Panhellenic Constitution
See below for the PHC Constitution
See below for the PHC Constitution
CONSTITUTION OF CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
PANHELLENIC COUNCIL
ARTICLE I- Name
1. The name of this organization shall be the Case Western Reserve University Panhellenic
Council and shall be hereinafter referred to as
"Panhellenic."
ARTICLE II- Purpose
1. The object of this Panhellenic shall be to develop and maintain sorority life and
intersorority relations at a high level of accomplishment and in doing so:
a. Consider the goals and ideals of member groups as continually applicable to
campus and personal life.
b. Promote superior scholarship as basis to intellectual achievement.
i. Cooperate with member sororities and the university administration in
concern for and maintenance of high social and moral
standards.
2. Act in accordance with National Panhellenic Conference UNANIMOUS
AGREEMENTS and policies.
a. Act in accordance with all rules established by Panhellenic as do not violate the
sovereignty, rights, and privileges of member sororities.
b. Act in accordance with and support the Creed of the Case Greek Community and
the Greek Community
Standards.
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
ARTICLE III- Membership
1. The REGULAR membership of the Case Western Reserve University Panhellenic shall
be composed of all Chapters so voted by the
Panhellenic.
2. The ASSOCIATE membership of the Case Western Reserve University Panhellenic shall
be composed of all members in good standing of such National Panhellenic Conference
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
colonies and such local sororities at Case Western Reserve University as have been approved
by its Panhellenic. 3. A member sorority shall not extend a bid to any initiated member of a
member sorority of
Case Western Reserve University
ARTICLE IV- Extension
1. When a number of female students are unable to affiliate with the existing chapters and
existing chapters desire to remain at a manageable size, the Panhellenic shall vote on
a motion to form an extension exploratory committee.
2. The extension exploratory committee (referred to as Exploratory Committee) shall be
comprised of Panhellenic officers, chapter delegates, alumnae advisors, faculty
advisors, and administrators.
3. The Exploratory Committee shall:
a. Analyze statistics regarding enrollment and statistics
b. Assess the needs of the campus
c. Consult the administration regarding the addition of another NPC organization
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
d. Compile an official report including a recommendation to the Panhellenic as to
whether to extend at this time.
4. If the Exploratory Committee motions to the Panhellenic to open the campus for
extension and the motion passes by a majority vote from the Panhellenic, the
Exploratory Committee shall appoint an Extension Committee.
5. The Panhellenic shall contact the NPC area advisor and the NPC Extension Committee
chairmen when an Extension Committee is
formed.
6. The Extension Committee shall include a representative sample of the Panhellenic
community including collegians, alumnae members/advisors and administrators. Each
recognized organization shall be represented on the committee by a collegiate or alumna
member. The VP Recruitment of the Panhellenic shall chair this committee.
Responsibilities of the Extension Committee include:
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
a. The Extension Committee shall notify all NPC organizations of the extension
opportunity and soliciting
interest.
b. All groups wishing to be recognized as part of the Case Panhellenic Community
must be recognized by a national organization.
c. Groups recognized as members of the community as of October 1st, 2006 are
exempt
.
d. The Extension Committee shall select organizations to be considered for
extension onto the CWRU campus. Once selected, the committee shall
make arrangement for each group to present on different days.
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
e. The Extension Committee shall notify organizations who are not selected to
present
.
f. The Extension Committee shall attend all presentations.
g. After presentations, the committee is responsible for making a recommendation to
the Panhellenic regarding which group meets the needs of the campus.
7. The Panhellenic shall vote on the recommendation from the Extension Committee. If the
motion passes with a majority vote, the Panhellenic shall issue an invitation to the
selected organization. Upon acceptance, the Panhellenic immediately begins work
with the selected organization to prepare a schedule for colonization.
8. Stacking Procedure
a. Stacking NPC groups may be considered if the Extension Committee believes
there will be continued interest for growth in the next 2 to 4 years. Stacking must
be approved through a vote of the Panhellenic.
b. The first organization to colonize shall be given at least 2 primary recruitments to
stabilize before the stacked group colonizes.
c. The Stacking Agreement shall not be extended further than 4 years after the initial
colonization of the first
group.
9. Requirements for Regular or Associate Membership
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
a. When an NPC member organization has followed the NPC Unanimous
Agreement on Extension, and a chapter has been installed, that chapter
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
shall become a regular member of the University Panhellenic.
b. Once regular membership is established, all Panhellenic groups hold equal voting
rights.
ARTICLE V- Officers
1. The officers of the Case Western Reserve University Panhellenic shall be President, Vice
President of Administration, Vice President Citizenship, and Vice President of
Recruitment.
2. The Vice President of Finance and Vice President of Marketing and Communication will
be elected jointly by the Panhellenic and Interfraternity Congress. Both of these positions
will be elected from among members of the fully recognized chapters of either body. They
will be ex-officio members of both Executive Committees.
