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Mu Beta Psi, National Honorary Musical Fraternity

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Table of Contents

By-Laws of Tau Chapter

Mu Beta Psi, National Honorary Musical Fraternity

As Ratified: 04/10/2011
Amended: 04/10/2022

Article Ⅰ — Name and Purpose

Section 1

  1. The name of this Chapter will be Tau Chapter of Mu Beta Psi, National Honorary Musical Fraternity.

Section 2

  1. These By-Laws will govern the structure of Tau Chapter of Mu Beta Psi, National Honorary Musical Fraternity at American University, in conjunction with the Mu Beta Psi Articles of Incorporation, National Constitution, National Policies, and American University Policies.

Article Ⅱ — Membership

Section 1 — Qualifications

  1. Students who have completed two (2) semesters or three (3) quarters of service with distinction in some recognized musical organization of American University and achieved an academic standing of no less than Sophomore level, or who have shown special interest in the musical life of American University, are eligible for Brotherhood. Semester credits for membership in two (2) or more musical organizations will be additive.
  2. Brotherhood will not be denied to anyone for reasons of race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnic background, creed, handicaps, age, and/or sex.
  3. Students who have completed eight (8) or more semesters at American University must write a letter to apply to continue as an Active Brother. Otherwise, they automatically are assigned Alumni status. This application will be reviewed by the Executive Committee.

