Student Organization Name: Sigma Mu Delta Date Prepared: 8/6/14 Date Amended: 2/15/15 Date Approved: (Lead Center Staff): Approved by (Lead Center Staff): ΣΜΔ Beta Chapter UC Berkeley THE CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS OF SIGMA MU DELTA PREMEDICAL FRATERNITY Preamble Sigma Mu Delta at the University of California, Berkeley is a premedical Fraternity devoted to: 1. Unifying premedical undergraduates in academic excellence; 2. Guiding each member through the pre-medical process; 3. Providing a motivational and inspirational atmosphere which matures and strengthens the character of each brother. The Law of Sigma Mu Delta shall consist of the Constitution of Sigma Mu Delta, the Rituals of Sigma Mu Delta and the Sigma Mu Delta Manual of Pledge Education. Article I. Name The Fraternity shall be officially known as Sigma Mu Delta Premedical Fraternity; hereinafter referred to as SMD, the Chapter, the House, or the Fraternity. Article II. Purpose The mission of Sigma Mu Delta is to unify pre-medical students in a brotherhood dedicated to academic excellence. Sigma Mu Delta's foundation is based on the principles of brotherhood, education, and dedication. The fraternity provides a motivational and inspirational atmosphere to promote maturity. Article III. Membership Section 1. Eligibility Only currently registered students, faculty and staff may be active members in a registered student organization. Only Active Members may vote or hold office. We will not haze according to California State Law. We will not restrict membership based upon race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or service in the uniformed services (including membership, application for membership, performance of service, application for service, or obligation for service in the uniformed services.) Section 2. Active Membership An Active Member shall be a registered student at the university as which he successfully completed the new member term and was officially activated as a member of Sigma Mu Delta. He shall have the privileges of holding office, voting and participating in all functions of the Fraternity, as well as meet the active requirements of Sigma Mu Delta as set by the Sigma Mu Delta, Beta Chapter PAGE 1
Chapter and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.00. Actives are required to submit a transcript for statistical/grade verification requirements, and a minimum of 3 tests to the test bank. Failure to fulfill these requirements shall result in demotion to Associate Membership. Section 3. Associate Membership Associate Membership indicates that a Member has performed below the standards of Sigma Mu Delta. A Member who fails to fulfill his Active Member requirements shall be placed on Associate Membership for the subsequent term with the approval of two-thirds of the Executive Committee. Associate Members shall have all rights of Active Membership except holding office and receiving discounted rates for social events, granted that they still complete all Active Membership requirements as deemed fit by the Judicial Officer. Associate Members will also lose the right to hold an Executive Committee position the following smester. Whoever does not fulfill the requirements during two consecutive semesters shall be eligible for expulsion. Reasons that cause immediate demotion to Associate Membership include: A. Academic Probation (AP): Any Member with a grade point average (GPA) below 3.00 is automatically placed on Academic Probation and shall be subject to additional requirements as set by the Chapter. Sigma Mu Delta will provide him with tutoring as necessary. Actives falling below a 3.0 cumulative GPA will be required to meet with the VP of Academic Affairs to discuss the terms of their Academic Probation. B. Unpaid Dues: Any Member who does not pay active dues by the date set forth by the Financial Officer shall be placed on associate status for the rest of that term. The Member will have to pay any outstanding dues in order to be reinstated as an Active Member for the subsequent semester. A Member who has been active for at least two semesters and foresees less than full involvement in the Fraternity may be granted Associate Membership by the Executive Committee for 50% of dues. However, a Member who has received Associate Membership for more than two semesters will not be granted Alumnus Membership. Section 4. Affiliated Membership Affiliated Membership indicates that a Member has ceased involvements in Sigma Mu Delta. This status is synonymous with deactivation. Affiliate Members who have temporarily withdrawn from UC Berkeley or who are studying abroad are eligible to become Active Members upon their return to UC Berkeley. Affiliate Members with other unique circumstances can be reinstated as Active Members with the unanimous approval from the Executive Committee. Section 5. Test Prep Membership Test Prep Membership may be conferred upon Members who find it necessary to cease full involvement in Chapter affairs because of involvement with professional or graduate school test prep courses. Members applying for Test Prep Membership must do so in writing within the first three weeks of the semester, and is limited to one semester. A two-thirds majority of the Executive Committee is