BYLAWS OF THE KAPPA PI DELTA CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE ASSOCIATION LAMBDA ALPHA EPSILON We, the Kappa Pi Delta chapter of The American Criminal Justice Association Lambda Alpha Epsilon accept the Grand Chapter s Bylaws with certain additions and changes, hereafter listed, as applicable to our subordinate chapter. ARTICLE I NAME A. This association shall be known as the Kappa Pi Delta chapter of The American Criminal Justice Association Lambda Alpha Epsilon. ARTICLE II OBJECTIVES A. The objectives of the Kappa Pi Delta chapter are as follows: 1. Advance student scholarship in the criminal justice and allied professions; 2. Promote the highest ethical conduct in the criminal justice and allied professions; 3. Foster personal growth, leadership and collaboration skills; 4. Promote social justice, cultural competencies, and member understanding of individual and collective societal responsibilities; 5. Foster professionalism in all aspects in the criminal justice and allied professions; 6. Encourage the higher education and professional training in the field of criminal justice. ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS A. Qualifications for Membership 1. Membership in the Kappa Pi Delta chapter shall be composed of persons enrolled in a program of study in the field of criminal justice or allied profession at the University of South Carolina at Lancaster and are in good standing, persons who are currently, or were at the time of their application for membership, employed in an area concerned with the administration of criminal justice, or persons honorably retired from an area concerned with the administration of criminal justice. Page 1
2. No applicant shall be denied membership in the Kappa Pi Delta chapter of The American Criminal Justice Association Lambda Alpha Epsilon on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or preference, age, religion, political ideologies or disability. B. Removal or termination of Office or Membership 1. An Officer can miss no more than two (2) meetings during the regular school semester without good cause. 2. To remain in good standing, a member can miss no more than three (3) meetings during the regular school semester without good cause. 3. Any member who believes there is a lack of leadership by any officer or chapter member must make said complaint in writing addressed to the Advisor of Kappa Pi Delta. a. Upon receipt of the written complaint, the Advisor will notify the officers and set the date for a special meeting to be held regarding the complaint. b. The meeting will take place within two (2) weeks of receipt of the written complaint to allow for sufficient notice to be provided to all members. c. The complaint will be discussed by the voting membership and if found to be valid, a vote will be cast for said member to be removed from that position or chapter. Vote must be carried by two-thirds (2/3) of the voting membership. C. Code of Conduct All members of Kappa Pi Delta shall maintain the highest of ethical standards. 1. Members shall abide by the ethical standards stipulated in the Code of Conduct of the University Student Handbook. All members shall refrain from engaging in any form of improper, unethical, or dishonest behavior(s). a. Such behaviors include, but are not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, violence, unruly or disruptive behavior(s), drug and/or alcohol violations, and/or sexual harassment. 2. After written notification of a member s breach of the Code of Ethics, the member will face a disciplinary hearing with the Academic Dean, Faculty Advisor, and Director of Student Services. a. If the determination is made that the member violated the Code of Ethics, he or she will be expelled from Iota Sigma Rho. D. Application for Membership 1. Applications shall be completed, signed, and presented to the Officers of the Kappa Pi Delta chapter at the start of each Fall and Spring semester. 2. Upon application and endorsement of the chapter members and President and Secretary of Kappa Pi Delta complete applications and the required feeds shall be forwarded to the Executive Secretary of the Grand Chapter for processing. Page 2
a. The thirty-six dollar ($36) initiation fee that accompanies the application for membership covers the first year s annual dues. Each new member will receive a membership certificate, card, ACJA/LAE pin, and decal from the Grand Chapter. Each new member will also be added to the National roster. b. The Thirty-six ($36) initiation fee that accompanies the application for membership shall be paid by the person applying for membership. c. Annual chapter dues in the amount of ten dollars ($10) will be payable to the Secretary/Treasurer. d. All members are required to keep their chapter and national dues paid in order to maintain membership. E. Honorary Members 1. Honorary members may be elected into the Kappa Pi Delta chapter in recognition of outstanding contributions to, or the performance in the field of criminal justice administration. 2. The right to issue Honorary Membership rests with the voting membership of the Kappa Pi Delta chapter. 3. Honorary Members shall be excluded from paying the ten dollar ($10.) chapter dues. 4. Honorary Members will not be considered members of the Grand Chapter unless a completed application, along with the initiation fee, is submitted to the Grand Chapter. F. Meetings 1. General meetings of the Kappa Pi Delta chapter shall be held bi-monthly on dates and times determined by the Board, Faculty Advisor, and a quorum of voting members. 2. The presence of 30% of voting members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business in any general (or specially called) meeting. ARTICLE IV OFFICERS OF THE KAPPA PI DELTA CHAPTER A. Qualifications and Eligibility 1. The positions of Officers of the Kappa Pi Delta chapter shall be that of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer (or Secretary/Treasurer), and Sergeant-at-Arms. At minimum, the chapter will maintain the positions of President and Secretary. 2. To be eligible to hold office in the Kappa Pi Delta chapter, members must a. Have, at minimum, successfully completed Introduction to American Criminal Justice (CRJU 101); Page 3
