Constitution
Article I - Name
The name of this organization shall be the Presidential Leadership Academy Affiliate Program Group of The Pennsylvania State University, hereinafter referred to as the “Academy APG” or simply as the “APG.” The Academy APG is an affiliate program group of the Schreyer Honors College Alumni Society and the Penn State Alumni Association.
The Presidential Leadership Academy will hereinafter be referred to as the “Academy” or the “PLA.”
Article II - Mission Statement
The mission of the Presidential Leadership Academy Affiliate Program Group is to foster a spirit of camaraderie among current and future Presidential Leadership Academy alumni, and to promote throughout the community a culture of critical thinking, in hopes that we can impact the way in which we identify, evaluate and assess multidimensional issues.
Article III - Membership
Section 1
All graduates of the Presidential Leadership Academy are automatically general members of the APG.
Section 2
Associate Membership will be available to any interested individual with a connection to the Academy. The Board of Directors will approve a request for associate membership with a 3/4th affirmative vote of the Board.
Section 3
The Board of Directors shall have the final decision in all cases regarding an individual’s APG membership status.
Article IV - Governance
The business and general welfare of the Academy APG will be conducted and maintained by a Board of Directors, whose membership and duties are discussed in Article I of the Presidential Leadership Academy Affiliate Program Group Bylaws.
Article V - Amendments and Bylaws
Section 1
Amendments and Bylaws to this Constitution may originate from the Board or from any general member of the APG. A proposed amendment to the Constitution or Bylaws must be submitted in writing to the President no less than three (3) weeks before the next Board meeting. Amendments to this Constitution and Bylaws require a 3/4th affirmative vote of the Board.
Section 2
The entire Board shall receive notice two (2) weeks in advance of any proposed amendment to the Constitution or Bylaws. The notice shall include all supporting information regarding the proposed amendment. The entire APG membership shall be made aware of any approved constitutional or Bylaw amendments.
Bylaws
Article I - Board of Directors
The governing body of the Presidential Leadership Academy Affiliate Program Group shall be a Board of Directors as prescribed by Article IV of the Academy APG Constitution.
Section 1
The Board of Directors will be comprised of fifteen (15) voting members and four (4) nonvoting, ex-officio members. Six (6) elected officers and nine (9) at-large directors will be voting members of the Board.
Section 2
Ex-officio, non-voting members of the Board will include the Director of the PLA, a representative from the PLA External Advisory Board, the Director of Alumni Relations for the Schreyer Honors College, and one (1) student representative from the current PLA Fourth-Year Class.
Section 3
The officers of the APG will include: President, Vice President, Communications Director, Events Director, Finance Director, and Academy Relations Director.
Section 4
No more than three (3) members of any Presidential Leadership Academy graduating class shall be allowed to hold directorships during the same year. Elected officers from a specific graduating class are not to be counted towards the maximum three (3) directorships per graduating class described above.
Section 5
During the first year of the APG’s existence, the number of At-Large Directors will be three (3). The number of At-Large Directors will increase by three (3) for each of the next two years so that at the beginning of years two and three there will be six (6) and nine (9) elected Directors, respectively. Once the complete set of nine (9) directorships is achieved, Article I, Section 5 of these Bylaws will be removed.
Article II - Duties of Officers and Directors
Section 1
The President will have ultimate responsibility for overseeing all aspects and functions of the Academy APG. The President will preside at meetings of the Board of Directors and at meetings of General Membership. In addition, he or she will chair the Strategic Planning Committee. The President will represent the Academy APG to the Schreyer Alumni Society Board and to the Penn State Alumni Association when appropriate.
Section 2
The Vice President will assist the President and assume the responsibilities of the President in his or her absence. The Vice President will be tasked with exploring opportunities for outreach and collaboration with other groups and organizations. The Vice President will be entrusted with being the foremost promoter of membership participation within the APG, including events, elections and other programming.
Section 3
The Communications Director will coordinate all aspects of internal and external APG correspondence. This person will communicate decisions of the Board with General Membership. Additionally, he or she will oversee the maintenance of a variety of communication platforms including our APG's listserv.
Section 4
The Events Director will plan and execute events aimed at fulfilling the mission of the APG and boosting morale throughout General Membership.
Section 5
The Academy Relations Director will be responsible for maintaining contact with the PLA Program Director for the purposes of remaining informed on the state and activities of the Academy. The Academy Relations Director will communicate updates with the Board and General Membership in hopes that the APG and the Academy can work more closely towards our goals.
Section 6
The Finance Director will manage all aspects of financial accounts and records, in addition to collecting funds for events, when necessary.
Section 7
The nine (9) At-Large Directors are tasked with maintaining for the well-being of the APG, as well as promoting the APG and its efforts among general members and the outside community.
Article III - Elections
Section 1
Elections will be held once a year, at a time designated by the President, and approved by a majority vote of the Board. Information regarding election dates, procedures and candidates will be made available to the General Membership no less than three (3) weeks before the election date. A designee of the President will oversee the elections process and will carry the title of Elections Commissioner. This person cannot be on the ballot, but may be a current Officer or Director.
Section 2
The Election of Officers and Directors will be done by a vote of General Membership. Officers and Directors will be elected by receiving the largest number of votes cast for the given position.
Section 3
Nominations for Officer and Director positions will be open for a period of three (3) weeks. Individuals may nominate another member or themselves.
Section 4
No Elected officer may hold office for more than two (2) consecutive terms.
Section 5
If any Officer or Director position is unfilled at any time the President shall reserve the right to appoint someone to that position for the length of the current term, subject to the approval of the Board by a majority vote.
Article IV - Meetings
Section 1
Meetings of the Board of Directors should occur once every three (3) months. Any general member of the APG that wishes to attend a Board meeting can do so, provided he or she alerts the APG President in advance of the meeting.
Section 2
A meeting of the General Membership of the Academy APG should occur once a year at a time and place determined by the Board and communicated to General Membership no less than two (2) months in advance.
Section 3
Special meetings of the Board or General Membership can be called at the President’s discretion. The President will provide reasonable prior notice of a special meeting.
Article V - Committees
Section 1
The President shall have the authority to create and terminate standing committees for the betterment of the APG. Committees will be approved by a majority vote of the Board. The President or his or her designee will appoint committee leadership.
Section 2
The President will chair the Strategic Planning Committee, which will consist of the President, Vice President, and three or more of the President’s designees, whose names will be publicized to the General Membership. At least one member of the Strategic Planning Committee should not be a Board member.
Article VI - Strategic Plan
Section 1
The Strategic Planning Committee will be charged with authoring and distributing to General Membership, a strategic plan once every four years.
Section 2
The Committee shall be responsible for monitoring the progress of the current strategic plan, and making updates to the strategic plan if necessary. In addition, the Committee will be responsible for annually communicating with directors and General Membership the results and expected outcomes of the plan.