needed for approval. Test Prep Members shall have all the rights of Active Membership except holding office, and must complete the following requirements: paying 50% of Active dues; fulfilling Academic requirements; attending 50% of the general meetings; participating at one service event, and at one fundraising event. Section 6. Medical School Applicant Membership Applicant Membership may be conferred upon Members who find it necessary to cease full involvement in Chapter affairs because of involvement with the medical or other post-graduate school application process. Members applying for Applicant Membership must do so in writing within the first three weeks of the semester, and is limited to only one semester. A two-thirds majority of the Executive Committee is needed for approval. Applicant Members shall have all the rights of Active Membership except holding office, and must complete the following requirements: paying 50% of Active dues; fulfilling Academic requirements; attending 50% of the general meetings; participating at one service event, and at one fundraising event. Section 7. Alumnus Membership Upon graduation, Active and Affiliate Members shall be recognized as Alumni Members. Associate Members upon graduation may receive Alumni Membership with the approval of a simple majority of the Active Membership present at the time of voting, only if they have not received Associate Membership for more than two semesters. Members with unpaid dues by the time of graduation will not receive Alumni Membership. Alumni Members shall have all rights of Active Membership except voting, holding office, and fulfilling any Active Membership requirements. Sigma Mu Delta, Beta Chapter PAGE 2
Section 8. Pledge Membership The Chapter may select enrolled students of the University to participate in a period of education in the principles of Sigma Mu Delta. This period shall prepare the pledges for Active Membership in the Chapter. Only those who have completed their first semester as freshman year may be considered. A pledge is not considered a member of Sigma Mu Delta until he has been installed in to the Fraternity according to the rituals of Sigma Mu Delta. A. Number of Pledge Terms: Sigma Mu Delta shall have two pledge terms per academic year: during the Fall semester and the Spring semester B. Selection of Pledges: The Selection of pledges is a sacred tradition, and all discussion regarding candidates, rush, and voting protocol is be limited to amongst active members. Only those members who have attended three out of five Rush events may participate in voting. The selection of pledges shall be carried out strictly, and if at any time the Vice President of Internal Affairs and the President feel that rush and voting protocol have been broken, the Vice President of Internal Affairs and the President have the power to remove an individual from the entire selection procedure. For the first offense, a warning will be given. If the problem persists, the individual will be prohibited from voting during any of the subsequent rounds of voting and will be asked to leave the room. Prior to voting, the pledge parents will decide on their preferred class size in terms of two numbers: the ideal and the maximum. The ideal is the ideal number of pledges that the pledge parents would like to see in their class, and the maximum is the maximum number of pledges that they would like to see in their class. Each round of voting can only occur following the discussion of all the rushee candidates and will be carried out anonymously using paper ballots with all the rushees names printed on one sheet of paper. Votes will be tallied after each subsequent round and only those candidates who obtain unanimous yes votes may be inducted as a pledge of Sigma Mu Delta. During the preliminary round, the interviewers will be allowed to inform the House of their interpretations of their interviewed candidate. There will be a maximum five minute discussion per candidate, and afterwards, the first round of voting will commense. Tallying will be carried out by Ex-Comm. and the results will be displayed. After the first round, there will be no maximum time allotted for discussion of each candidate. Multiple rounds of voting may occur until either the House has reached an agreement according to the Pledge Parents set class size, or it has reached 5:00pm. If at this time the pledges have not been selected, an ideal/maximum voting procedure will take place. If the current number of selected candidates does not reach the ideal number proposed by the Pledge Parents, each active will be given one Yes vote. Voting will take place, and the candidate with the most Yes votes will be added to the list of selected rushees. This will continue until the ideal number is reached. If the current number of selected candidates exceeds the maximum number proposed by the Pledge parents, each active will be given one No vote. Voting will take place, and the candidate with the most No votes will be removed from the list of selected rushees. This will continue until the maximum number is reached. The resulting list is the new pledge class for the semester and these Candidates shall be initiated at the beginning of the pledge term according to the Rituals of Sigma Mu Delta. The