Society of Black Alumni (SOBA)

SOBA By-Laws

Albright College Society of Black Alumni (SOBA) Bylaws

Article I – Name

The name of this organization shall be the Albright College Society of Black Alumni (hereinafter

referred to as “SOBA”).

Article II – Purpose

Section 1. The purpose of SOBA shall be to support programs and services promoting the

individual, social, cultural, and academic well-being of Albright College’s black students and

alumni.

Section 2. Our goal is to support sustainable initiatives that advance the experience of black

students, alumni, faculty, and staff via critical dialogue, mentoring, and networking.

Section 3. Furthermore, the society shall be a front line resource to assist and consciously

advocate for a respectful and diverse campus environment and community.

Article III – Members

Section 1. All black alumni and associates of Albright College including parents, students, and

friends shall be considered members.

Section 2. All SOBA Members are entitled to the following: to have a voice in the affairs of

SOBA, to participate in programs and activities, to receive communications about SOBA and the

College, and are eligible to serve as an officer of SOBA.

Article IV – Governance

Section 1. Officers. The officers of SOBA shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, and

Student Representatives from the African American Society (AAS), Caribbean Culture Club

(CCC), and African Diaspora. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed by these

Bylaws. The President, Vice President, and Secretary shall be nominated, or self-nominated,

and approved by the membership. The term of office of the President, Vice President, and

Secretary shall be two (2) years and each officer shall serve for a total of no more than two (2)

terms. The Student Representatives shall be the current President or their designee.

Section 2. Steering Committee. The Steering Committee shall consist of no more than twentyfive (25) members.

Section 3. Duties.

1. President. The duty of the President shall be to preside at all meetings of the

organization.

1. Vice President. The duty of the Vice President shall be to take the place of the ex-officio

President whenever they cannot attend to those duties and serve as a member of all

standing and ad hoc committees.

1. Secretary. The duty of the Secretary shall be to keep the minutes and attendance

records of all the meetings of the organization and to attend to all correspondence.

1. Student Representative. The duty of the Student Representative shall be to serve as a

campus resource for the organization.

1. Steering Committee. The duty of the Steering Committee is to assist with leadership

and planning. Each member of the Steering Committee shall engage in the Albright

Community in a meaningful way. This includes, but is not limited to, participating in oncampus events, either in-person or virtually, mentoring students, teaching, serving on

advisory boards, sponsoring an event, etc.; and attend at least half of the SOBA

meetings. Meetings can be attended either in-person or virtually.

Section 4. Succession. In the event that the sitting President cannot fulfill the duty of their

position, the Steering Committee will vote to fill this position at the next SOBA meeting. Voting

will be conducted by a secret ballot of all Steering Committee members present (in-person or

virtually) provided that there is a quorum of Steering Committee members recognized (75% of

the Steering Committee). A single candidate will be elected as an officer by a two-thirds majority

of the quorum. If no candidate has obtained the necessary two-thirds majority of votes on the

first ballot, a runoff ballot will be prepared with the candidates with the two (2) highest numbers

of votes from the previous vote. Nominations will be at that meeting.

Article V – Committees

SOBA shall establish such standing and ad hoc committees as it deems appropriate to the

discharge of its responsibilities. Each shall have a definite written Statement of Role and

Responsibilities with rules of procedure and policy guidelines that shall be reviewed annually by

the committee, and approved by SOBA. Ad hoc committees will be constituted only for the

duration of their task and will be dissolved upon completion thereof at the direction of the

officers.

Article VI – Meetings

Section 1. SOBA shall meet at least once per month. SOBA Members shall be notified of

meetings, which shall include the agenda and material for discussion at the meeting. In the

event that the meeting day must be changed because of an unanticipated conflict, the meeting

may be rescheduled to another date by the officers, and notice shall be given to the members of

SOBA.

Section 2. Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the proceedings.

Article VII – Amendments

Section 1. These bylaws may be changed or amended at any meeting of SOBA by a two-thirds

vote of those present, provided notice of the substance of the proposed change or amendment

is sent to all SOBA members at least ten (10) days before the meeting. Said changes will go

into effect immediately upon an affirmative vote.

Section 2. These bylaws shall be reviewed annually by the Steering Committee, which shall

recommend any necessary changes to the officers.

Submitted: May 19, 2020

Adopted: June 1, 2020

 

Winter 2022 – 2023

Fall 2022

Summer 2021