Phi Kappa Phi Chapter 316 Bylaws
For the purpose of promoting high academic standards at The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas; 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 University of Texas at Dallas on April 19, 2011; and furthering the ideals and objectives of the Society; the members of The University of Texas at Dallas chapter do hereby adopt the following Bylaws for its government.
ARTICLE I: Name and Objectives
Section 1. Name. The name of this organization is The University of Texas at Dallas chapter 316 of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.
Section 2. Purposes. The primary purposes of this organization are to promote the pursuit of excellence in all fields of higher education; to recognize outstanding achievement by students, faculty, and others through election to membership and through various awards for distinguished achievement; and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.
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 11, 2012, 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: Membership
Section 1. Membership in this chapter is open to scholars with integrity and high ethical standards from all academic disciplines without regard to a person’s race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, genetic information, or sexual orientation. Members who so choose may become active members in more than one chapter by submitting chapter dues to each chapter.
Section 2. The following membership categories are authorized:
2.1 Active Members: 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 (where required by the chapter) are also active members of the Society and the chapter. 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 officer to this chapter or the Society.
2.2 Active Members: Life
2.21 Active-for-Life. They have been invited and initiated, and have paid the Active-for-Life membership fee or have been accorded this status by the action of the Board of Directors (to be referred to as the “Board”) of the Society. Active-for-Life members of the Society who wish to remain active chapter members must continue to pay any required chapter dues, as determined by this chapter.
2.22 Distinguished. An active or inactive member who has served the Society in an outstanding manner may be nominated for Distinguished membership by a member or this chapter. Upon the payment of the cost of Active-for-Life membership, and upon approval by a Board subcommittee appointed by the Society President, the individual will receive an Active-for-Life membership in Phi Kappa Phi and a distinguished member certificate.
2.23 Honorary. A nonmember (not an alumnus, alumna, employee, or student of the college or university) who has achieved eminence in some academic, creative, intellectual or other career endeavor may be nominated for Honorary Membership by a member or this chapter. Upon the payment of the cost of five years’ national membership dues in Phi Kappa Phi, and upon approval by a Board subcommittee appointed by the Society President, the individual will receive an Honorary Membership in Phi Kappa Phi and an honorary member certificate. This chapter may choose to honor a member by purchasing an Active-for-Life membership.
Section 3. Those persons who are recognized as scholars by this chapter, in compliance with the following standards, and any “Honorary Members” as described in Section 2.23 above, shall be eligible for membership:
3.1 Undergraduate students in any college of this institution who have completed at least twenty-four (24) graded semester hours or the equivalent at The University of Texas at Dallas, and
3.11 Who, in their junior year, rank academically in the upper seven-and-one-half (7.5) percent of the class after completing at least seventy-two (72) semester hours or the equivalent at the time of invitation, or
3.12 Who, in their senior year, rank academically in the upper ten (10) percent of the class after completing at least ninety (90) semester hours or the equivalent at the time of invitation.
3.2 Graduate and professional students who are candidates for an advanced degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, who have an outstanding record of graduate or professional study as evidenced by a Grade Point Average of at least 3.80, have been registered as post-baccalaureate students and have successfully completed eighteen (18) graded graduate credit hours at The University of Texas at Dallas or are former post-baccalaureate students who have been awarded an advanced degree by this institution subsequent to the last previous election of members in the chapter.
3.3 Eligibility may be determined separately for each academic unit or program within a member institution, e.g., department, school, or college. For those institutions that do not rank students using grades, the chapter shall include the method of determining eligibility in its chapter bylaws.
3.4 Alumni who are graduates from any class of five (5) years standing or more. These should be persons whose achievements since graduation have been outstanding and whose academic records while at this institution were high, with an increasing emphasis on the former as the period since graduation becomes longer.
3.41 The number of members initiated in any year by this chapter from the alumni of that institution, with the exception of the first five (5) years after installation, shall not exceed two (2) percent of the number of undergraduates and graduate students invited by the chapter that year.
3.42 Chapters that invite fewer than two hundred (200) students per year shall be allowed to initiate a maximum of four (4) persons per year from the eligible alumni of that institution.
3.5 Members of this institution’s faculty, administration, and professional staff whose records and/or achievements have rendered them worthy of membership. Those who do not hold a collegiate degree, but who have distinguished themselves professionally, may be initiated provided prior approval for their initiation is obtained from the Board.
3.51 The number of members initiated in any year by this chapter from the faculty, administration, and professional staff of this institution, with the exception of the first five years after installation, shall not exceed 3 percent of the number of students invited by the chapter that year.
3.52 Chapters that invite fewer than two hundred (200) students per year shall be allowed to initiate a maximum of six (6) persons per year from the faculty, administration, and professional staff of that institution.
3.6 Members of New Chapters
3.61 Members of a predecessor honor society functioning in the manner of Phi Kappa Phi who would have qualified for membership in Phi Kappa Phi under requirements specified in subsections 3.1 through 3.4 above may be invited to membership provided they are invited by this chapter within five years after installation.
3.62 Graduates of this institution where no predecessor honor society similar to Phi Kappa Phi existed and who would have qualified for membership in Phi Kappa Phi under requirements specified in subsections 3.1 through 3.4 above may be invited to membership provided they are invited by this chapter within five (5) years after installation.
Section 4. Invitation to Membership
4.1 All invitations to membership shall be approved at a regularly called meeting of the chapter at which a quorum is present OR by mail or electronic mail sent to all active members OR by the chapter’s Executive Committee.
