Bylaws of East Carolina University Panhellenic Association
Article I. Name
The name of this organization shall be the East Carolina Panhellenic Association.
Article II. Object
The Panhellenic Association is a totally student run organization affiliated with the National Panhellenic Conference. The object of the Panhellenic Association shall be to develop and maintain sorority life and Interfraternity relations at a high level of accomplishment and in doing so:
1. Consider the goals and ideals of member groups as continually applicable to campus and personal life
2. Promote superior scholarship as basic to intellectual achievement
3. Cooperate with member sororities and East Carolina University Administration in concern and in maintenance of high social and moral standards.
4. Act in accordance with all the rules established by the Panhellenic Council as to not violate the sovereignty, rights, and privileges of member sororities.
Preamble: In order to promote and perpetuate the best interest of East Carolina University and the Greek letter social sororities and women’s fraternities therein, to encourage the most complete intellectual, emotional, and social development of the members of the sororities, and to foster cooperation among said sororities, University authorities and the community, we do ordain and establish this constitution of the East Carolina University Panhellenic Association.
The East Carolina University Panhellenic Association does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, race, national or ethnic origin, religion, or disability.
Mission Statement: We, the Panhellenic Council of East Carolina University, seek to enrich our college and sorority experience by providing an environment that fosters growth, higher education, inspiration and cooperation.
Article III. Membership
Section 1. Membership Classes
There shall be three classes of membership: regular, provisional and associate.
A. Regular membership. The regular membership of the East Carolina University Panhellenic Association shall be composed of all chapters of NPC fraternities at East Carolina University. Regular members of the College Panhellenic Council shall pay dues as determined by the College Panhellenic Council. Each regular member shall have voice and one vote on all matters.
B. Associate membership. The provisional membership of the East Carolina University Panhellenic Association shall be composed of all colonies of NPC fraternities at East Carolina University Provisional members shall pay no dues and shall have voice but no vote on all matters. A provisional member shall automatically become a regular member upon being installed as a chapter of an NPC fraternity.
Section 2. Privileges and Responsibilities of Membership
A. Duty of compliance. Act in accordance with NPC UNANIMOUS AGREEMENTS and the Panhellenic Code of Ethics
Act in accordance with such rules established by the Panhellenic Association so as not to violate the sovereignty, rights, and privileges of NPC chapters in good standing with the Panhellenic Association.
a. Consider the goals and ideals of the National Panhellenic Conference (hereafter referred to as NPC) sororities in good standing with the Panhellenic Association as continually applicable to campus and personal life.
b. Promote superior scholarship as basic to intellectual achievement.
c. Cooperate with NPC chapters in good standing within the Panhellenic Association and East Carolina University Administration in the maintenance of high social and moral standards.
d. Foster close, dynamic inter-relations between sororities and sorority women.
Article IV. Officers and Duties
Section 1. Officers
1. The officers of the East Carolina University Panhellenic Association shall be President, Vice President of Risk Reduction and Management, Vice President of Recruitment, Vice President of Recruitment Development, Vice President of Finance, Vice President of Communication, Vice President of Programming, Vice President of Scholarship, Vice President of Philanthropy and Service, and Vice President of New Member Services
Section 2. Eligibility
Eligibility to serve as an officer shall depend on the class of membership:
1. Regular membership. Members from women’s fraternities holding regular membership in the East Carolina University Panhellenic Association shall be eligible to serve as any officer.
2. Associate membership. Members from women’s fraternities holding associate membership in the East Carolina University Panhellenic Association shall not be eligible to serve as an officer.
3. An officer must remain on active status in her chapter throughout her term of office.
4. A Panhellenic Executive Board Officer must be an initiated member of her chapter before taking office.
5. A Panhellenic Executive Board officer may not hold an Executive Board office within her chapter.
6. After elections and before taking office, Panhellenic Executive Board officer’s fall grades will be checked to ensure that they still maintain a 2.75 cumulative GPA. If not, then the position becomes vacant and a new election for that position will take place according to the vacancies section of the Panhellenic Bylaws.
