existing SCOMSA projects that address annual priorities in conjunction with the Vice-Chair.
• Delegate tasks to other members of the executive board and ensure equity in workload and ensure quality of that work.
• Manage SCOMSA partnerships with other student organizations and external organizations.

C. The vice-chair shall be a pre-clerkship phase representative who was elected pursuant to Article V, Section C and will have the following duties:

• Assume the duties and responsibilities of the chair in their absence.
• Conduct all SCOMSA elections.
• Maintain the SCOMSA email account and communications by responding in a timely manner to inquiries from the student body.
• Maintain the SCOMSA website and ensure all resources and guidelines are up-to-date.
• Assist the Secretary in the development of SCOMSA’s public reports.
• Chair the Student Committee on Committees
• Maintain oversight of SCOMSA and student BUSM committee representatives.
• Identify and co-lead new and existing SCOMSA projects that address annual priorities in conjunction with the Chair.

D. The treasurer shall be a pre-clerkship phase representative who was elected pursuant to Article V, Section C and will have the following duties:

• Supervise the collection and disbursement of all SCOMSA funds.
• Present to SCOMSA and the Dean’s Executive Committee an annual report of financial transactions to be included in the SCOMSA annual report.
• Regularly publish public budget reports for the purpose of providing transparency and promoting active discussion among the students of BUSM regarding the appropriation of SCOMSA funds. This budget report shall include up to date data on the expenditures for the current academic year and shall be viewable online by the BUSM student community.
• Ensure that all expenditures are decided upon as outlined in Article XII.
• Chair the Budget Committee (Article X, Section E) and maintain ultimate oversight over the vice-treasurer.

E. The vice-treasurer shall be a representative from any class with priority given to pre-clerkship phase representatives elected pursuant to Article V, Section A, and will have the following duties:

• Assume the duties and responsibilities of the Treasurer in their absence.
• Assist the Treasurer with any task deemed necessary.
• Process reimbursement requests, liaison with the Student Affairs Office on budget issues, respond to budget-related inquiries, and maintain accurate tracking of SCOMSA expenditures.
• Maintain regular communication with the Treasurer.
• Act as the external liaison between the executive board and the student body on financial affairs and funding.
• Act as the liaison between the executive board and the representatives for their class and a source of institutional knowledge regarding the budget and SCOMSA’s funding guidelines.

F. The social chair shall be a pre-clerkship phase representative who was elected pursuant to Article V, Section C and will have the following duties:

• Manage, oversee and otherwise delegate the coordination of all SCOMSA-sponsored social activities, including overseeing preclinical representatives elected pursuant to Article V, Section A who shall compose the membership of various social event planning committees.
• Lead the Social Committee as detailed in Article X, Section E, Paragraph ii.

G. The Secretary shall be a pre-clerkship phase representative who was elected pursuant to Article V, Section A and will have the following duties:

• Maintain a detailed record of each SCOMSA meeting and executive board meeting by drafting the minutes for distribution to the student body, and maintaining a record of attendance for publication.
• Report on the executive board’s activities, policies, resolutions, and interactions with administration, including the Student Affairs Office (SAO), to general council representatives via email no less frequent than after every executive board/SAO meeting, excepting confidential matters as identified by the SAO.
• Lead the development and creation of SCOMSA’s annual report to the student body and BUSM administration in consultation with the executive board, and any other reports as deemed necessary by the executive board.

G. The Third-Year Officer shall be a BUSM III representative, with strong preference given to a former member of the executive board, and have the following duties:

• Participate in all executive board meetings and collective duties as outlined by the Chair.
• Support the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice-Treasurer, particularly by ensuring continuity on the executive board and serving as a continued source of institutional knowledge.
• Ensure the representation of BUSM III interests on the executive board agenda.
• Co-lead, with the Fourth-Year Officer, the training and transition of the next academic year’s executive board.
• Assist in the preparation of the end of year summary report for the BUSM Dean of SCOMSA’s activities and accomplishments

H. The Fourth-Year Officer shall be a BUSM IV representative, with strong preference given to a former member of the executive board, and have the following duties:

• Participate in all executive board meetings and collective duties as outlined by the Chair.
• Support the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice-Treasurer, particularly by ensuring continuity on the executive board and serving as a continued source of institutional knowledge.
• Ensure the representation of BUSM IV interests on the executive board agenda.
• Co-lead, with the Third-Year Officer, the training and transition of the next academic year’s executive board.
• Assist in the preparation of the end of year summary report for the BUSM Dean of SCOMSA’s activities and accomplishments

VIII. Amendments

A. Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed by vote of SCOMSA or by petition signed by at least 15% of the student body and presented to the chair of SCOMSA. No more than two-thirds of that number may be from the same BUSM class.

