Article I: Finance
A] The fiscal year for the HCPA shall be from
January 1st to December 31st of
each year, inclusive.
B] The signatures of the president and vice
president of finance shall be required to bind the HCPA
to any contract.
C] All checks issued on behalf of the HCPA shall
be signed by either the president, vice president of
finance, or Panhellenic advisor. If any other officer
needs a check, she should contact the vice president of
finance first.
D] All orders that cost over $100 made by HCPA
must receive at least three complete estimates that need
to be turned into the Vice President of Finance at least
one week before the order is to be placed. Extending
circumstances must be discussed with the Vice President
of Finance.
E] All purchases that cost over $300 must be
submitted two weeks before the order is to be placed and
be approved by HCPA. Extending circumstances must be
discussed with the Vice President of Finance.
F] All payments due to the HCPA shall be made to
the Vice President of Finance, who shall record them.
Checks for payment shall be made payable to the HCPA.
G] Membership Dues:
1] The dues of each HCPA Regular Member and
Associate Member fraternity shall be an assessment of
$12 per initiated member and new member.
2] The dues of each member fraternity shall be
payable within 10 days of receiving a bill from HCPA.
Bills for fall dues shall be sent out no later than the
second Panhellenic meeting after Fall Formal
Recruitment. Dues and fees for fall open recruitment new
members will be due on October 31st, or as
stated by the HCPA Vice President of Finance. Bills for
spring dues will be sent out no later than the second
Panhellenic meeting of the spring semester. Dues and
fees for spring open recruitment new members will be due
on March 31st, or as stated by the HCPA Vice
President of Finance. A fine of $30 will be imposed as a
late payment for the first week. After the initial $30,
an assessment of $10 will be made each week that dues
remain delinquent.
3] Only new members, initiates, and affiliated
collegians that are listed on the fraternity’s
Panhellenic roster may participate and represent the
chapter during Recruitment, Panhellenic events, and
other inter-fraternal events. A new member shall be
defined as an uninitiated chapter member who was
extended a bid under preferential bidding or via
continuous open bidding. An initiate shall be defined as
any initiated member of their chapter. An affiliate
shall be defined as a collegiate member initiated by
another chapter who has been accepted for membership at
the chapter at the University of Houston.
Article II: Selection of Officers
A] The offices of President, Vice President of
Recruitment, Vice President of Programming, Vice
President of Judicial Affairs, Vice President of
Administration, and Vice President of Finance shall be
determined by the process of appointment using the
following criteria:
1] No office shall be held consecutively by the
same chapter.
2] Each chapter has the opportunity to fill a
spot on the HCPA executive council. If a chapter
formally gives up the right to a position, then another
chapter may fill it. Under no circumstance shall there
be more than two members of the HCPA executive council
from the same chapter.
3] Potential HCPA Executive Officers are to fill
out applications distributed by HCPA. Qualified
candidates will be interviewed and voted into office by
the outgoing Executive Council and Panhellenic
Delegates. Delegate attendance is mandatory and a fine
of $20 will be assessed to the participating fraternity
not present. If unable to attend, the respective
fraternity is to give the HPCA President 24 hour notice
of a substitute in which a regular member or chapter
officer shall sit in her place.
B] Though the President of HCPA does not have to
serve on HCPA prior to being elected, it is recommended
they serve on the council at least one semester prior to
assuming the office of president, either as a HCPA
officer or a delegate.
C] Officers will represent Panhellenic and will
not cast votes for their fraternity.
D] The officers must attend officer training and
Panhellenic retreats.
E] During formal recruitment periods officers
will not participate in their chapter’s recruitment
events and voting sessions. During open bidding
recruitment periods officers will not participate in
their chapter’s recruitment events unless it is strictly
prohibited according to their individual chapter’s
standing rules.
Article III: Officer (and Delegate) Duties
A] The PRESIDENT shall:
1] Have overall responsibility for the operation
of the Panhellenic Council.
2] Call and preside at all regular and special
meetings of the Panhellenic Council.
3] Call and preside at all meetings of the
Panhellenic Council Executive Board.
4] Call and preside at all regular and special
meetings of the HCPA.
5] Be available to review, approve, and sign all
Panhellenic Association checks and contracts involving
HCPA.
6] Serve as member ex-officio of all Panhellenic
Council committees with a voice but no vote.
7] Report as necessary to NPC Area Advisor.
8] Maintain a complete and up-to-date
President’s file which will include a copy of the
current HCPA Constitution and By-laws, the current HCPA
budget, the current NPC Manual of Information and
related materials, current correspondence from the Area
Advisor, copies of College Panhellenic Reports to the
Area Advisor, and other pertinent materials.