number of Pledges may vary each pledge term but shall not exceed fifteen. Initiation dues must be paid in cash before a Candidate can be initiated. Delivery of bids will follow voting and rejection Bids will be delivered according to the following statement We are truly sorry, but we unable to give you a bid to Sigma Mu Delta at this time. Many actives really liked you, but we operate under a unanimous voting procedure, and a few people felt like they didn t get a chance to know you enough. We really want to encourage you to come back again next semester. C. Resignation: A Pledge may resign after presenting a written resignation to his Pledge Parents. Upon the acceptance of his resignation, the former Pledge must surrender his pin, paddle, and pledge manual. Sigma Mu Delta, Beta Chapter PAGE 3
D. Termination of Pledges: The conditions warranting termination of a Pledge include, but are not limited to: failure to maintain the GPA requirement, failure to complete pledge requirements, and conduct which brings discredit or dishonor upon Sigma Mu Delta. During the pledge term the Active Membership will evaluate the progress of each Pledge three separate times. Two votes shall be taken during each evaluation: The first will take place before an open discussion about each pledge so if any Active Member wants to, he can present his case. The second vote is anonymous where if an Active Member wants to depledge a Pledge, that Pledge will not continue in the pledge term. E. Installation of Pledges into the Fraternity: After completion of the pledge term, the House shall vote to approve the activation of the Pledges. A list of candidates shall be proposed by the Pledge Father and Pledge Master. Members may then express any opposition to those recommendations. Candidates shall be approved for installation by a unanimous vote of the Active Membership present at the time of voting. Approved candidates shall then be installed into the Fraternity according to the Rituals of Sigma Mu Delta. Section 9. Transfer of Membership Membership may be transferred from one Chapter to another if the Member transfers institutional enrollment, provided that the new Chapter accepts him. The new Chapter shall have the authority to determine his membership status. Section 10. Resignation Any Member wishing to resign membership must do so in writing and must present his resignation to the President. No resignation may be accepted if the member owes any outstanding dues. Upon the acceptance of his resignation, the former Member must surrender his pin, letters and all rights of membership. Section 11. Expulsion A proposal of expulsion may be written by any Active Member and given to the Vice President to present at a general meeting. The House shall vote on the proposal after the person in question has had a chance to defend himself at either the time of the proposal presentation or at the following general meeting. A two-thirds vote of the Active Membership present at the time of voting is necessary for the proposal to succeed. If he is expelled, the said individual shall surrender his pin, letters and all rights of Membership. If he is not expelled, the Chapter shall vote by a two-thirds majority to determine his membership status. An expelled Member must re-pledge to regain membership in Sigma Mu Delta. Article IV. Officers, Chairs, Committees, Duties, & Elections Section 1. Executive Committee The officers of Sigma Mu Delta shall include: the President, the Executive Vice President, the Vice President of Internal Affairs, the Vice President of External Affairs, the Vice President of Academics, the Vice President of Finance, the Pledge Father and the Pledge Master. These eight officers shall constitute the Executive Committee and shall be responsible for leading Sigma Mu Delta and fostering its future growth. Executive Committee decisions may be overruled if one-half of the Committee decides to bring the issue in front of the Active Membership who then must vote by a two-thirds majority to overrule the decision in question. Section 2. Other Officers and Chairs The remaining duties shall be divided into the following chairs: Rush, Service, Social, Internal Development, Professional, Fundraising, Historian, Ceremonial, Alumni, Sports, and Webmaster. There shall be two additional honorary officers during semesters when pledging takes place: Pledge Father and Pledge Master. Section 3. Terms of Officers and Chairs Each term shall be one semester long, and commence one week after elections. No Member shall be eligible to serve more than two consecutive terms for the same office. Officers and chairs elected during a special election shall begin their term immediately after their election; however, a member may run for an office two more consecutive times if he has held that position for less than half a semester. Section 4. Vacancies Should a vacancy occur, a special election to fill the vacancy shall be held during a general meeting. The procedure for electing officers and chairs will pertain to this special election. If the vacancy is that of the President, then the automatic replacement follows the following line of succession: Executive Vice President, Vice President of Internal Affairs, Vice President of Academics, and then Financial Officer. Sigma Mu Delta, Beta Chapter PAGE 4
