ARTICLE I
The name of this organization is the Pitt Pharmacy Alumni Society.
ARTICLE II
The objective of this Society is to support the mission of the School of Pharmacy, advance the interests of alumni, and promote the profession of pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences by:
Enhancing the quality of education and the reputation of the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy within the community.
Developing a network among the School of Pharmacy Alumni.
Promoting fund raising for the University and for the School of Pharmacy.
Involving alumni in student recruitment, mentoring and professional placement programs.
Fostering communication among the alumni, administration, faculty, staff, and students.
Serving as a training opportunity to help develop leaders in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences.
ARTICLE III
Society Memberships
Section 1. Types of Memberships
There shall be five classes of membership in the Society.
Active Society Members: All graduates of the School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, shall automatically become Active Members of the Society.
Associate Society Members: All non-alumni members of the faculty and staff of the School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, shall automatically become Associate Members of the Society.
ARTICLE IV
Board of Directors
Section 1. Board Composition
The Alumni Society shall be governed by a Board of Directors which shall consist of the Executive Officers and 15 Director-At-Large members. Only Active Society Members are eligible to hold office on the Board of Directors. Each At-Large Director shall be appointed by the Executive Council for a term of three years, or, if the At-Large Director is elected to an Executive Office of the Society, the term will extend to the duration of time required to serve as an Officer. The terms of the 15 At-Large directors shall be staggered so that each year, 5 new At- Large Directors will be elected or appointed by the Executive Council.
Board members who have completed their term in good standing are eligible to become Ambassador Members of the Board. Ambassador Members must attend at least one meeting annually and contribute to at least one Pitt Pharmacy event per year. Ambassador Board Members are considered non-voting members of the Board. Ambassadors may initiate or terminate their Ambassador status at any time.
Ex-officio members of the Board of Directors are outlined in Section 5.
Other Society Members may be invited to a Board of Directors meeting as needed to conduct business.
Section 2. Board Vacancies of At-Large Director Positions
Vacancies shall be filled for the appropriate term by appointment at the next Executive Council meeting. A list of responsibilities will be provided to all interested candidates. Potential candidates who agree to fulfill the responsibilities will be considered for appointment to the Board. Executive Officer vacancies shall be addressed as specified in Article V, Section 5.
Section 3. Board Member Requirements
At-Large Directors and Executive Officers are required to participate in their assigned committee and attend and/or contribute to two events per year. They must also attend at least 4 in-person or virtual bimonthly full Board meetings per year.
Members of the Board of Directors are expected to participate in the annual giving program.
Section 4. Activities of the Board
The Board of Directors shall meet not less than at least once quarterly and shall consider the program(s) of the Society and establish goals for carrying forward the work of the Society. A quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of eleven voting members of the Board.
Section 5. Non-voting Members
Ex-Officio Members of the Board of Directors shall consist of the School of Pharmacy Dean(s), the Director of Development, Major Gifts Officer, and the Alumni Coordinator. In addition, a student from each professional year of study shall be elected to the Board by his/her peers. The students and Ex-Officio Members will be non-voting members of the Board. They will serve to strengthen the link between the Board and the students, as well as providing a means of communication between the Board and the student body.
Section 6. Board Member Removal
Board members are subject to replacement on a rolling basis by the Board if they do not meet Board Member participation requirements. Any member of the Board of Directors who is unable to, or fails to, discharge the duties of the office, or who is disciplined by a Board of Pharmacy, may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of those in attendance at a meeting of the Board of Directors. Such a motion must be preceded by a written notice sent by the Executive Officers to the Board member at least one month prior to the meeting. The written notice should outline the reason for the motion for removal and request a written response in advance of the next meeting of the Board. If a written response is received it will be made available to all those in attendance that are eligible to vote on the issue.
Section 7. Executive Council
The Executive Council shall be comprised of the Executive Officers, the Deans of the School of Pharmacy, the Director of Development, the Major Gifts Officer, and the Alumni Coordinator for the School of Pharmacy. The Executive Council shall meet as needed to conduct actionable business of the Board. Any action so taken must be ratified by the Board at its next regular meeting. Members of the Executive Council are expected to attend all respective meetings.
ARTICLE V
Executive Officers of the Society
Section 1. Executive Officers
The officers of the Society shall be the Chairperson of the Board, Immediate Past-President, President, Vice-President, and Secretary.
Section 2. Officer Term Length
All officers of the Society shall serve a one-year term, commencing July 1st and terminating June 30th of the following year.
Section 3. Officer Succession
At the end of his/her term of service, the Secretary shall succeed to the position of Vice President, the Vice-President shall succeed to the position of President, the President shall succeed to the position of Immediate Past-President and the Immediate Past-President shall succeed to the position of Chairperson.
