Bylaws of Alpha Sigma Alpha Zeta Phi Chapter

Transcription

1 Bylaws of Alpha Sigma Alpha Zeta Phi Chapter Article I. Name The name of this organization shall be the Zeta Phi Chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha. Article II. Aim The aim of Alpha Sigma Alpha shall be to establish a sisterhood that shall have for its four-fold purpose the intellectual, physical, social and spiritual development of its members. Article III. Membership Section 1. Qualifications Membership will include any woman student in good standing with Illinois Institute of Technology, Shimer College, or VanderCook College of Music as defined by the University, who has been duly initiated to membership in the Zeta Phi chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha, compiled with all requirements set forth in the National Bylaws of Alpha Sigma Alpha, and who has met one of the following criteria: A. Any woman who has completed one term as a registered full-time student at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Shimer College, or VanderCook College of Music, must have obtained a collegiate cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. B. Any woman who has not completed one term as a registered full time student at Illinois Institute of Technology, Shimer College, or VanderCook College of Music, must have achieved at least a 2.75 cumulative grade point average on a scale of 4.0 in high school or previous college or university, or an equivalent for international students, to be eligible for membership in this sorority. C. Any woman who does not have a high school or college GPA must have achieved a 510 GED standard score. Section 2. Non-Discrimination The Zeta Phi chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha is fully committed to a policy against legally impermissible, arbitrary, or unreasonable discriminatory practices or procedures and complies with the Civil Rights Act and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of In the selection of our members, we offer this opportunity to all persons who identify as a woman or gender non-conforming without regard to race, color, national origin, age, religion, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or disability. Males are excluded from seeking membership, as provided by Title IX, 20 U.S.C. 1681(a)(6)(A), which pertains to social fraternities and sororities. However, membership status will not be affected for initiated members who have transitioned and identify as trans-masculine or gender non-conforming. Our organization will be mindful of each potential member s personal situations that may conflict with sorority activities provided that these situations are communicated in a timely manner with the current members of our organization and as such, those potential members will not be barred from the opportunity for membership due to those circumstances beyond their control. Last Revised April

2 Section 3. Holding Office and Voting A. Any member whose term scholastic average falls below a 2.5 and cumulative scholastic average below a 2.75 may not hold executive office or be a resident advisor until her term average is once again equal to or above a 2.5 and cumulative scholastic average is equal to or above a B. Any member whose term scholastic average falls below a 2.4 and cumulative scholastic average below a 2.5 may not hold any office until her term average is once again equal to or above a 2.4 and cumulative scholastic average is equal to or above a 2.5. C. Any member on any status approved by the Standards Board or National Council may not be eligible to hold office. D. Voting rights and voice will be withheld from any member whose term scholastic average falls below a 2.4 or the scholastic average required for graduation, whichever is higher, until her term and cumulative scholastic average is once again equal to a 2.4 or the scholastic average required for graduation. Section 4. Membership Termination A. An individual s membership shall be reviewed for termination in accordance with the article XVIII, Section 3 of the National Bylaws of Alpha Sigma Alpha. B. Zeta Phi shall follow the procedures for requesting termination of membership per the Alpha Sigma Alpha National Policies and Procedures. Section 5. Senior Status A. Standards Board may grant Senior Status, after review of application, to any member in her final semester. B. Members on Senior Status will be required to pay local and national dues, and will be eligible for reduced local dues as determined by the Treasurer and approved by the Standards Board. C. Members on Senior Status will be exempt from the points system, but all other bylaws will still apply to them. D. Members with Senior Status will be required to follow all appropriate guidelines during recruitment periods. E. Members on Senior Status will be required to read and initial business meeting minutes, unless they were in attendance at the meeting. F. Members on Senior Status are not eligible to be a Big Sister. G. Members on Senior Status are not eligible to hold a position in the chapter. H. Members on Senior Status must complete the service requirements of the chapter. I. Members may be on Senior Status for a maximum of one semester. J. If any of the requirements for Senior Status are not met, members will be subject to loss of status. Article IV. Government Section 1. Term of Office A. Executive board officers will serve a term of one calendar year beginning at the end of the fall semester. The executive board is comprised of the President, Vice President of Programming and Ritual, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President of Membership Education, Vice President of Public Relations and Recruitment, and Vice President of Alumnae and Heritage. Last Revised April

