Bylaws
Article I: Name
The organization shall be known as WVU RIDGE — Research Initiatives for Disparities, Geography, and Equity, hereafter referred to as "RIDGE" or "The Organization."
Article II: Mission and Purpose
Section 1. Mission
RIDGE is a student-led organization dedicated to investigating disparities in medical outcomes among underserved and geographically diverse populations and promoting greater understanding of the factors that contribute to health inequity.
Section 2. Goals
The purposes of RIDGE shall include:
1. Conducting and supporting interdisciplinary student-led research examining health outcomes among underserved, rural, geographically isolated, and otherwise underrepresented populations.
2. Identifying and investigating disparities in healthcare access, delivery, utilization, and outcomes.
3. Promoting community-engaged research that appropriately incorporates the perspectives and needs of the populations being studied.
4. Providing members with opportunities to participate in research from the development of a research question through dissemination of findings through presentations, posters, publications, conferences, and other appropriate venues.
5. Connecting students with faculty mentors, clinicians, researchers, community organizations, and other partners.
6. Developing student education and professional development in research methodology, biostatistics, epidemiology, health equity, and related disciplines.
7. Supporting initiatives that may ultimately contribute to improved healthcare delivery and medical outcomes among underserved populations.
Section 3. Objective
RIDGE shall approach research with scientific objectivity. The Organization shall seek to identify and understand disparities where they exist while also recognizing and reporting circumstances in which disparities are not demonstrated.
Article III: Membership
Section 1. Eligibility
Membership shall be open to students of West Virginia University School of Medicine and, where appropriate, other individuals affiliated with WVU or its health sciences community.
Section 2. General Membership
Members may participate in:
● Research projects
● Community outreach initiatives
● Research Seminars and Journal Clubs
● Research presentations
● Professional development activities
● Organizational committees and working groups
Section 3. Equal Opportunity
RIDGE shall operate in accordance with applicable university policies concerning nondiscrimination, equal opportunity, and student organizations.
Section 4. Membership Expectations
Members participating in RIDGE research or community activities are expected to:
1. Conduct themselves professionally.
2. Respect research participants, community partners, faculty mentors, and fellow students.
3. Follow applicable research, privacy, and institutional requirements.
4. Maintain appropriate confidentiality regarding research participants and research materials.
5. Represent RIDGE responsibly when interacting with external organizations.
Membership is contingent on adherence to the listed expectations, and may be revoked with a majority vote among the executive board members.
Article IV: Executive Board
Section 1. Composition
The Executive Board shall consist of the following elected officers:
1. President
2. Vice President for Research Coordination
3. Vice President for Community Outreach
4. Treasurer
5. Event Coordinator I
6. Event Coordinator IIThe President and the two Vice Presidents shall constitute the Organization's primary leadership team.
Section 2. Equal Status of Vice Presidents
The Vice President for Research Coordination and Vice President for Community Outreach shall hold equal rank within the Executive Board.
Neither Vice President shall be considered subordinate to the other.
The two positions shall maintain distinct areas of responsibility while collaborating on matters affecting the Organization as a whole.
Article V: President
Section 1. General Responsibilities
The President shall:
1. Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for RIDGE.
2. Establish annual organizational goals in consultation with the Executive Board.
3. Preside over Executive Board and general membership meetings.
4. Ensure that the Organization's activities remain consistent with its mission.
5. Coordinate with faculty advisors, university leadership, and relevant external partners.
6. Provide oversight and support to all Executive Board officers.
7. Represent RIDGE at appropriate university, medical school, professional, and community events.
8. Facilitate collaboration between research, outreach, and event-planning activities.
9. Assist in resolving organizational conflicts.
10. Oversee leadership transition and continuity between academic years.
Section 2. Delegation
The President may delegate specific responsibilities to any Executive Board officer when appropriate.
Delegation of responsibilities does not permanently transfer the authority of the office unless otherwise specified in these bylaws.
Article VI: Vice President for Research Coordination
The Vice President for Research Coordination shall:
1. Coordinate the development and progress of RIDGE research projects.
2. Assist students in identifying research opportunities related to health disparities, geographic barriers, healthcare access, and medical outcomes.
3. Facilitate connections between students and faculty researchers or mentors.
4. Maintain an organized record of active research projects and project teams.
5. Coordinate research workshops, journal clubs, methodology sessions, and educational programming.
6. Assist students with research questions, study design, abstracts, presentations, and manuscripts.
7. Encourage dissemination of RIDGE research through appropriate conferences, presentations, and publications.
8. Promote scientifically rigorous and objective approaches to studying disparities.
9. Coordinate research collaborations with other student organizations, departments, and academic programs.
10. Serve as a primary advisor to research teams within RIDGE.
Article VII: Vice President for Community Outreach
The Vice President for Community Outreach shall:
1. Develop and maintain relationships with community organizations serving underserved populations.
2. Identify community needs and potential research opportunities relevant to RIDGE's mission.
3. Coordinate community outreach initiatives and community-engaged research opportunities.
4. Incorporate appropriate community perspectives into RIDGE activities.
5. Facilitate communication between community partners and RIDGE research teams.
6. Identify opportunities to collaborate with healthcare organizations, nonprofits, public health agencies, and community groups.
