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PSA |
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Pi Sigma Alpha |
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Bylaws and Procedures |
Article I.AuthorityThese Bylaws and Procedures shall be the governing document of the Alpha Zeta Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, replacing all previous bylaws, constitutions, and similar documents. These Bylaws and Procedures shall not conflict with the Constitution of Pi Sigma Alpha, and should the latter change so that these Bylaws and Procedures and the Constitution are in conflict, the Officers and Chapter Advisor shall amend this document to resolve this conflict in the manner set forth in Article II. A copy of these Bylaws and Procedures shall be deposited with the Chapter Advisor. A second copy shall be kept by the President, who shall make it available upon request. All questions regarding the interpretation of these Bylaws and Procedures shall be decided by the Chapter Advisor.
Article II.AmendmentAmendments may be suggested either by Active Members or by Officers. An Amendment suggested by an Active Member must be presented to the President and Chapter Advisor with at least ten verifiable signatures of Active Members supporting the Amendment. An Amendment offered by an Officer must be presented to the President and Chapter Advisor after having been seconded by another Officer. A General Membership Meeting shall then be called. The Active Membership shall be informed of the Amendment and made aware of the time and place of the General Membership Meeting. This Meeting shall be held not more than one month after the Amendment is sent to the Membership. The matter of the Amendment shall be discussed and decided at the General Membership Meeting. If one third of the all the Active Membership shall be present, the Amendment shall be passed by a two thirds vote. If less than one third of the Active Membership shall be present, the Amendment shall be passed upon the unanimous consent of the President, Executive Vice-President, and Vice-President of the Treasury. If neither the Officers nor the Active Membership shall pass the Amendment, the Amendment shall fail. The Chapter Advisor may veto any Amendment, regardless of the vote at the General Membership Meeting. All Amendments shall take effect immediately, unless the Amendment states otherwise.
Article III.MembershipSECTION 1: The Active Membership shall include all students currently enrolled in the University of Maryland, College Park, who have been initiated into Pi Sigma Alpha. Active Members shall have all rights and privileges afforded to Student Members by the Constitution of Pi Sigma Alpha. Active Members shall be allowed to attend all Chapter Meetings and Events, and shall be able to vote upon any matter put to a vote of the Active Membership. SECTION 2: The Invited Membership shall include all students eligible for and invited to society membership who have not yet been initiated. The Invited Membership shall be allowed to attend General Membership Meetings, but shall have no vote in any affairs put to a vote. Any Invited Member not initiated shall lose Invited Membership status until invitations are once again made. The Officers and Chapter Advisor may make an exception to this rule, initiating the Invited Member into Active Membership after the general initiation, should they so choose. SECTION 3: No person shall be invited to join unless they fulfill all requirements set forth in the Constitution of Pi Sigma Alpha. Invited Members shall also: (a) have a declared major of Government & Politics (b) will have completed a minimum of 56 credits by the end of the semester in which they shall be initiated. (c) have a cumulative GPA of 3.4, and a GPA of 3.5 in all GVPT courses. (d) perform any other qualifications for membership that the Officers and Faculty Advisor shall require. All such requirements shall be applied equally to all Invited Members. SECTION 4: If any Active Member shall become ineligible for membership, their case shall be reviewed by the Officers and Chapter Advisor. Should the Member's GPA in GVPT courses fall beneath a 3.0, that member shall be immediately expelled from the society. Should the Member's cumulative GPA fall to a point so that they are no longer in the upper one third of their class, that member shall likewise immediately be expelled from the society. In all other cases, where the Member's performance violates the qualifications set forth in these Bylaws and Procedures but not those of the Constitution of Pi Sigma Alpha, the Officers and Chapter Advisor shall call a General Membership Meeting. The Member in question shall be allowed to speak at this meeting. If a Quorum is present, the Active Membership shall then vote by a three fifths majority to expel the Member. Should a Quorum not be present, the Member shall be expelled upon a two thirds vote of the Officers. In all cases, the Chapter Advisor must also vote to expel the Member. Should the society decide not to expel the Member in question, the Member shall be placed upon probation, with all the rights of an Invited Member. The Officers and Chapter Advisor may also place addition reasonable restrictions/requirements upon the Member as they see fit. No Active or Invited Member shall be expelled from Pi Sigma Alpha for any offense not detailed in this section, nor shall any Member be expelled in a fashion not contained within this section. SECTION 5: The Officers and Chapter Advisor shall set Initiation Fees as they see fit, but they shall not set annual dues or any other mandatory monetary obligation upon the Active Membership.
