The newly proposed amendments for the point system can be seen here.

Revised April 2011

Preamble

We, the members of the Psi Zeta Chapter of Beta Beta Beta, National Biological Honor Society, chartered on the campus of Truman State University, and established for the purpose of promoting the dissemination of information and new interpretations among students of the life sciences, do adopt this constitution.

Article I- Name and Mascot

The name of this organization is the Psi Zeta Chapter of Beta Beta Beta National Biological Honor Society, hereafter referred to as the Chapter. The mascot of the Psi Zeta chapter is Ornithorhynchus Anatinus (common name: platypus).

 

Article II- Purpose and Policies

The Chapter shall be conducted as an honor and professional society for students of the biological sciences under the policies, principles, and provisions, set forth by the National Constitution and this Constitution of the Psi Zeta Chapter.

Article III- Membership

Section 1. Open Membership.  Membership in the Chapter shall be open to students interested in the biological sciences irrespective of race, color, creed, gender, academic major, or other fraternal affiliation.  Membership in the Chapter shall be granted only upon the approval of the applicant by the Chapter and after the applicant has fulfilled the membership requirements prescribed by the National Organization and the Chapter.
Section 2. Active Membership.  Active membership in the Chapter shall be conferred upon enrolled students of Truman State University who are in accordance with the principles of Beta Beta Beta.
Section 2a. Requirements.  A candidate for active membership in the Chapter shall hold a GPA of 3.0 or higher, have completed one semester of their second year biology courses with a grade of “B” or higher, one course of which must be Biology 200 (Cell Biology) or a higher level biology course, be an active member of a standing committee, and be in good academic standing with Truman State University.
Section 2b. Guidelines.  Candidates for active membership shall meet all requirements set forth by the initiation committee concerning attendance and involvement in the Chapter.  Candidates for active membership shall also complete a pledge book documenting initiation activities.
Section 3. Associate Membership.  Associate membership shall be open to undergraduate students who are interested in the biological sciences but ineligible for active membership.
Section 3a. Guidelines.  Candidates for associate membership shall meet all requirements set forth by the initiation committee concerning attendance and involvement in the Chapter.  Candidates for associate membership shall also complete a pledge book documenting initiation activities.
Section 3b.  Restrictions.  Associate members shall be eligible to participate in all local, district, and national activities except as follows: Associate members shall not hold executive office, vote on chapter membership herrings or national concerns, or represent the Chapter or vote at national conventions.

Article IV- Officers

Section 1. Executive Officers and Duties. The officers shall be as follows, in the order of succession: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Historian.  The officers shall be elected on a yearly basis by a simple majority vote of present Chapter members.  They shall be elected at the end of the spring semester and serve a one-year term.  All executive officers shall be active members.
Sections 1a. President. Shall preside over all meetings of the Chapter and Executive meetings; cast a vote in the event of a tie; shall check the grades of each active member once a semester.
Sections 1b. Vice President. Shall be responsible for scheduling all Chapter meetings; serve in the absence of the president; provide provisions for all Chapter meetings; shall be in charge of the T-shirts and the design should be approved by majority vote of the active and associate members; act as a parliamentarian for the Chapter and conduct revision of the Chapter Constitution every 3 years or whenever deemed fit.
Section 1c.  Secretary. Shall keep minutes of all meetings; keep attendance records and all other records excluding financial; answer all mail promptly; shall be in charge of Chapter newsletter; inform Chapter of new business.
Section 1d.  Treasurer. Shall keep a record of all Chapter funds; set dues for each semester; shall be responsible for collecting dues and dealing with financial matters.
Section 1e.  Historian. Shall deal with all matters regarding the Chapter history; shall complete scrapbook for each year
Section 2.  The President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall congregate to check grades, attendance, and payment of dues and consult suspension of members in accordance to Article IX of the Chapter Constitution.

