Bylaws of
The Georgia Alpha Chapter
of
The Tau Beta Pi Association
Last Revised: 03/12/2012
Bylaw I – General
Section 1. Purpose. These Bylaws shall govern the proceedings of this Chapter in all
matters not expressly provided for in the Constitution and Bylaws of the Tau
Beta Pi Association, Inc.
Section 2. Abidance. This Chapter shall conform to such rules and regulations of the
Georgia Institute of Technology and its College of Engineering as may apply
to honor societies.
Section 3. Preemption. In the event of conflict between the Constitution and Bylaws of
The Tau Beta Pi Association, Inc., and the rules and regulations of the
Georgia Institute of Technology and/or its College of Engineering, the rules of
the Georgia Institute of Technology shall prevail, and the Secretary-Treasurer
of the Association shall be notified of the circumstances of the conflict.
Section 4. Governance. The Chapter shall have full control over its individual affairs,
subject to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association, which control shall
be exercised by the active membership of the Chapter and its Advisory Board.
Section 5. Abbreviation. Abbreviated reference herein to the Constitution and Bylaws
of the Association and to the various Bylaws of this document shall be made
in the form illustrated in the following examples:
A. C-VI, 1 – National Constitution Article VI, Section 1.
B. B-V, 5.02—National Bylaw V, Section 5.02.
C. GaAB-I, 4—Georgia Alpha Chapter Bylaw I, Section 4.
Section 6. Definition. The following definitions shall be assumed in the context of the
Bylaws.
A. General Business Meeting. A general business meeting is a monthly
meeting in which both members and officers are present to discuss and
convey recent chapter happenings and future activities. Election of
officers and voting take place in general business meeting also.
B. The Association. The Association refers to The Tau Beta Pi
Association, Inc., the body which oversees all Tau Beta Pi chapter
operations in the nation.
Page 2 of 16
C. Candidate. The term Candidate refers to any scholastically eligible
student being considered for initiation.
Page 3 of 16
Bylaw II – Election of New Members
Section 1. Election Period. Election of new members shall be held in the Fall and
Spring semesters. Determination of eligibility shall begin as soon as the
semester begins.
Section 2. All provisions of C-VIII and B-VI shall be strictly followed.
Section 3. Requirements. The Chapter may elect to specify scholastic requirements
beyond those stated in C-VIII.
Section 4. Class Standing. The Junior/Senior standing of an undergraduate student is
determined in accordance with the policy of the Registrar of the Georgia
Institute of Technology. Specifically, a student with 60-90 credit hours is
granted Junior standing while a student with over 90 credit hours is granted
Senior standing. In addition, a student must have over 24 credit hours accrued
from Georgia Institute of Technology before further eligibility requirements
are considered.
Section 5. Undergraduate Student Eligibility. Candidates in the following curricula
shall be considered for membership in the Chapter: Aerospace Engineering,
Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Civil
Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental
Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering,
Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear and Radiological Engineering, and Polymer,
Textile and Fiber Engineering.
Section 6. Graduate Student Eligibility. Election of graduate students shall follow the
provisions in C-VIII . Graduate students in the following curricula are eligible
for membership in the Chapter:
Biomedical
Engineering,
Computational
Engineering,
Science
Aerospace Engineering, Bioengineering,
Chemical
and
Engineering
Engineering,
Engineering,
Science
and
Civil
Electrical
Mechanics,
Engineering,
and
Computer
Environmental
Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering,
Mechanical Engineering, Medical Physics, Nuclear and Radiological
Page 4 of 16
Engineering, Operations Research, Paper Science and Engineering, and
Polymer, Textile and Fiber Engineering.
Section 7. Georgia Tech - Savannah Campus. Candidates enrolled at Georgia Tech –
Savannah in the following curricula shall be considered for membership in the
Chapter: Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering
and Mechanical Engineering.
Section 8. Election of Alumni and Eminent Engineers. Alumni and Eminent Engineers
will be handled in accordance with the guidelines set by The Association.