Article IV.OfficersSECTION 1: Any Active Member shall be eligible to hold office. An Invited Member may become an Officer so long as they will be an Active Member upon taking office. Officers shall take office at the end of the Spring Semester, and shall hold their office until the end of the following Spring Semester. SECTION 2: The method for choosing future Officers shall be decided by the current Officers and the Chapter Advisor. They may choose to appoint new officers, hold an election, or a mixture of the two. The method for choosing new officers shall be made by a two thirds vote, with the consent of the Chapter Advisor. SECTION 3: Should any Officer be delinquent in their duties, that Officer may be removed from office by the Officers and Chapter Advisor or the Active Membership. Calls for Removal must be made by an Officer or by at least ten Active Members. All Calls for Removal shall be presented to the President , the Officer, and the Chapter Advisor. If the President is the subject of the Call, it shall be presented to the Executive Vice-President and the Vice-President of the Treasury. A General Membership Meeting shall then be called one week from the Call for Removal, and the Call for Removal shall be distributed to the Active Membership. The Meeting shall be scheduled so that every Officer, as well as the Chapter Advisor, can attend. The Officer in question shall be allowed to speak at the General Membership Meeting. The Officer shall be removed on the two thirds vote of the Officers or on the two thirds vote of the Active Members present, a Quorum having been found among them. The Chapter Advisor shall have the power to veto any Call for Removal, regardless of the vote. Any Officer expelled or placed on probation under Article III, Section 4 shall immediately be removed from their post. SECTION 4: Should any Officer Post go unfilled, the President shall appoint an Acting Officer to that position. This appointment shall be subject to a majority vote of the Officers, the Acting Officer not voting in this matter. The Acting Officer shall vote in all other matters. An Acting Officer may be made an Officer at any General Membership Meeting by a majority vote of all Active Members present, a Quorum having been found. SECTION 5: The Officers shall create and modify Budgets as necessary by a majority vote among them. Such Budgets may be passed at any Officer or General Membership Meeting. SECTION 6: The Officers shall compile an Annual Report to be sent to the National Office and be presented at the General Membership Meeting mandated in Article VI, Section 1. This Report shall detail the chapter's actions for the previous year, and give a full financial accounting. All Annual Reports shall be deposited with the Chapter Advisor, or in some other place at the Advisor's direction, and shall be made available as needed. SECTION 7: The President shall chair all Meetings, and may call Meetings whenever necessary. The President shall recommend all Acting Officers and Committee Chairs. The President shall also keep the Chapter Advisor informed of chapter actions. The President must approve all major financial actions of the Vice-President of the Treasury. The President shall communicate with the National Organization as needed. SECTION 8: The Executive Vice-President shall assist the President in whatever role required, and shall act as President when the President is not available. SECTION 9: The Vice-President of the Treasury shall keep records of all financial transactions pertaining to the Chapter, and shall have the authority to deposit money, write checks for approved purposes, and communicate with the bank as needed. The Vice-President of the Treasury shall provide a financial statement to Active Members, Officers, and the Chapter Advisor within a reasonable amount of time, as requested. SECTION 10: The Vice-President of Public Relations shall create posters, flyers, e-mails, web pages, and other forms of communication as needed. Funding for these communications shall come from the chapter, as approved by the Officers. SECTION 11: The Vice-President of Member Services shall keep the Active and Invited Memberships informed about chapter activities and meetings, and shall keep a record of Active and Invited Members. They shall also be responsible for determining which students are eligible for Membership. The Vice-President of Member Services shall also be responsible for recommending Members for expulsion in accordance with Article III, Section 4.
Article V.Chapter AdvisorSECTION 1: The Chapter Advisor shall be employed by the Department of Government & Politics, and shall hold their position for as long as they desire. Should this position be vacant, the Officers shall suggest, by a majority vote, a new Chapter Advisor to the Chair of the Department. That person shall become Chapter Advisor with the approval of the Chair. SECTION 2: The Chapter Advisor shall provide signatures and advice as needed. The Chapter Advisor must consent to any Amendments, Extraordinary Requirements for Membership, Expulsions, Calls for Removal, and the method for choosing future Officers. The Chapter Advisor may also overrule any financial decision made by the chapter.
Article VI.MeetingsSECTION 1: The President shall call at least one General Membership Meeting a year, to take place toward the end of Spring Semester but not within one week of Final Examinations. This meeting shall be mandatory for all Invited Members, with exceptions made by the Officers. General Membership Meetings must be announced at least one week in advance. Any Active or Invited Member may speak at any Meeting. Any Active Member may force the President to call a General Membership Meeting at the earliest convenient time provided that their request is accompanied by the verifiable signatures of ten Active Members. The Member should also inform the President of the reason for this Meeting. SECTION 2: A Quorum shall be required for all votes of the Active Membership. A Quorum shall exist when ten Active Members are present at a General Membership Meeting. SECTION 3: All votes put to the Active Membership shall be by a simple majority, unless otherwise stipulated by these Bylaws and Procedures. The vote shall be conducted by the President, and may be open or secret as decided by the President. All ties shall be decided by the President. SECTION 4: The President may call Officer Meetings as needed. Such meetings shall be open to all Active Members, but need not be advertised to the Membership. Matters discussed at Officer Meetings must be administrative in nature. SECTION 5: Whenever the Officers must vote by majority, all Officers shall have one vote and three votes shall prevail. Whenever the Officers must vote according to two thirds, the President shall have two votes, all other Officers shall have one, and four votes shall prevail. The balloting can be secret or open, at the President's discretion. When voting as part of the Active Membership, all Officers shall have one vote.
Article VII.CommitteesThe President may create committees as needed and appoint their Chairs with a majority vote of the Officers. The Chairs shall be responsible for the composition and administration of their committees, and shall report to the Officers and attend Officer Meetings as necessary. The creation of committees and appointment of Chairs may be decided at Officer Meetings. |
Pi Sigma Alpha, Alpha Zeta Chapter, University of Maryland - College Park |
