Constitution

Revised: April, 2004

ARTICLE I. Name

The name of this organization shall be The Whitman College Panhellenic Association.

ARTICLE II. Objectives

The purposes of the Panhellenic Association shall be:

1. To maintain high standards of fraternity life and interfraternity relations with the College.
2. To promote intellectual accomplishment and sound scholarship.
3. To cooperate with the College administration in the maintenance of high social standards.
4. To act as a forum for the discussion of questions of interest to the college and fraternity world .
5. To compile and implement rules governing recruitment, pledging, initiation, social functions, and alcohol use on the campus.
6. To act in accordance with National Panhellenic Conference Rules and Regulations.

ARTICLE III. Organization

1. The Whitman College Panhellenic Association shall be composed of all associate and active members of the Whitman College sororities.
2. The Whitman College Panhellenic Executive Council shall be composed of the Panhellenic Officers.
3. The Panhellenic Officers will be selected each November using the following process:
   1. Information and applications for the Panhellenic Officer positions will be made available to initiated members of the Whitman College Panhellenic Association.
   2. Current Panhellenic Officers and the Associate Dean of Students will review the applications and conduct an interview with each candidate. One candidate will be slated for each Panhellenic Officer position.
   3. The proposed slate will be posted and made available to members of the Panhellenic Association. Any chapter who wishes to add a nomination to the slate must contact the
      Associate Dean of Students within five (5) days of the slate being posted. Only women who completed an application and interview will be eligible to be nominated and added to the slate. All nominations must be made to the Associate Dean of Students by the chapter president, on behalf of the chapter.
   4. A final slate will be posted one week after the proposed slate and all chapters will vote
      on the slate at the following chapter meeting. In cases where two or more candidates are
      nominated for the same position, chapters will vote on the individual positions first and then vote on the rest of the slate. Each chapter has one (1) electoral vote for both individual candidates and the slate.
4. A Judicial Board shall be composed of one member from each fraternity.
5. Respective groups shall fill any vacancies left by their Panhellenic Officer or judicial board member.

ARTICLE IV. Executive Council Officers and Their Duties

1. The officers of The Whitman College Panhellenic Executive Council shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer, Publications Coordinator, Women's Issues, Recruitment Coordinator and Assistant Recruitment Coordinator. These officers shall compose the Panhellenic Executive Council.
2. The officers shall serve for a term of one calendar year, beginning in January and concluding in December.
3. The duties of the officers shall be those usually devolving upon such officers and those
   defined by the Executive Council at its discretion.
4. Additional officer duties:
   1. The President shall keep on file the National Panhellenic Council Manual, the
      Whitman College Panhellenic Association Constitution, By-Laws, Recruitment Rules, and Regulations. The President shall preside at the Panhellenic Executive Council
      meetings. The President shall, along with the Interfraternity Council President, also
      oversee all social activities within the Whitman Greek system.
   2. The Vice-President shall preside at Panhellenic Executive Council meetings and execute Panhellenic business in the absence of the President. She shall work with the IFC Greek Events Coordinator to coordinate a weekend of activities during the spring as well as other Panhellenic programs.
   3. The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep a file of all correspondence and the official minutes for the last five years. She shall also have charge of all funds and financial records of the Council. She shall also serve as Panhellenic's representative at all ASWC
      meetings and budget hearings.
   4. The Publications Coordinator shall be responsible for all printed information on the sorority system including such things as a faculty newsletter, recruitment postcard, recruitment booklet, etc.
   5. The Women's Issues Coordinator work with chapter programmers to sponsor educational programs and forums on topics related to women.
   6. The Recruitment Coordinator shall facilitate and oversee informal and formal recruitment activities.
   7. The Assistant Recruitment Coordinator shall assist the Recruitment Coordinator with any aspect of recruitment. She shall also be responsible for developing and supervising the recruitment counselor program.
5. The Panhellenic Officers shall represent an unbiased voice on the Panhellenic Executive Council. They shall be focused upon the concerns of the Greek system as a whole.
6. The Panhellenic Delegates shall be the chapter presidents who are responsible for acting as a liaison between their individual sorority chapter and the Panhellenic Executive Council. The chapter president represents her sorority by having the delegated power to vote on behalf of her group's interests.
7. Delineation of Panhellenic Officer and Recruitment Counselor duties during formal recruitment:
   1. The Panhellenic Recruitment Coordinator shall facilitate and oversee formal recruitment. She shall be responsible for establishing the recruitment schedule, rules, and regulations and shall oversee all recruitment expenditures and publications. She shall communicate and coordinate with the Panhellenic Officers, the sorority Recruitment Chairs, and the Associate Dean of Students throughout the year, including summer vacation.
   2. The Panhellenic President shall oversee all activities of the Recruitment Coordinator as the presiding officer of the body to which the Recruitment Coordinator is responsible. She shall be responsible for handling all recruitment infractions in accordance with NPC juridical guidelines.
   3. Panhellenic Officers shall be disaffiliated from their chapters for the duration of formal recruitment. They may not recruit for their sororities. Panhellenic Officers, under the jurisdiction of the President and Recruitment Coordinator, shall execute all duties required of them to assist in the administration of recruitment, including assisting in party placement and assisting the recruitment counselors as informed and impartial consultants for the potential new members.
   4. Recruitment Counselors shall be disaffiliated from their chapters for the duration of recruitment. They shall assist potential new members by answering questions and concerns regarding any aspect of recruitment.