B. SCOMSA, under the direction of the chair and vice-chair, and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs shall submit properly proposed amendments to a vote by the student body with balloting open for 7 days.

C. Ratification shall be by a majority (>50%) of the student body.

IX. Referenda

A. Referendums are used to register student body opinion on matters of particular interest or importance.

B. Initiated by vote of SCOMSA or by petition signed by 10% of the student body and presented to the chair of SCOMSA.

C. A quorum for approval of a referendum shall be 50% of the student body with >50% of a quorum being decisive.

D. Balloting will be conducted by SCOMSA under the direction of the chair and vice-chair, and will be open for 7 days with results being binding on SCOMSA and all official student representatives.

X. Sub-Committees

A. Subcommittees will be used to pursue targeted student needs. SCOMSA’s executive board, with input from General Council members, will create new subcommittees or discontinue existing subcommittees based on the needs of the student body.

B. Every SCOMSA representative shall serve on at least one subcommittee. Each subcommittee should include at least one General Council member from each class year, except the standing subcommittees which shall have compositions as defined in Article X, Section E.

C. Subcommittees shall have one designated committee chair who is responsible for scheduling meetings and updating the SCOMSA executive board and general representatives monthly.

D. Subcommittees shall meet at least once in the interval between monthly SCOMSA meetings.

E. SCOMSA’s standing subcommittees include:

• The Student Committee on Committees (henceforth known as CoC).
  • The Student CoC, chaired by the SCOMSA vice-chair, will be composed of the SCOMSA Executive Board. A majority will render decisions. The CoC shall meet at the discretion of its chair or when called upon to consider matters in its jurisdiction.
  • The CoC recommends student members to the BUSM Committee on Committees, based on academic standing, qualifications, or interest, to serve on standing BUSM committees as per BUSM By-Laws and for ad hoc committees as requested by the Dean. It will accept self-nominations and nominations from other students, faculty, or administration tendered with the consent of the nominee. It will make its recommendations in consultation with the Dean and the Dean of Students and submit them for review by the body of SCOMSA.
  • This committee may request student members of BUSM standing and ad hoc committees to provide reports on the public business of those committees. These reports shall be forwarded to the full SCOMSA committee at the discretion of the SCOMSA chair or upon the request of the full SCOMSA committee.
  • This Committee must notify SCOMSA of instances of unsatisfactory performance by student members on BUSM Standing and Ad hoc Committees. SCOMSA may vote to terminate the membership period of any such member by majority vote. Replacement members must be recommended and approved by the procedure above.
• The Social Committee
  • This Committee shall consist of the Social Chair and as many SCOMSA representatives as the social chair deems necessary to organize social events for the School of Medicine, including BUSM I Orientation.
  • The social chair will lead coordination of events with the Student Affairs Office, Alumni Association, and Office of Admissions.
• The Budget Committee
  • This Committee shall be chaired by the Treasurer and shall consist of the executive board, all BUSM I representatives, and additional representatives at the discretion of the Treasurer.
  • The Budget Committee meets at least once a semester to approve Semester Budget requests, process funding-related administrative tasks, and fulfills tasks deemed necessary to ensure the smooth operation of SCOMSA’s budgetary affairs.
• Membership in the above standing committees does not fulfill the requirement listed in Article X, Section B.

XI. Activities Fee

A. A portion of this fee will be added to the SCOMSA treasury and used for disbursement to fund SCOMSA, student research, and student group activities as delineated in Article VI and XII.

XII. Expenditures

A. Standard budgetary expenditures shall be defined as student and student group funding requests that meet all of SCOMSA’s Funding Guidelines as delineated on the committee’s website in full, unambiguously. Such expenditures do not require a general council vote for approval and the Treasurer (Article VII, Section D) shall have unilateral authority to approve these requests, but must present a complete list of approved requests at the subsequent meeting to the general council for accountability. Should these approvals occur after the conclusion of the final meeting of the academic year, the Treasurer shall present this list at the first meeting of the following semester.

B. Extraordinary budgetary expenditures shall be defined as student and student group funding requests that either do not meet all of SCOMSA’s Funding Guidelines but may qualify for an exception at the discretion of the Treasurer, or do not have clear guidance from the Funding Guidelines. Additionally, all expenditures by SCOMSA shall fall within this category. Such expenditures require approval by the general council as outlined in Article VI.

Authored by the 2022-2023 Executive Board as listed below, and approved August 17th, 2022 by the Dean’s Executive Committee