ACPE By-Laws
Article I, Article II, Article III, Article IV, Article V, Article VI, Article VII, Article VIII, Article IX, Article X, Article XI.
Article I
NAME
The name of this association is The Association for Computer Professionals in Education (ACPE).
Article II
PURPOSES
The purposes of this organization are:
- To provide an association for computing professionals from educational institutions at all levels;
- To provide for the sharing and exchange of ideas, techniques, materials and procedures for use in modern information systems in education;
- To promote general recognition of the vital role played by computer and information professionals in educational institutions and the high level of competence required for this role;
- To promote and encourage appropriate use of information technology and adherence to technical standards for the improvement of education.
Article III
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1
Active members are defined as those members who have paid their annual dues. Active members have full rights and privileges of membership, including the right to attend all meetings of the association, to participate in its affairs and to vote. Eligibility shall be based on active participation or active interest in information systems in educational institutions.
Section 2
The membership year shall extend from the date of the spring conference to the following spring conference.
Article IV
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1
There shall be a Board of Directors consisting of the President, President-Elect, the Immediate Past President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and a minimum of six and not more than eight Directors- at-Large.
Section 2
Term and election of the Directors-at-Large: The elected members shall hold office for three years beginning at the Board meeting at the annual conference. A minimum of two and not more than three will be elected each year.
Section 3
The Board shall be the legislative and policy-determining body for the association. It shall have the power to approve the budget, and to direct and review the general affairs of the association within the limits set forth in these By-laws.
Section 4
The Board shall hold regular business meetings. The annual business meeting will be held at the annual conference.
Section 5
A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum and, unless specified otherwise in these By-laws, decisions shall be by a majority of those voting.
Section 6
Board members missing two consecutive meetings of the Board may be removed at the discretion of the Board and notified by the President, and the position declared vacant. Board members so removed may petition the Board at the next meeting to be reinstated.
Article V
DIVISIONS
Section 1
The officers of the association shall be the President, President- Elect, Secretary, Treasurer and Past-President.
Section 2
The term of office for President, President-Elect, and Past-President shall be one year for each. The President-Elect automatically becomes President at the expiration of his/her term. The term of office for Treasurer and Secretary shall be three years for each. The term of office for officers shall begin at the annual conference.
Section 3
The officers and Directors-at-Large shall be chosen from active members by preferential ballot of the active members of the association. Nominations procedures for elective offices, described in Section 4, shall be followed as closely as possible, and the dates specified refer to a fall regular business meeting of the Board.
Section 4
Each year, the President, with the advice and consent of the Board of Directors, shall appoint a Nominating Committee. This committee shall propose nominations and ascertain the availability of each nominee. The Nominating Committee will be expected to submit its report for approval to the Board of Directors no later than the first Board meeting of the calendar year. Upon approval of a slate of nominees, the Secretary shall prepare a ballot including names submitted by the Nominating Committee and shall make the ballot available to each active member of the association within 30 days either by mail or electronically. Space for write-ins must be clearly shown on the ballot. Balloting shall close 30 days after the date of the ballot issue. In case of a tie, the Board will settle the tie at their next regular business meeting. All Board members will be introduced to the membership at the next general business meeting.
Section 5
Board members must be active members, employed by an educational institution. In the event that a Board member leaves qualifying employment during his/her term of office, he/she may complete the term of office, however, would not be eligible for re-election.
Section 6
Six Director at Large positions shall be filled from eligible members (as defined in Section 5 above) from specific states. Up to two additional at-large positions may be filled as well. Elections for each geographic and at-large positions will be held in three-year cycles as follows:
Year One: Position 1 (Oregon), Position 2 (Washington), One optional at-large
Year Two: Position 3 (Oregon), Position 4 (Washington)
Year Three: Position 5 (Oregon), Position 6 (Washington), One optional at-large
The term of office for Directors in the six positions and two optional at-large members shall be three years.
Section 7
When a vacancy occurs in the office of the President, the President- Elect shall succeed and remain in office until the end of the term in which he/she would have held the Presidency. Order of succession after the President-Elect shall be the Secretary and the Treasurer. When a vacancy occurs in any other elective office, the President shall call a special meeting of the Board of Directors, or add to the agenda at the next regular meeting of the Board of Directors for the purpose of filling the vacancy. If an officer is unable to or fails to perform his/her duties satisfactorily over a period of time, the Board is authorized to declare the office vacant.
Section 8
The President shall be the Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Article VI
COMMITTEES
Section 1
The committee structure of the association shall consist of standing committees, special task committees and annual committees.
