ARTICLE
I
The
Organization
The name of this organization is The Alumni Association
of Shenandoah University. The Association is a part of
the University structure and is subject to the oversight
of the University President and the Board of Trustees.
ARTICLE
II
Principal
Office
The principal office of The Alumni Association is
in the city of Winchester in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
ARTICLE
III
Purpose
The purpose of The Alumni Association is to provide continuing
service to the University and its alumni by facilitating
communication and relations between alumni and the University
community, and by managing the direction and progress
of all alumni projects, events, and programs. Through
its programs, the Association shall promote a spirit of
fellowship and loyalty among the students, faculty and
staff, alumni, and the greater university community. It
is the cultivating ground which prepares our volunteers
for positions of University leadership and cements the
financial resource base of the institution.
August 1-9, 2001ARTICLE
IV
Membership
Section 1
-- The governing authority of the affairs of the Association
shall be vested in its active members and shall be exercised,
subject to their control, by a Board of Directors.
A. Membership. The Association has three classifications
of membership
Regular:
any former student of the University's program for credit
during regular academic sessions who (a) has received
an earned degree from Shenandoah University, (b) has earned
a minimum of twelve (12) credit hours and has received
honorable dismissal from the University.
Honorary
Alumni: members of the University community who do
not otherwise meet the criteria established for membership
can be designated honorary alumni with the approval of
a majority of the Board of Directors. Selection shall
be based on careful consideration of service by individuals
on behalf of the University, the Association, one of the
schools, academic departments or active organizations
that provide volunteer and financial support. Honorary
alumni shall have all the rights and privileges of membership
with the exception of voting or holding a membership on
the Association's Board of Directors.
Honorary
Degreed Alumni: holders of honorary degrees from the
University are automatically accorded membership in the
Association. Honorary degreed alumni cannot be elected
to office or the Board of Directors but are eligible to
vote in elections if they qualify as an active member.
B. Active
Member. An active member shall be an alumnus/alumna
or honorary member who has contributed to any recognized
Shenandoah fund in the last fiscal year. Only active
members shall be eligible to serve in the elective positions
of the Association.
Section
II -- The Annual Meeting of the Association shall
be held in Winchester, Virginia, at a time and place designated
by the Board.
Section
III -- Special meetings of the Association may be
held on call of the Board of Directors.
Section
IV -- Notice of all meetings of the Association, whether
annual or special, shall be given by the President or
the Executive Director by letter or prominent notice in
an alumni publication not less than thirty (30) days prior
to the date of the meeting. Notice of any special meetings
shall state the purposes of the meetings. No business
shall be transacted at a special meeting that does not
relate to the purposes stated in the notice.
ARTICLE
V
Membership
of the Board of Directors
The
Board of Directors is composed of not less than fifteen
(15) members, one third (1/3) of whom are elected annually.
Members are elected for terms of three (3) years. No member
can serve more than two (2) consecutive terms except in
the case of officers who continue to serve on the Board
as long as they hold an office. Partial terms are excluded
when considering two (2) consecutive terms. A member may
be re-elected to the Board after one (1) year has elapsed
following the expiration of the second term. The Executive
Committee may fill vacancies on the Board or in the offices
of the Association arising from unexpired terms, and the
President of the Association appoints a Nominating Committee
to nominate candidates for election to the Board and to
offices of the Association in accordance with provisions
of these Bylaws.
ARTICLE
VI
Election
of Directors and Officers
Section
I. The election of members of the Board of Directors
shall be as follows:
(a) The
President of the Association shall appoint a Nominating
Committee consisting of up to five (5) active members
of the Association, of whom at least (3) are currently
members of the Board. The chair shall be a current Board
member not serving as an officer. The committee shall
be selected a minimum of four (4) months prior to the
date of the annual meeting of the Association.
(b) The call
for nominations shall be published in all alumni communications
including newsletters, newspapers, magazines and electronic
broadcasts beginning five (5) months before the date of
the election.
(c) The
Nominating Committee shall confer and consider all names
which have been suggested and upon receiving the consent
of the suggested persons chosen, shall nominate one (1)
person for each vacancy which shall occur on the Board.
(d) The chair
of the Nominating Committee shall present the nominees
at the annual meeting of the Association at which time
nominations from the floor from active members may be
accepted for active members, and the election shall proceed.
A plurality of votes cast shall elect the new members.
The new members' terms begin on July 1, of each year,
or as otherwise determined by the Board of Directors.
Section II.
The election of the Officers of the Association shall
be as follows:
(a) The
Nominating Committee shall choose from the membership
of the Board, nominees for the officers of the Association.
Officers to be nominated are President, First Vice President;
Second Vice President; Secretary; Assistant Secretary;
and Treasurer, if this office is to be filled. Officers
who have served one (1) term may be nominated for an additional
one (1) year term.
