Officer term lengths

[GammaDelt]

Just wondering about the length of terms in your GLO, and when the terms take place.

Previously, the year long positions (President, VP, Social and Philanthropy) were one calendar year (Spring to Fall) but we just amended the constitution to say that the year longs would be an academic year (Fall to Spring). Just wondering if anyone operates under the calendar year, or if you mostly operate under the academic year. Pro and cons?

Thanks.

[Kansas City]

We operate in a calendar year. Elections are in the fall (November) with new officers instated in the spring (January). I personally like it because our fall semester is very busy with recruitment and then homecoming so it allows a new officer to get "up to speed" in the spring before having to deal with the large fall activities. I also like that there are officers in place and active during the summer preparing for the upcoming academic year.

[Zillini]

We too operate on a calendar year for our officers. There's good and bad to this. It's critical having officers in place in spring and summer preparing for a large competitive formal Recruitment in August and large new member class. Plus in the spring semester your previous officers are (usually) still around to help with transitioning/training the new folks.

The biggest negative IMO is our fiscal year is based on the school year, August to July. First the new officers are stuck with whatever is left in their budget that the previous ones haven't spent. Second, the very first task a newly elected Treasurer has in spring is to prepare the new budget for the following year. Not only is this daunting, but the other new officers have little idea how much money they might want for the activities they want to do because they often don't know what they want to do and/or how much it will cost.

BTW - both our officer terms and fiscal calendar are set by our Inatl.

[Senusret I]

My APO undergrad chapter operates on a January to December term of office for everyone except pledgemaster, which is semesterly.

My (chapter-based) APO alumni association has annual elections in March.

My geographic-based APO alumni association will have elections every other Spring in odd-numbered years. (We are a low-intensity association which only meets quarterly)

My APhiA chapter of initiation elects annually in May.

[utpenguin]

Before, we actually used to change officers every semester. Then it changed to academic year, with elections in the Spring so officers have the summer to prepare.

Nationally, everyone is chosen during the beginning of the summer and the terms run from 1-2 years.

[XAntoftheSkyX]

Our executive board is elected at the end of every academic year. The committee chairmen (Community Service, Brotherhood, Social, etc) are elected every semester.

[Gusteau]

Originally Posted by XAntoftheSkyX

Our executive board is elected at the end of every academic year. The committee chairmen (Community Service, Brotherhood, Social, etc) are elected every semester.

I didn't know we could do either calendar or academic years, I thought HQ mandated it. I guess not. My chapter does calendar year which I prefer because it gives the associate member counselor the spring semester with a smaller pledge class to get ready for a larger pledge class in the fall.

[KSUViolet06]

Officer terms run a full year from November to November.

[XAntoftheSkyX]

Originally Posted by Gusteau

I didn't know we could do either calendar or academic years, I thought HQ mandated it. I guess not. My chapter does calendar year which I prefer because it gives the associate member counselor the spring semester with a smaller pledge class to get ready for a larger pledge class in the fall.

As far as I know it can be either/or. My guess would be to check bylaws and get a definite answer.

[Elephant Walk]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

My APO undergrad chapter operates on a January to December term of office for everyone except pledgemaster, which is semesterly.

Our pledge trainer is sort of an amorphous amount of time. If they're awesome, they'll train some people and stay for a year and a half or so. But I figure it miiiiight be a little bit different with APO.

[Gusteau]

Originally Posted by XAntoftheSkyX

As far as I know it can be either/or. My guess would be to check bylaws and get a definite answer.

I mean, I'm not really at all concerned. I know that your colony has our awesome expansion team and leadership consultants looking out for it and we can just choose whats best for campus culture!

[rufio]

our exec board is one calendar year while chair positions are semester to semester and appointed by exec.

[AOEforme]

Originally Posted by rufio

our exec board is one calendar year while chair positions are semester to semester and appointed by exec.

Ours in the same, but officer positions are elected.

We also do one full school year, not calander year. Electrons are held in May, and term goes from the third sunday in may until the second saturday in May the following year.

[FrogChick]

We were running on calendar year elections for several years (we have only been on campus for a few years) and just this year began holding elections in April (so the bulk of positions would be April-April instead of January-December). A lot of our chapters at other schools are on the quarter system and hold elections in January so that the positions begin in spring quarter. This didn't work for us because we are on the semester schedule and by holding elections in January it prevented soon to be graduates from running for any positions since they could only hold half a term. I like having the entire summer to plan and prepare. This is also a huge benefit to a smaller chapter who really needs to offer positions to seniors since that doesn't prevent them from running for positions for the last half of their senior year. Good luck!

[pshsx1]

Our E-Board elections are calendar year and everything under them changes too. But if someone (non E-Board) graduates or something, the position will change at the semester.