Section 5. Election of Officers and Chairs Elections for officers and chairs shall take place in the following manner: When: Nominations will be made one week prior to elections. An Active Member may not be nominated for more than three positions. The Fall semester election shall take place the first week of December. The Spring semester election shall take place the last week of April. How: One Active Member must nominate a second Active Member for the position. If the Active Member accepts, a third Active Member must second the nomination. An Active Member may nominate oneself, but that still requires second Active Member to second the nomination. Active Members that want to be nominated must be present at the meeting nominations take place. If the Active Member cannot attend the meeting for whatever reasons, he will notify the Executive Committee at the Executive Committee meeting the week before to have their name added to the list of nominees. Another Active Member must be present with them to second the nomination, or the Active Member must get one of the Executive Committee members to second the nomination. Nominations by e-mail, text message, over the phone, or any sort of correspondence that is not in person shall not be considered. The order of nominations shall go as follows: 1. President 2. Executive Vice President 3. Vice President of Internal Affairs 4. Vice President of External Affairs 5. Vice President of Academics 6. Vice President of Finances 7. Pledge Master 8. Pledge Father 9. Ceremonial Chair 10. Rush Chair 11. Internal Development Chair 12. Sports Chair 13. Professional Chair 14. Service Chair 15. Social Chair 16. Historian 17. Fundraising 18. Alumni 19. Webmaster Sigma Mu Delta, Beta Chapter PAGE 5
There will be two rounds of nominations, and then the list shall be closed and set as final. No more Active Members may add their names to the nomination list, but they may remove their name whenever they like. Eligibility: Only Active Members who have been active for at least one semester shall be eligible to vote for and hold an Executive Committee office. New initiates may also not vote in elections in which either of their Pledge Parents runs. No Active Member may hold more than one position at a time. Procedure: The candidates of the Executive Committee shall speak for not more than three minutes with an additional two minutes allotted for questions. The nominee may yield some of his speech time to questions as well. After the speeches, the Active Membership present will elect a winner by a simple majority vote. Should no candidate receive a majority, a runoff will be held between the two top candidates. This process will be repeated for the elections of each office, except that each candidate will speak for no more than two minutes with an additional minute allotted for questions. Similarly, the candidates may yield their speaking time to questions as well. Should a tie occur amongst two or more candidates, a runoff will be held between the two candidates with the most votes. Section 6. Election of the Pledge Parents Elections for the honorary officers, the Pledge Parents, shall take place in the following manner: When: Eligibility: Procedure: Nominations will be made one week prior to the election of the Pledge Parents. The election date shall be determined by the Executive Committee. Any Member not on Associate Membership is eligible to hold the position of a Pledge Parent. An Active Member may hold another position at the same time as a Pledge Parent position if he feels he can execute both responsibilities. After each candidate for Pledge Master has spoken for no more than five minutes, the Active Membership present will elect a winner by a simple majority vote. Should no candidate receive a majority, a runoff will be held between the two top candidates. This process will be repeated for the election of the Pledge Father. Should a tie occur amongst two or more candidates, a runoff will be held between the two candidates with the most votes. Section 7. Dismissal of Officers, Chairs, and Committee Members An officer or chair may be subject to dismissal for misconduct, for malfeasance in office, or for failure to successfully discharge the duties of his office. An Active Member must write a proposal to dismiss and give it to the Executive Vice President to present at a general meeting. The House shall vote on the proposal after the person in question has had a chance to defend himself at either the time of the proposal presentation or at the following general meeting. A unanimous vote of the Executive Committee, minus the Member in question if he is part of the Executive Committee; and a two-thirds vote of the Active Membership present at the time of voting, minus the Member in question if he is a Chair, is required for the proposal to succeed. Section 8. Structure and Duties of the Executive Committee The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the term s active requirements. Each officer should keep in mind the Sigma Mu Delta vision of Brotherhood, Education and Dedication as they perform their duties. Each office of the Executive Committee shall be executed by no more than one Active Member. A. President: The President shall