Section 2

  1. Membership in this Chapter is of lifetime duration.

Section 3

  1. Mu Beta Psi, National Honorary Musical Fraternity has only one class of membership, that of Brotherhood; however, in order to distinguish between the activity statuses of Brothers in this Chapter, these terms are used for explanatory purposes:
  2. Active Brotherhood is defined as Brothers who:
    1. Are currently enrolled at American University.
    2. Have paid required membership fees and other financial obligations to the Fraternity.
    3. Actively serve on at least one (1) standing or select committee(s).
    4. Have completed the new member process.
    5. Are in compliance with the attendance policy.
    6. Have achieved a semester GPA of 2.8 at American University. This stipulation does not apply to Brothers in their first semester at American University.
    7. An Active Brother shall be afforded all the rights due to a Brother, which include, but are not limited to wearing Fraternity letters, attending meetings and Fraternity functions, taking Little Brothers, and voting.
    8. Special Active Brotherhood is defined as:
      1. Any Brother of Tau Chapter who is a student at American University may obtain Special Active Status at the beginning of each semester.
      2. Some cases warranting Special Active Status include, but are not limited to:
        1. Seniors whose class, work, or personal schedules are unusually busy.
        2. Underclassmen whose class, work, or personal schedules are unusually busy.
        3. Students whose major(s) require(s) a large project to be submitted at the conclusion of the semester (e.g. music majors who are required to perform a recital at the end of the semester).
        4. Brothers in financial situations such that he/she/zhe are not able to fully pay dues as an Active Brother.
        5. Any Brother who is generally seeking reduced involvement in the Fraternity for educational, health, family, monetary, personal, or other reasons.
        6. Any Brother who is considering obtaining Special Active Status must submit a Letter of Intent to the Executive Committee by the third (3rd) Chapter meeting of the semester.
          1. The Executive Committee shall review the Letter of Intent, with approval requiring a simple majority vote of the Committee, and must inform the Brother requesting Special Active Status of the Committee’s decision by the Chapter meeting after the Letter of Intent was submitted.
          2. A Letter of Intent submitted after the third (3rd) Chapter meeting may only be reviewed and approved due to extenuating circumstances deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee, but will not be reviewed once the New Member Education period begins. The same guidelines for reviewing normal Letters of Intent apply in these cases.
        7. A Brother seeking to obtain Special Active Status must have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 of higher prior to submitting a Letter of Intent.
      3. Requirements
        1. Special Active Brothers are required to pay all of the National Brother registration fee, and half of the Chapter’s programming fee.
        2. Cannot have more than six (6) unexcused absences from Chapter meetings in one semester.
        3. Cannot obtain Special Active Status for more than two (2) consecutive semesters.
        4. Must maintain a GPA of 2.8 throughout the semester in which Special Active Status is endowed.
          1. This GPA requirement may be exempted by the Secretary, after consulting with the Executive Committee, before the new member education period.
        5. Service requirements for Special Active Brothers will be determined by the Service Chair.
        6. Must attend all required Chapter events as deemed necessary by the Executive Committee, including, but not limited to, brotherhood and fundraising events.
      4. Violation of Policies
        1. A violation of any of the above mentioned policies will warrant a conference with the Executive Committee, after which the brother must actively show efforts to recompense for the violation, as determined by the Committee. Further violations may incur punishments including, but not limited to: appearance before the Brothers Court; banning from brotherhood and social events; demotion to Inactive status; or permanent dismissal from the Chapter.
      5. Special Active Brothers are:
        1. Entitled to the following abilities and rights:
          1. Ability to vote on matters decided by majority or plurality, wear fraternity letters, attend meetings and other Fraternity functions, take Little brothers, and serve on any committee(s).
        2. Are not allowed to hold positions of leadership within the chapter.
        3. Shall be classified as Nationally Active.
  3. Associate Brotherhood is defined as Brothers who:
    1. Are former students of American University who would have been eligible for membership while in college, had a Chapter of the Fraternity existed at American University at the time, or any persons who attend American University, but would be unable to complete the standard new member process due to extenuating circumstances.
    2. Any Active Brother may nominate someone for Associate Brotherhood.
    3. Associate Brotherhood is granted by a two-thirds (⅔) vote of the Active Brothers.
    4. An Associate Brother has the rights to wear Fraternity letters, attend meetings, attend Fraternity functions at the Brotherhood’s invitation, and to take Little Brothers as needed on a case-by-case basis.
      1. Associate Brothers will be nominated by the Education Committee to take a Little Brother, and then approved by a majority (50% + 1) vote of the Active Brotherhood.
  4. Honorary Brotherhood is defined as Brothers who:
    1. Have considerably furthered the purposes of Tau Chapter of Mu Beta Psi Honorary Musical Fraternity and/or the Fraternity as a whole.
    2. Honorary Brotherhood is granted by a two-thirds (⅔) vote of the Active Brothers.
    3. An Honorary Brother has the rights to wear Fraternity letters, attend meetings, and attend Fraternity functions at the Brotherhood’s invitation.
  5. Inactive Brothers are Active or Associate Brothers who:
    1. Have gone Inactive for personal reasons, or are found ineligible due to financial, academic, or Brothers’ Court judgments, and forced inactive.
    2. All Inactive Brothers will not vote, will not pay dues, and will forfeit all privileges normally afforded to Active Brothers, except that they are allowed to wear the insignia and symbols of the Fraternity and attend Fraternity Functions at the Brotherhood’s invitation.
    3. In order to return to Active Brotherhood, the Brother in question needs to write a letter requesting their return to Active Brotherhood, and be voted active by the Active Brotherhood by a simple majority vote, unless further restrictions are placed on that Brother by a Brother’s Court judgment.
  6. Alumni Brothers are Brothers who:
    1. Are no longer students at American University, whether through completion of a degree or other circumstances:
    2. Are allowed to attend and participate in Brotherhood meetings, excluding voting, and wear Fraternity letters. They may also take Little Brothers on a case-by-case basis.

Article Ⅲ — Officers

Section 1

  1. The Officers of Tau Chapter of Mu Beta Psi, National Honorary Musical Fraternity are: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Service Chair, Member-at-Large, Historian, New Member Educator, Webmaster, and Parliamentarian.

Section 2 — Qualifications

  1. The President, Vice President and New Member Educator must have seen one (1) new member class through to completion. In the event that no Active Brother has seen one (1) new member class to completion, Brothers with the most seniority will be eligible for these offices.
  1. Nominees to all offices must be Active.

