Preamble of the Sigma Pi , Epsilon-Nu Colony, California State University, Fullerton

To the end that fellowship may be cultivated, our general knowledge extended, the cause of education advanced, literary culture promoted, and a high degree of campus excellence maintained, we, the undersigned students do ordain and establish this constitution for the Sigma Pi Fraternity, Epsilon-Nu Colony at California State University, Fullerton with University policy and all local, state and federal laws.

The ideals of Sigma Pi, which constitute the underlying reason for the Fraternity’s rise, development, and continued existence, are plainly set forth in the Constitution, and are in essence as follows:  To establish a brotherhood.  To establish and maintain an aristocracy of learning.  To raise the standards of morality and develop character.  To diffuse culture and encourage .  To promote the spirit of civic righteousness and quicken the national conscience. It will be observed that these five objects touch upon three different phases of a man’s life: namely, his Contacts, his Concepts, and his Controls.

CONSTITUTION OF THE COLONY

Article I – Name and Purpose of the Organization

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be Sigma Pi Fraternity. Epsilon-Nu is the campus distinction by its national office, and colony status, in good standing, is granted.

Section 2. The purpose of this organization is to provide opportunities for association and interaction with the faculty and administration at CSU Fullerton.

Article II – Fundamental Guidelines for Procedure and Structure

Section 1. The Constitution and Bylaws of the Grand Chapter of Sigma Pi Fraternity constitute the fundamental rule governing the subordinate Sigma Pi colony at California State University, Fullerton. These laws supersede any and all laws created by the colony.

Section 2. All official fraternity matters will be conducted through a democratic process as outlined through the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Parliamentary Procedure unless specifically stated otherwise. a. Official fraternity business will be conducted through no less than one regularly scheduled meeting per week during the academic year. b. The Executive Board will consist of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Historian and Sergeant-at-Arms. c. The Executive Board shall meet prior to each official fraternity meeting to discuss any pending or pertinent business. d. Each active Member of the Colony shall be allotted one vote on all matters to be voted on by the General Assembly of the Colony.

Section 3. Fraternity business that requires additional and specific review and action to be carried out by the fraternity may be delegated to a committee. a. There shall be a standing committees established by the Executive Board, and as Vice President, will oversee their appointments. b. The Executive Board, by majority vote, will appoint committee heads to each standing committee established by the colony. c. A Judicial and Conduct Review Committee will be established, whose duties will consist of facilitating conflict resolution between brothers and addressing the disciplinary needs of the Colony.

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d. The Judicial and Conduct Review Committee shall consist of five active undergraduate Brothers of the Colony including the President, Vice-President and three other brothers appointed to serve on the committee. e. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall be present in his official capacity at all meetings of the Judicial and Conduct Review Committee. f. There shall be other standing committees, including a Scholarship Committee, a Recruitment Committee, and a Social Committee. g. The President has the ability to establish committees in addition to those standing committees that are enumerated in the Bylaws of the Colony.

Section 4. Any law pertaining to a fine or fee assessed to a member or members of the fraternity must pass through a 2/3rds vote of members of the General Assembly.

Article III – Requirements for Membership and Selection of Members

Section 1. Membership in the organization shall be open to all those regularly-enrolled California State University, Fullerton students who are interested and meet the requirements of membership. There shall be no other requirements for admission to regular membership. Each regular member has equal rights and privileges.

Section 2. Membership in this organization shall not be denied to any student at California State University, Fullerton on the basis of race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, color, age, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation or disability.

Section 3. Prospective and current members of the fraternity must be in good, academic standing with California State University, Fullerton.

Section 4. There shall be a minimum of five (5) CSU Fullerton students who are currently enrolled in at least one class.

Section 5. Voting membership is limited to regularly enrolled (non-extended education) students at California State University, Fullerton.

Section 6. Prospective members of the fraternity can only become New Members if extended a formal invitation to pursue full membership in the organization.

Section 7. There shall be classes of membership in the fraternity. a. There shall be Active members. b. There shall be Alumni. c. There shall be New Members. d. There shall be a Dormant classification for those members of the fraternity who are on suspension, or on leave of absence, or who have withdrawn from University enrollment without completing official degree requirements.

Article IV – Electoral Procedures

Section 1. Elections for the Executive Board shall be held on the annual by the colony unless and announced 30 days in advance of elections.