Section 3. Selection of Officers
1. The offices of President, Vice President of Risk Reduction and Management, Vice President of Recruitment, Vice President of Recruitment Development, Vice President of Finance, Vice President of Communication, Vice President of Programming, Vice President of Scholarship, Vice President of Philanthropy and Service, and Vice President of New Member Services of the East Carolina University Panhellenic Association shall be elected by blind ballot following two interviews. They will then be confirmed by a vote by the delegates for each chapter.
a. Applications for all Panhellenic Executive Board positions are available in the Office of Greek life in October.
i. All candidates must fill out an application
ii. No chapter will be required to have a minimum number of candidates apply
iii. There is no cap/limit to the number of applicants a chapter may have apply for positions, as long as candidates meet all criteria
iv. No chapter will be guaranteed representation of the Panhellenic executive board
v. There will be no more than 2 representatives from a chapter at any time on Panhellenic executive board
vi. All candidates must have been active in their respective sorority for a minimum of two semesters from the day of acceptance of a bid.
1. An exception will be made for new colonies or chapters whose members have not been able to be active for two full semesters based on the timing of their initial bid day.
vii. In order to hold the position of Panhellenic President, the candidate must have served one full term on the Panhellenic Executive Board or her own organization’s Executive Board.
b. Applications will be turned into the Office of Greek Life for grade verification.
i. There is a 2.75 minimum cumulative GPA required to hold office.
c. The slating process will consist of the following protocol; written applications, group interviews, final individual interviews
i. Applicants will apply for positions, after which the slating committee will review and decide what candidates will receive invitations to the first round of interviews, and for what positions
ii. The president will coordinate interview times with candidates
iii. The first round of interviews will be a group interview for each position
1. The group interview will consist of the entire slating committee, and all applicants for a specific positions
2. In the event there are more than five applicants for a position, the group interviews will be divided, as decided by the slating committee
a. No candidate will group interview for more than three positions, if on the written application the candidate indicates the want for “any position” during the initial application process the slating committee will select what three positions the woman may interview for
b. A woman will have the right to either accept or deny being interviewed for any position
3. The slating committee will then select nominees to move forward to individual interviews by the process of secret ballots
iv. The next round of interviews will be individual interviews with the current Panhellenic executive board
1. If in the case that each chapter is not represented on the executive board, the slating representative will be asked to participate to ensure equal representation.
2. The committee will vote for each position by secret ballot
3. Those involved in the individual interviews will slate candidates for each position,
4. In the case of a tie, there will be further discussion and another vote will take place
E. Once the slate is final, and then a vote of confidence for the slate will take place at the next scheduled Panhellenic meeting.
Section 4. Office-Holding Limitations
No more than 2 member(s) from the same women’s fraternity shall hold office during the same term.
Section 5. Nomination Procedure
1. A slating committee composed of a member of each sorority reviews all applications for minimum qualifications of Panhellenic, chapter, campus, or community involvement related experiences.
a. This slating committee consists of the current Chapter Presidents of each organization and any Panhellenic Executive board not applying for an office.
b. If the sorority President is unable to sit on the slating committee, she may select another Executive Board member from her chapter.
c. The representative each chapter presents for the slating committee, either the President or executive board member, must be present for any and all required slating committee meetings
Section 6. Term
1. The officers shall serve for a term of one year, from January until December. Each Panhellenic Executive Board officer will be sworn in at the first Panhellenic meeting of the spring semester.
Section 7. Removal
1. Any member of the Panhellenic Association shall be able to initiate removal of an officer of the Panhellenic Association on the grounds of dereliction of duties or mismanagement of funds.
2. Whenever an executive board member or representative is absent from two meetings without being excused by the VP of Communications, she will be removed from her position
3. The removal of an officer shall proceed as follows:
a. Said Panhellenic Association member shall contact the Panhellenic President, or in the case of the President being removed, shall contact the Panhellenic Vice President of Risk Reduction and Management, and shall submit a statement including intent to substantiate grounds for the removal of the officer in question.
b. The notified officer shall contact the officer in question and inform her that the removal proceedings are pending.
c. At the following Panhellenic Association meeting, any member of the Executive Board shall read the statement and the officer in question may answer questions. A vote on removal will occur at the next scheduled meeting.
d. If a ? majority vote is reached, the officer shall be considered removed and shall be replaced according to the procedure for filling a vacancy.
