Bylaws & Constitution

Section A.

There shall be no membership dues required but rather membership shall be gained by making a financial contribution of at least $25 annually to the MSU Foundation, Inc.

Section B.

A contribution of at least $25 annually made to the MSU Foundation, Inc., by an MSU graduate will constitute active membership in the Association for that one year. 

Section C.

Present and former members of the University staff and faculty, former students who did not graduate, friends of the University, parents of students, and members of the Board of Regents who are not active members, are eligible for associate memberships upon making an annual financial contribution of $25 or more to the MSU Foundation. Associate members are eligible for all benefits of membership with the exception of the Alumni Scholarship, and election to the Alumni Board of Directors, which is reserved for active members.

Section A.

The Board of Directors shall consist of and adhere to the following:

(1) The affairs and business of the Association shall be conducted by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall consist of no more than twenty-five (25) voting members.

(2) The Alumni Board of Directors shall elect six (6) members from the active alumni membership each year upon receiving nominations from the Nominating Committee. Each shall serve a term of three (3) years on the board. Members may not serve more than two (2) consecutive terms without a one-year hiatus.

(3) The membership of the Board of Directors shall be representative of the diversity of the overall alumni population.

(4) The president or designated representative of the Student Government Association and Student Alumni Ambassadors will also serve on the Board as voting members with one year renewable terms, contingent upon their selection by their respective organizations.

(5) The Executive Vice President, upon consultation with the President shall determine the active chapters of the Alumni Association.

(6) The Alumni President shall appoint one (1) member from the active alumni membership each year. The appointed member shall serve a term of three (3) years on the Board. The appointed member may not serve more than two (2) consecutive terms without a one-year hiatus. The presidential appointments, when possible, shall be used to balance underrepresented populations of the entire alumni body.

(7) The Board of Directors shall meet three times per year. Special meetings may be called by the President or upon the written request of not less than five (5) members of the Board of Directors.

(8) A quorum of the Board of Directors for the purpose of conducting business shall consist of a simple majority of the elected and appointed members.

(9) Any vacancy occurring on the Board of Directors due to death or resignation of any member shall be filled for the duration of the un-expired term by appointment of a person from the active membership. Said appointment shall be made by the President.

(10) If a member misses three (3) consecutive meetings, the Executive Committee shall recommend to the Board of Directors in Executive Session that the member be removed from the board effective with the board's vote. The President shall appoint a new board member from the active membership to fill the unexpired term of any member removed from the board.

Section A. Officers.

The officers of this Association shall be the President, President-elect, Executive Vice President and Secretary. The President and President-elect shall be elected from the membership of the Board of Directors. The Executive Vice President and the Secretary shall hold office by virtue of their respective staff positions as outlined in the Constitution of the MSU Alumni Association, Inc., and shall be non-voting members of the Board of Directors of the MSU Alumni Association, Inc.

Section B. Eligibility.

No one shall be eligible to hold office who has not been an active member of the Association for two consecutive years immediately prior to his/her nomination.

Section C. Election of Officers.

Election of officers will be held at the final meeting of the Board of Directors in each even numbered year. The officers shall be installed in their respective offices at the first meeting following election.

Section D. Terms of Office.

The President and President-elect shall be elected to serve for a period of two (2) years. The President-elect shall serve in that role for two years; and then serve as President for two years.

Section E. Duties of Officers.

The President shall preside at all board meetings, shall generally direct the activities of the Association, and shall represent the Association in meetings with University officials. The President-elect shall assume the duties of the President in his or her absence or incapacity. Incapacity to serve shall be determined by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors. Additional duties may be prescribed for the President-elect by the President and the Board of Directors.

Section F. Appointment & Duties of the Executive Vice President.

The Executive Vice President shall be appointed by the President of the University and confirmed by the Board of Directors of the Association. Confirmation is interpreted as a two-thirds vote of the quorum present. The duties of the Executive Vice President are:

(1) to serve as a nonvoting member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

(2) to serve as a representative of the Association and liaison with the University.

(3) to supervise the organization of alumni chapters and annual solicitation of membership.

(4) to provide annual financial reporting regarding the funds of the Association.

(5) to generally supervise and assign tasks to the alumni staff as requested by the Association.

(6) to generally promote and assist with all activities of the Association.

(7) to supervise all publications and printed materials by or on behalf of the Association.

Section G. Appointment & Duties of the Secretary.

The Secretary shall be appointed by the President of the University and confirmed by the Board of Directors. Confirmation is to be interpreted as a two-third vote of the quorum present. The duties of the Secretary are:

(1) to serve as a nonvoting member of the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association.

(2) to assist in the representation of the Association and carry on its necessary correspondence.

(3) to attend all meetings of the Board of Directors and record and distribute minutes of said meetings to the Board of Directors within one month of each meeting, if possible.

Certain activities of the Alumni Association may be coordinated by committees made up of members of the Board of Directors and, when necessary, individuals from the general membership of the Alumni Association. Members of the Executive Committee may be members of any standing and/or ad hoc committee.

The following committees shall be appointed annually by the President and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors:

Awards & Recognition

The purposes of this committee are: 1) to annually review the nominations for the Alumni Hall of Fame. The committee shall be comprised of at least five members of the Board of Directors. After screening, the committee shall present the top nominees to the Alumni Board of Directors for selection. 2.) to recommend to the Board other awards or special recognition of any deserving alumnus, former students or associate members.

Nominating Committee

The purpose of this committee is to propose: (1) candidates for election to the Board and (2) Board members for election to the Executive Committee. The committee will monitor the membership profile of the Board of Directors for ensuring that the Board and nominees are representative of the diversity of the overall alumni membership. The committee shall present the top nominees to the Alumni Board of Directors for annual election.

Governance Committee

The purpose of this committee is to review and ensure the compliance of the Association’s corporate documents.

The by-laws of the Association may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors, provided the amendment was submitted in writing and read at the previous meeting of the Board of Directors.

Effective July 1, 1990
Amended January 28, 1998
Amended April 28, 2001
Amended May 22, 2004
Amended September 15, 2007
Amended September 26, 2009
Amended May 20, 2017
Amended May 15, 2020
Amended May 21, 2022
Amended May 18, 2024
Amended February 14, 2026