The Bylaws of the Alpha Pi Iota Chapter of

Sigma Tau Delta, International English Honor Society,

The Ohio State University

Article I: Chapter Purpose

Sigma Tau Delta’s central purpose is to confer distinction upon students of the English language and literature in undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies. The Alpha Pi Iota chapter will work to promote networking, social interaction, and a stronger community in the English department, along with creating opportunities for English majors to reach out to the community and work towards professional goals.

Article II: Membership

Section 1: Membership in Sigma Tau Delta is by invitation, extended through a local chapter on behalf of the international organization. This organization and its members shall not discriminate against any individual or individuals for reasons of race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, sex, age, handicap, or Vietnam-era veteran status.

Section 2: Students who meet the qualifications for membership must complete a membership application, pay the initial $50 induction dues, and attend either the designated formal or non-formal induction ceremony before becoming full members of the Alpha Pi Iota chapter of Sigma Tau Delta. All members transferring from another chapter are exempt from this process, but must pay an initial transfer fee of $10 along with his/her quarterly dues.

Section 3: After paying any designated initial dues, members must pay $20 to the chapter treasurer at the start of every quarter, excluding summer quarter. Graduate members are only require to pay $30 annual dues to the vice president at the beginning of fall quarter, who will ensure all graduate dues are given to the treasurer.

Section 4: Candidates for undergraduate membership must have:

1. completed at least five quarters of college work (does not include post-secondary work)
2. completed a minimum of two college courses in English language or literature beyond English 110
3. a minimum G.P.A. of a 3.0 in English
4. a G.P.A. of 3.3 or above overall

By fall quarter 2010, the overall G.P.A. will be raised to a 3.4. This shall be obtained by using an incremental system to raise the overall G.P.A. The overall G.P.A. shall be raised by an amount of 0.1 each fall quarter, and continuing until 2010.

Section 5: Candidates for graduate membership must be enrolled in the English graduate program, or one of its specializations, have completed six semester hours of graduate work or the equivalent, and have a minimum grade point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.

Section 6: Sigma Tau Delta members are members for life, becoming alumni when they cease current enrollment as student or faculty members in a college or university with an active chapter. Members have the option of declaring alumni status and joining the Alumni Epsilon chapter through the international office of Sigma Tau Delta.

Section 7: Honorary membership may be extended by any chapter upon the recommendation of the chapter sponsor, the chapter president, and by a three-fourths majority vote of those attending the meeting at which such recommendation is made, to any student of any major or minor. National honorary members may be designated as such by a majority vote of the Board in recognition for outstanding achievement.

Article III: General Attendance

Section 1: This policy is one based on points. A fully active member is required to complete six participation points per quarter. If a member cannot meet the required number of points he/she may be put on probation and possibly evaluated for non-active membership.

Section 2: These six participation points are composed of three general meeting points (one being a speaker night), one service point, one social point, and one fundraising point.

Section 3: Students who have been inducted into Sigma Tau Delta are members for life. This means that membership cannot be revoked whatsoever. Those students who do not participate in the required amount of ativities, do not pay dues, or do not contribute to the chapter beneficially can be put on non-active status.

Section 4: If a member is having trouble meeting the minimum number of points (night classes, other activities), he/she must speak with the Vice President about possibly arrangements for compliant non-active membership. If contact is not made within the first three weeks of the quarter, he/she can be placed on non-active status without compliancy.

Before a member can be placed on non-active status he/she must meet with the executive board; the board will review the student’s membership and activity in the chapter. If the student is placed on non-active status he/she can only attend open meetings and those events specified by the executive board. Non-active members are not required to pay quarterly dues for those quarters when they are on non-active status.

Section 5: To accommodate those members who may have busy or difficult quarters and cannot attend meetings regularly or contribute significantly to the chapter, the executive board can meet with said members to discuss compliant non-active status. Like non-active members, compliant non-active members are not required to pay quarterly dues but are only allowed to attend open meetings and those events specified by the executive board.

Section 6: To become an active member after being placed on non-active status the student must reapply for membership (completing the reactivation application and paying reactivation dues) and meet with the executive board for evaluation.

Those members placed on non-active status for reasons other than noncompliance are not required to reapply for membership, but must meet with the executive board to discuss active membership.

Article IV: General Meetings

All general meetings will be held six times per quarter on campus at 6 p.m. and shall last for only an hour, unless otherwise stated. The general meetings will rotate evenly between Monday and Tuesday nights. Two general meetings per quarter will be designated “speaker nights” when the president will arraign for an official, professional, or authority of topic to speak to the chapter about a career or literature orient topic.

