Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc.
Termination &
Discontinuation Manual
Updated August 2014
© Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc.
Table of Contents
Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 2
Grounds for Termination ..................................................................................................... 3
Types of Termination ......................................................................................................... 3
Associate Member Discontinuation ....................................................................................... 3
Voluntary Termination ........................................................................................................ 4
Involuntary Termination ..................................................................................................... 4
How to Appeal ................................................................................................................... 9
Forms & Templates ...........................................................................................................10
Introduction
Sometimes there are instances where terminating a member is the best course of action for the
betterment of an individual and/or the chapter. Membership can be terminated voluntarily at
the request of a member or by vote of the chapter/colony. In these cases it is crucial that your
entity fully understands the proper guidelines and procedures outlined by the National
Headquarters staff before taking any action. By educating yourself and your membership on
what to expect during a termination, you are ensuring that everyone involved receives all the
information they need to make a completely informed decision.
Termination should never be taken lightly, so please make sure to review the following
guidelines and procedures thoroughly before moving forward with any official business
regarding termination. It is important to note that although a vote to terminate a sister on an
entity level may occur, she is still an active member until she receives an official notification
from National Headquarters confirming that she is no longer a member of Sigma Lambda
Gamma If your entity is unable conduct a termination within the parameters of the required
guidelines and procedures, the termination itself cannot be processed on a national level.
For further information regarding terminating a member and guidelines please see the Sigma
Lambda Gamma Policy & Procedure Manual, pages 7-8.
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Grounds for Termination
Grounds for termination include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Violating University or Sigma Lambda Gamma’s Anti-Hazing Policies
• Consistent failure to pay dues/fines to National Headquarters
• Consistent failure to pay dues/fines to chapter/colony
• Consistent failure to attend mandatory chapter meetings and events
• Failure to meet the sorority's academic requirements for more than two semesters
• Acting in direct contrast with Sigma Lambda Gamma’s Five Founding Principles
• “Disassociating” yourself from Sigma Lambda Gamma (publicly announcing that you are
no longer a member of Sigma Lambda Gamma)
Types of Termination
On a national level, there are 3 different types of membership termination:
 Associate Member Discontinuation – An Associate Member is discontinued from the
AMEP.
 Voluntary Termination – An Active Sister voluntarily decides to disaffiliate herself
from the sorority.
 Involuntary Termination - An Active Sister is voted out of the sorority.
Associate Member Discontinuation
Throughout an Associate Member Education Program, an associate member always has the
option to discontinue her education with Sigma Lambda Gamma. In order to officially process
this discontinuation, the following steps need to be completed:
Step 1
Obtain the most recent Associate Member Discontinue Agreement via the
EmpowerNet Resource Center.
Step 2
The Associate Member will completely fill out the Associate Member
Discontinue Agreement form including the explanation.
Step 3
The Associate Member Educator will fill out the online Associate Member
Discontinue Form located on EmpowerNet.
Step 4
Email a scanned copy of the completed Associate Member Discontinue
Agreement to:



Step 5
Regional Director: [Your Region]@sigmalambdagamma.com
National Headquarters: Lexi@sigmalambdagamma.com or
Genevieve@sigmalambdagamma.com
University Fraternity & Sorority Life Director
The National Headquarters Office will file the submitted paperwork into the
entity’s folder.
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Voluntary Termination
Any member who willingly wishes to end her affiliation with Sigma Lambda Gamma may
terminate her membership voluntarily. In order to officially process this type of a termination,
the following steps need to be completed:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Obtain the following forms in the back of this Manual:
 Membership Termination Form
 Membership Representation Agreement
 Termination Action Item Completion Log
The Terminating Sister will complete:
 Membership Termination Form
 Membership Representation Agreement
 Personal statement describing the reason(s) she no longer desires to be a
member of Sigma Lambda Gamma
The Terminating Sister will submit all completed documents to the entity
president.
The President will fill out the proper sections in the Termination Action Item
Completion Log.
The President will scan all completed documents and send everything to their
Regional Director and National Headquarters.
 Regional Director: [Your Region]@sigmalambdagamma.com
 National Headquarters: Lexi@sigmalambdagamma.com or
Genevieve@sigmalambdagamma.com
 The entity should keep the original copies for entity records
The Regional Director and National Headquarters Office will review all
documents to ensure that everything was completed properly.
 The Regional Director will complete the Online Membership
Termination Form to confirm that termination procedure was followed
correctly.
