Constitution of The Iota Upsilon Chapter Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity Western Michigan University (Created 2/15/1995) (Last Revision 10/2/13) PREAMBLE The Michigan Iota Upsilon Chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity at Western Michigan University is intended to provide a framework to achieve a superior Brotherhood based upon Otis Allan Glazebrook's "Eternal and Immutable principles" of Scholarship, Fellowship, and Character 1 Article I: NAME The organization shall be known as the Iota Upsilon Chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity at Western Michigan University Proper nicknames are Taus, Alpha Taus, or ATOs Article II: PURPOSE The purpose of this organization shall be to: a Prepare leaders for tomorrow b Provide a rewarding social outlet that builds better men c Achieving these goals set forth through the pursuit of the vision Article III: MEMBERSHIP and SCOPE SECTION I The membership of the Iota Upsilon Chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity at Western Michigan University shall be composed of qualified graduate or undergraduate males who attend Western Michigan University No qualified male shall be deprived membership based on religion, ethnicity, handicap, height, weight, color, national origin, or veteran status SECTION II The Iota Upsilon Chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity shall abide by all National Fraternity, FRMT, IFC, and FIPG guidelines for Risk Management and Operations The Iota Upsilon Chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity will not tolerate hazing Any new member brotherhood enhancement activity must: a Have a positive outcome b Be written down with the proper procedure and purpose to ensure that hazing will not occur in the future c Have the activity description available for review by request to the Board of Trustees and National Headquarters SECTION III The Iota Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Tau Omega shall have a strict safe-ride policy to be upheld by the Risk Management Chair This policy is for the well being of the brothers of Alpha Tau Omega a Any brother who is the safe-ride may not be intoxicated in any way, shape, or form Failure to meet this requirement will lead to fines in addition to said brother being brought before the Standards Committee b Brothers who are safe-ride must have a legal drivers license c Safe-ride will occur on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and some nights that there is no school the following day, i.e there is no school on Monday This does not include such days as those falling during Christmas Break, Spring Break, and Thanksgiving Recess d e f g h It is the safe-rides responsibility to tend and answer the saferide phone Failure to so will lead to fines incurred to the said safe-ride brother The hours of safe-ride are from 10:00 PM of said evening (Friday or Saturday) until 3:00 AM the following morning, unless the house is hosting a social gathering Except for Thursday when saferide will begin at 9:00 PM If the house is hosting a social gathering, then the hours are from 8:00PM until 4:00 AM or until all the brothers are safe and accounted for At that time the Risk Manager will relieve the safe-ride of their duties Pledges will assume the duties of safe-ride during their pledging semester The Risk Manager shall arrange the dates with the pledges during the first meeting of their pledge term When no pledges are available for safe-ride duty, safe-ride will be appointed by people in debt first, then by badge number at Risk Manager’s discretion If said safe ride brother cannot make their assigned date as safe-ride, it is the said safe-ride brother's responsibility to find an appropriate replacement to cover their date The said safe ride brother must then call the risk manager and let him know of the replacement safe ride brother Failure of the replacement brother to perform the duties will result in a fine Fines incurred during instances as stated above will be the amount of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) SECTION IV The Iota Upsilon Chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity at Western Michigan University shall have regular and probationary membership: a Full members shall have all rights and responsibilities of membership in the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity b Qualifications for full membership shall be as follows: Have completed the new membership education program Financial responsibilities both to the National Headquarters and the chapter have been met Have achieved a semester and cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better on a scale of 4.0 Have passed GreekLifeEDU or any other alcohol education program required by ATO National Headquarters Have been properly initiated into the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity Have signed all necessary contracts for Alpha Tau Omega c d e To maintain good standing with the chapter, members are required to: Maintain a semester and cumulative G.P.A of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale Be in good financial standing with both National Headquarters and the chapter Attend at least 80% of all mandatory meetings, philanthropic events, and brotherhood events If member does not attend event deemed mandatory by President at previous meeting a fine of $15 will be issued at discretion of chairman of event or President Complete 12 hours of community service a semester and document them for the Community Service chairman To hold an