Section 2. All active members in good standing may forward their name as a candidate for election through the official process.

Section 3. No member shall hold the same elective office for more than two terms.

Section 4. All voting done for the purposes electing members to office for an elected official shall be conducted by secret ballot.

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Section 5. The Sergeant-at-Arms, one member in good standing not running in the elections, and a colony advisor oversees and certifies the results of all elections conducted in the fraternity. In the event of a challenge, a three- member generally-elected board shall review and certify the results of a disputed election or call for re-balloting if necessary.

Article V – Articles of Impeachment

Section 1. Any member who is found unfit for elected office may be removed from office by recommendation of the Judicial and Conduct Review Committee, and certified by a majority vote of the General Assembly of the Colony.

Section 2. A member who wishes to issue a vote of no-confidence against any elected member may do so by introducing a vote of no-confidence during new business in an official meeting. To remove the officer, a a majority vote is required of the General Assembly.

Article VI – Amendments to the Constitution

Section 1. Actions of the Grand Chapter that in any way challenge, alter or amend the written language of the Colony’s Constitution shall be brought up for immediate consideration at the next official meeting. Any necessary alterations made to the Constitution will be made official through a simple majority vote of the General Assembly.

Section 2. Proposed constitutional amendment or changes will be presented, in writing, to the organization one meeting before this amendment is voted upon.

Section 3. Any move to amend or alter the Constitution must pass a super-majority vote constituting 2/3rds of the General Assembly at two consecutive official meetings of the Assembly. The amendment is immediately effective unless otherwise stipulated in the proposal.

Section 4. A copy of this constitution/by-laws and/or amendments to this constitution must be filed in the Office of Student Life & Leadership at CSU Fullerton every year during registration or within 30 days after any substantive change or amendment. Article VII – Amendments to Standing Rules

Section 1. No part of the Standing Rules contained in these laws will be added to or otherwise repealed, altered, annulled, or amending unless the proposition is presented to the Colony and passed favorably by 2/3rds of the Colony.

BYLAWS OF THE COLONY

Article I – Voting and Meetings

Section 1. A quorum to do business will constitute 2/3rds of all active members of the colony.

Section 2. Meetings are held weekly. a. Attendance is mandatory for all official meetings, both weekly and specially scheduled. b. In order to receive an excused absence, a member must make a written request to the Secretary at least one day in advance of the scheduled meeting. The Executive Board will certify the legitimacy of the absence. c. A retroactive request for an excused absence may be granted by majority vote of the Executive Board. d. More than two unexcused absences will result in a meeting with the Judicial Board. e. Failure to attend more than two mandatory scheduled events without an excused absence will result in an appearance before the Judicial Board. f. Mandates to make a fraternity event official are to be certified by majority vote of the Executive Board. g. Specially scheduled meetings may be called by vote of the Executive Board. h. The official attire for a meeting shall consist of a buttoned-down, collared-shirt, tie, dress shoes and a pen and paper and member pin (active or new member pin).

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Section 3. The Executive Board members as defined in the Constitution shall have certain duties as described in the Grand Chapter Constitution.

Section 4. The fraternity will provide for the most up-to-date edition of Robert’s Rules of Parliamentary Procedure present at every meeting.

Section 5. Three copies of the Colony Constitution must be present at all official meetings – one in the possession of the President, one in the possession of the Vice President, and one in the possession of the Sergeant-at-Arms.

Section 6. One copy of the Grand Chapter constitution must be present at all official Colony meetings.

Article II – Committees

Section 1. There shall be two classes of committees. a. Standing Committees are permanent entities and cannot be dissolved. They meet regularly in official meetings throughout the academic year. b. Special Committees are entities created for the purpose of carrying out or implementing a specific duty or policy, and may be dissolved upon resolution of said tasks. c. The President has the power to create and dissolve Special Committees.

Section 2. The Standing Committees of the Fraternity shall be: a. Rush b. Scholarship c. Judicial and Conduct Review d. Fundraising e. Housing (if applicable) f. Brotherhood g. Public Relations h. Community Service i. Philanthropy j. Social k. Interfraternity Council l. New Member Education m. Intramurals/Athletics

Section 3. The number of members serving on each committee shall be appropriated based on the committee’s specific needs acting on recommendation from the appointed committee chair. Members of a committee may be selected either by the Vice President or by the committee chair acting on behalf of the Vice President.

