Alumni Association Bylaws

Revision Date: October 18, 2025

CONSTITUTION

Article I
Name of the Organization

The name of the association shall be the Southern New Hampshire University Alumni Association, the University recognized organization for all alumni. Southern New Hampshire University was formerly known as New Hampshire College and New Hampshire School of Accounting and Secretarial Sciences and New Hampshire College of Accounting and Commerce.

Article II
Mission Statement

The purpose of the association is:

To provide support, as alumni, through leadership and commitment, to the tradition and future of the Southern New Hampshire University community and to develop and enhance alumni pride in, and affinity to, the university.

BY-LAWS

The rules and regulations and general constitution and conduct of the Association shall be covered by a set of By-Laws, which may be amended in accordance with the provision thereof.

Article I
Members of the Alumni Association

Membership in this Association shall consist of Active and Honorary Members.

1. Active Members: Shall be holders of academic degrees or certificates conferred by Southern New Hampshire University
2. Honorary Members: Shall be all holders of honorary degrees conferred by Southern New Hampshire University and for those individuals whom the Association wishes to honor because of their devotion, service or generosity to the University or Alumni Association. Honorary members shall enjoy all the privileges of active members except the right to hold a position/office on the Alumni Board of Directors.

Article II
Management of the Alumni Association

Section 1 - The management of this Association shall be vested in an Alumni Board to be called the Southern New Hampshire University Alumni Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall be responsible for the policy and programming of the Association and shall have general powers as to meetings, and the designation of means appropriate to the attainment of the purposes of the Association.

Section 2 - The Executive Committee will have the authority to make decisions when expeditious action is an absolute necessity.

Article III
Alumni Board of Directors

Section 1 - The Alumni Board of Directors will consist of a minimum of 16 and no more than 22 voting members including the Executive Committee.

1. Elected Board Members:
   
   1. The Executive Committee members shall be elected for a maximum of two -three year terms with roll off for one year before returning for re-election to the Board. (See Article VIII, Section A).
   
   2. The Board of Directors shall be confirmed for a maximum of two – three year terms with roll off for one year before eligibility for re-election to the board or pursue an Executive Committee position.
   
   
2. Appointed Board Members:
   
   In special circumstances the President of the Board of Directors may recommend two additional Board Members. These members shall be appointed for a one year term and confirmed by a majority of the Board of Directors.
   
   
3. Non-Voting Student Representatives:
   
   The President of the Board of Directors may appoint one representative of the Student Government Association (UC) and one student representative of the Student Engagement Council (Global Campus).
   
   
4. SNHU Employee Representation Limit:
   
   No more than five Southern New Hampshire University employees may serve on the Alumni Board of Directors at any given time. In the event that a current board member becomes an SNHU employee during their term, they may complete the remainder of their existing term, even if this results in exceeding the staff member limit. In addition, employees are not eligible to be the President of the SNHU Alumni Board of Directors.

Section 2 - Members of the Board who are absent from a total of 50% of meetings in a year without prior notice will be notified that they are in jeopardy of removal. The individual may be asked to resign by the President of the Board of Directors. Provisions will be made for remote participation in all regularly scheduled meetings.

Section 3 - At any time, a director may resign by tendering resignation to the President. Except as otherwise provided, resignation as a director will also constitute resignation as a member of any committee of the Board.

Section 4 - Any member may be removed from the Board in accordance with the removal by a majority vote of the Alumni Board Members present at a regular or special meeting of the Board where a quorum is present.

Section 5: Grounds for Removal
A director or Executive Committee member may be removed for:

• Failure to attend meetings: Two unexcused absences or missing more than 50% of meetings in a year.
• Failure to perform duties: Not fulfilling the responsibilities as outlined in the by-laws or their role description.
• Violation of by-laws: Actions that are inconsistent with the by-laws or violate the organization’s principles.
• Conduct detrimental to the Alumni Association: Actions or behavior that harm the reputation or effectiveness of the Association.

Section 6: Removal Process

• Notice of Concern: The director will be informed in writing of the concerns, with specific details of the grounds for removal.
• Opportunity for Dialog: The director will have 10 business days from receiving the notice to respond to the concerns in writing or in person at the next scheduled Board meeting. If no response is received it would be considered a voluntary resignation.
• Resignation or Removal: A director can resign in accordance with Section 3 above or can proceed to Discussion and Vote below.
• Discussion and Vote: Following the director’s response, the Board will hold a discussion. A majority vote of the Board members present is required to approve removal. A quorum must be present for the vote to be valid.
• Final Decision: If removed, the director will cease to hold office immediately. The decision of the Board is final.

Article IV
Powers and Duties of the Executive Committee

Section 1 - The officers of the Board shall be President, 1st Vice-President, 2nd Vice President, Immediate Past President, Director Emeritus, and the assigned representative of the Alumni Engagement office.

