Phi Theta Kappa
Constitution of Beta Alpha Alpha Chapter
| Article I | Name of Chapter |
| Article II | Purpose |
| Article III | Membership |
| Article IV | Chapter Advisor |
| Article V | Leadership Team |
| Article VI | Election Of Team Members |
| Article VII | Impeachment of Team Members |
| Article VIII | Meetings |
| Article IX | Finances |
| Article X | By-Laws |
| Article XI | Amendments and Revision |
Article I. Name of Chapter
The name of this chapter of Phi Theta Kappa shall be Beta Alpha Alpha.
topArticle II. Purpose
The purpose of Beta Alpha Alpha Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Oklahoma State University shall be the promotion of scholarship, the development of leadership and service, and the cultivation of fellowship among qualified students of this college.
topArticle III. Membership
Membership in Beta Alpha Alpha chapter shall consist of active members, provisional members, alumni, and honorary members.
Section 1. Member
Each candclassate for membership must have completed 12 semester hours of associate degree course work at OSU-Okmulgee with a Grade Point Average of 3.5, adhere to the school conduct code, and possess recognized qualities of citizenship. A Grade Point Average of 3.25 must be maintained. When a member's cumulative G.P.A. falls below 3.25 he/she has one semester in which to bring the average to 3.25. If he/she fails to raise the cumulative G.P.A. to 3.25 after one semester, the member shall have his/her name stricken form the local chapter roll and the Phi Theta Kappa Headquarters shall be notified to strike the name from the international roll as well. Once a student's name is stricken from the roll, all privileges of membership are revoked.
No grades of courses taken at another institution may be considered when determining membership eligibility. Students previously enrolled at OSU-Okmulgee; not having taken classes for a period of five consecutive years, and are presently in good standing at OSU-Okmulgee, will not have their previous GPA considered in determination for membership eligibility.
Section 2. Active Member
An active member must fulfill requirements stated in Section 1 of Article 3 and must be enrolled at OSU-Okmulgee.
Section 3. Provisional Member
A provisional member of Phi Theta Kappa is a student, who, in the opinion of the local chapter, has shown an active interest in the affairs of the Society and who serves the Society in some special capacity, but who does not meet the full requirements for membership in the Society. Chapter requirements for admission as a provisional member shall be academic excellence as defined by a GPA of 3.0 on all credits taken in high school.
In order to qualify for provisional membership status, a student must be enrolled in an associate degree course work at the two year college, adhere to school conduct code, and possess recognized qualities of citizenship. Provisional members cannot be officially affiliated with the Phi Theta Kappa Society, cannot hold office, and cannot vote on chapter, regional, or international matters. Provisional members will pay local chapter dues of $10 per semester but are not required to pay the international and regional induction fee until they have qualified for full membership. All monies paid by a provisional member shall credit toward membership induction fees should the provisional member become qualified for active status and choose to become an active status member.
Section 4. Alumni Member
Alumni members shall be members of the Society who are no longer enrolled in the two-year college and who have terminated their active membership in good standing, with a minimum of one year's enrollment at the two-year college. Alumni members shall be entitled to all the privileges of full members except the right to vote or hold office.
Individuals who attend OSU-Okmulgee prior to the establishment of the college's chapter may be invited to membership to the chapter. The individual must provide to the chapter advisor official documentation demonstrating that at the time of enrollment the individual satisfied the requirements for membership as set forth in Article 3, Section 1. These individuals will pay international, region, and local fees prior to their initiation. Following the initiation, these individuals immediately assume alumni status.
Section 5. Honorary Member
Honorary membership may be granted in this chapter to men and women who have rendered distinguished service to the Society. Honorary members may not vote or hold office nor must they be officially inducted or pay membership fees.
topArticle IV. Chapter Advisor
Section 1.
The chapter advisor shall be appointed by the administration of Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee
Section 2.
The chapter advisor shall be responsible for the guidance of chapter activities and shall act on behalf of the international society and official college administration.
Section 3.
The chapter advisor is responsible for the completion and submission of the Annual Report, Membership Report Forms, and Membership Profile Forms required by the Phi Theta Kappa Society Headquarters.
Section 4.
The advisor shall not be a voting member of the chapter.
topArticle V. Officers
Section 1.
All officers must be an active member in good standing, a GPA of 3.25 or above, and must be carrying a load of nine or more semester hours. In the event that an officer's GPA falls below 3.25, that officer will be given one following semester to raise his/her GPA up to a 3.25 or higher. If said officer fails to meet this requirement within the grace period given, the officer in question will be asked to resign.
Section 2.
The Beta Alpha Alpha of Phi Theta Kappa shall have the following officers: President, Vice-President of Leadership, Vice-President of Service, Vice-President of Scholarship, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, and Public Relations.
Section 3.
