Addendum to AACRAO NetNews

Volume VII, Number 3

March 15, 1999

Constitution & Bylaws (Updated: March 12, 1999)

Constitution

Article I

Scope

SECTION 1 This shall be a nonprofit professional education association. Collegiate-level degree-granting institutions of higher education may be considered for regular institutional membership if they are accredited by an accrediting association approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). IN ADDITION, COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OFFICES ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE FOR REGULAR INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP. Eligibility of other institutions and agencies shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the Association.

SECTION 2 The name of this organization shall be the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) (ACRAO).

SECTION 3 The mission of the Association is to provide leadership in policy initiation, interpretation, and implementation in the global educational community. This is accomplished through the identification and promotion of standards and best practices in enrollment management, instructional management, information technology, and student services.

SECTION 3 THE MISSION OF THE ASSOCIATION IS TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS TO BE USED BY HIGHER EDUCATION OFFICIALS REGARDING THE BEST PRACTICES IN RECORDS MANAGEMENT, ADMISSIONS, ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT, ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND STUDENT SERVICES. IT ALSO PROVIDES A FORUM FOR DISCUSSION REGARDING POLICY INITIATION AND DEVELOPMENT, INTERPRETATION, AND IMPLEMENTATION AT THE INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL AND IN THE GLOBAL EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY.

SECTION 4 Any activity appropriate to the purposes set forth in Section 3 may be undertaken by the Association, and specifically included are:

SECTION 4 ANY ACTIVITY APPROPRIATE TO THE PURPOSES SET FORTH IN SECTION 3 MAY BE UNDERTAKEN BY THE ASSOCIATION. THESE MAY INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

(a) Holding an Annual Meeting for the professional improvement of its members and the conducting of Association business;

(b) Maintaining an office to provide continuing service to AACRAO ACRAO and its members and to other agencies in higher education;

(c) Publishing professional journals relating to higher education, periodicals including a newsletter, occasional special bulletins, pamphlets, and reports;

(d) Encouraging, conducting, and cooperating in research projects intended to further the purpose of the Association;

(e) Promoting regional associations of registrars, admissions and related officers, implementing FOSTERING their close cooperation with AACRAO ACRAO, and encouraging and assisting in their separate meetings and enterprises.

 

Article II

Structure

SECTION 1 The institutional members shall designate, from administrators in their offices listed in Section 3 of Article I above, individuals to constitute the voting membership of the Association.

SECTION 1 THE MEMBER INSTITUTIONS SHALL DESIGNATE WHICH OF THEIR ACRAO MEMBERS SHALL CONSTITUTE THEIR VOTING REPRESENTATIVES.

SECTION 2 The voting members shall conduct specified matters of Association business, as itemized DELINEATED in the accompanying Bylaws. They shall elect specified officers, who, constituting the Board of Directors, shall conduct all Association business that is assigned to them or is not otherwise provided for in the Bylaws.

SECTION 3 THE ACRAO BOARD OF DIRECTORS SHALL BE ELECTED BY THE VOTING MEMBERSHIP AND SHALL CONDUCT ALL ASSOCIATION BUSINESS THAT IS ASSIGNED TO THEM OR IS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR IN THE BYLAWS.

SECTION 3 SECTION 4 The fiscal year of the Association shall extend from July 1 to June 30. Annual fees shall cover membership or affiliation for the duration of the fiscal year.

SECTION 4 SECTION 5 Amendments and revisions to the Constitution and Bylaws shall be made when approved by two-thirds of the voting members at the annual business meeting under procedures as may be provided in the Bylaws.

SECTION 5 SECTION 6 None of the Association’s funds shall inure to the benefit of any private individual or organization except for services actually rendered or goods actually purchased, and upon dissolution any remaining funds or assets shall be distributed to some educational or other charitable or exempt organization.

 

Bylaws

Article I

Membership and Fees

SECTION 1 Voting members shall be those individuals designated by each institutional member in the number listed below and additional voting members designated by the institution to SHALL conduct Association affairs through voting, holding elective office, and participating in other ways.

