Beta Psi Omega (BPO) Details

• Beta Psi Omega (BPO) was founded on March 9, 2010.
• The original name of BPO was Beta Iota Omicron.
• BPO's official colors are green and gold.
• The name changed from Beta Iota Omicron to Beta Psi Omega in the fall of 2011.
• The name change was intended to align with the BSCI name "Beta Psi".
• Divya Kulshreshtha is the founding sister.
• BPO became recognized by the SGA in the spring of 2010.
• The first officers of BPO were Nareh Issayans, James Booth, David Accame, Breonna Smith, Amy Carpenter, and Julie Adhya.
• BPO's mission is to help students help themselves.
• The pillars of BPO are Diversity, Intellect, Proactivity, Service, and Unity (DIPSU).

BPO Hierarchy

• Officers
• Advisors and members
• Interested students

Elections

• Elections occur once a year for President, Vice President, Treasurer, Historian, and Academic Chair.
• Elections occur twice a year for Secretary, Service Chair, Public Relations Chair, Rush Chair, and Social Chair.
• Pledge Masters are selected at the end of every semester to oversee the pledging process.

Current BPO Officers

• President: Del Hellman
• Vice President: Olivia Pannone
• Treasurer: Imani Ratliff
• Secretary: Katie O'Toole
• Historian: Emily Tran
• Academic Chair: Grace Zhang
• Public Relations Chair: Bridget Junghans
• Service Chair: Liz Gisler
• Social Chair: Victoria Kalinowski
• Rush Chair: Sam Magazine
• Pledge Masters: Nico Valencia and Charles Sumner
• Pledge Parents: Olivia, Yanar, Maddie, Sam

Class Memberships

• Olivia Pannone is a member of the Omicron class.
• Del Hellman, Grace Zhang, Andrew Hummer, and Meghan Hnilo are members of the Pi class.
• Maggie Grant, Hailey Gray, and Angelina Tran are members of the Rho class.
• Olivia Lewis, Megan Luo, and Evan Newman are members of the Sigma class.
• Liz Gisler, Phoebe Korang, Danny Liang, Esther Lin, Tulsi Patel, and Tibeb Mekonen are members of the Tau class.
• Jacob Craver, Mina Liao, Brandon Li, Sai Badugu, Yanar Hanieh, and Jiya Mohale are members of the Upsilon class.

Committees

• Social
• Public Relations (PR)
• Fundraising/Service
• Rush

Absences

• Members are granted 1 self-signed mental health absence note.
• Members are granted 1 self-signed academic note with an attached screenshot of the due date.

Membership Types

• Active
• Inactive
• Studying Abroad
• Early Alum

Active Members Responsibilities

• Organize one of the 5 pillar events open to the public
• Attend all pillar events
• Attend all chapter meetings
• Attend any additional mandatory events
• Pay Full Dues
• Complete 10 service hours

Inactive Members Responsibilities

• Attend 2 chapter meetings over the entire semester
• Pay half dues

Members Studying Abroad Responsibilities

• Pay half dues

Early Alum Option

• Option open to seniors with one more semester

Formal Attendance

• Active members need 110 points to attend formal.

Point System

• BPO sticker: 5 points
• BPO pin: 15 points
• Absence from mandatory event: 25 points

Strikes

• 1st-level offense: one strike
• 2nd-level offense: two strikes and meeting with the Exec Board
• 3rd-level offense: three strikes and dismissal

One Strike

• Attending less than 85% of mandatory events in one semester
• Earning less than the required amount of points per semester
• Result: Warning

Two Strikes (Meeting with Exec Board)

• Having a GPA below 2.5 after the probation period
• Attending less than 85% of mandatory events per semester for two semesters
• Not paying required dues for the semester by the deadline

Three Strikes (and Dismissal)

• Inappropriate conduct towards another Brother or Sister of BPO
• Impeding the mission of BPO
• Failure to meet all aforementioned requirements for membership

Advisors

• Kaci Thompson and Kimberly Paczolt are BPO's current advisors.
• Officers are required to meet with them once a semester.

Service Hour Requirement

• Members required to have 10 service hours related to the pillars each semester
• "These 10 hours of service can be related to any of Beta Psi Omega's pillars. Members can choose the pillars they would like to serve." (Constitution)

Events

• There are 5 public annual events, each corresponding to one of the five pillars.
• A minimum of 3 social events must be held each semester.
• Unity hours, diversity hours, proactivity hours, service hours, and intellect hours are worth 2 points each.
• Chapter meetings, rush events, pillar events, and Founder's Day are worth 5 points each.
• Pledging events are worth 3 points each.
• Paying dues by the deadline and voting in elections are worth 10 points each.

Impeachment

• Impeachment of an officer requires approval from all officers minus one.

Inactive Status

• Members must apply to be inactive before the last day of the drop-add period.
• Members can be inactive for a maximum of 1 semester.
• Members cannot be inactive during their first semester in BPO or their last semester before graduation.
• Points are wiped at the start of each semester.
• Members must maintain a GPA of 2.5.
• Chapter meetings are conducted biweekly.
• The fraternity must provide 15 hours of community service every semester.
• A minimum of 3 social events are needed each semester.
• Officer meetings are held once a week and are attended by all officers (missing more than 3 can result in impeachment); the president prepares the agenda.

Pledging

• Rushing occurs two weeks after the drop-add period.
• A minimum of 4 rush events must occur, with 2 being interactive.
• Initiation requires completion of pledging assignments.
• Feedback forms are given to pledges to ensure no hazing or unfair treatment.

President Role

• Create semester calendar, lead discussions on advocacy and current events, encourage civic engagement, run meetings, act as liaison to national office and public, collaborate with student orgs, and innovate to improve fraternity

President Eligibility

• Must have held an officer position previously, unless an exception is made by the board

Vice President Role

• Support the President, serve as SGA liaison, lead pillar event planning, oversee events, gather and encourage feedback from members and board

Treasurer Role

• Track expenses, manage fundraisers, collect dues, and accommodate financial needs of members flexibly

Academic Chair Role

• Monitor academic performance, organize study support, promote academic success with empathy and equity, and provide educational resources

Historian Role

• Administer constitution exams, count election ballots, ensure fair elections, document events with photos, compile yearly report, engage alumni, and plan Founder's Day

Secretary Role

• Take meeting notes, manage ballots and elections fairly, send emails and weekly updates, and track attendance and disciplinary actions consistently

Secretary or Historian Running In Election

• If either the Secretary or Historian is running in an election, the President assists with ballot recounts.

Public Relations Chair Role

• Manage digital presence, create promotional materials, design apparel, and educate on social justice and STEM topics through media

Pledge Master Role

• Lead the pledging process, attend E-Board, collaborate on pledge events, select and supervise Pledge Parents, and integrate inclusivity and education into pledging

Pledge Parent Role

• Assist Pledge Master with pledging, attend E-Board if Master is absent, and ensure inclusivity during all pledging activities

Service Chair Role

• Plan service events, track hours, and organize opportunities to help diverse and underserved communities

Social Chair Role

• Plan social events for cohesion, highlight members' backgrounds and interests, and connect with other student organizations

Rush Chair Role

• Plan Rush week under President and PR Chair's guidance, coordinate volunteers, align materials with theme, and collect feedback. Can be held by any member

Committees (General)

• Groups of 1-5 members assisting board officers with lower commitment roles, meant to build leadership experience. Members may join up to 2 committees but cannot serve on a board and committee simultaneously.