Beta Epsilon Chapter Constitution

Article I - Name and Objective

Section 1: The name of this organization shall be "The Beta Epsilon Chapter of Omega Chi Epsilon, National Chemical Engineering Honor Society."
Section 2: The objective of this chapter shall be to recognize and promote high scholarship, original investigation and professional service in Chemical Engineering.
Section 3: This Society is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).
Section 4: No part of the net earnings of the Society shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, officers or other private persons, except that the Society shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purpose set forth in the above Section 3 of Article I hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the Society shall be carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Society shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements), any political campaign on the behalf of any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the Society shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt from Federal income tax under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law) or (b) by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170 (c) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).

Article II - Officers

Section 1

The officers of this Chapter shall be the President, two Vice Presidents, Treasurer, Secretary, and Faculty Advisor.

Section 2

All active members of the Chapter shall be eligible to hold any office, except that no member may simultaneously hold more than one of the offices named in Section 1. The Faculty Advisor must hold the rank of Assistant Professor or above.

Section 3

No member may hold the same office for more than one academic year. A member succeeding to an unexpired term in any office is eligible for election to a complete term in that office.

Section 4

The duties of the officers shall be as follows:

The President shall preside at all meetings, act as an official representative of the Chapter at any function requiring such a representative, and shall see that the other officers of the chapter perform their duties in accordance with the By-laws. The President shall issue written orders for all disbursements. The President is the Chapter's member on the Council.
The Vice President shall assume and fulfill the duties of the President in the absence of or in case of resignation of the President. In case the Vice President shall succeed to the Presidency of the Chapter, a successor shall be elected to fill the unexpired term as soon as it is practicable. Each Vice President will serve every other quarter for an academic year due to the nature of the university's cooperative education program.
The Secretary shall issue all notices, and shall be responsible for all records of the Chapter, including an official copy of the Chapter's By-Laws. The Secretary shall furnish all members with an unofficial copy of these By-Laws, shall keep the roll of active members which shall be called at each meeting, shall keep the minutes of the Chapter meetings, and shall handle routine correspondence of the Chapter with other Chapters and the National Officers. The Secretary shall promptly report election of officers and of new members to the Executive Secretary. Upon leaving office, the Secretary should leave a written report of Chapter activities and recommendations for improving the Chapter operation for the incoming Secretary.
The Treasurer shall collect and care for all money, properties and financial records of the Chapter and shall make payment only upon written order of the President.
The Faculty Advisor is an ex officio member of the Council. The Advisor shall serve as a liaison between the Chapter and the school and shall guide the Chapter in their actions and activities.

Section 5

The Officers' Council shall consist of the President, two Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer and Faculty Advisor

The President shall be Chair of the Officers' Council.
The Officers' Council shall conduct whatever business it deems necessary to facilitate the Chapter's regular business meetings.
The President shall have the authority to call meetings of the Officers' Council.
A majority shall constitute a quorum for a meeting of the Officers' Council.
The Officers' Council shall keep a record of its meetings and the business conducted. This record becomes part of the minutes of the Chapter.

Article III - Election of Officers

Section 1: Officers shall be elected in the Spring and shall serve for one year.
Section 2: The new officers shall take office at the adjournment of the election meeting.
Section 3: Nominations for office shall be made by the active members at a regularly called meeting of the Chapter. Each nomination must be accompanied by the pledge of the nominee to serve in the office should he/she be elected. Elections will be held in April of each academic year.
Section 4: Three-fourths of the active members shall constitute a quorum for election of officers. A majority of those present shall be required for election. If no nominee receives a majority on the first ballot, a second ballot shall be held between the two leading candidates.
Section 5: The Faculty Advisor shall be elected in odd years for a term of two years and may be re-elected. Elections shall be held at the same time as that of other officers in these odd years.
Section 6: A special election shall be held to fulfill any vacant offices occurring before the next regular election, except that a vacancy in the office of President shall be filled by the Vice President until the next election.

Article IV - Membership

Section 1

Membership shall be restricted to those students who have attained a high scholastic record in their studies and who have those traits of personality and leadership that make them likely to succeed in their chosen profession.

Section 2

The membership of the Chapter shall consist of active and inactive members.

Active members shall be those members of the Chapter (1) who are registered students of the University of Cincinnati and who are working toward a degree in Chemical Engineering at the undergraduate or graduate level; or (2) who have received a degree in Chemical Engineering and who are working toward another degree in some other field and who have expressed the desire to remain active members; or (3) who are no longer students of the University of Cincinnati but are attached to the University in some professional capacity and who have expressed the desire to remain active members.
Members of the Chapter who are students of the University of Cincinnati, but have not expressed the desire to remain active members, are inactive members.

Section 3

A member of another Chapter who transfers to the University of Cincinnati from another institution and who so desires shall be received into full fellowship of the Chapter upon presentation of his/her credentials to the President of this Chapter.

Article V - Election of Members

Section 1

There shall be at least one but no more than two election meetings per year.