(a) The institutional members, OR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OFFICES, shall pay fees based on their total institutional enrollment for the preceding fall, as determined from The College Board’s Annual Survey of Colleges or based on valid criteria for institutions outside the United States, which shall entitle them to designate a specified number of voting members, as follows:

1. enrollment under 1,000, OR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OFFICES, 2 voting members;
2. enrollment 1,000 to 2,499, 3 voting members;
3. enrollment 2,500 to 4,999, 4 voting members;
4. enrollment 5,000 to 9,999, 5 voting members;
5. enrollment 10,000 to 19,999, 6 voting members;
6. enrollment 20,000 and over, 7 voting members.

(b) Institutions not listed in The College Board’s Annual Survey of Colleges will have fees determined by the Board of Directors on the recommendation of the Executive Director.

(c) Additional voting members may be designated by institutional members BY PAYING for an additional annual per-member fee, FOR EACH VOTING MEMBER DESIRED, without limit.

(d) A complex institution, with divisions which are listed separately in the College Board’s Annual Survey of Colleges (or determined by valid criteria for institutions outside the United States), shall pay fees for each such division separately.

 

SECTION 2 Nonvoting members shall be those individuals who are eligible to participate in AACRAO ACRAO activities but may not vote or hold elective office. AACRAO ACRAO SHALL recognized the following categories of nonvoting members MEMBERSHIP:

1. Affiliate members shall be those individuals representing organizations which, while noncollegiate, are found to have purposes parallel with those of AACRAO and desire to participate in its activities and are approved for this status by the Board of Directors. Affiliate members shall pay an annual per member fee approved by the membership.
2. Associate members shall be those individuals in the higher education community who are members of higher education coordinating boards or others whose professional activities and responsibilities are closely related to those of AACRAO members, and who wish to participate in the Association’s activities. Associate members shall pay an annual per-member fee approved by the membership.

(a) AFFILIATE MEMBERS SHALL BE THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY WHOSE PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS, ACTIVITIES, OR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE CLOSELY RELATED TO THOSE OF ACRAO MEMBERS, OR INDIVIDUALS REPRESENTING ORGANIZATIONS WHICH, WHILE NON-COLLEGIATE ARE FOUND TO HAVE PURPOSES PARALLEL WITH THOSE OF ACRAO. INDIVIDUALS MUST BE APPROVED FOR THIS STATUS BY THE ACRAO BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND SHALL PAY THE ANNUAL PER-MEMBER FEE APPROVED BY THE MEMBERSHIP.

(c)(b) Retired members shall be those individuals, wishing to participate in AACRAO ACRAO activities, who have worked in the professions represented by AACRAO ACRAO, served the Association, are in retired status, and are approved by the Board of Directors. Retired members shall pay an annual fee equal to one-half the per-member fee approved by the membership.

(d)(c) Honorary members shall be those individuals who, no longer eligible to be voting members but with records of significant service in the Association, are recommended by the Honorary Membership and Awards Committee and are selected by the Board of Directors. They shall enjoy a permanent invitation to attend AACRAO ACRAO meetings and to maintain interest in AACRAO ACRAO affairs, and shall be excused from all AACRAO ACRAO membership and Annual Meeting registration fees.

(e) (d) Corporate members shall be those individuals from organizations that provide products and services that assist or benefit AACRAO ACRAO members in carrying out their duties and responsibilities at their institutions and desire to participate in AACRAO ACRAO activities. The Board of Directors will approve corporations seeking membership in AACRAO ACRAO and determine the annual fee, number of individual representatives, and extent and type of participation.

(f) (e) Institutions that are candidates for accreditation may become institutional members of AACRAO ACRAO while in candidacy status. They will pay INSTITUTIONAL fees and be entitled to the same number of individual members as indicated under Section 1. When they become fully accredited or revert to unaccredited status, they will no longer be eligible for membership in this category.

(g) (f) Student members shall be graduate students at AACRAO ACRAO member institutions. These are students who are not eligible for institutional membership but would benefit by participating in Association activities and receiving Association literature. Such individuals must be recommended for membership by an active AACRAO ACRAO voting member. Dues for student members will be determined by the Board of Directors and will be one-fourth (rounded to the nearest $5) of the annual per-member fee approved by the membership.