Article V- Committees

Section 1. Standing Committees.  Standing committees shall be chaired by members elected on a yearly basis by a simple majority vote of present Chapter members.  Committee chairs shall serve a one-year term and are required to attend executive committee meetings.  Each committee will have one or two chairperson(s), as specified in its description.  At the start of each elected term, the committee chairperson(s) will create a mission statement outlining goals and objectives of the committee for the school year. Also included in this statement are the responsibilities of members for required service in the committee. The standing committees shall be as follows:
Sections 1a.  Academic Committee. Shall introduce faculty, student, and guest speakers for weekly biological seminars; shall organize tutoring services for biology students; shall be chaired by two (2) members.
Section 1b.  Activities Committee. Shall be responsible for organizing social activities for the Chapter to attend; shall be responsible for BBB’s involvement in all science rave and all science formal ; shall be chaired by two (2) individuals.
Section 1c.  Fundraising Committee. Shall create and execute fundraising events for the Chapter, such as Bake Sales, Deer Aging, and Microkits; shall be chaired by one (1) or two (2) members.
Section 1d.  Initiation Committee. Shall be responsible for pledge seasons, setting requirement deadlines, and checking pledge requirements; shall be responsible for promoting members and updating membership with nationals shall organize the initiation meetings and ceremony; shall be chaired by two (2) members.
Section 1e.  Public Relations Committee. Shall be responsible for informing members and general public of meeting event times and locations; promote the organization to the general public through fliers, chalking and other means of publicity; post and update related information on Chapter bulletin board; foster relations with the faculty and staff; shall be chaired by one (1) member.
Section 1f.  Service Committee. Shall organize and participate in volunteer projects within the campus as well as throughout the community, such as Science on Saturday and Street Clean-up; shall be chaired by two (2) members.
Section 1g.  Research Committee. Shall inform the members at the general meetings of any interesting information about the biological field, such as new advances in technology, procedures, or knowledge of species; shall present upcoming research opportunities within or outside the institution; shall be chaired by one (1) member.

Section 1h. Relay for Life Committee.  Shall organize and participate in annual Relay for Life Event; shall fundraise for this event and stay in contact with the local event officials; shall be chaired by two (2) member.

Section 1i. Webmaster Committee. Shall update and maintain chapter website with relevant event information and executive board contact information; shall be chaired by one (1) member.
Section 2. Additional Committees.  Any additional standing committee may be formed by the executive committee and approved by the Chapter to address and resolve any longstanding issues within the Chapter. The chairperson(s) of any additional committee shall be required to fulfill all assigned duties as outlined in Article V Section 1.
Section 3. Temporary Committees.  Temporary committees shall be formed by the executive committee and approved by the Chapter to address and resolve any temporary issues within the Chapter.  The chairperson(s) shall serve only as long as necessary and shall attend executive meetings.

Article VI- Scholarship

All active members of the Chapter shall maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Section 1. Academic Probation. Any active member failing to hold at least a 3.0 GPA shall be placed on one semester of academic probation.
Section 1a. Restrictions.  Members on academic probation may not hold office.
Section 2. Suspension.  If a member is on academic probation for two or more consecutive semesters, the member may be suspended from the Chapter.
Section 2a. Restrictions.  Suspended members may neither hold office nor exercise voting privileges.

Article VII- Faculty Advisors

The Chapter shall ask two members from the professional faculty of the Biology Department to offer criticism, input, and guidance for the Chapter’s operations.  The advisors shall be welcome at all Chapter functions, including but not limited to meetings, programs, socials, and ceremonies.  The length of appointment will be three consecutive years, according to the National Constitution Article VIII, Section 4.  At the end of three years, nominations will be made from active Beta Beta Beta members, approved by the appropriate Truman State University representative, and asked in the nominated accepts the nomination.  Of those accepting nomination, two advisors will be elected by a simple majority of Beta Beta Beta members in attendance.

