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Initiatives > PAA Honor Society
Establishing a Local Chapter
The local chapter is the backbone of the organization: it is through the programs of local
chapters that Pi Alpha Alpha is able to promote and reward excellence in the public
service. Local chapters need not have a major agenda of activities. Each activity is
important: each has a positive impact on the way in which students and faculty on the
local campus view scholarly and practitioner excellence in the public service.
Local chapters of Pi Alpha Alpha may be established and maintained only in those
colleges and universities whose academic program in public affairs and administration is
a member of NASPAA. An international PAA chapter may be established in foreign
degree granting institutions which are association members of NASPAA.
I. Eligibility
An academic program in public
administration must meet the following criteria to be eligible to
establish a chapter:
General Criteria
1. The institution must be accredited by the appropriate regional
accreditation association to confer the baccalaureate and/or master’s
degrees.
2. The public affairs or public administration program must be a member
of NASPAA. Pi Alpha Alpha chapters may be established in degree-granting
institutions in other nations if they are associate members of NASPAA.
3. The title of the degree or major field is public administration or
public policy or sub-fields of those two terms. (Contact the National
Office for guidance.) The BA/MA in Political Science and the BA/BS/MBA in
Business Administration are excluded because separate honor societies
exist in those fields.
4. At least three (3) full-time faculty members must devote a minimum of
50% of their teaching and advising loads to the public administration
program; six (6) if both baccalaureate and masters are included:
Baccalaureate Degree Programs
1. The primary purpose of the degree or major is to provide
professionally-oriented education in public administration.
2. The curriculum must come within the scope of NASPAA’s curriculum
guidelines for baccalaureate degree programs, as determined by the
National Council’s Chapter Application Review Committee.
3. At least 50% of the program’s faculty must hold a relevant doctorate.
Masters Degree Programs
4. The primary purpose of the degree is to provide professional education
preparing persons for leadership and management roles in public policy
and public administration.
5. The curriculum requires all students to take basic work in most of the
subject areas specified in NASPAA’s MPA Standard 4.21 Common Curriculum
Components.
6. At least 75% of the program’s faculty must hold a relevant doctorate.
Fees
Local chapters pay a one-time application fee of $150 at the time
application is made to establish a local chapter. No further annual or
periodic fees, assessments, or membership dues are charged to chapters.
Individuals joining Pi Alpha Alpha are charged a one-time membership fee.
This fee is collected by the local chapters and remitted to the National
Office prior to the induction of new members.
Application Process
Local programs seeking to establish a PAA chapter should contact and work
with the National Director of PAA:
Jacqueline F. Lewis, National Director
Pi Alpha Alpha
c/o NASPAA
1029 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202.628.8965, ext. 104
Email Jacqueline Lewis
The application process requires the completion of an Application for the
Establishment of a Local Chapter (Appendix B) and payment of a one-time
$150 application fee. A description of the academic program’s curriculum
in public affairs and administration, a proposed local chapter
constitution, a short cv for program faculty, and endorsement of the
application by the institution’s president or vice president for academic
affairs must accompany the application.
A constitution for the proposed local chapter must be prepared and
submitted with the application. Local constitutions normally follow a
standard format (Appendix C) but local variations are common especially
in provisions relating to local chapter organization and membership
requirements that may exceed national standards. Local chapter membership
requirements cannot be more lenient than the specifications set forth in
the national Pi Alpha Alpha constitution (Appendix A).
Application Approval
Applications to establish new chapters are received by the National
Director and are forwarded to the National Council’s Chapter Application
Review Committee. The committee reviews the materials submitted to verify
compliance with the eligibility criteria. When it has been determined
that the criteria have been met, applications are forwarded to the
National Council for final approval.
Members of the National Council review and vote on applications to
establish new chapters throughout the year. The National Council may also
act on local chapter applications at its annual meeting held each fall in
conjunction with the annual NASPAA meetings. The National Director
notifies applicants promptly of National Council actions on applications.
When the National Council has approved a chapter’s membership
application, the National Director will transmit notice of that approval
and a local charter to the new chapter.
Applications for the establishment of Pi Alpha Alpha chapters are
expedited for universities with masters degree programs that are
accredited by NASPAA. These programs are not required to demonstrate
compliance with Pi Alpha Alpha criteria regarding program purpose, size,
or curriculum.
Chapter Rescission
Local chapter charters can be rescinded by the National Council for
failure to maintain standards of membership set forth in Article III of
the national constitution; for failure to maintain the quality standards
set forth in Article V, Section 1 of the national constitution; for
non-payment of fees; or if the local chapter has been inactive for three
or more consecutive years.
II. Chapter Organization
Officers and Selection
Officers of Pi Alpha Alpha normally include a President,
Secretary-Treasurer (or separate Secretary and Treasurer), and Chapter
Advisor. A Vice President also may be useful. Chapter officers and the
selection process for each must be stated in the constitution of the
local chapter. The President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer
usually are elected by the chapter membership. The Chapter Advisor is a
member of the faculty who is selected by the faculty with input from the
chapter officers. The Treasurer (or Secretary-Treasurer) also may be
elected by the membership. It is not unusual though for the Chapter
Advisor to also serve as Treasurer.
The timing of elections, terms of office and other stipulations are
specified in each local chapter constitution. A model local chapter
constitution is in Appendix C.
Student and alumni members who are nominated for officer positions should
be enthusiastic and active members of the local Pi Alpha Alpha chapter.
Nominees should be sought out actively by the officers and other active
members.
Officer Responsibilities
Responsibilities of the officers are spelled out by each chapter in its
constitution. Usually:
The President is responsible for coordinating and initiating chapter
activities. The President may delegate to or share this responsibility
with the Vice President and other officers. The President presides at all
meetings and serves as the official representative of the chapter.
The Vice President works with the President to coordinate activities and
performs other duties as directed by the President. The Vice President
serves in the capacity of the President during times that the President
may be absent.
The Secretary-Treasurer keeps the official minutes of the chapter and
oversees the local chapter dues, if any, and other chapter funds. The
Secretary-Treasurer serves in the capacity of the President when the
President and Vice President may be absent.
The Chapter Advisor is a member of the faculty who gives input to the
other chapter officers about desirable and appropriate activities and
potential speakers. The Chapter Advisor may be the NASPAA Principal
Representative or another member of the faculty selected by the faculty
with input from the chapter officers. Chapter officers and Chapter
Advisors need to reach agreement about how they will share leadership and
ceremonial responsibilities.
The Chapter Advisor is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the
submission of the annual report to the National Office (Appendix D). A
Chapter Advisor also usually serves as the contact person for potential
members (Section IV “Membership”). In many chapters, the Chapter Advisor
serves as the Treasurer or Secretary-Treasurer.
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