Section 9. Exceptions. The cases of students whose scholastic eligibility is in doubt
because of irregularities in standing or curriculum shall be determined by the
Advisory Board of the Chapter.
Section 10. Exemplary Character. Exemplary character evaluation shall be made for
each candidate in each one of the following five ways:
A. Orientation Procedure
a. Notifications via email shall be sent to Candidates inviting
them to begin the initiation process and attend an informational
session.
b. Informational sessions will be held. The Candidates shall be
introduced to the purpose and activities of Tau Beta Pi.
B. Online Profile Procedure
a. Candidates are requested to submit a resume to the Georgia
Alpha website describing their activities and interests. This
shall be completed as part of the application process prior to
the deadline of submission.
b. Candidates are also required to upload a personal picture to
their online profile on the Georgia Alpha website.
C. Service Project Participation
a. Candidates
will
be
opportunities via email.
Page 5 of 16
informed
of
community
service
b. The Vice President of Membership shall serve as Candidate
Participation
Coordinator
for
the
community
service
requirement.
c. Each of the Candidates shall be required to participate actively
in a service project to receive further Chapter consideration. A
service project outside of the Chapter’s organized project that
is approved by the Vice President of Membership may fulfill
this requirement.
d. Projects that involve physical violence, offense to dignity or
decency in any way are strictly prohibited.
e. Candidates must complete their service requirement a week
before the Initiation Ceremony; else their initiation will be
deferred to the next semester.
D. Candidates will be required to polish a bent.
E. Candidates will be required to take an exam that will test their
knowledge of the Constitution and the Bylaws of The Association, the
Bylaws of the Georgia Alpha Chapter, familiarity with the Georgia
Alpha Officers, and the history of Tau Beta Pi.
F. A Resume Review Committee, led by the VP of Membership, shall
review all resumes and formulate a recommendation on each
candidate. A list of Candidates, sorted by major, shall be presented at
the Election Meeting and reviewed by the membership body. Any
negative opinion shall be voiced. The membership body shall then go
into voting to admit or reject those Candidates.
Page 6 of 16
Bylaw III – Membership
Section 1. Membership. The Chapter shall be composed of members chosen from
Candidates, Alumni, and Eminent Engineers on the basis of distinguished
scholarship or professional attainment and exemplary character, as enunciated
in C-VIII and in The Eligibility Code of the Association.
Section 2. Active Membership. An "active member" of this Chapter shall be defined in
C-VI, 1, Bylaw II, Section 3, and only active undergraduate and graduate
student members, as defined therein, shall have the privilege of voting on new
members and on the amounts of the initiation fee, dues, fines, and
assessments. A student may become inactive under the provisions of B-VI,
6.05, or by a failure to complete the chapter membership requirements.
Section 3. Requirements.
The requirements to maintain active membership in the
Chapter shall be as follows:
A. Attend more than 50% of the general business meetings each Fall and
Spring semester.
B. Attend the Candidate Election Meeting each Fall and Spring semester.
C. Participate in at least 4 hours of chapter-sponsored activities each Fall
and Spring semester.
D. Participate in at least one 3-hour chapter-sponsored community service
project or an equivalent as approved by the Vice President of Outreach
Programs in each Fall and Spring semester. The attendance of such
event shall be reported to the Recording Secretary.
Section 4. Exemptions. Chapter membership requirements can be excused according to
the following provisions:
A. In the case that a student cannot attend more than 50% of the general
business meetings, his or her absence from the general business
meetings will be excused provided that the reason for his or her
absence is approved. The student must have an approved excuse for
each missed meeting to avoid probation.
Page 7 of 16
B. In the case that a student cannot attend the Candidate Election
Meeting, his or her absence will be excused provided that the reason
for his or her absence is approved.
C. Approved excuses include:
1. Class
2. Lab
3. Sports practices
4. Work
5. Any other reasons approved by the officers of the chapter
D. All excuses must be submitted in writing or via email to the Recording
Secretary prior to the start of the meeting for approval.
