Panhellenic 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