Section 3 — Elections

  1. Elections of officers will be held annually at the second to last meeting of each semester. There will be a two (2) week period of nominations prior to the election.
  2. Votes in elections will be tallied by the President and Parliamentarian (unless he, she, or ze is also running for the office in question, in which case the highest ranking officer not involved in the specific election will tally the votes) and announced by the current president.
  3. Two-thirds (⅔) of the Active Brothers must be present at the time of elections. A simple majority vote of those present is required to win office.
    1. The President and the Parliamentarian are not included when tallying the Active Brothers.
  4. Prior to voting for a particular office, nominees will have the opportunity to declare their qualifications for office in any appropriate manner. Each nominee will be limited to five (5) minutes of presentation time. Speaking time may be modified by a motion to extend/limit speaking time.
  5. Following the candidates presentation there will be a five (5) minute period for questions for each candidate from the Brotherhood. Speaking time may be modified by a motion to extend/limit speaking time.
  6. Following the question and answer period, time shall be made for debate in the format of five (5) minutes for pros, followed by three (3) minutes for cons, followed by an additional two (2) minutes for pros. Speaking time may be modified by a motion to extend/limit speaking time.
  7. After each vote has been tallied, the vote counts for each nominee will be announced. Secret ballots will be distributed, collected, and counted by the President and the Parliamentarian.
    1. In the event that either or both of the above officers is running, a combination of President, Vice President, Parliamentarian, or a combination of the next two (2) highest ranking officers should distribute, collect, and count the secret ballots.
  8. In the event that no nominee receives the required number of votes after the first round of balloting, a run off will be held between the two candidates receiving the largest number of votes. If neither candidate achieves a majority in the run off, the position shall remain vacant pending presidential appointment.
  9. Officers-elect will be instructed in the duties of their offices by the incumbents prior to the installation of new officers.
  10. New officers will be installed at the last meeting of the spring semester.

Section 4

  1. The duties of the officers of Tau Chapter are as follows:
    1. President
      1. Preside over meetings of the Brotherhood.
      2. Chair the Executive Committee.
      3. Have the power to appoint select committees as deemed necessary for the proper operation of the Chapter.
      4. Serve as an ex officio member of all committees, with the exception of the executive committee, which the President presides over as Committee Chair.
      5. Serve as the Chapter representative on the Board of Trustees.
      6. Shall appoint the second delegate to the Legislative Council.
    2. Vice President
      1. Assist in the execution of the President’s duties.
      2. Preside over the Chapter in the President’s absence.
      3. Notify a Brother of failure to comply with obligations to the Fraternity.
      4. Serve as the representative to the National Committee of Chapter Maintenance.
    3. Secretary
      1. Keep accurate minutes of all scheduled meetings to be reported to the Brotherhood within one (1) week.
      2. Handle all correspondence of the Chapter, with the public and the Brothers of Tau Chapter.
      3. Maintain an official roll.
      4. Take roll at all scheduled and special meetings and reach out to check in on members who have more than 3 absences.
    4. Treasurer
      1. Collect and receive all funds due to the Chapter.
      2. Issue receipts for all funds received and keep duplicate copies with the financial records.
      3. Disburse funds as the Chapter designates.
      4. Maintain accurate records of all financial activities and render a report from them whenever called upon by the President.
      5. Present all financial records to the Chapter upon request made by majority vote of the Active Brothers.
      6. Serve as the representative to the National Finance Committee.
    5. Member-at-Large
      1. Represent Tau Chapter to the Legislative Council as a voting delegate and to the National Executive Committee as a non-voting member.
      2. Maintain correspondence with other Chapters and the National Executive Committee.
      3. Provide reports to The Clef at the request of the National Editor of The Clef.
    6. Historian
      1. Serve as Tau Chapter’s representative to the National History and Archives Committee.
      2. Develop, implement, and maintain a system of filing and preserving historic records of the Chapter.
      3. Collect posters, advertisements, articles, and other material discussing Chapter activities and the Fraternal activities of the Brothers of Tau Chapter.
      4. Solicit from the Brotherhood photographs of Fraternal activities.
      5. Coordinate the creation of the annual Tau Chapter scrapbook.
      6. Assist with all required submissions to the National Historian.
    7. New Member Educator
      1. Guide the new member class through a course of training that prepares the new members to be accepted as Brothers into the Fraternity.
      2. Serve as a liaison between the Brotherhood and the new member class during this period of training.
      3. Conduct at least one music related event as part of the open rush process. This event may be conducted jointly with another officer or committee.
    8. Parliamentarian
      1. Consult with the presiding officer before each meeting and during any recesses to anticipate and avoid any problems with parliamentary procedure and Robert’s Rules of Order.
      2. Serve as primary consultant to the Chapter on all issues relating to parliamentary procedure and Robert’s Rules of Order.
      3. Bring to the attention of the presiding officer any errors in the proceedings that might affect the substantive rights of any Brother or otherwise do harm.
    9. Service Chair
      1. The Service Chair shall assist in raising funds for charitable organizations

