Collegiate Constitution of Sigma Eta Pi University of Pittsburgh Adopted October 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 NAME OF ORGANIZATION 2.0 ACCEPTANCE AND COMPLIANCE TO REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS 3.0 LIMITS OF REGISTRATION 4.0 ANNUAL RE-REGISTRATION 5.0 PURPOSE 6.0 ACTIVITIES 7.0 MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS 8.0 MEMBERSHIP PROCEDURES 9.0 VOTING PRIVILEGES 10.0 ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP 11.0 OFFICERS 12.0 TERMS OF OFFICE 13.0 OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES 14.0 ELECTION OF OFFICERS 15.0 VOTING POWERS OF OFFICERS 16.0 REMOVAL OF OFFICERS 17.0 VACANCIES 18.0 COMMITTEES 19.0 MEETINGS 20.0 FINANCES 21.0 PUBLICATIONS CODE 22.0 ADVISER 23.0 EXTERNAL AFFILIATIONS 24.0 BYLAWS 25.0 AMENDMENTS

1.0 NAME OF ORGANIZATION

This Fraternity shall be known as Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity. The Fraternity may only be referred to as Sigma Eta Pi, ΣΗΠ, SEP, or SEPi.

2.0 ACCEPTANCE AND COMPLIANCE TO REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS

The Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity and its membership accept and will fully comply with the requirements and limitations of registration.

3.0 LIMITS OF REGISTRATION

Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity is a student association and not an official component of the University. Registration does not permit Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity to use or act in the name of the University, to represent the University, engage in any contractual obligation in the name of the University nor represent the organization as being an official part of the University.

Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity is permitted to have approved external affiliations. Registration expressly permits Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity to only operate on campus. Off-campus activities of Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity are the sole responsibility of the organization, officers and members, unless expressly approved in advance by the University.

Membership in Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity and participation in its activities are voluntary and all risks of personal injury, property damage or other losses incidental to membership or participation in activities are assumed solely by the student organization and/or individual member(s) or participant(s).

4.0 ANNUAL RE-REGISTRATION

The Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity will submit its annual re-registration application during the re- registration period following the election of new officers.

5.0 PURPOSE

Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity is designed for college students to provide opportunity for those who wish to cultivate entrepreneurship. The mission of Sigma Eta Pi is to transform individuals into starters who follow their passion, develop lasting relationships, and create value through innovative pursuits.

We educate our brothers with the most comprehensive knowledge of the startup ecosystem and venture processes as well as equip them with a concrete set of skills sourced from the diverse backgrounds of our members. 6.0 ACTIVITIES

Sigma Eta Pi will offer members the opportunity to cultivate entrepreneurship through several activities and programs. The organization will offer students opportunities with a new-member education process, guest presentations from local entrepreneurs, assistance to the Innovation Institute in entrepreneurial related events, team building exercises, business ideation and creation feedback, and an annual pitch event.

7.0 MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

1. Membership is open to currently enrolled Pitt students as defined herein.

2. All members must accept and comply with all the requirements and limitations of registration as a condition of membership.

3. Membership in the Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity is voluntary and all risk of personal injury, property damage or other losses that occur incidental to membership or participation in activities are assumed solely by the student organization and/or individual member(s) or non-member participant(s). Accordingly, the University of Pittsburgh, its officers and agents shall not be responsible nor liable for any claims or causes of action for damage or loss of property or personal injury of any kind or nature which may arise out of or are incidental to the conduct of any organization’s activities or that of any individual’s participation in any group-related activity. it is further understood and agreed that it is the responsibility of the officers of the organization to assure that all of the organization’s members and non-member participants in all activities sponsored by the Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity are fully informed and advised of this ASSUMPTION OF RISK, and in the event any individual member or participant should express or indicate non-acceptance, the organization’s officers shall forbid participation and/or membership of such individual. In regard to the organization member or non-member participant Assumption of Risk, the Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity acknowledges that the University recommends that the organization members and non-member participants make every effort to arrange for the acquisition of liability insurance sufficient to protect all participants against those risks being assumed. For sport-related organizations or events, the University recommends that each individual have insurance sufficient to allow for any risks by participation, accident or by deficiencies in physical health.

4. No hazing or illegal discriminatory criteria for membership, including those listed in the University of Pittsburgh’s non-discrimination policy, will be used as a condition for membership in the organization. These factors include race, color, religion (except for religious organizations which may restrict membership to those who share their faith- based beliefs), national origin, ancestry, sex (except same sex organizations permitted under Title IX), age, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, disability or status as a veteran. This non-discriminatory policy will be applied in a manner consistent with the requirements of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and other laws applicable to student organizations.

