Bylaws of the Nursing Alumni Association

Article I.    Name and Duration

            The name of this organization is the University of Virginia School of Nursing Alumni Association (“Association”).  The duration of this Association shall be perpetual.

Article II.    Mission Statement

            While providing opportunities for alumni to maintain and build on their relationship with the University of Virginia School of Nursing (“School”), the mission of the University of Virginia School of Nursing Alumni Association shall be:

2.1       To serve as a resource for nursing alumni by providing organizational support for individual and group endeavors which promote the professional and social bond existing among its membership.

2.2       To work closely with and assist the University of Virginia School of Nursing through financial and organizational support to assist scholastic/professional endeavors for alumni, students, and faculty.

Article III.     Membership

3.1       Members.   All graduates of the diploma, undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs are lifetime members of the University of Virginia School of Nursing Alumni Association.

3.2       Honorary Members.   Honorary members are individuals who have rendered service to the nursing profession, the School of Nursing, and humanity.  Honorary members shall have all rights and privileges accorded University of Virginia alumni, but cannot hold elected office.  An honorary member may be elected by a majority vote of the Alumni Council.

Article IV.    Governing Board

4.1       Alumni Council.   The Association is governed by an Alumni Council (“Council”).  The Council will be made up of up to nine (9) voting members.  The Dean of the School, the Assistant Vice President for Health System Development—Nursing, and the Director of Alumni Affairs are ex officio, non-voting members of the Council.

4.2       Meetings.   The Council shall meet in association with the School of Nursing Advisory Board (usually twice each year, spring and fall), plus one additional business meeting in winter, and/or as often as deemed necessary by the Council.

4.3       Quorum.   The quorum required for the transaction of business shall be a simple majority of the Council.

4.4       Finances.   The Council will make decisions regarding all expenditures of funds from investment and/or operating account(s) established on behalf of the School of Nursing Alumni Association.  Monies may be withdrawn by a 2/3 vote of Council members.

4.4.1    Nursing Miscellaneous Gifts - Investment Pool (FNUR125) - This account is money invested for the Nursing Alumni Association.  It is not used to pay alumni affairs operating expenses. 

4.5       Negotiation.   The Council is authorized to negotiate with the School of Nursing to provide such personnel and facilities as will permit the Association to conduct its business.

4.6              Advisory Board Membership.   Up to five members of the Council shall also serve as members of the School of Nursing Advisory Board with all rights and privileges afforded Advisory Board members.  The President and up to four other Council officers will serve on the Advisory Board concurrently with their term of service on the Council.

4.7              Removal from Office.   Any member of the Alumni Council may be asked by the President to resign for failure to perform the duties and responsibilities of their position, or if they violate in any way the spirit of the University’s Honor Code.  Appointments to fill a vacancy in any office for the unexpired term will be the responsibility of the Alumni Engagement Coordinator(s) and/or the President.

Article V:  Officer Identification, Recruitment, and Election Process

5.1              Candidate Recruitment .  Opportunities to serve will be regularly advertised in the Virginia Legacy and other appropriate communication vehicles.  Candidates may also be nominated by members of the Council, the Advisory Board, other volunteers, school administrators and staff, alumni membership, and other appropriate groups.  A list of interested and potential candidates will be maintained by the alumni office.  Before the winter meeting of the Alumni Council, the Vice President for Alumni Engagement will contact candidates to evaluate their interest, abilities and availability, and at the winter meeting these officers will present a short list of candidates for Council review and discussion.  Following the winter meeting the Alumni Engagement Coordinator(s) will invite candidates to serve. 

5.2              Officer Election.   At the winter meeting of the Council the officers will vote to elect the final slate of candidates.  Whenever possible, the new officers should be introduced to the alumni membership at June Reunions Weekend events.  The new officers will begin their term on July 1 but will be invited as guests to the previous spring meeting.

Article VI:  Terms of Service

6.1              Officer Terms.   Officers of the Council will serve three-year terms.  The term begins on July 1 of the year elected, and ends on June 30 three years later.  Terms of office are staggered (see procedural document for term cycles).

6.2              Limits on Terms.   No person will serve more than two consecutive three-year terms on the Council.  Appointment to fulfill an unexpired term shall not count against the member. 

6.3              Renewal of Terms.   In the fall of the fiscal year in which an officer’s first term will expire, that officer will be contacted by the Vice President for Alumni Engagement to ascertain their interest in renewal.  Members who wish to serve a second term shall be asked to document their intent by February 1, and may voluntarily complete a self-evaluation describing their volunteer activities and contributions to the Council and the School of Nursing during their first term. 

