The constitution of
Epsilon Eta
2023
Article I: NAME.
The official name shall be Epsilon Eta, Environmental Fraternity, Upsilon Chapter at the University of Virginia, hereafter referred to as Epsilon Eta Upsilon.
Article II: PURPOSE (or MISSION).
The purpose of Epsilon Eta is to create a networking environment that enables members to utilize the fraternity’s resources as they pursue their postgraduate plans in environmental fields. We seek to add to the resources for students pursuing environmental careers in the greater University of Virginia community. In this process we strive to foster a conscious awareness of the intrinsic relationship between people and their environment through academics, the community, service, and camaraderie.
Article III: MEMBERSHIP.
Section 1. Epsilon Eta Upsilon does not restrict its membership, programs, or activities on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family and genetic information.
Membership will be divided into four classes: new member, regular member, honorary member, and alumna/alumnus.
Section 2. Regular Members
Regular members must be students enrolled at the University of Virginia.
While members do not need to be declared or intend to declare a path in environmental science, they must demonstrate an active interest in environmental science or sustainability.
Only regular members may hold the constitutionally specified chapter offices, join one or more committees, vote during chapter meetings, and represent the chapter.
Regular members are required to participate in 50% of fraternity service projects per semester, and fulfill necessary engagement requirements.
Regular members are required to attend two rush events during every rush cycle.
Regular members are required to attend every chapter meeting. If a member misses more than 25% of meetings per semester, they are subject to review for probation.
Section 3. New Members
The recruitment process happens at the beginning of each fall term. A recruitment committee meets multiple times beginning the prior spring/summer term and with increasing frequency beginning that fall term.
Acceptance will be determined by demonstration of dedication and passion in the environmental community and a thorough application.
i. The founding members (joining in the spring semester of 2023) will be accepted on the basis of expressed interest and dedication to the mission of Epsilon Eta Upsilon. They will then work together to manage the recruitment and acceptance process of the succeeding class. Henceforth, all new applications will be reviewed according to the guidelines enumerated above.
New members will become regular members when they have attended three chapter meetings.
New members are required to meet all the requirements of regular members, with the following additions/exceptions:
i. Attend 50% of new members meeting to learn about the history and goals of Epsilon Eta
Section 4. Alumni
Alumni members shall be regular members who become inactive or graduate (with exceptions) from the University of Virginia. Alumni members may participate in all Epsilon Eta Upsilon activities except those specifically reserved to regular members by this constitution.
Section 5. Honorary members
Honorary members may be elected by Epsilon Eta in recognition of significant accomplishment in their field, or of outstanding service to the chapter.
Section 6. Regular and honorary members may wear the official insignia and shall remain members for life unless removed under the provisions of Section 7.
Section 7. Removal of Members
A violation of the ethics or intent of the organization by any member, including members of the Executive Board (see Article V Section 8), as described in the constitution and bylaws, will result in a review of the member by the Executive Board. A violation of intent includes lack of commitment and persistent absence from fraternity activities. By a majority vote of the Board, the member will be formally placed on probation if found culpable. The member must be notified in person of their probationary status as soon as possible.
Failure to complete the requisite engagement requirements and absence from more than 25% of the chapter meetings in a semester will result in a vote on probation by the Executive Board.
While under probation, the member retains all rights and responsibilities of their position in the fraternity. However, the Executive Board will monitor the member’s behavior.
If the member continues the behavior which resulted in probation, or in any way violates the ethics or intent of the organization while under probation, they will be subject to an immediate review by the Executive Board. If not, after the end of the semester or a period of two months, whichever is longer, the Executive Board will review the case of the member under probation. Upon review, a meeting between the President and the member shall be held in which the member has the opportunity to plead for their continued membership. Afterwards, the President will bring the matter to the Executive Board. At this time the Board can decide by vote to remove the designation of probation or to initiate expulsion of the member. In order to expel the member, 3/4 of the Executive Board will need to vote in favor of the action.
If the cause of probation is absence from meetings or failure to meet engagement requirements, further violations of this nature will result in an immediate vote on expulsion by the Executive Board. Should 3/4 of the Board members vote for their expulsion, the offending member’s membership will be terminated immediately.
Any member can express concerns about the performance of another member and suggest review by the rest of the Executive Board. They should direct their concerns to the President or another member of the Executive Board.
Article IV: OFFICERS.
