BAP THETA XI BYLAWS
|
Table of Contents:
|
Download the Theta Xi Bylaws by clicking the file link above.
Beta Alpha Psi recognizes academic excellence and complements members' formal education by providing interaction among students, faculty, and professionals, and fosters lifelong growth, service and ethical conduct. | ||
Article 1: Name of the organization
The name of this organization shall be the Theta Xi Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi at the University of New Mexico.
Article 2: The objectives and purposes of the Chapter
Beta Alpha Psi is an honorary and professional organization for students of accountancy, finance and information systems. Its stated purpose includes recognition of outstanding academic achievements in the field of accounting, finance and information systems; promotion of the study and practice of accounting, finance and information systems; provision of opportunities for self-development and association among members and financial information professionals; and encouragement of a sense of ethical, social, and public responsibility. The organization seeks to develop its members’ professionalism through career-oriented, social, and community activities.
Article 3: New students to the Chapter
There are two avenues for new students wanting to join the Theta Xi chapter: affiliation and candidateship.
All students are allowed to have one semester of affiliation known as the “Trial Semester,” where they do not have any formal requirements and may see if they enjoy being a part of the chapter. After the Trial Semester ends, the student may only continue as an affiliate if they do not meet the requirements for candidateship, e.g. coursework not finished or GPA not at level. If the student meets the requirements for candidateship after the Trial Semester they must become a candidate.
Trial Semester:
Article 4: Chapter Affiliation
As an alternative means to chapter involvement, the Theta Xi chapter allows students to become affiliates. Affiliation differs from candidateship in that full member status is not currently being pursued. The position exists to enable students to support the chapter before they are eligible for candidateship.
Affiliate Eligibility:
Article 5: Chapter Candidateship
To be admitted as a member in the organization, a student must successfully complete a semester as a candidate and attain minimum academic performance. Candidateship is one semester long.
Candidate Eligibility:
Candidates not in good standing, by failing to complete the above requirements, at the end of the semester may not participate in the Theta Xi chapter in future semesters, subject to the judgement by the Officer Committee. See Article 12 below for further details.
*All candidates and members must tutor a minimum of one hour a week and are only allowed a max of two hours a week towards requirements but can tutor more than two per week for points. If a candidate/member misses a week, they must make up that hour by tutoring for two hours the following week. Candidates/members are only allowed to miss one week. Missing more than one week or failing to make up the missed hour in the following week will cause that candidate/member to not be in good standing for the semester.
Article 6: Chapter Membership
Once a semester of candidateship is successfully completed, the student is then a member of the chapter. Membership lasts one semester; members may renew each semester that they meet the below eligibility.
Member Eligibility:
*All candidates and members must tutor a minimum of one hour a week and are only allowed a max of two hours a week towards requirements but can tutor more than two per week for points. If a candidate/member misses a week, they must make up that hour by tutoring for two hours the following week. Candidates/members are only allowed to miss one week. Missing more than one week or failing to make up the missed hour in the following week will cause that candidate/member to not be in good standing for the semester.
Article 7: Theta Xi Professional Conduct
All students associated with the Theta Xi chapter must conduct themselves in a professional manner. Each student of the chapter helps define the reputation of the whole, and we must maintain our status as a reputable honors organization. Students seem as not conducting themselves professionally are in violation of membership requirements and are subject to Article 12, Section 3.
Article 8: Meetings for the conduct of business
Actions requiring a vote of the entire candidate roster will require a one week notice of meeting and agenda. Persons may vote by proxy. Both members and candidates in good standing are eligible to vote. The lesser of 20% of the members and candidates or a quorum of the petitioning chapter representatives are required to conduct a vote. The final decision will be determined by a majority of the vote.
Actions requiring the vote of the executive committee, consisting of the chapter officers and faculty advisor, will require a 48 hour notice of meeting and agenda. Persons may vote by proxy. An executive committee vote requires the attendance of at least 75% of the executive committee. The final decision will be determined by a majority of the votes.
Article 9: Student officers
Chapter Officer Elections:
The term of office will begin when the officers are sworn in at the end-of-semester initiation and end two weeks after the end of the semester.