focus Sigma Mu Delta and the Executive Committee. He shall lead both Executive Committee and weekly general meetings and maintain order, respect, and efficiency at those meetings. The President shall plan and distribute the agendas and the calendar. The agenda should include a round table section where all Active Members may speak. The calendar should include all events including weekly meetings, social activities, service events and pledge events when applicable. B. Vice President (Executive Vice President): The Vice President shall serve as the information hub of Sigma Mu Delta. He shall maintain the Sigma Mu Delta Box which will contain important current and archived documents. He shall also be responsible for recording the minutes of each general and executive board meeting and posting Sigma Mu Delta, Beta Chapter PAGE 6
them by e-mail. He shall maintain the networks of communication via conventional mail, e-mail, and telephone. The Vice President shall succeed the President in case of his dismissal or resignation. The Vice President holds the position of Executive Vice President and shall work closely with the President to ensure the fraternity is running smoothly and the other Executive Communitee members are on top of their responsibilities. He shall supervise the Professional Chair, the Alumni Chair, and the Webmaster. C. Judicial Officer (Internal VP): The Judicial Officer shall be responsible for enforcing the constitution and implementing disciplinary action. He shall evaluate all Members progress on requirements every four weeks. He shall also keep a record of Members progress of the general and executive meeting requirements. Any Member who expects to miss or be tardy to a general meeting or event is required to contact the Judicial Officer. The Judicial Officer holds the position of Vice President of Internal Affairs and shall uphold the laws and regulations of the fraternity. Any member who expects to miss or be tardy to a general meeting or event is required to contact the Vice President of Internal Affairs at least 24 hours beforehand. He shall supervise the Internal Development Chair, Sports Chair, and Historian and report their performance to the other executive officers. A. External Officer: The External Officer shall be responsible for formulating and maintaing all external relations. He shall play a major role in linking Sigma Mu Delta to other organizations. He shall evaluate the progress of the fraternity in its relationship with other organizations. The External Officer shall maintain relations with Sigma Mu Delta s Alpha Chapter at UC Davis, updating them on current events of the Sigma Mu Delta s Beta Chapter, and updating the Active Membership on current events pertinent to the Alpha Chapter.. He shall also maintain relations with other campus and outside organizations. The External Officer holds the position of Vice President of External affairs and shall organize events with organizations and students outside of Sigma Mu Delta s Beta Chapter. This includes events with other chapters of Sigma Mu Delta, rush week, professional symposiums, and social events. He shall supervise the Rush Chair, Symposium Chair, and Social Chair. D. Academic Officer: The Academic Officer shall ensure that each member maintains the academic requirements. He shall compile and maintain lists of texts, notes, exams, common classes, MCAT preparatory materials, and evaluations of professors and courses. He shall oversee the selection of the Sigma Mu Delta honor roll. He shall also be responsible for finding tutoring options for Associate Members on Academic Probation. The academic officer holds the position of Vice President of Academics. He shall compile and maintain a databank of exams, quizzes, notes, MCAT preparatory materials, evaluation of professors and courses, and anything else that he deems valuable. He shall also be responsible for finding tutoring options for Associate Members on Academic Probation. He shall supervise the alumni, professional, and service chairs and report their performances to the other executive officers. Academic committee meetings will be held at the discretion of the VP of Academic Affairs. E. Financial Officer: The Financial Officer shall maintain an accounting system, related bank accounts, and project expenses. He shall also collect and track Active and Pledge dues. He shall set up and maintain Sigma Mu Delta as a non-profit organization. He shall maintain a transparent financial strategy to keep Sigma Mu Delta in good financial standing. The financial officer holds the position of Vice President of Finance. He shall collect and manage dues as well as issue reimbursements when necessary. He shall attend ASUC training and understand the use of ASUC funds, including sending in the midyear or end of year report and applying for ASUC funding in the Spring. He shall supervise the Fundraising Chair and report their performance to the other executive officers. Section 9. Structure and Duties of All Other Officers and Chairs The remaining Officers and Chairs shall be responsible for all other administrative functions. No more than two Active Members may hold a Chair position. Each chair is responsible for reporting his planned events to the President so they may be placed on the calendar. B. Service Chair: The Service Chair shall coordinate and oversee all volunteering service projects for Sigma Mu Delta. He shall be responsible for keeping Sigma Mu Delta oriented toward service in the community and on the campus, and for organizing events. He shall also keep a record of Members progress of the service requirements. Sigma Mu Delta, Beta Chapter PAGE 7