3. The officers of the Panhellenic shall constitute the Executive Committee.
4. The Greek Community Education Consultant (GCEC) shall be selected through an
interview process conducted by members of the Greek Life Office and the Panhellenic
and serve as an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee
5. The officers shall serve a term of one calendar year. The term of office is to begin at
the last regularly scheduled meeting of the fall semester.
a. The interim period between elections and the first meeting under the new
administration shall be a briefing period during which the former officers shall
instruct the officers-elect as to the most efficient, effective, and responsible way
to fulfill their new duties.
6. The officers shall:
a. Be members from sororities holding regular membership in the Case Western
Reserve University Panhellenic
Council.
b. Have had at least one semester of Panhellenic experience.
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
c. In order to apply for candidacy, members must be in good standing
withtheirchapter. This includes but is not limited to academic standing, active
membership, financially responsible with payment of dues, and not implicated
in any chapter or Greek Life judiciary cases
d. Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the semester prior to assuming
office and throughouttheirterm of office. In the case of the candidate having
served the semester prior to the start oftheirterm at an institution other than Case,
the most recent semester at Case will be considered. In the event that the officer
does not maintain a 3.0,theywill be required to resign immediately.theymay opt to
submit a letter of appeal to the scholarship commission who will then decide if the
officer shall remain intheirposition.
e. Be able to attend the Panhellenic/Interfraternal Executive Board retreat in the
spring, with dates as determined by the Presidents of the Panhellenic,
Interfraternity Congress, and Greek Life Office staff. In the event that the officer
cannot attend the retreat,theywill be required to resign immediately.
f. Must not be co-currently serving as President, Delegate or head of recruitment
oftheirchapter.
ARTICLE VI - Elections
1. Order of elections shall be: Slate, President, Vice President of Administration, Vice
President Citizenship, Vice President of Recruitment, Vice President of Finance and Vice
President of Marketing and Communication.
2. The election of officers each fall semester shall be facilitated by the Slating Committee as
follows
:
3. The committee shall consist of five (5) members. Those members shall include:
a. The Slating Committee Chair
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
i. The chair shall be appointed by the President and approved by a majority
vote of the
Panhellenic
ii. To be eligible to be Chair a candidate must have previously held one of
the following offices: chapter president, chapter first vice president, any
office of the Panhellenic, or an executive office in Order of Omega,
Lambda Eta Mu or Gamma Sigma Alpha.
b. A member of the Panhellenic Judicial Board to be appointed by the Vice
President of Administration.
c. Three (3) collegiate members from chapters unrepresented on the committee.
These members are to be appointed by the Chair.
4. This committee shall be approved by the General Body prior to any elections.
5. The term for this committee shall be one (1) semester.
6. The Chair may take recommendations for committee membership from chapter
presidents or
representatives.
7. A member of this committee, in the event of mid-term elections, may run for the vacant
position with:
a. The consent of the Chair, only if a replacement committee member is appointed
before the committee's duties need be completed for that election.
b. A member of the committee may be removed by the Chair for cause if approved
by the Executive Committee.
8. The duties of the Slating Committee will be hereafter listed:
a. Prescribe guidelines pertaining to the election of Panhellenic officers.
i. Said guidelines will aid the general body in selecting a candidate and
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
discourage campaigning and political
activities.
b. Assemble and determine these guidelines at the start of each semester.
c. Report these guidelines to General Body
d. Conduct interviews:
i. For each election, the committee will schedule interviews with each
candidate that intends to run for the position in question.
1. Candidates may apply for multiple positions, but may only receive
a recommendation for one
(1).
2. Elections will open four (4) weeks before resumes are due to the
Committee
3. These candidates must submit a resume and letter of intent to the
Chair and the Director of Greek Life or their designee at least one
(1) week in advance of their interview with the Slating Committee.
4. The necessary information for that resume will be qualified in the
guidelines established each semester.
5. Interviews must be conducted at least 3 days before the day of
elections, on that given
weekend.
6. The candidate must provide two (2) letters of recommendation.
Letters of recommendation must come from sources outside of the
Panhellenic Executive Committee, and be sent to the committee
by the date of their interview.
7. Final deliberations must conclude at least three (3) days before the
election. If a candidate has failed to be interviewed before said time,
they may not run for the position.
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
a. Interviews are open to community members to attend,
however questions and answers must come only from
the candidates and committee members.
b. Interviews must have at minimum of four (4) of the five (5)
members present.
ii. Once all interviews have been conducted, the Slating Committee must
meet to agree on a recommended
candidate.
1. Final recommendation deliberations are conducted in a closed
meeting.
