Constitution

of

Pi Mu Epsilon, Inc.


 

ARTICLE I.
NAME

The name of this Corporation is Pi Mu Epsilon, Inc. It was incorporated in 1914 under the laws of the State of New York at Syracuse University. Pi Mu Epsilon consists of Chapters at qualified academic institutions. Each Chapter is designated by the state in which it is located and by the Greek letters alpha, beta, etc., according to the chronological order of the dates on the Charters of the Chapters within the state.

ARTICLE II.
PURPOSE

Pi Mu Epsilon is a non-secret honor society (referred to hereafter as "the Society") whose purpose is the promotion and recognition of scholarly activity in the mathematical sciences among students at the academic institutions that have been chartered as Chapters of the Society. Pi Mu Epsilon accomplishes its goals by promoting and recognizing scholarly activity among students through active, vibrant Chapters that:
  1. Elect Members on an honorary basis according to their proficiency in mathematics;
  2. Engage in activities designed to promote the mathematical and scholarly development of its Members; and
  3. Take other measures designed to further the purposes of the Society.

ARTICLE III.
CHAPTERS

Section 1. General Statement.

Each Chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon derives its existence either directly from the Act of Incorporation of the Society, as in the case of the parent Chapter at Syracuse University, or from a Charter granted in accordance with the Constitution of the Society by virtue of the powers conveyed in the Act of Incorporation.

Section 2. Qualifications for a Chapter.

A Chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon will be chartered only at an academic institution whose standards are excellent in all academic areas and particularly in the mathematical sciences. The petitioning institution must possess a mathematics faculty of high academic quality, demonstrate consistent encouragement of undergraduate students in the study of and scholarship in the mathematical sciences, and be capable of preserving the standards of the Society and spreading its scholarly spirit and ideals. Specifically:
  1. The institution must offer a bachelor's degree in mathematics.
  2. The Petition for a Chapter must be initiated by a mathematics club or similar organization that has been an active scholarly body at the academic institution for more than one year.
  3. The number of students receiving a bachelor's degree in the mathematical sciences must have averaged at least four per year for the past three years.
  4. The undergraduate major in mathematics must require at least the equivalent of two semesters of calculus, and also require the equivalent of at least 21 semester hours of more advanced work in the mathematical sciences.
  5. The mathematics department at the petitioning institution must have on its staff at least one person with an earned doctorate in one of the mathematical sciences.
  6. The Petition for a Chapter must be accompanied by signed, written endorsements from the chair of the mathematics department and of a senior academic officer of the petitioning institution, and by signed, written commitments from faculty members willing to serve as Chapter Advisor and as Permanent Faculty Correspondent.

Section 3. Election of New Chapters.

An institution considering applying to form a Chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon should contact the President for assistance in compiling its Petition for a new Chapter. At the discretion of the President, a member of Council will be assigned to guide the institution through the petitioning process. The completed Petition must be sent to the Secretary-Treasurer.

The Secretary-Treasurer shall submit the Petition to the Council of Pi Mu Epsilon, which shall consider whether the institution fulfills the requirements set forth in Section 2 of this article. If Council votes unanimously in favor of approval, the Petition shall be approved.

If a majority, but not all, of Council decide in favor of approval, the Petition shall, upon the request of the institution, be submitted to the Active Chapters, together with relevant written reports from Council. The Chapters shall be allowed a period of two months in which to report their vote to the Secretary-Treasurer. If during that time at least half of the Active Chapters vote, and at least two-thirds of those Chapters casting ballots vote in favor of approval, then the Petition shall be granted; otherwise the Petition shall not be approved, and a Petition from that institution shall not be considered for a period of at least three years.

Section 4. Chartering of New Chapters.

When an institution has been approved for a Chapter and when the Charter Fee and the Initiation Fees of Charter Members have been received by the Secretary-Treasurer, a Charter shall be issued and signed by the President and the Secretary-Treasurer. The Chapter shall be installed according to the procedures provided in Section 4 of Article VII, and its Charter Members shall be those persons so designated on the Charter.