The duties of the President shall be as follows:
- Preside over all business meetings
- Appoint and establish any necessary committees
- Serve as an ex-officio member of all committees
- Vote only in case of a tie
- Present business to the organization
- Represent the organization at all times
- Appoint a committee to review and/or revise the chapter constitution annually
- Appoint a committee to prepare the Annual Report to be sent to Headquarters each spring
Section 4.
The duties of the Vice-President for Leadership shall be as follows:
- Perform all duties of the President in the event of his/her absence
- Coordinate opportunities for the development of leadership
- Head the committee reviewing the chapter constitution and the Annual Report
- Provide parliamentary procedure at all meeting of the chapter
Section 5.
The duties of the Vice-President of Service shall be as follows:
- Coordinate opportunities that support college-wide projects and events
- Coordinate community service projects
- Direct chapter participation in the Annual Service Project
Section 6.
The duties of the Vice-President of Scholarship shall be as follows:
- Coordinate opportunities for chapter members to examine the Honors Study Topics and outreach activities to broaden public knowledge of the topic
- Initiate activities for honoring designated groups such as outstanding faculty members and graduating high school seniors.
Section 7.
The duties of the Treasurer shall be as follows:
- Open and/or maintain a bank account for the Society
- Receive money and arrange payment of bills
- Keep a set of books which shall be audited by the chapter advisor and notarized before the office is relinquished
- Make a report of finances at each business meeting
Section 8.
The duties of the Recording Secretary shall be as follows:
- Record, read and maintain a file of all minutes of meetings
- Maintain a file of chapter correspondence
Section 9.
The duties of the Public Relations Officer shall be as follows:
- Prepare and maintain the chapter scrapbook for regional, state and international meetings and conventions
- Draft and submit press releases whenever possible to campus and area newspapers
- Oversee publicity of chapter events to the campus and community
Article VI. Election of Officers
Section 1.
All candidates for office must be members of Phi Theta Kappa and in good standing.
Section 2.
Elections will be held at the meeting following induction during the necessary semester, unless voted otherwise
Section 3.
Officers shall hold office from the time of their inauguration, which shall be at the last meeting of the election semester, until the time they graduate, transfer, or must resign. The term limit is three semesters. Once an officer has reached the term limit, the member may hold a different office and the term limit count restarts from zero.
Section 4.
Nominations from the floor can be made at the same meeting as the election.
Section 5.
Plurality of the votes cast will determine the new officers.
Section 6.
In any case when an officer must resign his/her position, an election shall be held to elect a new officer. Nominations shall be made from the floor and will be made at the first meeting following the resignation of the officer. The election will be held at the first meeting following nominations. Plurality of the votes cast will determine the new officer. The advisor and/or the president shall have the power to make a temporary appointment at their discretion until the next meeting.
topArticle VII. Impeachment of Officers
Section 1.
If any officer fails to fulfill the duties of his/her position, he/she may be removed as follows:
- A special meeting of the chapter must be held to discuss the problem.
- Advisor must approve that there is justifiable cause to proceed with the impeachment hearing.
Four officer votes are necessary to move the impeachment forward. Three-fourths of votes of the total present members at the special meeting are required to remove an officer from his/her position.
topArticle VIII. Meetings
Section 1.
All business meetings will follow the general agenda:
Order of Business
- Call to order
- Roll Call
- Reading of the Minutes: Beta Alpha Alpha chapter of Phi Theta Kappa will forego the reading of the minutes at each meeting. Members will be required to read the minutes before each meeting, be aware of their contents, and then be prepared to submit changes or vote to approve the minutes as they stand.
- Treasurer's 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.
Article IX. Finances
topSection 1.
Finances for this chapter will be raised by projects passed by a majority vote of the members.
Section 2.
Payment of the International Membership fee of $45.00 must be received by the chapter treasurer before members can be inducted
Section 3.
All members must pay a one time local due of $14.00 prior to induction.
Section 4.
All members must pay Regional Dues of $6.00 prior to induction.
Section 5.
Disbursement vouchers must be submitted with supporting invoices and/or statements attached to the original invoice.
Section 6.
The OSU-Okmulgee Business Office shall annually audit financial records of the chapter.
Section 7.
All dues listed in Section 2, Section 3, and Section 4 of Article 9, may be paid in one lump sum to the chapter advisor.
topArticle X. By-Laws
Section 1.
By-laws shall be passed by a simple majority vote of the membership and shall cover pertinent topics including interpretation of the constitution.
Section 2.
The secretary shall keep a permanent record of all By-laws on file.
topArticle XI. Amendments and Revision
The constitution and By-laws may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the members present at any regular meeting, provided that the proposed amendment had been presented at a previous meeting. Any changes to the constitution and/or By-laws must be sent to Headquarters for final approval.
Modified Summer, 2006