Bylaws

Gamma of Oregon at Lewis & Clark College


Article I. Officers and Organization

Section l. The membership of the chapter includes:

a. Chapter Members: members elected by this or other Phi Beta Kappa chapters who are members of the faculty, or faculty emeriti, or staff of Lewis & Clark College;

1. The Phi Beta Kappa members of the faculty to whom the charter was originally granted shall be known as Charter Members.

b. Members-In-Course: all members of the chapter elected as students while matriculated at Lewis & Clark College;

c. Alumni/ae Members: graduates of Lewis & Clark College elected in recognition of scholarly achievement after graduation;

d. Honorary Members: persons not holding a Lewis & Clark College degree elected in recognition of scholarly achievement after graduation from another college.

Section 2. Resident Membership

Members of the chapter who hold faculty or staff positions at Lewis & Clark College, together with members-in-course matriculated in the College of Arts & Sciences, shall constitute the resident membership. All resident members shall have the privilege of voting at the meetings of the chapter. Other members of the chapter shall have full membership privileges except the privilege of voting on candidates for election to membership and on amendments to these bylaws.

Section 3. Officers

The officers of the chapter shall be a President, a Vice-President, and a Secretary-Treasurer. Officers shall be elected by majority vote at the annual spring meeting from among the resident Phi Beta Kappa members of the faculty. The President and Vice-President shall serve one-year terms and the Vice President shall be the president-elect. The term of Secretary-Treasurer shall be three years with the possibility of reelection.

Section 4. Duties of Officers (non-exclusionary list)

a. President

  • Convenes and presides at, meetings of the Chapter
  • Chairs and convenes the Executive Committee
  • Serves as a member, ex-officio, of the Committee on Members-In-Course
  • Is chief organizer of the annual initiation event
  • Serves as liaison to the Society of Phi Beta Kappa
  • Is expected to be the L&C delegate to the Triennial Council of the Society

b. Vice President

  • Serves as president-elect, assuming the presidency after a one-year term as V.P.
  • Chairs the Committee on Members-In-Course and organizes its work

c. Secretary-Treasurer

  • Records the minutes of chapter meetings
  • Maintains the records and archives of the chapter
  • Keeps the financial records of the chapter and attends to the payment of obligations
  • Responsible for correspondence of the chapter
  • Shall present an annual financial report of the chapter at the fall meeting and shall report on chapter finances at the spring meeting
  • Serves as a member, ex-officio, of the Committee on Members-In-Course

Section 5. Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall be composed of the retiring President, the elected officers, and one member-in-course, appointed by the President in consultation with the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall have authority to conduct the affairs of the chapter between meetings, including filling of temporary vacancies in the committees of the chapter, subject to instruction from the chapter, and save as otherwise specifically provided in these bylaws.

Section 6. Committee on Members-In-Course

The committee shall be composed of seven resident Chapter Members: the President, the Vice President and the Secretary-Treasurer of the chapter who are ex-officio members, and four more Chapter Members (see Article I, Sec. 1, a.). The committee should have at least one member from each of the Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, and Mathematical and Natural Sciences divisions. Each year at the fall meeting of the chapter, two Chapter Members shall be elected to this committee for two-year terms. The Executive Committee shall nominate the candidates to be elected to this committee and additional nominations may be made from the floor provided the additional candidates have indicated a willingness to serve.

The committee shall prepare the list of nominees for members-in-course to be elected at the Spring meeting. Periodically, the committee shall review and update a written statement of the selection criteria for the election of members-in-course.

Section 7. Committee on Alumni/ae and Honorary Members

The Committee on Alumni/ae and Honorary Members shall be responsible for considering persons proposed for election to alumni/ae and honorary membership. The committee shall be composed of three resident Chapter Members serving staggered three-year terms. One new committee member shall be elected each year at the fall meeting of the chapter. The Executive Committee shall nominate a candidate and additional candidates may be nominated from the floor provided the additional candidates have indicated a willingness to serve.

Section 8. Nominating Committee

The Executive Committee shall act as a Nominating Committee which shall present to all resident members, at least one week before the Spring meeting, nominations for a slate of officers for the ensuing year, and, at least one week before the Fall meeting, nominations for committee members. Other nominations may be made from the floor provided the additional nominees have indicated a willingness to serve.