Section 5. Inactive Chapters and Revocation of Charter.

Pi Mu Epsilon accomplishes its goals of promoting and recognizing scholarly mathematical activity among students through active, vibrant Chapters.

  1. Inactive Chapters.
    2.
    1. Any Chapter that fails to induct new members for a period of three consecutive years shall be deemed Inactive.
    2. Inactive Chapters may become Active by demonstrating to the satisfaction of Council that:
      1. There is an enthusiastic faculty member willing to assume the role of Chapter Advisor.
      2. There is a faculty member willing to assume the role of Permanent Faculty Correspondent.
      3. The administration of the department and the institution is supportive of the goals of Pi Mu Epsilon.
      4. There is a sufficient number of students qualified for membership and interested in becoming members of the Chapter.
    3. An Inactive Chapter shall not become Active until so notified in writing by the President.
    4. On the advice of Council, the President may designate a member of Council to conduct the first induction ceremony of the reactivated Chapter. Expenses for such a visit are the responsibility of the reactivated Chapter.

  2. Revocation of charter.
    3.
    1. If Council unanimously decides that an institution with an Inactive Chapter no longer upholds the principles of Pi Mu Epsilon, Council may request that the Chapter return its Charter and cease to use the name of the Society, thus revoking the Charter of the Inactive Chapter.
    2. If the Inactive Chapter wishes to contest this action of Council, it may, within two months of receiving notice that its Charter is being revoked, submit a letter to this effect to the President, together with a report detailing reasons why this action should not be taken and asking that the Active Chapters vote on the action. The Secretary-Treasurer shall submit to each Active Chapter a report listing the reasons for the action of Council, together with any report from the Inactive Chapter that details why this action should not be taken. The Active Chapters shall be allowed a period of two months in which to report their votes to the Secretary-Treasurer. The recommendation of Council shall be deemed approved unless during that time at least half of the Active Chapters vote, and at least two-thirds of those Chapters cast ballots to reverse the recommendation of Council.
    3. If a Chapter whose Charter has been revoked wishes to re-establish a Chapter, the institution must resubmit a Petition, as outlined in Section 3. Such Petitions shall be considered on the same basis as Petitions from institutions that have never had a Chapter.

ARTICLE IV.
MEMBERS

Section 1. Honorary Nature of the Society.

Membership in the Society shall be honorary and shall be conferred as a reward for scholarly achievement in mathematics. All Members of the Society shall consider themselves pledged to use their influence to see that the standards of the Society are maintained.

Section 2. Minimum Qualifications for Membership.

Chapters may elect to Membership only individuals who are full time faculty or students attending their institution unless an exception is explicitly granted by the President of the Society. Members are elected impartially and solely on the basis of merit.

To be elected as a Member to any Chapter of the Society, a person must satisfy at least one of the following qualifications. These are minimal qualifications; individual Chapters may set more rigorous qualifications. Specifically, Chapters may only elect as Members:

  1. Students who are candidates for undergraduate degrees at the institution and who have met all of the following requirements:
    1. Completed at least the equivalent of two semesters of calculus and two additional courses in mathematics, at or above the calculus level, all of which lead to the fulfillment of the requirements for a major in the mathematical sciences.
    2. Have maintained the equivalent of a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4 point scale in all mathematics courses that lead to the fulfillment of the requirements for a major in the mathematical sciences.
    3. Have maintained the equivalent of a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4 point scale in all courses that lead to the fulfillment of the requirements for an undergraduate degree.
  2. Students who are candidates for graduate degrees at the institution whose mathematical work is at least equivalent to that required of qualified undergraduates, and who have maintained the equivalent of a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4 point scale in mathematics courses during their last school year prior to their election.
  3. Members of the faculty at the institution in mathematics or related subjects.
  4. A person who has achieved distinction in a mathematical science, provided that the Chapter obtains the explicit approval of the President of the Society.

Section 3. Election to Membership.