1. President: The President shall preside over the Executive Committee. Appoint all chairpersons of standing and special committees. Have the power to call special meetings of the Alumni Board of Directors. The President will be the Alumni representative (non-voting observer) to the Southern New Hampshire University Board of Trustees
   
   
2. 1st Vice-President: The 1st Vice-President shall discharge the duties of the President in the event of absence and shall perform such additional duties as may be prescribed by the President.
   
   
3. 2nd Vice-President: The 2nd Vice-President will be responsible for coordinating agendas, recording minutes, and maintaining records of the Alumni Board of Directors and Executive Committee meetings. The 2nd Vice-President shall provide meeting minutes within one week of the meeting date and ensure that all important Alumni Board information is submitted to the designated person in the Alumni Engagement Office for timely posting on the university's alumni website.
   
   
4. Immediate Past-President: Non-voting member of the Executive Committee responsible for serving in an advisory role to the board for the term of one year.
   
   
5. Director Emeritus: Director position subject to proposal and approval of the Alumni Board of Directors.
   
   
6. Member at Large: Appointed by the Executive Committee for a one-year term, the Member at Large is a contributing member to the Executive Committee.

Article V
Vacancies of the Alumni Board of Directors

Section 1 - If any vacancy in any elective office other than President should occur, the Executive Committee of the Alumni Board of Directors may act to fill such office for the unexpired term with nomination to Alumni Board of Directors for confirmation.

Section 2 - If a vacancy in the office of President should occur; the 1st Vice-President automatically becomes President for the remainder of the term. The 2nd Vice-President becomes 1st Vice-President. At that time the Executive Committee may appoint a current member of the Board by majority vote to assume the role of 2nd Vice-President.

Article VI
Meetings of the Alumni Board of Directors

Section 1 - The annual meeting of the Alumni Association shall be held in the fall of each academic year at a time and place to be set by the Alumni Board of Directors.

Section 2 - Full board meetings shall be held by the Board of Directors at regular intervals and held in a virtual environment by the President of the Alumni Association. All board members are expected to attend.

Section 3 - Committee meetings will be held in months not allocated to a full board meeting and additional meetings may be called at the request of any Committee Chair at the convenience of the Committee Members.

Section 4 - Special Meetings may be convened at the call of the President of the Association or by five members of the Board of Directors upon ten (10) days' notice to all Directors.

Section 5 - A simple majority of the Board of Directors present at any meeting, regular or special, shall constitute a quorum.

Section 6 - Being present at a meeting may include in-person attendance, telephone conference, internet-based conferencing, or other electronic means that allow full participation in discussions and voting.

Section 7 – Meeting Minutes, Records, and Maintenance shall be coordinated by the 2nd Vice President. The 2nd Vice President shall post a recording of the meeting, a summary, and attendance record for the meeting. Board members will vote to approve the meeting. Postings and voting shall take place in a software platform implemented by the University.

Article VII
Elections to the Alumni Board of Directors

Section 1 - Any person nominated for the Executive Committee of the Alumni Association must have served a minimum of one year on the Alumni Board of Directors.

Section 2 - Interested candidates should submit a letter of intent and a résumé to the Nominations Committee no later than June 1. The Nominations Committee will review applications, interview candidates, and submit recommendations to the Executive Committee for final approval. Information regarding the selection process will be communicated via email by the Office of Alumni Engagement.

Section 3 - Newly elected directors will take office in September.

Article VIII
Committees of the Alumni Board of Directors

Section 1 - The following are standing committees of the Alumni Board of Directors and unless otherwise indicated herein, the President shall appoint the chairperson and all members of the Committees of the Board of Directors:

1. Executive Committee: The Executive Committee of the Board of Directors shall consist of the President of the Association, 1st Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President and Immediate Past President, Director Emeritus, Member At-Large, and an Alumni Engagement office representative. The Executive Committee shall have such powers and responsibilities with respect to the management of the Association as determined by the Board of Directors. The President of the Association shall serve as the Chairperson of this committee.
   
   
2. General Board Committee: This committee's structure is determined by the Board based on need. The committee work includes:
   
   - Member Selection
   - Alumni Awards
   - Alumni Leadership Scholarship

Section 2 - The Executive Committee shall put forth working committees on an annual basis as needed to complete special projects. As outlined in the Alumni Association Board of Directors Process and Procedures Manual.

Article IX
Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of "Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised" shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Constitution, By-Laws and any special rules of order the Association may adopt.

Article X
Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws

The Constitution and By-Laws may be changed or amended once a year at the annual meeting of the Alumni Board of Directors by a two-thirds vote of the members present. All proposed changes to the Constitution and By-Laws must be communicated to the Board of Directors at least 30 days in advance. Changes to the Constitution and By-Laws must be posted on the Alumni Engagement website to be viewed by the Alumni Association membership.

October 17, 2025
Annual Meeting of the Alumni Association
Presented by the Alumni Board of Directors & By-Laws Committee

Aarron Dupuis
Shawn Burnham
Mia Anderson
Ira Kleiner
John Congdon
Sara Telfer

If you have any questions, please contact the alumni office at 603-645-9799 or email to alumni@snhu.edu.