Mu Upsilon Zeta Coeducational Fraternity Constitution Preamble Whereas ​
intellectual and personal growth are the aims furthered by a university education, and Whereas ​
such growth is best accomplished among those who share a dedication to such development, and Whereas ​
a university education has devolved too far in purpose, and Whereas ​
to far too many, a university education is exclusively a tool for vocational advancement, and Whereas ​
the creation of an inclusive forum for intelligent discussion furthers the education of philosophy students, and Whereas ​
friendship with similarly driven peers best furthers intellectual and personal growth, and thus university education as a whole, and Whereas​
an inclusive avenue for discourse aids the entire University community in its search for truth, We ​
do ordain and establish this constitution for the Mu Upsilon Zeta fraternity. Article I: Purpose (1)
The purpose of Mu Upsilon Zeta is to enable dedicated Philosophy students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to build personal and intellectual relationships with other students similarly dedicated, so that their intellectual and personal growth as a student can be maximized, and their study of the field of Philosophy to be benefited. (2)
Aim (1) above shall be fulfilled with the utmost inclusiveness. Mu Upsilon Zeta shall not discriminate on the basis of age, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, nationality, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or veteran status for the purposes of recruitment, admission, promotion, or advancement of its members, and with respect to affiliation with other organizations. Mu Upsilon Zeta, its officers, and its members shall comply with all relevant University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill nondiscrimination policies, as well as local, state, and federal discrimination law. (3)
Aim (1) above shall be fulfilled with the utmost respect for the diversity in socioeconomic status of Mu Upsilon Zeta’s members. Dues are to be set at the minimum necessary level for the sufficient funding of Mu Upsilon Zeta’s operations. Under no circumstances are dues to be set in such a manner so as to be intentionally exclusionary. (4)
The primary model of government of Mu Upsilon Zeta is to be based on anarchist principles, namely those of non­hierarchical free association, as outlined in Article II. The members of Mu Upsilon Zeta shall be “peers”. Article II: Government (1)
The primary decision­making body is to be the general body, consisting of all Mu Upsilon Zeta peers, and it shall meet regularly. These meetings shall be run by Robert’s Rules of Order, with the President presiding and the Clerk taking minutes. The Quaker model of unanimous consent shall be used, with all votes requiring consensus minus one vote. (2)
The chief officer shall be the President. Their only prescribed duties are to serve as a liaison to the Greek Alliance Council, to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and its offices, and to other fraternities. They may be elected by unanimous consent, minus one, and minus the votes of any other candidates running for the position, and replaced by unanimous consent minus one by a main motion; they serve until replaced. They may have other duties delegated. (3)
A Clerk shall also be elected by the same procedure; their only duty is to serve in the place of the President when necessary and to take minutes of meetings for the record. Should the President be absent for a General Body meeting, the Clerk shall preside and they shall have the delegated authority to designate a replacement clerk to take minutes. Should the Clerk be absent, the President shall have the delegated authority to designate a replacement clerk to take minutes. (4)
For all non­delegated acts of Mu Upsilon Zeta, main motions are required to be proposed to the entire general body at a general meeting. A vote shall then be called, following a period of discussion. All motions shall require unanimous consent minus one vote, unless delegated. (5)
By unanimous consent minus one vote, any number of duties may be delegated to a particular peer, or to a committee chaired by a peer, to whom the selection of committee members may or may not be delegated. Those duties may then be carried out, either by the fiat of the peer to whom those duties are delegated, or by unanimous consent of those members on the committee. Delegation can be for a definite term or indefinite. Titles may be bestowed along with or besides duties. (6)
Delegation of discussion to a committee may also be done by the General Body. In this case, the committee shall convene to consider a problem and may present their solution to the General Body, but the General Body shall still be required to consent; the delegated committee shall hold no fiat power. No questions of recruitment or budgeting may be delegated except in this manner. A committee may have some standard delegated duties and others delegated for discussion. (7) Amendments to the Constitution must pass two readings at consecutive meetings, with at least one meeting consisting of a majority of the General Body. (8)
The President, the Clerk, and all delegated officers must be full­time and registered students of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Should an officer other than the President cease to be such, the President shall have the authority to appoint a temporary replacement until such time that a permanent replacement can be voted in. Should the President cease to be such, the Clerk shall assume that position until such time that a permanent replacement can be voted in. The Clerk shall have the authority to fill the now­vacant Clerk position as if he were the President. (9)
