The name of this organization shall be Omicron Chapter, Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity (hereafter referred to as Omicron Chapter).
ARTICLE II: NATIONAL AFFILIATION
This organization is a chartered member of Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity.
ARTICLE III: PURPOSE
Omicron Chapter shall be an Honor Fraternity for students at Shippensburg University, and shall be founded upon a basis of superior scholarship and with the avowed purpose of advancing academic, professional, and social ideals. Phi Sigma Pi shall exist to meet the needs of close fellowship among students of like ideals, who are interested in the same end.
ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Persons of good academic standing and excellent character shall be eligible for membership in Omicron Chapter. (See Article IV, Section 2).
Section 2. Active Members in Omicron Chapter shall be undergraduate students who have accumulated a minimum of twelve credits of college work and have achieved at least a 3.00 Cumulative Grade Point on a 4.00 scale (where an A=4.00) Potential Members of Omicron Chapter must meet the National Initiation requirements of Omicron Chapter (prospective members must have between 12 and 89 credits except for extenuating circumstances such as transfer students or any other students with two remaining semesters after their initiation semester into the fraternity).
Section 3. To remain an Active Member, the Member must:
A. Pay Omicron Chapter Dues,
B. Attend eighty percent (80%) of all general meetings,
1. A maximum of two (2) excused absences from General Meetings will be allowed for each brother. Any other absences will be counted as unexcused.
C. Attended the minimum requirement of 2 long and 3 short service projects, whereas one long must be from the designated event from the service committee
1. A project is considered long if it is at least 2 hours long.
2. A short project is any one under 2 hours.
D. Attend fifty percent (50%) of all initiation socials,
E. Attend both Initiation Induction and Formal Induction Ceremonies,
F. Complete one finance (fundraiser) project each semester,
G. Maintain a 3.0 cumulative Grade Point Average.
H. Attend a minimum of four (4) scholarship activities. A list of qualifying scholarship activities will be provided by the scholarship committee by the second meeting of the semester. If an event is attended and is not on the calendar it must be preapproved by exec.
NOTE: Excused absences are permitted and consist of those that are beyond the control of the individual, and is up to the discretion of the Executive Board. Notification for excused absences must be given to the Recording Secretary within 24 hours of the missed meeting or event. To be considered in good standing, all dues must be paid (as stated in ARTICLE XI, Section 1a). In addition, Members shall serve on at least one permanent committee each semester, excluding the initiation committee and major fundraiser committee.
NOTE: Attendance is required at the Initiation Induction and Formal Induction ceremonies. If a brother does not attend a mandatory ceremony, a 2/3 majority vote by the brotherhood shall determine the course of action to be taken, consisting of either: 1) probation with loss of voting privileges or 2) suspension from the fraternity. If a brother cannot attend, he/she must personally present an explanation for not attending at the Executive Council meeting before the respective ceremony. Executive Council will then approve or disapprove the request. Should Executive Council disapprove the request, the brother will then have a chance to plead his/her case. Under extreme circumstances, when the brother does not have a chance to attend the Executive Council meeting before the ceremony, the brother must bring a typed excuse to Executive Council the meeting after the respective ceremony. If then rejected by Executive council, a 2/3 majority vote by the brotherhood shall determine the course of action to be taken, consisting of either: 1) probation with loss of voting privileges or 2) suspension from the fraternity.
Section 4. Voluntarily Inactive Membership
The Member seeking Voluntarily Inactive Membership, which shall encompass a legal loss of voting privileges, shall present a letter of inactivity to the Chapter Recording Secretary by the second general meeting of the semester. Voluntarily Inactive Membership status shall be effective upon receipt of the letter by a 2/3 majority vote of the Executive Council, and exists with the following stipulations:
A. Voluntarily Inactive Membership lasts for one (1) semester and a Member cannot seek this status again. B. The Voluntarily Inactive Member shall no longer be required to attended meetings or participate in any events.
C. Voluntarily Inactive Members are required to pay National Dues by the date designated by the treasurer or will lose their Voluntarily Inactive status.
D. Members who are currently taking classes that do not meet at Shippensburg University (study-abroad) shall be referred to as Nationally Inactive Members.
E. If the member seeking inactivity is already involuntarily inactive for failure to make requirements, excluding GPA requirement, in the semester prior to their requested inactive semester, that member is not eligible for voluntary inactivity.
Section 5. Involuntarily Inactive Membership
Involuntarily Inactive Membership results from a failure to meet the requirements for Active Membership (as indicated in Article IV, Section 3). This status shall be effective at the beginning of the semester after the member fails to meet requirements for active membership, and exists with the following stipulations:
A. Executive Council reserves the right to exempt a member from receiving this status in extreme cases.
B. This status lasts for one (1) semester only and may be issued again on the same premises.
C. Involuntarily Inactive status shall encompass a legal loss of voting privileges and the right of the member to serve on the Initiation committee during their inactivity, but members with this status are still required to meet all of the requirements of active membership.
D. Involuntarily Inactive status can only be held for a total of two (2) semesters, except in extreme cases, which are left to the discretion of the Executive Council. After two (2) semesters of Involuntary Inactivity, the Executive Council will pursue the next level of disciplinary action: suspension (Article IV, Section 6).
Section 6. Suspension
Suspension shall last for one (1) semester and can include, but is not limited to the following:
A. Loss of voting privileges
B. Loss of privilege to attend closed socials
C. An increase in the percentage of socials, initiate activities, and meeting attendance
D. An increase in the number of fundraisers and/or service projects required
E. Special projects chosen by the Executive Council
The Executive Council reserves the discretion to tailor a suspension program to fit the circumstances for which suspension has been proposed. This program cannot include releasing the suspended member from paying national or chapter dues, or the requirement of maintaining a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
Section 7. Membership into Phi Sigma Pi through Omicron Chapter is open the entire qualified Shippensburg University community and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disabled status in admission to, access to, treatment of, or employment in its programs and activities in accordance with Shippensburg University's non-discriminatory policy.