CHAPTER BY-LAWS

By-Laws
of
Eta Beta Chapter

INDEX

ARTICLE 1. Name of Chapter

ARTICLE 2. Purpose

ARTICLE 3. Membership

ARTICLE 4. Chapter Advisor

ARTICLE 5. Executive Council

ARTICLE 6. Officers

ARTICLE 7. Election of Officers

ARTICLE 8. Impeachment of Officers

ARTICLE 9. Meetings

ARTICLE 10. Finances

ARTICLE 11. Amendments and Revision

ARTICLE 1. Name of Chapter

The name of this chapter of Phi Theta Kappa shall be Eta Beta.

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ARTICLE 2. Purpose

The purpose of Eta Beta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Southwest Texas Junior College shall be the promotion of scholarship, the development of leadership and service and the cultivation of fellowship among qualified students of this college.

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ARTICLE 3. Membership

Section 1. Membership in Eta Beta chapter shall consist of member, provisional member, and honorary member.

Member. Each candidate for membership must have completed 12 semester hours at Southwest Texas Junior College in courses leading toward a degree at a fully accredited university, a four-year college, or at Southwest Texas Junior College, with a cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.5, adhere to the school conduct code and possess recognized qualities of citizenship. Only grades made at Southwest Texas Junior College will be considered for membership. Each candidate for membership must be currently enrolled in at least 6 academic hours the semester of induction and be able to certify that he or she has not been convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude. Each candidate must participate in an induction ceremony. A Grade Point Average of 3.0 must be maintained. When a member's cumulative Grade Point Average falls below 3.0, he or she has one semester in which to bring the average to 3.0. If he or she fails to raise the cumulative Grade Point Average to 3.0 after one semester, the member shall have his or her name stricken from the local chapter roll and the Phi Theta Kappa International Headquarters shall be notified to strike the name from the national roll as well. At the end of the semester when inducted, each member will be classified as a standard member or Hallmark member. In addition to the benefits received by all members, Hallmark members will receive additional benefits defined in a Hallmark Membership Policy written by the Executive Council.

Provisional Member. Provisional members shall be selected on an academic basis. Requirements for admission as a provisional member shall be membership in a high school honor society or an overall high school average of 90 or Grade Point Average of 3.5 on a 4.0 point system. During the period of provisional membership the candidate should attend an orientation meeting for prospective members. Provisional members will not be affiliated with the international organization of Phi Theta Kappa, cannot hold office and cannot vote on chapter, regional, or international matters. The candidate may attend chapter meetings and assist with chapter projects. Provisional members are not allowed to wear the honor stole or official jewelry. They do not pay any dues to Eta Beta chapter. They may attend regional leadership meetings, regional conventions, and the international convention with chapter members at their own expense. If a provisional member fails to achieve the 3.5 GPA required for full membership but makes a 3.2 GPA by the end of the first semester, the member may continue provisional status for a second semester. However, if less than a 3.2 GPA has been earned at the end of the first semester, provisional status is dropped. Said candidate may become a full member at the first of any semester after which regular requirements for membership are met.

Honorary Member. Honorary membership in this chapter may be granted to a person who has rendered distinguished service to the Society. Honorary members may not vote or hold office.

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ARTICLE 4. Chapter Advisor

Section 1. The chapter advisors shall be appointed by the administration of Southwest Texas Junior College.

Section 2. The chapter advisors shall be responsible for the guidance of chapter activities and shall act on behalf of the national society and college administration.

Section 3. The chapter advisors shall oversee the completion of the annual report and membership report forms required by the International Phi Theta Kappa society.

Section 4. The chapter advisors shall not be voting members.

Section 5. The chapter advisors shall be responsible for submitting requisition requests to the college business office and receiving financial reports from the college business office.

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ARTICLE 5. Executive Council

Section 1. The Executive Council shall consist of the president, who shall serve as chair, and the vice-presidents.

Section 2. The terms of office for the Executive Council shall begin upon their installation and expire upon installation of new officers.

Section 3. The Executive Council shall meet no less than twice monthly during the fall and spring semesters.

Section 4. The duties of the Executive Council shall be as follows:

Coordinate the activities of Eta Beta chapter.

Develop goals for Eta Beta chapter.

Conduct the business of Eta Beta chapter.

Set agenda for each business meeting.

Set dates and times for chapter meetings.

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ARTICLE 6. Officers

Section 1. All officers must be members of Phi Theta Kappa, must have a GPA of 3.0 and must be carrying a course load of not less than 6 academic hours.

Section 2. The Eta Beta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa shall have the following officers: president, vice-president for Honors Study Topic, vice-president for communications, vice-president for membership, vice-president for campus affairs, vice-president for service, and vice-president for financial affairs.

Section 3. The duties of the president shall be as follows:

Preside over all business meetings.

Serve as chair of the Executive Council.