(h) (g) High school affiliate members shall be those registrars, counselors, and other personnel at secondary schools who would benefit from membership in AACRAO ACRAO, desire to participate in its activities, and are approved for this status by the ACRAO Board of Directors. High school affiliate members shall pay an THE annual per-individual member fee approved by the membership.

SECTION 3 Members shall be entitled to AACRAO ACRAO publications in accordance with a distribution policy determined by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 4 The annual fee for each category identified in Sections 1 and 2 above shall be recommended by the Board of Directors and approved by the membership at the Annual Meeting with advance notice of any increase to be proposed to the membership by no later than the February issue of the Association newsletter.

SECTION 4 THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SHALL RECOMMEND CHANGES IN MEMBERSHIP FEES, WITH NOTICE AT LEAST 30 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF VOTING, FOR APPROVAL AT THE ANNUAL MEETING.

 

Article II

Officers

SECTION 1 The elected officers of the Association, who must be voting members, together comprising the Board of Directors, shall include:

(a) President;

(b) President-Elect;

(c) Immediate Past President;

(d) Secretary-Treasurer VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE;

(e) Vice President for ADMISSIONS AND Enrollment Management; Admissions, and Financial Aid ;

(f) Vice President for International Education;

(g) Vice President for Registration, and Records Management AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY;

(h) Vice President for Professional Development, Research, and Publications;

(i) Vice President for Regional Associations ASSOCIATION and Institutional Issues.

SECTION 2 The president shall serve as chair of the Board of Directors and shall be an ex officio member of all appointed AACRAO ACRAO committees. The president shall be responsible for all activities within the Association and may assign or delegate duties accordingly. Upon completion of a one-year term as president-elect, the president shall serve a one-year term.

SECTION 3 The president-elect shall serve as principal assistant to the president, as needed. Special responsibilities shall include planning the program and coordinating the arrangements for the Annual Meeting. Election shall be by a majority of the votes cast for the office by voting members at the annual business meeting, and a one-year term shall be served before succeeding to the presidency. If an early vacancy occurs in the office of president, the president-elect will assume those responsibilities and the normal term of office for the president-elect will not be affected.

SECTION 4 The immediate past president shall serve as advisor to the president and other officers of the Association for one year after completion of the term as president.

SECTION 5 The secretary-treasurer VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE shall serve as secretary of the Association’s annual business meeting and of Board of Directors’ meetings; shall be responsible OVERSEE (with suitable bond) for the Association’s financial affairs; shall work closely with the executive director on membership and financial records; shall chair the budget committee; and shall have the proposed budget published in the newsletter in advance of the Annual Meeting AND SHALL NOTIFY THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET, MEMBERSHIP FEE, OR POLICY MATTERS AT LEAST 30 DAYS PRIOR TO VOTING. The secretary-treasurer VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE may be authorized by the president to audit the Association bills before payment, and shall arrange for the annual complete audit by a certified public accountant. Election shall be by a majority of the votes cast for this office; a three-year term shall be served without right of succession.

SECTION 6 The vice presidents shall coordinate the work of committees in their respective professional areas. They shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast for their respective offices by voting members at the annual business meeting; they shall serve for three-year terms and may not succeed themselves.

SECTION 7 Election of the six officers serving three-year terms shall regularly be on a three-year recurring cycle, as follows:

First year, vice president for ADMISSIONS AND enrollment management, admissions, and financial aid and vice president for regional associations ASSOCIATION and institutional issues;

Second year, vice president for international education and vice-president for professional development, research, and publications;

Third year, vice president for registration, and records management AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY and secretary-treasurer VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE.

SECTION 8 Newly elected officers shall take office at the end of the Annual Meeting during which they are elected, except for the VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE secretary-treasurer, who shall take office at the start of the next fiscal year. In case of a vacancy in any office except that of president, the Board of Directors shall make an appointment for the balance of the unexpired term; such appointment shall not affect the appointee’s eligibility for election.