Elections are to be held near the end of each semester prior to the upcoming academic semester. Nominations may be made by a member or candidate of the chapter, and only members may serve as officers of the chapter. Candidates and Affiliates, after their initial semester, may serve as officer-elects. No student is eligible to become an officer within their first semester of being involved with Theta Xi. Students are allowed to run for two positions per election. At the appropriate meeting, nominated students will give a brief speech stating their goals, objectives, and reasons for running for office. Each member and candidate will cast one vote per position which will be collected by the outgoing president or via online. The president and faculty advisor will count the votes; the student with a majority of the votes wins.
Online Voting
If chosen, election voting may be performed online. A link to the online poll shall be given via email to all members and candidates of the chapter. Voters will be required to provide their student identification number alongside their voting selection. The polls shall be open for at least one week. See step-by-step listing below for further requirements and guidance.
See Theta Xi Chapter Officer Contracts for list of duties and responsibilities per position. Officer contracts must be signed by each officer and officer-elect.
Article 10: Members on Leave
Leave allows members to stay in good standing and continue their membership without fulfilling membership requirements. Once returning, the member must follow membership requirements to continue membership with the Theta Xi chapter. Leave is only granted to members on the basis that they cannot fulfill membership requirements due to:
Article 11: Committees other than the Executive Committee
As ad hoc committees are needed they will be headed by a chairperson that is appointed by the president. Participation is open to all students of the chapter.
Article 12: Expulsion from Chapter
Section 1. A member who does not meet the minimum requirements for their respective membership-type at the end of a semester is barred from participating in the Theta Xi chapter in future semesters. This rule may be waived on a case-by-case basis by the Executive Committee if the member at issue has experienced a qualifying event during the semester or if they experienced other unforeseen difficulties. Qualifying events consist of life-altering situations, such as prolonged sickness, family emergencies, and the like. Unforeseen difficulties consist of financial restrictions or difficult work load. In any case the student in question must write a letter to the Executive Committee describing their situation alongside their plans for future improvements within 21 days of being notified of their removal. The decision is based on the best judgement and vote of the Executive Committee.
Section 2. False representation on accounting hours, professional hours, and service hours merits immediate expulsion.
Section 3. A member may also be expelled for conduct detrimental to the purposes or interests of Beta Alpha Psi. Charges of such conduct must be made in writing to the faculty advisor and signed by the accusing member of Beta Alpha Psi.
When such charges have been made against a member, the faculty advisor must make certain that the accused member is given notice and an opportunity to be heard concerning the charges. Notice must be given to the accused member by email at least fourteen days before the hearing before the Executive Committee, and such notice shall include: (1) a copy of the charges made against the member; (2) the time, date, and place of the hearing; (3) an explanation of the expulsion procedures.
The Executive Committee shall investigate the charges and make a determination as to whether the accused should be expelled. The findings should be based on a presentation of the charges by the accusing member and the accused has the opportunity to appear and explain the actions in question.
If expelled, the member may request a hearing before the entire officer team in a special meeting called for that specific purpose. A majority vote of the officer team may reverse the committee's findings. If the officer team does not reverse the findings, then that members is discharged from the Theta Xi chapter. Discharge includes no longer being affiliated with Beta Alpha Psi and being prohibited from attending all Beta Alpha Psi events including but not limited to initiation.
Article 13: Removal of Officers
An officer may be discharged if he/she(s):
An officer shall be discharged by a majority vote (excluding the faculty advisor’s and co-faculty advisor’s vote) of all other Executive Committee members. An officer may appeal the decision to the Executive Committee at which time the committee would take a second and final vote.
An officer that is under ethical violation administered by the University of New Mexico may be suspended and discharged from his/her position by the faculty advisor and co-faculty advisor’s decision without vote.
If discharged as an officer, the student may still continue as a member of the chapter, provided they continue to meet all the requirements related to their level of membership.
