Chapter and Organization Bylaws

Bylaws of the

Beta Gamma Epsilon Chapter

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

 

ARTICLE 1. Name of Chapter

The name of this chapter of Phi Theta Kappa shall be Beta Gamma Epsilon. (Assigned by Headquarters upon approval of chartering application.)

ARTICLE 2. Purpose

The purpose of the Beta Gamma Epsilon Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Stark State College shall be the promotion of scholarship, the development of leadership and service, and the cultivation of fellowship among qualified students of this college.

ARTICLE 3. Membership

Section 1.             Membership in Beta Gamma Epsilon chapter shall consist of member, provisional member, alumni member, and honorary members.

  1. Each eligible candidate who receives an invitation for membership must have completed 16 semester hours of associate degree course work, with a cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.75, adhere to the school conduct code and possess recognized qualities of citizenship. Grades from courses at other institutions will not be considered when determining membership eligibility. A cumulative GPA of 3.40 must be maintained after induction to remain in good standing. When a member’s cumulative GPA falls below 3.40, he or she has one semester in which to bring the average to 3.40. Failure to raise the cumulative GPA to 3.40 after one semester will result in removal of the student’s name from the local chapter roll and the Phi Theta Kappa Headquarters’ International roll. Once the student’s name is stricken from the roll, all membership privileges are revoked.

 

  1. Provisional Member. A provisional member of Phi Theta Kappa is a student, who, in the opinion of the local chapter, has shown an active interest in the affairs of the Society and who serves the Society in some special capacity, but who does not meet the full requirements for membership in the Society. Chapter requirements for admission as a provisional member shall be academic excellence as defined by a GPA of 3.75 on all credits taken in high school. In order to qualify for provisional membership status, a student must be enrolled in associate degree course work at the two-year college, adhere to school conduct code and possess recognized qualities of citizenship. Provisional members will not be officially affiliated with the Phi Theta Kappa Society, cannot hold office and cannot vote on chapter, regional or international matters. Provisional members will pay local chapter dues of $15.00, but are not required to pay the international and regional induction fee until they have qualified for full membership.

 

  1. Alumni Member. Alumni members shall be members of the Society who are no longer enrolled in the two-year college and/or who have terminated their active membership in good standing, with a minimum of one year’s enrollment at the two-year college. Alumni members shall be entitled to all the privileges of full members except the right to vote or to hold office.

The purpose of the chapter alumni is to support the chapter officers, chapter members, chapter programs and chapter priorities in relation to the hallmarks of the Phi Theta Kappa Society. Alumni have valuable contributions to make to Phi Theta Kappa at all levels however, the leadership roles of alumni are to be viewed within the context of support. Through alumni support, the integrity of the Society’s programs and service will be protected and new programs and services can be developed and offered in the future.

Alumni of Beta Gamma Epsilon Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society shall abide by the following code of conduct:

  1. During Phi Theta Kappa functions I will conduct myself at all times in a manner that reflects positively upon myself, the Society, and Stark State College.
  2. I am committed to maintaining an environment, which recognizes the dignity of each individual and encourages appreciation of diverse backgrounds, opinions, and goals in life.
  3. I am committed to honesty and integrity in personal, social, and academic endeavors.
  4. I will respond promptly, courteously, positively, and respectfully, to the concerns and request of all Advisors, Officers, Committee Chairpersons, and Members of the Society.
  5. I will conduct myself in a manner which is respectful of others and worthy of respect from others.
  6. I will dress appropriately during Phi Theta Kappa functions.

 

  1. Honorary Member. Honorary membership may be granted in this chapter to men and women who have rendered distinguished service to the Society. Honorary members may not vote or hold office nor must they be officially inducted or pay membership fees.

Section 2. Special Membership Considerations

  1. Returning Students – If a student has not been enrolled at Stark State College for an extended period, grades from course work over five years old need not be considered in membership candidacy.
  2. Transferring Students – A member from another Phi Theta Kappa chapter may transfer membership to the Beta Gamma Epsilon Chapter if he or she is currently enrolled at Stark State College and meets the maintenance GPA of 3.4 set by the chapter.