Article V: Events

Section 1: The Alpha Pi Iota chapter of Sigma Tau Delta offers four kinds of events, service, social, fundraisers, and professional. These events are all responsible of upholding and exemplifying the values of the organization.

1. Service: Events that are overseen by the service chair. He/she can head this event his/herself or oversee the committee chair and committee of the event. There are two service events offered per quarter (though if possible more are encouraged). One of these events must be literary based.
2. Social: Events that are overseen by the social chair. He/she can head this event his/herself or oversee the committee chair and committee of the event. There are two social events offered per quarter (though if possible more are encouraged). Literature or writing is encouraged to be incorporated into the activities of the event.
3. Fundraiser: Events that are overseen by the treasurer. He/she can head this event his/herself or oversee the committee chair and committee of the event. There is one fundraiser event offered per quarter (though if possible more are encouraged). The money raised goes towards the activities of the organization, but can also be used to raise dues of members if designated as such.
4. Professional: Events that are overseen by the president. He/she can head this event his/herself or oversee the committee chair and committee of the event. This event is for the career betterment of members and non-members alike. This event is not offered every quarter, but is encouraged to be executed.
   

Section 2: Of these events there are various labels of attendance, open, initiate, and closed.

1. Open events are those events open to senior members, initiates, and any Ohio State student or faculty member.
2. Initiate events are those events open to and required of initiates and members.
3. Close events are those events only open to and required of members.
   

Section 3: The use of alcohol is prohibited at all events.

Section 4: The committee chair or executive member residing over an event is required to fill out a program summary form. Program summary forms are to be kept in the binder of the designated executive overseer.

Article VI: Initiate Quarter

Section 1: The quarter of a member's induction the member is given initiate status, meaning initiate members are required to attend attendance required regular member events and all initiate designated events. Regular membership is obtained after inductions, which are held at the end of the initiate quarter.

Section 2: Initiate members are required to pay induction dues, a one time fee of $50. If dues are not collected by the date specified by the president, recruitment chair, and treasurer, the initiate will not be allow to further participate in any Sigma Tau Delta events and must wait until the following quarter to participate in their initiate quarter and be inducted.

Section 3: Initiate members are paired with regular members during initiate quarter and will be encouraged to meet outside of Sigma Tau Delta to form stronger connections and friendships.

Article VII: Executive Board Members’ Duties and Attendance

Section 1: Officers serving as the Executive Board shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Service Chair, Social Chair, Recruitment Chair, and Web Master.

Section 2: The term of office for Executive Board members shall be one year or until their successors are elected.

Section 3: Executive Board members must be in good standing with the institution.

Section 4: Executive Board members will meet seven times per quarter outside of general meetings. Executive meetings will occur before that week’s general meeting or other large events in order to ensure continuity, collaboration, and understanding among its members.

If an executive member has a time conflict with an executive meeting he/she must notify the president and executives as far ahead as possible. Absences are only excused for illness and emergencies. If an executive member must miss an executive meeting he/she must email any information, updates, and/or announcements to the secretary for discussion at the meeting.

Section 5: Executive Board members must attend all general meetings, excluding illness and emergencies. Executive members are allowed to miss one general meeting per quarter for any reason.

Section 6: Executive Board members are strongly encouraged to attend all social, service, and fundraising events (professional and scarlet & gray events excluded), but are only held to the same standards as general members for attendance. Professional or service events with expected attendance of more than 20 non-members/campus-wide/community events need all executive member participation of some form.

Section 7: All executive members must participate in one committee per quarter.

Section 8: Executive members who do not meet executive attendance requirements can be asked to meet with the all executive members to discuss the circumstances and action for betterment of the situation. This member will be placed on observance. If attendance does not improve, the executive board can meet without the presence of the executive member on observance to discuss action and possible title removal. If title removal is decided upon, the executive member on observance will be notified by the president of the circumstances and asked to step down from the position so that another member may secure the title and responsibilities to ensure the continued health and preservation of the organization.

Section 9: The executive board will designate the adviser(s). The adviser(s) has/have no vote in the organization. The duties of the adviser are as follows:

1. to assist the president in reviewing applications for membership and approving those that fulfill the requirements for membership;
2. to notify the president when there is correspondence from the international office;
3. to provide staff support for promotion and staff involvement of Sigma Tau Delta events, both social and academic;
4. to oversee the appropriate use of operating, travel, and activity funds;
5. to aid the executive board as necessary; and
6. to work towards the purpose of the constitution as stated in Article I.

Article VIII: Election of Executive Board Members

Section 1: Election of executive board members will occur at during spring quarter, after formal inductions and two meetings before the end of the quarter.

Section 2: Those members running for positions on the executive board must be self-nominated or nominated by another member during the nomination period, at least one meeting before elections.