7. Promote awareness of healthcare disparities and geographic barriers to care.
8. Encourage respectful, sustainable, and mutually beneficial relationships with community partners.
9. Communicate community feedback and needs to the Executive Board.
10. Serve as a primary advisor to RIDGE's community engagement initiatives.
Article VIII: Temporary Presidential Delegation and Succession
Section 1. Temporary Absence
When the President is temporarily unable to fulfill the duties of office, the President may delegate responsibilities to the Vice President for Research Coordination and Vice President for Community Outreach.
Section 2. Division of Responsibilities
When responsibilities are delegated, the two Vice Presidents may divide presidential responsibilities according to the nature of the matter.
Generally:
● Research-related matters shall be directed by the Vice President for Research Coordination.
● Community and external-engagement matters shall be directed by the Vice President for Community Outreach.
● Organization-wide matters shall be addressed jointly by both Vice Presidents.
Section 3. Presidential Authority
Temporary delegation does not constitute removal or replacement of the President. The President shall resume their responsibilities upon returning to active service unless otherwise determined under these bylaws.
Section 4. Inability to Delegate
If the President is unable to delegate responsibilities, the Vice President for Research Coordination and Vice President for Community Outreach shall jointly assume the President's operational responsibilities until the President is able to resume those duties or a formal succession process is initiated.
Section 5. Major Decisions
When acting in the President's capacity, the two Vice Presidents should seek consensus on major organizational decisions.
If consensus cannot be reached, the matter shall be brought before the Executive Board for a majority vote, unless immediate action is required.
Article IX: Treasurer
The Treasurer shall:
1. Develop and maintain an annual organizational budget.
2. Monitor and track organizational income and expenditures.
3. Maintain accurate and complete financial records and supporting documentation.
4. Provide financial updates to the Executive Board.
5. Coordinate funding requests, university allocations, and other approved sources of organizational funding.
6. Identify potential funding opportunities for research, outreach, travel, and educational programming.
7. Assist research teams and event coordinators in developing project and event budgets.
8. Ensure expenditures comply with applicable WVU policies.
9. Coordinate purchasing and reimbursement processes.
10. Provide a complete financial transition, including records and relevant documentation, to the incoming Treasurer.
No major expenditure shall be made on behalf of RIDGE without appropriate authorization under applicable university policies.
Article X: Event Coordinators
Section 1. Responsibilities
The Event Coordinators shall:
1. Plan and coordinate RIDGE meetings and events.
2. Organize research presentations, workshops, journal clubs, and professional development programs joint with the Vice President for Research Coordination.
3. Assist with community outreach events.
4. Coordinate event logistics, including locations, equipment, registration, and materials.
5. Assist in recruiting guest speakers, researchers, clinicians, and community leaders.
6. Promote RIDGE events through appropriate university communication channels.
7. Maintain an organizational event calendar.
8. Assist research teams with poster sessions, research showcases, and conference preparation.
9. Coordinate with the Treasurer regarding event budgets.
10. Collect member feedback and recommend improvements to future events.
Section 2. Shared Responsibilities
The two Event Coordinators shall hold equal rank and may divide responsibilities according to event type, workload, or availability.
Article XI: Executive Board Meetings
Section 1. Frequency
The Executive Board shall meet regularly throughout the academic year with no less than 2 board meetings per academic semester. The President may call additional meetings when necessary.
Section 2. Quorum
A quorum for Executive Board decisions shall consist of a simple majority of seated Executive Board members.
Section 3. Voting
Unless otherwise specified, decisions requiring a vote shall be determined by a simple majority of those present and eligible to vote.
The President shall vote only when necessary to break a tie.
Section 4. Conflict of Interest
Any officer or member with a significant personal, financial, or professional conflict of interest regarding a decision should disclose the conflict and, when appropriate, abstain from voting.
Article XII: Research Governance and Integrity
Because research represents a central purpose of RIDGE, all research conducted under the Organization's name shall prioritize scientific integrity and ethical conduct.
Section 1. Institutional Requirements
Research involving human participants, identifiable data, protected health information, or other regulated materials shall comply with all applicable WVU, institutional, federal, and research oversight requirements.
Section 2. Faculty Oversight
Where appropriate, RIDGE research projects shall be conducted in collaboration with qualified faculty investigators or mentors.