Appoint and establish any necessary committees.

Serve as ex-/officio member of all committees.

Represent the organization at all times.

Vote for the chapter at conference and/or conventions.

Write the Hallmark Essay on leadership.

Section 4. The duties of the vice-president for Honors Study Topic shall be as follows:

Perform all duties of the president in the event of the president's absence.

Form and serve as chair for an Honors Topic Committee which will develop programs which implement the Honors Study Topic.

Put notices of meetings on campus bulletin boards and remove notices after meetings.

Write the Hallmark Essay on scholarship.

Section 5. The duties of the vice-president for communications shall be as follows:

Form and serve as chair for a Communications Committee.

Take minutes at all chapter meetings.

Read minutes at the meetings.

Maintain records of the meetings and other records in the official chapter record book.

Take roll at the meetings and maintain a record of attendance.

Distribute a copy of the minutes to advisors and the Director of Student Activities at Southwest Texas Junior College.

Be responsible for the editing and distibution of the chapter newsletter.

Section 6. The duties of the vice-president for membership shall be as follows:

Form and serve as chair of a Membership Committee.

Assist in recruiting new members.

Serve as liaison for provisional members.

Coordinate all social activities for the chapter.

Compile a chapter yearbook accoring to guidelines issued by the national office.

Write the Hallmark Essay on Fellowship.

Section 7. The duties of the vice-president for campus affairs shall be as follows:

Form and serve as chair of a Campus Affairs Committee.

Represent Eta Beta chapter on the Student Activities Board.

Assist the coordinator of the Creative Arts Contes in recording and displaying contest entries.

Report Phi Theta Kappa activities to the campus Public Relations Officer and campus newspaper.

Section 8. The duties of the vice-president for services shall be as follows:

Form and serve as chair for a Service Committee.

Plan and coordinate all service projects for the chapter.

Write the Hallmark Essay on Service.

Section 9. The duties of the vice-president for financial affairs shall be as follows:

Form and serve as chair for a Finance Committee.

Plan and coordinate all fund-raising projects.

Section 10. The general duties for all officers shall be as follows:

Attend all chapter meetings.

Coordinate and establish any ad-hoc committees needed to aid them in the execution of the duties of their office.

Post a notice of any activity concerning their office on campus bulletin boards.

Attend the regional leadership meeting.

Participate in the induction of new members.

Keep a record of participation of members in activities related to their office.

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ARTICLE 7. Election of Officers

Section 1. All candidates for office must be full members of Phi Theta Kappa.

Section 2. Election of officers shall be held in the spring semester. Election of officers for any office not filled in the spring election shall be held early in the fall semester.

Section 3. Officers shall hold office from the time of installation until the next installation.

Section 4. To be eligible for election, candidates for office must file for election with the chapter advisors prior to the announced deadline.

Section 5. Plurality of the votes cast will determine the new officer.

Section 6. In any case when an officer must resign the 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 business meeting following the resignation of the officer. The election will be held at the first business meeting following nominations. Plurality of the votes cast will determine the new officer. The presidnet shall have the power to make a temporary appointment at his/her discretion until a meeting can be held.

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ARTICLE 8. Impeachment of Officers

Section 1. If any officer fails to fulfill the duties of his office, he may be removed as follows:

A special meeting of the chapter must be held to discuss the problem.

A vote of a majority of the membership at a regular meeting is sufficient to remove an officer from office provided that all members have been notified a week prior to the meeting.

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ARTICLE 9. Meetings

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

Order of Business

Call to order

Reading of the minutes

Financial report

Committee reports

Old business

New business

Announcements

Adjournment

Section 2. All meetings shall be governed by an adaptation of Robert's Rules of Order.

Section 3. Special committee meetings shall be called by the chairman of said committee. Procedures at such meetings are left to the discretion of the chair. Reports of each meeting shall be given to the members at the following chapter business meeting.

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ARTICLE 10. Finances

Section 1. Funds for this chapter will be raised by fund-raising projects agreed upon by members of the chapter, subject to the approval of the Director of Student activities at Southwest Texas Junior College when required by school policy.

Section 2. Payment of the international and regional dues must be received by a chapter advisor before members can be inducted.

Section 3. All members must pay local dues of $5.00 before induction.

Section 4. Check requisition requests must be signed by an advisor, the Director of Student activities, and the Dean of Admissions and Student Services.

Section 5. Financial records of the chapter shall be subject to examination by the administration and Director of Student activities of Southwest Texas Junior College.

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ARTICLE 11. Amendments and Revision

Section 1. The By-laws shall be reviewed annually by advisors and officers to determine if any revisions are needed.

Section 2. The By-laws may be amended or revised by a vote of two-thirds of the members present at any regular meeting, provided that the proposed amendment or revision has been presented to all members prior to the meeting.

Revised 8-17-98

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