b. Be a part- or full-time student pursuing an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice or have named criminal justice as a concentration for the Bachelor of Liberal Studies Degree; c. Have a 2.75 or higher GPA. B. Duties of the Officers 1. The Officers of the Kappa Pi Delta chapter shall follow the duties of Officers in the Association s Chapter Guide and Robert s Rules of Order and will carry them out to the best of their ability as an elected Officer. C. Election of Officers 1. Elections of the Kappa Pi Delta chapter Officers shall take place by mid-march each year. To provide newly elected Officers the opportunity to become knowledgeable about and prepared for their elected positions, the newly elected Officers will work alongside the present Officers until the break between the Summer and Fall school semesters. Newly elected Officers will assume their elected positions at the beginning of the Fall school semester. a. Term of elected office shall be one academic year; academic year is defined as Fall Spring Summer of any given year. 2. A majority vote of all votes cast must be secured by one nominee to secure election to office. In the case of a tie or divided vote, the names of the members receiving the two highest numbers shall be voted on again until one has secured a majority vote. 3. The highest Officer position vacant must be filled before passing to the next office. ARTICLE V COMPOSITION OF THE KAPPA PI DELTA CHAPTER A. Committees and Chairpersons 1. Committees shall be established to effectively carry out the business of the Kappa Pi Delta chapter. 2. Membership on a committee shall be required and the Chairperson of each committee shall be elected within each respective committee or, if no decision can be reached by the committee, shall be appointed by the President of the Kappa Pi Delta chapter. 3. The Chairperson of each committee shall be required to report all committee activity and discussion to the Vice-President of the Kappa Pi Delta chapter on a weekly basis. B. Committees of the Kappa Pi Delta chapter 1. Membership Committee Page 4
a. Duties of the Membership Committee shall include the active recruitment of new members into the Kappa Pi Delta chapter. b. The Membership Committee shall coordinate regularly scheduled meetings to promote better understanding of the American Criminal Justice Association Lambda Alpha Epsilon to prospective member(s). c. The Membership Committee shall be responsible for assisting prospective members with any membership-related activities. d. The Membership Committee shall make recommendations for the installation of new members into the Kappa Pi Delta chapter. 2. Activities and Fundraising Committee a. Duties of the Activities and Funding Committee shall include the active solicitation of funding to promote chapter events, as well as the active creation of said chapter events. i. Events are described as, but not limited to, guest speakers, field trips, facility tours, fundraising events, awareness activities, group/team building exercise, entertainment activities, and chapter banquets and ceremonies. b. The Activities and Fundraising Committee shall make recommendations to the Executive Board of the Kappa Pi Delta chapter prior to hosting any activity or event. c. Upon approval of any activity or event, the Activities and Fundraising Committee shall provide documentation to the Publications and Promotions Committee for the creation of publicized media. 3. Publications and Promotions Committee a. Duties of the Publications and Promotions Committee shall be to share information regarding Association activities and events through various forms of publicized media. b. The Publications and Promotions Committee shall be responsible for the creation and maintenance of a chapter newsletter, to be utilized as an informational tool for the members of the Kappa Pi Delta chapter, in addition to others, as a means of showcasing chapter accomplishments. c. In conjunction with the Activities and Fundraising Committee, the Publications and Promotions Committee shall create publicized media, including such media as flyers and presentations, to announce all approved chapter activities and events. 4. The President of the Kappa Pi Delta chapter may appoint all committees as prescribed in the Bylaws and may appoint such other committees as she or he may deem necessary for the orderly operation of the chapter. 5. The composition of all committees shall contain not less than one member. Page 5
ARTICLE VI PARLIMENTARY AUTHORITY A. Rules contained in the current edition of Robert s Rules of Order shall govern the Kappa Pi Delta chapter in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with Grand Chapter Bylaws and any special rules of order that the chapter may adopt. B. Members of Kappa Pi Delta chapter shall adhere to, without exception, the following chain of command: Committee Chairperson (when applicable), Executive Board of Kappa Pi Delta chapter, Chapter Advisor, Region V President, National President. Persons outside of the Association, including all school faculty or staff, are excluded from this chain of command. Failure to respect the chain of command as outlined may result in penalty, up to and including, expulsion from the chapter. ARTICLE VII AMENDMENTS A. These Bylaws may be amended only after being properly presented for reconsideration at a weekly meeting to be voted on at the following meeting. B. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of the voting membership present at the meeting shall be necessary to amend any section of these Bylaws. Voting may be conducted by proxy, provided that the proxy is in writing, accompanied by the member s signature, and delivered to the chapter Secretary prior to the meeting in which the vote will be conducted. C. Voting shall be by roll call. The Sergeant-at-Arms will call the roll. The member shall declare their vote aye (yes) or nay (no). The Secretary shall record the vote(s) and then repeat them to be sure of their accurate recordation. Page 6