(b) The chair
of the Nominating Committee shall present the nominees
at the designated Board of Directors meeting at which
time nominations from the floor may be accepted, and the
election shall proceed. A plurality of votes cast shall
elect the officers. The term of office shall begin on
July 1, of each year, or as otherwise determined by the
Board of Directors.
ARTICLE
VII
Board
Meetings
Section
I. The regular semiannual meetings of the Board of
Directors shall be held in the Commonwealth of Virginia
at a time and place determined by the President of the
Association. A portion of each regular meeting may be
reserved for a meeting of the Executive Committee.
Section
II. Special meetings may be called at any time by:
(a) Any two
(2) members of the Executive Committee; or
(b) upon the
request of one-third (1/3) of the Directors.
The
objectives of the meeting must be set forth in both the
call for and the notice of the meeting. No business is
transacted at a special meeting that does not relate to
the purposes for which it was convened
Section
III. A quorum at any meeting of the Board of Directors
shall consist of a majority of the membership of the Board.
Meetings may be conducted through telecommunications equipment,
provided all Directors participating can hear each other
simultaneously.
Section
IV. Any member of the Board who is absent from two
(2) consecutive regular meetings of the Board, except
for reasons accepted as sufficient by the Executive Committee,
or ceases to be an Active member of the Association, ceases
to be a member of the Board, and the Board may elect a
member to the vacancy for the unexpired term.
ARTICLE
VIII
Officers
Section
I -- The officers of the Association shall be President,
First Vice President, Second Vice President, Immediate
Past President, Secretary, and Assistant Secretary, who
shall be elected by the Board of Directors from its membership
for a term of one (1) year, unless otherwise provided
here, and shall hold office until their successors are
elected and have qualified. A Treasurer may be elected
if required. Officers shall not be eligible for election
for more than two (2) terms.
Section
II -- Officers, Duties. The officers and their respective
duties shall be as follows:
(a) The President
exercises a general executive control of the affairs of
the Association; presides at all meetings of the Association,
the Board, and the Executive Committee; appoints members
of committees; serves as an ex-officio member of all committees;
performs all duties incident to the office; and such other
powers and duties as may from time to time be delegated
to the President by the Board.
(b) The First
Vice President, in the absence or disability of the President,
shall perform the duties of the President. S/he shall
chair one of the major committees and such other duties
as the Board may from time to time prescribe.
(c) The Second
Vice President, in the absence or disability of the President,
and the First Vice President, shall perform the duties
of the President. S/he shall chair one of the major committees
and such other duties as the Board may from time to time
prescribe.
(d) The Immediate
Past President will serve on the Board and the Executive
Committee, and act as council in their deliberations.
The Immediate Past President will serve for a term of
(1) year.
(e)
The Secretary keeps the minutes of meetings of the Association,
the Board, and the Executive Committee, and submits them
to the Executive Director within fifteen (15) days of
the meeting. S/he shall chair one of the major committees
and such other duties as the Board may from time to time
prescribe.
(f)
The Assistant Secretary shall be responsible to the Secretary
and perform the duties of Secretary when absence or disability
require. The Assistant Secretary will assist the Executive
Director as required in the maintenance of Association
and Board documents including, but not limited to, minutes,
agreements, contracts, resolutions, and bylaws. The Board
and the Executive Director may from time to time assign
other duties.
ARTICLE
IX
Committees
Section
I -- There are an Executive Committee and a minimum
of three major committees of the Board. The major committees
shall be those most desired and required at any specific
time. Examples are: Awards, Communications, Student Alumni,
Constituent Organizations, and Events. The Executive Committee
shall have the power and responsibility for determining
the three major committees required. The Board, the Executive
Committee, the President, or the Executive Director may
create and, in turn, abolish special or ad hoc committees
it may establish for the discharge of particular duties.
Officers of the Board shall serve as chairs of the major
committees. Each member of the Board will be assigned
to one of the major committees. Committee chairs are free
to recruit committee members who are not members of the
Board.
Section
II -- Executive Committee. There shall be an Executive
Committee of the Board of Directors to be composed of
the officers and the Executive Director. The Executive
Committee has general supervision of the affairs of the
Association and the Board between meetings of the Board.
The Executive Committee meets at least two (2) times each
year, and the President or Executive Director may call
special meetings if required. The Executive Committee
may act on behalf of the Board as necessary in a situation
requiring immediate action.
Section
III -- Major Committees.The President with the assistance
of the Executive Director shall assign each member of
the Board of Directors to one of three major committees.
These committees shall meet at least twice annually. The
President shall assign one of the officers as chair of
each committee.
ARTICLE
X
Rules
of Procedure
The
rules contained in the latest revision of Robert's
Rules of Order shall govern all meetings of the Board
of Directors except to the extent that the same may conflict
with these bylaws.
ARTICLE
XI
Amendments
These
bylaws may be amended by the Board of Directors at any
regular or called meeting, provided that a copy of such
amendment is distributed to the members a minimum of thirty
(30) days before the meeting.
Adopted
January 13, 2001