Delta Omega Honorary Society Omega Chapter By-laws

(VOTED: September 9, 2009)

Article I: Name

The name of this organization shall be the Delta Omega Honorary Society Omega Chapter of The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, hereafter referred to as Delta Omega.

Article II: Objectives

The objective of the Delta Omega shall be to encourage and recognize excellence in practice, research, education, and academic achievement in the field of public health amongst members of The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (GWU SPHHS).

Article III: Executive Board and Officers

Section 1. The Executive Board shall:
Oversee the business of Delta Omega. The Executive Board is delegated full power and responsibility for the oversight of Delta Omega.

Section 2. Titles

The oversight of Delta Omega shall be the responsibility of an Executive Board, which will consist of its current officers and the immediate past president.
The officers of the chapter shall consist of:
- President,
- Vice President,
- Past President,
- Secretary,
- Treasurer,
- Alumni Association Liaison,
- Student Association Liaison, and
- Chapter Advisor
The officers of the chapter will be responsible for all duties as identified in Article III Section 3.
The voting rights of officers are explained in Article III Section 3.
The Executive Board shall create Member-At-Large positions with the concurrence of the members. There shall not be more than three Member-At-Large members at any given time.
All officers of the chapter, excluding the Alumni Association Liaison and Student Association Liaison, are to be members of Delta Omega.

Section 3. Duties
A. The President shall:

Administer and be responsible for the general activities of Delta Omega.
Preside at all business sessions of Delta Omega.
Serve as delegate or designate an alternate to represent the Omega Chapter at the National Delta Omega meeting.
Have one vote; except in the situation of tie, the President can cast one additional vote.
Serve for one year as President.
Serve for one year as Past President after completion of the one year term as President.

B. The Vice President shall:

Support the President in all activities.
Assume the duties of the President in his or her absence.
Coordinate the Research Day activities of The George Washington Universityï¿½s Medical Center.
Have one vote.
Serve for one year as Vice President.
Serve for one year as President after completion of the one year term as Vice President.

C. The Past President shall:

Support the President and Vice President in all activities assigned by the President.
Serve as Outreach Chair.
Have one vote.
Serve for one year as Past President after completion of the one year term as President.

D. The Secretary shall:

Be responsible for oversight of all official records of Delta Omega.
Review and approve Minutes of all Executive Board meetings.
Maintain the Delta Omega online calendar.
Communicate with the Delta Omega members on a regular basis through the Listserv.
Perform other related duties as assigned by the President and Vice-President.
Have one vote.
Serve for two years.

E. The Treasurer shall:

Maintain up-to-date financial records for Delta Omega.
Present a written report of all receipts and disbursements at the Executive Board meetings and the Annual Meeting.
Be responsible for preparation of annual budget in consultation with the Executive Board.
Explore funding opportunities and compete for grants.
Fulfill all grant obligations instructed by the funding source.
Perform other related duties as requested by the President in administering the activities of Delta Omega.
Have one vote.
Serve for two years.

F. The Alumni Association Liaison shall:

Serve as a liaison between the Public Health Alumni Association (PHAA) and Delta Omega.
Be nominated by the PHAA Executive Board and be an active member of the PHAA Executive Board.
Have one vote only if the Liaison is also a Delta Omega member.
Serve until remains an active member of the PHAA Executive Board.

G. The Student Association Liaison shall:

Serve as a liaison between the Public Health Student Association (PHSA) and Delta Omega.
Be nominated by the PHSA Executive Board and be an active member of the PHSA Executive Board.
Have one vote only if the Liaison is also a Delta Omega member.
Serve until remains an active member of the PHSA Executive Board.

H. Chapter Advisor shall:

Serve as an advisor and historian to the Executive Board.
Serve as a liaison between Delta Omega Executive Board and GWU SPHHS faculty.
Be a Delta Omega Member.
Have one vote.
Coordinate the selection of new members annually.
Serve as long as remains a full-time faculty member of GWU SPHHS.

I. Member-At-Large:

Conduct duties related to special projects authorized by the Executive Board.
Be a Delta Omega Member.
Have one vote.
Serve for two years.