No person may be elected to Membership by a Chapter until the Scholarship Committee of that Chapter has thoroughly investigated the candidate's qualifications and deemed them to be satisfactory. Those eligible persons who are elected to Membership by a Chapter shall become Members when they have paid the initiation fee, taken the Pledge, signed the official Chapter roll, satisfied any other requirements for initiation decided upon by the Chapter, and had their names and contact information registered with the Secretary-Treasurer of the Society.

There shall be two categories of Membership in the Society:

  1. Charter Members: Those persons elected to Membership whose names appear on the Charter of a Chapter.
  2. Members: Those persons elected to Membership whose names do not appear on the Charter of a Chapter.

ARTICLE V.
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION

Section 1. Ultimate Authority.

The ultimate authority on affairs of the Society at large shall rest with the Chapters, each Chapter having one vote; however the Chapters may delegate authority to the Officers of the Society to deal with questions not specifically relegated to the Chapters by this Constitution. Unless otherwise provided for by this Constitution, the following procedure shall be followed in submitting Questions to the Chapters:
  1. Questions may originate at any meeting of Council or be submitted to the President for submission to Council at the next appropriate meeting of Council.
  2. A Question appropriate for a vote of the Chapters shall be submitted by the President to the Active Chapters, together with the recommendation of Council regarding the Question. These Chapters shall be permitted a period of two months to report their vote on the Question to the Secretary-Treasurer.
  3. The recommendation of Council on the Question shall be deemed approved unless during that time at least half of the Active Chapters vote and at least two-thirds of those Chapters cast ballots to reverse the recommendation of Council.

Section 2. Officers.

The Officers of the Society are the President, President-Elect, Past-President, Secretary-Treasurer, Editor, and four Councillors. These nine individuals shall constitute the Council of the Society and shall serve without compensation.

Section 3. Election of Officers.

The Officers shall be elected by the Chapters to serve for a term of three years beginning July 1 every third year. They shall, however, hold office until their successors are elected and qualified. Nominations shall be made by a nominating committee appointed by the President. This committee shall nominate at least one candidate suitable for each of the offices of President-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, Editor and at least six candidates for the four offices of Councillor. Additional nominations may be made by Council or any Chapter of the Society two months prior to the date ballots are sent to the Chapters. The names of all nominees shall be submitted on a ballot to the Chapters by the Secretary-Treasurer before January 31 preceding the beginning of the new term.

At the end of the President's term, the President shall become Past-President and the President-Elect shall become President.

Decisions shall be based on a plurality of Chapter votes cast for each office. In the case of a tie among two or more candidates for an office, the outgoing Council shall choose from among the candidates who are tied for the office.

Vacancies in Council shall be filled for the balance of the term by nomination by the President, subject to a majority vote of the remaining Council members.

Section 4. Duties of Officers.

  1. The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Society and shall perform the duties usually performed by the President and the Executive Director of a Corporation. The President shall sign the Charter for a new Chapter and make affidavit of this before a notary public. The President shall nominate persons to fill vacancies for the balance of the term for the vote of Council. The President, with the approval of Council, may appoint persons to perform tasks needed for the smooth operation of the Society.
  2. The President-Elect shall perform the duties of the President in case of the absence or incapacity of the President.
  3. The Secretary-Treasurer shall discharge the duties ordinarily pertaining to the offices of secretary and treasurer. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be the legal clerk and Treasurer of the Corporation. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all proceedings of Council including all decisions made by Council or by vote of the Chapters, and shall have charge of the records and official correspondence of the Society. The Secretary-Treasurer shall also have charge of all monies or other valuable property belonging to the Society and shall keep an accurate account of all financial transactions, said account to be audited as provided by Council. The Secretary-Treasurer shall submit an annual budget to Council and make a financial report to Council at each National Meeting. In addition, the Secretary-Treasurer shall keep an official record of the names of all the members of the Society.
  4. The Editor shall be responsible for the preparation, editing, printing, and distribution of The Pi Mu Epsilon Journal. The Editor may appoint Associate Editors, subject to the approval of Council. The Editor shall submit an annual budget to Council concerning the expenses of The Journal and make a financial report to Council at each National Meeting.

