BYLAWS OF THE JMU STUDENT HONORS ADVISORY COUNCIL
SECTION I: PURPOSE
The purpose of the Student Honors Advisory Council is to facilitate dialogue and
collaboration between Honors students and the Honors Program, with the goal of adding
student voices to the direction of the HP, increasing student participation in Honors
programs and events, and improving the quality of the Honors Program.
SECTION II: MISSION
The Student Honors Advisory Council (hereinafter the “SHAC”) is part of the James Madison
University Honors Program community, providing advice and resources to support the
Program’s overall vision and mission.
SECTION III: VISION
Representing Students and Developing Community
The vision of the SHAC is to create reliable and meaningful student input and participation
in the Honors community. The SHAC will serve as the student voice to the Honors Program
by: 1) bringing student concerns forward for consideration by Honors Program staff and
faculty; 2) assisting program staff and faculty in the development of programming that is
student-centered; and 3) developing community through the Madison Honors student
organization, whose leadership will be fully integrated into the SHAC.
SECTION IV: VALUES
The SHAC values collaboration, leadership, ambition, and commitment.
Collaboration: The SHAC will strive to work collaboratively with Honors Program
administrators, faculty involved in Honors, Honors students, Honors alumni, and the
Honors Advisory Council to achieve our vision.
Leadership: We value the concept of student-leadership and setting a positive example for
the Honors Program, Honors students, and the JMU community.
Ambition: We strive to make a difference in the Honors community, to effect concrete
outcomes, and to be a vital source of leadership, planning, and engagement for the Honors
Program.
Commitment: We are committed to serving the interests of the Honors Program and the
Honors student community. Along with the privilege of representing Honors as student
leaders comes responsibility and commitment in the form of time, energy, and resources.
The SHAC and its individual members fully embrace these expectations.
SECTION V: MEMBERSHIP
The SHAC membership capacity is set at a maximum of 30 individuals. The SHAC is
comprised of the following leadership positions:
Executive Committee (EC): President, Vice President, and Secretary
Madison Honors Committee: Chair, Treasurer
Development Committee: Chair
Publicity and Recruiting Committee: Chair (beginning Spring 2015, P&R Committee
will be folded into the Development Committee)
The SHAC will include at least one representative from each college at JMU and will seek to
maintain an even balance between Track I and Track II Honors students and freshmen,
sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Honors Program Directors (hereinafter “HP Directors”)
will serve as ex-officio members of the SHAC and other faculty or administrators of the
university may be appointed to serve in ex-officio capacities to the SHAC and its
committees.
Individuals seeking membership on the SHAC should meet the following requirements:
1. Be a member of the James Madison University Honors Program for a minimum
of one semester.
2. Demonstrate qualities such as leadership (ex. previous leadership experience,
active member of another organization), responsibility, a willingness to work
with others, and openness to new ideas.
3. Exhibit a keen interest in forwarding the goals of the SHAC and the Honors
Program at JMU.
4. Active participation in Madison Honors events and activities for at least one
semester is preferred but not required.
The membership selection process is as follows:
Individuals seeking membership on the SHAC must submit a completed application by the
stated deadline in the fall semester. A panel comprising the EC and HP Directors will review
applications. Qualified applicants will be invited to an interview involving the EC, HP
Directors, and additional SHAC members as necessary. HP Directors will make final
decisions, with input from the EC. Membership decisions will be based on applicant
qualifications and committee/leadership preferences. Current needs of the SHAC regarding
committee/leadership openings and college/track/year balance will be taken into account.
The EC will notify each applicant once final decisions have been made.
SECTION VI: MAINTAINING MEMBERSHIP
At minimum, SHAC members are required to:
1. Regularly attend all SHAC meetings, including full meetings and committee
meetings.
2. Fulfill the minimum duties of their position.
3. Create a strong network for students in the SHAC and Madison Honors.
4. Maintain the integrity and prestige of the SHAC and the Honors Program.
5. Work closely with the Honors Program and Honors Advisory Council (HAC) on
development projects for the Honors Program.