3 B. The Resident Advisor will be slated by the Nominating Committee and approved by Residence and Greek Life. She will serve a term of one calendar year beginning at the end of the fall semester. C. The Commuter Chairman will serve a term of one calendar year beginning at the end of the spring semester. D. The Public Relations Chairman, Scholarship Chairman, Social Chairman, Service and Giving Chairman, Ritual Chairman, Parliamentarian, Editor/Historian, Finance Chairman, and Standards Chairman will serve a term of one calendar year beginning at the end of the fall semester. E. The Junior Greek Council Delegate, Sports Chairman, Sunshine Chairman, Student Government Association Delegate, Social Media Chairman, Steward, and House Chore Manager will serve a term of one semester. Section 2. Officer Eligibility A. All executive officers except the Vice President of Public Relations and Recruitment and Vice President of Alumnae and Heritage must reside in the chapter house during the term of office unless prohibited by University housing rules. B. The Resident Advisor must: i. Be in her second year or above. ii. Have lived in the chapter house for at least one semester (fall, spring, or summer) prior to taking office. iii. Live in the chapter house during the transition semester unless under contractual obligation to live elsewhere. This includes, but is not limited to, unbreakable lease, Resident Advisor contract, or study abroad. iv. Not simultaneously hold an executive board position. v. Be in good standing with the standards board. vi. Reside in the chapter house for the duration of her term. C. The Standards Chairman must reside in the chapter house during the term of office. D. The Steward and House Chore Manager must have lived in the chapter house for at least one semester (fall or spring) prior to taking office, and reside in the chapter house during the term of office. E. The Commuter Chairman must reside out of the chapter house during the term of office. F. The Ritual Chairman must have been an initiate member for at least one semester. Section 3. Officer Duties A. President i. Preside at all chapter and executive board meetings. ii. Authorize all drafts on the treasury for bills allowed by the chapter. iii. Appoint all other officers and chairmen of committees not provided for by election with the approval of the executive board. iv. Supervise the work of the chapter and confer with chapter advisors. v. Serve as the chapter s representative to the university. vi. Occupy the position of Senior Greek Council Delegate on Greek Council and be part of the president s round table committee. Last Revised April

4 B. Vice President of Programming and Ritual i. Serve as chairman of the programming committee to plan educational programs and activities stressing sisterhood and the heritage of Alpha Sigma Alpha. ii. Know and inform the chapter of all risk management policies. iii. Preside at all committee cabinet meetings and assume the responsibilities of the president in the event of the absence or disability of the president. iv. Supervise the Scholarship, Service and Giving, Ritual, Sunshine, Sports, and Social Chairmen. v. Assign committees whose appointments are not otherwise specified in these bylaws. vi. Compose and maintain a calendar of events for the duration of the semester. vii. Oversee the initiate module of the membership education program. viii. Communicate regularly with the membership commitment advisor. C. Secretary i. Take minutes and keep all records of the chapter and executive board meetings. ii. Take responsibility for all chapter correspondence. iii. Supervise the Parliamentarian and activities of the Nominating and Bylaws special committees during their time of service. iv. Assist the standards board by taking attendance during business and committee cabinet meetings. v. Compile and edit the end of the year report. D. Treasurer i. Maintain accurate and complete financial records for the chapter. ii. Collect dues, membership contracts, and payment contracts. iii. Prepare the chapter s operating budget with assistance from the finance committee. iv. Serve as chairman of the finance committee. v. Appoint the finance committee with the approval of the executive board. vi. Supervise the Steward and House Chore Manager. vii. Assist the standards board with regard to payment plans. viii. Regularly report to the financial advisor. E. Vice President of Membership Education i. Oversee the continuing education for all members. ii. Provide leadership and direction throughout the membership education program. iii. Provide orientation to new members in the chapter. iv. Assign all big and little sister pairs. v. Keep all membership records updated. vi. Communicate with the membership commitment advisor. F. Vice President of Public Relations and Recruitment i. Promote the image of the sorority. ii. Coordinate all membership recruitment activities. iii. Appoint the membership recruitment committee with approval of the executive board. iv. Serve as chairman of the recruitment committee. v. Educate all members on proper membership selection procedures. Last Revised April