 If the submitted paperwork is not completed properly or procedure was
not followed, these termination documents will be returned to the entity
so they can make corrections and re-submit the necessary forms.
The National Headquarters Office will email an official notification regarding
the terminated sister’s status as a member of Sigma Lambda Gamma National
Sorority, Inc.
 People who will receive this notification:
o Terminated Sister
o Entity President
o Regional Director
o University Fraternity & Sorority Life Director
o National Board of Directors
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Involuntary Termination
An entity wishing to terminate a member must comply with the following procedure to ensure
that this termination is fairly and accurately executed:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
The Sisterhood Enhancement Committee (SEC) must request in writing
that the sister in question appear before SEC in a formal hearing to discuss the
subject of her potential termination.
 This written request must be given to the sister in question either in
person or via email
 Keep written documentation on record which shows that the sister in
question had received her SEC request. This documentation must be
submitted with all of the termination documents when they are
submitted to the Regional Director
 This written request should specifically state the following:
o The entity is considering terminating that sister’s membership
o The grounds of the sister in question’s termination
o This meeting is to discuss and give the sister in question a chance
to state her case before SEC
o Request to schedule this SEC meeting hearing
 The entity should keep a copy of this notification in their files. This
documentation must be submitted with all of the termination
documents when they are submitted to the Regional Director.
The Sisterhood Enhancement Committee (SEC) must schedule this SEC
meeting with the sister in question within 48 hours of her receiving her official
notification.
 All SEC members, the entity advisor(s), witnesses (if applicable) and the
sister-in-question must be present during this meeting.
The Sisterhood Enhancement Committee (SEC) will run the scheduled SEC
meeting with the sister-in-question.
 Minutes must be taken at this meeting and kept for entity records. The
sister-in-question must sign a copy of her notification of this hearing to
verify that this notification was received. These documents are to be
submitted with all terminations documents
 After this meeting is concluded, the sister in question will be temporarily
dismissed while SEC discusses the final result of the hearing.
 After the final results are determined, the sister will be called back and
read her official notification stating the result of the hearing.
 At this meeting it is the responsibility of SEC to inform the sister-inquestion that she has the opportunity to appeal her termination and she
should be provided with instructions on how to appeal.
 Within 24 hours of the hearing, an official notification should be sent to
the sister-in-question notifying her of the results of her hearing.
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Step 4
Step 5
If SEC decides to put the sister-in-question on probation:
o The SEC must follow up with the sister frequently to ensure that
she is meeting the conditions of her probation
o If the sister does not fulfill the terms of her probation, then the
entity should submit the Termination Form along with supporting
documentation
If SEC decides to continue with the termination of the sister-in-question:
o The SEC will submit a termination recommendation to the entity
and request to schedule a vote on the sister in question’s
membership
o Refer to your entity’s bylaws for voting, quorum, and majority
guidelines
The President will schedule the vote for the sister-in-question’s membership
within 48 hours of the entity receiving the aforementioned request.
 The entity, entity advisor(s), and sister-in-question will be informed of the
date, time, and location of the termination vote.
 The set quorum of entity members, entity Advisor(s), and the sister-inquestion must be present during this meeting.
The Entity will run the scheduled meeting to vote on the sister-in-question’s
membership.
 Minutes must be taken at this meeting and kept for entity records to be
submitted with all terminations documents
If the entity votes against the sister-in-question’s termination:
o The sister-in-question will resume her status as an active member
of Sigma Lambda Gamma – Good / Bad Standing will be
determined by the standards outlined in the National Policy &
Procedure Manual (Pg. 5)
o If anyone wishes to appeal this decision, an appeal may be
submitted to the Sisterhood Enhancement Committee.
 The SEC will be responsible for reviewing the appeal and
deciding what actions need to be taken to process this
appeal.
If the entity votes in favor of the sister-in-question’s termination:
o The President will send the sister-in-question an official
notification of her termination from the entity. A copy of this
notification must be included with all submitted
termination materials
o The sister-in-question will have 48 hours from the time the
notification is received to:
 Respond stating the action she intends to take on the
result of her termination
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Step 6
If the sister-in-question decides not to appeal her termination:
o She must submit her signed:
 Membership Termination Form
 Membership Representation Agreement Form
If the sister-in-question decides to submit an appeal:
o She should not sign any termination forms. Instead, her appeal
should be submitted with all termination materials and she should
wait to receive an official notification from the National Board of
Directors on the result of her appeal.
