Bylaws
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
Chapter 203
(revised and approved February 2017)
Preamble
For the purpose of promoting high academic standards at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville; maintaining a chapter of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (to be referred to as “the Society” or “Phi Kappa Phi”) chartered and installed at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on May 25, 1978; and furthering the ideals and objectives of the Society; the members of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville chapter do hereby adopt the following Bylaws for its governance.
Article I
Name and Mission
Section 1. The name of this organization is the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chapter #203 of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.
Section 2. The mission is to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others. The Society also recognizes outstanding achievement by students, faculty, and others through various awards and through invitation to membership.
Section 3. This organization shall be governed in accordance with the Bylaws of the Society, as adopted by the Biennial Convention on July 30, 2016.
Article II
Governance
Section 1. Functions of Chapters
1.1 Recognize outstanding achievements through invitation to membership.
1.2 Sponsor programs and activities that support and recognize scholarship and/or service.
1.3 Hold two or more meetings a year, one of which should be an initiation.
1.4 Send appropriate delegates who are active members to Society conventions and other relevant meetings or workshops as chapter finances allow.
Section 2. Chapter Bylaws
2.1 Align chapter bylaws with the bylaws of the Society.
2.2 File revisions with the Executive Director of the Society.
2.3 When chapter bylaws are updated solely to reflect changes in Society bylaws as approved by a Convention, the chapter bylaws affected by those national changes may be amended without a vote of the general membership.
2.4 When the Society bylaws are changed in such a manner that necessitates revision of chapter bylaws, if any chapter has not sent updated bylaws to the Headquarters within 90 days of receipt of those revisions, the Headquarters staff will make the necessary revisions and send the updated version to the chapter.
Section 3. Chapter Governance
3.1 The elected officers will include at minimum an executive committee composed of a President, a President-Elect, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and two Student Vice Presidents. Additional offices may be established as the chapter may prescribe. Student members may hold any chapter office with the exception of President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer. Chapter officers must maintain active membership (see Article III.2.1) in order to hold office.
3.2 Chapters will determine the terms of office. When an election occurs, a report will be sent promptly, and in no case later than June 15, to Headquarters.
3.3 The management of the chapter will be vested in the executive committee.
3.4 At Conventions or times the Society deems necessary, the chapter’s delegate will vote on behalf of the chapter.
Section 4. Chapter Meetings
4.1 Chapter meetings will be held upon call of the President or the Executive Committee. All active members will be duly notified of chapter meetings by the Secretary.
4.2. At least a majority of the membership present or of the executive committee will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any regular or special meeting.
4.3 In all matters not specified by these Bylaws or the Society Bylaws, the procedures set forth in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order will be used.
Section 5. Chapter Obligations to the Society
5.1 Chapters will submit by the specified date certain reports to Society Headquarters. These include, but are not limited to, the Chapter Officer List, the Chapter Annual Report, and the Chapter Finance Report.
5.2 Chapters will submit all initiation materials, including but not limited to the Transmittal Checklist, Permanent Record of Election Forms, and initiation fees, to Society Headquarters within 30 days of the initiation. All initiation materials are due at Society Headquarters by June 15.
Article III
Membership
Section 1. Membership in this Chapter is open to scholars with integrity and high ethical standards from all academic disciplines without regard to race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, genetic information, or sexual orientation.
Section 2. The following membership categories are authorized:
2.1 Active members of the Society are those who have paid Society dues for the current year. Those who pay both Society dues and Chapter 203 dues are also active members of the Society and the chapter. Members who choose may become active members in more than one chapter by submitting chapter dues to each chapter.
2.2 Life members are those who have been invited and initiated and have paid the life membership fee or have been accorded this status by the action of the Board. Life members of the Society who wish to remain active chapter members must continue to pay any required chapter dues, as determined by each chapter.
2.3 Special Memberships are conferred upon approval of the Executive Director, Society President and appropriate Regional Vice President and upon the payment of appropriate fees.
2.31 A member who has served the Society in an outstanding manner may be nominated for distinguished membership by a member or a chapter. The individual will receive a life membership in Phi Kappa Phi and a distinguished member certificate.
2.32 A nonmember (not an alumnus/alumna, employee, or student of the chapter’s institution) who has achieved eminence in some academic, creative, intellectual or other career endeavor may be nominated for honorary membership by a member, chapter, or the Board. The individual will receive a life membership in Phi Kappa Phi and an honorary member certificate.
2.4 Members who fail to pay Society dues for the current year are inactive members who do not enjoy the privileges of voting, serving on committees, or serving as chapter or Society officers. However, Chapter 203 advocates the philosophy “once a member, always a member” and encourages participation where appropriate of all inactive members in chapter activities where appropriate. This may include welcoming events, workshops, social activities and the like.
Section 3. Eligibility for membership in an institutional chapter may be determined separately for each academic unit or program, e.g., department, school, or college. Those persons who are recognized by individual chapters may be invited in compliance with the following standards:
3.1 Undergraduate students in any department of a college or university who have completed at least 24 semester hours or the equivalent at that institution, and
3.11 who, in their junior year, rank academically in the upper 7.5 percent of the class, after completing at least two academic years or 72 semester hours or the equivalent, or
3.12 who, in their senior year, rank academically in the upper 10 percent of the class after completing at least three academic years or 90 semester hours or the equivalent at the time of invitation.
3.2 Graduate and professional students in any department of a college or university who have completed at least 18 semester hours or the equivalent at that institution and as post baccalaureate students rank academically in the upper 10 percent of all graduate and professional students.
3.3 Former students who meet the requirements for membership who have graduated since the most recent invitation of members in the chapter.
3.4 Members of the institution’s faculty, administration, professional staff, civil service employees, alumni, or community leaders who exhibit excellence and high ethical standards may be extended membership.
Section 4. All invitations to membership will be approved by a two-thirds vote at a regularly called meeting of the chapter at which a quorum is present or by mail/electronic mail ballot sent to all active members or by the chapter’s Executive Committee.
Section 5. Active members (see Article III.2.1) have access to all available benefits offered by the Society and are eligible to serve on Society committees and hold Society office.
Section 6. Membership Responsibilities
6.1 Members should conduct themselves at all times in a manner consistent with integrity and high ethical standards.
6.2 If a member fails to behave with integrity and high ethical standards, the person’s membership may be revoked by the chapter’s Executive Committee or by the Society’s Board of Directors. If the membership is revoked, the person has the right to appeal this decision to the Board, Executive Director, and appropriate Regional Vice President.
Article IV
Fees, Dues and Assessments
Section 1. Society Fees, Dues, and Assessments
1.1 The following types of fees, dues, and assessments may be collected by the Society:
1.11 Chapter chartering fees
1.12 Initiation fees
1.13 Membership dues
1.14 Special assessments
1.2 Establishment of amounts
1.21 The Board establishes the amount of fees, dues, and assessments for the Society.
Section 2. Chapter Fees and Dues
2.1 Each chapter will have authority to determine chapter initiation fees, chapter dues, and chapter Life dues.
Article V
Amendments and Revisions of Bylaws
Section 1. These chapter Bylaws may be amended by the affirmative vote submitted by two-thirds of the active members, provided the proposed amendment or amendments have been given to the active chapter members thirty days prior to the meeting.
Section 2. All amendments to these Bylaws will be in harmony with the Bylaws of the Society.