5 vi. Supervise the Public Relations Chairman, Junior Greek Council Delegate, and Student Government Association Delegate. vii. Work in collaboration with the Public Relations Chairman to promote and coordinate all public relations efforts. viii. Serve on the Greek Council Recruitment Committee. ix. Communicate regularly with the recruitment advisor. G. Vice President of Alumnae and Heritage i. Promote lifetime membership of chapter alumnae. ii. Promote goodwill and cooperation between alumnae and collegiate members. iii. Educate the chapter on our heritage as a chapter, as part of our national organization, and as a panhellenic sorority. iv. Supervise the editor/historian. v. Serve as chairman of the alumnae committee. vi. Oversee the senior portion of membership education. vii. Communicate with the alumnae advisor. H. Resident Advisor i. Complete all responsibilities outlined in her contract with the university. ii. Attend executive board meetings. iii. Organize the fall and spring clean-up for the chapter house. iv. Coordinate fall and spring room assignments through the lottery system. v. Oversee all housing maintenance not covered by the university. vi. Supervise the commuter chairman. I. Commuter Chairman i. Work with other programming chairmen and the Resident Advisor to cater events towards commuters. ii. Lead commuter breakups at committee cabinet meetings. iii. Organize the commuter open house program. iv. Manage late-night host pairings. v. Update the commuter guidebook as needed. vi. Assign commuter cubbies. J. Public Relations Chairman i. Develop and execute a public relations plan for the chapter. ii. Strengthen chapter relations with other Alpha Sigma Alpha chapters, the Greek community, and the campus/local community. iii. Organize a faculty appreciation event and parents appreciation event each year. iv. Encourage members to wear pin attire and Greek t-shirts. v. Communicate with the membership commitment advisor regularly. K. Junior Greek Council Delegate i. Attend all Greek Council meetings with the president. ii. Assume the responsibilities of the president at Greek Council meetings in the event of her absence or disability. iii. Organize Greek Week within the chapter and coordinate with the Greek Week Chair. iv. Coordinate any special events sponsored by Greek Council. Last Revised April

6 v. Convey necessary information from Greek Council to the appropriate chapter officer. L. Editor/Historian i. Submit information regarding chapter activities to The Phoenix. ii. Record the chapter history through photographs and written accounts. iii. Maintain the chapter scrapbook. iv. Organize photo sessions for and the creation of a yearly composite. M. Scholarship Chairman i. Promote scholarly attitude toward learning. ii. Encourage the chapter to strive for high academic standards. iii. Serve as chairman of the scholarship committee. iv. Communicate regularly with the membership commitment advisor. N. Service and Giving Chairman i. Coordinate all chapter charitable giving and community service endeavors. ii. Serve on the Greek Council Philanthropy Committee. iii. Encourage the chapter s involvement with Alpha Sigma Alpha s philanthropic partners: S. June Smith Center, Special Olympics, AΣA Foundation, and Girls on the Run. iv. Serve as chairman of the service and giving committee. v. Communicate regularly with the social responsibility advisor. O. Ritual Chairman i. Make arrangements as required for all ritual services. ii. Provide devotions at each chapter meeting. iii. Oversee the ritual committee in planning ritual activities. iv. Serve as chairman of the ritual committee. v. Communicate regularly with the membership commitment advisor. P. Standards Chairman i. Ensure that all members follow the Alpha Sigma Alpha national policies outlined in the national bylaws and the Zeta Phi chapter policies outlined in the local bylaws. ii. Serve as chairman of the standards board. iii. Preside over standards board meetings. iv. Appoint the standards board subject to the requirements of Article VII, Section 1, with the approval of the executive board. v. Communicate regularly with the membership commitment advisor. Q. Parliamentarian i. Prepare necessary changes to the chapter bylaws and submit them to national headquarters for approval. ii. Prepare necessary changes to the chapter standing rules. iii. Appoint the bylaws committee with the approval of the executive board. iv. Serve as the chairman of the bylaws committee. v. Instruct the chapter in correct parliamentary procedure. vi. Maintain order and proper procedure during business meetings. R. Social Chairman i. Coordinate social programs and activities with other chapters stressing sisterhood and Greek fellowship. Last Revised April

