Policy & Procedures

Adopted May 5, 2007, Revised February 15, 2010, October 1, 2010, and April 1. 2012

Article I: Name

1.1      The name of this organization shall be Tau Upsilon Alpha, National Organization for Human Services Honor Society, hereinafter referred to as the Society.

1.2      The Society’s slogan shall be “τελειότητα στην υπηρεσία στην ανθρωπότητα” printed in Greek lower case letters which translates to “Excellence in Service to Humanity”.

1.3      The Society is a program of the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS).

Article II: Purpose

2.1      The purposes of the Society shall be to honor academic excellence; to foster lifelong learning, leadership and development; and to promote excellence in service to humanity.

2.2      Membership Pledge - As a member of Tau Upsilon Alpha National Organization for Human Services Honor Society, I do hereby solemnly promise to pursue academic excellence, to maintain high moral and ethical character and to provide excellence in service to humanity. Furthermore, I commit myself to follow the Bylaws of the Tau Upsilon Alpha Honor Society, and to abide by the NOHS Code of Ethics.

Article III: Chapters

3.1      Establishing a Chapter -  

A chapter of the Society may be established in a college or university offering associate, baccalaureate or graduate degrees in human services or closely related fields within the social sciences. The institution shall be fully accredited by its regional accrediting agency, and the program shall meet uniform criteria determined by the National Governing Board. Criteria and procedures to charter a chapter are detailed in the Chapter Charter Application and in the Tau Upsilon Alpha policies and procedures manual.

Chapter Advisors – Each chapter shall have one chapter advisor, who is a full-time faculty member and who is a member of the Society. Chapters may choose to have more than one advisor; however, they must be full-time or part-time college or university personnel or Tau Upsilon Alpha Alumni. All advisors should be chosen for their interest, ability to work effectively with students, and desire to promote the ideals of the Society. The Society requests that chapters submit only one advisor name to be the liaison with the National Office. The chosen Chapter Advisor shall be responsible for the evaluation of student applications, and all correspondence between the National Office and chapter members.
Council Representative – Each chapter shall have one council representative who shall be responsible for representing the interest of the chapter membership at the National Annual meeting.  The Council Representative shall be the Chapter Advisor or a member of the chapter assigned by the Chapter’s Executive Officers.
Officers – A chapter shall have at least three officers representing the functions of President,  Secretary and Treasurer, elected annually at a time deemed appropriate by the chapter. Other officer positions could include Vice-President, Historian, and Webmaster.
Chapter dues – Each chapter shall determine their annual chapter dues.
Chapter Bylaws – Each Chapter shall establish bylaws following the National Bylaws. A copy of the Chapter Bylaws shall be submitted to the National Office annually with any approved amendments.
Reporting – Each chapter shall submit a report which includes a summary of chapter activities and financial information, on or before the date established by the National Board of Directors.
3.2      Active Chapters in Good Standing – A chapter in good National standing shall (a) comply with these bylaws, (b) meet uniform criteria determined by the National Council, (c) have filed all required reports with the National Office, (d) be eligible to have a voting delegate at the National Council Meeting and vote in mail ballots, (e) be eligible to have member applications accepted, and (f) be eligible to purchase the society’s honor regalia for members to wear.

3.3      Inactive Chapters – Inactive Chapters - A chapter’s good standing shall automatically terminate if a chapter fails to comply with any of the following (a) pay National dues, fees or assessments, or (b) provide the chapter’s annual reports, or (c) provide updated bylaws or (d) fail to initiate new members for two consecutive years. At this time the chapter will be declared inactive. Any chapter not in good standing shall be notified before the National Meeting. Reinstatement of Chapters - A chapter may be reinstated to good standing upon (a) application to the National Board, (b) meeting such uniform terms and conditions as may be established by the National Council, and (c) rectifying the reason(s) good standing was terminated.

3.4      Dissolution of Chapters – In the event a chapter is dissolved, the treasury shall be dissolved and either donated to a local charity/non-profit organization of the chapter’s choosing or be donated to Tau Upsilon Alpha National, with specifications of disbursement. If a chapter is dissolved, another chapter at the same institution may not be chartered until three (3) years after the dissolution of the preceding chapter.

