Chapter Advisors

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This page is a resource for various examples of bylaw sections relating to Faculty Advisors and Alumni Advisors. This is not a comprehensive list. It is intended to show different ways Chapters use and elect Advisors as outlined in their bylaws. In each section there is a link to view additional sections relating to that Office that your Chapter can borrow or modify for their own use. The National Constitution outlines requirements for both of these roles in National Constitution Article IX Collegiate Chapters.

Faculty Advisor

Responsibilities

Some Chapters outline responsibilities they want their Faculty Advisor(s) to fulfill. These typically outline their involvement in meetings and events, areas where they are encouraged to offer advice, as well as additional roles they have deemed important.

Example: "The duties of the Chapter Advisor(s) are to advise and counsel the chapter and the members, the advisor must be a full-time administrator, faculty or staff member of the University. The chapter advisor(s) shall serve the best interests of Phi Sigma Pi, the Chapter, and its members. The Chapter Advisor(s) must reasonably attempt to ensure that all business conducted by the Chapter meets University policies. At least one of the sheltering institution’s staff shall be designated official Chapter Advisor."

Example: "Serve as a mentor to the organization, providing guidance to the officers and members in the development and implementation of programs and activities, as well as University policy and procedure."

Example: "Advisors are non-voting members of the Organization."

See: [X| Requirements] in this Google Document.

Alumni Advisor

Qualifications

Some Chapters outline qualifications for those eligible to serve as Alumni Advisor(s). These might outline an application or nomination process, membership in good standing, quantity of advisors, among other qualifications.

Example: An Alumni adviser must be an alumnus in good standing of the Chapter."

Example: Alumni of any other Chapter of Phi Sigma Pi in good standing with Phi Sigma Pi who are also recognized as Honorary Brothers of the Chapter."

Example: Applications for the position shall be made by the President and sent to the Alumni through the Alumni Committee."

Example: Up to three Alumni advisers may be selected to advise and counsel the active Brothers of the Chapter."

Responsibilities

Some Chapters outline responsibilities they want their Alumni Advisor(s) to fulfill. These typically outline their involvement in meetings and events, areas where they are encouraged to offer advice, as well as additional roles they have deemed important.

Example: "1. Be an active advisor and resource for the Chapter
2. Offer suggestions for Chapter improvement
3. Contact the Regional Consultant in the beginning months of their term to introduce themselves
4. Check in with the Chapter at least once to be an informed advisor, via email or phone to the President
5. Attend 1 Chapter event per semester
6. Work with the Alumni Committee to publish all newsletters to Alumni
7. Encourage Alumni involvement in the Chapter"

Example: "1. The Alumni Advisor(s) is expected to be reasonably available to the Officers and leadership of the Chapter for the purposes of: giving advice about Chapter issues; offering an alumni-related perspective; answering questions about the history of the Chapter; answering questions about process and procedure for the Chapter; provide information about the National perspective of Phi Sigma Pi; and continuing the dissemination of knowledge from previous generations. He/She is expected to fulfill any other reasonable duties the Chapter or the Executive Board delegates, having given due consideration to realistic personal and professional time restraints on the Alumni Advisor(s). The Chapter or the Executive Board may authorize him/her to officially represent the Chapter in whatever ways it sees fit. It is the joint duty of the Alumni Advisor and the Chapter leadership to keep the Alumni Advisor(s) informed about Chapter business.
2. The Alumni Advisor(s) shall be an official representative of the Chapter for the purposes delegated to him/her, but shall not be allowed to vote at any business or Executive Board meeting."

Example: "Educate the Chapter on both alumni issues and life after college.

See: [X| Requirements] in this Google Document.

Advisory Boards

Some Chapters utilize Alumni Advisory Boards and thus outline their responsibilities. These typically outline their involvement in meetings and events, areas where they are encouraged to offer advice, as well as additional roles they have deemed important.