SECTION 9 The process for removing an elected or appointed member of the AACRAO ACRAO Board of Directors from office shall be as follows:

(a) ANY BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBER WHO, DURING THE COURSE OF A TERM OF SERVICE, FAILS TO QUALIFY AS A VOTING MEMBER FOR A PERIOD OF 90 DAYS DUE TO LOSS OF EMPLOYMENT OR SOME OTHER CIRCUMSTANCE, SHALL BE REMOVED FROM OFFICE IMMEDIATELY AND A REPLACEMENT SHALL BE NAMED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8 OF ARTICLE II OF THE BYLAWS.

(a) (b) Any institutional member may file a complaint to the president or immediate past president of the Association. The complaint must be in writing and must specify the nature of the problem in adequate detail. Such reasons can be, but are not limited to, dishonesty, failure to perform in office, or financial mismanagement.

(b) (c) After concurrence by a Board member, the full Board of Directors will convene in special session within thirty (30) days to consider the complaint. (A conference call will be acceptable for this purpose.) The complainant(s) may be invited to present evidence and be available for questioning at this special session. The officer who is the subject of the complaint will be given reasonable time prior to the meeting to prepare a response to the written complaint(s) and will be invited to be present to deliver that response. The AACRAO ACRAO President will preside over this special session and Robert’s Rules of Order will be strictly enforced. If the president is the subject of the complaint, the past president shall preside.

(c) (d) The Board of Directors will vote, by secret ballot, to retain or remove the individual from office. (If the special session is conducted by conference call, the secret ballot will be mailed to the presiding officer within 24 hours of the meeting. The ballots will be retained for at least thirty (30) days after the mail-in vote in case it should be necessary to validate the count.) A two-thirds majority vote of those voting will be required to remove a Board member from office.

 

Article III

Elections

SECTION 1 Association officers shall be elected in the business session held during the last two days of the Annual Meeting. The Committee on Nominations and Elections shall announce its slate of nominees in advance of or no later than the opening session of the Annual Meeting. Additional nominations may be made from the floor at the business meeting.

SECTION 2 The Committee on Nominations and Elections shall consist of nine members to select candidates for nomination to Association offices. Two of the nine shall be continuing members completing two-year terms, seven shall be elected each year; the one of these with the highest number of votes shall become chair-elect for the following year; the other with the next-highest number of votes shall become the other continuing member and vice chair-elect for the following year. Other elected members of the committee shall serve a one-year term. Three alternates shall be designated in descending order according to votes received. No members shall be eligible to serve again on the committee until five years have elapsed. After election to committee membership and during service on the committee, a member of the committee shall not be considered for nomination to an Association office nor become eligible for such consideration by resigning from the committee.

(a) Each year this committee shall meet for initial orientation before the end of the annual Association meeting; convened by its chair-elect.

(b) Members of the committee shall assist the chair in compiling lists of proposed nominees for officers and for this committee. From the later the committee shall choose 14 nominees for the next year’s committee; these shall be certified by the chair to the president and executive director, no later than December 15.

(c) No later than February, a ballot shall be mailed to each voting member containing the names of 14 nominees, with instructions to vote for 7 and return the completed ballot to the chair of the committee. Those returned as directed with 30 days of this mailing and containing not more than 7 votes shall be counted as valid ballots. The chair shall certify the results of the election to the president and executive director of AACRAO THE ASSOCIATION.

(d) In case of tie votes, the chair shall make the choice between tied candidates by lot.

(e) The other meeting of this committee shall be held in the fall of the year in advance of the Annual Meeting of AACRAO THE ASSOCIATION and shall be for the purpose of deciding the slate of nominees for officers and the 14 nominees for the next Committee on Nominations and Elections. In the event any member of the committee is unable to attend this meeting, the chair shall select a replacement for his or her position on the committee from the alternates in the order of their designation.

 

Article IV

Meetings

SECTION 1 An Annual Meeting of the entire Association shall be called in April, the precise date and the location to be set by the Board of Directors with due regard to geographical rotation. The Board of Directors shall have the authority, in case of emergency, to advance, postpone, or omit an Annual Meeting; in such a case the time between two consecutive meetings of the Association shall be counted as one year of administration. The Board of the Directors shall set registration fees for the Annual Meeting.

