Phi Theta Kappa
Omega Phi Chapter
revised 6-11-09
PREAMBLE
That academic excellence among
two-year college students may be nurtured; that opportunity may be provided
for leadership training; that an intellectual climate may be promoted
for an interchange of ideas and ideals; and that scholars may be imbued
with desire for continuing education, we dedicate ourselves as fellows
of Phi Theta Kappa. Among us membership is a privilege earned by qualifications,
honor, and service. In the conduct of our activities, truth shall be
our quest, diligence our staff, and achievement our purpose.
ARTICLE 1. NAME OF CHAPTER
The name of this chapter of
Phi Theta Kappa shall be Omega Phi.
ARTICLE 2. PURPOSE OF THE CHAPTER
The purpose of the Omega Phi
Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) at Broward College (BC) shall be the
promotion of scholarship, the development of leadership and service,
and the cultivation of fellowship among qualified students at Broward
College.
ARTICLE 3. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Types of Membership.
Membership in the Omega Phi chapter shall consist of Active Member, Participating Member, Provisional Member, Alumni Member, Honorary Member and Transfer Member
A. Active Member: An Active Member of the Omega Phi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa shall be any student who has met all the requirements for membership as set forth in Article 3, Section 2 of these By-Laws, who has been inducted into the Omega Phi Chapter or has been officially transferred from another chapter and who maintains the standards required for active membership and good standing. An Active Member shall enjoy the full privileges afforded by the Constitution and By-Laws of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society.
C. Provisional Member: A Provisional Member is a student who, in the opinion of the Omega Phi Chapter, shows an active interest in the Chapter but does not meet the requirements for Active Membership. A Provisional Member shall not have the right to vote, to hold office, or to represent the Chapter or Phi Theta Kappa at meetings of the Society. A Provisional Member must meet the requirements outlined in Article 3, Section 2 of these By-Laws.
D. Alumnus Member: An Alumnus Member shall be a former member of the Chapter who terminated active membership in good standing, and who was enrolled at Broward College for at least one year. An Alumnus Member shall be entitled to all privileges of active membership except the right to vote or to hold office.
E. Honorary Member: An Honorary Member shall be a person who, in the opinion of the Chapter, has rendered distinguished service to the Chapter. Honorary membership may be conferred at the discretion of the Executive Board of the Chapter in compliance with Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society guidelines.
F. Transfer Member: A member from another Phi Theta Kappa chapter may transfer membership to Omega Phi if he or she is currently enrolled at Broward College North Campus, is a member in good standing of his/her previous Phi Theta Kappa chapter, and meets the minimum 3.5 Degree Cum GPA of the new chapter.
Section 2. Eligibility for Membership.
A. To be an Active Member in the Omega Phi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, a student must:
1. Have been enrolled at BC for any two of the three most recent semesters, including the
current semester;
2. Have completed at least twelve (12) semester hours of associate degree course
work, accepted by Broward College
3. Have a BC Degree Cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.50.
Courses matriculated at other colleges will not be considered as part of eligibility requirements for Omega Phi membership;
4. Have paid the required Member Initiation Fee (including International,
Regional, and Chapter dues);
5. Be of good moral character and possess recognized qualities of citizenship;
6. Adhere to the conduct code of BC.
1. Be an Active Member.
2. Have given 12 hours of service to Phi Theta Kappa in the past or current semester.
C. To be a Provisional Member in the Omega Phi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, a student must:
1. Be enrolled at BC in a degree or certificate program at Broward College.
2. Have completed no more than 45 credits toward the completion of a degree or certificate
program at Broward College, except with the approval of the chapter advisor.
3. Be of good moral character and possess recognized qualities of citizenship.
4. Adhere to the conduct
code of BC.
Section 3. Maintenance of Membership.
A. To maintain Active Membership in the Omega Phi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, an inducted member, at the end of each academic term, must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.25 as well as other academic and moral standards as set forth in the "Eligibility for Active Membership" (See Article 3, Section 2).