6.4              Officer Vacancies.   Appointments to fill a vacancy in any office for the unexpired term, for whatever cause, will be the responsibility of the Vice President for Alumni Engagement and/or the President.

Article VII:  President

7.l        President Selection.   In the fall of the fiscal year in which the presidency will become vacant, the Vice President for Alumni Engagement will investigate if any current Council officer is interested in ascending to the presidency.  They will also explore interest among alumni who have recently served on the Council, to identify one or more candidates for the presidency.  Before the winter meeting of the Alumni Council the Alumni Engagement Coordinator(s) will contact presidential candidates to evaluate their interest, abilities and availability, and at the winter meeting these officers will present a short list of candidates for Council review and discussion.  Presidential candidates will not participate in the discussion or selection process.  Following the winter meeting the Alumni Engagement Coordinator(s) will offer the presidency to the candidate selected by Council.   If the new president vacates a Council position, an alumna/alumnus will be recruited to fill that position for the remainder of the unexpired term. 

7.2       President Responsibilities.  The President is the head of the Association and presides at meetings of the Council.  The President is responsible for carrying out all measures enacted by the Council.  The President acts as spokesperson for the Association and as a representative for nursing alumni.  The President shall serve as the liaison between the Alumni Council and the Alumni & Development Office.  The President serves on the Executive Committee of the School of Nursing Advisory Board.  The President serves as an ex-officio member of all other Council committees.

7.3              Vice Presidents.   In the President’s absence or inability to act, one of the Vice Presidents will act for the President. 

Article VIII:  Other Officers and Responsibilities

8.1              Other Officers.    Other officers of the Council are as follows.  Responsibilities and duties of each officer are spelled out in the respective job descriptions, but a summary follows:

8.1.1    Vice Presidents – two officers will serve in these roles, and will substitute for the president when necessary.  One vice president will support the work of the Alumni Engagement Coordinators and one vice president will support the work of the Communications Coordinator.           

8.1.2    Awards Coordinator – responsible for operating the award programs. 

8.1.3    Scholarship Coordinator – responsible for operating the merit scholarship program for students and alumni.

8.1.4    Finance Coordinator – responsible for operating the annual collection and review of budget proposals, for drafting a budget request for the dean’s approval, and for general oversight of all financial matters.

8.1.5    Communications Coordinator – responsible for representing the interests of all alumni on the Virginia Legacy (magazine) editorial board, for ensuring the alumni pages of the website are current and comprehensive, and for soliciting feedback from alumni regarding communications they receive.

8.1.6    Alumni Engagement Coordinators – two officers will serve in this role, and will help engage and involve alumni in the work of the Association and the life of the School of Nursing.

8.2       Officer Responsibilities and Authority.   Each officer has the authority to recommend to the Council for its consideration any proposed policies, programs, and activities that are within that officer’s respective area of Association concern.  In the course of their committee work each officer may appoint or recruit individuals who are not Council members but who have experience or competence which are relevant to the responsibilities or activities of that committee. 

8.3       Task Forces.   The Council is authorized to establish, on an as-needed basis, task forces of limited duration.  The Chair of each Task Force may appoint individuals who are not Council members but who have experience or competence which are relevant to the responsibilities or activities of that Task Force. 

Article IX:    Alumni Association and School of Nursing

9.1       Relationship.   The relationship between the Nursing Alumni Association/Council and the School of Nursing is defined in the Memo of Agreement, dated September 29, 2006 and attached here.  Specifically, the following is quoted from the Memo of Agreement and carries over from the Association’s earlier bylaws:

“Proviso: The change in nature and relationship between the Association and School of Nursing shall be evaluated biannually by the Alumni Council.  Either party may rescind this relationship upon six months written notice and return to the 1997 relationship and structure with a full return of previous employee structures, management of The Virginia Legacy and resumption of the Annual Fund management by the Association.”

9.2       The Director of Alumni Affairs for the University of Virginia School of Nursing, or the person responsible for this function, is also responsible for the administration of the Association and for providing staff support to the Council.  The individual in this position reports to the Assistant Vice President for Health System Development—Nursing. 

Article X:   Fiscal Year

10.1     The fiscal year of the Association will be the same as that of the University; currently July 1 through June 30. 

Article XI:   Amendments

11.1     Any member of the School of Nursing Alumni Association may propose changes or amendments to these bylaws by contacting the Alumni Council Vice President(s).  The Vice President(s) will bring the proposed amendment(s) to the Council for discussion.  Changes to the bylaws will be publicized to all reachable alumni via mail, e-mail, the Virginia Legacy, and/or other appropriate communication vehicles.  A vote on proposed bylaw amendments will occur at the annual meeting or by absentee ballot.  Approval will be determined by a majority of those voting.