Article I-Organization Name The name of this organization shall be the Theta Epsilon Chapter of the Delta Epsilon Iota Academic Honor Society. The organization may also refer to itself as Delta Epsilon Iota, Delta Epsilon Iota AHS, or DEI.
Article II-Mission and Goals Section 1: Mission To promote the ideals of Dedication, Enthusiasm, and Initiative at Loyola Marymount University through student leadership, special programs coordinated with the Career Development Services, campus and community service projects, and regular networking opportunities for members.
Section 2: Goals 1) To embody the ideals of the Delta Epsilon Iota Academic Honor Society at the local level 2) To be an effective, contributing organization within the university community 3) To provide its membership with “education beyond the classroom”
Article III-Affiliation This organization shall conform to the rules and regulations prescribed by the Student Policy and Procedures and other laws and rules governing Loyola Marymount University and its students, and shall honor the policies and procedures of the national organization as set forth in the national constitution. This organization is to be considered a Chapter of the Delta Epsilon Iota Academic Honor Society, and shall operate in a consistent, non-commercial nature.
Article IV-Membership Section 1: Membership Statement Chapter membership is limited to students who are currently enrolled at Loyola Marymount University. Students shall be invited into membership only by the authority and established procedures of the Delta Epsilon Iota Academic Honor Society. The academic requirements for membership at Loyola Marymount University will be sophomore status (and above) having earned at least 30 semester hours with a Cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 (based on a 4.00 scale). Associate membership is limited to current LMU Career Development Services student employees. Affiliate membership is limited to LMU faculty, staff, and alumni.
Members may claim “active status” in the local chapter by attending at least one meeting per year, and by participating in at least one chapter activity per year. Section 2: Voting Rights Only active members and associate members currently enrolled in good standing are eligible to vote. Affiliate members may not vote or hold office.
Section 3: Discrimination No discrimination shall be made on the basis of sex, race, creed, color, age, religion, disability, national origin, marital or parental status, veteran's status, or sexual orientation.
Section 4: Hazing
There shall be no hazing. Members are free to leave and disassociate without fear of retribution or harassment
Section 5: Recruitment
Recruitment shall initially take place during the spring 2007 membership drive. Subsequent membership drives will take place during the fall semesters, yet students may apply for membership at any time throughout the year.
Section 6: Revocation of Chapter Participation The ability to participate in chapter programs and activities may be revoked without mutual agreement for non-participation, misconduct, or violations of any provisions of the Constitution. The member will be notified in writing of the possible revocation at least 72 hours prior to the vote and will be allowed to address the organization in order to relate to members any relevant defense prior to the voting for removal. Membership can only be revoked upon a 2/3 affirmative vote of active student members, and then must be approved by the National Office.
Section 7: Reinstatement of Chapter Participation After a period of three (3) months from the date of removal, the member may request reinstatement in writing to the president of the chapter. The ability to participate in chapter programs and activities can only be reinstated upon a 2/3 affirmative vote of active student members, and then must be approved by the National Office. If revocation of chapter participation is due to a student’s failure to meet the grade point average requirement, the student may request reinstatement following completion of one semester and successful elevation of their grade point average in compliance with chapter requirements.
Article V-Officers Section 1: Eligibility All officers of the organization shall possess (at the time of election and during their term) at least the minimum requirements regarding enrollment hours, GPA, academic and disciplinary standing, and financial and disciplinary holds to serve in a leadership position. Officers who do not meet these requirements during their term shall be resigned or removed. Additionally, only active members and associate members currently enrolled in good standing are eligible for selection to an officer position.
Section 2: Titles and Duties The officers of this organization shall include (in order of succession) a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Webmaster. No officer will be permitted to hold more than one officer position, but may assist in the duties of that position if it is vacant. President, who shall announce and preside at all meetings, oversee the chapter activities, administer the policies and procedures of the national organization, and assume responsibility for the overall success of the chapter.
Vice President, who shall assume the duties of the President in the event that he or she is unable to serve, welcome new members, encourage participation in chapter activities, and assist in administering the affairs of the chapter.
Treasurer, who shall control local funds on behalf of the chapter and the national organization, and regularly report to both on the financial status of the chapter.
Secretary, who shall record minutes of meetings and assist in the communication between the chapter and the DEI national office.
Webmaster, who shall be responsible for establishing, maintaining, and regularly updating the chapter website and member email list. Assistant Event Chair, who shall assist the Executive Board members with all event planning, be responsible for all necessary paperwork for event execution, and manage and delegate all tasks to ensure the success of the events.
