The Citadel Chapter 212 of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, Inc.
A Nonprofit Corporation
PREAMBLE
For the purpose of promoting high academic standards at The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, Charleston South Carolina; 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 The Citadel on May 8, 1979; and furthering the ideals and objectives of the Society; the members of The Citadel chapter do hereby adopt the following Bylaws for its government.
ARTICLE I – Name and Mission
Section 1. Name. The name of this organization is The Citadel Chapter 212 of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.
Section 2. Mission. 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. Governing Regulations. This organization shall be governed in accordance with the Bylaws of the Society, as adopted by the Biennial Convention on August 9, 2014, with amendments, if any, that may be made from time to time, and by the provisions of these Bylaws with amendments, if any, that may be made from time to time.
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 a delegate to Society Conventions and other relevant meetings or workshops.
Section 2. Chapter Bylaws
2.1 Chapter Bylaws will be aligned with the Bylaws of the Society.
2.2 Revisions to Chapter Bylaws will be filed 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 the 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 Elected officers will include at minimum an executive committee composed of a President, a President-Elect, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. Additional offices may be established as the chapter may prescribe. Student members may hold any chapter office with the exception of those offices that comprise the executive committee. Chapter officers must maintain active membership in order to hold office.
3.2 The Chapter 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.
3.5 Duties of Officers.
3.5.1 It shall be the duty of the chapter President to call and preside at all meetings of the chapter and of the Executive Committee, to appoint committees deemed necessary or helpful in furthering the business of the Society, to vote on behalf of the chapter on ballots and other materials sent to the chapter by Society Headquarters, and to fulfill the other usual responsibilities of the office of the President. The chapter President shall, with the advice and consent of the chapter Executive Committee, exercise the chapter’s voting rights in the election of Regional Vice Presidents and other voting by chapters between Biennial Conventions. When a ballot is submitted to the chapter, the President shall be responsible for completing it and returning it promptly to the Executive Director of the Society or other designated officer.
3.5.2 It shall be the duty of the chapter President-Elect to preside at meetings in the absence of the President, and to succeed to the presidency in the event of death, removal, incapacity, or resignation of the President.
3.5.3 The chapter Secretary is responsible for maintaining records and supplies for the chapter. It shall be the Secretary’s duty to keep and publish minutes of chapter and Executive Committee meetings; to maintain correspondence and other files related to Society Headquarters and affairs of the chapter; to prepare lists of eligible candidates to be voted on by the chapter; and to prepare materials and documents required for the initiation of candidates.
3.5.4 The chapter Treasurer is to receive, deposit, and account for all monies received by the chapter from dues and other sources; to pay all bills approved by the Executive Committee; to arrange for the investment of all funds not required for current operation; to prepare an annual budget and arrange for an annual audit or review of the record books; to prepare the chapter Finance Report; to submit Form 990 or Form 990-N to the IRS by the due date; and to prepare and submit other reports required by Society Headquarters.
3.5.5 It shall be the duty of the chapter Public Relations Officer to disseminate news of chapter activities to the various media; to submit to Society Headquarters news items for potential inclusion in the Phi Kappa Phi Forum (the Society’s quarterly magazine); and to take whatever other steps the chapter Public Relations Officer deems advisable to promote the purposes of the chapter and the Society.
3.5.6 It shall be the duty of the chapter Student Vice Presidents to perform such duties as are assigned to them by the President.
3.5.7 It shall be the duty of the immediate Past President of the chapter to serve as a member of the Executive Committee.
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 dues of $10 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 the 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 the 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, the 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.
Section 3. Eligibility for membership in the chapter may be determined separately for each academic unit or program, e.g., department, school, or college. Those persons who are recognized by the chapter may be invited in compliance with the following standards:
3.1 Undergraduate students in any department of The Citadel who have completed at least 24 semester hours or the equivalent at The Citadel, 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 The Citadel who have completed at least 18 semester hours or the equivalent at The Citadel 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 Citadel’s faculty, administration, professional staff, alumni, or community leaders who exhibit excellence and high ethical standards may be extended membership.
3.41 The number invited may not exceed 4 percent of the number of students invited by the chapter that year.
3.42 If the chapter invites fewer than 200 students per year then it may initiate a maximum of eight persons per year.
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 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 Executive Director, the appropriate Regional Vice President, and the Board.
ARTICLE IV – Meetings
Section 1. Calling of Meetings. Chapter meetings will be held upon call of the President or the Executive Committee. All active members shall be duly notified of chapter meetings by the Secretary.
Section 2. Quorum. At least a majority of the executive committee will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any regular or special meeting.
Section 3. Procedure. 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.
ARTICLE V – 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 recommends the amount of fees, dues, and assessments for approval by Convention or by a majority of chapters voting electronically.
Section 2. Chapter Fees and Dues
2.1 The chapter will determine chapter initiation fees, chapter dues, and chapter Life dues.
ARTICLE VI – 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.
Section 3. When chapter Bylaws are updated solely to reflect changes in Society Bylaws as approved at a Phi Kappa Phi Convention, the chapter Bylaws affected by those national changes may be amended without a vote of the general membership of the chapter within 90 days after the relevant Society Bylaws revisions have been approved. If revised chapter Bylaws have not been sent to the national office for approval within 90 days, national staff will make necessary revisions and return an updated version.
Revised 30 Jan 2015