Any regular member can become an officer after being listed on the official roster for one (1) complete academic semester. Officers shall be elected annually in the Spring semester by a nomination process to construct a ballot for each role, and majority of membership vote ruling for each ballot. New officers shall take office at the end of the Spring semester to prepare for the upcoming Fall semester. All elected officers will be currently registered students.
Section 1. The Executive Board shall consist of the President and one or more Vice Presidents leading each of the 7 teams (Program, Internal Communications, Public Relations, Social, Finance, Recruitment/New Member, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion)
Section 2. In the event of absence, death, resignation, disqualification, incapacitation, or removal from office of the President, an election of a Vice President within the Executive Board shall decide the next President.
Section 3. The Executive Board shall have power to transact urgent fraternity business including replacements in its own membership if necessary. It shall serve as advisor and consultant to the chapter President.
Section 4. Each member of the Executive Board shall execute the responsibilities designated to them under their elected position – whether under the leadership realm of President, Program, Internal Communications, Public Relations, Social, Finance, Recruitment/New Member, and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI).
Section 4. The responsibilities of each leadership realm include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. President: The President shall be the chief executive and administrative officer, leading all activities of Epsilon Eta. The President shall preside over chapter meetings and shall ensure that all officers perform their respective duties.
i. The President may start Committees of regular members as they see fit to help the fraternity achieve its goals and maintain its general wellbeing.
ii. The President may call for a special election to the executive board to add a second Vice President to any designated team if needed. See Article V section 7 for details of a special election.
Iii. The President shall also assist other E-Board officers in their duties as need be. They will help to manage and oversee important fraternity happenings such as Recruitment, E-Board/Officer elections, public-facing events (for example, a panel hosted or sponsored by the fraternity), and major social events.
b. Program: The Programming team (lead by the Vice President of Program) shall be responsible for planning and carrying out all formal fraternity events, including but not limited to: service events, volunteering opportunities, public speakers, workshops, chapter meetings, and any other official, professional, or service fraternity events.
i. Programming may start Committees of regular members as they see fit to help them execute their duties. Such committees could include a Panel Planning Committee, Volunteering Reach-Out Committee, etc. For each committee that is created, the VP of Programming has the power to appoint a Committee Chair.
ii. The Programming team will keep a record of any committee proceedings and report to the Executive Board.
c. Internal Communications: The Internal Communications team (lead by the Vice President of Internal Communications) shall be responsible for the maintenance of the fraternity’s email, website, records, newsletters, and relationships with other environmental orgs and departments on campus, among other secretarial duties. They will preserve the organization’s records and its history in addition to maintaining relationships with and outreach to alumni.
i. The Internal Communications team may start Committees of regular members as they see fit to help them execute their duties. Such committees could include a Website Committee, Historian Committee, Alumni Outreach Committee etc. For each committee that is created, the VP of Internal Communications has the power to appoint a Committee Chair.
ii. The PR team will keep a record of any committee proceedings and report to the Executive Board.
d. Public Relations: The Public Relations team (lead by the Vice President of Public Relations) shall be responsible for the active maintenance of the fraternity’s social media accounts, creating publicity materials to promote fraternity events (which could involve working with the Vice President of Recruitment to publicize Recruitment-related activities), maintaining relationships with other chapters of Epsilon Eta at other universities, and other CIOs at UVA that Epsilon Eta may interact with.
i. The PR team may start Committees of regular members as they see fit to help them execute their duties. Such committees could include an Epsilon Eta Outreach Committee, Social Media Committee, etc. For each committee that is created, the VP of PR has the power to appoint a Committee Chair.
ii. The PR team will keep a record of any committee proceedings and report to the Executive Board.
e. Social: The Social team (lead by the Vice President of Social) will plan and organize fraternity events with the purpose of promoting unity and camaraderie; including but not limited to: mixers, outings, tailgates, trips, and date parties.
i. The Social team may start Committees of regular members as they see fit to help them execute their duties. Such committees could include a Fall Break Trip Planning Committee, Date Party Committee, etc. For each committee that is created, the VP of Social has the power to appoint a Committee Chair.
ii. The Social team will keep a record of any committee proceedings and report to the Executive Board.
f. Finance: The Finance team (lead by the Vice President of Finance) shall be responsible for managing fraternity finances and the fraternity’s bank account. These duties include, but are not limited to, the following: creating a budget for the year and individual budgets for each event, managing dues, identifying funding opportunities, designing and offering fraternity merch to members on a semi-regular basis, coordinating fundraising events and determining the fundraising responsibilities of members.
i. The VP of Finance may start Committees of regular members as they see fit to help them execute their duties. Such committees could include a Fundraiser Planning Committee, Merch Committee, etc. For each committee that is created, the VP of Finance has the power to appoint a Committee Chair.