B. In the event that a member's cumulative GPA falls below 3.25, that member shall be notified that he/she has one (1) semester in which to bring the average to at least a 3.25. Failure to do so may result in that member's name being removed from the Chapter and International Phi Theta Kappa member rolls.
C. A student whose membership has been revoked because of failure to maintain the required Grade Point Average may reapply for membership by meeting all of the requirements of Phi Theta Kappa membership once again (See Section 2A).
ARTICLE 4. CHAPTER ADVISOR
Section 1. Appointment of the Advisor. The Omega Phi Advisor shall be appointed by the administration of Broward College.
Section 2. Responsibilities of the Advisor. The Omega Phi Advisor shall be responsible for the guidance of chapter activities and shall act on behalf of the Society and the Broward College administration, as well as oversee all finances, forms, by-laws, correspondence, and requests that may be required by the Chapter. The Advisor shall also have the responsibility to approve or disapprove the selection of candidates for any local office and to approve all members attending regional or international conventions of Phi Theta Kappa.
Section 3. Special Duties of the Advisor. The chapter Advisor shall oversee the completion of the annual report, membership report forms, and membership profile forms required by the Phi Theta Kappa Society Headquarters.
Section 4. Voting Powers of the Advisor. The Advisor shall not be a voting member of the chapter but shall have veto power as specified by the Phi Theta Kappa Society Headquarters. The advisors shall be granted voting power in case a consensus is not reached by the E-Board.
ARTICLE 5. CHAPTER OFFICERS & E-BOARD
Section 1. Chapter Officers. The elected officers of Omega Phi shall be a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Historian, Fellowship Coordinator, Public Relations Director, Webmaster. These officers shall comprise the Executive Board of Omega Phi and all shall have an equal vote on issues that come before the Executive Board.
Section 2. Eligibility for Office. All Omega Phi officers must be Active Members who meet and maintain the requirements for Participating Membership (as outlined in Article 3, Section 3). In addition to the requirements of Participating Membership, candidates for any office must be enrolled in a degree or certificate program. In addition, the Chapter President and Vice-President must have held a prior office within the Chapter. An individual may serve no more than three (3) consecutive terms as President without the approval of the advisor and a majority of the e-board.
Section 3. Eligibility for Voting: Only Participating Members may vote.
Section 4. The duties of the president and the vice-president shall be as follows:
a. The president shall set the agenda for each general and E-board meeting. Any
b. The vice-president
shall perform all duties of the president in the event of his absence.
c. The president or vice-president shall preside over all business meetings.
committees.
Section 5. The duties of the Executive Board shall be to:
Section 7: The duties of the President shall be to:
A. Set the agenda for each general and E-board meeting. Any member may ask for a
particular item to be placed on the agenda.
B. Preside over all meetings.
C. Serve as an ex-officio member on all committees.
D. Represent the organization whenever called upon to do so.
E. Plan and coordinate trips with the advisor, vice-president, and treasurer.
F. Delegate to the vice-president any duties he or she cannot perform.
G. Delegate to an officer any duties he or she cannot perform.
Section 6: The duties of the Vice-president shall be to:
A. Perform all duties of the president in the event of his/her absence.
B. Serve as an ex-officio member on all committees.
C. Plan and coordinate trips with the advisor, president, and treasurer.
D. Delegate to an officer any duties he or she cannot perform.
Section 8: The duties of the Secretary shall be to:
A. Take minutes of each general and E-board meeting.
B. Present the minutes to the general membership by the following Sunday.
C. Make available a hard copy of weekly minutes.
D. Must attend all meetings; when unable to do so, must appoint someone to take minutes.
E. Prepare and submit Club Points to Student Government.
Section 5. Duties of Treasurer
A. Work with the advisor to keep track of all monies coming into and out of the Chapter.
B. Report at least once a month to the E-board the Chapter’s account balance.
C. Plan and coordinate trips with advisor, president, and vice-president.
Section 9: The duties of the Historian shall be to:
A. Maintain a file of chapter correspondence.
B. Keep a full record of chapter functions, including event pictures.
C. Take minutes when Secretary is not available.
D. Provide Project Description forms to project leaders.
E. Keep track of Project Description forms.
F. Work together with the Secretary on Club Point’s packet
Section 9: The duties of the Public Relations Director shall be to:
A. Coordinate the Formal Membership Campaign.
B. Organize a New Members Phone-A-Thon.
C. Organize Teacher Appreciation Lunch/Dinner.
D. Coordinate Omega Phi’s participation in BC’s orientation.
Section 10: The duties of the Webmaster shall be to:
A. Update the Omega Phi Website on a weekly basis, including homepage, events, and gallery.
B. Maintain a monthly calendar and provide copies in the cubicle.
C. Upload minutes and agenda.
D. Responsible for creating an Officers Election’s page, which will include biographies and officer duties.
Section 11: The duties of the Fellowship Coordinator shall be to:
A. Organize monthly Fellowship Nights and Social Gatherings.
B. Maintain member’s birthday list.
C. Follow-up with members about activities and events.
Section 12: The Duties of an Officer
A. Attend all E-board meetings (unless excused by the advisor and a majority of the E-board).
B. Inform the advisor and the E-board when he or she will not be able to attend
general or E-board meetings.
C. Lead one project and help with another.
D. Help maintain office hours, as per Student Life, either by being there or recruiting an active member to serve those hours.
E. Maintain a clean cubicle.
F. Maintain open lines of communication with other officers, members, and the advisors.
Officers must check their email, voice mail, and any other widely accepted form of
correspondence, or, if an officer will be incommunicado for any reason, he or she must inform the advisor and the E-board of the situation, and how long he or she expects to be
incommunicado.
Section 6. Election of Chapter Officers
A. Election of officers for the Omega Phi Chapter will be held during the last month of Term I and Term II of the Broward College academic year. Officers shall begin their term of office at the beginning of the next academic term.
B. An election committee shall work with the Advisor in setting up the specific procedures for the election of officers in compliance with these by-laws and the guidelines of Phi Theta Kappa.
C. Candidates for officer positions must submit a description including, but not limited to, background, qualifications, and goals.
Section 7. Resignation of Officers.
A. In any case when an officer resigns from office, the remaining officers in consultation with the Chapter Advisor, may appoint a replacement until the next election.
B. Any officer who misses three consecutive Executive Board meetings except for class scheduling conflicts may be, upon a vote of the other members of the Executive Board, considered to have vacated the office.
C. Any officer who no longer fulfills the requirements for Participating Membership in the chapter shall be required to resign the office. Failure to do so will result in removal from office by the Executive Board and the Chapter Advisor.
Section 8. Impeachment of Officers
A. Any officer may face impeachment if he/she fails to fulfill the duties of the office or disgraces the office. It is recommended that such an officer avoid impeachment by voluntarily resigning.
B. Impeachment may be initiated by a petition signed by at least fifty per cent of the Participating Members of the Chapter or three (3) members of the Executive Board.
C. The discussion of impeachment shall occur at the next regularly scheduled general meeting of the Chapter. The Chapter Advisor or his/her designee shall preside over the impeachment process. The accused officer shall be presented in writing with the charges that have led to the question of impeachment. That officer will have the opportunity to speak before the membership at the general meeting.
D. After a discussion of the accusations at the general meeting, a vote by secret ballot shall be taken. Ballots shall be distributed only to eligible Participating Members of the Chapter present at the meeting at which the impeachment hearing occurs.
E. A three-fourths (3/4) vote of the votes cast by Participating Members present at the meeting in which the impeachment vote occurs shall be necessary to remove any officer (as per the Phi Theta Kappa International Constitution and By-Laws, Chap. IV, Sec. 3.)