5. To be eligible for membership, you must be a currently enrolled student at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Campus. There is no GPA requirement, nor age requirement. The membership of this Fraternity shall include Student Members, Alumni Members, Faculty Members, Honorary Members, and Probationary Members. Brothers are always representatives of the fraternity even when they are not at a sponsored event or in fraternal attire and should act in an appropriate manner.

6. Membership in this Fraternity shall not be granted to any individual who is a member of any local, national or international professional commerce and business administration fraternity or sorority in competition with this Fraternity as shall be determined by the Grand Chapter. No member of this Fraternity may become a member of any other professional commerce and business administration fraternity or sorority, and should a member become so, he or she shall upon this action be automatically expelled from this Fraternity without regard to any due process of jurisprudence defined in the Laws of this Fraternity. Honorary and Social fraternities and sororities shall not be held to be in direct competition with this Fraternity.

7. The financial obligations outlined in the Finances section must be met by all active members.

8.0 MEMBERSHIP PROCEDURES

1. Recruitment will take place during the third and fourth weeks of the semester.

2. Prospective student members must fill out an application form; providing their PeopleSoft ID, any other fraternity/sorority affiliation, and contact information.

3. Any Prospective student offered membership into SEP must be in good standing with the University.

4. An Executive board consisting members such as but not limited to the President, Vice President will review all applications and select which students will obtain membership. Executive board members may also consult the faculty adviser to review applications to arrive at decisions.

5. As a member in SEP, members may attend SEP events over the school year, voice grievances at any of the meetings, partake in any group communication and wear the designated SEP shirt with the logo.

6. Members of SEP can be removed or set as inactive. Members can be removed if the student transfers out of the University of Pittsburgh or disaffiliates from their fraternity/sorority.

7. Members can also be set as inactive if they desire. Once set inactive if the member wants to get reinstated he/she must reapply and wait for the next recruitment period to become an active member again. A student can maintain membership by attending at least three meetings per semester, and attending the mandatory flagship entrepreneurial event.

8. Students who violate these requirements for membership are allowed three strikes before being deactivated. A strike consists of attending no meetings and not attending the community service event without 72-hour notice to the Executive Board. If a student is set as deactivated, he/she may reapply during the recruitment period.

9. If a member is on a co-op rotation or internship (defined as working during an active semester), studying abroad during a semester or can produce an overwhelmingly valid reason to the Executive board then he/she is excused from all meetings and events.

10. Members undergoing co-op or internship programs are encouraged to attend as many meetings as possible to share experiences with members.

11. Alumni or soon to be alumni can apply to be considered associate members of SEP. All information regarding associate members will be covered in the in the associate membership section.

9.0 VOTING PRIVILEGES

Only currently enrolled students of the University of Pittsburgh may vote in the decisions of the fraternity. Voting privileges are limited to currently enrolled Pitt student members in good standing with the organization. Voting privileges are maintained by being an active member. Maintaining membership is outlined in the previous section. Voting privileges will only be lost to members that disaffiliate from Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity or decide to go inactive. If the member disaffiliates or goes inactive, they can regain voting privileges by reapplying during the recruitment period. 10.0 ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP

Associate members may not vote, hold office nor serve in a formal leadership role. They may participate in organization meetings and activities. Pitt student membership shall comprise of at least 75% of the total membership at all times.

10.1 Student Member

A student member is someone who is actively pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree at an accredited collegiate institution and who has been duly initiated into a Collegiate Chapter. A student member must be in good standing. A student member in good standing is a member that meets attendance, financial, and fraternal requirements. A student member may under any circumstance request a leave of absence. Procedures used for the administration and maintenance of the Leave of Absence program shall be established by the Chapter Executive Council. 10.2 Alumni Member

An Alumni Member is an individual who has been, but is no longer, a Student Member or a Faculty Member, excluding individuals who have been expelled from the Fraternity. 10.3 Faculty Member

A Faculty Member is an individual on the regular faculty who has done entrepreneurial projects or supports expanding entrepreneurship on campus in a qualified institution and who has been duly initiated into a Collegiate Chapter or Alumni Chapter. 10.4 Honorary Member

An Honorary Member is an individual who is not eligible to be a Student Member, Faculty Member, or Alumni Member but to whom, pending the approval of the Grand Chapter, and a negative vote of less than one quarter, membership is granted as an honor and distinction by a Collegiate Chapter. Honorary Membership should be conferred to persons who have demonstrated commitment to the Fraternity on a fraternal, regional, or chapter level and/or persons who embody the entrepreneurial spirit and the core values of Sigma Eta Pi.