ARTICLE V. Advisor

The Whitman Panhellenic Executive Council shall have as their advisor the Associate Dean of Students.

ARTICLE VI. Meetings

1. Regular meetings of The Whitman College Panhellenic Executive Council shall take place at a time designated by the President and agreed upon by the Executive Council.
2. Special meetings shall be called at the request of the representative of any fraternity chapter represented in the Panhellenic Association or by the President of the Executive Council.
3. The President may formulate and instigate an attendance policy for Panhellenic meetings as necessary.

ARTICLE VII. Voting

1. The power of one vote shall be granted each member group of the Panhellenic Association to be cast by the chapter president.
2. A majority vote of member groups shall be necessary to carry all questions. In the case of a tied vote, the matter does not pass.
3. An enumeration of all items subject to Panhellenic vote shall be found in the Amendments to this Constitution.

ARTICLE VIII. Regulations

1. If any fraternity violates any regulations of the NPC Unanimous Agreements, Panhellenic Constitution/Bylaws, Recruitment Rules and/or the Panhellenic Code of Ethics, the NPC College Panhellenic Association Judicial procedures will be followed.
2. All violations must be reported using the "College Panhellenic Violation Report Form" which must be presented to the Panhellenic President in a timely manner but not more than 30 calendar days from the date of the alleged infraction (including college breaks).
3. Penalties shall be determined by the Panhellenic Judicial Board. If a penalty includes monetary charges, the Panhellenic Treasurer must send a bill to the chapter treasurer within seven days. The duration of any penalty imposed shall not exceed one calendar year from the time the decision is final.

ARTICLE IX. Agreements

1. Fundamental Panhellenic laws as embodied in the National Panhellenic Compact and Standard of Ethical Conduct must be observed by Whitman College Panhellenic Association.
2. All regulations and laws of The Whitman College Panhellenic Association must be in accordance with the Rules of Procedure for College Panhellenics as adopted by the National Panhellenic Conference.

ARTICLE X. Transfers and Inactive Status

1. When the regulations of an individual national fraternity provide for granting inactive status the following requirements shall be met:
   1. Inactive status may extend over the period of a semester or the entire academic year
      during which the inactivity is granted.
   2. When any national sorority grants inactive status to any member on a given campus,
      that chapter shall place a copy of that permission on file with the Panhellenic
      President and with the Associate Dean of Students.
   3. Notification of inactive status must be on file as aforementioned prior to formal recruitment or that inactive member shall be included in the membership total of the respective group.
2. A transfer student shall be defined as any student enrolled at Whitman College who has
   previously been enrolled in another undergraduate college or university.
3. If a transfer student from a chapter represented in The Whitman College Panhellenic Association chooses to affiliate with that group or is in the process of affiliation with the respective chapter, she shall not be included in the recruitment quota. If a chapter membership exceeds total, the transfer student may still affiliate with the chapter.
4. A transfer who is an initiated member of a sorority at another college that is represented in The Whitman College Panhellenic Association and chooses not to affiliate with her sorority but wishes to assist the group with formal recruitment shall be counted as one of that group's limit of two unaffiliated members.

ARTICLE XI. Amendments

1. This Constitution may be amended by a majority vote of The Whitman College Panhellenic Association.
2. Amendments to the Constitution must be proposed to the chapters at least one week prior to being voted upon.

