Article I. Origin, Name and Objectives

Section 1. Origin And Name.

This Society, a component of the national dental honor society, Omicron Kappa Upsilon, established by charter on July 25, 1957 is named OmegaOmega Chapter of Omicron Kappa Upsilon.

Section 2. Objectives.

(a). Omega Omega Chapter has been established to promote a spirit of emulation among students in dentistry for high scholarship and good character (Character is defined as conforming to professional standards of conduct or ethics and demonstrating integrity in morals of behavior and expression as deemed proper by the active membership of Omega Omega Chapter); and to honor, in an appropriate manner, those who have distinguished themselves in these qualities.

Article II. Membership

Section 1. Types Of Membership.

This chapter shall consist of charter, alumni, faculty and honorary members.

(a). Charter members are members of the faculty whose names appear on the charter as founders of the chapter. They shall have all the privileges of active members while remaining a member of the dental school faculty.

(c). Faculty members are those dentists on the faculty who have been elected to membership after service as a full-time teacher at UMD-New Jersey Dental School for three continuous years or a part-time teacher at UMD-New Jersey Dental School for six continuous years. Full-time and part-time shall be defined by the administration of this school of dentistry. To be eligible for election, a member of the faculty shall have made outstanding contribution to the art, science, or literature of dentistry. (The terms art, science, or literature of dentistry wherever appearing in the By-laws of this Society shall be interpreted as:
(1). The art of dentistry shall imply skill in performance, acquired by experience, study and observation and may be manifested by presentation, before graduate, post-graduate refresher courses or dental meetings not sponsored or financed by a business firm or commercial enterprise, of a method of performing an operation or the development of an instrument, appliance, machine or equipment to facilitate dental operations with no purpose of self-profit,
(2). The science of dentistry shall be interpreted as the introduction of a new theory or suggestion and based upon facts which have been established by study, observation and research, as distinguished from skill in performance,
(3). The literature of dentistry shall imply the publication of a book or the publication in a professionally controlled journal on dentistry or its allied sciences, of a original essay, treatise or thesis.)

In addition, the mechanism for nominating and voting an individual to faculty membership in Omega Omega Chapter shall be as follows:
(1). A faculty nomination must be made in writing by three (3) active members, each from different disciplines.
(2). The three (3) nominating faculty members must forward their individual letters of recommendation and their nominee's C.V. to the chapter's president or secretary-treasurer by October 1st.
(3). All active members voting on a nominee for faculty membership must have read the nominee's C.V. and have signed a roster prior to the date of the voting meeting in order to vote. (The nominee's C.V. will not be available for review at the meeting.)
(4). At least one of the three nominating faculty must be present at the election meeting in order to present his/her nominee.
(5). Letters of nomination are to be invalidated after each election meeting. That is to say, letters of nomination do not carry over to the next nominating period. A new set of letters must be submitted each time a faculty member is to be considered for membership.
(6). In addition to outstanding contributions to the art, science or literature of dentistry and the minimum period of service, a nominee must demonstrate a keen sense of ethics and professionalism as defined in the Principles of Ethics of the American Dental Association.
(7). Finally, it is highly recommended that there be a maximum effort to maintain the confidentiality of the nomination from the individual who is being considered for membership.
A two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the active members of this component chapter who participate in the voting shall be necessary to elect to faculty membership. Faculty members are eligible for all the privileges of active membership.

 

