Constitution of Pi Sigma Alpha
Revised 1996

ARTICLE I

Membership

SECTION 1. Classes. There shall be three classes of membership in the society as follows: student, faculty, and honorary.

SECTION 2. Student Membership. Student members shall be initiated by a local chapter from among such juniors, seniors, or graduate students of the institution in which the chapter is located as may meet the following qualifications:

1. completion of fifteen quarter hours or ten semester hours of work in political science including at least one course not open to students in the first two years of collegiate work;
2. maintenance of an average grade of "B" or higher in all courses in political science, and maintenance of general scholarship to place such students within the upper third of their class; and
3. fulfillment of such additional requirements as may have been prescribed by the local chapter.

The Chapter Secretary-treasurer and the chapter advisor shall certify the eligibility of student initiates. No election of initiates shall be necessary.

SECTION 3. Faculty Membership. Any member of the faculty of the administrative department, school, or division which offers a major sequence of courses in political science at any institution at which a local chapter is located may be initiated into faculty membership by such local chapter. Faculty members shall possess all the privileges of membership.

SECTION 4. Honorary Membership. Any person of recognized ability and achievement in the field of political science may be elected an honorary member by any local chapter or by a meeting of the members. No more than two such members may be elected by any local chapter in any one year. Honorary members shall possess all the privileges of active membership except that of being an officer or Council member of the society.

SECTION 5. Election of Faculty and Honorary Members. Election to faculty or honorary membership shall be by vote of not less than two-thirds of those voting, a quorum being present.

SECTION 6. Subsequent Membership. All persons duly initiated to membership (other than honorary) in any institution who are subsequently enrolled as students or are serving as faculty members in a different institution at which a chapter is located shall be deemed members of that chapter.

SECTION 7. Fees and Dues. Each member shall pay such initiation fees and annual dues as may be prescribed by the local chapter.

SECTION 8. Pins and Keys. The Council may adopt the design of pins, keys, and other symbols of membership which shall be available for purchase through the Director on such terms and under such conditions as the Council may determine.

SECTION 1. Composition, Tenure, and Vacancy. The affairs of the society shall be governed by a Council which shall consist of the President; the President Elect; the Director; the Newsletter Editor; the three most recent past presidents; and twelve members elected by the membership, six to be elected each biennium for four-year terms. Officers and Council members shall serve until their successors take office after their election or appointment. The President shall fill by appointment any vacancy in the Council caused by death, resignation, or other inability to serve or by lack of a sufficient number of past presidents. Only members of the society may be members of the Council.

SECTION 2. Powers. The Council shall manage the affairs of the society and shall act in the capacity of a board of directors. The Council shall adopt such resolutions as may be appropriate for the governance and furtherance of the purposes of the society. The Council shall have the power: to contract for all necessary materials and services in connection with the management of the society, including the employment of auditors; to delegate powers and duties to officers and employees of the society; to provide for the business and conduct of annual and special meetings; and to issue and distribute the society's Newsletter and other publications.

SECTION 3. Executive Committee. There shall be an Executive Committee of the Council consisting of the President, President Elect, Director Newsletter Editor, most recent past president, and two members of the Council appointed by the President with the approval of the Council. The Executive Committee shall have the power to exercise all the functions of the Council between annual meetings and when the Council is not in session. All actions taken by the Executive Committee shall be reported promptly to the Council.

SECTION 1. Officers. The officers of the society shall be a President, a President Elect who will automatically succeed to the office of President upon completion of the President's term, and a Director. Only members of the society may be officers.

SECTION 2. President and President Elect. The first President and President Elect of the society shall be selected by the initial Council. Future Presidents Elect shall be elected by the membership at the regular biennial convention of the society, as outlined in Article IV of this Constitution, for a period of two years.

SECTION 3. Director. The Director shall be appointed by the Council and shall serve at the Council's pleasure. The Director shall be generally responsible for the execution of the society's business, subject to policies established by the Council. The duties of the Director shall include those of Secretary- Treasurer.

SECTION 4. Committees. The Council may establish committees and boards for various purposes. Chairs and members of the boards and committees shall be appointed by the President.

SECTION 5. Vacancy. In case of death, resignation, or inability of the President to perform the duties of such office, the President Elect shall immediately succeed to the office of President and shall be President for the remainder of their term unless that is less than six months, in which case such person shall serve out the unexpired term and two additional years. In case of an interim vacancy in the office of President Elect, the incumbent President shall appoint a Nominating Committee which shall forthwith proceed to nominate and the Council shall elect a new President Elect to serve until the end of the next biennial meeting. The next biennial meeting of the members may confirm the Council's action by electing the President Elect to the office of President, or may take such other action as in its discretion the situation may require, to the end that there shall be in office at all times both a President and a President Elect.

SECTION 1. Nominating Committee. The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee not less than sixty days prior to each biennial meeting. The Nominating Committee shall consist of the three most recent past presidents able and willing to serve thereon and not more than two additional members designated by the President. If there are not three past presidents available, the President may appoint a sufficient number of other members to complete the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall present nominations for officers and Council members at the biennial meeting of members.