Section 5. Council.

The nine Officers constituting the Council of the Society shall be the legal Board of Directors of the Society. They shall exercise the functions usually pertaining to an executive committee and shall have power to decide all questions concerning the Society which are not otherwise provided for by this Constitution or by vote of the Chapters. In particular, they shall have charge of the expenditure of funds belonging to the Society and shall vote on Petitions for Chapters as provided in Article III, Section 3. They may also propose Questions to be submitted to the Chapters for final decision, as provided in Section 1.

Section 6. National Meetings.

A National Meeting of Pi Mu Epsilon is defined as a meeting where Council performs the business of the Society in conjunction with activities that involve Delegates of the Active Chapters. A Delegate of an Active Chapter is a Member of that Chapter officially representing that Chapter at a National Meeting.

The Society shall hold a National Meeting at least once every three years. This National Meeting may propose Questions to be submitted to the Chapters for vote, in accordance with the specified procedures in Section 1. Proceedings of the National Meetings shall be made available to the Chapters upon request.

Section 7. Fees and Assessments.

All fees and assessments not otherwise provided for in this Constitution or its Bylaws shall be determined by a vote of the Chapters as provided in Section 1.

Section 8. Certificates of Membership.

Certificates of Membership shall be issued by the Secretary-Treasurer upon written certification from the local officers.

Section 9. Reports.

The Officers shall render a report to the Society at least once each year. This report shall inform the Society of the activities of the Officers, condition of the treasury, present and future policy, etc. The form of this report or these reports shall be left to the discretion of Council.

ARTICLE VI.
CHAPTER ORGANIZATION

Section 1. Constitution.

Every Chapter shall have one and only one Constitution viz., this Constitution of Pi Mu Epsilon, Inc. Each Chapter may make such Bylaws for itself as it deems suitable, provided such Bylaws are not in conflict with any of the provisions of the Constitution or National Bylaws.

Section 2. Chapter Officers.

Officers of the Chapter shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, a Chapter Advisor, and a Permanent Faculty Correspondent. Two or more of these offices may be combined, or the Chapter Bylaws may provide for additional officers who, with those listed above, shall constitute the Executive Committee.

Section 3. Duties of Chapter Officers.

The duties of these officers shall be the usual ones pertaining to the various offices with specific duties as follows:
  1. The Secretary shall keep account of all meetings and transactions of the Chapter.
  2. The Treasurer shall collect all dues and fees levied by the national office of the Society and forward same to the Secretary-Treasurer, or shall make the same payments out of the Chapter treasury, as the Chapter may decide.
  3. The Chapter Advisor shall be a Member of Pi Mu Epsilon and of the mathematics department faculty with the rank of Instructor or higher at the institution where the Chapter is located. The Chapter Advisor shall provide encouragement and guidance to the Members of the Chapter in general and to the Chapter Executive Committee in particular.
  4. The Permanent Faculty Correspondent shall be a Member of Pi Mu Epsilon and of the mathematics department faculty with the rank of Instructor or higher at the institution where the Chapter is located. The Correspondent shall receive communications from the national office of the Society, shall present these to the proper persons, and shall inform the Society's national office of the actions of the Chapter. The Correspondent shall be responsible for submitting the annual report of the Chapter, which should include a review of Chapter activities, awards, reports of meetings, and results of elections, to the national office of the Society. It is understood that any Member of the Society may communicate with the Officers of the Society about any matter. However, final authority for voting on matters submitted by Council to the Chapter, and for submitting Questions from the Chapter to Council, shall reside with the Permanent Faculty Correspondent.

Section 4. Scholarship Committee.

In addition to the officers, there shall be a Scholarship Committee, chosen as the Chapter may designate, for their high scholarly standing and ability to judge scholarship in others. The duty of this committee is to present to the Chapter a list of candidates qualified for membership. This will be accomplished by examining the official scholastic records of the applicants to determine their eligibility as provided in Article IV, Section 2.

