Before July 1st of each even-numbered year, the senate shall elect one of its elected members to serve as vice president/secretary for a term of two years. Upon election as vice president/secretary, the elected member shall vacate the position as representative of his or her unit in the senate and shall serve as a nonvoting member of the senate. The vice president/secretary shall take and keep minutes of the senate and shall exercise such other powers and duties as the senate shall provide in its bylaws. The vice president/secretary shall serve as president of the senate during that officer's absence or inability to act. The vice president/secretary of the senate may be reelected for a second term, but may not thereafter be eligible for a successive term provided however that a vice president/secretary initially elected to fill less than half of a term arising from a vacancy is eligible to serve two additional successive full terms.