11.0 OFFICERS

The organization shall have the following officers: President, Internal Vice President, Vice President of Operations (Business Manager), Vice President of Finance, and External Vice President. Faculty, staff, alumni and external affiliates may NOT serve as officers.

12.0 TERMS OF OFFICE

Officers will begin their terms the first day of class, each spring semester, after being elected. The term will go until the first day of class the following spring semester when the next officer is placed in office.

13.0 OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

13.1 President

The President of Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity The President shall preside at all meetings of the Chapter and of the Executive Council and shall be a member ex•officio of any Chapter committees. The President shall be designated as the official representative of the Chapter in all manners. Additional representatives may be designated by the President as necessary. The President shall be responsible for overseeing the notification of all active members of meetings and activities and ensuring that all officers complete their required duties. The President shall be the primary point of contact for the Grand Chapter. The President shall vote only when the vote is by secret ballot or is a tie•breaker, in which case the President votes along with and at the same time as all other members. 13.2 Internal Vice President

The Internal Vice President shall advance the purposes of the Fraternity through the education and initiation of all members. In the event of the absence of the President, the Internal Vice President shall be designated as the official representative of the Chapter in all manners and run all meetings of the Chapter and of the Executive Council. The Internal Vice President shall be responsible for ensuring that the Chapter Bylaws are upheld and that order is maintained at all Chapter meetings. The Internal Vice President shall hold and run ad hoc bylaws meetings outside of General and Executive meetings should any member of the Fraternity feel the bylaws needs amending. The Internal Vice President along with the President shall be responsible for keeping track of individual progress made weekly by executive council members for their respective position. The Internal Vice President shall be in charge of securing locations for all Fraternity related events. 13.3 Vice President of Operations (Business Manager)

The Vice President of Operations shall record the minutes of all meetings of the Chapter and shall cosign all contracts and other instruments of business. The Vice President of Operations shall maintain a permanent record of each member of the Chapter, including name, Associate class, address, phone number, e•mail address, birth date, major, and any other pertinent information. Any updates must be sent to the Grand Chapter, including but not limited to new member information. The Vice President of Operations shall be responsible for creating an attendance policy for general meetings and submit to be approved by Executive Council. The Vice President of Operations shall be responsible for tracking meeting attendance as specified by the attendance policy in Article V. The Vice President of Operations shall be responsible for tracking all event attendance in coordination with the respective officers. At the start of every new academic term, the Vice President of Operations is in charge of keeping track of membership status.

13.4 Vice President of Finance

The Vice President of Finance shall manage the receipts and disbursements of all funding of the Chapter, collect all dues and fees from each active member or Associate, and collect any fines due to missing a mandatory event, as determined by the Executive Council. The Vice President of Finance shall keep a detailed continuous, year•to•year ledger of all Chapter finances and prepare and present a term•based budget to the Chapter at the beginning of the academic term to be voted upon. The Vice President of Finance shall prepare a report of Chapter finances at least once per academic quarter/semester, as well as a year•end Chapter financial summary report to all active members, prior to the installation of new Chapter officers. The Vice President of Finance shall, upon request by an authorized official of their school or the Grand Chapter, make available a record of the finances of the Chapter. The Vice President of Finance shall have available the current account balance at the commencement of each general meeting.

13.5 External Vice President

The External Vice President shall be responsible for overseeing execution of Chapter wide events and initiatives, maintaining Alumni Chapter relations and Interfraternity Relations, and interfacing with organizations and companies external to Sigma Eta Pi. The External Vice President shall be responsible for any corporate sponsorship and for promoting entrepreneurship within the Chapter. 14.0 ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Elections will be held at least one week before finals week. Two weeks before elections all members will be notified via email which officer positions are available to run for. All nominations will be announced one week prior to election day. A brother may nominate another brother to a position if they can get 2 co-signatories to the nomination. Self-nominations do not require any signatories. Election day requires all positions to be voted on and announced on the same day. In case of a tie or special circumstances, the fraternity may delay voting or announcements for a particular position.

Any active member is eligible to run for an executive board position. All enrolled students in good standing with the Fraternity are eligible for any Executive Council Position except for President. In order for President nomination, the individual must have held at least one Executive Council position in the past. No brother can hold more than one Executive Council position.