Section 8. Vacancies
1. Vacancies shall be filled in the case of an Executive Board member’s resignation or dismissal by applications going out to all ECU Panhellenic Sororities in good standing. The current Panhellenic Executive Board will serve as the selection board. The board will meet to interview all applicants and be charged with the selection of the new Executive Board member.
Section 9. Duties of Officers
1. Panhellenic Officers must attend all regularly scheduled Panhellenic Association and Panhellenic Executive Board meetings.
2. The offices of President, Vice President Risk Reduction and Management, Vice President of Recruitment, and Vice President of Programming will attend the selected Greek conference. The remaining Panhellenic Executive Board officers will attend if money permits.
3. Panhellenic Officers shall disaffiliate from their houses during formal fall recruitment and adhere to all rules also applied to Pi Chis during their term of office. Panhellenic Officers shall not participate in any Continuous Open Bidding activities, as to jeopardize the impartial nature of the Executive Board positions.
4. Each Executive Board Member shall keep and pass down any applicable files to the next Executive Board.
5. Each Board member will attend the Office of Greek Life transition training after fall elections.
A. The president shall:
· Have overall responsibility for the operation of the Panhellenic Association.
· Call and preside at all regular and special meetings of the Panhellenic Association.
· Call and preside at all meetings of the Panhellenic Council Executive Board.
· Serve as member ex-officio of all Panhellenic Council committees with voice but no vote.
· Report as required to the NPC Area Advisor.
· Maintain a complete, updated President’s file, which will include the current Panhellenic Association Constitution and Bylaws, the current Panhellenic Association Budget, the current NPC Manual of Information, correspondence and material received from the NPC Area Advisor, and all other pertinent materials.
· Preside over all Presidents’ Council meetings.
· Serve as a liaison between the Panhellenic Association and the Presidents’ Council.
· Be the spokeswoman and representative from the Panhellenic Council to campus, non-campus organizations, and the University.
· The President has the power to appoint a representative from the Executive Board to serve on any necessary committee.
· Meet weekly with the Panhellenic Advisor.
· Attend Council President Weekly Meetings
· Observe 5 office hours per week to obtain Panhellenic scholarship monies.
· Attend the selected Greek Conference.
· Serve as the voting delegate at any Greek Conference attended
· Must live in Greenville during the summer.
· Speak at summer Orientation Greek Life Sessions
· Coordinate the Panhellenic Executive Officer selection process.
· May form and oversee a committee if deemed necessary
· Perform all other duties as required by this office.
B. The Vice President of Risk Reduction and Management shall:
· Perform the duties of the President in her absence, inability to serve, or at her call.
· Oversee the Panhellenic Standards process
· Serve as the Chair of the Judicial Board
· Select and train members of the Panhellenic Judicial Board
· Serve as the Risk Management Officer for the Panhellenic Association
· Plan a Risk Management Seminar at the beginning of every semester with each chapters Risk Management officer
· Plan chapter and community programs about risk reduction topics such as alcohol, drugs, hazing, safety, sexual assault, etc.
· Keep an updated file on each chapter’s Risk Management Policy
· Revise and edit the Panhellenic Constitution and Bylaws yearly
· Assist with updating the Formal Recruitment Rules
· Attend selected Greek Leadership Conference
· May form and oversee a committee if deemed necessary
· Perform all other duties as required by this office.
C. The Vice President of Recruitment shall:
· Plan, implement, and evaluate all Formal Recruitment activities for the NPC chapters in good standing with the Panhellenic Association.
· Organize Convocation and the opening of Formal Recruitment including a slide show with equal representation from each sorority
· Upon the approval of the Recruitment Rules by the Panhellenic Association, publish and distribute the rules to each NPC chapter in good standing with the Panhellenic Association.