2010 Alumni Association Bylaw Revisions The Alumni Association Board of Directors Bylaw Committee has reviewed the bylaws and made changes which, in turn, have been approved by the Board and the College. The Alumni Association must now approve them. The newly amended bylaws will go into effect July 1, 2010. Following are the proposed changes to the Alumni Association Bylaws:
Article II—Purpose Current: “The purpose of the Alumni Association shall be to promote the welfare of Emmanuel College and its alumni by increasing the interest of alumni in the College and in each other, and to further the ideal of service to God and humanity.”
Amended: “The purpose of the Association shall be to further Emmanuel College’s Catholic mission by challenging alumni to act, lead and give generously to others 6
2010 Alumni Association Official Ballot
and to strengthen the bonds between the alumni and the College. The following values will guide the Association’s work: spirituality, service, pride, professionalism, relationships and traditions. The Association will translate into action the strong mission, beliefs, and legacy of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and Emmanuel College by building bridges and inspiring involvement within the alumni community.”
Article IV—Board of Directors Section 1. Composition Current: “The general management of the Association shall be vested in a Board of Directors consisting of four Executive Officers and eight Directors-At-Large.”
Amended: “The general management of the Association shall be vested in a Board of Directors consisting of four Executive Officers and ten Directors-At-Large.”
Section 4. Meetings Current: “The Board of Directors shall hold a minimum of two meetings in an academic year.”
Amended: “The Board of Directors shall hold no fewer than four meetings in an academic year.”
Article VII—Committees Section 2. Standing Committees Current: “There are three standing committees – Program Committee, Partnership Committee and Publications Committee.”
Amended:* “There are two standing committees—Program Committee and Communications Committee.” *This amendment reflects the realities of today. Establishing partnerships between the alumni and the College is the primary purpose of the Alumni Board so the Partnership Committee was not deemed necessary. The name change of the Publications Committee to the Communications Committee reflects the inclusion of electronic communications as well as traditional paper communications.
Section 4. Nominating Committee Current: “The Nominating Committee shall consist of seven members elected by the Association for a term of two years.”
Amended:** “The Nominating Committee shall consist of seven members, all of whom shall be members of the Board. Members of the Nominating Committee shall be selected by majority vote of the Board and will serve for one year.” **This change is consistent with the best practices of most Alumni Boards throughout the United States as well as with Robert’s Rules of Order. The Nominating Committee members will then have a working knowledge of the Board and its needs so they can seek out candidates who offer needed skills and add to the diversity of the Board.
Article VIII—Nominations and Elections Section 3. Candidates To allow for better representation of all alumni on the Board, the following paragraph has been added: Vote online today at www.emmanuel.edu
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“The Nominating Committee shall endeavor to ensure that there is representation across the decades and that at least one candidate from Graduate and Professional Programs (GPP) and one candidate who is a graduate from the last decade are included on the slate.”
Section 4. Elections Current: “Ballots with the slate of nominees presented by the Nominating Committee shall be mailed under separate cover to all members of the Association by May 1. All ballots must be received in the Alumni Relations Office by June 1. Ballots shall be counted by three tellers. The tellers may not be nominees, members of the Board of Directors or the Nominating Committee or staff of the Office of Development and Alumni Relations. Candidates so elected shall be immediately notified and shall take office on July 1. Results of the elections shall be made public by July 1.”
Amended: “Electronic ballots with the slate of nominees presented by the Nominating Committee shall be sent to all alumni for whom the College has a valid e-mail address on or before May 1. The ballot will be posted on the official web site of the College. Paper ballots will be mailed to alumni with 8
2010 Alumni Association Official Ballot
a year of graduation prior to 1960 for whom the College does not have a valid e-mail address. All votes will be cast electronically on the official web site of the College or, for those receiving ballots by mail, by mailing them to the College by June 1. Candidates so elected shall be immediately notified and shall take office on July 1. Results of the elections shall be made public on the official web site of the College by July 1.”
Article XII—Amendments Current: “The bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of those members voting after the proposed amendments have been distributed.”
Amended: “These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association in consultation with the College’s designated representative.”