Article 14: Chapter Trips
All officers/members/candidates/affiliates are eligible to participate in Theta Xi sponsored trips, namely Beta Alpha Psi Regionals and Annuals. Any student who is part of Theta Xi may go if they pay for themselves. The chapter will pay expenses for a number of Theta Xi students based on the point system, described below. Students with the highest points shall be given a spot. Should recipients decline their spots, it shall then be given to the next highest point student. Students are only eligible to attend one Theta Xi trip per year, i.e. the same student may not go to both Regionals and Annuals in the same year. The only exception to this is for regional meeting presenters who place 1st, and must then go to annuals to present again. A limit of 50% officers may attend any given trip. Points for Annuals are based on Spring semester, points for Regionals are based on Fall semester. The number of students paid for may vary each semester depending on the chapter budget.
Point System:
Professional Meeting Attendance – +5 per Theta Xi sponsored technical meeting.
Tutoring Hours – +1 point per hour spent in the lab, as well as +1 point per student tutored. No limit.
Community Service Attendance - +10 per Theta Xi sponsored community service event.
Officer points – +10 for officers in good standing.
Other Theta Xi-hosted events - +5 points per event.
Other non-Theta Xi professional event - +1 point per hour. Must show proof of attendance via a sign-in list or photo. Subject to approval by Executive Vice President and Faculty Advisor.
Article 15: Scholarship Recipients
Members/candidates/affiliates are eligible to compete and receive a scholarship through Beta Alpha Psi. Officers, including elects, are able eligible to receive scholarships. A student may only win one scholarship throughout their time with the Theta Xi chapter. Scholarship recipients are determined using the same Point System described above. The eligible students with the most points at the end of the semester shall be awarded a scholarship during initiation. The amount of scholarships awarded each semester may vary depending on the chapter budget. The chapter may decide to not award scholarships if no outstanding individuals stand out.
Officers may receive a separate scholarship that is based on their work as an officer. The chapter may decide not to award this scholarship if there is no clear outstanding officer. This scholarship is granted through vote of the officers and the approval of the faculty advisor.
Article 16: Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the chapter will end in Mid May.
Article 17: Authority
These bylaws shall be the principle governing document of the Theta Xi Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi. These bylaws are subordinate to the National Constitution and Bylaws of the Beta Alpha Psi Organization. Any provision of this document that conflicts with the National Constitution and Bylaws of the Beta Alpha Psi Organization that is currently in effect will be null and void.
Article 18: Requirements for Amendment to the Bylaws
An amendment to the bylaws requires a majority of the Executive Committee to cast an affirmative vote in order for an amendment to be passed. Amendments may be proposed by the executive committee or membership. All amendments must be posted on website or via email within one week of the change.
Article 19: Items Not Covered in Bylaws
Items not covered within these Bylaws are subject to resolution by the best judgement and vote of the Executive Committee.
The name of this organization shall be the Theta Xi Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi at the University of New Mexico.
Article 2: The objectives and purposes of the Chapter
Beta Alpha Psi is an honorary and professional organization for students of accountancy, finance and information systems. Its stated purpose includes recognition of outstanding academic achievements in the field of accounting, finance and information systems; promotion of the study and practice of accounting, finance and information systems; provision of opportunities for self-development and association among members and financial information professionals; and encouragement of a sense of ethical, social, and public responsibility. The organization seeks to develop its members’ professionalism through career-oriented, social, and community activities.
Article 3: New students to the Chapter
There are two avenues for new students wanting to join the Theta Xi chapter: affiliation and candidateship.
All students are allowed to have one semester of affiliation known as the “Trial Semester,” where they do not have any formal requirements and may see if they enjoy being a part of the chapter. After the Trial Semester ends, the student may only continue as an affiliate if they do not meet the requirements for candidateship, e.g. coursework not finished or GPA not at level. If the student meets the requirements for candidateship after the Trial Semester they must become a candidate.
Trial Semester:
- One semester long
- No formal requirements, e.g. tutoring lab hours or professional hours
- Must still submit payment and adhere to Theta Xi Professional Conduct
Article 4: Chapter Affiliation
As an alternative means to chapter involvement, the Theta Xi chapter allows students to become affiliates. Affiliation differs from candidateship in that full member status is not currently being pursued. The position exists to enable students to support the chapter before they are eligible for candidateship.