ARTICLE XII. Ratification

This Constitution shall become effective immediately upon approval of the Associate Dean of Students, for the Faculty Council.

PANHELLENIC BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I. Membership Total

1. Chapter total for all chapters of the Whitman College Panhellenic Association shall be sixty-five (65) members.
2. Associate and active members who are studying abroad or on leave for two (2) or more
   semesters shall not be counted in the total of sixty-five (65).

ARTICLE II. Finances

1. Each associate and active member of The Whitman College Panhellenic Association shall pay dues to the Executive Council. The dues are assessed at $5.00 per person per semester and are collectible at the beginning of each semester. Any chapter who has not paid their Panhellenic bill in full within ten (10) days of receipt shall be fined ten percent (10%) of the bill, with an increasing fine of ten percent (10%) for every additional five-day period the bill remains unpaid. Those members who are studying abroad are not responsible for paying dues during the semester they are abroad.
2. There shall be a recruitment registration fee of an amount agreed upon by the Executive Council paid by all women registering for formal recruitment.
3. The financial records of the Panhellenic Secretary/Treasurer must be audited by the
   Panhellenic Executive Council and the Associate Dean of Students prior to being turned over to the new Secretary/Treasurer. This must take place before the Secretary/Treasurer's term of office expires.
4. At the beginning of her term of office, the Secretary/Treasurer, with the assistance of the
   Associate Dean of Students shall set up a budget for the upcoming calendar year that must then be approved by the Panhellenic Executive Council. If there are expenditures above and beyond this budget, these expenditures shall be voted upon for approval by the Panhellenic Executive Council.
5. Each check must be signed by the Secretary/Treasurer, or the payment shall not be valid.
6. When seeking reimbursement from the Secretary/Treasurer, a receipt must be given to the
   Secretary/Treasurer for proof of purchase.
7. An update of all activity of savings or checking accounts shall be announced monthly at a
   Panhellenic Executive Council meeting.

ARTICLE III. Selection of Officers

1. The offices of the Panhellenic Council shall be filled through an application/interview process each November. The Panhellenic Officer positions shall include President, Vice-President, Publications Coordinator, Secretary/Treasurer, Women's Issues Coordinator, Recruitment Coordinator and Assistant Recruitment Coordinator.
2. No officer shall hold another office in her sorority, except under the approval of the
   Panhellenic Executive Council.
3. Each officer must have participated in recruitment as a recruiter, except under the approval of the Panhellenic Council.

ARTICLE IV. Panhellenic Judicial Board
Chapters are encouraged to resolve alleged infractions through informal discussion with the involved parties. Should informal discussions be unsuccessful, the judicial process will involve mediation and/or judicial hearing.