Section 9. Special Committees

Special committees may be appointed by the President, in consultation with the Executive Committee.

Article II. Meetings

Section l. Arrangements for regular meetings shall be made by the Executive Committee. The chapter shall meet at least once each semester.

Section 2. The normal order of business shall be as follows:

1. Call to order
2. Minutes
3. Report of the Executive Committee
4. Report of the Treasurer
5. Report of other committees
6. Unfinished business
7. Consideration of communications from the Society
8. New business
9. Elections a. Fall Meeting: Committee on Members-In-Course; Committee on Alumni/ae and Honorary Members b. Spring Meeting: Members-in-course; Officers
10. Adjournment

Section 3. Special meetings may be called by the President or the Executive Committee, and shall be called upon written request by four members. At the special meeting no business shall be transacted other than that stated in the notice of the meeting.

Section 4. Written notice of meetings shall be sent by the Secretary to all resident members of the chapter at least one week in advance of the meeting. The notice shall state the purpose of the meeting and the business to be considered.

Section 5. A quorum at meetings shall consist of one-half-plus-one of the Chapter Members with faculty status in the College of Arts & Sciences as defined in the CAS Bylaws. Members on leave, participating in an overseas or off-campus program, or otherwise not on campus, are not counted in determining the quorum.

Section 6. Locally resident members of other chapters who do not qualify for Membership as defined in Article I, Section l, of these bylaws may be invited to any meeting, but they shall not have a vote.

Section 7. Unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws, meetings shall be run in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order, latest edition.

Article III. Election and Admission of New Members

Section 1. Members-in-course shall be elected primarily on the basis of broad intellectual interests, scholarly achievement, and good character. Juniors and seniors who are matriculated in the College of Arts and Sciences and candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree may be considered under the following conditions:

a. The candidate shall be majoring in liberal subjects and studies and be taking a degree program, at least three-fourths of which is in liberal work.

b. For election as a graduating senior, the candidate normally shall have completed at least five full semesters at Lewis & Clark College, including participation in Lewis & Clark overseas and off-campus programs, and shall be a full-time student registered for the final semester. With rare exceptions, the minimum Lewis & Clark College Grade Point Average for election as a senior shall be 3.50 (out of 4.00). Transfer students may be considered for election as seniors provided they have completed at least three full semesters at Lewis & Clark College and are full-time students registered for the final semester. The prior academic records of transfer students at other institutions of higher education shall be reviewed carefully and given weight by the Committee on Members-In-Course.

c. For election as a junior, the candidate shall have completed five semesters at Lewis & Clark College and shall be a full-time student registered for the second semester of the junior year of college work. The caliber of his or her work should be of exceptional distinction, including a Lewis & Clark College Grade Point Average of at least 3.75 (out of 4.00).

d. Grades earned in applied or professional work shall not be counted in computing the Grade Point Average for purposes of eligibility. Applied and professional work shall be understood to include all training intended to develop skills or vocational techniques.

e. In the tradition of the liberal arts, weight shall be given to the breadth of the program of each candidate as shown by the number and variety of courses taken outside his or her major. Weight shall also be given to balance and proportion in the candidate's degree program as a whole. Candidates shall have demonstrated a knowledge of mathematics and natural science and of a foreign language with satisfaction of the college's language and mathematical and natural sciences requirements as a minimum. Courses that are applied or professional in nature such as certain practica shall be given less weight than regular academic courses.

Section 2. The number of undergraduates elected from any graduating class, including those who may be elected as juniors, shall ordinarily not exceed ten percent, and in no case shall exceed fifteen percent, of the undergraduates expected to receive the Bachelor of Arts degree in that graduating class. The number of students in any graduating class who are elected as juniors shall ordinarily not exceed two percent and in no case shall exceed three percent of the undergraduates expected to receive the Bachelor of Arts degree upon graduation in that class.

Section 3. Election to membership in Phi Beta Kappa is wholly within the discretion of the members of this chapter, subject only to the limitations imposed by the constitution and bylaws of the chapter, and no right to election as a member-in-course shall adhere to any student solely by reason of fulfillment of the minimum Grade Point Average or by being among the top ten to fifteen percent of the graduating class.