F. If the impeachment vote supports the removal of the officer from office, the removal is effective immediately and the vacated office shall be filled by the same process as for officers who have resigned
(Article 5, Section 5).
ARTICLE 6. MEETINGS
Section 1. Types of Meetings. The Chapter may hold General Meetings, Executive Board Meetings, and Committee Meetings. All students and faculty members are welcome at all meetings of the Chapter. However, the Chapter reserves the right to expel anyone who disrupts the proceedings. In addition, some items of business within the Executive Board meetings may require an Executive Session that may be limited to Officers and the Chapter Advisor.
Section 2. Organization and Conduct of Meetings. All meetings shall have a printed agenda and be conducted according to standard parliamentary procedure. The agenda for each General Meeting and meeting of the Executive Board shall be posted in the Omega Phi office and Website prior to the date of the meeting. Committee meetings shall be announced to committee members.
Section 3. Quorum. A quorum shall be 50% of the officers of the Omega Phi Chapter.
Section 4. Minutes.
Minutes for General Meetings and Executive Board Meetings listing all
actions taken at the meetings shall be prepared and available in the
Omega Phi office.
ARTICLE 7. FINANCES
Section 1. Fundraising. Finances for the Omega Phi Chapter shall be raised by projects that have been presented to and approved by the Executive Board and Advisor.
Section 2. Reimbursement of Chapter Expenditures. Reimbursement for expenditures made by members or officers on behalf of the Omega Phi Chapter shall be made in accordance with procedures established in writing by the Executive Board. All other amount must have Advisor’s approval or Executive Board approval. All reimbursements shall require a valid receipt or supporting invoice and a reimbursement form.
Section 3. Audit of Financial Records. The Advisor and/or an appointed auditor shall annually audit the financial records of the Omega Phi Chapter.
Section 4. Funding for Trips
Section
5. Omega Phi’s chapter account must maintain a minimum balance
of $1,500 at all times.
ARTICLE 8. AMENDMENTS AND REVISION OF BY-LAWS
Amendments and/or revisions may be proposed to the By-Laws by the Executive Board or by any Active Member of the Omega Phi Chapter. Such proposed changes must be posted in the Omega Phi Office or website at least two weeks prior to any vote on the proposed changes. The proposed changes shall become effective upon a two-thirds vote of all votes cast by Participating Members who vote on election day, a review by the Administration of Broward College, and approval by Phi Theta Kappa International Headquarters.
ARTICLE 9. STANDING COMMITTEES
The Omega Phi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa must have the following standing committees:
1. A Membership Committee
2. An Elections Committee
3. Public Relations Committee
4.
Hallmark Committee
Chairperson of committees will be approved by E-Board.
The Executive Board, according
to the needs of the Chapter, may form or disband other committees.
ARTICLE 10. ANTI-HAZING
Broward College prohibits any acts of hazing on or off the campus by individual students, student groups or organizations, or any other individuals or groups associated with the College.
Consistent with Florida Statutes 1006.63, the College defines hazing as any action or situation which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation or admission into or affiliation with any organization operating under the sanction of Broward College. Such terms includes, but are not limited to, any brutality of a physical nature, such as whipping; beating; branding; forced calisthenics; exposure to the elements; forced consumption of any food, liquor, drug, or other substance; or any other forced physical activity which could adversely affect the physical health or safety of the individual, and shall include any activity which would subject the individual to extreme mental stress, such as sleep deprivation, forced exclusion from social contact, forced conduct which could result in extreme embarrassment, or any other forced activity which could adversely affect the mental health or dignity of the individual. Any activity as described above upon which the initiation or admission into or affiliation with a community college organization is directly or indirectly conditioned shall be presumed to be forced activity, the willingness of an individual to participate in such activity notwithstanding.
The Vice President for Student
Affairs shall be charged with the enforcement and distribution of the
College's policy banning hazing.
ARTICLE 11. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The manual for parliamentary procedure and authority for the Omega Phi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa shall be Robert's Rules of Order, 10th Edition.