9] Coordinate Officer Workshop/Transition
Program for the new Executive Board.
10] Represent HCPA at Panhellenic conferences.
11] Shall disaffiliate according to Article II,
Section E of this Constitution.
B] The VICE PRESIDENT OF RECRUITMENT shall:
1] Perform the duties of the president in her
absence.
2] Organize and schedule efforts of all NPC
member fraternities in Recruitment sign-up and Formal
Recruitment.
3] Coordinate all activities for Panhellenic
relating to Formal Recruitment and distribution of
information to all fraternities, including: recruitment
applications, reservations, recruitment orientation, a
schedule of recruitment dates, times, attire, and other
necessary information.
4] Review for changes (if necessary) the
Recruitment Rules and distribute copies to all NPC
member fraternities and advisors before each
Recruitment.
5] Coordinate recruitment activities with the
University of Houston calendar to avoid conflicts with
university functions.
6] Coordinate with the Vice President of
Judicial Affairs a Recruitment Rules Education Session
each May to educate each member fraternity about rules
and procedures concerning recruitment. Each chapter will
receive twenty-one days notice of the event. Fifty
percent of each fraternity must be in attendance or they
will receive a fine of $20 for each woman they are
under. The only exception to this rule is if a chapter
has a previous “mandatory chapter event” planned for the
same day. A mandatory chapter event is defined as:
chapter sponsored event, philanthropic event, or any
other event that is submitted on the chapter calendar to
HCPA at the beginning of each semester. After the
Recruitment Rules Education Session is complete, any
chapters or chapter members that are not in attendance
will still be held accountable for all information
covered.
7] Inform Alumnae Panhellenics of pertinent
recruitment information.
8] Call and preside over recruitment orientation
held at the beginning of each recruitment.
9] Serve as chairperson of the Recruitment
Committee and perform all duties as outlined in Article
V of these bylaws and maintain a file of completed
recruitment evaluations for review.
10] Coordinate Rho Gamma programs and all
activities associated with the Rho Gamma team.
11] Shall disaffiliate according to Article II,
Section E of this Constitution.
C] The VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMMING shall:
1] Be responsible for any events in which HCPA
or their chapters will participate, for instance, Greek
Week or a Greek-Wide Service Project.
2] Develop and facilitate Panhellenic Awards
Program and Banquets.
3] Coordinate Programming for HCPA meetings.
4] Any event that is planned by the Vice
President of Programming that is announced with a month
notification must have fifty percent of each fraternity
in attendance or they will receive a fine of $10 for
each woman they are under.
5] Run a Public Relations campaign for HCPA and
recruitment, assisting the Vice President of
Recruitment.
6] Will serve as the Greek Relations Liaison for
HCPA.
7] Shall disaffiliate according to Article II,
Section E of this Constitution.
D. The
VICE PRESIDENT OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS shall:
1] Coordinate the training of Judicial Board
members with the Panhellenic Advisor and/or
representative of the campus office of Judicial Affairs.
These procedures and applications will be distributed
during the spring semester.
2] Make arrangements for the mediations and
hearings as indicated by the Panhellenic President
(location, meeting room, set-up, appointment of a
secretary among board members, and notification of the
hearing to the board members and involved chapters).
3] Determine if any Judicial Board members need
to be excused from serving because of a conflict of
interest.
4] Provide involved chapters with an outline of
Judicial Board Hearing Procedures.
5] Preside over judicial hearings.
6] Inform, in writing, cited chapters and their
advisors of the verdict, penalties (if applicable), and
the appeals process.
7] Initiate, follow through and preside over all
Constitution or By-Law revisions.
8] Monitor all activity year round having to do
with Facebook and Myspace that is set in the Recruitment
Rules.
9] Begin monitoring all fraternity activity
starting the day after the Recruitment Rules Education
Session, as set forward in Article II, Section B.
10] Shall disaffiliate according to Article II,
Section E of this Constitution.
E] The VICE PRESIDENT OF ADMINISTRATION shall:
1] Keep an up-to-date roll of the members of the
Panhellenic Council and call it at all Council meetings.
2] Keep full minutes of all meetings of the HCPA:
the general body, the executive council, and the
recruitment committee and email copies to those who
attended and missed meetings.
3] Keep a current calendar of activities of the
member groups in an effort to coordinate the activities
with the Interfraternity Council and the University of
Houston.
4] Maintain and distribute information on HCPA’s
Philanthropic Programming Guidelines.
