Alumni Board of Directors

Article II – Active Member

Active members in any year are those members who have successfully completed a minimum of one year of study at the University.  Association members are encouraged to participate in the overall advancement of the University by any legal and ethical means possible, including:

1. Holding any office or serving on any committee of this Association or of a local chapter;
2. Attending at least one meeting of a local chapter per year;
3. Sending the name and address of at least one prospective student to the Director of Alumni Services or Director of Admissions;
4. Contributing to the financial support of the University, either through a personal gift or by participating in a fund-raising campaign; 
5. Notifying the Director of Alumni Services of at least one channel (a personal friend, for example) through which to approach a philanthropic foundation or other potential donor;
6. Notifying the Director of Alumni Services of at least one position vacancy for which a Cumberland graduate or student would be considered; 
7. Inviting or arranging through the Director of Alumni Services the invitation of at least one performing group, member of the faculty or administration, or alumnus of the University to entertain, meet with, or address at least one high school or community college, civic club, church or other similar group;
8. Sending the Director of Alumni Services news concerning activities of individual alumni and local alumni chapters. 

Article III – Privileges of Members

Section 1.   Regular members. Regular members have the right to vote at all general meetings of the Association and the right to hold any office of the association; to receive the University’s alumni publications; and all notices to all general meetings held under the auspices of the Association. 

Section 2. Honorary Members.  Honorary members have all the rights of regular members except those of voting and holding office. 

Article IV – Board of Directors

Section 1.  Composition of the Board.  The government of the Association and the management of its affairs are entrusted to a board of Directors consisting of the following members. 

• a. Fifteen (15) members elected in three groups of five (5) who serve a three-year term. 
• b. President-Elect, serving a three term; the first year as President-Elect, the second year as president, and the third year as Past-President. This member is ineligible for a second term until a period of two (2) years has elapsed. 
• c. Secretary, serving a one-year term. This member may serve consecutive one (1) year terms until their three (3) year term is up. 
• d. President, under the conditions of Article IV.1.b.;
• e. Past-President, under the conditions of Article IV.1.b.;
• f. Alumni trustee, a member of the University Board of Trustees appointed by the President of the University for a period not to extend his/her term as a board trustee. 
• And the following ex-officio members:
• g. President of the University;
• h. The Vice President of the University with primary responsibility of institutional advancement;
• i. Executive Director of Alumni Services, serving as Executive Director of the Alumni Association; 
• j. Director of Media Relations;
• k. The current President of the Student Government Association;
• l. Former members of the Board of Directors. 

Section 2.  Right to vote.  All duly elected members of the Board of Directors have the right to vote on all matters coming before the board. Ex-officio members may not vote but have the privilege of the floor. 

Section 3. Beginning and End of Terms. All elected members of the Board of Directors are installed into the office at their first regular meeting of the Board of Directors.  They will serve until the annual Homecoming event in the year in which their terms expire or until their successors are duly elected and installed.  After completion of an elected term, members may continue to serve in ex-officio status as provided in Article IV.2.

Section 4.  Board Meetings. Three (3) Board of Directors meetings are scheduled throughout the year at a time and place agreed to by the Board of Directors. Special meetings of the board may be called by the President of the Board of Directors or upon a written request submitted by four (4) members of the board. 

Section 5.  Attendance. An elected member of the Board of Directors who is absent from two successive regular meetings of the board without advance notice to the Executive Director is deemed to have resigned membership on the Board and is not eligible for re-election within a year following said resignation.  An elected member may make an appeal to the board, at the next meeting following the second successive absence, regarding a particular absence.  If the Board feels the absence is warranted, the member may remain.  Attendance of ex-officio members at regular meetings is not required; however, their attendance and participation is encouraged for all Alumni Board sponsored activities and events. 

Section 6.  Business.  All meetings of the Board of Directors are open to the transaction of any business.  

The order of business follows customary usage.  A simple majority of voting members of the Board constitutes a quorum, and a simple majority of those present and having the right to vote shall prevail on any question except those for which these Bylaws require a larger vote.  No member is entitled to vote by proxy. 

Section 7.  Rights of Membership at Board Meetings.  During regular meetings of the Board of Directors, sufficient time is set aside for appearances by members of the Association who may bring to the board’s attention any matters pertaining to the Association.  The board will take such matters under advisement. 

Section 8.  Vacancies.  Any vacancy among the elected members of the Board of Directors is filled by election if the unexpired term is greater than one year; if the unexpired term is one year or less, the President fills the vacancy by appointment. In either case, the new member is eligible upon expiration of the interim term to serve in Article IV.1.a. 

