BCC Alumni

BCC Alumni Association Bylaws

(Version 5/12/2025)

ARTICLE 1 – Name and Purpose
The name of this organization shall be Berkshire Community College Alumni Association (hereafter called the Association). The Association is dedicated to Berkshire Community College’s (hereafter called the College) alumni, students, the College and the community it serves.

ARTICLE 2 – Mission
The mission of the Berkshire Community College Alumni Association is to engage and promote relationships between alumni and the college through events, networking opportunities and programs that support BCC and the alumni community.

ARTICLE 3 – Membership
Section 1. Eligibility for membership: All graduates and former students of BCC are considered alumni and therefore lifelong members of the Association. An online registration is necessary in order to use the Alumni Association Membership benefits.

Section 2. Annual Dues: The Association shall collect no dues for membership.

Section 3. Benefits: Every registered member has the right to use the Association Membership benefits, which include discounts and free events on and off campus. The benefits are stated on the College’s website, https://www.berkshirecc.edu and are subject to change.

ARTICLE 4 – Board of Advisors
Section 1. Board role, size and compensation: The Alumni Board of Advisors (hereafter called the Board) is a voluntary, non-governmental advisory council representing the Association. Its roles include conducting outreach to, and support for, the alumni community. The Board reports from the alumni to the alumni relations staff and the College. The Board will propose and execute events and programs in order to promote the College, its students and its alumni. The Berkshire Community College Foundation (hereafter called the Foundation) and/or the College will act as its fiscal agent. The Board shall have up to 21 members, preferably no fewer than 13 members. The Board receives no compensation.

Section 2. Board Mission
Inspire connections among students, alumni, and the Berkshire Community College community.
Amplify the college’s programs through dedicated Community engagement, volunteerism, and philanthropy.
Motivate pride and growth with alumni, encouraging the College community to flourish and thrive.

Section 3. The Board’s objectives: The objectives of the Alumni Board of Advisors are as follows:

• Promote the interest of Berkshire Community College, its students, the alumni and the community.
• Build alumni cohesiveness, identification with and connection to the College.
• Organize social events after consultation with the Alumni Staff Representative at the College, in order to promote the spirit of community, networking opportunities, loyalty and friendship among the alumni.
• Support the College’s and the Foundation’s fundraising efforts after consulting with the development and alumni relations staff, through volunteering at events and personal contributions.
• Foster alumni awareness in the growth and academic development of the College.
• Help the College identify those alumni who have made outstanding contributions to their profession, community, science, the arts, or other areas of human endeavor.
• Foster the promotion of membership and participation in the Association and its events.

Section 4. Board Members: The Board will consist of Alumni Association members who are elected by the Board. When considering new members, adding to the Board’s diversity (including but not limited to race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin or citizenship status, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic background, and lived experiences, with an emphasis on BIPOC individuals, historically marginalized communities, and LGBTQIA+ individuals) will be taken into consideration. The alumni relations staff will be an ex-officio member of the Board.

Section 5. Terms: Board members are initially elected for a one-year term during a regularly scheduled Board meeting, following a recruitment and onboarding process. After that initial term, renewals take place at the Annual Meeting, typically held in June. Board members who start between June and December will renew their term the following June. Those who begin between January and May will renew in June of the following year. After the initial one-year term, Board members serve three-year terms. Board officers — Chair, Vice-chair, Secretary, and Treasurer — are elected every other year and may serve two-year terms, with the option for reappointment or replacement. Board terms should ideally be staggered so that about one-third of the members are up for re-election at each Annual Meeting.

Section 6. Officers and Duties: The officers of the Board will be a Chairperson, a Vice-chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Alumni Trustee.

The Chair shall convene regularly scheduled Board meetings. The Chair shall preside or, in absence of the Chair, arrange for other members of the Executive Committee to preside at each meeting in the following order: Vice-chair, Trustee, Treasurer, Secretary.

The Vice-chair shall chair committees on special subjects as designated by the Board. The Vice-chair will receive all subcommittee updates.