E. Members can replace up to one missed meeting with participation in
one additional hour of a chapter-sponsored activity.
F. Chapter-sponsored activities include active participation on a
committee, corporate speaker presentations, Engineering Futures
sessions, and any other activities sponsored by the Chapter and
approved by the officers of the Chapter.
Active committee
participation will be determined by the committee chair, or, in the case
of the committee chair, the officers of the Chapter.
Section 5. Absence from Campus.
Chapter membership requirements will be
suspended for out-of-town co-ops, interns and study abroad students while
they are away from campus. These members will be declared “temporarily
inactive” for the applicable semesters by the Advisory Board of the Chapter
and automatically returned to active status upon return to campus. The
membership requirements do not apply to the Summer term.
To avoid
probation, these students must notify the Recording Secretary of their absence
from campus before the first general meeting.
Section 6. Benefits. Active members of the Chapter will be rewarded with the following
benefits:
A. Voting rights at chapter meetings.
B. The opportunity to attend members-only events
Page 8 of 16
C. The opportunity to wear a stole for commencement.
D. Subsidies for chapter social events.
E. Inclusion in the chapter Resume CD.
F. Any other provisions approved by the officers of the chapter
Section 6. Probation and Inactivity. If a member fails to complete the active
membership requirements, he/she will be placed on probation for one
semester. During the probation semester, the member must complete one
additional service activity in addition to the normal requirements to be
returned to active status with the chapter. If a member on probation fails to
complete the requirements during the probation semester, he/she will be
placed on “inactive” status with the chapter by a five-sevenths vote of the
Advisory Board. Once a member is “inactive” due to inactivity with the
chapter unrelated to co-op, internship terms or study abroad terms, he/she can
only be reinstated to active status by a majority vote of the chapter and a fivesevenths vote of the Advisory Board.
Page 9 of 16
Bylaw IV – Government and Officers
Section 1. Officers. The officers of the Chapter shall comprise a President, an Executive
Vice President, a Recording Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary, a
Treasurer, and a Cataloger, who shall be active members of the Chapter, and
four alumnus advisors, from among the Atlanta faculty of the College of
Engineering, and an additional alumnus advisor located at Georgia Tech –
Savannah, all of whom shall be elected by the chapter. A President-Elect, a
Vice President of Programs, a Vice President of Membership, a Vice
President of Corporate Relations, a Vice President of Outreach Programs shall
also serve as officers of the Chapter. The officers may create and/or
discontinue other officer positions by a majority vote of the officers to fulfill
their responsibilities.
Section 2. Elections. Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the active members
of the Chapter. An active member must declare their intent to run for an
executive position (VP or above) at least one week prior to the election
meeting, and must send their platform to the members via email at least five
days before the election meeting. The President, Executive Vice President,
Treasurer, and Vice Presidents must be elected for a term of one year.
Incoming Chapter officers shall take office at least one month before spring
commencement, in accordance with B-V, 5.01.
Section 3. President-Elect. The President-Elect of the Chapter shall be elected at the
end of the Fall semester. The outgoing President shall provide guidance and
delegate a reasonable amount of responsibility to the President-Elect in order
to support a smooth transition.
Section 4. Advisory Board. The Advisory Board of the Chapter shall be composed of
the President, Executive Vice President, Corresponding Secretary, and the
four Atlanta alumnus advisors of the Chapter.
A. The Chair of the Advisory Board shall be elected by its members at the
first Board meeting of the year.
Page 10 of 16
B. Alumnus members of the Advisory Board shall serve four-year terms,
as specified in C-VI, 7. All other officers shall serve for one year or
until their successors are duly elected and installed.
Section 5. Alumni Advisory Board. The Alumni Advisory Board shall be composed of
officers that have graduated and have volunteered to continue supporting the
Chapter.
Members of the Alumni Advisory Board agree to share their
experience with the current officers through e-mail or phone correspondence.