Public Relations Chair, who shall manage marketing and publicity for the chapter, create all flyers and publications, and thus encourage the growth of the Theta Epsilon Chapter. Scholarship Chair, who shall be responsible for monitoring and encouraging the elevation of the members’ collective grade point average.
Section 3: Voting Rights
All officers shall retain voting rights; however, the President shall only vote in the case of a tie. Section 4: Term of Office
The length of term of office shall be no longer than one calendar year. Article VI-Selection of Officers
Section 1: Nomination Process The nomination of officers shall occur each academic year at the first membership meeting held in March. Any active student member present may nominate someone or him/herself for office by verbally nominating the individual during this procedure. However, the nominee must be considered eligible for an officer position (as defined in Article IV, Sections 1 and 2). Absentee/proxy ballots are not permitted in the nomination process.
Section 2: Election Process The election of officers shall occur at the second membership meeting held in March. The order of elections shall begin with the President and proceed in order of succession. The organization may not proceed to the election of the next officer until the current one has been resolved.
The nominated candidates for each office will be given a chance to address the organization to discuss their qualifications and reasons why they should be selected to that office. Candidates will speak to the organization in alphabetical order by last name. Once each candidate for that office has had the opportunity to speak, all active student members present will have the opportunity to vote by secret ballot. Absentee ballots and proxy ballots are not permitted in the election process.
The advisor and current highest-ranking officer not running for office will tabulate all votes. The highest-ranking officer not running for office shall announce the officer with a simple majority (50% plus 1) of all votes cast by active student members. If no candidate receives a majority of votes, the top two candidates will enter into a run-off election. In the event of a tie, the President shall cast a vote to break the tie, unless he/she is running for said office. In that case, the next highest-ranking officer not running for office shall cast the deciding vote.
After announcing the new officer, the highest-ranking officer not running for office shall ask if any active student member contests the count. If no active student member contests the count, the new officer shall take office as per Article V, Section 3. If an active student member contests the count, each candidate may select an active student member to supervise the recount. The advisor and highest-ranking officer not running for office will recount all votes in the presence of the selected representatives.
Section 3: Installation of Officers Newly elected officers shall take office immediately following the first membership meeting in April and their term will end immediately following the first membership meeting the following April. Current officers should assist in the transition and training of the officers-elect, from elections until installation.
Section 4: Re-election Any officer may be re-elected; however, not for more than two consecutive terms in the same officer position. Officers cannot reappoint themselves for a second term, they must be re-elected as described in Article V.
Article VII-Officer Vacancies Section 1: Removal of Officers Leadership may be revoked without mutual agreement for non-participation, misconduct, failure to fulfill job duties, or violations of any provisions of the Constitution. The officer will be notified in writing of the possible removal from office at least 72 hours prior to the vote and will be allowed to address the organization in order to relate to members any relevant defense prior to the voting for removal. Any officer may be removed from office upon a 2/3 affirmative vote of active student members and approval by the National Office.
Section 2: Resignation Officers no longer wishing to serve on the board must submit their resignation to the highest ranking officer and advisor at least two (2) weeks in advance. Prior to the officer's final day he/she shall provide all documents relating to the organization and brief his/her replacement of current projects in his/her care.
Section 3: Filling Vacant Officer Positions In the event an officer (besides President) is removed or resigns, the remaining officers, by majority vote, will decide if the position is to be filled. If it is to be filled, the nomination process as stated in Article V, Section 1 will take place at the next membership meeting. The election process will take place as stated in Article V, Section 2 at the next membership meeting following nomination.
If the President is removed or resigns, the Vice President will assume the role of President upon a majority confirmation of the remaining officers. If not confirmed, the position of the President will be filled as per the paragraph above.
The newly elected officer's term shall end at the annual installation of officers in April. A change in officer information should be reported to Student Leadership and Development.
Article VIII-Committees Chapter committees as may be needed for the effective management of chapter activities may be proposed by any standing officer and authorized by majority vote of the chapter officers. Each committee will be open to those members defined in Article III, Section 1and 2. The election process for committee chairpersons will take place as stated in Article V, Section 2 at the next membership meeting following committee authorization. Each committee chairperson will be responsible for the activities of their respective committee and for the communication between the committee and the chapter officers.