(d). Honorary members. The component chapter may elect to honorary membership any member of the dental profession who has made outstanding contribution to the art, science, or literature of dentistry, and others not members of the dental profession who have made similar contribution to the advancement of dentistry. Any active or associate member of Omega Omega Chapter may propose candidates to Honorary Membership in Omega Omega Chapter. The name of the candidate, a letter of recommendation and the candidate's C.V. shall be delivered to the chapter president or secretary-treasurer by December 1^st (which is approximately sixty (60) days before the annual business meeting.) The executive committee shall study the qualifications of all candidates and determine those eligible pursuant to the By-laws. From those eligible, only one may be submitted for Honorary Membership at the next officially convened business meeting. Nominations will not be held over. If an individual is to be reconsidered, a new nomination process must be initiated. At the annual business meeting only one (1) person may be elected to such Honorary Membership. It is required that in order to vote on the candidate for Honorary Membership, an active member must have read the candidate's letter of recommendation and C.V. and signed a roster prior to the date of the annual business meeting. (The candidate's letter of recommendation and C.V. will not be available for review at the meeting.) A two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the active members who are eligible to vote will be necessary to elect. An Honorary Member, either of the Supreme Chapter or of a Component Chapter, is entitled to the privileges of active membership. An Honorary Member of the Supreme Chapter may attend the meetings of any component chapter, and enjoy the privileges of active membership therein, except for voting if he/she is not a member of the school's faculty.

 

(e). Life Members. To be granted life membership by this component chapter one must have been an active member or an associate member for thirty (30) years and have reached the age of sixty (60). A written request must be presented to the president or secretary-treasurer by December 1^st (which is approximately sixty (60) days prior to the annual business meeting.) The request for Life Membership shall be presented to the membership at the annual business meeting with the recommendations of the executive committee. A two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the active members in attendance shall be necessary to grant Life Membership. Life Members retain all privileges of Active Members while remaining a member of the dental school faculty, and are exempt from dues.

Section 2. Ballot

Balloting for all classes of membership shall be by secret ballot.

 

Section 3. Proxy Votes And Mail Ballots.

Proxy votes and mail ballots shall not be used.

Section 4. Classes Of Membership Activity.

(a). Active Members. All charter members are active members while remaining a member of the dental school faculty. All alumni, faculty, and honorary members who are members of the dental school faculty and have been approved by Omega Omega Chapter are active members. Only active members may vote or be elected to office.
(b). Associate Members. All members of this component chapter who are not active members, but do support the component chapter by payment of annual dues with a regularity satisfactory to the Executive Committee are associate members.
(c). Inactive Members. Those members of the component chapter who are not active or associate members and who do not pay dues shall be considered inactive members. Inactive members may be reinstated as associate or active members upon payment of all unpaid dues and the approval of the Executive Committee of Omega Omega Chapter.

Section 5. Acquiring Active Classification.

All newly elected members of the Chapter who are eligible for active membership may be automatically classified active by the secretary when they indicate a desire to participate in the responsibilities of active membership, these being: to attend meetings, to serve on committees, to serve in office, and to pay dues. Those members of the faculty who have been elected elsewhere may acquire membership by a similar expression to the secretary, and after approval by the Executive Committee of the Chapter.

Section 6. Change From Active To Associate Membership.

Those members who express to the secretary their inability to meet the responsibilities stated in Section 5 above may be changed to the associate classification by the Executive Committee. At least thirty days before each election meeting, the secretary should consult about the classification with each active member who did not participate in two consecutive previous meetings.

Section 7. Change To Inactive Membership.

 

The secretary will reclassify both active and associate dues-delinquent members to inactive in accordance with the dues payment schedule stated in Article III, Section 2.

Article III. Dues and Assessments

Section 1. Amount Of Dues.

The annual dues shall be determined by the Executive Committee. Dues shall be payable by June 1^st. Life members shall pay no dues. Active members on military leave shall have their annual dues waived during their leave.

Section 2. Delinquency Of Dues.

Section 3. Assessments.

There shall be no assessments except by two-thirds vote of the active members present at a meeting called to consider such assessment.

Article IV. Officers

Section 1. Officers.

Section 2. Terms Of Office.

Section 3. Consecutive Terms.

No officer with the exception of the Secretary-Treasurer, shall serve two or more consecutive terms in the same office.

Section 4. Nomination Of Officers.

Section 5. Installation Of Officers.

Upon election, they shall be installed no later than the awards dinner, which follows the election.

Section 6. Vacancies.