Voting privileges are limited to currently enrolled Pitt student members in good standing with the organization. A week after the election notification email (one week before elections), interested members must email the President and notify him/her which executive board position he/she will run for. At the election meeting, ballots with all members running for a specified office position will be handed out to every active member. Each nominee will bring a prepared speech to elections. A nominee will have 5 minutes to present his/her speech for the selected position. After the 5-minute speech, each member on the executive board will ask the nominee one question. After all members running for the certain executive position provide a speech and answers the questions asked by the executive board, they will step outside the room while voting takes place. Members who are eligible to vote will fill out the bubble next to the person they wish to see in office. Members may only cast their vote for one individual running. This process will take place for every office position available. Majority vote wins for each office position.

Run•off elections will be held if no one option receives a majority of the votes cast. Only the options with the two highest totals of votes in the initial election remain candidates for run•off election. If no option receives a majority during the run•off election, elections for the position will be postponed to the next meeting. 15.0 VOTING POWERS OF OFFICERS

All officers other will retain voting rights. 16.0 REMOVAL OF OFFICERS

Any Chapter officer can be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of all active brothers enrolled at the University. In the event of an impeachment or resignation in any office, an election will be held to fill said office within two (2) weeks of the vacancy. A special election during meeting must be held for the election of a vacated office. Nominations for a vacated office shall be held immediately prior to the election of that office. The person under consideration shall be given an opportunity to be heard at the meeting with sufficient notice of the proposed removal or suspension, the person under consideration shall not be counted in determining the presence of a quorum not whether the required two-thirds vote has been obtained. Upon a vote of removal or suspension of the President/Chairperson/Captain, the Vice- President shall preside at the meeting.

17.0 VACANCIES

In the event that the Chapter decides to leave an office vacant, the vacant office shall be filled by an application process to be administered and decided upon by the outgoing and incoming Executive Councils, excluding any applicant(s) for the position in question. Executive Council Officers•elect shall serve as members ex•officio of the Executive Council until the current academic term ends. 18.0 COMMITTEES

1. There will be a permanent Events Committee headed by the Vice President of Operations. A. This committee will serve as a group that organizes and sets up the flagship entrepreneurial event. Any active SEP member wanting to be a member of the committee can do so after approval from the VP of Operations. B. The VP of Operations will set up meetings with the committee on a weekly or as needed basis. The committee will be responsible for coming up with entrepreneurship event ideas, and eventually turning those ideas into an actual event. The committee will be formed when the officer is elected and will continue to work with the officer for his/her entire term. The Officer will update the rest of the executive board the progress of the committee. C. Members of this committee are authorized to apply for grants through the University SORC for hosting events and to negotiate with any event co-sponsors on behalf of SEP.

2. Members of the Executive board may create ad hoc committees as needed but these will may last no longer than a period of one semester.

3. Committees may be added to the constitution by approval of the executive board via majority vote from the officers. The President at the start of each semester will add a new committee to the constitution if passed.

19.0 MEETINGS

19.1 Quorum

Two thirds of all active members of the Chapter together with at least two Chapter executive officers on the Executive Council, shall constitute a quorum at all Chapter meetings, and is required in order to vote on any official business of the Chapter. The active body is recorded by the Director of Operations. Members not in Good Standing may not vote 19.2 Regularly Called Meetings

A regularly called meeting of the Chapter shall be held at least twice a month during the academic term. Meetings may be held more frequently when deemed advisable by the Executive Council. The exact time and location of meetings shall be determined by the Chapter’s Executive Council. The President will be the chairperson at each meeting. He/She will begin each meeting by addressing the student body on any information about the Fraternity. After the President presents his/her initial words, he/she will pass the voice to the rest of the officers so each officer can address topics concerning their individual positions. After all officers speak and all meeting topics are addressed, any member may speak his/her opinion on related topics. 19.3 Special Chapter Meetings

The President or Executive Council shall call special Chapter meetings as needed. 19.4 Absentee Voting

A member may vote in absence by proxy only in extreme circumstances. The President has complete discretion in allowing absentee voting. A member who wishes to vote absentee must notify the President not less than 2 hours before the vote. The President may call for a revote if too many abstentions are cast. This should be a rare occurrence and should be exercised with caution. 19.5 Absentation

Abstaining from a vote counts a member towards the quorum but removes them from a majority definition. 19.6 Majority

A simple majority is defined as 50% + 1 of all nonabstention votes. A supermajority is defined as 2/3 of all nonabstention votes. 19.7 Vote Tallying Procedures

All votes shall be cast by secret ballot, unless motioned otherwise, and tallied by the President, Internal Vice President and Vice President of Finance. In the absence of the tallying officers, replacement tellers will be filled according to officer delegation. In voting matters concerning an individual or individuals, the vote tallies shall not be revealed. In all other matters, the vote tallies shall not be revealed unless motioned otherwise. Any votes requiring, of the Chapter must may always include proxy votes of all absent members.