Article IV: Membership

4.1      Membership is open to (a) Students, (b) At-Large-Members, (c) Alumni, (d) Faculty, and (e) Honorary Members at three levels Associate, Bachelor, and Graduate.

4.2      Membership within the Society is open to qualified candidates without regard to age, ethnicity, gender, disability, national origin, race, religion, and/or sexual orientation.

4.3      Membership and Criteria – Members are invited to membership by the Chapter Advisor and/or the Chapter President when they meet the following criteria: (Chapters may choose to establish more stringent requirements. However, those requirements may not have a discriminatory effect on the student.)

A.    Student Members shall:
1.     be full-time or part-time students enrolled in associate, baccalaureate or graduate programs of fully accredited institutions that have an established Society Chapter at the time of initiation.
2.     have membership applications approved and signed by the chapter advisor.
3.     have declared a major or minor in human services or the most closely related major at the college within the social sciences.
4.     be in the highest thirty-five-percent of their class and have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale demonstrated by providing an official transcript with the application form.
5.     agree to abide by the NOHS Code of Ethics found at www.nationalhumanservices.org/ethics
6.     show evidence (requested on membership application from) of awareness of the value of leadership and service to a successful career in human services.
7.     In addition:
a.     Associate Level students shall have completed at least 12 hours in courses leading to the Associate degree.
b.    Bachelor Level students shall have completed at least the equivalent of three full-time semesters or five full-time quarters of college coursework. Please see special instructions for transferring students below in article 4.3.A.ii.
c.     Graduate Level students shall have an accumulation of the number of graduate credit hours used by the college to designate one full-term equivalency for one academic term.

Student Members Transferring or Transitioning –
i)    Transferring From One Society Chapter to Another - Any Society member who transfers to another college or university shall be accepted into that local chapter and shall pay the local chapter dues, if any. The member shall be subject to all rules, regulations, and requirements of that local chapter. A new certificate of membership will not be issued by the National Office unless specifically requested by the chapter advisor and paid for by the member.

ii)   Transferring into a College or University with a Tau Upsilon Alpha Chapter – A student who transfers from an educational institution that did not have a Society Chapter, and who can provide evidence of academic excellence, may be invited into membership after one semester or two quarters by either the Chapter Advisor or the Chapter President. In addition to the membership application and supporting documentation verifying eligibility criteria as described in section 4.3.A.1-6 the student must provide an official transcript from their previous college. All information must be provided to the Chapter Advisor who will verify the information and submit the application for membership to the Society to the National Office with all applicable dues, fees and assessments.

iii)  Transitioning - Any Tau Upsilon Alpha member who transitions (due to graduation) from one membership division/level to another within the same college or university shall maintain their membership with the chapter and continue to be subject to all rules, regulations and requirements.

B.    At-large-Members – A member at-large is any person who is currently enrolled in or teaching in a Human Services degree program, or related field within the social sciences, where there is not a local chapter available and the individual meets all the required qualifications of a chapter member in either the student or faculty status. In addition, a member at-large shall (a) provide two letters of recommendations, and (b) provide documentation from their educational institution stating why a chapter cannot be started at the institution and that the institution is fully accredited by its regional accrediting agency. At-large-members request approval for Society membership directly through the National Office.
C.    Alumni Members – The following will be deemed eligible for alumni membership in the Society (a) individuals elected into membership after graduation because membership into the Society was not available while they were students, (b) individuals initiated into the Society while they were students. Induction into the honor society confers a lifetime membership as long as membership criteria are maintained.
1.     Individuals Invited into Membership After Graduation - Members must be invited to join their college chapter by either the Chapter Advisor or the Chapter President. In addition a membership application and supporting documentation verifying eligibility criteria as described in section 4.3.A.1-7 must be provided to the Chapter Advisor, who will verify the information and submit the application to the National Office with all applicable dues, fees and assessments. Once the application is approved the alumni member may choose between Basic Alumni Membership or Active Alumni Membership described in Section 4.3.C.2.a and 4.3.C.2.b.
2.     Alumni Membership Upon Graduation - Student Members become Alumni Members upon graduation. At this point (and at any point in the future), the member may choose from the following options:

a.     Basic Alumni Membership: With no additional national dues payments, the Basic Alumni Member is simply required to maintain current contact information with the national office. Benefits include access to the members-only features on the Society web site and letters of verification for employers and institutions. Basic Alumni Members will not receive printed publications and cannot vote in elections.

