By-Laws

Of the

Omega of Texas Alumni Association

Of

Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society

Of

The Two-Year College

Preamble

We, the members of Phi Theta Kappa’s Omega of Texas Alumni Association at Southern Methodist University hereby associate ourselves to continue to uphold the purposes of Phi Theta Kappa; provide a continuing fellowship of Phi Theta Kappa members; help transfer students become accustomed to the senior institution and the life it affords; and recognize and encourage scholarship and leadership among Phi Theta Kappans.

Article I- Name

The name of this organization shall be the Omega of Texas Alumni Association of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society of the Two-year College, hereinafter referred to as Society.

Article II- Membership

An alumnus member shall be a former member of the Society who terminated active membership in good standing and who was enrolled for at least one year in a two-year college.

Section 1. Active Members.

1. An active member, hereinafter referred to as Member, of the Omega of Texas Alumni Association, hereinafter referred to as Association, shall be a student attending Southern Methodist University, hereinafter referred to as University; have been an active member in good standing of the Society at a two-year college; and, maintain a current fees status to the Association. Membership is open to all qualified persons without regard to race, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, or national origin.
2. Students on scholarship must maintain the following minimum standards for active status to remain on scholarship: 1 meeting per month (at least 3 meetings per semester), 1 fundraiser activity per semester, 2 other on-campus events or activities per semester, participate in 1 committee per semester, and attend 2 off-campus events per semester.

Section 2. Honorary Members.

1. Honorary members shall not have the right to vote, hold office or represent the Society. Nor shall honorary members be asked to pay membership fees to the Association.
2. Honorary membership shall be placed in nomination to the general membership of the Association. A simple Majority vote of members attending a general meeting may elect an honorary alumni member.

Article III- Officers and Duties

The elected officers of this organization shall be but are not limited to: President, Vice-President, Vice-president of Finance, Secretary, and Vice-president of Chapter Records. The addition of officers will be determined by the advisor(s).

Section 1. President:

The duties of the President shall be to preside over all Association meetings, create and print agendas for all meetings, to serve as chairman of the Executive Board, to appoint all committees, to enforce the By-Laws, to oversee the maintaining of an accurate and current chronological list for the chapter during the term of office, to appoint and oversee all committees, to call special meetings, to act as spokesperson for the Association, and to ensure that proper procedures are followed with regard to University and Society policies.

Section 2. Vice-president:

The duties of the Vice-president shall be to serve as Acting President in the absence of the President, to serve on the Executive Board, to serve as an ex-officio member of all committees and serve as program chairperson.

Section 3. Vice-president of Finance:

The duties of the Vice-president of Finance shall be to serve on the Executive Board, to collect fees, to maintain accurate accounting records (including a journal ledger in which all deposits and expenditures are recorded, a file of deposit receipts, and a file of requisition receipts), to deposit promptly into the Association’s account all money received, to process applicable payments, and to render financial reports at all meetings and upon request.

Section 4. Secretary:

The duties of the Secretary shall be to serve on the Executive Board, to keep the minutes of the Executive Board and General Assembly meetings, post minutes, to maintain an accurate and current membership roster, to provide Members notification of all meetings and events, take roll call, to act as corresponding agent at all levels, and to report Association activities to the student newspaper, city newspaper, and The Texan Regional Newsletter.

The duties of the Secretary to maintain an accurate and current membership roster, to provide Members notification of all meetings and events, and take roll call may be delegated to the Membership Chair (if elected).

Section 5. Vice-president of Chapter Records:

The duties of the Vice-president of Chapter Records shall be to serve on the Executive Board, to maintain a scrapbook containing Association activities, to maintain an accurate and current chronological list for the chapter during the term of office, and promote publicity for the Association.

Section 6. Materials gathered:

All materials gathered, collected, or purchased throughout the year are property of the Association. This is to include but is not limited to film, cameras, pictures, signs and banners, fliers, brochures, and officer notebooks.

Section 7. Notebooks:

Each officer is to maintain an accurate and current notebook with regard to their specific office. This notebook is to contain materials to aid the officer in their duties, notes of events, how-to information, and any other materials collected throughout the year. The notebooks will be given to the officer at the first Executive Board meeting after their election and will be returned to the chapter upon completion of their term of office.

Article IV- Executive Board

The Executive Board shall consist of all elected officers, committee chair(s), and the advisor(s).

Section 1. The duties of the Executive Board shall be to handle all questions not specifically dealt with in this document, to make recommendations to the membership, and to plan the yearly calendar for the Association.

Section 2. The Executive Board will meet at the call of the Chapter President or chapter Advisor(s).

Section 3. All By-Law and fiduciary decisions shall be advisory. The membership must vote on all recommendations, which to go into effect, must be approved by a simple majority of those voting.

Section 4. Voting members on the Executive Board consist of Association officers except the President. Committee chairs and Advisor(s) will serve as non-voting members on the Executive Board. In the event of a tie, the Association’s President will cast the deciding vote.

Article V- Election of Officers

Section 1. Members interested in running for an office must submit their name and position desired to the chapter president by the end of the last General Assembly meeting preceding the election week.

Section 2. One week during the month of April will be designated as election week.

Section 3. Voting shall be by secret ballot and/or email and are due by 5pm the Friday of the election week.

Section 4. Balloting times and locations shall be designated by the Executive Board at the last General Assembly meeting preceding the election week.