Article VIII- Meetings

General and executive meetings shall be held biweekly during the academic year on alternating weeks.  The president may call special meetings as deemed necessary.  The vice president shall serve as parliamentarian at all meetings and determine quorum of active members in attendance.

Article IX- Suspension

Section 1. Any active member may be suspended from the Chapter for failing to pay dues, failing to meet attendance requirements, or being on academic probation for two of more consecutive semesters by a two-thirds vote of the executive committee.  Suspension consideration should be checked at least once a semester.
Section 2.  Any active or associate member shall be granted a leave-of-absence due to studying abroad, illness, or other events that causes the absence for a semester or school year after a consultation with the executive committee.  This entails that the member will be excused from suspension consideration in accordance to Section 1 of this article.

Article X- Attendance

Section 1. Active and associate members. Active members shall be required to attend 50% of all general meetings and fulfill their committee duties assigned to them by the respective committee chair one. They shall also be expected to pay dues and attend at least one additional event per semester for which Beta Beta Beta is a participatory or the sponsoring organization, such as Deer Aging, All-Science Formal, etc. If an active member does not meet these expectations, they shall be demoted to associate members. Only active members shall be provided with honor cords for graduation.
Section 2. Executive Officers and Committee Chairs. Executive officers and committee chairs shall be required to attend all meetings. Additionally, executive officers and committee chairs shall be required to attend all other events deemed mandatory by a majority vote of executive officers and committee chairs at a meeting.
Section 2a. Unexcused absences. Executive officers and committee chairs will be allowed one (1) unexcused absence from the above meetings and events.
Section 2b. Challenging absentee officers for office. Upon the second unexcused absence, the remaining executive officers and committee chairs shall consider re-opening of elections for the position held by the absentee officer or chair. In such election, the absentee may be challenged for their office by any qualified member at a general meeting in the same electoral format as described in Article IV Section 1.
Section 3. Suspension due to absence. Members failing to meet these attendance requirements will be subject to suspension according to Article IX Section 1, unless excused under the provisions of Article IX Section 2.

Article XI- Amendments

Amendments concerning local rules such as meeting times, places, or officer elections shall be passed by a simple majority of the active members present at a general meeting.

By-Laws
By-Law I – Membership Conditions

Section 1. Active members that become members of Beta Beta Beta through the Psi Zeta chapter have both national and chapter membership. Once initiated, they are:
a) national members for life unless removed for cause in accordance with Article IX of the Chapter constitution.
b) chapter members so long as they remain matriculated students in the chapter’s home institution and meet their obligations to the chapter as specified by its by-laws.
Section 2. Associate members terminate both national and chapter or club membership when they graduate or otherwise terminate their matriculation in the chapter’s home institution, unless:
a) they have previously been elected to Active membership, or
b) they are absent on approved leave-of-absence which permits their return in accordance with Article IX, Section 2 of the Chapter constitution.
Note: Fee credit for prior associate membership will apply toward national dues upon elevation to active membership, regardless of where the associate membership was granted.

By-Law II – Initiation Fees

Section 1. Effective September 1, 2006, members shall pay prior to initiation, through the chapter or club, the following national initiation fees:
a) active member: $80.00 (along with yearly $20 local chapter fee as of fall 2010)
b) associate member: $70.00 (along with yearly $20 local chapter fee as of fall 2010)
c) associate member becoming a regular member $10.00
Section 2. Upon receipt of the membership certificates from national, the chapter Initiation chairs will forward appropriate membership certificates to the newly initiated members.

By Law III – Dissolution

In the event of the dissolution of Psi Zeta Chapter of Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society, the assets, if any, will be distributed to an organization that is exempt from Federal income tax as an organization described in 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, contributions to which are deductible.

By-Law IV – Amendments

Section 1. These by-laws may be amended by a majority vote of the active members.
Section 2. Proposed amendments may be submitted for consideration by any active members of the Chapter.