A vacancy in the office of President shall be filled by the President-elect. A vacancy in any other office shall be filled by appointment by the President for the unexpired term.

Section 7. Duties Of President.

(a). To supervise generally the activities of the chapter.
(b). To enforce its laws.
(c). To decide all questions of order.
(d). To call and specify the time and place of the annual business meeting or any special meeting.
(e). To preside at the annual and any special meetings of the Chapter.
(f). To conduct the installation of the officers.
(g). To preside at the annual awards dinner.
(h). To preside at meetings of the Executive Committee.
(i). To appoint such committees as may be required by the By-laws and other committees as may be deemed essential.
(j). To sign all membership certificates and such papers as may be required to authenticate them.
(k). To appoint a delegate and alternate to the annual meeting of the Supreme Chapter.
(l). To examine the records of the Secretary-Treasurer.

Section 8. Duties Of President-elect.

(a). To assist the President in his/her duties.
(b). To be a member of the Executive Committee.
(c). To serve as chairperson of the membership committee.
(d). To assume the office of President automatically should a vacancy occur in that office.
(e). To be installed as president at the completion of the term of office of the President at the annual awards dinner.
(f). To preside at meetings in the absence of the President.

Section 9. Duties Of Vice-President.

(a). A Vice-President shall be elected at the annual business meeting just prior to the annual awards dinner which marks the expiration of the term of office of the current President.
(b). Upon the installation of the President-elect as President, the Vice-president will assume the position of President-elect and assume responsibilities of both offices.
(c). The duties of the Vice-President shall be those usually pertaining to that office.

Section 10. Duties Of Secretary-Treasurer.

(a). To have charge of the books, papers, and all other documents of the chapter.
(b). To keep historical and biographical records.
(c). To maintain an official registry of all members of the chapter, according to type of membership and classification of activity.
(d). To submit to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Supreme Chapter, at least thirty (30) days before its annual meeting, an annual report, including a roster of all active members in the chapter, names and addresses of newly elected members, names of deceased component members, activities and projects of the chapter and other items of general interest to the Society.
(e). To conduct the correspondence relating to the official business between the Supreme Chapter and Omega Omega Chapter.
(f). To prepare and conduct ballots as required.
(g). To notify the active membership of all meetings.
(h). To notify all members of the annual awards dinner.
(i). To sign, together with the President, all membership certificates and other papers as may be required to authenticate them.
(j). To cause to be issued to each new member an electronic copy of the Omega Omega Chapter Bylaws, and a copy of the “Historical Review” of Omicron Kappa Upsilon, National Dental Honor Society, as distributed by the Supreme Chapter.
(k). To prepare and present a record (including roll call and minutes) of all business transactions of the Chapter and of the Executive Committee.
(l). To maintain the financial records of the Chapter and prepare and submit, at the annual meeting, the financial report of the Chapter.
(m). To receive all monies due the Chapter, be responsible for monies of the Chapter, and pay out the same on proper authority.
(n). To issue yearly statements of dues to all active members who have not tendered their dues by June 1^st.
(o). To pay the annual dues to the Supreme Chapter by December 31^st and include a report listing the names and addresses of Chapter officers elected during the year.
(p). To obtain from the Dean or the registrar a list of the top twenty percent (20%) of the graduating class who will be eligible for alumni membership, to notify these students and obtain from them a "Student Profile" and to provide this information to the chair of the Membership Committee in a timely manner.
(q). To deliver all money and property of the Chapter in his/her possession to his/her successor.

Section 11. Special Duties Of The Executive Committee.

 

(a). To decide all matters relating to the general welfare of the Chapter, for which the By-laws do not provide guidance, and such other duties as may from time to time be given to it by the Chapter.
(b). To rule upon changes in classification of membership activity.
(c). To study the qualifications of all proposed candidates for Alumni, Faculty, Honorary and Life membership prior to their consideration at the annual business meeting.

Article V. Committees

Section 1. Membership Committee.