If the sister-in-question cannot be reached to sign her termination forms:
o The President will send the Termination Forms that need to be
signed along with all supporting documentation to residence of
the sister-in-question via Registered Mail
o A letter must accompany these materials stating:
 The sister-in-question has seven (7) days to contact the
entity with any questions or concerns
 If there are no questions or concerns, then she should sign
the attached forms and return them to the entity
immediately
o The letter must be signed by the President including her mailing
address, phone number, email address, and where the sister-inquestion should send her appeal (if she has one)
If the sister-in-question refuses to sign the Termination Forms and does not
submit an appeal within ten (10) business days of receiving the Membership
Termination Notification from the entity:
o The President may submit the termination forms and supporting
materials without the sister’s appeal
The President will submit the following documents to the Regional Director
upon the receipt of the sister-in-question’s response:
o Membership Termination Form
o Membership Representation Agreement Form
o Termination Action Item Completion Log
o Supporting documents (Minutes, Notifications, Appeal Materials,
Etc.)
 All Termination documents must be filled out completely before they are
submitted. This termination will not be processed unless these
forms are completed.
 The entity and the sister-in-question should keep copies of all termination
forms and supporting documents submitted to your Regional Director.
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Step 7
Step 8
The Regional Director and National Headquarters Office will review all
documents to ensure that everything was completed properly.
 The Regional Director will complete the Online Membership
Termination Form to confirm that termination procedure was followed
correctly.
 If the submitted paperwork is not completed properly or procedure was
not followed, these termination documents will be returned to the entity
so they can make corrections and re-submit the necessary materials.
 If the Regional Director or National Headquarters determines that
the submitted termination does not adhere to the grounds for
termination, they have the authority to overturn the vote of the entity.
The National Headquarters Office will email an official notification regarding
the terminated sister’s status as a member of Sigma Lambda Gamma National
Sorority, Inc.
 People who will receive this notification:
o Terminated Sister
o Entity President
o Regional Director
o National Board of Directors
Alumnae Terminations
An alumna may be involuntarily terminated by her current Alumnae Association or the National
Board of Directors. Any policy violation inquiry regarding an Alumnae member should be sent to
Leigha George, Director of Alumnae & Volunteer Development, at
Leigha@sigmalambdagamma.com.
In the event that an Alumna of Sigma Lambda Gamma wishes to terminate her membership,
this sister must contact Leigha George, Director of Alumnae & Volunteer Development, at
Leigha@sigmalambdagamma.com to request the proper termination paperwork. This paperwork
and any sorority paraphilia should be sent to the National Headquarters office at the discretion
of the terminated sister.
Sigma Lambda Gamma National Headquarters Office
125 E. Zeller St.
North Liberty, IA 52317
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How to Appeal
If a Sister-in-question wishing to protest her termination, she must comply with the following
procedures:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Collect all written documentation explaining the reasons why she is being
terminated.
Immediately notify the entity president, entity advisor, and Regional Director in
writing that she intends to appeal her termination.
 You SHOULD NOT sign the Termination Forms
Prepare a personal statement in your defense explaining:
1. Why the reasons given in the documentation are invalid
2. How you are not guilty of the actions/behaviors described in the
documentation
3. Include documentation that refutes the grounds for termination. This can
include witness names and statements, grade reports, doctor notes,
cancelled checks or any other documentation that could help your case.
Within 48 hours of receiving your Result of Termination Hearing: Termination
Vote notification, end a copy of this statement and refuting documentation to her
chapter/colony, Regional Director, and keep a copy for yourself.
In the event that the entity votes in favor of your termination:
 All appeal materials will be sent to your Regional Director for review
 Headquarters will notify the National Board of the protested termination
request
 The National Board will then make a decision as to whether or not to
approve the chapter/colony’s request to terminate the member
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Termination and Discontinue
Forms & Templates
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Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc.
Associate Member Discontinue Agreement
I, Full Name, understand that, as a condition of my membership termination, may not
represent myself as a member of Sigma Lambda Gamma.
I agree to return all Sigma Lambda Gamma paraphernalia, including Induction pins, bought with
chapter funds or dues to my former entity.
I also agree to return all Sigma Lambda Gamma paperwork, manuals, and ritual equipment to
the Entity Name on the date of my membership termination.
If I have any questions, I understand that I should contact the Regional Director or the National
Headquarters Office.