Section 5. A simple majority of all members voting shall constitute a choice.

Section 6. In the event of a tie, a run-off election shall be held. The run-off elections will be held the following week after the election week. The balloting times and locations will be the same as during election week.

Section 7. Any Member in good standing may vote and/or be a nominee for office if he or she has a minimum GPA of 3.0 at the University.

Section 8. All votes will be counted by the Advisor(s).

Section 9. Installation of new officers will occur at the last General Assembly meeting of the spring semester.

Section 10. The term of office will be for a period beginning with the installation in the spring and continuing until the installation of officers the following spring.

Section 1. All Members are eligible to become officers.

Section 2. Officers must be members in good standing and meet all qualifications for active membership.

Section 3. Officers must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.

1. Each party presenting charges shall prepare a written statement to be presented to the Executive Board. This statement shall include whatever information deemed pertinent to the conflict.
2. The Executive Board shall review these statements and provide the opportunity for each party to discuss the conflict with them.
3. The Executive Board shall present a recommendation to parties presenting charges and to the officer in question.
4. If the recommendation is not acceptable to any of the involved parties, referral shall be made by the Executive Board to the Members during a General Assembly meeting for final appeal.

Section 3. A three-fourths (3/4) vote of the Members shall be necessary to remove any officer. This vote will be made by secret ballot during the General Assembly meeting in which the referral is made. The votes will be counted by the Advisor(s) during that meeting and the results will be announced at that time.

Section 4. An officer failing to maintain active membership or GPA requirements will automatically forfeit the office.

Section 5. In the event a vacancy occurs in an elective office prior to or during the fall semester, a special election will be held to fill the vacancy. If a vacancy occurs in January or February, the Executive Board may appoint an interim officer or choose to leave the vacancy until the elections in the spring.

Section 1. This association shall have an advisor(s) appointed by the University.

Section 2. The advisor(s) shall be a member of the faculty or staff of Enrollment Management, appointed by the University.

Section 3. The advisor(s) shall perform all duties and responsibilities as defined by the Society.

Section 4. The primary advisor is responsible for the Annual Report. The advisor must work with the other advisors and the chapter president to complete the Annual Report required by the Society.

Section 5. The advisor(s) are responsible for the nomination of the Association for the Alumni Association of Merit award through the Society. It will be the determination of the advisor(s) if the Association will be nominated and their responsibility to complete the required essays for the nomination.

1. General Assembly meetings: to be held a minimum of one per month.
2. Executive Board meetings: the number of meetings will be determined by the Executive Board.
3. Special meeting: to be called by the Advisor(s) or the Association President.

A member who is under the age of 18, must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian on all activities away from the campus (i.e. conventions or any overnight event) regardless of the activity.

Section 1. Contingent upon the budget, funds will be made available to the President of the chapter and the Advisor(s) for travel to conventions/ conferences.

Section 2. Members wanting to attend an event must submit an application and letter stating why they would like the chapter to help fund their portion in part or full, contingent upon the budget, in writing to the advisor(s) two weeks prior to the convention/ conference deadline.

Section 3. Awarding of funding for a member to a convention will be proportional to the member’s participation in fundraising activities as well as participation in other chapter activities. Funds will be made available contingent upon the budget.

Section 4. For the Texas Honors Institute during the summer, new members that will be attending the University for the first time in the fall, may participate with the Association. This conference is the only exception to Article X, Sections 2 and 3.

Section 5. For students approved to attend any convention: if the student decides for any reason that they are unable to attend, but the University or Association has paid their registration, the student is required to pay in full the registration and any other costs that have been paid by the University or Association by a date determined by the Advisor(s).

Section 1. A simple majority vote will consist of Members in attendance at a General Meeting or Special Meeting totaling 50.1% on any given issue to pass or accept that issue. The President is not allowed to vote except to determine the outcome of a tie vote. Votes on issues will be recorded in the minutes of the General Meeting or Special Meeting. An advisor(s) must be present for all votes.

Section 2. A simple majority vote of the members of the Executive Board in attendance and an Executive Board Meeting is required to carry a vote on an issue. Votes on issues will be recorded in the minutes of the Executive Board Meeting. An advisor(s) must be present for all votes.

Section 3. A three-fourths (3/4) vote of the Members in attendance at a General Assembly meeting will constitute the passing or acceptance of the removal of an officer. This is the only time a three-fourths vote is necessary. All other voting will be by a simple majority vote.

Section 4. Pending revision.

Section 1. Amendments of the By-Laws shall be submitted to any officer or advisor in writing for submission to the members for a vote at the next General Assembly meeting.

Section 2. Notice shall be given to all Members a minimum of one (1) week prior to any vote to amend these By-Laws.

Section 3. These By-Laws may be amended by a simple majority vote of the Members during the specified General Assembly meeting.

Section 4. Amendments shall become effective upon ratification by the Members and approval by the Society.

1. Approval of the Enrollment Management Office at Southern Methodist University.
2. Approval by the Society.
3. Affirmative vote by a simple majority at the next General Assembly meeting of the Omega of Texas Alumni Association.

Section 2. Upon ratification, these By-Laws shall become the governing document of this Association, superseded only by the Society Constitution, Texas Regional By-Laws, and the policies and procedures of the University.

Section 3. These By-Laws are subject to the laws or rules of the United States of America and the State of Texas.

 

By-law Approval

Revision date: Friday, January 24, 2003