The members of the Alumni Advisory Board will have their names and
contact information published on the Chapter’s website. A member of the
Alumni Advisory Board may request to be removed from the Board at any
time, at which point their name and contact information will no longer be
included in the list of current Board members. The current officers of the
chapter may also elect to remove an inactive member from the Alumni
Advisory Board.
Section 6. Convention. The President shall be this Chapter's delegate to the Convention
of the Association. The other officers shall be alternate delegates in the
following order:
Executive Vice President, Corresponding Secretary,
Recording Secretary, Treasurer and Vice President of Programs.
Section 7. Officer Responsibilities. In accordance with the responsibilities prescribed
by the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association, and those prescribed in
these Bylaws or by Chapter action, the following duties shall be required of
the officers:
A. President. The President shall take the overall responsibility of
ensuring proper chapter operation and that the chapter operates on a
vision aligned with the Association. He/she shall be an ex officio
member of all committees. He/she shall see that each officer and
committee chair is provided with a written list of specific duties for
which each is responsible. A copy of each list shall be placed in the
Recording Secretary's notebook and in the President's Book. He/she
shall cooperate with the Director of Tau Beta Pi District 5 and shall
encourage the Chapter members to participate in the District's
Page 11 of 16
activities. He/she also serves as the liaison between the chapter and the
Advisory Board.
B. Executive Vice President. The Executive Vice President shall assist
the President with chapter operations and facilitates internal
communications. He/she shall also aim at enhancing the image of the
chapter to the student body on campus.
C. President-Elect. The President-Elect shall assist and provide feedback
to the President on current chapter operations. He/she shall maintain
active participation in activities both at the planning stage and the
execution stage. He/she shall seek to become familiar with the
operations of other officer positions and inspire members to become
officers. He/she shall also be tasked to make the necessary updates to
chapter bylaws, in accordance with the latest chapter operations.
D. Recording Secretary. The Recording Secretary shall maintain an
accurate record of meeting proceedings and the membership status as
defined in Bylaws II, Section 3 for future reference and chapter
continuity. He/she shall see that each candidate accepting election
receives copies of The Constitution and Bylaws and Eligibility Code
of the Tau Beta Pi Association, information About Tau Beta Pi, these
Bylaws, and such other materials as the Chapter may deem desirable.
E. Corresponding Secretary. The Corresponding Secretary shall
facilitate all other external communications to the Association and
other parties as required. He/she shall notify each active member and
Advisor of the time, place, and purpose of each Chapter meeting at
least one week in advance of the meeting. He/she shall also serve as
Secretary of the Advisory Board.
F. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall maintain an accurate record of both
the monetary and non-monetary resources available to the chapter.
He/she shall collaborate with the account managers to ensure all
chapter legal responsibilities on financial matters are met. He/she shall
Page 12 of 16
also collaborate with other chapter offices to ensure proper spending
limits are enforced and the chapter financial goals achieved.
G. Cataloger. The Cataloger shall maintain an accurate record of
personal information of all chapter members. He/she shall also
collaborate with the Vice President of Membership to ensure prompt
and proper communication of such information to the Association.
H. VP of Membership. The Vice President of Membership shall assist
the President with chapter operations and facilitate initiation of new
members. He/she shall also supervise and coordinate with the
Recording Secretary and Corresponding Secretary to maintain accurate
record of current membership status.
I. VP of Outreach Programs. The Vice President of Outreach Programs
shall assist the President with chapter operations and facilitate the
planning and execution of projects that benefit both chapter members
and the Greater Atlanta area. He/she shall also coordinate with the
Vice President of Membership to ensure all participation information
and achievements recorded.
J. VP of Programs. The Vice President of Programs shall assist the
President with chapter operations and facilitate the planning and
execution of projects that strengthen the bonding among chapter
members. He/she shall also coordinate with the Vice President of
Membership to ensure all participation information recorded.
K. VP of Corporate Relations. The Vice President of Corporate
Relations shall assist the President with chapter operations and
facilitate communications between the chapter and the corporate
sponsors. He/she shall also ensure the sponsors are duly recognized at
chapter events.