SECTION 2 Association business shall be conducted at the Annual Meeting by the voting members present. The adoption of any proposed amendment to the Constitution or Bylaws shall require a two-thirds majority of the votes cast if notice was circulated to the voting members at least 30 days in advance, or a four-fifths majority if less or no advance notice was given. Except for amendments decisions shall be made by simple majority vote. OFFICIAL BUSINESS TO BE CONDUCTED AT ANNUAL MEETINGS SHALL INCLUDE AT LEAST:

(a) Official business to be conducted at Annual Meetings shall include at least:

(1)(a) election of officers;

(2)(b) reports from officers and committees, with such action as may be appropriate, including adoption of the budget and resolutions;

(3)(c) action on any proposed amendments to the Constitution or Bylaws.

(b) Normally due notice shall have been given in advance (no later than the February issue of the Association newsletter) on any substantive matter, including the budget and policy resolutions that are to be voted on at the Annual Meeting.

SECTION 3 Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be called by the president, or by the president-elect if the president is unable to do so, as needed. Decisions within the Board of Directors shall be made by simple majority vote of the members present and voting.

SECTION 3 MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

(a) MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SHALL BE CALLED BY THE PRESIDENT, OR BY THE PRESIDENT-ELECT IF THE PRESIDENT IS UNABLE TO DO SO, AS NEEDED. DECISIONS WITHIN THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SHALL BE MADE BY SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE OF THE MEMBERS PRESENT AND VOTING.

(b) BY TWO-THIRDS CONSENT OF ALL BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBERS, A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD CAN BE CONVENED IN THE ABSENCE OF THE PRESIDENT OR THE PRESIDENT-ELECT CALLING A MEETING IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE IV, SECTION 3(a).

 

Article V

Appointive Committees AND TASK FORCES

SECTION 1 Committees AND TASK FORCES, to assist in Association activities, as deemed necessary or desirable, shall be established (or may be discontinued) by the president with the approval of the Board of Directors.

SECTION 2 Appointments to these committees AND TASK FORCES shall be for one year, with reappointment possible for not more than two THREE additional years. To ensure both reasonable continuity and stimulating rotation, a significant proportion of the members of each committee shall be reappointments REAPPOINTED from the preceding year. Each appointive committee reports to the Board of Directors through the appropriate officer OR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

SECTION 3 THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SHALL, BY SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE, SELECT ASSOCIATION MEMBERS TO SERVE AS INTER-ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVES BETWEEN ACRAO AND OTHER HIGHER EDUCATION RELATED ORGANIZATIONS. APPOINTMENTS SHALL BE FOR A THREE YEARS PERIOD WITHOUT A RE-APPOINTMENT OPTION UNLESS SUCH RE-APPOINTMENT IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED BY A 2/3'S VOTE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

 

Article VI

Appointive Staff

SECTION 1 The Board of Directors shall employ (with suitable bond) a full-time paid executive director who shall assist the Association by staffing and maintaining an AACRAO ACRAO office. Duties and functions shall be assigned to this office by the Board of Directors as determined to be necessary and appropriate, including:

(a) MAINTENANCE OF ACRAO FINANCIAL RECORDS AND BUDGET CONTROLS, HANDLING OF RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS, AND SERVING AS CUSTODIAN OF ALL FUNDS AND INVESTMENTS AS INSTRUCTED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS THROUGH THE SECRETARY-TREASURER VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE;

(a)(b) Responsibility for preservation of the Association’s permanent and historical records;

(b)(c) Responsibility for reserve quantities of Association publications;

(c)(d) Membership promotion and maintenance of AACRAO ACRAO membership files, with records of AACRAO ACRAO participation and personal data for each active member;

(d) Maintenance of the AACRAO placement service;

(e) Service SERVING as coordinating office, when suitable, in projects of research and publication;

(f) MONITORING AND BRINGING TO THE ATTENTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS THE NEED TO CONSIDER UPDATES TO THE ASSOCIATION’S STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PLAN.

(g) Other duties and responsibilities as specified by the Board of Directors.

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