CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
Article I - Name
The name of this organization is The Ohio State University Veterinary Medicine Alumni Society, hereafter referred to as the Society. It shall be an integral part of The Ohio State University Alumni Association, Inc., the official alumni organization of The Ohio State University, hereafter referred to as the Association.
Article II - Object
This Society is formed to promote the advancement of the best interests of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine by providing fellowship and the furtherance of professional relationships among the alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of the College and Society. The Society also will promote and support the mission of the Association.
Article III - Membership
Section 1: All DVM, MS and PhD graduates of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine are eligible for membership in the Society.
Section 2: Such non-alumni who by their interest and activity have distinguished themselves by their work for the College of Veterinary Medicine or the Society may be entitled to honorary membership by special action of the Board of Trustees of the Society.
Section 3: Honorary members are ineligible to vote or hold office. They may serve as committee members.
Section 4: Dues may be as established by the Board of Trustees.
Article IV - Board of Trustees
Section 1: The Board of Trustees, all of whom must be Active Members of the Association and the Society, shall consist of:
a) the officers of the Society
b) the immediate past-president of the Society
c) twelve members at-large
d) one faculty coordinator of alumni affairs, who shall be recommended by the Dean and approved by the Board of Trustees
e) the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine as an ex officio non-voting member
f) the President/CEO of the Association or his/her designee as an ex officio non-voting member
g) the non-faculty alumnus representative of the College of Veterinary Medicine, nominated by the Dean, to the Alumni Advisory Council of the Association as an ex officio non-voting member
h) one student representative from each class to be recommended by the class president and approved by the Board of Trustees as non-voting members
i) the Dean of Student Affairs as an ex officio non-voting member
j) the College Advancement Team representative responsible for Alumni programing as an ex officio non-voting member
Section 2: The Board of Trustees shall have full power to fill all vacancies.
Section 3: The government of this Society and the direction of its activities shall be vested in the Board of Trustees.
Section 4: A meeting of the Board of Trustees may be called by the President of the Society upon written request from four members of the Board of Trustees.
Section 5: The Board of Trustees shall hold two regular meetings a year.
Section 6: The 12 at-large members shall be elected for three-year terms.
Section 7: Any Board officer or member having more than three unexcused absences to meetings per year may be dismissed from the Board.
Section 8: Term limits for members of the Board of Trustees (at-large) will be limited to two (2) consecutive terms.
Article V – Elections
Elections shall be held at the Annual Meeting to replace Board members whose terms have expired. Twelve Board members shall have staggered terms, each serving a three-year term. Members shall hold office until their successors have been qualified and elected.
The slate of Officers shall be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society, elected by a majority vote of those present and voting at the Annual Meeting, installed at the meeting, and hold such offices until the adjournment of the Annual Meeting at the end of the specified term of that office.
Article VI - Officers
The officers of this Society shall consist of president, president-elect, secretary, and treasurer, all of whom must be Active members of the Association.
Article VII - Duties of Officers
The duties of the officers shall be those generally exercised by such officers and others as may be assigned to them by the Board of Trustees.
Section 1 - President: The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society, and shall be chairman of the Board of Trustees and a member of all Committees. The term of this office shall be two years.
Section 2 - President-Elect: In the absence, disability, or upon the request of the President, the President-Elect shall perform the duties of the President. If the office of President becomes vacant, he shall become President for the unexpired term. The term of this office shall be two years.
Section 3 - Secretary: The Secretary shall have custody of the names and addresses of the alumni of the College of Veterinary Medicine provided by the Association. The Secretary shall record all changes, notifying immediately the Association of any additions or corrections to the list. He or she shall not release the list for political, personal or commercial purposes, subject to expulsion from office by the Board of Directors of the Association. Release of the list shall be made only on approval of the Association subject to the constitution of the Association.
The Secretary shall send out all notices of meetings and shall send reports of all meetings and activities of the Society to the Association.
Section 4 -- Treasurer: The Treasurer shall collect all monies and disburse all funds subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees and shall perform duties as outlined by the Board of Trustees.
Article VIII - Meetings
Section 1: At least two meetings shall be held each year. Failure to comply with this provision shall make the Society charter subject to revocation by the Association.
Section 2: The annual meeting of the Society shall be held in conjunction with The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine's reunion homecoming weekend.
Section 3: There shall be such other meetings each year as the President, with the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Society, deems desirable.
Section 4: The President of the Society must call a meeting upon the written request of 10 percent of the active members of the Society. Upon failure of the President to call such a meeting within 30 days of such a request, the meeting may be called by any other officer or member of the Board of Trustees, or by the petitioning members. In such instances, the Association shall be notified, and it shall send due notice of the time, place, and purpose of the meeting to all members of the Society.
Section 5: Where this constitution fails to provide authority for procedure, Robert’s Rules of Order shall be used.
Article IX - Committees
Section 1: The President of the Society shall appoint the following standing committees with the approval of the Board of Trustees.
a) Executive Committee: The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees shall be the officers, the President/CEO of The Ohio State University Alumni Association, Inc. or his/her designee, and the College faculty alumni coordinator. The Executive Committee shall be empowered to act on behalf of the Board between Board meetings. All such actions must be reported to the Board at its next meeting, and shall be subject to final approval by the Board.
b) Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee shall consist of the President, immediate past-president, and three members at-large of the Board. They shall prepare a slate of officers and present it to the Board of Trustees for approval.
c) Awards Committee: It shall be the duty of this committee to select an alumnus or alumni to receive the Alumni Recognition Award(s) on a yearly basis. The selection committee shall include: the Society's President-Elect (as chair), an alumni faculty member, and three at-large Board members.
Section 2: The President of the Society, with the approval of the Board of Trustees, shall appoint such additional committees as in the President’s judgment the interests of the Society may require, and may prescribe the duties of such committees.
Article X - By‑laws
The Society is permitted to establish by-laws at any regular Board meeting of the Society, a quorum being present, by a two‑third vote of all Board members present, provided that notice of such proposed by-laws shall have been communicated via mail or electronic means to each Board member at least ten days before such meeting. No amendment or addition to the by-laws can be made that is not in harmony with the Society’s or Association’s constitution.
Article XI - Adoption
This constitution shall be officially adopted upon its approval by a majority vote of the active members of the Society in attendance at any regular or special meeting of the Society. It shall take effect upon the granting of a charter by the Board of Directors of The Ohio State University Alumni Association, Inc. authorizing its functioning as one of the official alumni organizations of The Ohio State University.
Article XII - Amendments
This constitution may be amended by a majority vote of the total votes cast in a manner decided by the Board of Trustees of the Society. No amendments shall take effect until duly approved by the Board of Directors of The Ohio State University Alumni Association, Inc.
Dissolution
In the event the College of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Society becomes defunct, its assets shall be deposited in the College of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Scholarship Fund (607490) or any OSU development fund designated by the Board of Trustees.
Original Date September 7, 1979
Revised September 18, 1987
Revised September 20, 1991
Revised September 1996
Revised September 2008
Revised December 2013
