RUTGERS THETA TAU BYLAWS Article I ­ Name and Purpose Section 1: Name The name of this fraternity shall be the Rutgers Theta Tau. Section 2: Purpose The purpose of this fraternity shall be to develop and maintain a high of standard of professional interest among its members and to unite them in a strong bond of fraternal fellowship. The fraternity shall both hold and promote activities that revolve around its three pillars: professionalism, service, and brotherhood. This fraternity shall operate as a professional engineering fraternity. Section 3: NJ Laws This organization shall abide by all applicable laws of the State of New Jersey and the United States. Section 4: Rutgers Rules This organization shall abide by all applicable rules and regulations of Rutgers University and under ​ the privileges as granted by the Division of Student Affairs and by the rules and regulations of the Board of Governors. Article II ­ Membership Section 1 Membership in this fraternity shall be limited to Rutgers engineering students at least eighteen years of age who possess the qualities of brotherhood determined by its student members, and who demonstrate a professional attitude beneficial to the organization. A younger engineering student may be pledged. Section 2 Student membership in this fraternity shall be limited to students regularly enrolled and pursuing an engineering bachelor's or ​ ​ higher degree at Rutgers University. Upon graduation, a student member will be classed as an alumnus unless he/she continues in graduate school, in which case he/she may elect to remain a student member. Section 3: Open Rush Events All fraternity rush events shall be open to all Rutgers University students. Under no circumstances will any fraternity events discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, civil union status, domestic partnership status, military service, or veteran status, and any other category protected by law. Section 4: Alumnus Membership Alumnus membership in this fraternity may be conferred upon an engineering graduate student who is actively practicing his/her profession or teaching in a technical field at Rutgers University, has a sincere interest in this fraternity, and is judged by its student members to be of service to it. Section 5: Inactive Status In the event that a student member is unable to maintain his/her responsibilities to the chapter due to conflicting responsibilities, he/she may choose to become inactive for the current semester. The following are the different classes of inactivity and their requirements: 1. Absent­Inactive: Student member is not attending Rutgers University during the current semester and cannot provide active support 2. Excused­Inactive: Student members provide board with adequate reason for inactivity as decided upon by the board. The financial obligations of inactive members are explained in Article V Section 2. The attendance policy and limitations for inactive members is explained in Article IV Section 4. A brother may not go inactive for consecutive semesters. Brothers are strongly discouraged from applying for excused inactive status for multiple semesters. Section 6: Membership Voting (1) Election to student or alumnus membership is only by unanimous secret vote of all student members. The name of a candidate rejected for membership may be presented again by a student member at any meeting. Section 7: Membership Voting (2) ​ ​ A candidate for student membership must receive the required favorable vote of all student members on at least two occasions: before he/she is asked to pledge, and again within 10 days of when he/she is admitted to full membership in this fraternity. 1. Pledge Voting Deliberation shall go as follows: a. Deliberation meeting is mandatory for all brothers i. If a brother must miss a meeting for an extraneous/important circumstance (i.e. direct class/ exam conflicts (but not studying/doing homework), illness, religious holiday, being out of town with at least a one week notice, or family/medical emergencies) he/she must assign a proxy vote to another brother who is attending and notify the Scribe ii. Missing a deliberation for any unacceptable reason, as per the discretion of the Scribe and Regent, will result in a $30 fine iii. A brother may only act as a proxy for one non­attending member per deliberation meeting b. Deliberation meeting minutes must stay within the deliberation meeting i. Only the Scribe may have a note taking device out to take minutes ii. All minutes of the deliberation meeting must be erased as soon as the deliberation meeting ends c. Procedure i. If at least 85% of those who vote “yes” or “no” vote yes on a rush, then the rush is eligible to pledge ii. If more than 15% of those who vote “yes” or “no” vote no on a rush, then the rush is ineligible to pledge iii. If a brother calls for a revote on a rush and 75% of the brothers are in favor, then there will be an