Section 5

  1. Neither the President nor the Vice President shall be permitted to hold more than one office except where section 6-1 applies.
  2. Any other officer may hold up to two officer positions, provided the other voting Brothers agree to a vote of two-thirds (⅔) or more.

Section 6 — Order of Succession

  1. In the event that an office directly above an existing officer in the order of succession becomes vacant, the duties of said office will be added to the existing officer’s until the vacated office is filled.
  2. The order of succession is:
    1. President
    2. Vice President
    3. Treasurer
    4. Secretary
    5. Member-at-Large
    6. Parliamentarian
    7. New Member Educator
    8. Historian

Section 7

  1. Any officer may be removed from office by two-thirds (⅔) vote of all the Active Brothers.
    1. This vote may be proposed by a properly seconded motion during the New Business portion of a regularly scheduled Chapter meeting. Any such motion will automatically be postponed until the next Chapter meeting.
    2. Votes will be tallied by the Parliamentarian and announced by the current President.
      1. If the Parliamentarian or President are the officer(s) being removed, the highest ranking officer not involved will tally the votes by secret ballot.
    3. No vote will be taken until the officer in question has had the opportunity to respond to all arguments raised in support of removal.

Section 8

Vacant offices will be filled by normal officer elections procedure, with nominations open for one (1) week prior to voting.

Article Ⅳ — Committees

Section 1 — Committees and Membership

  1. The following committees are designated as standing: Executive, Rules, Education, Finance, Music and Service, Brotherhood, and Public Relations.
  2. Any other committee may be created which the Chapter so designates as standing by a two-thirds (⅔) vote of the Active Brotherhood.
  3. All Active Brothers must be appointed or elected to at least one (1) committee.

Section 2 — Executive Committee

  1. The Executive Committee will:
    1. Consist of the President (as chair), Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Member-at-Large, Historian, New Member Educator and Parliamentarian.
    2. Set the agenda for each business meeting.
    3. Act as the Brotherhood Liaison to the University Student Activities office.

Section 3 — Rules Committee

  1. The Rules Committee will:
    1. Be responsible for interpretation of the Chapter By-Laws.
    2. Review matters of policy to ensure compliance with the National Constitution and National Policy.
    3. Execute any revisions or amendments to the Chapter By-Laws as directed by the Brotherhood.
    4. Be chaired by the Parliamentarian.

Section 4 — Education Committee

  1. The Education Committee will:
    1. Be responsible for reviewing the new member process to make sure that it runs smoothly.
    2. Give reports to the President and Chapter as a whole in the event of problems in the new member process and procedure.
    3. Review dismissal from the new member process.
    4. Be chaired by the New Member Educator.

Section 5 — Finance Committee

  1. The Finance Committee will:
    1. Assist the Treasurer in managing the finances of the Chapter.
    2. Help coordinate fundraisers for the Chapter.
    3. Be chaired by the Treasurer.