Section 3. Scientific Integrity
RIDGE members shall not fabricate, falsify, manipulate, or knowingly misrepresent research data or findings.
Section 4. Objectivity
Research questions should be approached objectively. RIDGE shall not require research teams to demonstrate that a disparity exists as a predetermined outcome.
Both the presence and absence of disparities may represent meaningful findings.
Section 5. Research Credit
Authorship and research credit shall be determined according to applicable academic and professional standards and the actual contributions of individuals involved.
Section 6. Participant Respect
Research involving underserved populations shall be conducted with particular attention to dignity, privacy, informed consent, cultural considerations, and avoidance of exploitation.
Article XIII: Community Engagement
RIDGE recognizes that research involving underserved populations should seek to benefit and respect the communities being studied.
The Organization shall:
1. Seek meaningful community input when appropriate.
2. Avoid treating communities solely as sources of research data.
3. Communicate research goals and findings appropriately to community partners.
4. Respect community priorities and concerns.
5. Promote sustainable relationships with community organizations.
6. Avoid making unsupported claims about communities or populations.
7. Encourage dissemination of findings in ways that are accessible and meaningful to relevant communities when appropriate.
Article XIV: Faculty Advisor
Section 1. Role
RIDGE shall maintain at least one faculty advisor when required by WVU policy.
Section 2. Responsibilities
The faculty advisor may:
1. Provide guidance regarding organizational activities.
2. Assist students in identifying research mentors and opportunities.
3. Provide guidance regarding research ethics and institutional requirements.
4. Help facilitate relationships with university departments and community partners.
5. Provide continuity between student leadership transitions.
Section 3. Student Authority
The Executive Board shall retain responsibility for the day-to-day operation of RIDGE, subject to applicable university policies and faculty advisor guidance.
Article XV: Elections
Section 1. Election Timing
Executive Board elections shall be held annually at a time determined by the Executive Board and consistent with WVU requirements.
Section 2. Eligibility
Candidates must meet applicable university requirements for student organization officers.
Section 3. Election Process
The Executive Board shall establish a transparent nomination and voting process before each election.
Section 4. Transition
Outgoing officers shall provide incoming officers with relevant organizational documents, records, contacts, project information, and institutional knowledge.
Article XVI: Vacancies and Removal
Section 1. Vacancies
If an officer resigns or otherwise leaves office, the Executive Board may appoint an interim officer until the next regular election, subject to applicable university policies.
Section 2. Removal
An officer may be removed for:
● Failure to fulfill the responsibilities of office;
● Serious misconduct;
● Violation of university policy;
● Misuse of organizational resources;
● Conduct that materially harms the Organization or its members.
Removal shall require a two-thirds vote of the remaining Executive Board members, subject to applicable university requirements.
The officer in question shall be given an opportunity to respond to concerns before a removal vote.
Article XVII: Financial Governance
RIDGE funds shall be used solely to advance the mission and approved activities of the Organization.
The Organization shall:
1. Maintain accurate financial records.
2. Follow all applicable WVU financial policies.
3. Avoid unauthorized personal use of organizational funds.
4. Maintain transparency regarding major expenditures.
5. Use organizational funds in a manner consistent with approved budgets and organizational priorities.
6. Provide financial records to incoming leadership during transition.
Article XVIII: Committees and Research Teams
The Executive Board may establish temporary or permanent committees or research teams as needed.
Committees may be established for areas including, but not limited to:
● Research
● Community outreach
● Events
● Education
● Data analysis
● Grant development
● Conference preparation
● Publication development
Each committee shall have a designated Executive Board liaison.
Research teams may operate independently within the broader RIDGE structure while remaining accountable to the Vice President for Research Coordination and applicable faculty mentors.
Article XIX: Amendments
These bylaws may be amended when necessary to improve the Organization or ensure compliance with university requirements.
Section 1. Proposal
An amendment may be proposed by:
● Any Executive Board member; or
● A petition supported by at least 20% of active members.
Section 2. Notice
Proposed amendments shall be distributed to members before the meeting at which they will be considered.
Section 3. Approval
Amendments shall require a two-thirds majority vote of the Executive Board and approval through any additional process required by WVU.
Section 4. University Requirements
If any provision of these bylaws conflicts with applicable WVU policies or requirements, the university policy shall take precedence.
Article XX: Leadership Philosophy
RIDGE leadership shall be guided by the following principles:
Scientific rigor. Research should be conducted with methodological rigor, transparency, and intellectual honesty.
Clinical relevance. Research should seek to improve understanding of factors influencing medical outcomes and healthcare delivery.
Community partnership. The populations studied should be treated as partners and stakeholders rather than simply research subjects.
Objectivity. RIDGE shall investigate disparities without assuming that disparities must