2. All five (5) members must be in attendance for final deliberations.
iii. The vote to approve a recommendation must be unanimous
iv. Notify each candidate of the committee's decision directly after the
deliberations
1. If the committee determines two (2) or more equally qualified
candidates desire the same position, the committee
may recommend a runoff election on the floor, and
provide all relevant information from the interview
process.
v. If the committee determines that no candidates are adequately qualified for
the position, they may choose to not give a recommendation.
e. Recommend a Candidate during Elections:
i. At the meeting in which elections will take place, the Chair will report the
committee's recommendation to the General Body, along with the
committee's reasoning.
f. Election procedure:
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
i. After the recommendation has been given by the committee, any present
voting member may make further nominations, limited to those
considered, but not selected, by the committee.
ii. If a floor-nominated candidate accepts their nomination, they may speak
on behalf of
themselves
iii. A question/answer period may be granted by the meeting Chair
iv. The recommended candidate may then speak on behalf of themselves
v. A question/answer period may be granted by the meeting Chair
vi. A simple majority election will follow a discussion period
vii. If no candidates are recommended by the committee, the Chair may
determine the appropriate election procedure.
9. Procedure for Election of Vice President of Finance and Vice President of Marketing and
Communicatin
a. The same procedure for election will be followed for the Vice President of
Finance and Vice President of Marketing and Communication but will be done in
conjunction with the IFC Election Committee.
b. Interviews must have at least two (2) members of the Slating Committee and two
(2) members of the IFC Election Committee present.
c. Final deliberations for these two positions must be done at a joint meeting of the
IFC Election Committee and the Slating Committee.
d. Candidate Reports for jointly elected positions will follow the following
procedure
i. Once all interviews have been conducted, the Joint Election Committee
must meet to assess and agree on candidate suitability.
1. Final candidate deliberations are conducted in a closed meeting.
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
2. At least four (4) members (2 IFC, 2 PHC) must be in attendance
for final deliberations. ii. The Joint Election Committee must submit a brief
written assessment of
every candidate to be read aloud after speeches have been given
1. This document will contain a brief section describing the
committee's objective assessment of each candidate (can include
past experience, interest level, etc.) 2. At the end of the document
the committee may include a single sentence summarizing the most
suitable candidate(s) for the position.
e. Voting for these two positions will follow the joint voting procedures outlined in
Article VII Section 11.
ARTICLE VII- Meetings
1. The president of a chapter must attend meetings held by the President of the Council.
a. If a president cannot attend a meeting, their absence may be excused by the
President of the Council. The unexcused absences will have consequences as
outlined in Article VII, section 9. b. Meetings are defined as Joint General Body
Meetings and President Meetings.
2. Regular meetings of the Panhellenic shall be held once every other week during the
Academic Year.
3. Each Chapter and Colony is required to have a delegate and president, or appropriate
substitute(s), attend each regular meeting.
4. All meetings of the Panhellenic shall be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order
Newly Revised, except where specified otherwise in the Constitution or
Bylaws
5. A simple majority of the voting member chapters of the Panhellenic shall constitute a
necessary quorum for the transaction of business
6. The Secretary shall be responsible for distributing an agenda for and to the General Body
at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting start time. Minutes from the General Body and
Executive Committee meetings will be made available to the General Body representatives
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
no more than 24 hours after the meetings occur.
7. The Executive Committee of the Panhellenic shall hold weekly joint meetings with the
Executive Committee of the Interfraternity Congress during the Academic Year.
8. Special meetings of the Panhellenic may be called by the President or at the request of
three or more members of the Panhellenic. The Panhellenic shall be given sufficient
notice of special meetings.
9. Absences from meetings of the Panhellenic by either of a chapter's representatives or
absences of Presidents from President's Meeting within the calendar year, shall have the
following consequences:
a. The first absence of a member chapter shall result in the issuance of a written
warning to that chapter.
b. Second and subsequent absences during the same semester shall result in a letter
being sent to that chapter's national organization notifying them of the situation.
c. The third absence during the same semester will result in a meeting between the
member fraternities/sororities President, Representative/Delegate, the President
of the Congress, and the Director of Greek Life or their designee.In the event of a
member chapter missing more than three meetings in any given semester, the
President of the Congress shall be responsible for bringing that chapter before the
Interfraternity Judicial Board with a recommended minimum outcome of a
suspension of that chapter's voting privileges for at least sixteen academic weeks.
d. In the event of a member chapter missing more than three meetings in any given
semester, the President of the Panhellenic shall be responsible for bringing that
chapter before the Panhellenic Judicial Board.
e. The President of the Panhellenic has the prerogative to excuse absences in
accordance with policies established upon their election to office.
10. Voting
a. The voting body of the Case Western Reserve University Panhellenic Council
shall be the regular members of its Panhellenic Council.