Section 2
Standing and ad hoc task committees may be established or discontinued by the Board of Directors.
Section 3
The Awards Committee shall be responsible for soliciting applications and recommending to the Board of Directors recipients of annual awards. Awards, when made, shall be presented at a conference.
Section 4
The Audit Committee or independent auditor shall review annually the report of the Treasurer on the financial affairs of the association. The committee or auditor shall render a written report to the Board.
Article VII
FINANCES
Section 1
Annual dues of all members shall originally be set by the Board of Directors in accordance with the association's financial needs. Dues may then be subsequently changed by a majority vote of the Board of Directors and shall become effective at the beginning of the next membership year. Association members must be notified of the intended increase by no later than November 30th, prior to the calendar year of the increase.
Section 2
The Treasurer shall be responsible for the receipt of payments, keep accounts and submit reports as provided in Article VII, Section 10. He/she also, upon authorization by the President, shall be responsible for the payment of bills and encumbrances of the association. Approval of encumbrances in excess of $500.00 shall be approved by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer will prepare a financial report for distribution to the Board of Directors at each Board meeting.
Section 3
The assets of the association shall be held in accounts designated as The Association for Computer Professionals in Education. The location and nature of the accounts shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
Section 4
All revenue derived from dues, assessments, sale of publications, gifts, grants or from other sources, shall be expended in accordance with association purposes in keeping with its budget or within the special terms of a grant or bequest. No part of the income of the association shall be paid to any member as a share or as either a monetary or material benefit. Members or the Board of may be reimbursed for necessary expenses related to their duties.
Section 5
No member or group of members shall commit the funds or other assets and resources of the association in any way except as stipulated in these By-laws.
Section 6
The fiscal year will be Jan 1 through Dec 31.
Article VIII
MEETINGS AND BUSINESS
Section 1
The Board shall have the authority to set the time and place for meetings of the association. On the petition of one-third of the active members, the Board must call a meeting to be held within one month of the date of the petition.
Section 2
There shall be at least one conference of the association each year. Location of conferences and their frequency shall be at the discretion of the Board.
Section 3
Announcement of the time and place of any regular business meeting of the association shall be made as far ahead as possible, but no less than three weeks prior to the meeting.
Section 4
All workshops, symposia, and conference(s) require the approval of the Board of Directors.
Section 5
In all cases to which they apply and do not conflict with the provisions of these By-laws, Robert's Rules of Order shall govern business meetings of the association.
Section 6
At the annual business meeting, one more than 50% of the active members of the association registered for the conference shall constitute a quorum for transacting business.
Section 7
Items of business requiring the vote of the active members may be transacted by mail or electronically when the Board considers such action desirable. It shall also be in order for any member to introduce such items for discussion and reconsideration at the next succeeding regular business meeting of the association.
Section 8
At any regular business meeting, the active members may, by proper vote (see Section 6), refer any business to the entire active membership for a vote by mail or electronic means. A summary of the discussion on the floor shall be included in the material sent to the members.
Section 9
Minutes of each business meeting proceedings of the conferences and Committee reports shall be maintained by the Secretary.
Article IX
AMENDMENTS AND REVISIONS
Section 1
The Board of Directors may initiate amendments or changes to these By-laws by formulating proposals for such and submitting them, with any arguments it chooses, to the active membership for a vote.
Section 2
The President may appoint a special task committee to consider revising these By-laws in general or amending some point or points in particular.
Section 3
Twenty-five percent of the active members of the association may submit to the Board a proposed amendment or amendments to these By-laws in writing and signed by the sponsors. The Board shall then submit the proposed amendments with any arguments advanced by its sponsors, and with the Board recommendation for or against the proposed changes to the members of the association for action. An amendment formulated in this manner must be submitted to the Board at least 30 days prior to the date of the regular annual business meeting.
Section 4
The Secretary shall send the proposed changes with explanations and arguments (according to the provision of Sections 1, 2 and 3), a ballot and a request for a mail or electronic vote to the active members. Thirty days must elapse between the date on which the proposal is made available to the members and the date on which the vote is counted.
Section 5
An affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the members voting shall be required for acceptance of the amendments. The results of the vote shall be reported to the membership.
Article X
AFFILIATION
Section 1
Affiliations with other organizations shall be at the discretion of the Board.
Article XI
DISSOLUTION
Section 1
In the event the association is dissolved, the Board of Directors shall remain in existence for not more than six (6) months to terminate the affairs of the association.
Section 2
After payment of all debts and obligations, the Board of Directors shall distribute any remaining assets to a suitable non-profit organization at their discretion.