L. Others. Other positions in support of the responsibilities of the Vice
Presidents may be created as necessary. The specific responsibilities of
each position shall be assigned by the supervising Vice President at the
time of position creation.
Page 13 of 16
Bylaw V – Meetings
Section 1. General Business Meetings.
The following regular meetings shall be
scheduled and held once each of the Fall and Spring semester: Election of
Officers, Election of Candidates, Initiation of Electees, and one general
meeting of a social, literary, or technical nature.
Section 2. Officer Meetings. The following regular officer meetings shall be scheduled
and held once each of the Fall and Spring semester: Organization, Installation
of Officers.
Section 3. Advisory Board Meeting. The President shall call a meeting of the Advisory
Board at the beginning of each semester to discuss chapter activities for the
semester. The minutes of each Advisory Board meeting shall be read at the
following regular meeting of the Chapter. Additional meetings of the Board
may be called by any of its members or upon written request to the Chair of
the Board signed by 20% of the active members of the Chapter.
Section 4. Special Meetings.
Special meetings may be called at any time by the
President, any alumnus member of the Advisory Board, or upon written
request to the President signed by 20% of the active members of the Chapter.
Section 5. Special Officer Meeting. In addition to meetings of the Chapter and of the
Advisory Board, the President may call a meeting of the Officers at any time
in order to make important decisions for the Chapter, provided that these
decisions are approved by the Advisory Board.
Section 6. Vacant Officer Position. A vacant officer position may be filled at any time
by a vote of the Chapter’s Officers, so long as:
A. The members have been notified of the opportunity to fill a vacant
position at least one week before the Officers meet to vote
B. The Officers consider electing any active member that expresses an
interest in running for the vacant position
C. The appointment is approved by a majority of the active members at
the next general business meeting
Page 14 of 16
D. Exceptions include any Officer Position at the Executive Level. Such
positions will be filled by member election at the General Business
Meeting immediately following the vacation of the position.
Section 7. Notification of Meeting. Notices sent to the active members and alumnus
advisors announcing meetings shall clearly state the time, place, and purpose
of the meeting.
Section 8. Meeting Regulations. "Robert's Rules of Order" shall be the parliamentary
guide of the Chapter in all matters not covered in the Constitution and Bylaws
of the Association or in these Bylaws.
Section 9. Quorum. A quorum for the consideration of routine business shall be a
majority of the active membership of the Chapter; for the election of new
members, for changing the initiation fee or Chapter dues, for passing an
assessment on the members of the Chapter, for amending the Chapter Bylaws,
and for approval or disapproval of a proposed amendment to the Constitution
of the Association, a quorum shall be three-fourths of the active membership;
for the election of officers, the quorum shall be two-thirds of the active
membership. A quorum for an Officer meeting shall be three-fourths of the
Officers. A quorum for an Advisory Board meeting shall be five members of
the Board.
Section 10. Voting Item. Decisions that will be brought to a vote at any meeting must
be disclosed at the time the meeting is called. Members and officers that are
unable to attend the meeting may then request additional information about
the business to be voted on and submit their vote to the Recording Secretary.
A member or officer that submits a vote in this manner will be counted
towards the required quorum for the meeting.
Section 11. Progress Report. Each committee chair shall make a report on the progress
of his or her group's activities at each chapter meeting.
Section 12. General Agenda. Meetings shall last no longer than two hours, unless
extended by an affirmative vote of three-fourths of the active members
present. The order of business at these meetings shall be as follows:
A. Minutes of the previous meeting
Page 15 of 16
B. Reports of officers
C. Reports of committees
D. Unfinished business
E. New business
F. Adjournment
Section 13. First General Business Meeting. The first general business meeting of each
semester shall be held within two weeks of the start of the semester. During
this meeting, the officers shall present a complete calendar of the regular
meetings of the Chapter for the semester to the active members.
Approved by Membership: 03/12/2012
Date Submitted: 03/22/2012
Page 16 of 16