b.    Active Alumni Membership: With a national annual dues payment and current contact information provided to the national office, the Active Alumni Member receives these benefits: (a) access to members-only features on the Society website, (b) discounts on NOHS regular membership dues (does not apply to student membership dues), (c) eligibility to vote in Society elections and serve on the national governing board, (d) special printed publications (may or may not include Student Member newsletters), and (e) letters of verification for employers and institutions.

D.    Faculty Members – The Society recognizes and encourages faculty and administration involvement. Candidates for membership must be full-time or part-time faculty in a Human Services or closely related field within the social sciences. They must have completed a minimum of one year full-time teaching or two years of part-time teaching at the College/University where they are inducted and must have maintained an overall scholastic average of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale while enrolled in their education program. All faculty should be chosen for their interest, ability to work effectively with students, and desire to promote the ideals of the Society.
E.    Honorary Members – Honorary membership recognizes outstanding professional achievement and service to the human services field by persons not eligible for student, alumni or faculty membership in the Society. Nominations shall be approved by the Chapter Advisor. No more than two honorary memberships may be granted by a chapter in any academic year. Honorary Members must be elected by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the chapter. The TUA national dues will be paid for by the local chapter offering the honorary membership.

4.4      Membership Dues – The amount of any National dues, fees or assessments for any type of membership in the Society shall be established by the National Board. The amount of any Local Chapter dues, fees or assessments for any type of membership shall be established by the Local Chapter Executive Committee made up of the Chapter Officers and Chapter Advisor.

4.5      Resigning Membership - A member desiring to resign from the Society shall submit in writing his or her desire to both the Chapter and the National Office. Any member having resigned from membership may be reinstated upon application to both the Chapter and the National Office and by meeting such uniform terms and conditions as may be established by the National Board.

4.6      Suspension or Termination of Membership - Membership in the Society may be suspended or terminated by the National Board for just cause. Sufficient cause for such suspension or termination of membership may be violation of these bylaws or any lawful rule or practice adopted by the Society or other conduct deemed prejudicial to the best interest of the Society. A statement of the charges shall be sent by registered mail, return receipt, to the last recorded address of the member, accompanied by the notice of the time and place of the meeting at which the charges are to be considered. At least thirty (30) days notice shall be given, and the member shall have the opportunity to appear in person or to be represented by counsel and to present any defense to such charges before action is taken by the National Board. The Board may adopt such rules as may be necessary to assure due process to the member. The decision for suspension or termination shall be by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the National Board. A member suspended or terminated for just cause shall not be entitled to return of dues.

Article V: National Council

5.1      Members – The voting members of the Council shall consist of the National Board of Directors and one representative, preferably the Chapter Advisor, from each Chapter in good standing selected by that Chapter to serve a term of one year or until a successor is selected.

5.2      Function – The Council shall be the policy-making body of the Society, subject to these Bylaws and the laws of the state in which the Society is incorporated.

5.3      Meetings –

• Annual Meeting – The Council shall meet annually at the National Organization for Human Services annual conference. The time and place of the meeting will be determined by the National Board. Notice of the meeting will be given at least thirty (30) days in advance.
• Special Meetings – Special meetings of the Council shall be called by the National President upon written request of three-fourths of the members of the National Board or two-thirds (2/3) of the Chapter’s in good standing. Special meetings shall be held within fifty (50) days of such requests. The time and place of a special meeting shall be mailed to the address on record for each Chapter. Not less than five (5) days notice of a special meeting shall be given, and only that business specified in the call may be transacted.

5.4      Quorum – A quorum for the transaction of business at meetings of the Council shall be a majority of the official representatives of the Chapters in good standing.

5.5      Report – The National Board shall provide to the Council an annual report showing the following information for the fiscal year immediately preceding the date of the report (a) summary of actions, (b) financial report to include assets and liabilities, income and expenses, (c) the number of current chapters and members of the Society, (d) a statement of increase or decrease in chapters and membership, and (e) where the names and addresses of chapters and current members may be found.