office position with the chapter, members are required to: Maintain a semester and cumulative G.P.A of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale Be in good financial standing with both National Headquarters and the chapter Removal from membership in the Iota Upsilon Chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity requires a 2/3 majority of the quorum Members can also be removed by the Board of Trustees recommendation SECTION V Probationary members face restrictions as determined by the chapter within the boundaries of the National Fraternity Mandated Guidelines There shall be three types of probationary membership: a New members Examples of restrictions on membership include, but are not limited to the following: Non-voting Mandatory study hours b Mandatory weekly new member education, pledge class meetings, and general meetings Scholastic probationary members are defined as any member not maintaining the academic standard for membership (achieving below the minimum of a 2.5 G.P.A.), shall be placed on one of the two levels of scholastic probation Level 1Scholastic Probation (between 2.0 and 2.49) shall: Have duration of one semester The member must get grade reports filled out by their instructors each week and turn them into the Scholarship Chair by each meeting or incur a fifteen-dollar ($15.00) fine The members must document out of class study for a total of ten hours a week minimum (Eight hours alone and two at the fraternity house under watch of a proctor) Study hours must be written out including time, place and with whom they studied with, then given to the scholarship chair before each chapter meeting The proctor will be responsible for oversight and documentation of study times during each study time's duration Meet with the Scholarship Chair to discuss further action If the scholastic probationary members complete the above requirements and achieve a G.P.A at or above the minimum requirement, they shall be returned to a member in good standing If the scholastic probationary members not achieve the minimum G.P.A requirement and/or have not completed the independent study program, scholastic probationary measures shall continue for an additional semester as well as being placed on social probation or an alternative study program approved by the Scholarship Chair and by other chairs if necessary After two consecutive semesters on scholastic probation, the member's membership status will be reviewed by the Standards Committee with the Scholarship Chair No drinking from Sunday to Wednesday Level Scholastic probation (under a 2.0) shall: Adhere to all of the above rules for Level Scholastic Probation No drinking at registered events/ Sober at ALL ATO parties SECTION VI In order to maintain a strong brotherhood, the Iota Upsilon Chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity shall have two retreats during the school year One will occur during the fall semester and one during the winter semester In addition, one brotherhood event will take place during the summer months SECTION VII Regarding re-installation of a brother who turns in his badge: Any brother who wishes to return to the chapter shall be brought before the Standards Committee The Standards Committee shall decide whether to admit him and what actions have been or should be taken for the person to prove that he is worthy to return The Standards Committee's decision is subject to appeal per the laws of the Constitution Article V: EXECUTIVE BOARD SECTION I The executive board shall consist of: All Worthy Positions, Recruitment Chairman, Social Chair(s), Risk Management Chair, New Membership Education Chair(s), Philanthropy Chair, Scholarship Chair, Public Relations Chair, and Community Service Chair All other officers shall submit a written report to the Worthy Master upon his request SECTION II The duties of the executive board include: a Serve as a steering and planning committee for the Chapter b Attend the executive board meetings as specified by the Worthy Marshall c Enforce the National Fraternity Bylaws and Policies & Procedures, as well as the Chapter Constitution and by-laws d Successfully complete a one-year term of office e Successfully facilitate a new officer orientation program that includes one-on-one training sessions and the passing down of adequate officer notebooks SECTION III The individual duties of each executive board office are as prescribed by the following documents: a b c National Fraternity Officer Guidelines Chapter Bylaws Chapter Officer Notebooks Article VI: EXECUTIVE BOARD ELECTIONS SECTION I Election to an executive board office is a three-week process a During the first week, interested parties shall submit to the Worthy Marshall an Executive Board Application, which will list such items as G.P.A., experience, and goals b During the second week, nominations shall be held for the remaining open positions The nominations will occur during the month of November Nominations require a second A brother may nominate himself SECTION II Elections shall take place on the second to last meeting of the fall semester Officer installation shall take place the last meeting of the fall semester, which shall be ritual meeting SECTION III Worthy Scribe and the Worthy Master shall run elections SECTION IV A quorum of the voting members must be present in order for an election to be held A quorum must consist of two thirds of the voting members SECTION V Each active member shall receive one vote SECTION VI Elections shall proceed in the following manner: a Voting for each office shall