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
b. The voting members of the Panhellenic shall be the delegates of each sorority
holding regular membership and the delegates of such associate sororities as have
been granted voting status. If a delegate is absent, the vote of the sorority shall be
cast by its alternate. Ballots will be tallied by the Panhellenic Advisor
c. Three-quarters of the voting members of:
i. the Panhellenic body are required to amend the Constitution of the Case
Western Reserve University Panhellenic Council or to grant Case
Panhellenic membership to social sororities. ii. the Panhellenic Recruitment
Council are required to establish recruitment
rules
d. In the event of a tie, the tie will be broken by members of the Executive Board,
excluding all ex-officio members.
11. Joint Body Voting
a. At a joint meeting with the Interfraternity Congress of Case Western Reserve, a
community wide motion may be introduced in business, to be discussed and voted
on by all member organizations of both groups acting as one body.
b. The necessary quorum shall be constituted of a simple majority of all member
organizations of both councils.
c. The voting process and success shall follow Robert's Rules of Order Newly
Revised, with both groups acting as one body. This is done so that a vote is passed
or declined as a community rather than as a Panhellenic or Interfraternal matter.
d. Sorority votes would be weighted by multiplying each sorority vote by the value
obtained by dividing the number of voting IFC chapters by the number of voting
Panhellenic chapters.
e. For business that calls for joint changes to the bylaws, a motion will pass with 2Ôüä3
vote in favor of the motion.
f. For business that calls for joint changes to the constitution, a motion will pass
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
with 3Ôüä4 vote in favor of the
motion.
g. For all other joint business, a motion will pass with a simple majority vote in
favor of the motion.
ARTICLE VIII - Representation
1. MEMBERSHIP. The Case Western Reserve University Panhellenic Council shall be
composed of one delegate from each regular and associate member of the Case Western
Reserve University Panhellenic.
2. SELECTION OF DELEGATES. Delegates shall be selected by their respective sorority
chapters to serve for a term of one year coinciding with their respective elections.
3. DELEGATE VACANCIES. When a delegate vacancy occurs, it shall be the
responsibility of the sorority concerned to select a replacement and notify the
Panhellenic of their name, email address, and telephone number. When a meeting of the
Panhellenic occurs while a delegate vacancy exists, an alternate delegate of the sorority
concerned will fulfill the duties of the delegate in all cases.
4. OFFICERS. These officers shall serve as the Executive Board of the Panhellenic and
shall have such powers and duties as are prescribed in the Bylaws of the Case Western
Reserve University Panhellenic Council.
ARTICLE IX - Panhellenic Advisor
1. The Panhellenic Advisor shall be appointed by the Director of Greek Life.
2. The Panhellenic Advisor shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Case Western Reserve
University Panhellenic Council.
ARTICLE X- Standing Committees
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
1. Such Standing Committees and special officers as may be necessary to carry out the work
of the Case Western Reserve University Panhellenic shall be appointed by its Executive
Board to serve during the tenure in office of the Board which appoints them.
ARTICLE XI - Agreements, Rules, Policies
1. All members of the Case Western Reserve University Panhellenic Council shall act in
accordance with fundamental Panhellenic rules and policies established by National
Panhellenic Conference in the UNANIMOUS AGREEMENTS (The Panhellenic
Compact, Standards of Ethical Conduct, College Panhellenic Agreements,
Agreements on Questionnaires and Constitutions, and the Jurisdiction of a College
Panhellenic Council) and the Case Student Services Guide.
2. All Case Western Reserve University Panhellenic Council rules and policies shall be in
harmony with those currently established by National Panhellenic Conference and/or the
Case Student Services Guide.
ARTICLE XII - Enforcement
1. Violations of any regulations of this Constitution of its related Bylaws, of recruitment
rules, of the rules concerning matters other than recruitment, or of the National
Panhellenic Conference UNANIMOUS AGREEMENTS (The Panhellenic Compact,
Standards of Ethical Conduct, College Panhellenic Agreements, Agreements on
Questionnaires and Constitutions, and the Jurisdiction of a College Panhellenic Council)
shall be the occasion of penalties established by the Case Western Reserve University
Panhellenic Council in conformity with those recommended by National Panhellenic
Conference. Constitution of the Case Western Reserve University Panhellenic Council
2. Any dispute growing out of the violation of Panhellenic rules and regulations shall be
adjusted through arbitration as prescribed by the principles of the Panhellenic
Conference.
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration
ARTICLE XIII - Amendment
1. This constitution may be amended by a three-fourths vote of the regular voting members
of the Case Western Reserve University Panhellenic Council, provided notice of the
proposed amendment has been given in writing at a preceding regular meeting. Changes
which would require a corresponding change to Interfraternity governing documents in
order to maintain consistency must also be voted on and passed by the Interfraternity
Congress.
2. This Constitution and all amendments thereof must be approved by the Vice President of
Student Affairs and/or theirdesignee
Last updated November 2019 by Charlotte Osborn, Panhellenic Vice President of Administration