Constitution & Bylaws
Constitution
Article I – Name
The name of the organization will be Concordia University, St. Paul Alumni Association, referred to as the “Alumni Association” throughout the remainder of this document.
Article II – Purpose
The purpose of the Alumni Association is to create mutually beneficial partnerships between Concordia St. Paul, its alumni and current students; and to promote the mission and promise of Concordia University, St. Paul.
Article III – Membership
Section 1: The membership of the Alumni Association shall include all degreed alumni and former students who completed the equivalent of 24 semester credits from Concordia University or Concordia Academy (prior to 1972).
Section 2: All recipients of honorary degrees, not included in Article III, Section 1, shall be honorary members of the Alumni Association.
Section 3: Other persons of distinction may be designated honorary members through recommendation to the Awards Committee and approval by the Executive Committee, Assoc. VP for Alumni & Constituent Relations and the University President.
Article IV – Governance
Section 1: The affairs of the Alumni Association shall be administered by Alumni Relations in consultation with the Alumni Advisory Council and shall be consistent with the strategic priorities of the University.
Section 2: The purpose of the Alumni Advisory Council is to work in partnership with the Office of Alumni Relations to do the following:
• Create mutually beneficial partnerships between Concordia St. Paul, its alumni and current students
• Promote the mission and promise of Concordia University, St. Paul
Section 3: The Alumni Advisory Council members shall be appointed by the University President at the recommendation of the Membership and Executive Committees of the council. The council shall seek to represent the diverse alumni and current student populations.
Section 4: The University President and Vice President of University Advancement shall serve as ex-officio members of the Alumni Advisory Council.
Section 5: The Alumni Advisory Council may be augmented with other appointments by the Assoc. VP for Alumni & Constituent Relations with approval from the Executive Committee.
Article V – Amendments
Section 1: Changes to the Constitution or Bylaws
1. Any proposed changes to the Constitution or Bylaws should be presented for review to the Executive Committee at their fourth quarter meeting.
2. The Executive Committee will present proposed changes to the Constitution or Bylaws in writing to the full Alumni Advisory Council four weeks prior to the annual meeting.
3. Any proposed changes to the Constitution or Bylaws will be voted on at the annual meeting.
4. A majority vote is required for adoption of amendments.
Article VI – Contributions
The Alumni Association is a non-dues paying organization. The association members are encouraged to make annual financial contributions to the University.
Article VII – Fiscal year
The fiscal year of the Alumni Association and the Alumni Advisory Council shall coincide with the fiscal year of Concordia University, St. Paul. This fiscal year runs from July 1-June 30. The fiscal year is separated into four quarters: July-September, October-December, January-March and April-June.
Bylaws of the Alumni Advisory Council
Article I – Meetings
Section 1: One annual meeting of the Alumni Advisory Council will take place during the first quarter of any new fiscal year. The purpose of this meeting is to:
1. Personally connect council members to one another
2. Share important university information to the council
3. Communicate the strategic plan of the Office of Alumni Relations
4. Provide time for individual committees to meet
Section 2: Executive Committee meetings will be held quarterly.
Section 3: Meetings of the Alumni Advisory Council committees vary in number of meetings per fiscal year. Based on committee plans, the chairs will determine specific meeting requirements.
Section 4: Members not able to meet in-person can be connected to all meetings virtually, including the annual meeting.
Section 5: Committee chairs will conduct meetings and are responsible for creating agendas and generating minutes for each committee meeting.
Article II – Application and Membership
Section 1: Eligibility
1.Alumni applicants must meet the requirements of Article III of the constitution.
2. Student applicants must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program.
Section 2: Application Timeline
1. Applications for membership should be submitted during the third quarter of any fiscal year. 2. Applications submitted after each year’s deadline will be considered during the following year’s recruiting cycle.
3. Applicants will be selected for membership on the Alumni Advisory Council at the beginning of the fourth quarter of any fiscal year.
4. New members will be notified in writing of their appointment to the Alumni Advisory Council during the fourth quarter of any fiscal year.
Section 3: Application Process
1. The Membership Committee reviews applications, interviews applicants and makes recommendations to the Executive Committee.
2. The Executive Committee approves committee appointments and forwards them to the University President.
3. The University President ratifies appointments and sends formal notification to approved candidates.
4. The Membership Committee follows up with approved candidates to confirm appointments and provide annual meeting information.
5. The Membership Committees notifies applicants not selected for Alumni Advisory Council membership.
Section 4: Committee Chairs
1. Committee chairs are selected by Alumni Relations in consultation with the Executive Committee.
2. Committee members may indicate their interest in holding a chair position on the original application.
3. A member must have at least two years remaining in their terms of service to be considered for a chair position.
Article III – Duties of Officers and Members
Job descriptions for Alumni Advisory Council committee chairs and members are available in Appendix A.
Article IV – Committees
Section 1: Executive – The purpose of the Executive Committee is to oversee the functionality of the Alumni Advisory Council. See Appendix A for full committee description.
Section 2: Other – See Appendix A for full descriptions of current Alumni Advisory Council committees.
Article V – Terms of Service
Section 1: Council members commit to serving one, two-year term. Council members are not subject to formal term limits. However, if a member wishes to step down from their role, they are expected to provide written notice at least 30 days prior to the end of their current term. Alternatively, members may request to be considered for placement on a different committee for the following year, based on interest and availability. This approach supports continuity while allowing for personal and professional flexibility within the council.
Section 2: Committee chairs commit to serving one, two-year term, concurrent with the term of office listed in Article V, Section 1.
Section 3: Student members commit to serving one year. Students are eligible to become members once they have completed one full academic year, but can apply during their first full academic year.
Section 4: Understanding that life changes may impact the ability to serve, a written resignation must be submitted to the committee chair and the Assoc. VP for Alumni & Constituent Relations. If serving on the Executive Committee, the resignation should be presented to the Assoc. VP for Alumni & Constituent Relations.
Section 5: When a term is ending and a member chooses not to renew for an additional term, written notification must be provided to the committee chair and the Assoc. VP for Alumni & Constituent Relations. If serving on the Executive Committee, the notification should be provided to the Assoc. VP for Alumni & Constituent Relations.
Article VI – Voting
Section 1: A quorum shall consist of the total number of Alumni Advisory Council members in attendance at the annual meeting.
Section 2: All votes shall be determined by a simple majority of those present, both in-person or virtually.
Section 3: The Alumni Advisory Council will take action via voice vote, unless a secret ballot is requested and approved by a simple majority.
APPENDIX A – Job descriptions
Updated September 2025