Attendance Policy

Unexcused Absence: An Unexcused Absence is an absence that occurs without approval of the Committee Chair or Officer in charge of the event or obligation.

Excused Absence: An Excused Absence is an Absence that occurs with the approval of the Committee Chair or Officer in charge of the event or obligation. Class/Classwork, Work, Illness, and Personal Emergencies will automatically qualify for an Excused Absence.

If notice is not given 2 hours in advance, the absence will be reviewed by the Committee Chair or Officer in charge.

A formal motion must be made and seconded and requires a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Brotherhood. A passing vote indicates the whole Chapter agrees to attend said event with exceptions of approved excused absences.

1. The date, location, and time must be included when informing the Brotherhood of the Event.

An Event that occurs before the second General Business meeting of the semester may be made group mandatory by the Chapter if the following provisions are met:

1. Mandatory status is approved by majority vote of ⅔ of the Active Brotherhood.
2. The Brotherhood is informed of the Event a minimum of one calendar week in advance.
3. The date, location, and time must be included when informing the Brotherhood of the Event.

Motion must be approved before or during the second General Business meeting after Committees have been established individually during the semester in which the Event first occurs for Education Events and the Mandatory Service Event.

The time, date, or place of the Mandatory Event have been changed in a significant Manner by the event host or organizer.

A vote of two-thirds (⅔) of the Active Brotherhood.

For all Mandatory Events outside of General Business Meetings, the Committee Chair or Officer in charge will submit a list of unexcused absences to the Secretary. This submission must occur within one week after the Event.

When a Brother receives a finable infraction, the Secretary will notify the Brother and the Treasurer.

When the Treasurer receives notice from the Secretary that a Brother has incurred a finable absence, the fine will be immediately added to the Brother’s bill.

When a Brother reaches one finable infraction prior to Executive Review, the Secretary will notify the Brother and the Executive Committee.

At the end of each semester, all absence totals will be set to zero.

No Mandatory Events may be scheduled between the last day of scheduled classes of a semester and the first day of classes for the next.

1. Only exception is for General Business meetings when approved by a two- thirds (⅔) majority of Brothers.

General Business Meetings, Rush Week, the Closed Smoker, Pinning, Informal Initiations, and Formal Initiations and all overnighters will be Mandatory Events as scheduled by the respective officers and will be exempt from the time requirement as stated in the Section II-A-2-c of this policy.

When a Brother has an Unexcused Absence totaling more than 2 of the total Mandatory Events, as determined pursuant to subsection II-A-3 of this policy, the Brother will be fined according to the following fine schedule:

1. First additional Unexcused Absence: Check-in with the Vice President
2. Second additional Unexcused Absence: $5
3. Third additional Unexcused Absence: $10
4. Fourth additional Unexcused Absence: Executive Review

In Accordance with 4.9.2.3.5 of Rho Chapter’s Bylaws all fines will be collected by the Parliamentarian.

Any Unexcused Absence may be appealed to the Executive Committee through a formally stated letter following the Brother’s notification by the Secretary of their absence. The Committee will issue a decision within one week, based upon a majority vote.

If the committee chair, Brother in charge of the event, or person receiving the absence in question is on the Executive Committee, that Brother must abstain from voting.

If two Brothers involved with the absence (the Brother in charge of the event, person receiving the absence in question, or the committee chair) are on the Executive Committee, the appeal will be deferred to the Brother’s Court.

Upon reaching the level of Executive Review, the Executive Committee will review the Brother’s Attendance Records and hold a closed meeting of the entire Executive Committee to discuss the matter. This meeting must be held within two academic weeks of the most recent violation of this policy and must conform to the following guidelines:

1. The meeting must be announced at least 5 days prior to the intended meeting.
2. The meeting must take place on the campus of Northern Michigan University or held virtually if a member of the Executive Committee or the Brother in question is physically unable to be on campus.
3. The Brother in question must be allowed to attend and to address the committee during the meeting for a time of no less than 5 minutes at their option.
4. The executive committee will issue their decision at the meeting.

If the Brother receiving the absence in question is on the Executive Committee that Brother must abstain from voting.

Upon completion of the Executive Review, the Executive Committee must take one of the following actions, as decided by a majority vote:

Allow the Brother to become Voluntary Inactive, at their request.

1. If this should be the outcome, the President will announce the inactivity at the next General Business meeting.

Impose an Additional Fine not to exceed the previous fine - the next absence will result in another Executive Review.

Refer the case to the Brother’s Court.