Section 4. Meetings and Quorum

Meetings of the Executive Board shall be called by the President or by a simple majority of its membership.
There shall be a monthly meeting on a day mutually agreed upon by the Executive Board.
A simple majority of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
No Board member may vote by proxy.

Section 5. Vacancies If, before the expiration of the term for which the President is elected, the individual should become incapacitated or otherwise unable to serve, the Vice President shall succeed to the office vacated for the unexpired portion of the term. Further, if the Vice President is unable to succeed to the Presidency, the Board shall select from its body a person to serve as Interim President for the unexpired portion of the term. Vacancies in the office of other positions shall be filled by appointment of the Board for the unexpired portion of the term.

Section 6. Resignation and Removal of Board Members

A board member or officer may elect to resign at any time during a term of office.
Absence without good cause from three consecutive meetings may constitute resignation and the vacancy shall be filled as provided for in these By-laws.
A board member or officer may be removed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of board members present at any scheduled meeting, provided the intent to consider removal was submitted in writing to all board members at least three weeks prior to the date of such scheduled meeting.

Section 7. Elections and Terms of Officers Officers shall be elected by members of Omega Chapter of the Delta Omega. A call for nominations will be sent to all members by email in January. Election will be conducted by email or internet voting modes in June. The term of office for officers is 1 July through 30 June. Existing Board members may re-run for any position on the board. Elections for the Vice President and Secretary shall not be held on the same year as the election for Treasurer.

Article IV: Membership

There shall be four categories of membership in Delta Omega. An ad hoc committee consisting of:

Delta Omega faculty members will elect new Delta Omega student members.
Any Delta Omega member can serve in an ad-hoc committee to elect alumni members and honorary members.
Any Delta Omega member other than faculty can participate in the committee to select new Delta Omega faculty members.

A. SPHHS Graduate Student Membership: Student members shall be chosen with due regard to their scholarly attainments and honorary character of Delta Omega. A maximum of ten percent (10%) of graduating students shall be elected to membership in any one year. Those elected shall be from the upper twenty-five percent (25%) in class standing and have demonstrated real or potential qualities of leadership in public health.

Graduate student applicants must have a cumulative grade point average equal to, or greater than, 3.80 (based on completion of at least 25 graduate credits) and demonstrated leadership in professional and community activities within the field of public health. Students may nominate themselves by submitting a nomination package that includes: one letter of recommendation reflecting each of the above criteria; a one-page personal statement; and a resume or curriculum vitae. Letter of recommendation need not be from a Delta Omega member.

B. SPHHS Alumni Membership: Alumni must demonstrate leadership in professional and community activities within the field of public health that serves as a model for future graduates of the school. The selection committee generally focuses most on accomplishments and activities since graduation, so very recent graduates will not typically be competitive. Nomination must be made by a current Delta Omega member. Alumni may submit a nomination package including one letter of recommendation/nomination from a current Delta Omega member; a one-page personal statement describing professional and community activities; and a resume or curriculum vitae. Maximum of 10 alumni can be inducted per year.

C. SPHHS Faculty Membership: Full-time faculty members are evaluated based on outstanding public health performance in teaching, research, and community service and leadership within and outside of the SPHHS. Nomination must be made by a current Delta Omega member. Faculty members may submit a nomination package including one letter of recommendation/nomination from a current Delta Omega member; and a curriculum vitae. The total number of faculty members elected in any one year may be up to three percent (3%) of the full-time faculty.

D. Honorary Membership: In any one year, Delta Omega may nominate one individual (who is not a student, alumnus, or faculty member) as an honorary member. This membership shall be limited, and shall be conferred only upon persons possessing exceptional qualifications who have attained a meritorious distinction in the field of Public Health.

Article V: Amendments

These By-laws may be amended in whole or in part by a simple majority vote of the Executive Committee members present at its meeting or by mail or email. Copies of the By-laws shall be available at all meetings and shall be posted on the Delta Omega website. The chapter By-laws shall be changed based on the changes of the National Delta Omega office.