Section 6 — Music and Service Committee

  1. The Music and Service committee will:
    1. Propose ideas for service project(s) to the Chapter.
    2. Implement these service project(s).
    3. Be chaired by the Service Chair.

Section 7 — Brotherhood Committee

  1. The Brotherhood committee will:
    1. Organize social gatherings meant to promote and foster Brotherhood within the Chapter and other Chapters. Such gatherings may include: formal events, etc.
    2. Be chaired by the Vice President.

Section 8 — Public Relations Committee

  1. The Public Relations Committee will:
    1. Promote the Fraternity in the college community as a whole.
    2. The chair of the Public Relations Committee shall be by Presidential appointment.

Section 9 — Ad-Hoc Committees

  1. The President shall appoint ad-hoc committees as necessary in the best interests of the Chapter.

Article Ⅴ — Meetings

Section 1 — Quorum

  1. Quorum for Chapter meetings is defined as a simple majority of the Active Brotherhood.

Section 2 — Scheduled Meetings

  1. Scheduled meetings will be held once per week during the fall and spring semesters. Meetings may be cancelled if necessary by either the President or a majority vote of the Active Brothers.

Section 3 — Special Meetings

  1. Special meetings may be called by the President or by a majority vote of the Active Brothers at any time. For attendance to be required, these meetings must be announced at least seven (7) days in advance. If not announced in a scheduled meeting, the Secretary shall contact all Active Brothers. A quorum is required at a special meeting to transact any business.

Section 4 — Parliamentary Procedure

  1. The basis of parliamentary procedure is the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.

Section 5 — Order of Business

  1. Order of Business (unless amended):
    1. Call to Order
    2. Reading and approval of the agenda
    3. Reading and approval of previous meeting's minutes
    4. Reports of all standing and ad-hoc committees and Officers
    5. Consideration of Unfinished Business
    6. Consideration of New Business
    7. Announcements
    8. Adjournment

Section 6 — Attendance Policy

  1. The Attendance Policy shall be defined as follows:
    1. Missing three (3) or more Chapter meetings/events
    2. Missing one (1) or more mandatory meetings/events
    3. Excuses for absence shall be reported to the Secretary
    4. Upon reaching either threshold stipulated in sections 1 & 2, the Secretary shall report the infraction to the Vice President who shall make a determination as to whether or not a Brother is in violation of the Attendance policy.
    5. A Brother shall be in violation of the Attendance Policy if the Vice President deems the excuses they have provided for their absence(s) insufficient.
    6. A Brother found in violation of the Attendance Policy shall be punished as follows:

Article Ⅵ — Brothers Court

Section 1 — Brothers Court Manual

  1. The Membership, Structure, and Brothers Court Procedures will be as prescribed in the Brothers Court Manual.
  2. Current copies of the Brothers Court Manual will be kept jointly by the Vice President and the Parliamentarian.
  3. Amendments to the Brothers Court Manual must be approved by the Board of Trustees.