be done separately in the order they are presented in Article V, Section, I by rank Nominees shall not be present during discussion and voting b Ballots shall take place secretly c Simple majority of members present is necessary to win office d If no one receives a majority, balloting shall continue between the uppermost two candidates in a runoff election, with all other candidates who did not receive the two highest votes returning to participate in the final vote e Abstentions shall not count in figuring the majority SECTION VII Transitions shall start after elections and officer installation shall be during the last meeting of the Fall semester SECTION VIII Regarding officer impeachment, any officer may be impeached by a two-thirds vote of a quorum of the chapter members in attendance or by recommendation of the Standards Committee SECTION IX All other positions shall not be considered executive board and shall be appointed by the Worthy Master to serve at his leisure SECTION X Committees shall be established by the Worthy Master and Worthy Marshall in according to the National Committee Structure Committees shall have a presiding executive board officer selected from the committee structure who shall be responsible for reporting progress to the Worthy Marshall and the brotherhood as well as completing the specific tasks set forth for the committee Article VII: MEETINGS SECTION I Robert's Rules of Order shall govern all Chapter meeting procedures SECTION II The Chapter Worthy Master shall preside as the Chairman and shall not be entitled to motion, second, and may only vote in the case of a tie or deciding vote The Chapter Worthy Scribe shall provide a typed and outlined agenda in the following order: Acceptance of Minutes/Agenda, Reports, Committee Reports, Officer Reports, Old Business, New Business, and Announcements, to all brothers for every chapter meeting The Chapter Worthy Scribe shall provide typed and detailed minutes, which will include all absences, to all Brothers for every chapter meeting SECTION III All brothers in good standing shall receive one vote at all meetings All votes shall be voice votes at the discretion of the Chair except for elections If the vote is too close to determine by voice vote, a show of hands shall be used to determine the final vote A simple majority is necessary for appropriations of funds, not including the deep savings account concerned finance SECTION IV Full attendance at meetings being necessary to our chapter's survival, all chapter members and new members are required to attend mandatory meetings A meeting will be called mandatory if it meets any one of the following conditions: a It is the weekly chapter meeting b It has been announced as a mandatory meeting in the chapter meeting by the Worthy Master c It is a recruitment event d It is a semester retreat Two unexcused absences for any one brother during the same semester will result in a twenty-five dollar ($25.00) fine incurred Any additional unexcused absences will result in the same fine A limit of two approved excused absences will be set per semester, unless an approval by the Chapter President is obtained Absences exceeding the amount of two will then be marked as unexcused and fines of $25.00 will be incurred SECTION V During any given thirty-day period, there shall be no more than two mandatory meetings in addition to the regular chapter meetings and recruitment events Article VIII: DUES SECTION I Active member’s dues shall be a lump sum of $200 at the start of the semester paid to the Worthy Keeper of the Exchequer New members shall pay a two part pledge fee The first payment is due at the five week point in the pledge semester, and the second is to be paid before initiation SECTION II The dates for collection of dues are decided by the Worthy Keeper of the Exchequer Each active member that is in good financial standing with both the chapter and ATO National Headquarters will be given one rush shirt per semester SECTION III Late dues shall be handled as follows: a After a month, a $50.00 late fee will occur b All late due penalties shall stop after a proper payment plan has been arranged with the Worthy Keeper of the Exchequer c Any brother who owes more than sixty dollars ($60.00) in dues shall be notified by the Worthy Keeper of the Exchequer and be sent to the Standards Committee at the discretion of the Standards Committee Chairman (Worthy Marshall) SECTION IV Any Brother who is suffering from financial difficulties can have his current dues of other monitory obligations dismissed only after a written petition is submitted to the Worthy Master or Worthy Marshall on the matter Each new months dues will require another written petition The Worthy Master and/or Worthy Marshall may require the brother to perform other duties or assist other Chapter committees in place of dues or their obligations Any behavior considered to be excessive spending, could result in a revoke of this privilege This special privilege can only be extended for two consecutive months SECTION V GreekBill, the national fraternity’s national dues and insurance collector, dues are set by and must be paid to GreekBill as specified by the member’s GreekBill Statement If the member decides not to pay by the due date stated on the bill, GreekBill sends out a follow up bill If the member still does not pay after this second statement the member is charged a late fee from GreekBill and the chapter is then billed the amount If this happens then the said member will be charged the amount owed to GreekBill plus an additional $50 late fee from the chapter Article IX: STANDARDS COMMITTEE Section I The purpose of the Standards Committee is to interpret the by-laws the Chapter sets for itself, and to weigh matters of fact while maintaining an impartiality that does not protect one brother more than another In addition, the Standards Committee is also concerned with the good of the Chapter and awards for outstanding activities within and outside the Fraternity a The Standards Committee can hear any matters that bring dishonor, discredit, disgrace, or discord to the Chapter b The Standards Committee is intended to help maintain a healthy Brotherhood, and therefore, insists on enforcing the standards the Chapter sets for itself in the constitution and in the by-laws c If any member sees fit to send another member for an outstanding activity which calls wanted attention to our Fraternity, the Standards Committee will make sure that member is awarded and acknowledged Section II The Standards Committee shall consist of seven (7) members including the Worthy Marshall and Worthy Chaplain as the two Co-Chairmen The remaining five (5) members, whose identities will remain unknown to the chapter, will be selected and appointed by both Co-Chairmen and can include any mix of active members so long as none hold a Worthy position a Members are appointed for one semester, but can be appointed for two consecutive semesters b If any serving Standards Committee member, including either Co-Chairs, are sent to the Standards Committee and are found guilty of conduct unbecoming of a brother more than twice, that member will lose their Standards Committee position The Standards Committee is given the right to hear and properly act on issues such as: a Conduct unbecoming of an Alpha Tau b Conduct well displayed as an Alpha Tau c Conflict mediation between Brothers d Good deeds and extra effort both inside and outside of the Fraternity e The maintenance of the high standards of Scholarship, Fellowship and Character f Late dues and financial responsibilities g Lack of attendance for mandatory meetings and events Section III Procedure for submissions to Standards Committee: a Standards Committee meetings must be held at least once a week to discuss any matters of importance to the Fraternity The meetings must be held at a setting, outside the house, where matters can be dealt with b Any active Brother can send any other member before the Standards Committee by submitting a written complaint stating his side of the facts to the Worthy Chaplain If any member feels that the matter is so severe that it does not need to be sent to the Worthy Chaplain, it may be sent directly to the Worthy Marshall c If The Worthy Chaplain decides that there is sufficient evidence to warrant a hearing on the matter, the chaplain will notify the Worthy Marshall in writing d If there is to be a hearing, the defendant must be notified of the charge, and given 7-10 days notice of the time and location of the hearing Once the brother has been notified, and does not show up for the hearing, the brother can be convicted without being present e If the Worthy Chaplain does not feel that the issue should go before the Standards Committee, he can settle the matter(s) between him and the other parties f All brothers brought before Standards Committee must be given proper respect, as they are assumed innocent until found otherwise g Brothers brought before Standards Committee not have the right to be notified of their h i accuser(s) Any Brother sending another to a Standards Committee hearing has the right to be in attendance for the hearing, however, will be asked to leave when votes are being taken The standards committee may call a brother to a standard committee hearing to gain information on a particular issue, but the called upon brother may not be involved in the decision making process Section IV Offenses shall be grouped into three tiers corresponding to their level of severity These tiers will have suggested and maximum sentences that can be given a First Tier Offenses include but are not limited to: - Smoking in the house commons areas not during a registered chapter event - Breaking glass bottles in the house or on house property - Failed party duties, i.e door check, sober monitor, bar check, etc - Lack of attendance to mandatory meetings or events - Failure to pay monthly dues and accumulate a balance equal to that of two months plus late fees - Driving vehicles on the lawn, parking vehicles on the lawn, leaving trash anywhere on the property not designated a proper receptacle, or being unsightly b Second Tier Offenses include but are not limited to: - Inappropriate behavior or verbal abuse toward another - Destruction of property - Failure to uphold safe ride duties - Possession or use of hazardous and or illegal items on house property - Consuming alcohol while wearing ATblock letters or rush apparel - Failure to uphold officer duties - Failure to comply with Standards Committee sanctions c Third Tier Offenses include but are not limited to: - Drug abuse - Physical abuse - Driving while intoxicated - Hazing -Consuming marijuana on Alpha Tau Omega property -Holding illegal drug activities on Alpha Tau Omega property The following are acceptable sentences that may be given to any brother found guilty of the corresponding offense a First Tier Offenses - Monetary fine of no more than $25 - Social probation for a period of one week and house clean-up, safe ride, or sober monitor during a registered event - Up to ten community service hours -Referral to Help-A-Brother