Affiliate Eligibility:
- New student opting to use Trial Semester
- If Trial Semester has been used, eligible only if candidateship requirements are not met
- Both undergraduate and graduates are eligible for affiliation
- Payment of affiliate dues
- Adherence to Theta Xi Professional Conduct
- Payment of affiliate dues
- Attendance at two professional meetings per semester – two professional hours
- Attend one Theta Xi community service event per semester – four service hours
- Adherence to Theta Xi Professional Conduct
Article 5: Chapter Candidateship
To be admitted as a member in the organization, a student must successfully complete a semester as a candidate and attain minimum academic performance. Candidateship is one semester long.
Candidate Eligibility:
- have declared a concentration in accounting, finance, or information systems (or have stated an intention to declare a concentration in accounting, finance, or information systems),
- are enrolled students at the chapter university, and;
- have completed one- and one-half years of collegiate courses and at least one major course (accounting, finance or information systems corresponding to major area) beyond the principles or introductory level, not including core (for transfer students, the most recent qualifying course must be at the initiating institution or another AACSB or EQUIS accredited institution or
- have attained a cumulative grade average in upper level courses, in their declared area of concentration, beyond the business core of at least 3.0 (where A is equal to 4.0) or the equivalent (for graduate students this GPA should be measured after at least one semester or quarter of academic work) ; and
- have attained at least a cumulative grade average of 3.0, or
- have achieved a rank within the top 35% of their university class, or
- have attained at least a 3.25 cumulative grade average on the most recently completed 30 semester hours; or
- have attained an honors distinction utilized by their institution deemed to be equivalent to the above by the BAP Board of Directors
- Both undergraduate and graduates are eligible for candidateship
- Payment of semester dues & candidate fee
- Attendance at six professional meetings per semester – total of six professional hours
- Volunteer one hour a week of tutoring in the accounting lab*
- Attendance at one Theta Xi community service event per semester – total of four service hours
- Attend initiation at the end of the semester
- Adherence to Theta Xi Professional Conduct
Candidates not in good standing, by failing to complete the above requirements, at the end of the semester may not participate in the Theta Xi chapter in future semesters, subject to the judgement by the Officer Committee. See Article 12 below for further details.
*All candidates and members must tutor a minimum of one hour a week and are only allowed a max of two hours a week towards requirements but can tutor more than two per week for points. If a candidate/member misses a week, they must make up that hour by tutoring for two hours the following week. Candidates/members are only allowed to miss one week. Missing more than one week or failing to make up the missed hour in the following week will cause that candidate/member to not be in good standing for the semester.
Article 6: Chapter Membership
Once a semester of candidateship is successfully completed, the student is then a member of the chapter. Membership lasts one semester; members may renew each semester that they meet the below eligibility.
Member Eligibility:
- Have completed a successful candidateship.
- Have completed a successful prior semester of membership if a returning member.
- Have a declared major of Accounting, Finance, or MIS.
- Attain an overall minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0.
- Attain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in the appropriate major. The grade point average from your accounting, finance, or information systems major includes only upper level major courses.
- Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for membership
- Payment of semester dues
- Attendance at six professional meetings per semester – six professional hours
- Volunteer one hour a week of tutoring in the accounting lab*
- Attend one Theta Xi community service event per semester – four service hours
- Adherence to Theta Xi Professional Conduct
*All candidates and members must tutor a minimum of one hour a week and are only allowed a max of two hours a week towards requirements but can tutor more than two per week for points. If a candidate/member misses a week, they must make up that hour by tutoring for two hours the following week. Candidates/members are only allowed to miss one week. Missing more than one week or failing to make up the missed hour in the following week will cause that candidate/member to not be in good standing for the semester.
Article 7: Theta Xi Professional Conduct
All students associated with the Theta Xi chapter must conduct themselves in a professional manner. Each student of the chapter helps define the reputation of the whole, and we must maintain our status as a reputable honors organization. Students seem as not conducting themselves professionally are in violation of membership requirements and are subject to Article 12, Section 3.
Article 8: Meetings for the conduct of business
Actions requiring a vote of the entire candidate roster will require a one week notice of meeting and agenda. Persons may vote by proxy. Both members and candidates in good standing are eligible to vote. The lesser of 20% of the members and candidates or a quorum of the petitioning chapter representatives are required to conduct a vote. The final decision will be determined by a majority of the vote.