Personal Statement (Required):
(Signature)
Date:
__
Associate Member Educator has submitted the Associate Member Discontinue Online Form
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Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc.
Membership Termination Form
This form must be filled out electronically, printed out for the signatures, and scanned to send an
electronic copy to the Regional Director.
Entity Name:
Terminating Member Information:
Full Name:
BGConnexion Login:
Chapter /Colony #:
Permanent Address:
Email:
Induction Date:
Phone Number:
Initiation Date:
Date the terminated member returned all SLG items given to her:
List-serves that the terminated member may need to be removed from?
GammaList
SLGAdvisor
SLGAlumnae
SLGColonies
SLGAlumnaeAssociations
SLGRegionalDirectors
SLG-EAC
Type of Termination: Voluntary Involuntary
Required Signatures:
Entity President’s Full Name (Print):
(Signature)
Entity President’s Email:
Date:
Terminating Member (print):
(Signature)
Date:
Reason for Membership Termination:
(Attach any documentation/correspondence/hearing minutes from chapter and/or member being terminated)
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Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc.
Membership Representation Agreement
I, Full Name, understand that, as a condition of my membership termination, may not
represent myself as a member of Sigma Lambda Gamma.
I agree not to wear any clothing bearing “Sigma Lambda Gamma” or “” or to display any
Sigma Lambda Gamma paraphernalia on my person.
I agree to return all Sigma Lambda Gamma paraphernalia, including Induction and Initiation
pins, bought with entity funds or dues to my former entity. This includes the Certificate of
Membership.
I agree that I will no longer participate or partake in any actions considered privileges of
membership in Sigma Lambda Gamma. These include, but are not limited to, doing the
sorority’s hand sign, the sorority’s call, strolling and stepping as a representative of Sigma
Lambda Gamma.
I agree to cease to utilize and refrain from utilizing in the future any Sigma Lambda Gamma
identifiers in any electronic or written materials. These include, but are not limited to, e-mails,
social networking sites (i.e. facebook), letters, car decals, license plates, etc. and will inform
the entity President which list-serves I need to be removed from.
I also agree to return all Sigma Lambda Gamma paperwork, manuals, and ritual equipment to
the chapter on the date of my membership termination.
If I have any questions, I understand that I should contact the Regional Director or the National
Headquarters Office.
Terminating Member (print)
(Signature)
______
Date:
__
Send one copy to Regional Director. Give a copy to the terminated member.
Retain original copy for entity records. The Regional Director will then send all paperwork to Headquarters.
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Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc.
Termination Action Item Completion Log
Action Item
Date Completed
Involuntary Termination:
Request to Appear before the Sisterhood Enhancement Committee Sent
Sisterhood Enhancement Committee Hearing
Sisterhood Enhancement Committee Hearing Result Notification Sent
Chapter Meeting – Vote to Terminate Sister’s Membership
Final Vote: ___ - Yes
___ - No
___ - Abstain
Termination Forms presented to Sister
In Person
Via Registered Mail
___________________
Deadline for signed Termination Form to be returned to Chapter
For forms sent to Terminating Member via Registered Mail:
Date Return Receipt received by Chapter
If appealed:
Chapter informed of Terminating Member’s intent to protest Termination
Appeal / Personal Statement submitted to Chapter
ALL TERMINATIONS:
Signed Termination Form and Membership Representation Agreement
returned to Chapter
Date Termination Paperwork / Documents sent to Regional Director
Date Termination Paperwork / Documents sent to SLG Headquarters
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Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc.
(Chapter or Colony), (University Name)
Sisterhood Enhancement Committee
To:
Sister in Question
CC:
Entity Advisor
Regional Director
From:
President, Sisterhood Enhancement Committee
Date:
Date
Subject:
Notice of Termination Hearing
Your presence is requested with the Sisterhood Enhancement Committee (SEC) of the _____
Chapter / Colony. The purpose of this hearing is to discuss the potential termination of your
membership with Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc. The grounds for your
termination are the result of the following action(s):

[Action] – [Date(s) Action Occurred]
Please understand the purpose of this hearing is to help the Sisterhood Enhancement
Committee obtain all the facts concerning this potential termination. This hearing serves as an
opportunity for you to state your case as to why you believe this termination is or is not valid.
The information you provide will assist the Sisterhood Enhancement Committee in determining
whether or not your termination will be brought before the membership for a final vote. This
matter will be kept in the strictest confidence between the members of the Sisterhood
Enhancement Committee and the Executive Board.
