THE TAU BETA PI ASSOCIATION
WASHINGTON ALPHA CHAPTER
CHAPTER BYLAWS
Adopted May 22, 1980
Amended October 21, 2009
1.0 GENERAL
1.1 Scope
These Bylaws shall govern the proceedings of this Chapter in all matters not expressly provided for in the Constitution and Bylaws of The Tau Beta Pi Association, Inc.
1.2 University Regulations
This Chapter shall conform to such rules and regulations of the University of Washington and of its College of Engineering as may apply to honor societies.
1.3 Conflict Between University And Association Regulations
In the event of conflict between the Constitution and Bylaws of The Tau Beta Pi Association Inc., and the rules and regulations of the University of Washington and/or its College of Engineering, the rules of the University of Washington and/or its College of Engineering shall prevail, and the Secretary-Treasurer of the Association shall be notified in writing of the circumstances of the conflict.
1.4 Abbreviations
All subsequent references to the Association shall be understood as referring to The Tau Beta Pi Association, Inc. Abbreviated references herein to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association and to the various Bylaws of this document shall be made in the form illustrated by the following examples:
1. C-VI,1 -- National Constitution Article VI,
Section 1.
WASHINGTON ALPHA CHAPTER BYLAWS PAGE 8
2. B-V,5.02 -- National Bylaw V, Section 5.02.
3. WAB-2.4 -- Washington Alpha Chapter Bylaw 2,
Section 4.
2.0 GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS
2.1 Membership
(See also C-V1,l) The Chapter shall be composed of members chosen from among eligible students and alumni on the basis of distinguished scholarship or professional attainment and exemplary character, as enunciated in C-VIII and in The Eligibility Code of the Association.
2.2 Control
(See also C-VI,5) The Chapter shall have full control over its individual affairs, subject to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association, and the rules and regulations of the University of Washington and/or the College of Engineering. This control shall be exercised by the active membership of the Chapter and its Advisory Board.
2.3 Active Member Status
An "active member" of this Chapter shall be as defined in C-VI,l, and only active undergraduate and graduate-student members, as defined therein, shall have the privilege of participating in chapter activities, holding office, or voting on new members and on the amounts of the initiation fee, dues, fines, and assessments. A student may become inactive only under the provisions of B-VI, 6.05.
2.4 Chapter Officers
(See also C-VI,6) The officers of this Chapter shall be a President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, and Cataloger, all who shall be active members of the Chapter; and four alumnus advisors, preferably elected from among the faculty of the College of Engineering.
2.5 The Advisory Board
(See also C-VI,7) The Advisory Board of the Chapter shall be composed of the President, Vice President, Corresponding Secretary, and the four alumnus advisors. The Chair of the Advisory Board shall be elected by its members at the first Board meeting of the year. Other Chapter officers and Committee Chairs should attend Advisory Board meetings. Such members are free to participate in all activities of the Advisory Board, with the exception of voting.
2.6 Terms Of Office
Alumnus members of the Advisory Board shall serve four year terms, as specified in C-V, 7. All other officers shall serve for one year or until their successors are duly elected and installed.
2.7 Duties Of Officers
(See also B-V, 5.03) The duties of the officers shall be those usually performed by persons holding such offices, those prescribed by the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association, and those prescribed in these Bylaws or by Chapter or Advisory Board action.
2.8 Convention Delegate
(See also B-V, 5.05) The President shall be this Chapter's delegate to the Convention of the Association. The other officers shall be alternate delegates, in the order given in WAB-2.4.
2.9 Additional Duties
The following extra duties shall be required of the officers:
1. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.
2. The President shall see that each officer and committee chair is provided with a written list of specific duties for which each is responsible. A copy of each list shall be placed in the Recording Secretary's notebook and in the President's Book. These lists shall be kept up to date, with deletions, additions, and modifications made as needed by actions taken by the Advisory Board or Chapter.
3. (See also B-V,5.06) The President shall cooperate with the Director of Tau Beta Pi District 14 and shall encourage the Chapter members to participate in the District's activities.