Section 4. Nominations for membership-in-course shall be made by the Committee on Members-In-Course. The Committee shall circulate a confidential list to the resident members of the chapter at least one week in advance of the election meeting. Election shall be by written ballot and shall require an affirmative vote by three-fourths of the resident members present and voting. Candidates may also be nominated from the floor; but in such cases an affirmative vote by four-fifths of the resident members present shall be required for election. The Committee shall bring all relevant supporting information regarding students eligible for election to the meeting

Section 5. Nominations for election to alumni/ae membership shall be referred to the Committee on Alumni/ae and Honorary Members. No nomination for alumni/ae membership shall be brought before the chapter for action unless favorably reported by the committee. The committee shall be guided by criteria defined in Article III, Section 4, of the chapter constitution, and committee recommendations shall include a written statement of the qualifications of each nominee. Election shall be by written ballot with a four-fifths vote of members present and voting required. No more than two alumni members may be elected in any year, nor more than three in any triennium. Graduates of Lewis & Clark College shall become eligible for this honor no earlier than ten years after receiving the bachelor's degree. A statement of the qualifications of each candidate elected to alumni/ae membership shall be sent to the Secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, as provided in Article III, Section 9, of the chapter constitution.

Section 6. Upon submission of a nomination petition signed by at least ten Chapter Members, the Committee on Alumni/ae and Honorary Members shall consider persons for honorary membership. The committee shall be guided by criteria defined in Article III, Section 5, of the chapter constitution, and committee recommendations shall include a written statement of the qualifications of each nominee. If the Committee, upon review of the candidate, approves the nomination, the Chapter President shall inform, in writing, the Phi Beta Kappa Chapter of the institution from which the candidate received the undergraduate degree, of our intention to elect, if such institution has an active chapter of the Society. No graduate of another institution having a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa shall be recommended for election unless the parent chapter has been notified and has raised no objection within a two-month period. A substantial explanation should accompany any negative response from the parent chapter. No nomination for honorary membership shall be brought before the chapter for action unless favorably reported by the committee. Election shall be by written ballot with a four-fifths vote of members present and voting required. No more than two honorary members may be elected in any triennium. A statement of the qualifications of each candidate elected to honorary membership shall be sent to the Secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, as provided in Article III, Section 9, of the chapter constitution.

Section 7. Attendance at the initiation shall normally be a prerequisite for gaining membership in the chapter.

Section 8. Since good character is a qualification for membership, any member of the chapter found, after being given due notice and an opportunity to be heard, to have lost this qualification, may be expelled from Phi Beta Kappa by a four-fifths vote of the resident members present at the annual spring meeting. The name of any member so expelled shall be reported to the Secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, with a statement of the grounds for the action.

Article IV. Fees

Section l. The initiation fee for new members shall be determined annually by the Executive Committee.

Section 2. Payment of the initiation fee shall be regarded as formal acceptance of election and shall be made before initiation.

Section 3. Members shall be encouraged to purchase a key, the enduring symbol of the Society.

Section 4. Resident members of the chapter, exclusive of members-in-course, shall pay annual dues at a rate set by the Executive Committee and reported to the chapter.

Section 5. Special assessments may be levied against resident members by majority vote of the members present at any meeting, provided that written notice of the intention to propose such an assessment is given in the announcement of the meeting.

Section 6. Registration and Council Fund payments shall be forwarded by the Secretary-Treasurer to the Treasurer of the Phi Beta Kappa Society in accordance with the bylaws of the Society.

Article V. Amendments

Amendments to these bylaws, not inconsistent with the constitution and other lawful regulations of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the resident members present at any regular meeting, either upon motion presented and tabled at the preceding regular or special meeting, or upon condition that written notice of the proposed changes has been sent to all resident members at least three weeks in advance of the meeting. All amendments shall be subject to the approval of the Senate of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.


Originally approved by the Charter Members of Gamma of Oregon: December 10, 1997.

Approved by the Senate of the Phi Beta Kappa Society: June, 1998.