The Sisterhood Enhancement Committee requests that you respond to this notification within
48 hours with dates and times that you are free during the next 2 weeks. You will be notified
of the final date, time, and location of this hearing via email.
If you have any questions regarding the above, feel free to contact me. [Name], Sisterhood
Enhancement Committee – Chair
Please sign this notification and submit it to the Sisterhood Enhancement Committee Chair to verify
this notification was received.
Date Received: ________
Signature: ____________________________________
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Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc.
(Chapter or Colony), (University Name)
Sisterhood Enhancement Committee
To:
Sister in Question
CC:
Entity Advisor
Regional Director
From:
President, Sisterhood Enhancement Committee
Date:
Date
Subject:
Result of Termination Hearing : Probation
After careful consideration at the hearing of the Sisterhood Enhancement Committee (SEC) on
[Date], the SEC finds you responsible for the following violations of active membership in
Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc.:

[Action] – [Date(s) Action Occurred]
However, the Sisterhood Enhancement Committee has decided to remove the possibility of
termination provided you are placed on probation and comply with the following sanctions:

[Sanction(s)] – [Deadline for Completion]
If the above sanctions are not fulfilled by the appropriate date, your termination will be up for
review and brought before the membership for a final vote.
If you wish to appeal the given sanctions, you must submit your appeal to the Sisterhood
Enhancement Committee Chair within five (5) business days of receiving this notification. If
the SEC does not accept your appeal, you may submit an appeal to your Regional Director for a
final decision.
Thank you for your cooperation and if you have any questions regarding the above, feel free to
contact me. [Name], Sisterhood Enhancement Committee – Chair
Please sign this notification and submit it to the Sisterhood Enhancement Committee Chair to verify
this notification was received.
Date Received: ________
Signature: ___________________________________
I, Full Name, Agree / Wish to Appeal to the above sanctions and understand the
consequences of not fulfilling the requirements of my probation.
Date: ________
Signature: ____________________________________
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Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc.
(Chapter or Colony), (University Name)
Sisterhood Enhancement Committee
To:
Sister in Question
CC:
Entity Advisor
Regional Director
From:
President, Sisterhood Enhancement Committee
Date:
Date
Subject:
Result of Termination Hearing : Termination Vote
After careful consideration at the hearing of the Sisterhood Enhancement Committee (SEC) on
[Date], the SEC finds you responsible for the following violations of active membership in
Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc.:

[Action] – [Date(s) Action Occurred]
As such, your membership will be up for review and your termination will be voted on during
the next Chapter / Colony business meeting on [Date] at [Time] in [Location]. Your presence is
required at this meeting. If you cannot attend, another meeting will be scheduled to ensure you
have the opportunity to speak on your behalf before your termination is brought to a final vote.
If you wish to appeal the given sanctions and/or the grounds of your termination, you must
submit your appeal to the Sisterhood Enhancement Committee Chair within 48 hours of
receiving this notification. Your appeal will be given to the membership for review on the day of
the final vote. If the membership votes in favor of your termination, your appeal will be
submitted with all termination materials to the Regional Director, National Headquarters, and
National Board of Director office for final review.
Thank you for your cooperation and if you have any questions regarding the above, feel free to
contact me. [Name], Sisterhood Enhancement Committee – Chair
Please sign this notification and submit it to the Sisterhood Enhancement Committee Chair to verify
this notification was received.
Date Received: ________
Signature: ___________________________________
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Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc.
(Chapter or Colony), (University Name)
Sisterhood Enhancement Committee
To:
Sister in Question
CC:
Entity Advisor
Regional Director
From:
President, Sisterhood Enhancement Committee
Date:
Date
Subject:
Result of Termination Vote
On [Date] on [Time] in [Location], your membership was brought before the [Chapter /
Colony Name] to be reviewed and voted on. After careful consideration, the membership of
the [Chapter / Colony Name] has decided to terminate your membership with Sigma
Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc.
At this time, all of your termination materials will be sent to the Regional Director for review.
You should expect to receive a final notification of your membership status from the National
Headquarters Office within the next few weeks. Once you have received your final notification,
the result will be final.
We understand that this may be a difficult time for you and encourage you to reach out to the
Sisterhood Enhancement Committee and/or Regional Director if you have any further questions
or concerns.
Please sign this notification and submit it to the Sisterhood Enhancement Committee Chair to verify
this notification was received.
Date Received: ________
Signature: ___________________________________
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