4. The Vice President shall be chair of the Program Committee.
5. The President and Vice President shall pay a courtesy call on the Dean of Engineering early in the fall Quarter to discuss ways in which the Chapter may be of service to the College of Engineering. The substance of such discussions shall be reported to the Chapter at the next meeting.
6. The Corresponding Secretary shall be chair of the Publicity Committee. He or she shall also serve as Secretary of the Advisory Board.
7. The Recording Secretary shall see that each candidate for membership receives copies of the Constitution and Bylaws and Eligibility Code of The Tau Beta Pi Association, Information About Tau Beta Pi, these Bylaws, and such other materials as the
Chapter may deem desirable.
8. The Cataloger shall be chair of the Membership Committee.
3.0 MEETINGS
3.1 Required Meetings
(See also C-VI,9) The following regular meetings shall be scheduled and held once each year: Organization, Election of Officers, and Installation of Officers. The following regular meetings shall be scheduled and held once in the Fall and once in the Winter Quarters: Discussion of Election Procedures, Election of Candidates, and Initiation of Electees.
3.2 Advisory Board Meetings
Advisory Board meetings shall be held at least once a month, on a schedule determined at the first Advisory Board meeting of Fall Quarter. This first meeting shall be held during the first week of the quarter.
3.3 The Initiation Banquet
An initiation banquet shall be held following each Initiation of electees.
3.4 Special Meetings
Special meetings may be called at any time by the President, any alumnus member of the Advisory Board, or upon written request to the President signed by five active members of the Chapter.
3.5 "Robert's Rules"
"Robert's Rules of Order" shall be the parliamentary guide of the Chapter in all matters not covered in the Constitution and bylaws of the Association or in these Bylaws.
3.6 The First Meeting Of The Quarter
The first meeting of each quarter shall be held within two weeks of the start of the quarter.
3.7 Calendar
The officers shall present a complete calendar of the regular meetings of the Chapter for the quarter to the active members for their approval no later than the second meeting of the quarter.
3.8 Notification Of Meetings
The Publicity Committee shall insure that all active members and Advisory Board members are notified of upcoming meetings well in advance.
3.9 Order Of Business
The order of business for regularly scheduled meetings shall be as follows:
1. Minutes of previous meeting
2. Committee reports
3. Old Business
4. New Business
5. Adjournment
3.10 Quorum
A quorum for conducting a meeting shall be as outlined in
B-V, 5.07.
4.0 COMMITTEES
4.1 Standing Committees
(See also B-V3.02) Standing committees shall be:
1. Program Committee, which shall be responsible for the organizing and management of the 2 Initiation Banquets, the Tutoring Service, plus any additional long-term Chapter Projects determined by the Chapter.
2. Publicity Committee, which shall be responsible for the posting of notices concerning Chapter meetings and events. These notices shall be placed on bulletin boards in campus buildings housing the various schools of Engineering, and in the campus newspaper, at least one week in advance. This committee shall also investigate and suggest means of improving communication with Chapter members and the image of this Chapter on campus.
3. Membership Committee, which shall be responsible for conducting the grade search and maintaining all membership records.
4. Projects and Activities Committee, which shall be responsible for the creating of ideas for, and organizing of, Chapter projects and social activities.
4.2 Ad Hoc Committees
The president shall have the power to create committees in addition to the standing committees and appoint their chair.
4.3 Committee Duty Lists
As early as possible after committee appointments are made the President shall provide each committee chair with a list of his or her specific duties and responsibilities. Copies of these lists shall be kept in the President's Book, and shall be kept up to date, with deletions, additions, or modifications made as necessary by the Advisory Board or the Chapter.
4.4 Committee Reports
Each committee chair shall make a report on the progress of
his or her group's activities at each chapter meeting, with
additional interim reports made to the president and/or the
Advisory Board when requested.
5.0 ELECTION OF NEW MEMBERS.
5.1 National Constitution And Bylaws Requirements
All provisions of C-VIII and B-VI shall be strictly followed.