4.2 An affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members shall be necessary for the approval of any person for membership.
Section 5. Membership Privileges
5.1 Active members have access to all available benefits offered by the Society and are eligible to:
5.11 Vote in chapters, if Society and chapter dues are current.
5.12 Hold office in chapters, if Society and chapter dues are current.
5.13 Serve as chapter delegates to any Biennial Convention, if Society and chapter dues are current.
5.14 Serve on Society committees if Society dues are current.
5.15 Hold Society office if Society dues are current.
5.2 Charter members have the privilege of signing the charter for a new chapter.
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 in accordance with Society policy. If the membership is revoked, the person has the right to appeal this decision to the Society President.
ARTICLE III: Chapter Officers, the Executive Committee, and Chapter Governance
The management of the chapter shall be vested in an Executive Committee, consisting of chapter officers and such additional members as the chapter may prescribe.
Section 1. Officers. The elected officers of this chapter shall include at least a President, a President Elect, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Vice-President of Scholarships & Awards, and at least two student Vice Presidents, all of whom shall be affiliated members. These officers, together with the immediate past President, shall constitute the chapter’s Executive Committee. The student Vice Presidents must be enrolled at the time of their election and throughout the duration of their term of office; all other chapter officers shall be active members who are faculty, administrators, or staff at the University of Texas at Dallas.
Additional non-elected offices to be held by faculty, administration, professional staff, students, or alumni may be established as the chapter may prescribe, (e.g., Vice President of Public Relations Officer), but will not be considered part of the Executive Committee.
Section 2. Election of Officers.
2.1 The election of officers may occur at any time at a regularly called meeting of the chapter at which a quorum is present. See Article IV, Section 2, for a definition of a quorum.
2.2 The terms of chapter officers shall be for two years, except for the Student Vice Presidents, whose terms shall be for one (1) year, with all terms beginning in every other odd year on January 1 and expiring the following year on December 31. Chapter officers may be reelected.
2.3 The Society fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. The slate of elected chapter officers will be sent promptly, and in no case later than June 15, to the Executive Director of the Society.
Section 3. Duties of Officers.
3.1 It shall be the duty of the 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, including coordinating the activities of officers serving on the Executive Committee.
3.11 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.
3.111 When a ballot is submitted to chapters, each chapter President shall be responsible for completing it and returning it promptly to the Executive Director of the Society or other designated officer.
3.112 At Conventions, the chapter’s delegate shall vote on behalf of the chapter. The delegate may be the chapter President, chapter President-Elect, or an active member designated by the chapter as its proxy.
3.2 It shall be the duty of the President-Elect to preside at meetings in the absence of the President and to succeed to the presidency in the event of death, incapacity or resignation of the President.
3.3 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, all in coordination with the President.
3.4 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 November 15; and to prepare and submit other reports required by Society Headquarters.
3.5 It shall be the duty of the Public Relations Officer to disseminate news of chapter activities to the various media, to maintain and update the website and other media activities, 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, in consultation with other officers, to promote the purposes of the chapter and the Society.
3.6 It shall be the duty of the chapter student Vice Presidents to perform such duties as are assigned to them by the President.
3.7 It shall be the duty of the immediate Past President of the chapter to serve as a member of the Executive Committee and perform such duties as are assigned to him/her by the President.
Section 4. Duties of the chapter Executive Committee. It will be the responsibility of the Executive Committee to supervise annual and long-range planning of chapter activities, to advise and assist chapter officers and committees, to have jurisdiction over matters pertaining to the chapter but not provided for in these Bylaws or in the Society Bylaws; to elect delegates to conventions and other meetings of the Society, and, in the event of the loss of any chapter officer by reason of death, incapacity or resignation, to appoint a temporary officer to serve until the election of new officers.
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. Initiation Fees. Before initiation, each newly-elected member will pay to the Society, through the chapter Treasurer or via the Internet directly to the Society, an initiation fee established by the Society entitling him/her to a membership certificate and an emblem. Also included in this fee are first year national dues, which entitle the member to a one-year subscription to the Phi Kappa Phi Forum and numerous other benefits. In addition, he/she will, at the same time, pay an initiation fee established by the chapter, which will be equivalent to the current year’s chapter dues, such monies to be used to pay expenses incurred by the chapter for initiation ceremonies and other programs and activities. No membership will be valid unless these fees have been paid.
Section 2. Membership Dues. To remain active, all members other than those newly initiated will pay chapter annual dues to Society Headquarters, in an amount determined by vote of the chapter together with national annual dues in an amount determined by the Society Board. All dues payments shall be made to Society Headquarters in response to the annual dues statement sent to each member.
ARTICLE VI: Obligations to the Society
Section 1. Reports. Chapters will submit by the specified date certain reports to the Society Headquarters. These include, but are not limited to, the Chapter Officer List, the Chapter Annual Report, and the Chapter Financial Report.
Section 2. Initiation Materials. 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.
Section 3. Society Meeting Participation. It is the responsibility of chapters to send appropriate delegates who are active chapter members to Society conventions and other Society meetings.
ARTICLE VII: Amendments
Section 1. Amendments. These chapter Bylaws may be amended by the affirmative vote submitted by two-thirds of the active members present and voting at a regular chapter meeting, provided the proposed amendment or amendments have been given to the active chapter members thirty days prior to the meeting.
Section 2. Limitations. 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.
Original ratified by charter group 3/24/11
Sent to national board for approval 3/24/11
Revised and ratified by membership 9/1/11
Biannual National Convention ratified new bylaws 8/11/2012
Amended on 4/26/2018