5] Shall inform HCPA delegates of approved
philanthropy events presented by the Interfraternity
Council and Panhellenic Council. If a fraternity member
attends an event that has been presented but not
approved by HCPA, the fraternity as a whole will receive
a $100 fine. This only applies to HCPA and IFC
philanthropy events. HCPA members or member fraternities
are also not to participate in events including but not
limited to: Recruitment, Philanthropic or registered
Socials with Greek organizations that are not a member
of a recognized Greek Council at the University of
Houston.
6] Report a delegate or an officer’s absence to
that chapter’s president.
7] Be responsible for the official
correspondence of the Panhellenic Council unless
provided otherwise.
8] Update the HCPA officer notebooks annually.
9] Shall disaffiliate according to Article II,
Section E of this Constitution.
F] The VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE shall:
1] Be responsible for the general supervision of
the finances of the HCPA, including updating all account
signature cards.
2] Be responsible for the preparation of the
annual budget and, following its approval by the
Panhellenic Council, for providing a copy to each HCPA
member fraternity.
3] Receive all payments due to HCPA, collect all
dues and give receipts.
4] Be responsible for prompt payment of all
bills to HCPA.
5] Maintain up to date financial records,
balance bank statements, give a financial report at each
regular meeting of the Panhellenic and an annual report
at the end of her term.
6] Bill, each semester, each member and
associate member fraternity for membership dues
according to Article I, Section F of these By-Laws.
7] Inform the officers of the money budgeted for
their activities and ensure that the money is spent
properly.
8] Shall disaffiliate according to Article II,
Section E of this Constitution.
G] The DELEGATES shall:
1] Serve as the official speaking and voting
representatives from/to their fraternity regarding
Panhellenic matters.
2] Inform their respective chapters of all
Panhellenic activities, programs, and legislation.
3] Ensure that rosters, dues, recruitment
materials, and other materials requested are turned into
HCPA by the appropriate deadlines.
4] Stay current and up to date on all Five Star
Procedures that is set forth by NPC. Relay all Five Star
forms to their respective chapters and are in charge of
turning them in and meeting all deadlines.
Article IV: The Executive Board
A] The Executive Board shall:
1] Appoint all Standing and Special Committees
and Chairmen and, in taking these appointments,
recognize representation from all member fraternities.
2] Administer routine business between meetings
of the Panhellenic Council when advisable and such other
business as has been approved for action by Panhellenic
Council vote.
3] Report all action taken by the Executive
Board at the next regular meeting of the Panhellenic
Council and record the action in the minutes of that
meeting through the Vice President of Administration.
4] Appoint all new executive members for the
upcoming year.
Article V: Standing Committees
A.] The standing committees of the HCPA shall be:
Judiciary, Recruitment, and Public Relations.
B.] The standing committees shall serve for a term
of one year. Such term of office shall be concurrent
with that of the executive board. A committee chairman
or member may be appointed to serve for a further term
of office. Immediately following the selection of
officers for the ensuing year, the president-elect shall
call a meeting of the executive board to appoint
committee chairmen and members.
C] Judiciary Committee
1] Membership: The Judiciary Committee shall
consist of the Vice President of Judicial Affairs and
the Panhellenic Advisor as an ex-officio member, and a
representative from each chapter.
2] Duties: It shall be the duty of the Judiciary
Committee to deal with violations of the Constitution,
By-laws, and Recruitment Rules.
3] Applications will be distributed and
interviews will be held for potential qualified
candidates. After interviews the HCPA Executive Council
will vote on the membership of the committee.
D] Recruitment Committee
1] Membership: The Recruitment Committee shall
consist of the Vice President of Recruitment as
chairperson of the committee, with the Recruitment
Chairperson and Advisor from each chapter serving as
members. The Panhellenic Advisor will serve as an
ex-officio member.
2] Duties: This committee shall be responsible
for all Panhellenic Council matters related to
membership recruitment. This committee shall be
responsible for reviewing and developing the Recruitment
Rules, submitting them for discussion and approval to
the Panhellenic Council (before the end of the term
preceding formal recruitment), and distributing copies
of them when approved to the delegates of the member
fraternities. Following each membership recruitment
period, the chairperson of this committee shall present
a full report, including recommendations, to the
Panhellenic Council.
E] Public Relations Committee
1] Membership: The Public Relations Committee
will consist of the Vice President of Programming as
chairperson and at least one member from each chapter.
2] Duties: The committee shall be responsible
for inclusion in all-Greek PR efforts, such as the
recruitment book, pamphlets, etc. They shall also keep
the news media informed of any favorable Panhellenic
publicity.
3] Shall be responsible for promoting HCPA to
all concerned communities, including but not limited to:
the Panhellenic Body, other Greek organizations, faculty
and staff, non-Greek students, parents, the Houston
community, and other outside organizations.
