Alumni Board Structure, Definitions and Duties

Appendix F

Alumni Board Structure, Definitions and Duties

Updated: March 27, 2008 
 

Overview: 

The previous structure of the Chi Phi - Alpha Delta Chapter Alumni Board did not allow for the broader engagement of sufficient alumni to spread the roles and responsibilities across many people. As a result, too few alumni carried the significant burden of managing the Chi Phi – Alpha Delta Alumni Association. The alumni board was too dependent upon the president and other key members of the board being directly involved in most, if not all, decisions. A new board structure has allowed greater levels of autonomy for volunteer board members to be effective within their respective time constraints. Additionally, individuals who volunteered for the previous roles quickly found that they were consumed by the tasks and activities of managing an active, successful alumni association. These responsibilities increased dramatically if there were ongoing issues with the actives and/or the physical house, which required alumni involvement. The previous structure also made it very difficult for succession planning since the board was very small and each member was already saddled with too many responsibilities to handle on a volunteer basis. 

To address this issue, the alumni board has been restructured to spread the various activities required of an active, successful alumni board across many individuals. Periodic communication and presentation of plans allows board members to better communicate while allowing them to be more autonomous. The activities are broken down into more finite and specific responsibilities so that not any one individual is required to carry a significant time/task burden in a volunteer environment. Finally, it allows for more effective succession planning as there are numerous individuals in various roles and new volunteers feel more at ease getting involved as roles are well defined and have a time limit. 

The following is the revised Chi Phi - Alpha Delta Alumni Board structure:  

 
 

 

Board Member Definition & Duties 

1. The Alumni Executive Board

 

• All board members with the title of president or vice-president are part of the alumni “executive” board and have voting authority.
• Vice-presidents will have complete autonomy in executing their duties under the following conditions:

 

1. Their actions are part of a well defined plan that has been presented and approved by the board
2. Their actions as an individual or as a board member, do not violate any legal, moral or ethical standard
3. Plans are coordinated, as necessary, with other board members whose area(s) of responsibility are directly or indirectly impacted.
4. Financial commitments are within budget and pre-approved spending levels
5. Responsible for creating a succession plan and finding their replacement at the end of the term.

 

• The alumni executive board will meet at a minimum of one (1) time each quarter with the meeting planned, with input from and chaired by the president.
• Each vice-president will be expected to report to the executive board on activities under their direct responsibility (see below for specific responsibilities). Non-VP roles will be invited to provide updates for their respective responsibilities at the appropriate quarterly meetings.
• The president and VP positions have ongoing responsibilities throughout their respective term.

 

2. Chairmen positions

 

• All “chair” positions work directly with their respective VP.
• Chair positions may have ongoing responsibilities throughout the respective term or specific responsibilities for a finite period during the year.
• Chair positions will report as needed to their respective VP for reporting during the quarterly board meetings.
• Chairmen will have complete autonomy in executing their duties under the following conditions:

 

1. Their actions are part of a well-defined plan that has been presented and approved by their respective VP.
2. Their actions as an individual or as a board member, do not violate any legal, moral or ethical standard
3. Plans are coordinated, as necessary, with other board members whose area(s) of responsibility are directly or indirectly impacted.
4. Financial commitments are within budget and pre-approved spending levels
5. Responsible for creating a succession plan and finding their replacement at the end of the term.

 