(a). Candidates for alumni, faculty, honorary and life memberships shall be nominated by a committee of five (5) active members appointed by the President.
(b). Chairperson of the membership committee shall be the President-elect.

Section 2. Dr. William S. Kramer Award Sub-Committee.

(a). A candidate for the Dr. William S. Kramer Award shall be nominated by the Dr. William S. Kramer Award sub-committee.
(b). Chairperson of the sub-committee shall be the President-elect.
(c). The sub-committee shall consist of two additional members from the membership committee, appointed by the chairperson.

Section 3. Dr. Stephen H. Leeper Award Sub-Committee.

(a). A candidate for the Dr. Stephen H. Leeper Award shall be nominated by the Dr. Stephen H. Leeper Award sub-committee.
(b). Chairperson of the sub-committee shall be the President-elect.
(c). The sub-committee shall consist of all members of the membership committee.

Section 4. Events Committee.

(a). The Events Committee shall be responsible for coordinating and planning chapter activities such as but not limited to:
       1. Annual Business Meeting
       2. Annual Awards Dinner
       3. OKU Scholarship Reception
       4. Freshman Orientation

Article VI. Meetings

Section 1. Annual Business Meeting.

(a). This meeting shall be held the first Wednesday in February, and shall serve for reports, election of new members to the chapter, election of new officers and any other business that may come before the chapter.
(b). The President shall specify the exact time and place, and the Secretary-Treasurer shall give written notice to all active members at least thirty (30) days in advance of the meeting.

Section 2. Annual Awards Dinner.

An annual awards dinner for all members of the chapter shall be held on the first Saturday evening in May, for the purpose of honoring and conferring membership upon new members of the Chapter, presentation of the "Dr. William S. Kramer Award of Excellence", presentation of the "OKU-Omega Omega Scholarship Foundation" scholarship , presentation of special recognition awards (when applicable) and to install newly elected officers.

Section 3. Special Meetings.

(a). Special meetings may be called by the President or upon the written request to the President of six active members of the chapter, setting forth their reason for the special meeting.
(b). The President shall specify the time and place, and the Secretary-Treasurer shall give written notice to active members in advance of such meetings.

Section 4. Confidentiality.

Article VII. Parliamentary Authority

Section 1. Procedures.

Parliamentary procedures not indicated in these By-laws shall be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order.

-Roll call.
-Reading of minutes.
-President's report.
-President-elect's report.
-Secretary-Treasurer's report.
-Report of Committees.      
-Unfinished business.   
-New Business.

Section 3. Suspension Of Bylaws.

Article VIII. Quorum

Thirty percent (30%) of the total Active Membership of this chapter shall be present in person to constitute a quorum of a regularly scheduled meeting.

Article IX. Suspension & Forfeiture of Membership

Section 1. Procedure.

Any member may be suspended or expelled from Omega Omega chapter by a three-fourths (3/4) affirmative vote of the active members of the chapter given the following conditions:
(a). The balloting occurs at an officially convened meeting.
(b). The member shall be notified by registered mail thirty (30) days in advance of the meeting and of the reason for consideration of his suspension or expulsion.
(c). The member be allowed to present answers to those charges at this meeting.
(d). Sufficient cause for initiating this procedure would be recognition of a violation of the Constitution and By-laws of the Supreme Chapter or the By laws of this component chapter, or a violation of the Principles of Ethics of the American Dental Association.

Section 2. Mechanism For Appeal.

Any member suspended or expelled may appeal to the Executive Committee of the Supreme Chapter within thirty (30) days after such action has been taken. The decision of the Executive Committee of the Supreme Chapter shall be final.

Section 3. Return Of Property.

Section 1. Supreme Chapter Approval.

As provided in Article 1, Section 3, of the By-laws of the Supreme Chapter, the By-laws adopted by this chapter or any amendments thereof must be approved by the Executive Committee of the Supreme Chapter in order to be effective.

Section 2. Notice Of Amendment.