Section 3: Election candidates must prepare a small speech, no more than 300 words, stating why he/she is qualified to hold the position he/she is running for. Speeches will be made during elections before voting.

Section 4: Each member in attendance at the election meeting shall be accorded one vote per office. Those members who cannot attend must read through the various speeches and vote online by 5pm of the following night.

Section 5: All elections will be run by the graduating members of the executive board and held by secret ballot.

Section 6: A simple majority vote will constitute an officer election. New officers will be announced by Friday night of election week.

Article IX: President

Section 1: The president presides at the meetings; initiates activities and sees that they are carried out; appoints committees and sees that they function; lends continuity to the chapter; and makes sure that the jobs are distributed among as many of the members as possible.

Section 2: The president is responsible for the organization of quarterly schedules. He/she must create a balanced schedule, with not more than two events per week, excluding executive board and committee meetings, and must then present the proposed schedule to the executive board for verification. He/she is in charge of planning the agenda for general meetings, even if they are socially based, and sees that the agenda for each quarter has a variety and balance of academic value and social interaction. The president must also delegate which events are open, initiate, or closed at the beginning of the quarter so that the vice president can notify non-active members of their quarterly schedules.

Section 3: The president acts as an ambassador to faculty, speakers (both Ohio State employed and non), and other chapters/organizations. He/she works closely with the sponsor/advisor.

Section 4: The president is in charge of approving membership applications, contacting applicants in regards to their admittance (using the admittance letter template), and making sure all certificates are complete with the advisor’s signature, his/her signature, and the date prior to the induction ceremony. He/she is also responsible for the execution/planning of induction ceremonies, both formal and informal.

Section 5: After the acceptance and induction of new members, the president must give all applications to the secretary to organize and dispose of properly.

Section 6: The president is in charge of updating the Ohio State organization web information, otherwise known as The Source. He/she is also responsible for updating the roster every quarter after inductions and/or graduate member involvement. Once the roster is up-to-date, he/she must make sure that the webmaster receives an up-to-date copy for list-serv reference.

Section 7: The president must keep the vice president informed regarding all contacts, events, and general meetings. This shall be executed by weekly emails, phone calls, and/or meetings.

Section 8: The president oversees all professional events, and is in charge of delegating the role of committee chair or residing as committee chair his/herself.

Article X: Vice President

Section 1: The vice president presides in the absence of the president (all general and executive meetings, organization skills forums/workshops, and liaison meetings). This officer confers with the president and the sponsor/advisor often and should be kept informed and involved in the activities. This shall be executed by weekly emails, phone calls, and/or meetings.

Section 2: The vice president is in charge of the enforcement/regulation of attendance. He/she must follow up on members’ attendance and contact members if they are falling behind on attendance (three general meetings (one being a speaker night), one social, one fundraiser, and one service). This shall be reviewed weekly at executive board meetings.

Section 3: If a member is placed on non-active status it is the vice president’s duty to notify said member of the events he/she can attend as designated by the president and the executive board, by the beginning of the quarter or as soon as the member is placed on non-active status. The president can only control what events are specified as open, while the executive board must consider and vote on the importance of said member's participation in various designated initiate or closed events. Events that participation is designated as "highly-important" (ex: quarterly inductions) the member shall attend.  

Section 4: The vice president is responsible for the Sigma Tau Delta (Alpha Pi Iota) scholarship fund. He/she shall head the selection committee, composed of various English department officials. He/she will collect applications for review by the selection committee. He/she will also remain in contact with the treasurer during the selection process spring quarter, and discuss any financial changes with regards to the Alpha Pi Iota budget prior to advertisement of said scholarship.

Section 5: The vice president must secure all locations before the start of the quarter. This includes reserving Denney 311 for general meetings from the English department main office or other Ohio State reservation official, obtaining and solidifying rooms/other non-campus locations for induction ceremonies, executive meetings, and any non-committee based events. All committee based events are excluded and left to the committee chair and/or their committee.

Section 6: The vice president is also in charge of graduate membership. If an Ohio State graduate student contacts the organization, it is the vice president’s responsibility to notify the president and web master of his/her membership and collect the $30 yearly dues to give to the treasurer. After membership is solidified, the vice president must keep the graduate members up-to-date on any Sigma Tau Delta events so that he/she may participate when they are able. There is no attendance policy for graduate members. Graduate membership is voluntary and shall be viewed as such.

Section 7: As a committed chapter officer, the vice president can chair particular committees as needed and provide leadership on particular projects and activities.

Article XI: Secretary

Section 1: The secretary keeps the minutes of the meetings, both of the business transacted and of the programs and activities. He or she sends out announcements of future meetings and minutes of previous meetings (both general and executive).