Article V – Officers

Section 1.  General.  The officers of this association shall be designated as the Executive Committee of the Board and include a President, a President-Elect, Past-President, and Secretary, all of whom are elected by the membership of the association through procedures described in Article IV.3.  Officers begin their terms at the first meeting after Homecoming and serve until their successors are duly elected and installed.  Any officer may be removed by the Board of Directors, proper notice having been given of the proposed action and three fourths (3/4) of the Board voting for dismissal. 

Section 2.  Duties of the President.  The President acts as chair at all meetings of the Association, of Board of Directors, and of the Executive Committee. He or she may appoint committees, except as herein otherwise provided, and is an ex-officio member of all committees of this association.  At the completion of the term, the retiring president serves as the Past-President of the Board of Directors for one year or until succeeded by another retiring president. 

Section 3.  Duties of the President-Elect.  The President-Elect is in effect a vice president who acts in the place of the President in his or her absence or disability and succeeds to the presidency upon the expiration of the term of the president. 

Section 4. Duties of the Past-President. The past-president will serve as an advisor to the President and President-Elect for one year until the installation of new executive officers at the first meeting after Homecoming. 

Section 5. Duties of Secretary.  The Secretary acts as recording secretary of the meetings of the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors and the Association. 

Section 6.  Vacancies.  If the presidency becomes vacant, the President-Elect assumes the office of the President and serves the remaining unexpired term plus his or her own regular term.  Should a vacancy occur within the office of President-Elect or Secretary, the vacant position is filled by appointment by the Executive Director of Alumni Services.

Article VI – Election

Section 1.  Nominations. Nominations for positions to be filled on the Board of Directors are made from among the active membership of this Association. Nominations can be submitted online from the alumni webpage or by notifying the office of Alumni Services. 

Section 2.  Elections. Elections are held online beginning at least two (2) weeks prior to Homecoming. If more than five (5) persons are on the ballot, the Director of Alumni Services and the president of the Alumni Association count the ballots on the Friday evening prior to Homecoming Saturday and contact each person on the ballot.  

Article VII – Director of Alumni Services

The Executive Director of Alumni Services shall serve as the Executive Director of this Association and is appointed by the President of the University. During his or her tenure of office, he or she shall be a member of the administrative staff of the University and shall be responsible first, to the administration and second, to the Board of Directors.  He or she serves as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, and he or she is a member, ex-officio, of all standing committees of this Association. 

Article VIII – Committees

Committees may be appointed, as needed, by the Executive Director of Alumni Services and or the President of the Board of Directors. 

Article IX – Meetings of the Association 

Section 1.  Annual Homecoming Gathering. The annual meeting of the association is held during Homecoming.  The calls for the meeting are mailed to each member at least sixty (60) days prior to the meeting, together with the notices of nominations and of the right of the members to make further nominations.

Section 2.  Special Association Meetings.   A special meeting of the association may be held on the request of the Board of Directors, President of the Alumni Association, Executive Director, President of the University, or on written petition of fifty (50) members of the association. The Board of Directors will decide the exact time and place of the meeting and sends notice to each member of the association at least two (2) weeks prior to the date of the meeting. Special meetings are only held for the purpose for which they are called. No other business may be considered. 

Article X – Procedure

Section 1.  Fiscal Year.  The fiscal year coincides with the fiscal year of the University:  July 1 – June 30.

Section 2.  Quorum.  At any general meetings of the Association, regularly and properly called, the presence of a simple majority of voting members of the Alumni Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum, except that a quorum for any committee meeting is one-half of the membership of the committee. In the event that the projected attendance for such meetings may not constitute a quorum, the Executive Director shall cancel the proposed meeting, determine the next appropriate meeting time, and notify the necessary individuals of this action.  

Section 3. Procedure.  Except as specifically otherwise provided by the constitution, bylaws, or special rules of this association, Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, govern. 

Article XI – Amendment

Section 1.  Method of amendment.  These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board of Directors at any regular meeting or at any special meeting duly called and held for that purpose; and they may be amended or suspended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote at any regularly called meeting of Association. 

Section 2. Review by the University Administration. Any by-law changes must be reviewed by the President of the University or his or her designee to ensure compliance with all articles of operation of the University. 

Revised on May 18, 2019

Adopted by the Alumni Board of Directors. 

Date: December 2019