Example: "1: The Alumni Advisory Board consists of alumni of the Chapter that use their knowledge and experience to advance the brotherhood of the chapter. All Alumni are invited, not required, upon receiving alumni status, to be a member of the Board.
2: Each Semester, the alumni chair will request the continued interest of participation of each member
3: There is no limit as to the number of members serving on the Board at any given time.
4: The duties of the Board include, but are not constrained to the following: to provide suggestions, to answers questions, and offer any advice deemed necessary.
5: Any active brother is free to contact the Board when he or she desires.
6: The Board does not need to arrive at a joint response to any question proved by an active brother. Any response from the Board, or a member of it, in no way signifies that the chapter must abide by it. The response of the Board or a member is purely informative and can be used by the chapter how it desires"

Example: "1: The Alumni Advisory Board will consist of volunteer Alumni who will be organized into an advisory board by the Alumni Committee Chair with the following responsibilities by the start of each semester.
2: The Board shall have an advisory role for the Chapter, meaning the Chapter will ask the Board for advice when it is thought to be needed and the Board should offer and vice when applicable.
3: Each member of the Board shall be paired with at least one (1) Chapter committee (i.e. Social, AS&S, etc.) until all committees in the Chapter are accounted for.
4:The Committee Heads for these committees will have the task of being in contact with their Alumni counterparts; the Alumni will be there to help brainstorm, give ideas to, or help plan events that their respective Committee Head is planning.
5:The Alumni Board shall meet at least once a month with the Alumni Chair in order to stay in touch with the other members of the Board and stay connected with the Chapter.
6: This meeting can take place via any reasonable modern communication method (i.e. not texting).
7: The members of the Alumni Board will receive the minutes from each Chapter.
8:Any requests made by the Alumni Advisory Board that affect the Chapter must be authorized with a majority vote by the Chapter.
9:The Alumni Chair or specific Committee Head shall bring such a vote to the Chapter during weekly Chapter meeting."

Example:"The Alumni Advisory Board shall select a chairperson to organize its meetings and serve as liaison to the brotherhood. The chairman or vice-chair of the Alumni/ICR Committee shall serve as a defacto member of the Alumni Advisory Board. The Faculty Advisor shall be notified of Alumni Advisory Board meetings and may attend and participate at his/her pleasure."

Advisory Board Make Up

Example:"The Chapter shall have an Alumni Advisory Board composed of two elected alumni and the most recently graduated President."

Example:"The Alumni Advisory Council shall consist of at least five alumni members."

Example:"Members must have Active Alumni Member status as defined by the National Constitution"

Review Process

Some Chapters outline processes to for the Chapter and Advisor(s) to provide feedback on the role and make recommendations for improvements for the relationship.

Example: "A formal letter will be mailed to the alumni advisor informing them they are not in good standing with the fraternity, and a list of the unmet requirements will be listed in the letter along with a copy of the fraternal bylaws over that position.
If no improvement has occurred after 6 weeks of the alumni advisor being contacted through the following procedure outline in section A then a hearing will be called between the executive board members to discuss and vote on the removal of the officer in position."

Election Processes

Some Chapters outline processes to for the Chapter and Advisor(s) to provide feedback on the role and make recommendations for improvements for the relationship.

Example: "The Chapter Advisor(s) of the Chapter shall be elected by a simple majority vote of the Active Collegiate Members of the Chapter at a regularly scheduled chapter meeting with quorum following a nomination by an Active Collegiate Member of the Chapter.

If desired, the chapter may elect one or more Phi Sigma Pi Alumni to serve as Alumni Advisor(s) by a simple majority vote of the Active Collegiate Members of the Chapter at a regularly scheduled chapter meeting with quorum following a nomination by an Active Collegiate Member of the Chapter. Elections for the Chapter Advisor(s) and the Alumni Advisor(s) shall take place at a regularly scheduled chapter meeting with quorum exactly one week following the candidate’s nomination for their potential respective position.

"

Vacancies

Example: "Text."

Term Lengths

Some Chapters outline processes to for the Chapter and Advisor(s) to provide feedback on the role and make recommendations for improvements for the relationship.

Example: "Text."