7 ii. Serve on the Greek Council social committee. iii. Communicate regularly with the social responsibility advisor. S. Sports Chairman i. Promote participation in chapter and Greek Council sporting events. ii. Encourage members to invest time in the physical aim. iii. Educate the chapter on healthy lifestyle choices. iv. Serve on the Greek Council sports committee. T. Sunshine Chairman i. Promote the spirit of sisterhood in the sorority. ii. Coordinate special sisterhood activities. U. Student Government Association Delegate i. Attend all general body Student Government Association meetings and report the proceedings to the sorority. V. Social Media Chairman i. Maintain a current and accurate web page for the chapter. ii. Manage the chapter s presence on social media outlets including: a. Facebook b. Twitter c. Instagram d. Snapchat iii. Assist the Public Relations Chairman and Vice President of Public Relations and Recruitment in coordinating chapter publicity efforts. W. Steward i. Represent the chapter to the cook or food service. ii. Keep track of kitchen inventory and maintenance. iii. Place orders for any kitchen supplies, beyond food, that are needed. iv. Assign and check meal chores and Sunday chores. Both are considered kitchen chores. v. Report to the Resident Advisor every two weeks. X. House Chore Manager i. Assign and check weekly house chores. ii. Order all chore supplies that do not fall under Steward. iii. Report to the Resident Advisor every two weeks. Article V. Elections Section 1. Election Timing Regular officer elections will be held once per academic year in the month of November. All officer positions will be up for election at this time. Special elections may be held as needed under the conditions listed in Article V, Section 3. Section 2. Fall Election and Installation of Officers Procedure A. The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three to five members to propose candidates for all offices for the coming year. They are responsible for handling all matters related Last Revised April

8 to elections - including nominations, creating a mock slate, and creating a final slate - by the deadlines established in the Collegiate Officer Handbook. B. The Nominating Committee shall create an application of intent and election preference form to be filled out by every candidate. These documents are considered confidential, and may not be shared with anyone outside of the Nominating Committee. C. The mock slate will be presented to the chapter as soon as possible after applications are closed. It must list the name of all applicants in good standing for each position. Prior to voting on the mock slate, the Nominating Committee will organize a meeting at which members can ask questions of the candidates whose names will be present on the mock slate. The format of this meeting is up to the discretion of the committee. D. The Nominating Committee will present the final slate to the chapter the week after the mock slate vote. 1-2 minute speeches will be given by slated candidates before voting on the final slate. E. All officers shall be formally installed at the business meeting following elections, and take office immediately following installation except for the newly elected Treasurer, who shall train with the outgoing Treasurer until the end of semester. The Resident Advisor shall train for one full transition semester. F. The deadlines for fall elections as outlined in the Collegiate Officer Handbook are as follows: October 15 October 25 November 5 November 19 November 26 December 10 Nominating Committee must be appointed Nominating Committee informs chapter of election procedure Mock slate presented to the chapter Final slate presented to the chapter Vote on the final slate the week after it is presented Officer transition deadline Section 3. Spring Elections and Installation of Officers Procedure A. Spring Elections are a considered a Special Election Process that should be held at the Business Meeting before officer transitions as outlined in Article V, Section 4. B. Positions up for election in the Spring shall include the junior Greek Council delegate, sports chairman, sunshine chairman, student government association delegate, social media chairman, steward, house chore manager, and commuter chairman. Section 4. Special Elections A. In the event that an officer position should become vacant, a special election shall take place. B. Nominations i. A motion will be made to open the floor for nominations for a vacant position. ii. Nominations will be taken from the floor until the next business meeting where there will be a motion to close nominations. C. Speeches and Questions i. Time will be allotted for speeches and questions, the length thereof to be determined as moved by the parliamentarian. Last Revised April