Section 2: The secretary keeps a record of the attendance of those members who attend meetings. He/she must make sure the vice president receives a copy of each event’s attendance.

Section 3: The secretary corresponds with the Central Office by reporting activities, being responsible for the comfort of local speakers and for hosts and hostesses at each program (securing any beverages, making copies of the presentation, etc.), and possibly serving as chair for a particular activity or project.

Section 4: List of records to be kept:

1. New member enrollment records (do not keep new member applications, especially if there is any information related to the applicant's academic record)
2. Correspondence
3. Chapter meeting minutes
4. Bank account statements (with the Treasurer)
5. Induction ceremony and award banquet programs
6. Documents related to chapter activities such as fundraisers and service projects
7. Journals and newsletters
8. Any awards or honors the chapter may have received
9. Chapter history

At the end of the Secretary’s term he/she will compose a short history of the year detailing events, meetings, speakers, and important occurrences.

Section 5: The secretary must complete the Chapter Annual Report and file it both in his/her notebook for reference and online at www.enligsh.org for national office.

Article XII: Treasurer

Section 1: The treasurer, in close consultation with the sponsor, handles all money matters relating to the chapter. He/she should administer chapter funds and keep the other officers apprised of the status of chapter finances. The account(s) balance(s) shall be reviewed at every executive meeting.

Section 2: The treasurer is responsible for obtaining and completing the necessary application forms to request financial aid from Ohio State and Undergraduate Student Government.

Section 3: The treasurer is in charge of the collection of dues (initiate/quarterly/reactivation). He/she must also be aware of any graduate members and collect graduate dues from the vice president at the beginning of fall quarter.

Section 4: The treasurer is the overseer of any fundraising events in which the chapter engages; delegate chairpersons or chair fundraisers themselves and oversee projects. The treasurer must ensure that one fundraiser is completed per quarter.

Section 5: At the end of each quarter, the treasurer is responsible for completing an audit. Along with the secretary, it is important for the treasurer to keep detailed records of funds and expenses; make payments on time; and be sure to follow through on reimbursements.

Section 6: The treasurer is also responsible for the financial aspects of the scholarship fund and will discuss any changes in reward with the vice president prior to the advertisement of said scholarship.

Article XIII: Social Chair

Social chair is in charge of organizing and/or overseeing the various social events, open and closed. He/she is responsible for booking rooms, making arrangements for food, making sure speakers have correct information, and checking out equipment or delegating and overseeing these responsibilities. It is the social chair's responsibility to make sure that attendance is taken for record at all social (non-general meeting) events, and given to the secretary for record. 

Article IXX: Service Chair

Service Chair will organize all community service events. Service Chair will make arrangements with various community officials or contacts, book spaces, work with local schools, etc. He/she will either head service event committees or delegate an event chair and oversee that the program runs smoothly and upholds the values/expectations of Sigma Tau Delta. It is the service chair's responsibility to make sure that attendance is taken for record at all service events, and given to the secretary for record. 

Article XX: Recruitment Chair

Section 1: Recruitment chair is designated to help the sponsor and president recruit new members. He/she should be aware of dates of any university organization fairs, honors program days, and other school-wide activities. The recruitment chair is in charge of organizing and publicizing all recruitment and initiate events. He/she must hold an informational meeting for all prospective and new members no later than the second week of the quarter. He/she can create and oversee a committee to better execute said events.

Section 2: The recruitment chair should make sure that fliers and banners are posted and that announcements are made in all English 398 classes at the beginning of each quarter.

Section 3: Along with these responsibilities, he/she will serve as head of public relations until the position is added/elected, meaning he/she is responsible for the creation and distribution of recruitment and general advertising (posters, announcements, etc.).

Section 4: The recruitment chair shall oversee all initiate events, meetings, and socials during initiate quarter. He/she is responsible for the planning and execution of the "Scarlet and Grey" social(s).  

Article XXI: Webmaster

Section 1: The webmaster is in charge of the creation and maintenance of the chapter website. The site must be clean, both technologically and ethically. The site must be easy to use, organized, and up-to-date.

Section 2: The webmaster must monitor the email account and keep the list-serv up-to-date and organized. He/she is in charge of updating the Facebook Ó or anything other web based networking page.

Section 3: The web master is responsible for creation and maintenance of the English department Sigma Tau Delta designated web page.

Article XXII: Additional Bylaws

Additional bylaws can be added by a two-thirds vote of the executive members present at an executive meeting at which the proposed amendment was distributed. Bylaws can only be created and added for the purpose of the betterment of the Alpha Pi Iota chapter.

Article XXIII: Amendments

Amendments to these bylaws shall be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the executive and general members present at a general meeting following the meeting at which the proposed amendment was distributed.