C. Rush Chair: The Rush Chair will coordinate and organize the rush term. This will include organizing a rush calendar of events and dates, creation of publicity calendar and schedule, and creation of a rush T-shirt. D. Social Chair: The Social Officer shall be responsible for strengthening the unity among all the Members. He shall suggest, create and plan social events to foster the vision of Brotherhood, and contact social coordinators of other organizations for possible joint events and partnerships. E. Internal Development Chair: The Internal Development Chairs are responisble for fostering the growth of brotherhood through events. They will organize internal brotherhood events such as dinners. They will plan a retreat and a banquet for the fraternity. F. Sports Chair: The Sports Chair will be responsible for fostering the growth of brotherhood through intramural sports. They will organize teams for respective sports. The Sports Chair will be responsible for signing up teams and brothers to the respective sports. He will be responsible for updating the house with the schedule of games for each week. G. Professional Chair: The Professional Chair shall be responsible for overseeing the career planning and professional development of the House and Pledges. He shall explore potential research and internship opportunities, as well as maintain relations with other professional organizations. H. Fundraising Chair: The Fundraising Chair shall propose and coordinate fundraising projects and events. He shall also keep a record of the Members progress of the fundraising requirements. I. Historian: The Historian shall be responsible for taking photographs, making slide shows and recording the history of Sigma Mu Delta during his term of service. He must attend most events, especially during the pledge term. If unable to attend an event, he shall be responsible for finding an Active Member to take his responsibilities during his absence. J. Ceremonial Chair: The Ceremonial Chair shall preside over the initiation and installation of the Pledges. He shall plan and organize the activation banquet at the end of each pledge term. He must attend most events, especially during the pledge term. He shall be responsible for interpreting the symbols and rituals of Sigma Mu Delta. K. Alumni Chair: The Alumni Chair shall maintain a list of Active and Alumni contacts for the Fraternity. He shall also work alongside the Webmaster in updating the Alumni status on the website. L. Webmaster: The Webmaster shall set up and maintain the fraternity website www.smdberkeley.com. He shall update events, announcements, photos, alumni status, and active brothers, among other things having to do with the website. Section 10. Duties of the Pledge Parents The positions of the pledge parents are positions in the Executive Committee and having voting rights within the committee. A. Pledge Master: The Pledge Master shall play the role of a disciplinarian. He informs the pledges of their requirements and tracks the progress and deficiencies of each Pledge. With the Pledge Father, he shall lead and coordinate the pledge meetings. He must plan and attend all pledge events of the term, in conjunction with the Pledge Father. He will not haze according to California State Law. B. Pledge Father: The Pledge Father shall motivate the Pledges and oversee the pledge term. Along with the Pledge Master, he shall lead and coordinate the pledge meetings. The Pledge Father shall be the advisor who instills the spirit and vision of Sigma Mu Delta in the Pledges. He must plan and attend all pledge events of the term, in conjunction with the Pledge Master. He will not haze according to California State Law. Sigma Mu Delta, Beta Chapter PAGE 8
Article V. Meetings and Attendance Requirements Section 1. General Meetings Meetings shall be held each week at an appropriate time when all Members of the Chapter are able to attend. Meeting days and times for the semester shall be set no later than two weeks after the start of each semester. The President will call the meetings. Section 2. Meeting Length Each Active meeting and Pledge meeting will be limited to one and a half hours. Section 3. Executive Committee Meetings The Executive Committee shall meet at least once every week. Lower chairs are required to attend the weekly executive meeting to give updates on their respective projects and duties. The Executive Committee is to also debrief the rest of the chairs about their projects and fraternity matters. Following this part of the meeting, the lower chairs will have permission to leave the meeting. Lower chairs will also be subject to the same rules and regulations of the Executive Committee. The cancellation of an Executive Committee meeting must have unanimous approval of the Executive Committee. Should the President not fulfill this requirement, he will have the legitimacy of his case