Ii. The VP of Finance will keep a record of any committee proceedings and report to the Executive Board.
g. Recruitment/New Member: The Vice President of Recruitment/New Member team (lead by the Vice President of Recruitment/New Member) is in charge of planning Recruitment, which includes ensuring recruitment events are sufficiently publicized, reservations are made for org fairs and on-grounds rooms, planning and running recruitment events, managing Recruitment Committee meetings, and actively aiding Recruitees during the recruitment period in September of each year. The VP is also responsible for helping new members adjust, running intra-fraternity mentorship (see Article VIII, section 1), and organizing the initiation of new members.
i. The VP of Recruitment will chair the Recruitment Committee, which will be composed of regular members who aid in the planning and logistics of recruitment, every year. They may form other Committees of regular members as they see fit. For each committee that is created, the VP of Recruitment has the power to appoint a Committee Chair.
ii. The VP of Recruitment will keep a record of any committee proceedings and report to the Executive Board.
iii. The Vice President’s role will transition to being the New Member Chair after recruitment for the remainder of the fall semester.
h. Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: The Vice President of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) shall work in conjunction with the President and the rest of E-Board to ensure that the fraternity is engaging in equitable practices and focusing an appropriate amount of attention on ensuring that diversity and inclusivity are present within the organization. The VP of DEI will be in charge of implementing various initiatives to achieve this end, which may include suggesting organizations to fundraise for and/or how to distribute fraternity funds, executing a social media campaign, reforming recruitment practices to make the process more equitable, and being mindful of social interactions, among other things.
i. The VP of DEI may start Committees of regular members as they see fit to help them execute their duties. For each committee that is created, the VP of DEI has the power to appoint a Committee Chair.
ii. The VP of DEI will keep a record of any committee proceedings and report to the Executive Board.
The officers will form an executive committee. Although each officer has specific responsibilities, officers and members are encouraged to work together to complete tasks so that no single member becomes overwhelmed at any given time. Executive Board members are expected to meet independently of the general body to plan meetings and events.
Article V: ELECTIONS.
Section 1. Elections for officers shall be held toward the end of each spring semester, following the calendar year. Officers elected by a majority vote shall take office at the beginning of the following semester. A member may hold the same office for two terms. Each term is considered one academic year.
Section 2. Any regular members in good standing shall be able to fill an elected position. Members running for a position must declare their candidacy, or be nominated as a candidate by another member, prior to the election. There is no limit to the number of offices for which a regular member may declare candidacy.
Section 3. The candidates are required to present their qualifications in the form of a speech at the same meeting during which elections take place.
Section 4. Votes shall be cast by regular members for all elected positions. A 2/3 quorum is required to hold elections.
Section 5. Elections shall proceed with votes being cast via a ballot process to which only the current president has access.
Section 6. In the case of a tie, a runoff shall be held between the tied candidates. The tied candidates may ask to be elected as co-officers should they so choose. Votes for a runoff shall be cast by regular members.
Section 7: The President can call for a special election in which a replacement Vice President or a second Vice President can be added to a designated team if needed. A majority vote from the Board in favor of this action will then elect the Vice President after taking into consideration the concerns and needs of the respective team.
Section 8. Removal of Officers
In addition to Article III Section 7, If an Executive Board member is found to be unable to fulfill their responsibilities as an officer, they shall be subject to review for demotion by the other board members. Following this review, if a majority vote of the Executive Board finds Probation necessary, they may enter a one-month probationary period, during which they shall retain all listed responsibilities of their position. At the end of this month, the case will once again be reviewed and a 3/4 vote of the remaining Board members may result in the removal of Board status. If this 3/4 vote passes, the Board member will be stripped of their Board status but retain all rights and responsibilities of Member status.
Any member can express concerns about the performance of a member of the Executive Board and suggest review by the rest of the Executive Board. They should direct their concerns to the President or another member of the Executive Board.
Article VI: MEETINGS.
Meetings will occur at least once a month, but meetings may occur more frequently depending on member interest and on what the Executive Board deems necessary. A reminder of when and where the next meeting will take place will be given at the end of each chapter meeting, and will be included in the President’s minutes of the meeting. For a standard meeting, half of the active members are required for a quorum. Two-thirds of the active currently enrolled members are required for an election meeting.
Article VII: FINANCE.