Section 2 — Structure of Brothers Court

  1. The Brothers Court shall consist of five (5) members; four (4) voting members (one of whom shall be the Chairman) and the Chairman. The Chairman of the Brothers Court shall only vote in case of a tie. Any member, excluding Involuntary Inactives, may serve on the Court. There must be no less than three (3) Actives on the Court at all times.
  2. The members of the Brothers Court shall be nominated by the Executive by the third (3rd) regularly scheduled meeting and approved by two-thirds (⅔) of the Active members present at the fourth (4th) regularly scheduled meeting of fall semester. Members wishing to serve on the Brothers Court shall submit a letter expressing their willingness to the Executive committee by the second (2nd) regularly scheduled meeting of the fall semester.
  3. The term of membership on the Brothers Court shall be for one academic year. A member may hold two (2) or more consecutive terms on the Brothers Court, but must be reelected.
  4. The members of the Brothers Court shall meet and elect a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman from its membership before the fifth (5th) regularly scheduled meeting of the fall semester.
  5. Any member of the Brothers Court may dismiss themselves at any time from sitting with the Brothers Court during the consideration of any case. The Brothers' Court may also dismiss any member from sitting with the Brothers Court on a particular case by a majority decision.
    1. The Executive Committee shall appoint a member to serve on the Brothers Court for the rest of the case at hand, at which time the dismissed member will reclaim his or her seat on the Brothers Court.
    2. This appointment shall be made within seven (7) days of the dismissal and the Brothers Court shall not meet, except to reschedule a meeting, until a temporary member has been appointed.
  6. Any member may resign from the Brothers Court by filing a letter of resignation with the President of Tau Chapter.
  7. Any member may be removed from the Brothers Court by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the eligible membership present at an official meeting.
    1. This vote may be called by any Active member and must propose the vote under new business a week in advance.
    2. The Brothers Court may not conduct business, except to reschedule a meeting of the Brothers Court, until the removal vote is taken and if necessary, a temporary member appointed to the Brothers Court by the Executive Committee.
    3. The votes shall be distributed, collected, and counted by secret ballot by the two (2) highest ranking officers not in question.
    4. No vote shall be taken until the member has had the opportunity to debate all charges.
  8. Replacement for removed and resigning members of the Brothers Court shall be handled as follows:
    1. If the removal/resignation happens during a case, the Executive Committee shall appoint a temporary member with seven (7) days of the vacancy.
    2. After the case, or if no case was pending, a new member for the Brothers Court shall be nominated and approved as if it were the beginning of an academic year.

Section 3 — Authority of Brothers Court

  1. The Brothers Court is convened by the Executive Committee or by petition of one-half (½) of the membership.
  2. The Brothers Court shall arbitrate disputes upon the request of the Executive Committee, a majority of the Active membership, or by both disputing parties.
  3. The Brothers Court shall function as prescribed in the National Constitution, National Policy, and Tau Chapter By-Laws.
  4. All decisions of the Brothers Court are binding. Anyone may appeal a decision of the Brothers Court to the Board of Trustees. The decision of the Board of Trustees is final.

Section 4 — Operational Procedures of the Chapter

  1. Any member may submit written charges against any other member, or against Tau Chapter to a member of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall review the claims and convene the Brothers Court within fourteen (14) days of the filing of the charges if validity of the claims seems evident or possible.
  2. Upon convening of the Brothers Court, the Chairman of the Brothers Court must present written charges to the accused or his, her, or zher's counsel at least seven (7) days prior to the hearing.
  3. The accused may select defense counsel from the membership within seven (7) days of the convening of the Brothers Court. If no council is chosen within seven (7) days of the convening of the Brothers Court, defense counsel shall be appointed by the Chairman. The Chairman shall appoint a prosecutor from among the membership to represent the Fraternity.
  4. The Chairman shall appoint at every meeting of the Brothers Court a member to take the minutes of the Court. This member shall be responsible for getting a typed copy of the minutes to the Chairman within two (2) days of the meeting.
  5. The Prosecution and then the Defense shall each have a chance to bring evidence before the Court. The members of the Court will then be allowed to deliberate in private before reaching a verdict. A simple majority vote will constitute the decision of the Court unless otherwise specified in these By-Laws. The Brothers Court will then be reconvened and the decision and punishment, if any, will be read by the Chairman.
  6. The Chairman of the Court will report the decision of the Court to the Chapter at the next regularly scheduled meeting under Old Business.
  7. An appeal of the Chapter Brothers Court may be filled with the Chairman of the Board of Trustees within fifteen (15) days of the announcement of the decision to the Chapter.

Section 5 — Rights and Responsibilities Concerning the Chapter Brothers Court

  1. Both the Defense and the Prosecution may subpoena witnesses. Failure for a member to appear before the Brothers Court shall result in the member being found in contempt of Court.
  2. The Accused has the right to petition for a continuance of his case through appearance or representation in Court on the day of the hearing.
  3. Both the Accused and the Prosecution have the right to appeal the decision of the Court to the Board of Trustees.
  4. If found in contempt of Court, appropriate actions will be taken by the Court.