 

ARTICLE 4. Chapter Advisor

The Chapter Advisor shall:

  1. Be appointed by the administration of Stark State College;
  2. Be responsible for the guidance of chapter activities and shall act on behalf of the International Society and official college administration;
  3. Be responsible for the completion and submission of the Annual Report, Membership Report Forms and Membership Profile Forms required by the Phi Theta Kappa Society Headquarters;
  4. Sign and complete payment requisitions from the Chapter’s account, which is handled by the College’s Comptroller. The Comptroller reports the financial status of the chapter to the advisor;
  5. Be responsible for the invitation of all eligible students and for their orientation;
  6. Be responsible for submission of International and Regional membership dues; and
  7. Not be a voting member of the chapter.

ARTICLE 5. Officers

Section 1.            All officers must be members of Phi Theta Kappa, in good standing, have a cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.40 and be currently enrolled as a student at Stark State College.

Section 2.             The Beta Gamma Epsilon Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa shall have the following officers: President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, Web Master, and Newsletter Editor.

The President shall:

  1. Preside over all business meetings.
  2. Appoint and establish any necessary committees.
  3. Vote only in case of a tie.
  4. Serve as an ex-officio member of all committees.
  5. Present business to the organization.
  6. Represent the organization at all times.
  7. Appoint a committee to review and/or revise the chapter constitution annually in conjunction with the advisor.
  8. Appoint a committee to work with the advisor to prepare the Annual Report to be sent to Headquarters each spring.

The Vice President shall:

  1. Perform all duties of the president in the event of his/her absence.
  2. Head the committee reviewing the chapter constitution and the annual report.
  3. Act as program chair.
  4. Submit online to Regional Coordinator and Headquarters reports of chapter activities and Five Star Chapter Update Forms.
  5. Coordinate Chapter activities relating to the Honors in Action Hallmark.
  6. Coordinate Chapter activities related to the College Project Hallmark.
  7. Coordinate nomination and election of new officers.

(added to by-laws but not yet reported to headquarters)

The Recording Secretary shall:

  1. Take and read minutes of meetings.
  2. Maintain records of the meetings.
  3. Serve on the committee to prepare the Annual Report to be sent to Headquarters each spring.
  4. Update the Bylaws when necessary.
  5. Take roll at the meetings.

The Treasurer shall:

  1. Coordinate all fund raising activities.
  2. Consult with advisor to maintain a financial account for the Chapter.
  3. Receive all money and deposit in account at the College.
  4. Present the Chapter’s financial records at business meetings.
  5. File all financial records in the Chapter’s official file with the Business Office at the College

The Web Master shall:

  1. Maintain and update website.
  2. Communicate with the Ohio Phi Theta Kappa website with Chapter events.
  3. Communicate with International Headquarters as needed.
  4. Keep records of Chapter events (dates, times, events, brief description, results).

 

The Newsletter Editor shall:

  1. Prepare articles for newsletter (i.e. get articles submitted by others, etc.)
  2. Complete newsletter in time to be included in mailing of meeting agenda each month.
  3. Write news releases as necessary and submit to Advisor for final approval and submission.
  4. Coordinate with Web Master for posting events on website.

Section 3.            Alumni Liaison

The Alumni Liaison will be appointed by the current chapter officer team based on recommendation(s) from chapter advisor and provide a bridge between the chapter and chapter alumni as well as Alpha of Ohio, the Ohio Region Alumni Association. This position will serve in a supportive role relative to major decision-making (ideas, advice, etc.). The Alumni Liaison will not have voting rights however will be considered a part of the serving officer team.

The duties of the Alumni Liaison shall be to act as spokesperson for the alumni within the chapter, and to ensure that proper procedures are followed with regard to university and Phi Theta Kappa policy. The Alumni Liaison should not be considered as an active leader within the chapter officer team however, they can take on an advisory role within formed committees that support the mission of the chapter. As such, the Alumni Liaison can and should offer ideas and suggestions for the Hallmark Awards but should not write any of the Hallmarks.

ARTICLE 6. Election of Officers

Section 1.            All candidates for office must be members of Phi Theta Kappa, in good standing.

