The national board held its first meeting with the new national executive board members on August 29, 2012. Although it was only the first meeting, the new board was hard at work making preparations for the coming semester. The meeting included a vote on a new dues and fees structure, unveiling of the National Executive Board’s plans for the 2012-2014 term, and the announcement that National Director of Finance, Carlos Morales, will be resigning office as he will be moving to work in the Caribbean. His resignation letter is expected this week.
New Dues and Fees
According to a stipulation in the National Bylaws (Article V, Section 2), the national board is required to pass all new undergraduate and alumni dues at the first meeting after July 30. Since the August 29, 2012 meeting was the first scheduled national board meeting after July 30, a new dues structure was proposed and voted upon by the national board. The new structure changes induction fees from $300 to $350, maintains undergraduate dues at $125, reduces alumni dues to $75 for new alumni (recent graduates) and $100 for all other alumni. All dues proposals were approved unanimously. A $100 alumni chapter fee (similar to the NIC fee required of undergraduate chapters) was also proposed, but was tabled to the next meeting in September.
The increase in induction fees is meant to resolve an administrative issue with fall inductees who are required to pay $300 in the fall and then another $50 in dues in the spring semester. By paying the $350, these brothers will not be required to pay the extra $50 in the spring, as it will have already been collected. These inductees will be active for the rest of the academic year. Spring inductees will also pay $350. Induction fees have not increased in six years, and even with the increase they remain competitive nationally.
The reduction in alumni dues is in reaction to the lack of active alumni nationally (120 in 2011-2012). As an incentive, new alumni will be offered reduced dues ($75 instead of $125) and all other alumni will be offered a reduction as well ($100 instead of $125). +