Article Ⅶ — New Member Regulations

Section 1 — New Member Education Policy

  1. General new member procedures will be subject to Chapter policy.
  2. All subsequent new member policy will be subject to the discretion of the New Member Educator unless overridden by a two-thirds (⅔) vote of the Active Brothers.
  3. New Member Education will be discussed in an Education Committee report at all chapter meetings during the New Member Education Process.

Section 2 — New Member Educator Policies

  1. For the purposes of standardizing the days of the week, Sunday will be considered the beginning of a new member process and semester week throughout New Member Educator policy. Each week referred to below is the week of the semester, e.g. fifth (5th) week is the fifth (5th) week of the semester, not of the new member process.
  2. Open rush will be held during the third (3rd) week of the semester.
  3. All rush candidates will be considered by the Fraternity at the Chapter meeting during the fourth (4th) week of the semester.
  4. Bids will be given during the fourth (4th) week of the semester.
  5. The first new member meeting will occur on Sunday during the fifth (5th) week of the semester. New Member binders, complete within information sheets and the Fraternity policies will be issued and binder decorations will be explained at this meeting.
  6. Soft pinning will occur on Sunday of the fifth (5th) week at the Chapter meeting.
  7. New Members will take Quiz 1 at the sixth (6th) week's New Member meeting.
  8. Big/Little preference lists will be collected by the New Member Educator on Wednesday of the seventh (7th) week.
  9. The Bigs list will be sent to Active Brothers on Thursday of the seventh (7th) week via email.
  10. New Members will take Quiz 2 at the seventh (7th) week's New Member meeting.
  11. The eighth (8th) week of the semester will be Big/Little week.
  12. All New Members brothers and Active Brother interviews are due during the eighth (8th) week of the semester at the New Member meeting. Active brothers should also submit their interviews at Chapter.
    1. Quiz 3 will be administered.
    2. A New Member class captain will be chosen.
  13. The mandatory new member retreat will occur on Saturday of the eighth (8th) week.
    1. The music project is due on this Saturday as well, and the service project will be discussed.
  14. Hard pinning will occur on the Sunday of the ninth (9th) week.
    1. New Members will take Quiz 4.
    2. Interviews will be due.
  15. Quiz 5 will be administered on Sunday of the tenth (10th) week.
  16. Quiz 6 will be administered on Sunday of the eleventh (11th) week at the end of the New Member term on the night of Initiation.
  17. In the event that Initiation cannot be held during the eleventh (11th) week, it may be held during the twelfth (12th) week.

Section 3 — Bid Policy

  1. Interested students are expected to attend the Fraternity rush events.
  2. If an interested student cannot attend due to acceptable conflicts, they may still be considered for the New Member process. A minimum of two Active Brothers must meet together with the student to gain an understanding of the student and to explain any questions about the Fraternity that they may have. These two Brothers will then report to the Chapter meeting when bids are discussed.
    1. Acceptable conflicts include:
      1. Illness, including a fever or vomiting. Colds are not an excuse.
      2. Diagnosed medical conditions, e.g. an asthma attack, chronic migraine flare, diabetic insulin imbalance, or surgery.
      3. A death in the family.
      4. Attending a class at the same time as all information sessions.
      5. Travel complications due to University breaks.
      6. Any other situation decided upon by the student and Active Brotherhood.
    2. In order for a student to receive a bid, fifty percent (50%) plus one (1) of the Active Brothers must vote to accept the student into the New Member process.