SECTION 2. Nominations by members. Additional nominations may be made from the floor by any member at the time the Nominating Committee makes its report.

SECTION 3. Voting. All nominations shall be voted on by separate vote for each office. Each chapter of the society shall be entitled to one vote. The nominee receiving the highest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected and shall thereupon take office.

SECTION 4. Mail Ballots. The Council may provide for election by mail ballot to each chapter in any year in which it is impossible to hold a biennial meeting. Space shall be provided on the ballot for writing in the names of additional candidates The nominee receiving the highest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected and shall thereupon take office.

SECTION 1. Qualifications. A local chapter may be established at any college or university granting the baccalaureate or higher degrees, which is accredited by a regional or national accrediting association whose accreditation is acceptable to the Council, and which offers a major sequence of courses in political science through an appropriate administrative department, school, or division of the institution, and which conforms to requirements established by the Council. Establishment of chapters outside the United States shall be in accordance with the provisions of this Article, except that the Council may make such modifications as are appropriate in applying the accrediting association clause of this Section.

SECTION 2. Petitions. All petitions for the establishment of a new local chapter shall be sent to the Director whose duty it shall be to determine eligibility for membership. If the petition is approved by the Director, after consultation with the Executive Committee, a charter will be issued to the petitioning school.

SECTION 3. Officers. Each local chapter shall have at least the following officers: a president, a vice-president, and a secretary-treasurer, and their names shall be reported to the Director.

SECTION 4. Advisor. Each chapter shall choose one member of the faculty of the administrative department, school, or division offering a major sequence of courses in political science at the institution at which the chapter is located to act as Chapter Advisor. The Director shall be informed of the name of such Advisor.

SECTION 5. By-Laws. Each chapter may make such by-laws, not inconsistent with this Constitution, as it may deem advisable.

SECTION 6. Reports. The secretary-treasurer of each local chapter shall report to the Director annually on or before May 15 on the number of active members of the local chapter, the financial condition of the chapter, and other such information as may be requested by the Director.

SECTION 7. Recision of Charter. A chapter charter may be rescinded by the Council:

1. for failure to maintain standards of membership set forth in Article I;
2. for nonpayment of fees; or
3. for inactivity for a period of three or more consecutive years.

SECTION 1. Meetings of Members. A biennial meeting of chapter advisors or their delegates shall be held at a time and place designated by the Council. The President or Council may call special meetings. Whenever possible, the biennial meeting of the society shall be held every even-numbered year at the time and place fixed for the annual convention of the American Political Science Association. The Director shall notify the chapters of the time and place of the meeting of members of the society at least ninety days before the date set for the meeting.

SECTION 2. Delegates. Each chapter may send to any meeting such number of delegates as it may deem appropriate, but each chapter shall be entitled to only one vote.

SECTION 3. Meetings of the Council or Executive Committee. Meetings of the Council or Executive Committee shall be held upon written notice to be mailed not less than fifteen nor more than forty days before the date of the meeting. Meetings shall be at the call of the President, or of any five members of the Council, or of three members of the Executive Committee.

SECTION 1. Number Constituting Quorum, Majority Vote. Ten members of the Council, three members of the Executive Committee, and the representatives of thirty chapters at a regular or special meeting of the society shall respectively constitute a quorum. All action shall be my majority vote of members, Council members, or members of the Executive Committee as the case may be, present unless otherwise provided by law or in this constitution.

SECTION 1. Waiver. Any person entitled to vote at any meeting of members, or of the Council, or of the Executive Committee, may waive notice of the time, place, and purpose of such meeting either before or after the date of such meeting, and any action taken or resolution adopted thereat shall, upon such waiver, be as valid as though notice had been given.

SECTION 2. Action Without Meeting. Any action or resolution required or permitted to be taken or adopted at any meeting of the chapter advisors, Executive Committee or Council, may be taken or adopted without a meeting if a consent in writing setting forth such action or resolution is signed by a majority of a quorum of such advisors, Executive Committee or Council, unless otherwise prescribed by law.

SECTION 1. Determination. Charter, initiation, and other fees shall be set by the Council.

SECTION 1. Adoption. The Council may adopt a corporate seal as it deems appropriate.

SECTION 1. Determination. The fiscal year of the society shall be determined by the Council.

SECTION 1. Validity. All questions affecting the validity of any by-law of a local chapter shall be decided by the Council. A decision by the Council shall be final unless submitted to the membership under Section 2 hereof.

SECTION 2. Submission to Membership. In the event any chapter or member thereof is aggrieved by a decision of the Council under Section 1 of this Article, such chapter or member may, by notice to the Council within 30 days after a decision, require that the decision of the Council be reviewed by the membership at its next biennial meeting. A decision of the membership under this Section shall be final.

SECTION 1. Proposals. Amendments to this Constitution may by proposed by the Council or by petition to the Director of not less than five chapters.

SECTION 2. Ratification. Within sixty days after the submission of a proposal to amend this Constitution in accordance with Section 1 hereof, the Director shall circulate a ballot on such amendment by mail to the local chapters. An amendment to the Constitution shall not be effective unless a majority of those chapters voting within sixty days of the date of mailing of the ballot shall approve such amendment.