Each proposed amendment shall be signed by at least two active members and submitted to the component chapter Secretary at least thirty (30) days before it is voted upon. The Secretary shall within ten (10) days of the receipt of such amendment forward a copy of the same to each active member for consideration.

Section 3. Voting On Amendment.

These By-laws may be amended at any annual or special meeting by an affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the active members in attendance, provided each active member was given notice of the meeting and of the proposed amendment at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting.

Article XI. Foundation

Section 1. Definition.

The OKU-Omega Omega Scholarship Foundation is a non-profit organization established primarily for developing and managing support for the "OKU-Omega Omega Foundation Scholarship".

Section 2. OKU-Omega Omega Foundation Scholarship.

(a). The OKU-Omega Omega Foundation Scholarship is awarded, yearly, to a rising junior dental student at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey based upon scholastic excellence, exemplary traits of character and the potential promise for future professional growth and attainment as determined by the members of Omega Omega Chapter.

(b). The OKU-Omega Omega Scholarship Foundation may also, upon the 2/3 vote of the active membership voting at the annual meeting or at a special meeting at which a quorum is present and on the recommendation of the Board of Directors, fund additional scholarships to dental students at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey for academic endeavors based on merit or need as recommended by the Board of Directors (to be referred to as the “OKU-Omega Omega Special Scholarship Fund.”)

(c1). The OKU-Omega Omega Scholarship Foundation may also, upon the 2/3 vote of the active membership voting at the annual meeting or at a special meeting at which a quorum is present and upon the recommendation of the Board of Directors fund externships among disadvantaged peoples for dental students at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey based upon such criteria as recommended by the Board of Directors (to be referred to as the “OKU-Omega Omega Externship Fund”).

(c2). A portion of the OKU-Omega Omega Externship Fund not to exceed 100% of each year’s funding may be devoted to the expenses incurred by necessary qualified supervising dentists, who may be, but need not be, active members.

(d). Approval for funding for each such new fund under clause (b), (c1) and (c2) shall be made annually by vote of a majority of the active membership at the annual meeting or a special meeting at which a quorum is present.

Section 3. Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors of the OKU-Omega Omega Scholarship Foundation shall consist of the Executive Committee of Omega Omega Chapter. The Board of Directors shall be the managing body of the Foundation.

Section 4. Executive Director.

Section 1. Duties Of The Executive Committee.

Upon dissolution of this chapter, the Executive Committee shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all the liabilities of the chapter, dispose of the remaining assets of the chapter exclusively for one or more exempt purposes, within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future Federal Tax Code), or shall distribute the same to the Federal Government, or to a state or local government for a public purpose. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by order of Superior Court of the State of New Jersey in the judicial district where the principal office of the chapter is then located, exclusively for such purpose or to such organizations organized and operated exclusively for such purposes as said court shall determine.

Section 2. Disposition Of Chapter Assets.

In the event of dissolution of Omega Omega Chapter, and after compliance with Section 1, all assets of this chapter shall be given to the Supreme Chapter of Omicron Kappa Upsilon, currently located at the University of Nebraska, College of Dentistry, Lincoln, Nebraska. A perpetual, national scholarship is to be established by the Supreme Chapter of Omicron Kappa Upsilon in honor of Omega Omega Chapter. This scholarship is to be awarded to a dental student who has completed at least two years of study at an accredited dental school in the United States or Canada. The criteria and selection of the recipient is to be established by the Board of Directors of the Supreme Chapter of Omicron KappaUpsilon.

POLICIES & GUIDELINES OF OMEGA OMEGA CHAPTER
LAST REVISED APRIL 16, 2002

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. Alumni Voting Process
B. Faculty Membership Nomination Process

A. ALUMNI VOTING PROCESS

A-1    Each active member in attendance at the meeting who is eligible to vote will receive a ballot with all candidates listed in ranked order according to the composite score results of the Membership Committee.

A-2     The chairperson presents each candidate in descending ranked order of their composite scores, starting with the candidate with the highest score.

A-3     Each candidate is considered individually.