6. Actively support the proceedings of the SHAC, the HAC, and Madison Honors.
If a member is not meeting these minimum requirements, he or she may be called to a
meeting involving the EC, HP Directors, and the chair of the committee on which he or she
serves. Membership may be terminated, after considerable review, and special provisions
taken to fill their position, if necessary. If a member decides to resign from the SHAC for
any reason, special provisions may also be taken to fill their position.
SECTION VII: OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES
The principal officers of the SHAC include the President, Vice President, and Secretary.
These positions comprise the Executive Committee. Each position will be held for a oneyear term, beginning in January. The EC and HP Directors are responsible for planning
meeting agendas and for directing the course of the overall council's involvement with the
university.
The President of the SHAC provides leadership, vision, and encouragement to the
SHAC and its individual members, and serves as the public face of SHAC and the
Honors Program. The President presides over council meetings, works with the EC
and HP Directors to plan meeting agendas, and works closely with the Vice
President. The President is expected to attend meetings of the Honors Faculty
Fellows and the Honors Advisory Council. It is preferred that the President is a
second semester junior upon taking office, but strong sophomore candidates will
also be considered.
The Vice President will preside over the council meetings in the absence of the
President. The main task of the VP is to manage the committees. To fulfill this
responsibility, the VP is required to sit in on at least one committee meeting a
month. The VP is also responsible for sending out monthly reports via email to all
Honors students, highlighting important upcoming events, deadlines, etc. of the
Honors Program. The VP is the primary liaison between alumni and SHAC and
should attend Honors Advisory Council meetings when possible. The VP will also
plan the SHAC retreat, which will take place in either the fall or spring semester.
The Secretary is responsible for taking notes at meetings, sending out minutes or
posting to the organization Drop Box folder within three days, keeping track of
meeting attendance, and preparing the meeting agenda.
In addition to the EC, there are two active committees: Madison Honors and Development,
Each committee is led by a chair, who is responsible for directing the work of the
committee, calling committee meetings, and taking notes. A committee chair may designate
another committee member to fill in as needed. Every SHAC member will serve on a
committee. Committees and task forces will be created or dissolved as determined by the
full council. The active committees are the following:
Madison Honors: This committee will make up the core of the Madison Honors
student club. The chair will lead Madison Honors and the committee can elect
additional officers internally. The election of a treasurer is essential, as they will
serve as the treasurer for both Madison Honors and the SHAC. It is expected that the
integration of the Madison Honors leadership within the SHAC will provide strong
institutional support for the club and allow the SHAC to be involved in the decision
making process.
Development: This committee works on special projects that further the mission of
the Honors Program, including but not limited to: the student-mentoring program,
curriculum review, programming development, admissions, and student retention.
They will produce research reports as needed. The Development Committee will
also assist the Honors Program in increasing its public profile and generating media
content, which includes managing our online presence (Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, website, and other developing social media) and developing videos,
interest stories, brochures, and flyers. The committee will also assist the Honors
Program in its recruiting efforts, such as participating in Choices and visiting with
prospective students during campus visits. This committee will assist the Honors
Program in keeping a record of publicity materials and helping document,
electronically if need be, the progress of SHAC.
SECTION VIII: MEETINGS
The SHAC will meet formally once per month. This can change if the President, in
consultation with the EC and HP Directors, determines more meeting times are required.
Each committee, including the EC, will meet separately one or twice per month. Chairs will
present reports on committee activities at every SHAC meeting. Attendance at these
meetings is required, however in the event a member cannot make a meeting, they are
asked to notify the president via email at least 48 hours prior. In addition, they are
encouraged to meet with someone who was at the meeting to find out what information
they missed.
SECTION IX: EVENTS
The SHAC aims to create a strong student community within Honors through supporting
the mission of the Student Honors Club to organize and promote student activities and
events. As a member of the Student Honors Advisory Council, a higher level of participation
in the Honors Program is expected. Because of this, attendance at Madison Honors events is
mandatory.
SECTION X: FACULTY ADVISOR
The faculty advisor of the SHAC must be actively involved in the Honors Program and
willing to committee significant time and effort to the organization.
SECTION XI: AMENDMENT PROCEDURE
Any member of the council can present amendments to the SHAC bylaws at any time. There
must be at least three-fourths of the council present at the meeting for a vote and at least
two-thirds of those in attendance must vote to pass that amendment.
SECTION XII: AMENDMENTS