1. Purpose: The purpose of the Panhellenic Judicial Board shall be to execute all judicial matters involving group infractions of the NPC Unanimous Agreements, Panhellenic Constitution/Bylaws, Recruitment Rules and the Panhellenic Code of Ethics.
2. Structure:
   1. During April, each sorority shall elect a representative to the Panhellenic Judicial Board who will serve from September to May. This individual must be an upper-class woman who has served as a formal recruiter for her sorority at least one time.
   2. All members of the Board must participate in a judicial procedures training session prior to hearing a case.
   3. If a member of the Judicial Board is involved in an incident that has been brought forth to the Judicial Board, a substitute from the woman's respective chapter will be elected and trained prior to the hearing.
   4. The Panhellenic Vice President will preside at all judicial hearings.
   5. All members of the Board must be present at judicial hearings.
   6. Decisions shall be made by majority vote; there will be no abstentions.
3. Procedure:
   1. Judicial hearings shall be closed to the public.
   2. The participants in a Judicial Hearing shall be representatives from each fraternity involved, including a chapter advisor, or the complaining party if other than a fraternity, the Panhellenic President, the Panhellenic Advisor and in cases of recruitment infractions, the Panhellenic Recruitment Coordinator.
   3. The Judicial Board shall, in considering all cases of infractions of regulations, safeguard the rights of an accused sorority or its members, establish the framework of facts, rule on responsibility or non-responsibility, and assign sanctions for proven misconduct. All information regarding judicial hearings will be kept strictly confidential.
   4. The accused members shall be assumed to be not responsible until proven responsible.
   5. The "College Panhellenic Violation Report Form" shall be completed and presented to the Panhellenic President in a timely manner but not more than 30 calendar days from the date of the alleged infraction (including college breaks).
   6. The accused sorority shall be given formal notification in writing. The Panhellenic President shall notify the sorority using the "College Panhellenic Notice of Infraction Form" within one week of the President's receipt of the "College Panhellenic Violation Form." A copy of the "College Panhellenic Violation Form" shall be given to the Panhellenic Advisor and the NPC Area Advisor as well as be available to the accused chapter upon request.
   7. Upon receipt of the "College Panhellenic Notice of Infraction Form" the accused chapter shall contact the Panhellenic President within one week to schedule mediation or to proceed directly to a judicial hearing.
   8. The Panhellenic Vice President will start the hearing by stating the charges and will then summarize the nature of the complaint.
   9. The individual or group bringing the complaint will then describe the incident. Witnesses will come before the group one at a time. They will be asked to present their information. Anyone can ask a question of the witness to gather more information or to clarify a point.
   10. The accused group describes the situation as they perceived it. They may also present witnesses according to the same format described in item (i).
   11. The Panhellenic Vice President will ask for closing remarks. The group bringing forth the complaint will go first. Five minutes shall be allotted for each group.
   12. Decisions regarding responsibility shall be made in a closed meeting of the Panhellenic Judicial Board following the hearing.
   13. The accused chapters involved in judicial hearings will be informed in writing of the verdict and assigned penalties, if applicable, within two weekdays after the hearing.
4. Penalties
   1. The Judicial Board shall have the authority to assign suitable penalties. This authority must be exercised in accordance with the rights and procedures referred to elsewhere in this document.
   2. The gravity of each violation shall be judged separately and in its own context. Penalties for the same offense shall be as even and consistent as possible, except where previous violations and probationary status are relevant to the assignment of penalties.
   3. Penalties for infractions of the NPC Unanimous Agreements, Panhellenic Constitution/By-Lows, Recruitment Rules and the Panhellenic Code of Ethics shall be levied by community service, fines, and any other penalty established by the Panhellenic Judicial Board.

ARTICLE V. Greek Judicial Board

If a complaint regarding a judicial matter involving a fraternity and a sorority is made, the case shall be referred to the Greek Judicial Board, which shall be composed of three members from each of the Panhellenic and Interfraternity Judicial Boards. The procedures by which this body shall follow and the penalties it shall assign shall be determined by the Greek Judicial Board under the guidance of the Associate Dean of Students.

ARTICLE VI. Invitational Representatives

Alumni advisors to the groups represented in The Panhellenic Association shall be invited to attend meetings at the discretion of the Executive Council. Any member of The Whitman College Panhellenic Association is invited to attend any meeting of the Panhellenic Executive Council unless the meeting has been previously designated as a "closed" meeting for confidential purposes.

ARTICLE VII. Recruiting and Initiation

1. No student shall be asked to join a fraternity until she has matriculated.
2. The pledgeship of a woman leaving the College before she is initiated shall expire
   immediately for that woman.
3. No woman who has broken her pledge shall be asked to join another group or participate in recruitment for one calendar year from the date of making her pledge. A record shall be kept of all broken pledges by the President of the Panhellenic Executive Council and registered with the Associate Dean of Students.
4. There shall be printed rules on recruiting, and a copy of these rules shall be given to the
   Panhellenic Officers, each of the Chapter Presidents and Recruitment Chairs of the
   fraternities represented in the Panhellenic Association, the Dean of Students, and the Associate Dean of Students each spring.
5. Pertinent Recruitment Rules shall be read and explained at the Sorority Orientation Meeting.
6. Formal recruitment rules are to be made known to every Greek woman enrolled in the college before summer vacation.
7. Hazing is defined as any activity taken with or without the consent of the individuals
   involved which has a potential to produce mental, emotional, or physical discomfort,
   embarrassment, or ridicule. Such activities and situations include anything that tends to
   diminish the self-esteem and dignity of an individual or categorizes an individual as a second- class person. Every activity of a fraternity should be consistent with the ideals and purposes of the group. This policy pertains to all associate, active, and alumnae members of each respective fraternity. Chapters or members who haze will be subject to discipline.
8. Men shall not participate in women's recruitment. Women shall not participate in men's recruitment, except during the summer.
9. Alcohol shall not be present at any women's recruitment activity.