discussed by the Judicial Officer for possible disciplinary action. Section 4. Additional Meetings Requests for additional general meetings may be made by any Executive Committee member. Additional Executive Committee meetings must be approved by two-thirds of the Executive Committee members, and additional general meetings must be approved by two-thirds of the Active Membership present at the time of voting. Section 5. Quorum A quorum to do business (i.e., vote on an amendment) at a general meeting shall consist of no less than two-thirds of the Active Membership. A quorum to do business at an Executive Committee meeting shall consist of no less than two-thirds of the Executive Officers. A quorum is required for decision to be binding. Section 6. Absences and Tardies Attendance and promptness at general meetings is mandatory for all Active Members, just as attendance to Executive Committee meetings is mandatory for Executive Committee members. An absence is defined as not being present for the first twenty-five minutes of a meeting. A maximum of three absences from executive meetings for Executive Committee members, and three absences from general meetings for Active Members are allowed per semester. Section 7. Attendance at Service Events All Active Members must attend one individual volunteering events or do weekly community service. Attendance at the service events shall be recorded by the Judicial Officer or someone else in his stead. A Member who does not fulfill the service requirements will have the legitimacy of his case discussed by the Judicial Officer for possible disciplinary action. Disciplinary action may consist of but not be limited to the following: stripped of voting rights, no nominations, exclusion from socials, and more. Section 8. Attendance at Fundraising Events All Active Members are required to attend no less than one fundraising event per semester. A Member who does not fulfill the fundraising requirement will have the legitimacy of his case discussed by the Judicial Officer for possible disciplinary action. Section 9. Attendance at Friday Night Events Active Members of the most recent inducted class are required to attend at least five Friday Night Events. A Member who does not fulfill the pledge event attendance requirement will have the legitimacy of his case discussed by the Judicial Officer for possible disciplinary action. Section 10. Mid-Semester Leadership Evaluations The Chapter is required to evaluate each Executive officer and chair position at least once per semester. Evaluations are to be conducted through an undisclosed survey. Executive Committee Officers are to be evaluated by each Active Member in attendance while Non-Executive Chairs are to be evaluated by members of the Executive Committee. All the evaluations are to be turned into the Judicial Chair who will then distribute it to each officer or chair the evaluation is about. Sigma Mu Delta, Beta Chapter PAGE 9
Section 11. Attendance at Interviews and Deliberations All executive committee members and chairs must attend all rush interviews, pledge final interviews, and deliberations during the term. Any chair or officer who does not meet this requirement will face disciplinary action by the Judicial Officer. Section 12. Social Hours Each active brother shall be required to contribute at least one hour each semester to the set up or clean up of a social event. The Social Chair shall announce the set up and clean up schedule no later than three days before a social, at which point active brothers can sign up for a one hour shift. If not all shifts are filled for a social, the Social Chair has discretion to mandate hours to active brothers who have not completed their required hour during the semester. In the event an active brother is mandated for a shift that he cannot complete, his excuse shall be explicitly communicated to the Executive Committee in writing no later than 24 hours before his mandated shift. Failure to complete a one hour shift by the end of the semester will result in a fine to be determined by the Executive Committee, but no less than $20. Active brothers who fail to complete their one hour shift will be barred from all social events until their outstanding fine and all other dues have been paid in full. Article VI. Constitutional Amendments Proposed amendments must be submitted to the Active Membership in writing at a general meeting. Executive Committee Members may propose an amendment. The Proposed Amendment must be presented in writing to the Executive Committee and to the President first. The President then must share the proposed amendment to the entire house at General meetings with the entire chapter. The Required period of time between the proposed amendment and a final vote shall be at at least 2 weeks. Members will be notified via email that a vote is going to occur at the general meeting about the proposed amendment. The Fraternity shall review the proposal vote on it at the following general meeting. For the adoption of any amendment, a two-thirds vote of the Active Membership present at the time of voting is necessary. No Voting or amendment changes shall occur or be deemed legitemate without the vote of the 2/3 of the Active Members. All amendments, additions or deletions to this