9 ii. Each candidate will deliver her speech and answer questions while all other candidates for said position are outside the meeting space. D. Voting i. Members in good standing will vote by secret ballot. Advisors do not vote. If no one candidate receives a majority vote, the candidate with the fewest votes will be removed from the slate. The membership will vote on the remaining candidates until one receives a majority. Section 5. Evaluation of Elected Officer Performance Should an elected officer s performance be questioned by the membership, the chapter, or any individual, may bring that officer before the standards board with an advisor present for a review of the performance of her duties. If an advisor is not available, the region facilitator shall be consulted. The standards board shall follow the standards resolution procedures to determine if an officer should be removed from her position. Article VI. Committees Section 1. Appointment The following standing committees will be appointed by the vice president of programming and ritual: ritual, scholarship, finance, public relations, social, service and giving, and sunshine. Section 2. Standing Committees A. The ritual committee will assist the ritual chairman in planning candle pass activities and all ritual functions. B. The scholarship committee will assist the scholarship chairman in promoting a scholarly attitude toward learning and encouraging their collegiate chapter to strive for high academic standards. C. The finance committee will assist the chapter treasurer and finance chairman in preparing the annual budget. D. The social committee will assist the social chairman in planning and coordinating social events. E. The service and giving committee will assist the service and giving chairman in coordinating and planning chapter charitable giving and community service events. F. The sunshine committee will assist the sunshine chairman in upholding the spirit of sisterhood and coordinating special sisterhood activities. They are also responsible for assisting with ritual cleanup. G. The public relations committee will assist the Vice President of PR and recruitment and the public relations chairman in the development and execution of the public relations plan of the chapter. Section 3. Special Committees The president, with approval of the executive board, may appoint special committees. Duties will be specified upon appointment. Article VII. Standards Board Section 1. Membership The standards board will consist of the standards chairman plus three to five members, each from a separate academic class. If for any reason there is no eligible sister from an academic class, the standards chairman may appoint an additional member at large to fill that seat if desired. The standards chairman Last Revised April

10 with approval of the executive board appoints the members. No member may serve on the standards board while serving on the executive board. Section 2. Meetings The standards chairman will call standards board meetings as necessary. The membership commitment advisor or another advisor must be in attendance for all standards hearings. Section 3. Duties The duties of the standards board will be to encourage high morale in the chapter, to review morale, financial, scholastic, and other deficiencies to stated policies of its members as they might arise, to administer and monitor the point system, to follow the local Zeta Phi Chapter Bylaws, and Standing Rules, and to follow the National Bylaws, Policies and Procedures of Alpha Sigma Alpha in matters of membership, conduct, status, and policy. Section 4. Authority In carrying out its duties, the standards board may take action to remove a member s voting privileges, assign study hours, require members to consult with a subject matter expert, schedule additional reviews, limit social function attendance or other appropriate measures which expressly remedy the member s deficiency. With prior approval of the treasurer the Standards Board may adjust a member s fee schedule to relieve a financial burden. Article VIII. Meetings Section 1. Regular Meetings The Zeta Phi Chapter will hold regular business meeting biweekly with day, time and location determined at the end of each semester for the upcoming semester by a majority vote. Section 2. Special Meetings The president may call special meetings. She must have approval from three executive officers and must give twenty-four hours notice. In case of an extreme emergency she may call an emergency meeting at her discretion per the National Emergency Policy. Section 3. Committee Meetings Committee meetings will be held on alternate weeks from the business meetings. The vice president of programming and ritual will preside and all members must attend. Section 4. Executive Board Meetings Executive board meetings shall be held every week at a time determined by the president. Section 5. Absences All absences shall be reviewed by the standards board in accordance with the point system. Article IX. Dues, Fees, and Funds Section 1. National Dues The initiation dues of this chapter shall be: A. New member fee as determined by the national organization. Last Revised April