Article III – Membership

Section 1. All members, new members, and prospective candidates for membership must be in good academic standing with California State University, Fullerton. a. This entails maintaining a cumulative grade-point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. b. The standard for determining grade-point average is the grade-point average issued at the close of the academic semester, may-term or summer-term. c. Grade-point averages must be provided to the chair of the Scholarship Committee on a regularly- determined basis but no less than once per semester. d. The grade-point average of a member must be given in a formal capacity to the chair of the Scholarship Committee upon his request.

Section 2. If a member is found to fall below the academic requirements of the fraternity, he is to be placed on academic probation.

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a. If a member’s cumulative grade-point average is found to fall below a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, he will be immediately referred to the Scholarship Committee for academic review. b. In conjunction with the Scholarship Committee, the member whose grade-point average falls below academic standards must develop an Academic Success Plan. Specific terms of the Plan are to be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Scholarship Committee, who shall shape the Plan based on the needs of the individual. c. Failure to meet the standards and guidelines of the Academic Success Plan will result in a referral to the Judicial and Conduct Review Committee.

Section 3. Any member found to be in violation of the University’s academic ethics guidelines will be immediately referred to the Judicial and Conduct Review Committee to address the specific infraction.

Section 4. There shall be specific classifications of membership in the fraternity. a. Active members are those members who are undergraduate members or graduate members specifically voted to active status who have the full rights and privileges afforded to them as members of the fraternity. b. Alumni are those members who are post-graduate students and former students of the University who may be allowed to attend formal functions of the fraternity. c. New Members are those prospective members who have been extended a formal invitation of membership into the fraternity but whom have not yet been formally initiated. d. Dormant members are those members who have been formally initiated into the fraternity but fail to meet the requirements of active status and are not alumni. They are not entitled to any benefit normally afforded to any formal initiate or pledge of the fraternity.

Section 5. Any member who is seen as unfit to fulfill his duties as a member of the fraternity may be either suspended from active status or recommended to the Grand Chapter for removal from the fraternity. a. Gross violations of fraternity policy or continual violation of fraternity policy as listed in the Constitution and Bylaws of the Grand Chapter and the Colony will constitute grounds for suspension from active status. b. Suspension from active status can only move forward in the General Assembly with an affirmative recommendation from the Judicial and Conduct Review Committee. c. If the recommendation from the Judicial and Conduct Review Committee states that suspension of active membership is a possibility, a 3/4ths vote of the General Assembly is required to suspend membership for the violation in question. d. If the General Assembly so wishes, it may then move to consider expulsion from the fraternity. A 3/4ths vote is then required for referral to the Providence Archon for his forwarding to the Grand Chapter. e. If the violation of policy is so extraordinary that it clearly constitutes removal from the fraternity, then a majority vote of the Judicial and Conduct Review Committee and the Executive Board will function as a means to suspend the individual and refer the case immediately to the Providence Archon for his review and submission to the Grand Chapter for the expulsion of the brother from the fraternity.

Section 6. A brother may appeal his suspension or the consideration of his suspension. a. He may petition the Judicial and Conduct Review Committee for a stay on recommendation for suspension. He may also appeal and present his case in the General Assembly if the Judicial and Conduct Review Committee forwards his case for suspension to a vote in the General Assembly, and he is entitled to vote in the General Assembly in his defense. b. If the member in question is an officer or committee member of the Judicial and Conduct Review Committee, he may not vote in the committee process of recommendation.

Article IV – Officers

Section 1. The elected officers of the organization shall be the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Sergeant at Arms and Historian. The term of office will be one year beginning January 1st.

Section 2. Powers and Duties of Officers:

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a. The President shall preside at all meetings of the organization. He shall be the official spokesperson of the organization, representing the policies, views and opinions of the organization in its relations with the campus and community at large. He has further powers and duties as prescribed by the organization. b. The Vice President presides at the organization meetings in the absence of the President. He performs all duties assigned by the Chair. He oversees internal operations, manages committees and will ultimately be responsible for most of the colony programming. He will meet twice a month with the committee heads in a group meeting. During these meetings committee heads give updates and progress as to how the committee is working toward its goals for the semester. c. The Treasurer handles all financial affairs and budgeting of the organization. He maintains accounts in the organization’s name, which requires signatures of the Treasurer, President and Colony Advisor. All disbursements for more than $150 require a majority vote approval of the Executive Board. He is responsible for ensuring that any member who carries a $100 balance with the chapter is placed on suspension until full payment is made (See International Bylaws). d. The Secretary takes minutes at all meetings of the organization, files minutes and submits required copies to all organization members. He is responsible for all organization correspondence and keeps copies of all correspondence on file. He notifies all members of organization meetings. He is responsible for registering the colony with the university and securing chapter meetings each semester, prior to the next semester’s ending. e. The Sergeant at Arms is responsible for Risk Management, alumni relations and the storage and safekeeping of ritual equipment. He is the defender of chapter property and is responsible for protecting the chapter house and belongings. He is to work with the Historian to ensure that the ritual equipment is in good condition, secure and complete. He is responsible for ordering new equipment is items are lost or broken. He is responsible for providing risk management workshops at least once per semester during normal chapter meetings. He is responsible for maintaining order during chapter meetings. In his role as alumni relations, he is responsible for publishing an alumni newsletter at least twice a year. f. The Historian maintains all historical records of the organization.

Section 3. Officer qualifications: The officers of the student organization are required to meet the minimum requirements established for Minor Student Representative Student Officers by the CSU Chancellor’s Office. a. Officers must be matriculated and enrolled (non-extended education) at Cal State Fullerton. b. Officers must maintain a minimum cumulative 2.75 grade point average each term. c. Officers must be in good standing and must not be on probation of any kind. d. Undergraduates are required to earn six semester units per term while holding office. Graduate and credential students must earn three semester units per term while holding office. e. Undergraduate officers are allowed to earn a maximum of 150 semester units or 125 percent of the units required for a specific baccalaureate degree objective, whichever is greater. Graduate and credential officers are allowed to earn a maximum of 50 semester units or 167 percent of the units required for the graduate credential objective, whichever is greater.

Article V – Elections

Section 1. All officers in the fraternity are elected in a democratic process. Any active member who meets the requirements outlined in Article IV Section 3 has the right to insert his name on the ballot for any elected position for which he feels he is qualified.

Section 2. The procedure for submitting one’s name on a ballot requires a written submission of qualification to the Secretary at least 12 hours in advance of voting.

Section 3. Each member running for an elected position is entitled to address the General Assembly, uninterrupted, for a period of three minutes directly prior to the election. The order of candidate designation on ballots and for time allocation for speaking is determined by surname alphabetical order.

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Section 4. Each election for office will be held in sequence, with voting for specific office to be done immediately after the candidates have spoken in Assembly for a specific position. The order in which candidates are elected is specified by the sequence in which they appear in the Constitution.

Section 5. All voting is to be done by secret ballot, with the votes for each position tallied immediately after the candidates speak on their qualifications for issues and the election is held. If a recount is called for by a majority of the members, recounts for specific positions will take place after all other elections have been completed.

Section 6. If any member is removed from office, resigns, or is otherwise incapacitated in his abilities to perform the necessary functions of his office, a special election will be held to elect a replacement.

Article VI – Finances

Section 1. The Treasurer is to be the chairman of the Finance Committee. a. The Finance Committee consists of five members who are responsible for creating and submitting a budget to the General Assembly. b. The budget is to be submitted in a timely manner no less than once each semester no later than two official, regularly-scheduled meetings into each semester.

Section 2. Budget items from each committee are to be submitted by the committee chair in conjunction with the Treasurer to the General Assembly.

Section 3. Committee chairs have discretion over the allocation of their allotted budget in concordance with their submitted budget item.

Section 4. Each member of Sigma Pi is expected to pay his dues on a semester basis. Dues are determined by the needs of the Colony and are voted on in Assembly. a. The Treasurer is responsible for determining specificity in dues and managing the funds accrued by dues payments. b. Failure to meet financial obligations to the fraternity will automatically result in the processes as outlined by the Grand Chapter for suspension of the brother.

Section 5. Committee chairs are held accountable for their budget item allocations. They are to provide sufficient evidence of the proper expenditure of the funds as allocated in the fraternity budget.

Section 6. Payment of dues may be paid in lump sum or in protracted payment plans as determined by the Treasurer on a case-by-case basis.

Section 7. A specified amount in the budget as submitted by the Treasurer is required to be entered into a long-term savings account that requires a 2/3rds vote of the General Assembly to access. The amount is to be determined by the Treasurer but may not fall below 1% of the budget in its entirety.

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