Alumni Board Position Definitions & Duties 

Position	Person (as of 3/27/08)	Term	Duties
President	Open	2 yrs	Oversees, coordinates and delegates tasks and activities to VP’s (monthly updates from VPs.) Plans and chairs quarterly (at a minimum) conference call with the Alumni Executive Board – one or more of these meetings could be held in person at annual alumni outings. Holds final authority on expenditures and matters where the board cannot agree or cannot meet in time to make a decision.
VP – Capital Campaign & Fund Raising	Bob Martin	2 yrs	Oversees, coordinates and delegates tasks as it relates to current and ongoing fund raising activities (includes current capital campaign and the annual fund. Primary contact for Affinity on the capital campaign Leads capital campaign steering committee and associated ERA captains and class agents. Holds and chairs bi-weekly capital campaign conference calls Oversees chairman for annual fund raising.
Chair – Annual Fund	Bob Martin w/ Affinity	2yrs	Oversees activities related to annual fund raising which primarily supports the alumni communications effort
ERA Captains	Gary Bradford
VP – Active Relations	Gordon Brown	2 yrs	Acts as central point of contact for National and University in all matters specific to the chapter and the active brotherhood. Serves as archive for by-laws, brotherhood board, new member recruiting/program and the active/alumni annual agreement. Coordinates efforts between active relations chairs and other affected VPs. Prepares monthly updates to president and quarterly updates to board.
Chair – Chapter Advisor	A.J. Marazza		Advisor meets one time each month with active exec board to encourage open communication and development/execution of action plans. Available resource as a “sounding board” for actives regarding management/administrative issues. Coordinates with the chairs for the Brotherhood Board, New Member recruiting and the New Member Program. Ensures smooth transitions between officers and adherence to best practice officer binders. Supports VP as secondary contact for Chi Phi National
Chair – Brotherhood Board			Works directly with Beta on adherence to active/alumni agreement and serves as advisor to active Brotherhood Board. (Advisor to Beta) Keeps board apprised of badge points list and all disciplinary issues. Leads disciplinary efforts
Chair – New Member Recruiting	Chad Levant		Works with actives on execution of standard recruiting program – coordinates with national and university. (Advisor to Rush Chairmen) Acts as an advisor before & during new member recruiting periods and approves actives recruiting plan prior to their start Reviews post recruiting efforts, reports status to VP/board and makes adjustments to program as necessary
Chair – New Member Program			Works with actives on execution and adherence to program (Advisor to Epsilon). Monitors program to ensure compliance with all laws and policies – particularly non-tolerance of hazing.
Chair – Job/internships			Coordinates with actives seeking internships and post-graduation job opportunities Tracks individual and house GPA
VP – Building Committee & Maintenance	Open	2yrs	Develops the renovation master plan in coordination with Renovation Committee  -presents plan to board for approval. Must be construction savvy and with ability to clearly understand and manage house renovation project. Oversees chair for ongoing house maintenance outside of renovation – chair works with alumni & actives to identify house projects to be completed by actives and alumni work parties Prepares monthly updates to president and quarterly updates to board
Chair – Renovation Committee	Open	2yrs	Leads Alumni Association Building (Renovation) Committee planning & execution of house renovation – delegates tasks to committee members as necessary and coordinates the master renovation plan. Renovation Committee obtains bids, selects contactors and manages outsourced project manager/GC
Chair – House Maintenance	Open	2yrs	Coordinates preparation for annual code inspection   Manages outsourced weekly inspection – coordinates actions to resolve damages/maintenance and reports deposit deductions to Chair – leases/billing/deposits
Chair – House Security	Open	2yrs	Oversees house security specific to exterior and room locks/keys, key management and securing house during breaks. Coordinates with Chair – leases/billing/deposits on check-in/check-out process, ensures lease is signed, bills paid before move-in.
VP – Finance (Capital Campaign & Renovations)	Mike Antonetti	2yrs	Manages Capital Campaign finances including incoming donations and their disbursement for renovation expenses Performs audits and ensures renovation expenses are appropriate and within budget Provides monthly updates to board Actively coordinates with Renovation Committee Contacts president for approval on non-budgeted or unusual expenses.
VP – Finance (House/Alumni Association)	Andy Schultz Jr.	2 yrs	Manages alumni association accounts, insurance, taxes, loans & associated bills. Prepares alumni association budget and publishes appropriate statements on a monthly basis and bi-annual report to all alumni. Manages outsourced accounting Defines and maintains clear process for what alumni collect and pay for and what actives collect and pay for. Coordinates with Chairs for Active Budget Mgmt & Leases/Billing/Deposits Contacts president for approval on non-budgeted or unusual expenses.
Chair – Active Budget Management	Open	2yrs	Chair works directly with delta and active’s accountant to develop actives budget and acts as the direct contact for both. Pre-authorizes unusual expenses for the active chapter account.
Chair – Leases/Billing/Deposits	Jim Curcio	2yrs	Manages and maintains the lease process – sends to active members, ensures return and documents validity – contacts parents if necessary Manages Bursar Billing process for invoicing and collection of each semesters rent from each active. Chair manages process for house deposits including their collection, deductions and return. Coordinates with actives and Chair – House Security the process of moving in/out each semester
Chair – Legal & Insurance	Open	2yrs	Manages all legal matters including individual and active/alumni lease agreements, evictions and bad debt collection.
VP – Board Secretary & Alumni Relations	Open	2yrs	Manages and coordinates all formal communications with alumni including the web site, Alpha Delta Data and mailings. Works with capital campaign and fundraising individuals on their necessary communications and ensures a consistent message. Reviews Affinity’s annual plan and coordinates with alumni communications and message. Works with president to develop quarterly agendas and distributes meeting minutes to board.
Chair – Alumni Association Web Site	Ryan Buff	2yrs	Manages house/alumni association web site and content Updates content as necessary to ensure
Chair – Alpha Delta Data	Andy Schultz Sr.	2yrs	Manages Alpha Delta Data content & mailing
Chair – Annual Golf Outing	Gary Lambert & Bob Martin	2yrs	Manages all aspects of annual golf outing including date/site selection, promotion, activities, attendees, etc.
Succession Planning Committee	Open	2 yrs	Committee chair and four (4) members from various eras. Meet quarterly to develop succession plans for all positions board and chair positions Actively recruit succession replacements Coordinate with incumbent on potential replacements.
Chair – Other Alumni Events	Open	2yrs	Develops annual plan for alumni activities including Blue/White, homecoming, work parties and non-PSU events such as baseball games, PSU away games and cocktail gatherings by geography. Identifies and recruits individuals to plan and manage each event.
VP – At-large & Honorary members	Open		Alumni assigned to a specific project or to provide guidance to the board from a historical perspective May include oversight of a committee to coordinate recruiting alumni for president, board and chair positions There can be more than one of these positions