Out Program b Second Tier Offenses - Monetary fine of no more than $50 except in the case of property damage which the amount will be equal to that of the cost of repair or replacement - Up to 20 community service hours - Social probation for a period of two weeks and house clean-up, safe ride, or sober monitor for up to two registered events -Referral to Help-A-Brother Out Program c Third Tier Offenses -Referral to Help-A-Brother Out Program - First offense: Monetary fine of no more than $75 - Second offense: Monetary fine of no more than $75 and evaluation of membership with possible removal from membership of offending brother - Third offense: Removal from membership of offending brother Section V The Worthy Marshall shall provide a verbal report of actions that have been taken by the Standards Committee to all brothers every chapter meeting Article X: FINANCE SECTION I The Worthy Keeper of the Exchequer shall present a proposed budget at the first meeting of each semester The budget and expenses of the Chapter shall be established by the Worthy Keeper of the Exchequer in consultation with both Executive Board and the general Brotherhood The Worthy Keeper of the Exchequer must present a monthly report on all chapter expenditures to the chapter in the form of a ledger SECTION II All funds will be allocated through the budget With there being a safety net amount left over, decided by worthy exchequer SECTION III Any expenditure from safety net amount must be voted on SECTION IV Any member who allocates funds from the budget, will be held accountable, and may have to justify the expenditure up to two months of the dated receipt before Judicial Board SECTION V The Chapter shall lay aside 15% of dues in each month and place it aside in a separate long-term savings account No amount of this deep savings is to be spent except in the case of a dire emergency and must be approved by a Quorum vote The Worthy Keeper of the Exchequer has the authority to invest this money as he sees fit, provided a 3/4-majority vote of the Executive Board has approved his investment decision SECTION VI Concerning Intramurals Any brother wishing to participate in Intramurals will be subject to the following a The chapter will first pay for his involvement in the sport b After completion of the sport the brother will be reimburse the chapter if he did not attended 100% of the games, unless excused by the Intramural Chairman c Regardless of authorized absences or excuses, the brother must be at all games with excused absence of the scheduled games or he will reimburse the chapter d The fraternity will only pay for members, not people participating with us SECTION VII All banking involved with the Iota Upsilon chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity at Western Michigan University will be through Bank of America Inc SECTION VIII The Iota Upsilon chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity at Western Michigan University will follow and be subject to all University policies, procedures, and practices regarding student organization accounts and finances SECTION IX Disposition of Non-University funds in the Case of Inactivation If the Iota Upsilon chapter dissolves or becomes inactive, all funds will be frozen in its account for later use upon reactivation of the Iota Upsilon chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity Article XI: AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION SECTION I The constitution may be amended only by a ¾ -majority vote of the entire active Brotherhood Proposed amendments must: a Be submitted in writing two weeks prior to a vote b Be given to each Brother no later than one week prior to a vote Article XII: RATIFICATION SECTION I The constitution of The Michigan Iota Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Tau Omega shall be amended as necessary from this day forth There will be no need for each new incoming Executive Board to ratify the constitution, rather the current one shall stand as law SECTION II The Worthy Scribe shall provide all Brothers and new members of both the ratified Constitution and the Chapter by-laws by the second meeting of each Executive Board Article XIII: BY-LAWS SECTION I By-laws may be established by a simple majority vote of a quorum at general meetings All proposed by-laws: a Must be typed and presented to the Worthy Marshall, to be voted on no sooner than one week’s time b Must be posted in the house one week prior to voting c Must be read by the author and the author must be present and stand forth to defend his proposal during discussion d Must be discussed before it is voted on e Must have a formal date of implication included SECTION II All passed by-laws must be copied and passed out to the Worthy Master, Worthy Marshall, and Worthy Scribe SECTION III The by-laws may in no way counter act this Constitution If they in any case the Constitution shall be supreme Article XIV: Non-Discrimination Policy SECTION I Alpha Tau Omega prohibits discrimination or harassment which violates the law or which constitutes inappropriate or unprofessional limitation on joining, fraternal activities, or becoming an elected officer, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, protected disability, veteran status, height, weight, or martial status Article XV: Statement of Compliance SECTION 1 The Iota Upsilon chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity at Western Michigan University will comply with all SA&LP and University policies, procedures, and practices and all local, state, and federal laws