Having your chapter’s current bylaws approved and on file at Headquarters is a requirement for every Phi Theta Kappa chapter. Your chapter’s governing document not only helps you govern your chapter today, but it also provides guidance for future chapter officers and advisors.

The Phi Theta Kappa Constitution and Bylaws provide for the basic governance of the organization, while the chapter bylaws provide greater specificity in terms of implementation of procedures found in the Society’s Constitution and Bylaws available online at www.ptk.org/supplies/constit.htm.

Each chapter should operate under bylaws that suit its individual needs. Of course, this document must be compatible with the college’s policies as well as with the Phi Theta Kappa Constitution. Sample chapter bylaws are available online at www.ptk.org/advisor/forms.htm.

Basic Elements of Strong Chapter Bylaws

• Chapter Name and Purpose
• Membership Eligibility
• Advisor Appointment and Duties
• Officer Titles and Duties
• Officer Elections
• Officer Resignations and Replacement
• Chapter Meetings
• Chapter Finances
• Amendment and/or Revisions to Bylaws

Membership Eligibility The Constitution of Phi Theta Kappa allows chapters to set their membership eligibility standards as long as the chapter’s standards meet the minimum requirements of Phi Theta Kappa’s Constitution and Bylaws. The majority of Phi Theta Kappa chapters require a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher on 12 hours of associate degree course work. The maintenance GPA, the minimum GPA required in order to maintain membership in Phi Theta Kappa, is usually a cumulative GPA of 3.25. The minimum permitted by the Phi Theta Kappa’s Constitution is 3.0.

Academic Probation Any member whose GPA falls below the maintenance level is given only one term of probation. If the member’s GPA is still below the maintenance GPA at the conclusion of the probationary period, membership and membership privileges are revoked. Although advisors are encouraged to monitor the academic standing of chapter members, it is the member’s responsibility to notify the advisor when he or she is no longer in good academic standing with the chapter. Please note that only the advisor may submit the Membership Revocation Form, available at www.ptk.org/advisor/forms.htm, to Phi Theta Kappa Headquarters.

Transfer of Membership Regarding the standard GPA used to determine eligibility of students wishing to transfer their membership from one chapter to another, Phi Theta Kappa’s Board of Directors adopted this policy statement:

“The local chapter may use either their membership eligibility standard or maintenance standard when determining eligibility of Phi Theta Kappa members requesting to transfer membership into their chapter. The standard selected, however, must be used consistently and identified in the chapter’s bylaws.“

The chapter advisor requesting transfer must contact an advisor of the member’s original chapter to verify the member was a “member in good standing” when he or she departed the original chapter. The Membership Transfer Form is available on the Advisor Corner section of the Society’s website at www.ptk.org/advisor/forms.htm.

Transfer Credit A chapter also has the prerogative of allowing grades from other institutions to be considered when determining membership eligibility. This policy should be stated in the chapter’s bylaws and consistently followed. Students must still complete at least 12 hours of associate degree course work at the community college they are presently attending before they may be considered eligible for membership.

Advisor Appointment and Duties Advisors must be employees of the college where the chapter is located and must be officially appointed by the college administration. Minimum advisor duties include submitting the Chapter Annual Report and reporting new members to Headquarters.

Officer Resignations When an officer resigns, many chapter bylaws allow the chapter president to make a temporary appointment until an election can be held. In rare circumstances when a chapter finds it necessary to remove an officer, Phi Theta Kappa’s Constitution requires a ¾ vote by the chapter members or the chapter officers.

Chapter Finances Some chapters receive funding from the college while others rely entirely on local membership fees and fundraising projects for their treasury. Chapters that collect local membership fees as part of their operating budget may set a one-time local fee, collected prior to induction just as international and regional fees are collected. Once a student pays the initial membership fees, a chapter may not remove any student from membership or abridge any membership rights because of failure to pay additional local fees.

Revisions Revising and resubmitting chapter bylaws to Headquarters annually is NOT required and, in fact, is discouraged. Chapter bylaws, like national government constitutions, should be a permanent document. Therefore, only permanent chapter information should be included to avoid frequent revisions. If the chapter advisor(s) and officers determine revisions are necessary, chapters should consult their current bylaws to determine the procedure for amendment. Once the revised bylaws have been approved by a chapter vote, revised bylaws should be submitted to the Key Services Department at the Center for Excellence for final approval. Once reviewed, Phi Theta Kappa will contact the chapter advisor, indicating the document’s approval or need for revisions.

Service Requirements In regard to the practice of requiring service points to earn or maintain membership, the Phi Theta Kappa Board of Directors issued the Scholarship First initiative as follows:

“No chapter of Phi Theta Kappa may deny privileges of membership guaranteed by Phi Theta Kappa Headquarters to any Phi Theta Kappa member.“

This statement should be understood to mean that chapters may not deny such membership privileges and benefits as wearing the honor stole, tassel and/or cord at graduation based on the member’s grade point average, their participation in chapter activities, or on any other factor, provided the member is in good academic standing with the chapter. This policy should also be understood to mean that no member may be dropped from the membership rolls due to lack of participation in chapter activities.