Actions requiring the vote of the executive committee, consisting of the chapter officers and faculty advisor, will require a 48 hour notice of meeting and agenda. Persons may vote by proxy. An executive committee vote requires the attendance of at least 75% of the executive committee. The final decision will be determined by a majority of the votes.
Article 9: Student officers
Chapter Officer Elections:
The term of office will begin when the officers are sworn in at the end-of-semester initiation and end two weeks after the end of the semester.
Elections are to be held near the end of each semester prior to the upcoming academic semester. Nominations may be made by a member or candidate of the chapter, and only members may serve as officers of the chapter. Candidates and Affiliates, after their initial semester, may serve as officer-elects. No student is eligible to become an officer within their first semester of being involved with Theta Xi. Students are allowed to run for two positions per election. At the appropriate meeting, nominated students will give a brief speech stating their goals, objectives, and reasons for running for office. Each member and candidate will cast one vote per position which will be collected by the outgoing president or via online. The president and faculty advisor will count the votes; the student with a majority of the votes wins.
Online Voting
If chosen, election voting may be performed online. A link to the online poll shall be given via email to all members and candidates of the chapter. Voters will be required to provide their student identification number alongside their voting selection. The polls shall be open for at least one week. See step-by-step listing below for further requirements and guidance.
- Complete listing of the votes cast shall be handled by the faculty advisor. The faculty advisor will ensure that each student identification number matches a valid voter by comparing the IDs on the voting results sheet to the IDs on the Theta Xi membership listing; any duplicates or nonmatching numbers shall be discarded and not counted.
- The faculty advisor will then remove the student IDs from the voting results sheet and provide the anonymous voting results the president.
- The president, faculty advisor and co-faculty advisor will tally all votes, determine winners from the tally, and notify all students who ran whether they have received a position or not via email within one week of the polls closing.
- In the event that an elected officer does assume their position, another election shall be held for that position following the same procedures and standards of voting.
See Theta Xi Chapter Officer Contracts for list of duties and responsibilities per position. Officer contracts must be signed by each officer and officer-elect.
Article 10: Members on Leave
Leave allows members to stay in good standing and continue their membership without fulfilling membership requirements. Once returning, the member must follow membership requirements to continue membership with the Theta Xi chapter. Leave is only granted to members on the basis that they cannot fulfill membership requirements due to:
- A medical emergency
- A family emergency
- Studying at another university or institution abroad
- A job or internship that is located further than 100 miles from the University of New Mexico
Article 11: Committees other than the Executive Committee
As ad hoc committees are needed they will be headed by a chairperson that is appointed by the president. Participation is open to all students of the chapter.
Article 12: Expulsion from Chapter
Section 1. A member who does not meet the minimum requirements for their respective membership-type at the end of a semester is barred from participating in the Theta Xi chapter in future semesters. This rule may be waived on a case-by-case basis by the Executive Committee if the member at issue has experienced a qualifying event during the semester or if they experienced other unforeseen difficulties. Qualifying events consist of life-altering situations, such as prolonged sickness, family emergencies, and the like. Unforeseen difficulties consist of financial restrictions or difficult work load. In any case the student in question must write a letter to the Executive Committee describing their situation alongside their plans for future improvements within 21 days of being notified of their removal. The decision is based on the best judgement and vote of the Executive Committee.
Section 2. False representation on accounting hours, professional hours, and service hours merits immediate expulsion.
Section 3. A member may also be expelled for conduct detrimental to the purposes or interests of Beta Alpha Psi. Charges of such conduct must be made in writing to the faculty advisor and signed by the accusing member of Beta Alpha Psi.
When such charges have been made against a member, the faculty advisor must make certain that the accused member is given notice and an opportunity to be heard concerning the charges. Notice must be given to the accused member by email at least fourteen days before the hearing before the Executive Committee, and such notice shall include: (1) a copy of the charges made against the member; (2) the time, date, and place of the hearing; (3) an explanation of the expulsion procedures.
The Executive Committee shall investigate the charges and make a determination as to whether the accused should be expelled. The findings should be based on a presentation of the charges by the accusing member and the accused has the opportunity to appear and explain the actions in question.
