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Phi Alpha Honor Society: A National Honor Society for Social Work Students

Lambda Psi Chapter By-Laws

  I. Officers of the Executive Committee

      Persons accepting elected or nominated position are making the commitment to a full academic year.  The board of officers

      consists of the following positions: President, Vice-president, secretary-treasurer. 

      Each officer is expected to fulfill specific roles in addition to collectively fulfill the following roles:

               1. Model organizational standards set by the organization

               2. Evaluate and assess efficiency of honor society chapter

               3. Motivate and mobilize all members of honor society

               4. Meet membership requirements

  President

1. Facilitate officer and general meetings
2. Liaison between advisor and honor society members
3. Sets organizational standards and goals for academic year
4. Form chapter reports at the conclusion of the academic year
5. Promote welfare of society and chapter
6. Appoint committees

  Vice President

1. Aids in creating standards and goals for academic year
2. Conduct elections
3. Develop activities calendar
4. Perform all duties of the President in the latter’s absence or disability

  Secretary-Treasurer

1. Take meeting minutes
2. Organizational duties
3. Liaison to members
4. Collect dues
5. To forward to the Treasurer of the Executive Council the following:

• The national initiation fee for each student and faculty initiate prior to his or her acceptance into the membership.

               6. Update budget and expense accounts

  Elections

  Elections shall be held once a year and at other times when vacancy occurs. Candidates are to be nominated for position the

first general meeting following induction of new members. Candidates are expected to state qualifications for office during the

  subsequent general meeting. Voting will take place at the final general meeting of the academic year. Ballots formulated by

the executive office will be counted during the final officers meeting in the presence of the advisor. Each officer is to be elected

by a majority vote of the current members of Phi Alpha Lambda Honor Society. New Officers will be presented at the first

general meeting of the following academic year. In the case that a position is not filled at the commencement, then during the

first general meeting the position can be filled through consensus of members present.

  Membership 

  An undergraduate student is eligible for active membership after achieving the following National

minimum requirements and meeting local Chapter requirements:

1. Declared Social Work as a major
2. Achieve sophomore status
3. Complete 8 semester hours or 12 quarters of required social work courses
4. Achieve an overall grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
5. Achieved a 3.5 grade point average in required social work courses

Social Work major students meeting the minimum requirements will be extended an invitation to join the Phi Alpha at the

closing of his/her 2nd semester of sophomore year. Students may also be extended an invitation to join at the close of the

2nd semester of his/her junior year. However, those of senior status will not be extended an invitation to join Phi Alpha

for the reason that they will not have the opportunity to serve as an active member before graduating.

  Subsequent to induction, a member is required to preserve active status by maintaining the National minimum

requirement and the local Chapter requirements listed above in addition to the following expectations:

1. Attend all general meetings
2. Participate in all Phi Alpha Lambda activities

A faculty member may be granted membership by invitation of the Executive Committee and approval of the Chapter 

membership. The Executive Committee, with the approval of the membership, may grant Honorary Membership to

a maximum of two individuals per year who have made outstanding contributions to the field of social work. 

Honorary members shall not be assessed membership dues.

  Advisor

  A faculty member in the undergraduate or graduate social work program shall serve as the faculty advisor.

  Accountability Policy

Any member may be expelled from membership for reasons of academic or personal conduct unbecoming a student of social work, by three-fourths

vote of chapter, after a thorough investigation has been made by the Executive Committee, and the members so charged has been granted an impartial

hearing before the Executive Committee.  Dismissal from the Social Work program or College is cause for automatic recommendation for expulsion.

Dues

The initiation fee shall be of sufficient amount to include the following:

Annual chapter dues shall be established in accordance with chapter needs by action of the Executive

Committee and a three-fourths vote of the chapter membership present.

Special fees may be levied by the Executive Committee with a three-fourths vote of the chapter membership present.

Amendments

These By-Laws may be amended by a majority vote of the Executive Committee and

upon ratification by a three-fourths vote of the membership.

Organizations and Procedures

The chapter shall meet in official sessions at least twice each year. The Chapter year shall begin on July 1 and end on June 30.

The Chapter shall maintain adequate and accurate records of its membership, activities, and finances. Such records shall be

kept in such a way as to serve as a permanent and historical record.

Qualified persons may be inducted into membership into membership in the spring semester for the following year.

Committees

Standing committees may be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Special committees may be appointed by the President

Affirmative Action Statement

Membership shall be available to all eligible persons without regard to

age, gender, color, race, creed, ethnic or national origin, political or sexual orientation, or disability.