ARTICLE VIII. Publications

1. Information concerning sororities shall be included in the Recruitment Handbook to be presented to each new female student.
2. The Constitution and By-Laws, as well as the Recruitment Rules of the Whitman College Panhellenic Association shall be reviewed periodically - at least once every other fall, and upon revision, one copy shall be sent to the Panhellenic Officers, Chapter Presidents and Recruitment Chairs of the fraternities represented in the Panhellenic Association, the Dean of Students, and the Associate Dean of Students.

ARTICLE IX. Social Policy

The following are policies for individual sorority and fraternity chapters. The Panhellenic and IFC Executive Councils will not actively enforce these policies but will deal with reported violations as prescribed under their constitutions.

1. Definition of a Function: A function will be defined to be any event sponsored by more than one Greek Group. This is to also include any of the following:
   1. A multi-fraternity/sorority event such as a "quad."
   2. An event with an invite list.
   3. A sorority or fraternity "date dance."
2. Security: Whitman College Security must be present at every function for the purposes of:
   1. Preventing anyone who is uninvited from attending the function.
   2. Preventing people from entering the function showing obvious signs of intoxication.
   3. Preventing anyone from bringing alcohol into the function.
3. Presence of Alcohol:
   1. No kegs or corporate purchasing permitted at functions.
   2. No alcohol may be present in the public spaces of the function.
   3. No alcohol may be brought into the function.
4. Structure of the Function:
   1. No all-campuses sponsored by the sororities or fraternities, except during formal recruitment.
   2. Any function co-sponsored by a sorority may not have a guest list and is limited to the sponsoring members only. Fraternities will be allowed to have guest lists if the function is sponsored by only male groups. Outside visitors to Whitman shall be the only exception to this rule (i.e. siblings, prospectives, etc.)
5. Risk Management: Every chapter must be familiar with its own risk management policies and contingency plan for emergencies.

ARTICLE X. New Groups

1. New groups to be considered for Panhellenic integration will be those granted colony status by The College, including National or Local affiliations.
2. Once the group has earned recognition from the College the group's president may attend
   Greek leader meetings, but it may not have a vote or an office. At this point, however, the group may choose to take part in Greek-sponsored activities. If the members of the group become involved in such activities, they will be expected to abide by all policies set by Panhellenic regarding these events.
3. The group will serve a probation period of one academic year before it will be considered by the Panhellenic Executive Council to earn a vote and an office.
4. At the end of the academic year, a subcommittee of the Panhellenic Executive Council will prepare a report regarding the group's successes and weaknesses based upon the following guidelines:
   1. The group has met all recommendations, regulations, and requirements set forth by the College and Student Life Committee.
   2. If it is a National group, it has been granted a charter.
   3. Participation in Greek-sponsored events such as Greek Week.
   4. Participation in community relations and philanthropic activities.
   5. Demonstrated interest in Panhellenic proceedings through regular attendance at
      meetings.
   6. Demonstrated interest and concern for the academic success of the group.
5. The Panhellenic subcommittee will present this report one week prior to voting so the
   Chapter President may obtain feedback from their respective groups.
6. One week following the presentation, the Panhellenic Association will vote on the group's status.
   1. If the Association votes against admission of the group to the Association, a continued probation period will be discussed and recommendations for further possibilities will be made.
   2. If the Association votes in support of admission of the group to the Association, the following steps shall take place:
      1. The Panhellenic President will notify the Dean of Students, Associate Dean of
         Students, and the Student Life Committee of the decision.
      2. The group will be expected to pay Panhellenic dues of $5.00 per person per
         semester.
      3. The Executive Council will begin discussing the group's integration into formal recruitment.
      4. The group will be expected to abide by all National Panhellenic rules and those
         outlined by The Whitman College Panhellenic Association.
      5. The group will earn voting membership and/or an office for the following
         academic year.
      6. If the group is a local affiliation, the Executive Council will begin discussing the group's future plans for national affiliation and will aid the group in these efforts if
         national affiliation is a desired end.

ARTICLE XI. Amendments

1. The By-Laws may be amended by a majority vote of The Whitman College Panhellenic
   Association.
2. Amendments to the By-Laws must be proposed to the Executive Council at least one week prior to being voted upon.

ARTICLE XII. Ratification

These By-Laws shall become effective immediately upon approval by the Associate Dean of Students for the Faculty Council.