Article VI: National Board of Directors

6.1      Composition – The National Board of Directors shall consist of the Executive Officers, six Regional Chapter Advisors, the NOHS Representative, and two Student Representatives.

6.2      Function – The National Board of Directors shall have general supervision of the Society between meetings of the Council and is vested with full power to conduct all business of the Society. The National Board of Directors shall (a) administer the policies, programs, and activities of the Society as formulated by the Council, (b) adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of the affairs of the Society, (c) make any recommendations and resolutions to come before the Council, (d) report budget policy and financial status to the Council, (e) propose policies to the chapter assembly and Council, (f) arrange the order of business for the Annual Meeting, (g) oversee awards presented by the Society and develop the criteria and monetary amounts, (h) create a budget for the next fiscal year, (i) develop governing policies that concern goals, executive limitations, board process, and board/executive relations, (j) arrange the accounts of the Society to be examined annually, (k) review the reports of officers and committees of the Society, (l) employ an Association Manager to be responsible for the operation of the National Office, (m) cause to be bonded all officers and employees entrusted with property, real and personal, belonging to the Society, and (n) perform such other duties as are prescribed or permitted by the laws of the state in which the Society is incorporated for a board of directors or by these bylaws and the policies adopted by the Council.

6.3      Meetings –

• The National Board of Directors shall meet at least quarterly, at the discretion of the President. The meetings may be conducted in person or via teleconference.

6.4      Quorum – A majority of the members of the National Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum.

6.5    Voting on Action Items –

• Voting by Mail or Email – Any questions may be submitted in writing to the National Board of Directors for determination in lieu of a meeting of the Board or Directors. If one-third (1/3) of the members challenge the mail ballot on the grounds that insufficient information is available for proper consideration of the question, the question will be postponed to the next meeting of the National Board of Directors. A report of any action taken by mail ballot shall be verified and made a part of the minutes of the next meeting of the National Board of Directors.

• Voting by Conference Call – Members of the National Board of Directors may participate in a meeting of the National Board of Directors through conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time, and such participation shall constitute presence in person a the meeting.

Article VII: Nominations and Elections

7.1      Nominations and Election - The immediate Past-president will act as the chairperson of the Nominations and Election committee. The Regional Chapter Advisors will serve as the members of the Nominations and Election committee. Nominations shall be solicited from the chapters through their members as described in the policies and procedures manual to ensure democratic involvement by all interested entities and individuals. The Nominations and Election committee shall contact each nominee to ensure fulfillment of the responsibilities if elected. National Board positions shall be elected by ballot at the National Meeting. A majority vote of National Council members present (more than half) shall elect.

7.2      Vacancies – A vacancy of an elected office or position shall be filled by appointment by the President with the approval of the National Board of Directors. Any individual filling such a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the term of the person vacating the office or position. At the discretion of the National Board of Directors, an office or position may be left vacant until the next scheduled National Board of Directors Meeting.

7.2a  In the event that there is no President, the Vice-President shall assume this role or the Executive
Board will function in that role until such time as a new President can be elected.

7.3      Resignation –Any elected officer or National Board member may resign by submitting that resignation in writing to the Board of Directors.
7.4      Removal from Office – An elected officer or National Board member may be removed from office by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the remainder of the National Board of Directors for violation of these Bylaws, for failure to perform the duties of the office, or for conduct unbecoming an officer. Removal may not be initiated prior to the end of the third month of the term.

Article VIII: Executive Officers

8.1      Composition – The officers of this Society shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The officers shall perform the duties prescribed by these Bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Society.

8.2      Term of Office - All officers of the Society shall be faculty or practitioner members of the Society, and the President, before taking office, must have had a minimum of one year of service on the National Board of Directors. Each officer will be elected for a two-year term and may be reelected for one additional term.

8.3      Position Descriptions -

• President – Shall preside at all meetings of the Council and the National Board of Directors, shall serve as an ex-officio member of National Board committees except the Nominating Committee, and provide leadership to the National Board of Directors. The President shall be elected in each odd numbered year.

• Vice-President – Shall be in charge of chapter recruitment and development and have the powers of and perform the duties of the President during any absence or disability of the President, and shall fill the vacancy until the President can resume the duties of that office or until annual election of officers. The Vice-President shall be elected in each even numbered year.