A-4    The chairperson reviews the scores of the individual candidate and reads all comments that the faculty members provided on the faculty survey sheets, whether positive or negative. The Chairperson makes no personal comment. After the presentation, the Chair opens the floor for any additional faculty comments.

A-5     At this time each voting member is given time to consider the candidate on his/her ballot and vote.

A-6     This process continues until all candidates have been reviewed.

A-7     Voting members may vote affirmatively on as many candidates as he/she feels are qualified for membership (which at this point may be more than the 12% cut off rule).

A-8     Ballots are collected and votes are tallied to determine which candidates have received a 2/3rd-vote total. At this point only those candidates with a 2/3rd vote or better are considered. The candidates are ranked from the highest vote total to the lowest. From this list the top candidates constituting not more than the top 12% of the class are selected with no further discussion.

A-9     If less than the maximum number of alumni members is elected at this point, voting is finished and the maximum number will not be elected from this graduating class.

A-10     If more than the maximum number of candidates allowable receive the required 2/3rd vote then candidates will be selected based upon descending order of votes received until the maximum number of candidates is elected i.e., 12% of the class.

A-11    Should there be a tie for the final position(s), the tied candidate's composite scores, as submitted by the Membership Committee, will be considered as the tiebreaker.

A-12    If the composite scores are identical, then the candidates will be selected according to the following criteria until the tie is broken:
               a. GPA
               b. Clinic Points
               c. Faculty Survey, and finally
               d. National Boards and Committee Interview.

B. FACULTY NOMINATION PROCESS

Supplemental to the nomination process as outlined in the by-laws:

B-1     All written nominations must be received only from active members in good standing for the past 3 or more years.

B-2     An active member, in good standing, may nominate an individual for faculty membership only once every five years, providing their nominee has been brought forward for vote at the annual business meeting.

B-3     There will be a limit of no more than 1 faculty member elected each year.

B-4   A Screening Committee will be established to evaluate all candidates nominated for faculty membership. The Screening Committee will consist of the immediate past president, secretary-treasurer, and one member at large.

B-5     The Screening Committee will evaluate the candidate(s) in the following areas:

-Outstanding contributions to the art, science or literature of dentistry. (A faculty member's contribution to the art, science or literature of dentistry should be clearly explained in the candidate's three letters of recommendation. The screening committee should identify and confirm the contributions through a thorough review of the candidate's CV. Anecdotal and personal feelings toward the candidate shall have no bearing on this process.)

-Input from "Faculty Profile" Form.

B-6   When the Screening Committee receives a nomination, a "Faculty Profile" will be sent to all active faculty members. In order to be eligible to vote on the nomination at the annual business meeting, faculty members must return a "Faculty Profile" for the candidate being considered. The evaluation will be conducted using the double envelope return procedure in order to insure anonymity. "Faculty Profile" forms must be returned to the Screening Committee by November 1.

B-7     If the Screening Committee receives only one nomination, and:

-the Screening Committee affirms the nomination, then the notification process will continue as usual, or

-if the Screening Committee does not support the nomination, the Screening Committee will notify the nominators by December 1 of its decision. At this point the nominators will be asked if they would like to withdrawal their candidate or continue with the election process without the support of the Screening Committee. If the nominators would like to continue the election process they must notify the Membership Committee by December 15 of their decision.

B-8     If the Screening Committee receives more than one nomination, the committee will evaluate each candidate to see if any candidate submitted has meet the criteria for membership. If the Screening Committee is unable to support any candidate, the nominators will be so notified by December 1. If all nominations are withdrawn, the process ends. If no candidate is withdrawn and the nominators request that the election go forward, the Membership Committee will be notified.

B-9    If the Screening Committee receives more than one nomination and after due consideration of each candidate affirms all candidates submitted, the Membership Committee and the nominators of each candidate will be informed.

Bylaws Revised
6-16-06

is required to print copy of by-laws. For a free download, click here.

(C)1999 Omicron Kappa Upsilon - OMEGA OMEGA CHAPTER
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