Annual fees shall be determined each year at the discretion of the Executive Board. Certain dues-related exceptions can be made on an individual basis. Dues shall be paid to the Finance Vice President at a determined time or upon request by the Vice President. Failure to pay dues in a timely manner can result in a nominal monetary penalty. Any member refusing to pay dues may be placed under review of the Executive Board for potential probation or, in extenuating cases, expulsion. The Finance Committee, along with the rest of the executive board, can determine how membership dues will be spent.
Article VIII. BY-LAWS.
The Executive Board shall, from time to time, adopt such bylaws as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this constitution. It shall be the purpose of the bylaws to state the specific procedures and practices in effect at any given time. By-Laws shall be approved by a 3/4 vote of the Executive Board.
Section 1. Upon fall recruitment, each new pledge class member will be paired up with a member (or members) of the prior year’s pledge class. The new pledge class member will be referred to as the ‘sapling’ while their respective match from the previous pledge class will be known as the ‘tree’ in this lineage. This is to provide the new member with mentorship and increase camaraderie within the fraternity.
Section 2. February 12th is hereby known as Founders’ Day. This is the day the members of the first Executive Board were official. The founders are officially - Cameron McQuillan, Megan Vander Wiele, Ryan Gunn, Anne Brown, Ryan Eagan, Lucas Green, Dakota Yu, Cade Roach, Skye Snider, and Re.
Article IX. COMMITTEES.
Section 1. Committees of the organization will be created from time-to-time by the executive board in order to organize and distribute the workload of the organization. Committees shall be governed by by-law and shall not have authority over the executive board or the general body. Any active member (including the officers) may serve as a committee chair. Committee chairs will be appointed by the respective Vice President and will coordinate the planning and execution of the committee project. Any number of active members may be on a committee.
Section 2. Committees aim to foster in individual members a greater sense of responsibility and commitment to the organization. They are critical to the function and efficiency of the fraternity, and provide opportunities for members to develop leadership and organizational skills.
Article X. ADVISORS. (if applicable/desired)
If our organization deems it necessary or desirable, one or more University of Virginia faculty, staff, or graduate student(s) can serve as an advisor. An advisor that expresses interest and enthusiasm for the role and possesses a skill set that matches Epsilon Eta’s needs that receives a 3/4 vote by the Executive Board shall fill the role of Advisor.
If an Advisor is found to be unable to fulfill their responsibilities as an Advisor, they shall be subject to review for removal by the other board members. Following this review, if a 3/4 vote of the Executive Board finds removal necessary, the Board member will be stripped of their Advisor status and Honorary member status if applicable.
Current Advisor: Lauren Simkins (lsimkins@virginia.edu)
Article XI. AMENDMENTS
The constitution is binding to all members of Epsilon Eta Upsilon, but the constitution is not binding unto itself. Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by the Executive Board, any chapter advisor, or any regular member in good standing. Proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be submitted to the President. The President must then present the proposed amendment to the Executive Board for review. The Executive Board shall submit the amendment to the entire fraternity, at which time it can be ratified by a 2/3 vote of all regular members.
Article XII. SOCIAL CONDUCT AND ETA-SPONSORSHIP
Section 1. Epsilon Eta values the safety and wellbeing of all of its members and will work to maintain an environment that is welcoming and nonthreatening to any particular identities or individuals.
Section 2. Upon joining the fraternity, all members agree to adhere to appropriate, respectful behavior – whether in a professional or social setting – in order to maintain the community atmosphere outlined in Article XII, Section 1. Failure to comply with behavioral expectations may result in a member’s review by the Executive Board, as outlined in Article III Section 7.
Section 3. Social conduct at Eta-sponsored events will put incompliant members at risk of review by the Executive Board.
Section 4. Eta-sponsored events include, but are not limited to, the following: programming events, chapter meetings, committee meetings, volunteering excursions, date parties hosted by Epsilon Eta, and any social events that are organized or funded by the fraternity, including trips over academic breaks. Any event not mentioned that receives funding from Epsilon Eta is also considered Eta-sponsored.
Section 5. Eta-sponsored trips
a. Any regular member can propose an Eta-sponsored trip to their respective Vice President or any other executive board member. The proposed Eta-sponsored trip shall be voted on by the executive board. The trip will be approved through a majority vote.
Section 6. Any perceived violation of member conduct rules during an Eta-sponsored event may be brought to the attention of the Executive Board by any member of Epsilon Eta for official review by the fraternity, as outlined in Article III Section 7.