11 B. Initiation fee as determined by the national organization and dependent upon the initiate s choice of badge. C. Fall and spring collegiate dues shall be determined by the national sorority. D. These fees are payable in accordance with Article XI, Section 1, of the national bylaws of Alpha Sigma Alpha and any other additional restrictions or requirements established by the Treasurer. Section 2. Local Dues The local dues of this chapter shall be determined by the majority vote of the membership at the last business meeting of the school semester for the next school year and shall be payable on the date set at the last business meeting of the year for the next school year. Section 3. Savings Fee The savings fee shall be at least $10.00 per semester, per member. Section 4. Utility Fee The utility fee for the upkeep of common areas of the house shall be charged to all members. The amount of this fee will be determined by the majority vote of the membership at the time of budget approval. Section 5. Empty Bed Fee An additional fee to cover the empty bed fee as outlined in the Building Lease and Sorority House Agreement between Illinois Institute of Technology and Zeta Phi Chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority will be charged to members when it is charged to the sorority. A. The fee owed by the chapter to the university will be calculated by the Resident Advisor and Treasurer in September for the Fall semester and in January for the Spring semester. B. This fee will be due on October 25th and February 25 th respectively. This fee cannot be paid in installments. C. The total Empty Bed fee owed by the chapter will be divided as follows. Members who are not counted as living in the house will pay 25% more than members counted as living in the house. The fees will be devised using the following set of equations: F o = 1.25F i T = F i P i + F o P o T = 1.25F ip o + F i P i Where T is the total Empty Bed fee owed by the chapter, P i is the number of people counted as living in the house, P o is the number of people counted as living out of the house, F i is the fee charged per person counted as living in the house, and F o is the fee charged per person counted as living out of the house. Section 6. Reverse Lottery In order to protect the chapter s ability to reside in the chapter house, a reverse tiered lottery system will be implemented by the Resident Advisor when there are fewer than 35 members counted as living in the chapter house. Any member who is not counted as living in the chapter house will be automatically entered into the reverse lottery. Last Revised April

12 A. The first tier of the lottery will consist of members from the latest initiated Phoenix class and each following tier will consist of the preceding Phoenix class. B. Starting with the first tier, members will be selected to move into the house until there are a minimum of 35 members counted as living in the house. Final lottery results will be released no later than July 8 th for the Fall semester and December 8 th for the Spring semester. C. Members that can provide proof of extreme circumstances may apply each semester to be exempt from the reverse lottery. Applications will open when housing preference forms are released, and are due by July 1 st for the Fall semester and December 1 st for the Spring semester. Exemptions will be addressed on a case-by-case basis by the Housing Committee, which shall consist of the President, Treasurer, Resident Advisor, and Housing Advisor. D. These procedures are to be followed when Zeta Phi chapter consists of 41+ active members. If chapter membership falls below this threshold for an upcoming semester, the executive board of the Zeta Phi chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority will revisit the empty bed fee distribution and reverse lottery policies. The proposed exception will be presented to the chapter for discussion and the final exception must be voted into effect before housing preference forms are due. Section 7. Dues Penalty Any member who does not pay dues by date said and who has not made prior special arrangements with the Treasurer will be subject to review by the Standards Board in accordance with the standards policy. Section 8. Donations Donations from alumnae and other sources will be deposited to the general chapter account to be used as needed except where use is specified by the donor. Section 9. Dissolution Upon the dissolution of this organization, all remaining funds received from the Student Activity Fund shall be handed over to the Student Activities Fund or the university. All items purchased with university funds shall be returned to the possession of the university. Article X. Parliamentary Authority The current edition of Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern all matters not covered by the National Bylaws of Alpha Sigma Alpha and the Bylaws of the Zeta Phi Chapter. Article XI. Amendments These bylaws may be amended by two-thirds of the voting chapter membership and submitted through the Alpha Sigma Alpha Officer Portal for approval by the national organization before they become effective. Last Revised April