If expelled, the member may request a hearing before the entire officer team in a special meeting called for that specific purpose. A majority vote of the officer team may reverse the committee's findings. If the officer team does not reverse the findings, then that members is discharged from the Theta Xi chapter. Discharge includes no longer being affiliated with Beta Alpha Psi and being prohibited from attending all Beta Alpha Psi events including but not limited to initiation.
Article 13: Removal of Officers
An officer may be discharged if he/she(s):
- Is not carrying out the duties of the office per the contract; or
- Is not participating as a member of the Executive Committee; or
- Does not meet the requirements for membership as outlined in Articles 4, 5, and 6; or
- Conduct is detrimental to the purposes of Beta Alpha Psi per the officer contract.
An officer shall be discharged by a majority vote (excluding the faculty advisor’s and co-faculty advisor’s vote) of all other Executive Committee members. An officer may appeal the decision to the Executive Committee at which time the committee would take a second and final vote.
An officer that is under ethical violation administered by the University of New Mexico may be suspended and discharged from his/her position by the faculty advisor and co-faculty advisor’s decision without vote.
If discharged as an officer, the student may still continue as a member of the chapter, provided they continue to meet all the requirements related to their level of membership.
Article 14: Chapter Trips
All officers/members/candidates/affiliates are eligible to participate in Theta Xi sponsored trips, namely Beta Alpha Psi Regionals and Annuals. Any student who is part of Theta Xi may go if they pay for themselves. The chapter will pay expenses for a number of Theta Xi students based on the point system, described below. Students with the highest points shall be given a spot. Should recipients decline their spots, it shall then be given to the next highest point student. Students are only eligible to attend one Theta Xi trip per year, i.e. the same student may not go to both Regionals and Annuals in the same year. The only exception to this is for regional meeting presenters who place 1st, and must then go to annuals to present again. A limit of 50% officers may attend any given trip. Points for Annuals are based on Spring semester, points for Regionals are based on Fall semester. The number of students paid for may vary each semester depending on the chapter budget.
Point System:
Professional Meeting Attendance – +5 per Theta Xi sponsored technical meeting.
Tutoring Hours – +1 point per hour spent in the lab, as well as +1 point per student tutored. No limit.
Community Service Attendance - +10 per Theta Xi sponsored community service event.
Officer points – +10 for officers in good standing.
Other Theta Xi-hosted events - +5 points per event.
Other non-Theta Xi professional event - +1 point per hour. Must show proof of attendance via a sign-in list or photo. Subject to approval by Executive Vice President and Faculty Advisor.
Article 15: Scholarship Recipients
Members/candidates/affiliates are eligible to compete and receive a scholarship through Beta Alpha Psi. Officers, including elects, are able eligible to receive scholarships. A student may only win one scholarship throughout their time with the Theta Xi chapter. Scholarship recipients are determined using the same Point System described above. The eligible students with the most points at the end of the semester shall be awarded a scholarship during initiation. The amount of scholarships awarded each semester may vary depending on the chapter budget. The chapter may decide to not award scholarships if no outstanding individuals stand out.
Officers may receive a separate scholarship that is based on their work as an officer. The chapter may decide not to award this scholarship if there is no clear outstanding officer. This scholarship is granted through vote of the officers and the approval of the faculty advisor.
Article 16: Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the chapter will end in Mid May.
Article 17: Authority
These bylaws shall be the principle governing document of the Theta Xi Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi. These bylaws are subordinate to the National Constitution and Bylaws of the Beta Alpha Psi Organization. Any provision of this document that conflicts with the National Constitution and Bylaws of the Beta Alpha Psi Organization that is currently in effect will be null and void.
Article 18: Requirements for Amendment to the Bylaws
An amendment to the bylaws requires a majority of the Executive Committee to cast an affirmative vote in order for an amendment to be passed. Amendments may be proposed by the executive committee or membership. All amendments must be posted on website or via email within one week of the change.
Article 19: Items Not Covered in Bylaws
Items not covered within these Bylaws are subject to resolution by the best judgement and vote of the Executive Committee.