19.8 Attendance

Attendance is required at all regular Chapter meetings; attendance policy shall be defined by chapter bylaws. The President may relax the meeting attendance policy as necessary for special circumstances, including but not limited to members with permanent meeting conflicts. 20.0 FINANCES

20.1 Membership Dues

The President shall verify that all membership dues have been collected and deposited by the Vice President of Finance. The fiscal year of each Chapter is the same as the academic year. Active Member dues shall be equal to National Member Dues plus Chapter Dues. The Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity shall fully comply with the University fundraising policies and procedures for registered student organizations. The organization will not maintain an outside bank account if it receives funding from local or national organizations related to entrepreneurship or from SGB

20.2 Chapter Dues

All Dues must be paid in full by the Chapter deadline. Membership in the Chapter is automatically lapsed if all applicable dues are not paid by the Chapter deadline, unless an agreement is previously arranged with the Vice President of Finance. Members that have not paid must be excluded from chapter activities. A delinquent payment is sufficient to restore active membership. By payment of the membership fee all active members shall have the opportunity to participate in all activities of the Chapter, which includes the right to vote in all Chapter meetings, unless other circumstances warrant that such rights be suspended.

20.3 Grand Member Dues

The sum of Grand Member Dues is due to the Grand Chapter by the 5th week of the academic term. Chapters that are late in their payment will receive a warning and a penalty of $100 for each delinquent academic term up to a maximum of three warnings. A Chapter has all warnings cleared when all delinquent payments and any penalties are paid in full to the Grand Chapter. A Chapter that is late on payment and already has three warnings is subject to the revocation of its Charter. 20.4 Annual Budget The annual budget must be disclosed to the Chapter at the first meeting of each academic year. The annual budget must include an annual itemized office budget for each Chapter Office, to be discussed with the Vice President of Finance at the first meeting and approved by the chapter at either of the first two meetings. Any additional changes to the approved budget may be made by a simple majority vote of the Chapter. Should an officer need to create and purchase a new budget item between consecutive Chapter meetings, said officer shall obtain approval of the Vice President of Finance as well as two other members of the Executive Council prior to the purchase. Such an item may not overlap with any previously approved budget item. 21.0 PUBLICATIONS CODE

In compliance with the Publications Code for Student Organizations, all publications of the organization will comply with current copywriter laws, be distributed according to policies and procedures, refrain from expressions that are considered obscene or libelous according to current statute, advocate or insight the material interference or physical disruption of the educational process of the peace, order and decorum of the campus, or that advocate or insight imminent, lawless action or the violent overthrow of the government and identify the organization as publisher and specify that the group is a registered student organization at the University of Pittsburgh.

22.0 ADVISER

An adviser will be selected by mutual agreement by the officers on the executive board. If the active adviser resigns, the officers will decide on a new adviser for the organization. The vacancy adviser position will be filled immediately. The adviser will aid, when asked, the executive board officers in critical decisions necessary for each active semester. The adviser is expected to attend all meetings and the community service event, however his/her attendance is NOT mandatory. Therefore, there is no consequence for the absence of an adviser at a meeting/event.

23.0 EXTERNAL AFFILIATIONS

Sigma Eta Pi at Pitt is a chapter branched from the Grand chapter of the Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity at University of California Los Angeles. Keeping this affiliation requires that SEP Pitt keep the mission of the parent chapter intact and respect all SEP code, branding and values. However, SEP at Pitt may remain and operate independently of SEP UCLA meaning that all rules and guidelines delineated in this document take precedence.

Sigma Eta Pi at Pitt also maintains co-chapter affiliations with all other SEP chapters nationally such as but not limited to Stanford University, University of California at Berkeley and University of Southern California. Such affiliations allow visiting members of SEP to attend any Pitt SEP events and meetings but do not grant them active member status at Pitt.

24.0 BYLAWS

There are no specified bylaws. 25.0 AMENDMENTS

Any member of Sigma Eta Pi Fraternity is able to propose an amendment to the constitution. He/she must type a brief document explaining the new amendment he/she wishes to bring forth. The document must also be signed by at least 4 other non-executive board members (5 total) before consideration by the executive board. The executive board officers will take a vote on the proposed amendment. If a majority of the officers vote yes, the President will add the amendment to the constitution immediately. However, the new amendment will not be formally implemented in the organization until the start of the active semester. In the case of a tied vote by officers, the President will have 2 votes. All Constitution revisions, additions, and deletions must be reported to the SORC.