ARTICLE VII.
FORMS AND CEREMONIES

The following are the official Motto, Insignia, and Pledge of Pi Mu Epsilon, together with the Pi Mu Epsilon procedures for installing Chapters and initiating Members.

Section 1. Motto.

The Pi Mu Epsilon Motto is: "To Promote Scholarship and Mathematics"

Section 2. Insignia.

The Insignia of the Society are:

Colors: Violet, gold, and lavender.

Seal: Round, design of the pin in center, and the words, "Pi Mu Epsilon, Incorporated" around the edge.

Flower: Violet.

Shield: Divided into four parts. In the upper right hand corner, the design of a conventionalized violet; in the lower right, a summation sign; in the upper left, an integral sign; and in the lower left, three stars representing friendship, morality, and scholarship. Just above the shield proper the pin is represented, and below, on a streamer, is the Motto in Greek.

Pin: The Pi Mu Epsilon Key-Pin is a triangular rim upon which is a raised rectangle. Raised still higher are the Greek letters Pi Mu Epsilon.

Section 3. Pledge.

The Pledge of the Society is:

"I solemnly promise that I will exert my best efforts to promote true scholarship, particularly in mathematics, and that I will support the objectives of Pi Mu Epsilon."

Section 4. Procedure of Chapter Installation.

The President, or some other member of the Society that the President designates as the Installing Officer, shall, in concert with the institution, select a date for the Installation. At the Installation ceremony, the Installing Officer shall give a brief account of the history of the Society and of its ideals and symbols; shall, in accordance with Section 5, initiate those Charter Members who are present and who are not already Members of the Society; and shall present the Charter and an official copy of the Constitution to the Chapter. Additional Members may also be initiated at the ceremony. Charter Members who are unable to attend the ceremony may be initiated at a later date by the Chapter and sign the permanent Chapter roll at their initiation. No more than one-third (1/3) of the Charter Members shall be members of the faculty at the institution.

Section 5. Form of Initiation.

The ceremony of initiation into Pi Mu Epsilon shall include the following items:
  1. A statement of the purpose, nature, organization, and history of the Society and of the local Chapter;
  2. Taking of the Pledge by the candidates;
  3. Signing of the permanent Chapter roll by each candidate;
  4. Presentation of certificates;
  5. Explanation of insignia, etc; and
  6. Exhortation and address of welcome to the Society.

ARTICLE VIII.
AMENDMENTS

Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed by any Active Chapter or by Council. A proposed amendment shall go before the Active Chapters, who shall have three months to consider it. In order for an amendment to the Constitution to be adopted, at least three-fourths of the Active Chapters must vote, and of those Chapters voting, at least two-thirds must vote in the affirmative.

The adoption of an amendment to the Bylaws shall require the approval of a majority of the Active Chapters who reply within two months time.

approved May 2006


Bylaws

Pi Mu Epsilon, Inc.


  1. The National Initiation Fee for new Members shall be twenty dollars ($20 US).
     
  2. The Charter Fee shall be determined by Council and may be changed if approved by at least two-thirds of all Council members. This fee may be changed at most once in any three-year period.
     
  3. Pi Mu Epsilon shall publish The Pi Mu Epsilon Journal at least twice each year. The Journal shall especially encourage student-written papers.
     
  4. Expenditures for clerical help shall be provided for Officers of the Society, subject to the approval of Council.
     
  5. The design of the Charter and the Membership Certificate may be changed at the discretion of Council.
     
  6. When a new Chapter is installed, the Chapter shall be responsible for the expense of transportation, meals, and lodging of the Installing Officer.
     
  7. Student Delegates participating at a National Meeting may be fully or partially reimbursed for transportation expenses at the discretion of Council.
     
  8. 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 are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and any special rules of order the Society may adopt.
     
  9. If for any reason the Society ceases to function as a corporate body, all assets remaining after all financial obligations have been met shall be donated to the Mathematical Association of America.

approved April 2006; bylaw revision March 2011;


 
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