PHI LAMBDA UPSILON
HONORARY CHEMICAL SOCIETY
NATIONAL CONSTITUTION
Article I. Name
The name of this organization shall be PHI LAMBDA UPSILON, Honorary Chemical Society. The Chapter at Texas A&M University shall be known as the BETA BETA CHAPTER OF PHI LAMBDA EPSILON.
Article II. Objective
The objective of this Society shall be the promotion of high scholarship and original investigation in all branches of pure and applied chemistry.
Article III. Membership
Section 1. The membership of the chapter shall consist of graduate students duly elected and undergraduate
students of junior and senior rank. All members should be elected from the departments of chemistry, chemical
engineering, and biochemistry.
Section 2. Invited members must have a minimum grade point ratio (GPR) as stated below and meet that minimum
GPR in the timeframe as stated below.
Section 3. For graduate students, the minimum GPR is 3.50. In order for this provision to be met, the student must
have completed three (3) semesters of graduate work. For undergraduate students, the minimum GPR is 3.50.
In order for this provision to be met, the student must have completed at least sixty-four (64) semester hours of
college work including twenty (20) semester hours in chemistry courses.
Section 4. Invited members must be in good standing with the university and enrolled: Full time (twelve (12) or
more credit hours), if an undergraduate student. Full time (nine (9) or more credits), if a graduate level student
(unless fewer credits are required in the final stages of their degree as defined by the Continuous Registration
Requirement).
Section 5. Invited undergraduate students shall fill an application form and demonstrate genuine interest in
becoming a member. The Applications Committee shall evaluate this application form. Undergraduate
membership shall be granted upon application merits.
Section 6. Memberships from other chapters will be recognized as "not active" memberships until requirements
prescribed in Article III - Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 are met.
Section 7. An "active" member shall be defined as a member who has been a member for at least one (1) year from
their initiation date and who participates in two (2) volunteer events per academic year. To satisfy the
fundraising requirement, members must participate in a minimum of four (4) goggle sales time slots per
academic year: three (3) sales in the fall semester and at least one (1) in the spring semester. Any other duties
of importance which are approved by the chapter officers may satisfy this requirement.
Section 8. "Inactive" members will not be eligible for any benefits and awards available to "active" members,
subject to decision by the Awards Committee.
Section 9. Any members having been found guilty by a committee of his/her peers of having lied, cheated, or stolen
shall be expelled from this organization and barred from future membership. The member will be informed, in
writing, one (1) week before the meeting of the Judiciary Committee and will be allowed to present a defense.
A majority vote of the committee will be sufficient to remove the accused.
Section 10. Any officer having been found guilty by a committee of his/her peers of having lied, cheated, or stolen
shall be expelled from this organization and barred from future membership. The officer will be informed, in
writing two (2) weeks before the meeting of the Judiciary Committee and will be allowed to present a defense.
A majority vote of the committee will be sufficient to remove the accused.
Section 11. Any officer found to be in dereliction of his/her duty can, on the recommendation of the other elected
officers, be removed by a 2/3 majority vote of the general membership. The accused officer will be allowed to
explain his/her actions before the general membership votes.
Article IV. Elected Officers
Section 1. Chapter officers, whenever possible, shall be elected in the month of April or May to serve for one (1)
year. The chapter officers of the Society shall be the Chapter President, Chapter Vice-President, Chapter
Secretary, and Chapter Treasurer.
Section 2. A majority vote of the active chapter membership shall be sufficient to elect any officer, and a threefourths
majority shall be necessary to remove an officer at any time.
Section 3. Officers shall be graduate students maintaining the requirements of active membership as prescribed in
Article III during the term of office.
Article V. Duties of Elected Officers
Section 1. The Chapter President shall perform all duties usually pertaining to this office. The Chapter President
shall be a member of the National Administrative Council.
Section 2. The Chapter Vice-President shall in the absence of the President perform the duties of the President and
shall also do the following:
(a) The Chapter Vice-President shall be Chairman of the Applications Committee.
(b) The Chapter Vice-President shall work closely with the Chapter Advisor and the Applications Committee
in identifying qualified individuals at neighboring educational and non-academic institutions for
consideration for membership.
(c) The Chapter Vice-President shall be responsible for the initiation ceremony and be charged with seeing
that the initiation is carried out in a form and dignified manner.
Section 3. The Chapter Secretary shall perform the duties usually pertaining to this office, including, but no limited
by, the following:
(a)The Chapter Secretary shall issue all notices of meetings and be responsible for all records of the
Secretary’s office.
(b)The Chapter Secretary shall keep an accurate and complete file of all members initiated by the chapter.
(c)The Chapter Secretary shall file and preserve the chapter copies of The Register.
(d)The Chapter Secretary shall send initiation orders to the National Secretary.
(e)The Chapter Secretary shall bring before the chapter all official communications from the National Office.
(f)The Chapter Secretary shall send to the National Secretary each year a list of names and addresses of the
members of all classes constituting the resident chapter roll.
(g)The Chapter Secretary shall at the close of the academic year send to the National Secretary for the
permanent files of the Society, and on forms to be provided, a report of the activities of the chapter during
the year just closed.
(h)The Chapter Secretary shall prepare and send to the National Editor for publication in The Register reports
of the activities and items of interest concerning alumni.
(i)The Chapter Secretary shall keep the National Secretary informed of changes in the chapter by-laws.
(j)The Chapter Secretary shall send to the National Secretary the names and addresses of the chapter officers
as soon as they have been elected.
Section 4. The Chapter Treasurer shall collect, care for, and keep accurate records of all funds of the chapter, and
make disbursements upon order of the Chapter President.
Article VI. Appointed Officers
Section 1. Coordinators of an activity, committee chairmen, delegates to the State or National Meetings will be elected by the members, or appointed or replaced if need be by the Elected Officers or the Executive Committee.
Article VII. The Chapter Advisor
Section 1. The Chapter Advisor must be a Texas A&M University employee as defined by the Human Resources
Department and must advise at a level consistent with this organization. As a registered organization, the
Chapter Advisor must be a faculty member, professional or associate staff member, or graduate assistant. The
Chapter Advisor must be familiar with activities of this organization and have (or be willing to obtain) an
appropriate level of experience, resources, and knowledge related to those activities and the mission of this
organization.
Section 2. The Chapter Advisor should meet with the officers of this organization to discuss expectations for roles
and responsibilities. The Chapter Advisor should regularly attend executive and general meetings and be
available outside those meetings for advice and consultation related to the operations of this organization. The
Chapter Advisor should assist the organization in developing realistic goals for the academic year.
Section 3. The Chapter Advisor should participate in event planning and attend events when possible or when
deemed necessary.
Section 4. The Chapter Advisor should be aware of this organization's financial status and complete the on-line
education process for the Student Organization Finance Center (SOFC)
Section 5. The Chapter Advisor should be aware of the University Student Rules and other institutional guidelines
that establish expectations for student behavior and activities. The Chapter Advisor should ensure that this
organization and its officers know where rules and guidelines are published, what the rules are, why they exist,
and the consequences for choosing to operate outside their parameters. The Chapter Advisor is expected to
report all rule violations or potential violations to the appropriate university official. The Chapter Advisor
should be familiar with the organization's constitution and all other governing documents.
Article VIII. Finances
Section 1. All monies belonging to this organization shall be deposited and disbursed through a bank account established for this organization at the Student Organization Finance Center and/or the Fiscal Office. All funds must be deposited within 24 hours after collection. The Chapter Advisor must approve and sign each expenditure before payment.