Alumni Advisory Board
The Department of Political Science at Oklahoma State University has sought to extend the boundaries of our discipline and to contribute to a better understanding of political actors, institutions, and issues. To continue this tradition of excellence, the Department has established the Political Science Advisory Board to help strengthen and sustain its research, teaching, and service, as well as to improve its facilities, expand its financial resources, and serve its alumni.
Current Leadership
L. Michelle Sutton, President
Ryan Mahand, Vice-President
Amber Godfrey, Secretary
Scott Thompson, At-Large Representative
Barbie Swinton, At-Large Representative
Joe Dorman, Mentoring and Networking Chair
Leo Jardot, Nominating and Maintenance Committee Co-Chair
Kerry Alexander, Nominating and Maintenance Committee Co-Chair
Paul Bohannon, Outreach and Fundraising Co-Chair
Jason Ramsey, Outreach and Fundraising Co-Chair
Purpose
For its history, the Department of Political Science at Oklahoma State University has sought to extend the boundaries of our discipline and to contribute to a better understanding of political actors, institutions, and issues. To continue this tradition of excellence, the Department has established the Political Science Advisory Board to help strengthen and sustain its research, teaching, and service, as well as to improve its facilities, expand its financial resources, and serve its alumni.
Structure of the Board
The Board is made up of all members who are in good standing. Membership enables, but does not require, individuals to attend the annual meeting, vote on Board policy, and be a member of Board committees. Members may remain a part of the board as long as they wish, provided that they meet the giving requirement and other criteria as the board may set. The Head may, in extraordinary circumstances, ask for a member to step down.
The Board will be governed by an Executive Committee. This will be made up of a President, Vice president, Secretary and two at-large members. The Executive Committee is responsible for creating and amending the by-laws for the board, creation and maintenance of committees, sustaining the Board, organizing the annual meeting. These responsibilities can be amended. The Executive Committee will carry out all responsibilities with the advice and consent of the Department Head.
The Department Head is an ex-officio member of the Board. The immediate past Department Head, or a faculty member appointed by the Department Head will serve as an advisor to the Board. This person will act as a liaison between the board and the department, but will not have voting powers on the board.
Board Membership
Membership to the Board is limited to alumni of the Political Science Department at Oklahoma State University. This includes BA/BS as well as MA/MS. Because an important purpose of the Alumni Board is to support Department development and activities, each Board member is expected to give at least $1,000 annually to the Department of Political Science Development Fund at the OSU Foundation. Individuals who have graduated from the Department in the past five years may ask the Head for a waiver of the annual donation.
Gifts raised from the Board may be used at the discretion of the Department Head to support activities such as faculty and student research, teaching initiatives, professional development, and Board initiatives.
Selection of Executive Committee
All members of the Executive Committee are elected by the Board, but must also be Board members. Members of the Executive Committee serve a term of two years and until their successors are elected. If an office becomes vacant between elections, the President shall fill the office by appointment, after consultation with the Department Head. If a vacancy occurs in the office of the President, the Department Head shall appoint a Board member to serve as President. All Executive Committee members that are appointed due to vacancies will serve until the election of their successor. Members of the Executive Committee will be elected at the spring semester Board meeting every other year beginning in 2022.
Board members may nominate themselves or another Board member for a position on the Executive Committee by submitting, in writing, a nominee’s name and the desired office to the President at least 10 business days before the Board meeting in which the election is held. The President may ask for additional nominations from the floor during the Board meeting in which the election takes place. The President will conduct the election. Board members attending the meeting remotely can cast their vote by communicating their choice for each office to the President during the election. If there is only one candidate for an office, the Board may elect them to the office by a voice vote or by a written ballot. If there are two or more candidates for an office, the Board uses a written ballot. The candidate receiving the most votes will be
elected to office. If two candidates for an office receive the same number of votes, the tie will be broken by a flip of a coin. If more than two candidates for an office receive the same number of votes, the tie will be broken by a series of coin flips between the candidates in a manner determined by the President.
The initial members of the Executive Committee will be the President and the Vice President. These will be selected by the Department Head to serve until the first annual meeting selects the Executive Committee. The Board, with the advice and consent of the Department Head, may add additional members.
Board Meetings
The Advisory Board will meet on campus annually in the spring semester. The Department Head and the Executive Committee will set the agenda and convene the meetings. Individual meetings and conference calls may be scheduled as needed between annual meetings. Board members assume the costs of travel and lodging for the annual meetings. While members are expected to be on campus for meetings, remote participation is acceptable. A quorum is 50% of members.
The Executive Committee will meet at least two times a year. These meetings may be virtual.
Board Goals and Responsibilities
Goals and activities of the Board will change as Department needs change and as the expertise and interests of Board members change. Board goals and activities may include:
- Providing guidance and counsel on an ad-hoc basis to students, alumni, and the faculty.
- Serving as mentors to students and new graduates, while identifying and developing student internships, experiential/practical application learning opportunities, career workshops and course enhancements.
- Assisting the Department in planning and implementing development campaigns, public relations efforts, and public service programs.
- Providing advice/assistance on activities, events and outreach to effectively engage alumni in the goals of the Board and Department.
Board By-laws
The Board will create its own by-laws. If the Board’s by-laws divert from this document, the by-laws supersede this document. But the by-laws must be approved by the Department Head.