AGS Bylaws

BYLAWS OF ALPHA GAMMA SIGMA, INCORPORATED
(Revised, 1984. Amended, 4/2002; 4/2006; 4/2009; 8/2011) ARTICLES
Article I: Name and Purpose
Article II: Membership
Article III: Chapters
Article IV: State Organization
Article V: Meetings
Article VI: Officers, Duties, and Elections
Article VII: Apportionment of Funds
Article VIII: Parliamentary Authority
Article IX: Amendment to the Bylaws

ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. To be a member of an AGS chapter, a student must be enrolled in classes at the chapter's community college district.

Section 2. Initial Membership

1. A community college student is eligible for initial membership by completing 12 semester or 18 quarter units in a maximum of 3 semesters or 5 quarters at any institution of higher education and having a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00. No units acquired more than two years prior to application for initial membership shall be used prohibitively.
   
2. All life members of the California Scholarship Federation and those who graduated with a minimum GPA of 3.50 at the high school level shall be invited to become temporary members during their first semester in a community college and shall have, upon payment of dues, all the privileges of membership except that of holding elective office.
   
   

Section 3. Continuing Membership.

1. An initial member may obtain continuing membership by:
   
   1. Achieving for the previous semester or quarter not less than a 3.00 GPA in courses at the current community college district, AND
      
   2. Maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better.
      
2. Continuing members will receive one semester (quarter) grace if the member's semester/quarter GPA falls below 3.00, but their cumulative GPA is 3.00 or above. There shall be no two consecutive grace periods. In the event that a student takes all classes credit/no credit, then that semester will count as the grace period if they are a continuing member.
   
   

Section 4. Membership requirements for scholarship

1. Members who are currently in a grace period may not apply for a scholarship.
   
2. Applicants must have a cumulative GPA 3.00 or higher.
   
3. No members of a chapter may apply for scholarships unless that chapter meets the criteria of a chapter in good standing (see Article III, Section 8).
   
   

Section 5. Permanent Membership. Student members may apply for permanent membership during the semester in which they complete a minimum of 60 semester or 90 quarter units in degree appropriate courses with at least half of them completed at a community college. Applicants with as few as 54 semester or 81 quarter degree appropriate units may be eligible for permanent membership provided they have enough units graded CR to make up the required total. Applicants must also meet the requirements of Paragraphs "a" or "b" below:

1. The member has maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or better in all recognized college work and has been a member of AGS, Inc., for at least one term OR
   
2. The member has maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or better in all recognized college work and has been a member of AGS, Inc., for at least two terms.
   
3. In determining eligibility, units must be counted beginning with those most recently completed and going back chronologically until the number of units is reached. If any units from a semester (or quarter) are used to establish eligibility, all units in graded courses on that and all intervening transcripts must enter into the calculation of the GPA
   
4. Any course completed two years or more prior to application for permanent membership, whether at a community college or other institution, shall not be used to prohibit any person from becoming a permanent member, provided these units are not used to meet the minimum number of required units.
   
5. Permanent membership is not granted automatically. Student members must apply for this status through their chapter's advisor(s), who determine(s) the eligibility of applicants.
   
6. No chapter may grant permanent membership status unless it meets the criteria of a chapter in good standing. After reinstatement of a chapter's good standing status, any of its members who had been denied permanent membership because of the lack of good standing may reapply.
   
   

Section 5. Alumnus Member. Any permanent member shall be considered an alumnus member.

Section 6. The Permanent Membership Certificate. Only persons who qualify for permanent membership shall be entitled to receive the Alpha Gamma Sigma Permanent Membership Certificate.

Section 7. The Official Pin. A continuing member shall be entitled to wear the officially adopted silver pin of the organization. A permanent member shall be entitled to wear the officially adopted gold pin of the organization.

Section 8. Control of membership at the local level. Each local chapter must establish procedures for applying for active membership in accordance with its own local constitution/bylaws. The local bylaws may specify initial, continuing, and temporary membership requirements stricter than those of the state constitution. In addition to the requirements above, chapters may include a service requirement.