document must be filed with the LEAD Center in 102 Hearst Gym. Article VII. Dissolution Dissolution of Sigma Mu Delta requires unanimous approval of the entire Active Membership present at the time of voting. All unspent ASUC funds shall remain the property of the ASUC; all Graduate Assembly funds shall remain the property of the Graduate Assembly. Remaining privately-obtained funds may be donated to another nonprofit organization with prior approval of the ASUC Senate Finance Committee. Upon dissolution, all unspent funds after expenses and liabilities are accounted for will be donated to the Berkeley Free Clinic with approval of the ASUC Senate Finance Committee. Article VIII. Finances Section 1. Dues Sigma Mu Delta may establish reasonable Chapter initiation fees, dues, and installment plans. The quantity of these shall be set each semester for the following semester. The proposed sum for Active dues shall be made by the Financial Officer using projections derived from previous expenditures and future plans. A two-thirds majority vote of the Active Membership present at the time of voting is required to approve any financial plan. Active dues shall be collected at general meetings only and must be paid within the first two weeks of each semester unless otherwise stated by the Financial Officer. Section 2. Initiation Fees The non-refundable initiation fee shall be paid by Pledge Candidates at the beginning of each pledge term. The amount of initiation fees for each pledge term in then coming year shall be determined by the Chapter at the end of each spring semester in the same manner as Active dues. Section 3. Debts Debts to Sigma Mu Delta will not be allowed unless an installment plan is put into place by the Financial Officer, which requires approval of two-thirds of the Active Membership present at the time of voting. Sigma Mu Delta, Beta Chapter PAGE 10
Section 4. Collecting from the Fraternity In order to maintain accurate records, an Active Member seeking reimbursement from the Fraternity must submit a receipt and description of the expense to the Financial Officer at a general meeting within thirty days of the transaction. A check shall be issued to the said Member at the following meeting if not sooner. The Financial Officer reserves the right to refuse reimbursement after a two-thirds affirmative vote by the Executive Committee. Section 5. Fiscal Year The fiscal year ends on the last day of the Spring semester, and begins anew the following day. All expenses and reimbursements should be completed by the end of each fiscal year. Section 6. Accounts A checking and savings account shall be maintained in the name of Sigma Mu Delta by the Financial Officer. All checks are to be signed by the Financial Officer. The amount to be allocated to each account will be determined one semester in advance. Section 7. Financial Responsibilities Although Active Members representing the fraternity as signatories to the Office of Student Life are legally responsible for the behavior and finances accrued by the Chapter, in the event that any Member behaves inappropriately or causes any financial burden to the University or other public/private entities, that individual, which will be determined after due deliberation by the Judicial Officer, will be held accountable and financially responsible for his own actions. In the event that accountability for inappropriate behavior or financial burden cannot be determined for specific Members involved, the financial burden will be distributed among all Active Members of the Chapter. Section 8. Budgeting Responsibilities In the event that a Member is given a budget and spends more than his allotted amount, the Fraternity shall not liable for the extra costs, unless two-thirds of the Active Membership present at the time of voting approves such costs after due deliberation. Article IX. Discipline Any Member or Pledge of Sigma Mu Delta may be subject to appropriate disciplinary action up to suspension and/or expulsion for just cause and after due deliberation. Article X. Birthday Ceremonies shall be held every 9 th of February by the Chapter to commemorate the founding of Sigma Mu Delta at the University of California at Davis. Ceremonies shall be conducted according to the official ritual of the Fraternity. Article XI. Suspension of Rules In order to consistently uphold the Law of Sigma Mu Delta while dealing with exceptional circumstances, the Chapter may suspend the SMD Constitution after a 75% affirmative vote of the Active Membership present at the time of voting. Ratified at a general meeting of the Beta Chapter of Sigma Mu Delta on February 15, 2015 Sigma Mu Delta, Beta Chapter PAGE 11 by Sandon Griffin, President Kenneth Song, Executive Vice President Tyler Chung, Vice President of Internal Affairs Edbert Lu, Vice President of External Affairs Shashank Patil, Vice President of Academics Eric Han, Vice President of Finances (Article III, Section 4)
Revision History: Original Early Spring 2004 First Revision Late Spring 2004 Second Revision Spring 2005 Third Revision Spring 2008 Fourth Revision Fall 2008 Fifth Revision Spring 2009 Sixth Revision Spring 2011 Seventh Revision Spring 2013 Eigth Revision Fall 2014 Ninth Revision Spring 2015 Sigma Mu Delta, Beta Chapter PAGE 12