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LAMBDA DELTA FRESHMEN HONOR SOCIETY CONSTITUTION

(Striked texts indicates recent deletions and italized text indicates recent additions.)

ARTICLE I. NAME AND INSIGNIA

Section 1
The name of this Honor Society shall be Lambda Delta until such time as it affiliates with National Alpha Lambda Delta. The name of this Honor Society shall be Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society at the University of Texas Pan-American.

Section 2
The colors shall be red, gold, and white.

Section 3
The pledge insignia shall be composed of three ribbons: red on gold on white.

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE

The purpose of the Society shall be to encourage superior academic attainment among students in their first year in institutions of higher education, to promote intelligent living and a continued high standard of learning, and to assist students in recognizing and developing meaningful goals for their unique roles in society.

ARTICLE III. ORGANIZATION

The members of Lambda Delta shall be those persons who have been duly initiated.

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I. ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE SOCIETY

Section 1
Membership shall be open to students of The University of Texas-Pan American regardless of race, national origin, creed or political affiliation, sex (in accordance with Title IX), religion, age, handicap, sexual orientation, or veteran’s status.

Section 2
Membership is limited to students and/or faculty and staff of The University of Texas-Pan American. Only student members have voting privileges and can hold office in a student organization.

Section 3
Membership in the Society shall be based upon a minimum cumulative scholastic 3.50 grade point average by students during their first year of college. The student shall have no incompletes or failures. (Advanced Placement and/or Concurrent Enrollment credits earned prior to college will not be used for eligibility to Lambda Delta.).

Only earned hours will be used to determine Lambda Delta eligibility.

Section 4
The student must be registered for a course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree for an amount of work equal to a full load (12 or more credit hours) for one or more terms of the first year of study.

Section 5
Academic eligibility shall be obtained on the grades of one full curricular period, i.e., semester, trimester, quarter, or term. Thereafter, the cumulative average of the total hours earned must be considered. Eligibility is limited to the first year of enrollment. Initiation must occur no later than the school year following the student’s initial eligibility.

  1. Summer school session equivalent to a full curricular period may be used to meet the academic requirement.
  2. Any courses taken during a summer session prior to the completion of the first year shall be part of the cumulative grade point average.

Section 6
Transfer students may be eligible for membership provided that they meet the requirements as stated below.

  1. Transfer students who attained eligibility for membership in an institution in which there is a chapter of this Society may be initiated during their first year of residence upon certification by their previous institution.
  2. Freshmen transfer students from institutions that do not have an Lambda Delta chapter, to be eligible for membership must have the required Lambda Delta grade point average on the courses taken during the first full curricular period in the institutions to which they transfer. In addition, the cumulative average of the grades student’s transfer credits combined with the grades in the institution in which the student is currently enrolled must equal the Lambda Delta academic grade requirement.

Section 7
A member shall remain active for no less than one academic year.

Sophomore members, with the exception of the Junior and/or Senior Advisor(s), will hold offices.

A member is active 3 semesters following induction or until upperclassman status has been reached.

Section 8
Members may be expelled from the Society if he/she breaks University guidelines.

Section 9
Upperclass members of Lambda Delta may be members, but may not hold office, with the exception of the Junior and/or Senior Adviser.

Upperclass members are those who have completed sixty credit hours and/or completion of four semesters.

ARTICLE II. HONORARY MEMBERS

Members of the faculty, administration, or college community may be elected to honorary membership by a local chapter with the approval of the student affairs advisor. The student affairs advisor will be the Director of Student Life and Transition Services. The Faculty advisor shall be nominated and voted on by active members.

ARTICLE III. INITIATION

Candidates for initiation may be initiated after completion of twelve credit hours but not more than forty-two credit hours. They shall be initiated after their first or second term of their freshman year, and/or the first term of the sophomore year, but not before the end of their sophomore year.

ARTICLE IV. REVENUES

Section 1
The revenues of the Society shall be derived from dues, the amount per year to be determined by the majority of the Society.

Section 2
Revenues of the Society may be derived from fundraisers, as long as such fundraisers meet all requirements mandated by the University of Texas-Pan American and remain within the limits of any applicable local, state, and/or national laws.

Section 3
All revenues of the Society shall be used in activities that are in accordance with the Society's purpose as stated in Article II, and in any activity deemed necessary for the operation of the Society as decided by a simple majority vote composed of at least one more than half the active, present members at an official meeting of the Society.

Section 4
Should the Society be dissolved, all revenues left at the point of dissolution shall be donated to a charitable organization that promotes education, or to any other good-will charitable institution.

ARTICLE V. OFFICERS

Section 1
The chapter officers shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Senior or Junior Adviser, or both, and Historian. The chapter officers shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, Editor, Webmaster, and Senior or Junior Advisor, or both.

Section 2
Election of officers will be held in late September. Officers shall be nominated and elected by a simple majority, which is one more than half the membership present.

Section 3
The duties of the President shall be to call meetings to order, to insure that the constitution and by-laws are enforced, and to serve as the official liaison between the Society and its advisors. The President has the power to create ad hoc committees and appoint all committee members.

Section 4
The duties of the Vice President shall be to assume all the duties of the President should he/she not be able to fulfill his/her duties, to insure that the constitution and by-laws are enforced, to oversee ad hoc committees, and to deliver a report on the status of the organization at each general meeting.

Section 5
The duties of the Secretary shall be to maintain the minutes at all general meetings and to provide copies to all advisors and officers, to insure that all necessary forms are filled out properly and filled as needed, to provide notification of all meetings, and to submit the Society’s membership list and financial report as required by university policy.

Section 6
The duties of the Treasurer shall be to maintain the Society’s monies, to collect dues and any other revenues, to maintain a log of all monetary transactions, and to provide a financial report at each general meeting.

Section 7
The duties of the Historian shall be to maintain a historical record of all events held by the Society by keeping a yearly scrapbook and files.

Section 8
The duties of the Editor shall be to serve as the liaison between the chapter and the national editor, to contribute news of chapter activities to the local campus media, and to distribute copies of The Flame to members.

Section 9
The duties of the Webmaster shall be to maintain the chapter website, and to keep a working electronic communication medium - listserv or mailing list - of members.

ARTICLE VI. MEETINGS

Section 1
There shall be a minimum of four meetings per long semester, including initiation, and the meetings follow Robert’s Rules of Order.

Section 2
The president at his/her discretion may call special meetings to order. Members are to be notified by e-mail or phone one week in advance to the meeting.

Section 3
A quorum is constituted by one more than one half the active, present members.

ARTICLE VII. AMEMDMENTS

Section 1
Amendments to these By-Laws may be proposed by members of the Society and adopted by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the active membership of the Society.

Section 2
Amendments may be proposed at least one meeting in advance.

The Advisers must approve changes in Membership, Article I.

Section 3
Any Amendments to the statement of purpose or Amendments to the constitution must be approved by the Committee on Student Organizations of the University of Texas Pan-American.

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