Article IX-Advisor Section 1: Selection The advisor shall be selected by a majority vote of the officers and must be approved by a majority vote of active student members. To be eligible to serve as the advisor, the person must be a faculty or staff member of Loyola Marymount University as defined by Human Resources. The National Office strongly encourages the chapter advisor to be a Career Development Services staff member.
Section 2: Role and Authority The advisor shall serve as a mentor to the organization - providing guidance to the officers and members in the development and implementation of programs and activities, as well as LMU policy and procedure. Additionally, the advisor will monitor all expenditures of the organization. The advisor has no voting rights. The advisor must be willing to obtain an appropriate level of experience, resource information, and knowledge related to the mission, purpose, and activities of the organization.
Section 3: Length of Term The advisor has no term limit, as long as he/she remains a LMU faculty or staff member.
Section 4: Removal and Replacement of Advisor The advisor will be notified in writing of the possible removal at least 72 hours prior to the vote and will be allowed to address the organization in order to relate to members any relevant defense prior to the voting for removal. The advisor will be removed from his/her duties upon a 2/3 affirmative vote of active student members and approval by the National Office. In the event that an advisor is removed or resigns, a new advisor shall be elected within 15 school days.
Article X-Meetings Section 1: Membership Business Meetings The membership should meet to conduct chapter business at least once during the fall and spring semesters. Meetings are open to those defined in Article III, Section 1and 2, and officers (except the President) and active student members are allowed one vote per motion. The quorum required to conduct business is fifty-one (51) percent of the officers and fifty-one (51) percent of the organization's active student members.
Section 2: Officer Meetings The officers should meet at least once per month during the fall and spring semesters. Meetings are open to those defined in Article III, Section 1 and 2. Each officer (except the President) is allowed one vote per motion. The quorum required to conduct business is fifty-one (51) percent of the officers.
Section 3: Calling Meetings The President will be in charge of calling meetings and the Secretary will be responsible to notify all members and/or officers at least 48 hours in advance, by e-mail and/or telephone.
Section 4: Meeting Procedure The President shall use his/her discretion as to the manner and process in which he/she presides over meetings. However, the President shall follow Robert's Rules of Order in a given meeting if 2/3 of the active student members so request.
Article XI-Finances Section 1: Membership Dues There will be no dues or fees collected at the local chapter level. Membership in Delta Epsilon Iota is organized at the national level and each member pays a one-time, life-time membership fee (Currently $65.00) to the national organization. The chapter shall receive a portion of membership fee revenue from the national organization for the purpose of funding chapter activities and expenses. Any additional fund-raising activity for any purpose must have prior approval by the National Office.
Section 2: Budget Approval The Treasurer (in conjunction with the President) shall create a budget for the fall and spring semesters. The officers, by majority vote, and active student members, by majority vote, must approve the budget within the first month of each semester.
Section 3: Financial Authority For the protection of the organization and its officers, it is required that two authorized signatures sign all monetary transactions. Only the President, Treasurer, and Advisor can be signers on the organization's account. The advisor must approve and sign off on each expenditure before payment. Organizational funds may be spent on items such as office supplies, events and activities, publicity, travel expenses, and conference fees, but will not be used for anything illegal under University, local, state, and federal laws. All funds must be deposited within 24 hours after collection.
Section 4: Officer Transition It shall be the responsibility of all account signers to change contact information, as well as assist in the update of new account signatures with the organization's financial institution after each election. These signature cards may be requested from the National Office. In addition, it is the current Treasurer's responsibility to compile and present all banking documents and information about the previous and current budget to the new Treasurer.
Section 5: Dissolution of Organization In the event that the local organization ceases to exist, all materials relating to Delta Epsilon Iota, including chapter funds, officer handbooks, etc. are considered the property of the national organization, and shall be returned to the DEI National Office upon request, or released to a representative thereof.
Article XII-External Affiliations The purpose of this chapter shall be to embody the philosophy and ideals of the Delta Epsilon Iota Academic Honor Society at the local level. This chapter will strive to be an effective, contributing organization by providing its membership with programs and activities that promote academic achievement, career development education, and campus involvement.
The local watchwords, colors, and coat of arms shall be those of the national organization.
Article XIII-Amendments Amendments to the constitution must be proposed in writing to the President. The amendment must then be presented to the organization during a membership meeting and should include a full explanation and/or rationale for the amendment. The amendment must be voted on at the following membership meeting. The amendment shall not take effect until approved by a 2/3 affirmative vote of active student members of the organization and approval of the Department of Student Activities.
History of Constitution Created: 11/3/2006
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