immediate re­deliberation and voting on the rush in question 2. Full Membership Deliberation requires 2/3 favorable vote of all student members within 10 days of when the candidate is admitted to full membership in this fraternity. Section 8: Pledge ​ ​ A candidate for student membership must be a pledge of this fraternity for at least six school weeks before being initiated into full membership. This pledge period shall be a probationary period during which a pledge must discharge such duties as prescribed by the fraternity. No pledges shall be required to do anything which shall embarrass them publicly or which might prove contrary to their obligations to God, their country, or themselves. During the pledge period, pledges are not officially affiliated with the Theta Tau fraternity and any unlawful and/or immoral actions undertaken by them have no association with the fraternity. Section 9: Member Limit The number of student members may not exceed seventy (70) at any time. Section 10 A student may not become a member of the fraternity within six school months of the beginning or six months of completion of his/her academic program. Section 11 Only students who have a current GPA at Rutgers University ­ New Brunswick are eligible to pledge. Section 12: Competitive Organizations No member of this fraternity (student or alumnus) shall become a member of any local fraternity which is competitive with this fraternity, or any national fraternity which is considered by Theta Tau to be competitive with it. Members of these competitive organizations (local or national) shall be ineligible to membership in this fraternity. These competitive organizations are Alpha Chi Sigma, Alpha Omega Epsilon, Alpha Rho Chi, Alpha Sigma Kappa, Kappa Eta Kappa, Phi Sigma Rho, Sigma Beta Epsilon, Scarab, Sigma Phi Delta, Sigma Rho, and Triangle. Article III – Government Section 1: Officers The officers of this fraternity shall be as follows: Regent, Vice­Regent, Scribe, Treasurer, Corresponding Secretary, New Member Administrator, and New Member Educator. Each officer shall be elected by majority secret vote of all the student members. Students currently attending their final semester at Rutgers University are not eligible to run for any board positions. Section 2: Chairs The chairs of this fraternity shall be as follows: Historian, EGC Representative, Rush Chair, Professional Development Chair, Community Service Chair, Brotherhood Chair, Scholarship Chair, External Relations Chair, Alumni Chair, Outreach Chair, Fundraising Chair, and Webmaster. Each chair shall be elected by majority secret vote of all the student members. Section 3: Elections Election of officers shall be held at the last meeting in the months of November and April. Student members are allowed to run for and hold a maximum of two chair positions or an officer position and a chair position per term. No member can hold more than one officer position per term. Elections for Recruitment Chair shall be held two to three weeks after formal recruitment. Elections for Treasurer and Corresponding Secretary shall be held at the end of the Fall Semester. i. New members of the fraternity (brothers who have crossed less than one full semester prior to the date of a vote) shall not be eligible to vote for the offices of Regent, Vice Regent, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, New Member Educator, or New Member Administrator. Section 4: Regent The Regent shall preside at all meetings, initiate all new members, appoint all committees and non­ elective officers, and fulfill such other obligations as may be imposed upon him/her by the fraternity. Student members are only eligible to run for regency if they have been an active member of the fraternity for at least 2 semesters. A member may only be regent for two semesters. Section 5: Vice­Regent The Vice­Regent shall implement and enforce parliamentary procedures outlined in the rules provided by the National governing body of Theta Tau, derived substantially from “Robert’s Rules of Order” and assume the role of Chair of the general meetings held by the Regent when the Regent is unable to officiate. The Regent and/or Vice­Regent shall be allowed to suspend parliamentary procedures in situations that require such an action and must have 75% of the present, active members of the fraternity in accord with this decision. Student members are only eligible to run for vice­regency if they have been an active member of the fraternity for at least 1 semester. Section 6: Scribe The Scribe shall keep the fraternity records, keep minutes of the meetings, and perform such other duties as prescribed by the Regent or by the fraternity. Section 7: Treasurer The Treasurer shall keep the fraternity funds and financial records, collect fees and dues, make a monthly written report to the fraternity listing any delinquent members, and make disbursements from the fraternity treasury.