Over the past several years, the Association has made strides to provide equal election and voting access for its members. The stipulation that you must be employed or enrolled by a college or university in order to serve as AFA's President is long overdue to be removed. Professionals from fraternity/sorority inter/national organizations have and continue to serve the Association on the Executive Board and in numerous elected and appointed positions. This Bylaw does not take into account the transient nature of our profession; one in which increasing numbers of professionals move from a campus position to an organization position and vice versa. This Bylaw change serves to create equality in the nomination and election process for all Professional, Graduate, and Emeritus members, regardless of employment or academic location.

Furthermore, the Association cannot espouse partnership between institutions and organizations while maintaining a leadership structure that creates a power dynamic between campus-based and non campus-based professionals of the same membership categories. The current Bylaw legislates the qualifications of some members to hold a leadership role and not others. The Association has a nomination and elections process which should determine whether someone is qualified for the role of President. This determination should not be based on where that individual currently works, rather it should be based on their ability to effectively fulfill the duties of the position.

Questions regarding this petition should be directed to Michelle Marchand, Director of Educational Programs, Delta Upsilon Fraternity Please note: this is not a self-serving petition. For those that do not know, I have no personal interest in running for AFA President and the Board of Directors of the organization which I work for does not permit the Executive Director to serve as President.