There is to be a faculty advisor, who fulfills all University­mandated functions of the advisor. The advisor must be a full­time faculty member in the Philosophy department. Article III: Membership (1)
Recruitment events are to be organized at the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters, under all relevant GAC rules and regulations. (2)
There are to be not more than six recruitment events. No alcohol is to be at recruitment events, and no Mu Upsilon Zeta associate at them is to be intoxicated. (3)
The requirements for application are to be set by the General Body, and may not consist of any other requirement besides the following: (a)
The attendance of a certain number of recruitment events. (b)
The maintenance of having a certain grade point average. (c)
The student’s status as a Philosophy major or minor. (d)
The successful completion of a certain number of Philosophy courses. (e)
The student’s criminal or Honor Court record. (4)
Once an application is submitted, after the last recruitment event, unless delegated, the general body shall determine acceptance. (5)
The prospective peer may, at the discretion of the General Body, be required to submit to queries from the General Body at a General Body meeting. (6)
Peerage shall not be extended to students who have been convicted of a felony, or have been sanctioned by any University in any way, for any violation of a sexual or violent nature. (7)
Peerage shall not be extended to students with ​
both​
a previous semester and cumulative grade point average below 3.0, either overall or calculated using only Philosophy courses. (8)
Peerage shall not be extended to students who are not philosophy majors or minors and who have not taken, or are currently enrolled in, a Philosophy course at UNC­Chapel Hill, or to students who are in the first semester of their first year, unless that student demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the general body, their ability to engage in valuable philosophical discussion. This must be done by a query session as outlined in III.(5). (9)
Peerage shall not be extended to students who lack a command of the English language sufficient to engage in learned discourse, or to students who are not registered on at least a part­time basis at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Peerage may be extended to undergraduate students, graduate students, or professional students. Students in the graduate or professional schools are not subject to the requirements in III.(7) and III.(8) (10) Peerage shall not be extended to students who have a criminal conviction for the provision of alcohol to minors. (11) All peers, unless sanctioned under Article IV, shall be equally eligible to participate in the activities of Mu Upsilon Zeta. The privileges of peerage include, but are not limited to, voting in the General Body and participation in Mu Upsilon Zeta activities. (12) No increases in dues shall be levied among peers, unless the increase is voted on during a meeting at which a majority of the General Body is present. A rate of dues shall be determined for incoming members prior to the consideration of their membership and their application for it; information regarding this rate should be made available to those incoming members prior to their application. An elevated rate may be charged for the peer’s first semester, but dues shall be prorated for peers who join during a semester. (13) At the discretion of the General Body, a number of hardship dues waivers may be allocated. These waivers can then be distributed by the President or his delegates to peers who demonstrate to the satisfaction of the President or his delegates that the payment of their dues would cause undue burden. (14) Suspension of peerage for dues nonpayment occurs after one semester of nonpayment, at the beginning of the next semester. Peerage shall be reinstated following the payment of dues for the current semester; back dues payment shall not be required. (15) A peer may suspend their peerage for any period of time at any time, but they shall not be entitled to a refund of dues. Article IV: Code (1)
The Code lists the expressly prohibited acts of peers of Mu Upsilon Zeta. No peer shall be censured, expelled, or otherwise punished unless a specific Code violation is named. No peer shall knowingly and maliciously: (2)
Engage in unjustified violence against anyone; or (3)
Commit a sexual offense, either physical or verbal; or (4)
Cheat, lie, or steal; or (5)
Slander the good name of Mu Upsilon Zeta or one of its peers; or (6)
Engage in bigoted or otherwise grossly insensitive behavior; or (7)
Create or contribute to an environment less conducive to intellectual development; or (8)
Fail to uphold duties delegated upon them or otherwise required of them; or (9)
Create or contribute to an environment wherein other peers or members of the campus community feel unsafe or otherwise uncomfortable; or (10) Force, require, or otherwise coerce any peer to commit any act they do not wish to do. (11) No punishment shall be levied other than censure, censure with a loss of voting privileges for a definite term, expulsion, removal from Mu Upsilon Zeta housing, or prohibition from attending recruitment events. (12) Punishment requires unanimous consent, minus one vote, minus the votes of any persons deemed to be accessories or otherwise have a conflict of interest in the offence. No punishment greater than censure shall be levied unless the meeting at which the business is considered consists of a majority of the General Body.