Section 4. Officer Selection
The Executive Officers shall appoint a new Secretary at least 30 days prior to the end of the fiscal year. The nominee for this position will come from the membership of the Board of Directors. If more than one person is nominated, an election will be held.
Section 5. Officer Vacancies
Executive Officer vacancies shall be managed by the Executive Council. At-Large Directors may be appointed to fill these openings or current Executive Officers may hold their seat for an additional term.
ARTICLE VI
Duties of the Executive Officers
Section 1. Duties of the Chairperson of the Board
The Chairperson of the Board shall serve as Chairperson of the Nominations and By-Laws Committee. The Chairperson of the Board shall also be responsible for developing a list of candidates for the Distinguished Alumni and Rising Star Awards with input from the Alumni Coordinator. Awardees will be selected by the Board of Directors and must be approved by the Dean of the School of Pharmacy.
Section 2. Duties of the Immediate Past President
The Immediate Past-President shall serve in the absence of the Chairperson of the Board and shall also serve as Chairperson of the Education/Communication Committee.
Section 3. Duties of the President
The President shall preside over the Executive Council meetings, meetings of the Board of Directors and of the Society. The President shall also appoint committee memberships.
Section 4. Duties of the Vice President
The Vice-President shall serve in the absence of the President and shall also serve as Chairperson of the Fund-raising Committee.
Section 5. Duties of the Secretary
The Secretary shall take minutes of all board meetings, meetings of the Society and meetings of the Executive Officers; and shall furnish a record of such minutes to the Alumni Coordinator for record-keeping purposes. The Secretary shall also serve as Chairperson of the Social Committee.
ARTICLE VII
Committees
All committees shall have at least one Executive Officer member as chairperson, and one Board-at-Large member.
Section 1. Nominations/By-Laws Committee
The Nominations and By-Laws Committee shall prepare a list of candidates willing to be elected or appointed to the Board and to the Office of Secretary annually. Additionally, the Nominations and By-Laws Committee shall solicit from the general alumni nominations for the Distinguished Alumni and Rising Star Awards. These nominations are to be submitted to the Executive Council no later than 6 months prior to the announcement of the award. This committee shall also annually review the by-laws. Proposed amendments to the by-laws shall be submitted to the Board of Directors no later than February 28th of each year.
Section 2. Education/Communication Committee
The Education/Communication Committee shall develop and coordinate mechanisms to foster communication and cooperate among the alumni, administration, faculty, staff and the student body. The Committee will seek methods to enhance the quality of pharmacy education and the mission of the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy within the community. Additional responsibilities of this committee include contributions to the School of Pharmacy news magazine, engaging alumni for the Annual Career Roundtables, and reviewing and developing content of the Pitt Pharmacy Alumni Society web pages.
Section 3. Fund-raising Committee
The Fund-raising Committee will work with the Director of Development and Major Gifts Officer to promote fund-raising for the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy through a variety of activities including, but not limited to, sponsoring opportunities, Pitt Day of Giving, and Golf Outing. This committee will help plan special events and receptions for the Alumni Society members and students of the School of Pharmacy.
Section 4. Social Committee
The Social Committee will work with the Alumni Coordinator to plan special events and receptions for Alumni Society members and students of the School of Pharmacy.
Section 5. Executive Council
See Article IV, Section 7.
ARTICLE VIII
Meetings
Section 1. Society Meetings
The Alumni Society shall meet on request of a majority of the Board of Directors. At special meetings, only those items specified in the call for the meeting shall be transacted.
ARTICLE IX
Selection of Distinguished Alumni/Rising Star Awards
Section 1
The alumni in review shall be evaluated on their educational, professional and university affiliated achievements.
Section 1A
Examples of educational achievements would include, but are not limited to, undergraduate as well as postgraduate degrees, educational contributions to the profession of pharmacy, or status in a teaching institution (when applicable).
Section 1B
Examples of professional achievements would include, but are not limited to, professional recognition(s) and awards, community or institutional involvement in promoting the profession of pharmacy, or innovative discoveries that lead to the improvement of patient care and the practice of pharmacy.
Section 1C
Examples of university achievements would include, but are not limited to, involvement in university development programs, establishing meaningful roles for alumni volunteers, involving alumni in student recruitment mentorship and placement programs, fostering public acceptance and support of the University of Pittsburgh and its School of Pharmacy in achieving their goals, implementing programs of interest for alumni and providing opportunities to enhance friendships and camaraderie among alumni.
Section 1D
This section applies to the RISING STAR award only. Nominees and award recipients must be between 5 and 15 years post-graduation.
ARTICLE X
Society Fiscal Year
Section 1
The fiscal year of the Society shall begin on July 1st and end June 30th of each year.
ARTICLE XI
Amendment of Bylaw
The by-laws may be amended by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members of the School of Pharmacy Board of Directors.
Amendment Revision 11.0
Approved 1/31/2021