Section 4 — Quizzes and Final Exam Policy

  1. Quizzes and exams must be taken on the date listed on the official schedule.
  2. In the case of missing a quiz, a make-up time must be scheduled between the New Member and the New Member Educator.
  3. The final must be taken on the date listed.
  4. Every quiz must receive a score of seventy-five percent (75%) or higher to finish the New Member process.
  5. In the case of receiving less than a seventy-five percent (75%) or higher on a single quiz, the New Member is permitted to retake the quiz.
  6. Up to two (2) retakes are allowed.
    1. The New Member may retake on quiz twice, or:
    2. The New Member may retake two quizzes on which he, she, or ze received scores of lower than seventy-five percent (75%).
    3. If the New Member fails more than two quizzes in any combination of part 6, subsets 1. and 2., the New Member will be dismissed from the New Member process.
    4. If the New Member scores higher than a seventy-five percent (75%) on the retake, the original score from the first quiz will be replaced by the score on the retake.
  7. New Members must receive a score of sixty percent (60%) or higher on the final exam with no retake.
  8. If the appropriate score on the final is not achieved, the New Member will be asked to leave the New Member process.

Section 5 — Dismissal from the New Member Process

  1. Active dismissal shall only occur after a counseling session between the New Member Educator and the New Member occurs.
  2. The counseling session will outline the performance of the New Member and how their performance compares to the Chapter standards required for continuance in the New Member process for Initiation.
  3. The new member will be politely asked to withdraw themself from the New Member process, and return the Fraternity New Member pin, New Member binder, and paddle.
  4. In the case of the New Member's refusal to withdraw, they must be counseled. The Chapter will be informed of the decision and the Brotherhood will discuss and vote upon whether the New Member may continue or must leave the New Member process.
  5. Prior to the next Chapter meeting, the Active Brothers must be made aware of the situation so they can be present at the next Chapter meeting for in-depth discussion and voting.
  6. The National Vice President of Chapter Maintenance must be informed of the situation in the instance that National assistance with the New Member is to become necessary.
  7. At the next Chapter meeting, the Active Brothers must meet to discuss and vote over whether the New Member will continue or be forced to withdraw from the process.

Section 6 — Initiation

  1. Informal Initiation
    1. The Informal Initiation Ritual is subject to review by the Board of Trustees. In accordance with National policy, the Board of Trustees has final authority over the content of the Informal Initiation Ritual.
    2. Changes to the events of Informal Initiation must be approved by a three-fourths (¾) vote of the Active Brotherhood.
  2. Formal Initiation
    1. The formal initiation will be as set forth by National Policy.
    2. The formal initiation will be conducted by the Executive Committee and the storage and safekeeping of any items associated with formal initiation is the responsibility of the Education Committee.

Article Ⅷ — Chapter Finances

  1. The fiscal year of Tau Chapter begins July 1 and concludes June 30.
  2. All monetary disbursements made by the Treasurer not associated with a budget item must be approved by a majority vote of the Active Brothers.
  3. The Treasurer and President will be cosigners on all Chapter bank accounts.

Article Ⅸ — Amendments and Document Governance

Section 1 — Vote

  1. The By-Laws of Tau Chapter of Mu Beta Psi may be amended by a two-thirds (⅔) vote of the Active Brothers. All proposed amendments must be announced seven (7) days before the meeting at which they will be addressed, though a properly worded amendment may be brought up at any time.
  2. Proposed amendments and revisions to the By-Laws that are defeated will be recorded in the minutes of the meeting in which they were defeated.

Section 2 — Amendment Log

  1. All amendments made to these Chapter By-Laws and their current, and future appendices will be recorded in a log and must include the following:
    1. The date on which the amendment was made.
    2. The changes made by the amendment.
  2. The Amendment Log will be attached as an appendix to these Chapter By-Laws.

Section 3

  1. Any article(s) of these By-Laws or part thereof that is in direct violation of the Student Government Constitution or Student Government By-Laws is null and void. Any differences in opinion between Mu Beta Psi and the Student Government shall be brought before the Student Government Legislature, whose decision is final.

Section 4

  1. The By-Laws must be reviewed and discussed at least once per academic year.
policies/chapters/tau/bylaws.txt · Last modified: 2022/04/19 21:47 by SteveWeiman