The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping records of Board actions, including overseeing taking minutes at all Board meetings, sending out meeting reminders and announcements, distributing digital copies of minutes and ensuring the agenda is provided to each Board member in a timely manner.

The Treasurer shall receive a quarterly report on the Alumni Board account to reconcile financial activities. The treasurer will review income, expenditures, and balances; and ensure these line up with the Board’s expectations. The treasurer will make financial information available to Board members for transparency.

The Trustee will serve as a liaison to the College, the Association and to the College’s Board of Trustees.

ARTICLE 5 – Alumni Trustee
Section 1. Eligibility: Massachusetts state law requires one seat on the College’s Board of Trustees be reserved for an alumni-elected representative. To be eligible to serve as an Alumni Trustee, candidates must be graduates of Berkshire Community College and a member of the Alumni Association Board of Advisors. The Alumni Trustee cannot be an employee of the College.

Section 2. Nomination and Election Process: The Board will nominate one person upon the recommendation of the New Board Member Recruitment Committee. Other qualified candidates, who have not been endorsed by the Alumni Board, may be nominated by petition signed by at least 15 BCC Alumni Association members and mailed or e-mailed to the Alumni Staff Representative at the College. If there are no nominations by petition, all graduates of BCC are eligible for a write-in.

Section 3. Term: The Alumni Trustee will serve a five-year term on the Board of Trustees and their eligibility is limited to two consecutive terms.

ARTICLE 6 – Meetings
The Alumni Board meetings are open to all members of the Alumni Association and are held at least six times per year. Committee meetings are held as needed and convened by the assigned chair.

ARTICLE 7 – Committees
Section 1. Committee Formation: The Board may create committees as needed, such as new board member recruitment, outreach, events, etc. Committees are open to all members of the Alumni Association and are created at the Board meetings by the Chair.

Section 2. Executive Committee: The officers and the alumni relations staff serve as the members of the Executive Committee. Sub-Committee chairs may serve as ad-hoc members of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will review and approve Alumni Board budget expenditures. A vote of the Executive Committee may be conducted at a meeting or by e-mail at the request of the Chair and such a vote shall have the force and effect of a vote taken at a meeting.

Section 3. Finance Committee: The Treasurer is the chair of the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee, in accordance with the Boards strategic goals, reviews proposals from other committees and makes budgetary recommendations to the Executive Committee. The Finance Committee is responsible for reviewing the quarterly report of the Alumni Board account held by the Foundation. The Foundation will act as the fiscal agent of the Association.

ARTICLE 8 – Procedures
Section 1. Executive Committee Vacancies: Whenever a vacancy on the Executive Committee occurs, the Executive Committee may nominate a replacement from within the Board to serve for the 3 remainder of the term. The replacement shall be elected with a simple majority by the whole Board at the next occurring meeting.

Section 2. Resignations: Any member of the Board may resign by delivering their written resignation to the Chair. The resignation shall be effective upon receipt barring an indicated resignation date.

Section 3. Removal: Any member of the Board, with the exception of the Alumni Trustee and the alumni relations staff, may be removed from the Board by a majority vote of the Board members. The member of the board shall be notified of the recommendation for removal at least two weeks in advance and will be allowed to contest removal prior to Board vote.

Section 4. Attendance Policy: Any Board member who has two un-excused absences in a row (“un-excused” means the member did not notify ahead the Chair or the Secretary of the Board before the upcoming meeting to indicate they would be absent from the upcoming meeting), or three excused absences in a row may be removed from the Board.

Section 5. Fiscal Year: The fiscal year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30.

Section 6. Voting Quorum: At any meeting of the Board, regularly and properly called, a simple majority will constitute a quorum.

Section 7. Amendments: Bylaws may be amended by two-thirds vote of Board members who are present at any regularly called meeting, provided that the substance of the proposed amendment had been submitted to all Board members for review at least four weeks prior to any regularly called Board meeting.

Section 8. Procedure: Robert’s Rules of Order govern.