Section 2

The eligibility of persons for election to the Chapter shall be determined as follows:

The President shall appoint an Eligibility Committee to examine the scholastic records of members of the pre-junior, junior, senior, and graduate classes in Chemical Engineering to determine those scholastically eligible for election. Should the problem of student access to records arise, the Faculty Advisor shall supply a list of members of the pre-junior, junior, senior, and undergraduate classes who are scholastically eligible for election. No one shall be elected to membership in the Chapter who has not completed at least 84 quarter hours toward a degree in Chemical Engineering, including 4 hours of Chemical Engineering courses. Those who have completed no more than 96 hours shall be classified as pre-juniors. Those with more than 96 hours but less than 108 hours shall be classified as juniors. Those with more than 108 hours who have not yet received a Bachelor's degree shall be classified as seniors. The students must have class college standing. (College must say they are a junior, senior, etc.).
Pre-juniors: Those pre-juniors having an overall grade point average greater than or equal to 3.8/4.0 shall be eligible for election.
Juniors: Those juniors having an overall grade point average greater than or equal to 3.7/4.0 shall be eligible for election.
Seniors: Those seniors having an overall grade point average greater than or equal to 3.4/4.0 shall be eligible for election.
Graduates: Graduate students shall be eligible for election upon completion of 2/3 of the coursework required, including 15 hours in chemical engineering, counting toward a graduate degree in chemical engineering. Their grade point average, based on their graduate work, including completed research, must be greater than or equal to 3.7/4.0.
The scholastic average of each candidate shall be determined as follows:

The letter grades given at the University of Cincinnati shall be given the following values: A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0, D=1.0, F=0.0. The total hours in each grade shall be multiplied by the value assigned to each respective letter grade and these products totaled. This total is divided by the sum of the number of hours to obtain the average. If a course has been repeated, the average grade shall be taken.

Section 3

New members shall be elected as follows:

The eligibility list shall be distributed to the active members of the Chapter by the Chairman of the Eligibility Committee at least three days before the election meeting. The eligibility lists must not be displayed to any outsider and must be returned at the end of the election meeting to the Secretary, who shall destroy all except one copy for the files of the Chapter.
The first act at the election meetings shall be the reading by the presiding officers of Article V of the By-Laws, "Election of Members".
Each candidate must be considered individually, and must be discussed and elected or passed before the next candidate may be considered. Free discussion is permissible, but the proceedings of the election meetings shall be kept strictly secret.
Candidates must be considered from the standpoint of scholarship and personal traits. Unless acceptable on both points, the candidate shall not be elected.
Three-fourths of the active members shall constitute a quorum for election of members. A candidate must receive at least 80% of the votes of the active members present and voting to be elected to membership.
Students overlooked shall be considered at the next regular election meeting either upon the basis of the scholastic average that the candidate had at the time he/she should have been considered, or upon the basis of his/her later scholastic average, if it should be higher. If the candidate should graduate before the next election meeting, he/she shall be considered at a special election at a regular business meeting.
Failure to be elected does not bar the candidate for consideration at future election meetings.
Those elected shall be notified by letters delivered personally by members, preferably by friends of those elected.

Article VI - Initiation

Section 1

Each candidate shall be required to bring a written acceptance of the invitation to membership.

Section 2

Pledge duties shall be permissible, but they shall not consume an inordinate amount of the candidate's time to the detriment of his/her school work.
Each candidate shall be required to read the Constitution of Omega Chi Epsilon and the Chapter By-Laws and shall be required to make a statement to that effect.
No joint initiation exercises of any kind whatsoever with any other organization shall be held.
Offense to dignity or decency shall not by tolerated.

Article VII - Finances

Section 1: The expenses of the Chapter shall be met by the initiation fee, and by such dues and pro rata assessments as my be voted by the Chapter. A three-fourths vote of the total active membership shall be required to change any fees or dues or levy any assessments.

Article VIII - Amendments

Section 1: A proposed amendment must be read at one meeting and voted on at the following meeting.
Section 2: A favorable vote of tow-thirds of a quorum (a quorum consists of three officers and two-thirds of the voting members) is necessary for an amendment.

By-Laws

Section 1: The President is the Executive officer, presides over all meetings of organization and Officers' Council as well as ex-officio member of all standing committees.; The Vice-President presides in the President's absence for all meetings and is assigned duties by the President.; The Treasurer collects, receives, and deposits all funds paid to the organization.; The Treasurer makes quarterly financial reports at meetings.
Section 2: Elections are to be held in the Spring of each academic year.; Officers are elected by majority vote of voting members and take office following their election
Section 3: The Officers' Council is comprised of the President, two Vice-Presidents, Treasurer, Secretary, and Faculty Advisor.; The Officers' Council meets regularly and at the President's call.
Section 4: The Faculty Advisor must ensure consistency of activities with stated purpose.; The Faculty Advisor grants approval for off-campus speakers and attends these meetings and files certificates of academic standing of Officers' Council members.; The Faculty Advisor co-signs checks and is aware of the regulations dealing with funds.
Section 5: Special committees are established by the Officers' Council with appointment and removal of the chair and committee members.
Section 6: Three officers and three-fourths of the voting members of Omega Chi Epsilon constitute a quorum for election of any officer.; Three officers and two-thirds of the voting members of Omega Chi Epsilon constitute a quorum in impeachment proceedings.; Three officers and two-thirds of the voting members of Omega Chi Epsilon constitute a quorum in constitutional amendment proceedings.; A simple majority of the quorum is required in any voting.
Section 7: A National Initiation Fee must be paid to the Treasurer upon application.
Section 8: The Officers' Council shall appoint an interim acting officer in the case of resignation or removal of any officer.; The President calls for an election within 14 days after vacancy of any office.; Upon vacancy of the Presidency, one of the Vice-Presidents (to be determined if the need arises) shall complete the President's unexpired term.
Section 9: Amendments to the By-Laws can be proposed by any member and one week prior to voting shall be given to all voting members.; Any amendments to the By-Laws shall carry two-thirds affirmative vote of all voting members and the approval of the appropriate governing board.; Date of Adoption: 4/4/1993

Please Direct Questions/Comments/Suggestions to Mike Hutson.
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Last Revised: 01/04/2005(c) 2005.