Section 2.            Elections should be held at the meeting before the new officers take over after the Spring Induction Ceremony of each year.

Section 3.            Officers shall hold office from the time of their inauguration, which shall be at the first meeting following the election, to the time of the next inauguration.

Section 4.            Nominations from the floor can be made at the same meeting as the election.

Section 5.            A simple majority vote shall elect any officer.

Section 6.            In any case, when an officer must resign office, an election shall be held to elect a new officer. Nominations shall be made from the floor and will be made at the first meeting following the resignation of the officer. The election will be held at the first meeting following nominations. Plurality of the votes cast will determine the new officer. The president shall have the power to make a temporary appointment until a meeting can be held.

ARTICLE 7. Resignation or Impeachment of Officers

Section 1.            If an officer is unable to fulfill his/her responsibilities he/she may resign, or be asked to resign from his/her role. He/She may still be a member in good standing within the chapter provided he/she fulfills the necessary requirements of a member in good standing.

Section 2.            If an officer fails to fulfill the duties of his/her office, the individual may be impeached as follows:

  1. A special meeting of the chapter must be held to discuss the problem.
  2. Only the issues related to the calling of the special meeting may be discussed.
  3. A quorum totaling the officers, minus the president, and members in attendance at the special meeting shall be the voting delegation for removal of office.
  4. A vote of ¾ of the quorum is sufficient to remove an officer from office.
  5. The president shall only vote in the case where one vote is needed to reach the ¾ of the quorum required.

ARTICLE 8. Meetings

Section 1.            All business meetings will follow the general agenda:

Order of Business

  1. Call to order
  2. Roll call
  3. Reading of the minutes
  4. Treasurer’s report
  5. Committee reports
  6. Old business
  7. New business
  8. Announcements
  9. Adjournment

Section 2.            A quorum shall consist of a majority of the officers plus the number of members in attendance, after proper notification (one week), at each meeting.

Section 3.             All meetings shall be governed by an adaption of Robert’s Rules of Order.

Section 4.            Committee meetings shall be called by the chair of said committee. Procedures at such meetings are left to the discretion of the chair provided the Code of Conduct is not broken. Reports of each meeting shall be given to the members at the following chapter meeting.

ARTICLE 9. Conduct Policy

Section 1.            Members of Beta Gamma Epsilon Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society shall abide by the following code of conduct:

  1. During Phi Theta Kappa functions I will conduct myself at all times in a manner that reflects positively upon myself, the Society, and Stark State College.
  2. I am committed to maintaining an environment which recognizes the dignity of each individual member and encourages appreciation of diverse backgrounds, opinions, and goals in life.
  3. I am committed to honesty and integrity in personal, social, and academic endeavors.
  4. I will respond promptly, courteously, positively, and respectfully, to the concerns and request of all Advisors, Officers, Committee Chairpersons, and Members of the Society.
  5. I will fulfill my responsibilities to the Society in an effective, efficient, and timely manner.
  6. I will conduct myself in a manner which is respectful of others and worthy of respect from others.
  7. I will dress appropriately during Phi Theta Kappa functions.

Section 2.             If formal disciplinary action is taken by the College due to violation(s) of the conduct policy, a member may be removed from chapter, regional, and international events/activities, chapter office, and/or dismissal from Beta Gamma Epsilon Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and may result in ‘member not in good standing’ status.

ARTICLE 10. Finances

Section 1.            Finances for this chapter will be raised by projects voted by a majority of the members.

Section 2.            The Chapter advisor must receive payment of the International/Regional Membership fee of $55.00 before members can be inducted.

Section 3.            All members must pay local fees of $15.00.

Section 4.            All members must pay regional fees of $5.00 prior to induction. Regional fees are remitted directly to the International Headquarters.

Section 5.            The advisor shall annually audit financial records of the chapter.

ARTICLE 11. Amendments and Revision

Section 1.            The by-laws may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the members present at any regular meeting, provided that the proposed amendment has been presented at a previous meeting. Any changes to the by-laws must be sent to Headquarters for final approval.

Revised December, 2014