5.2 Schedule
(See also C-VIII,l(d) ) Election of new members shall be held in Fall and Winter Quarters as soon as possible after the grades for the previous term become available.
5.3 Eligible Curricula
Scholastically eligible day students in the following undergraduate curricula shall be considered for membership in the Chapter: Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.
Scholastically eligible day students in the following graduate curricula shall be considered for membership in the Chapter: Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.
5.4 The Grade Search
The grade search shall be conducted by the Membership Committee, in the trial and error method mandated by the privacy restrictions placed on student records by the Registrars Office of the University of Washington. A detailed description of this method shall be included in the president's book, and made available to the Membership Committee. This description shall be kept up to date, with deletions, additions, or modifications made as necessary by the Membership Committee.
5.5 Payment For Grade Search
After the grade search is completed the Treasurer shall pay the Registrars Office for the necessary computer costs.
5.6 Night And Part-Time Students
Night and part-time students, pursuing equivalent curricula to those named in section 3, may be considered for membership in the Chapter, subject to the provisions of C-VIII,2(a). However, such students shall be considered separately from day students, and no such student shall be considered more than twice as a junior or more than twice as a senior.
5.7 Richland Campus
Graduate Students attending the University of Washington's extension campus in Richland Washington, pursuing equivalent curricula to those named in section 3, may likewise be considered for membership in the Chapter. It must be recognized that these students present special problems due to their distance from the Chapter, particularly in regards to participation in Chapter projects and the initiation ceremony.
5.8 Transfer Students
Transfer students shall be eligible for consideration at the third regular election after their registration. Such students may be eligible at the second regular election after their registration, provided the consent of five-sevenths of the Advisory Board is obtained.
5.9 Special Cases
The cases of students whose scholastic eligibility is in doubt because of irregularities in standing or curriculum shall be determined by the Advisory Board of the Chapter.
5.10 Senior/Junior Class Distinction
A senior shall be a student who has a minimum of 135 academic credits and has not graduated, or who is pursuing a second undergraduate degree (a "Fifth Year" student). A junior is a student who has 90 to 134 credits inclusive.
5.11 Graduate Students
(See also C-VIII,3) All Engineering Graduate Students in the top fifth of their class shall be eligible for membership, provided they have earned a minimum of 15 academic credits in their graduate studies.
5.12 Minimum Grade Point Standards
Under no circumstances will a junior with a grade point under 3.4, or a senior, 5th year, or graduate student with a grade point under 3.2, be allowed membership in the Chapter.
5.13 Alumni And Eminent Engineers
The membership committee shall periodically consult with the chairs of the various engineering departments to determine the names of alumni, faculty members, and others who may be eligible for membership under the provisions of C-VIII , 4-6.
5.14 Exemplary Character Evaluation
Exemplary Character Evaluation shall be made as follows:
1. Letters shall be sent to scholastically eligible candidates inviting them to an introductory meeting. These letters shall include introductory materials on Tau Beta Pi and the local chapter, plus a letter from the President.
2. At the introductory meeting, a presentation shall be made explaining the nature and purposes of the Tau Beta Pi Association. Those interested in joining will then be given copies of the Constitution and Bylaws and Eligibility Code of The Tau Beta Pi Association, Information About Tau Beta Pi, these Bylaws, and any other materials as deemed desirable. They will then be asked to sign up for participation in one of the Chapter's projects.
3. A member of the membership committee shall serve as candidate participation coordinator for each of the projects available for candidate participation.
4. Each of the candidates shall be required to participate actively in a project to receive further Chapter consideration.
5. B-VII, 7.01-7.02, which discuss Electee Activities and Duties, shall also apply to these Candidate Projects. Projects which seek to foster a spirit of liberal culture, or which serve in a beneficial manner the Engineering, University, or General Community shall be encouraged, while projects that involve physical violence, offense to dignity or decency, and/or public exercises that make the candidate ridiculous in any way are strictly prohibited.
6. At the election meeting the membership committee shall make recommendations based on the candidates' participation in their assigned projects.