• Secretary – Shall act as recording secretary of the Council and the National Board of Directors, and shall perform other such duties as prescribed in these Bylaws or as directed by the National Board of Directors. The Secretary shall be elected in each even numbered year.

• Treasurer – Shall be responsible for fund raising for National Scholarships, monitor the financial activities of the Society, develop annual budgets in consultation with the Vice-president and the Association Manager, and present a financial report at each meeting of the Council and National Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall be elected in each odd numbered year.

Article IX: Regional Chapter Advisors

9.1      Composition and Term of Office – There shall be six Regional Advisors one each from the following regions that comprise of the states and areas listed Mid-Atlantic (New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington DC), Midwest/North Central (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin), New England (Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire), Northwest (Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and Guam), Southern (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia), and Western (Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Western Nebraska). Each Regional Chapter Advisors shall be elected to serve a two-year term and may be reelected to no more than 2 additional terms.

9.2      Position Descriptions – The Regional Chapter Advisors shall be responsible for inducting new members at regional conferences, providing support and clarification of policies and procedures to the chapters in their region, and assisting the National Vice-President in chapter recruitment and development. The Mid-Atlantic, Midwest/North Central and New England Regional Chapter Advisors shall be elected in odd numbered years and the Northwest, Southern, and Western Regional Chapter Advisors shall be elected in even numbered years.

Article X: NOHS Representative

10.1    The NOHS Representative shall represent the interest of the National Organization for Human Services, and act as liaison between the Society and NOHS. The NOHS Representative shall be elected by the NOHS Board of Directors to serve on the TUA National Board of Directors.

Article XI: Student Representatives

11.1    The two Student Representatives shall represent the interest of student members to the National Board of Directors, and assist in National and Regional initiation ceremonies. The Student Representatives shall be elected to serve a term of one year only.

Article XII: Association Manager

12.1    The Association Manager shall be employed by and serve under the direction of the National Board of Directors as the chief executive officer of the Society.

12.2    Duties – The Association Manager, under the direction of the National Executive Committee, shall be responsible for daily administration of the honor society by (a) maintaining a web site for the honor society, (b) maintaining a supply of chapter charter applications and membership applications, (c) processing chapter charter applications in cooperation with the Advisory Board, (d) processing membership applications, (e) maintaining a database of Chapters, Student Members and Alumni Members, (f) preparing and distributing newsletters and other publications as directed by and in cooperation with the Advisory Board, and (g) providing other necessary administrative support for the Society.

Article XIII: Committees

13.1    Standing committees - Shall be established by the National Council. The Chairs and members shall be appointed by the National President who shall be ex-officio a member of all committees with the approval of the National Board of Directors except for the Nominating Committee which will be appointed by the Immediate Past President.

13.2    Special committees - Shall be established by the National President, or the National Board of Directors or the National Council in order to conduct and facilitate the business of the Society. The Chairs and members shall be appointed by the National President who shall be ex-officio a member of all committees with the approval of the National Board of Directors.

Article XIV: National Annual Meeting

14.1    The national conference and annual meeting of the Society shall be held at a time and place relative to the National Organization for Human Services National Conference.

Article XV: National Awards and Scholarships

15.1    Scholarship Fund Committee - A Tau Upsilon Alpha Scholarship fund committee shall be appointed by the National Board and shall be composed of one active member, one active alumni and one faculty advisor. The committee shall administer the scholarship fund and shall review policy and guidelines for administration and distribution of the fund.

Article XVI: Parliamentary Authority

16.1    The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Society in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Society may adopt.

Article XVII: Amendment of Bylaws

17.1    Proposed amendments of these bylaws may be submitted by a chapter, national committee, the National Council or the National Board. Amendments shall be reviewed by a bylaws committee. Amendments with the recommendation of the committee and the National Board, shall be submitted to the chapters by mail ballot to be acted upon at a regular or special meeting of each chapter. Adoption shall be a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those chapters returning ballots by a date clearly specified on the mail ballot.

17.2  Electronic Voting – Any issue or matter requiring a vote of the membership may be accomplished electronically using the Internet and/or email.