4] Publish and distribute a HCPA newsletter
twice a semester.
5] Write articles for HCPA in the Daily
Cougar, The Houstonian, and the Campus
Activities Exchange Newsletter.
6] Send press releases regarding HCPA and
chapter events to radio and TV stations.
7] In conjunction with the other Greek Councils
and the Rho Gamma program to prepare a Recruitment Book
and mailer, as well as other year long marketing
strategies.
8] Shall disaffiliate during recruitment.
Article VI: Administration of Membership Recruitment
A] An early fall recruitment shall be held.
B] The NPC quota-total system shall be followed.
C] The preferential bidding systems shall be
used.
D] Except during the formal recruitment period,
continuous open bidding shall be in effect during the
school year (fall through spring) for all eligible women
students.
E] Chapters which do not fill basic quota during
formal recruitment may continuously open bid until they
reach chapter total.
F] Every regular enrolled new member, initiate,
or affiliate of a chapter shall be counted in the
chapter total.
1] A list of all new, initiated, and affiliated
members shall be filed with the Panhellenic Advisor on
the first day of classes each semester and one week
after a recruitment period.
2] Any de-pledging, termination, or other change
in membership shall be reported to the Panhellenic
Advisor within 48 hours after it has occurred.
G] Summer Contacts
1] Panhellenic is permitted to hold summer
recruitment; however, activities cannot be sponsored by
one individual fraternity, only by HCPA.
2] Any fraternity which violates summer
recruitment will be subject to a judicial hearing. Any
woman student going though recruitment who has
participated in any form of summer recruitment, other
than that approved by HCPA, shall be required to appear
before the Judiciary Committee.
I] The Recruitment Rules for each period shall
be adhered to by all regular fraternities.
Article VII: New Members and Initiation
A] A woman must be enrolled in at least 12 hours
at the University of Houston - Central Campus to accept
a bid for a fraternity.
B] Any woman joining a fraternity during
continuous open bidding must sign an HCPA Open Bid Card
and return it to the Panhellenic Advisor no later than
48 hours after pledging has occurred or a fine of $10
per day will be assessed.
C] A new member may be initiated whenever she has
met the requirements of the fraternity to which she has
accepted a bid.
Article VIII: Hazing
A] All forms of hazing, pledge day, and/or
pre-initiated activities which are defined as hazing
shall be banned.
B] Hazing includes any action taken or situation
created, intentionally, whether on or off fraternity
premises, to produce mental or physical discomfort,
embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule. Such activities
and situations include creation of excessive fatigue,
physical and psychological shocks, wearing publicly
apparel which is conspicuous and not normally in good
taste, engaging in public stunts and jokes, morally
degrading or humiliating games and activities, late
night sessions which interfere with scholastic
activities, and any other activities which are not
consistent with the regulations and policies of the
educational institution.
C] For further information regarding University
and State hazing regulations, see the Student
Organizations Handbook or the Student Handbook.
Article IX: Risk Management
A] Because violations of risk management policy
affect the entire community, HCPA will ask a chapter to
address the Judiciary committee in the event that HCPA
feels that the risk management standards of our
community have been violated. HCPA will refer to FIPG’s
policies for management and planning of social events.
Article X: Extension
A] When all NPC chapters at the University of
Houston have continuously maintained total for a period
of at least two years, the Panhellenic Council shall
consider raising total or adding another chapter.
B] Before undertaking any colonization efforts,
HCPA shall notify the NPC Extension Committee to receive
guidance and support.
C] A new chapter shall be organized through
colonization by an NPC fraternity or through
organization of a local sorority which may petition a
NPC fraternity for a chapter.
D] Consideration should be given to NPC
fraternities that have previously had chapters at the
University of those NPC fraternities which have filed
letters expressing an interest in the campus.
Article XI: Violations
A] Any dispute arising out of the violation of
the Panhellenic Association rules and regulations shall
be adjusted through mediation.
B] If an agreement is not reached through the
mediation process, the matter shall be referred to the
Judiciary Committee.
C] If the decision of the Judiciary Committee is
not acceptable, the matter may be appealed. Notice of
intention to appeal shall be given to the Panhellenic
Council President. All requirements as stated in the NPC
Manual of Information shall be met. (See Unanimous
Agreements - The College Panhellenic’s Agreement)
Article XII: Rules of Order
A] The HCPA shall be governed by the current
edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, except
in matters specifically provided for in the
Constitution, By-laws, and Recruitment Rules.
Article XIII: Amendments
A] These by-laws may be amended by two-thirds
(2/3) vote of the voting members of the Houston
Collegiate Panhellenic Association.
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