AAUP-CO CONSTITUTION
COLORADO CONFERENCE CONSTITUTION
American Association of University Professors
State of Colorado Chapter
ARTICLE I: Name, Objectives, Membership
- The name of this organization shall be the Colorado Conference of the
American Association of University
Professors (Conference). The Conference shall operate as a social
welfare organization under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue
Code for the purposes state below. The Conference is formally chartered
by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). The
national AAUP is an unincorporated national membership organization,
which is tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Code.
- The objectives of the Conference shall be to
further cooperation among
AAUP chapters in Colorado
and to promote the principles and policies of the AAUP within the state
of Colorado. Those principles and policies include promoting the
interests of higher education; protecting academic freedom and tenure;
facilitating cooperation among all facets of college and university
communities; encouraging and facilitating shared governance; and
advancing the standards, ideals, and welfare of the academic profession.
- In furtherance of the purposes described
above, but not in limitation thereof, the
Conference shall have the
power to conduct studies; to disseminate statistics and other
information; to disseminate information on the principles and practices
of education; to build and maintain legislative relations; to engage in
various fund-raising activities; to seek external funding to support
conference activities; to conduct promotional activities, including
advertising and publicity, in or by any suitable manner of media; to
hold such property as is necessary to accomplish its purposes; and to
employ individuals to represent the Conference in lawsuits,
negotiations, and for other purposes. This Conference is organized and
operated for the above stated purposes, and for other nonprofit
purposes, and no part of any net earnings shall inure to the benefit of
any member.
- Anyone eligible for Active, Associate,
Retired, Emeritus, Part Time, or Graduate Student
membership in the National Association shall be eligible for membership of similar class
in this Conference.
ARTICLE II: Officers and Committees
- Officers: The Executive Council of the
Colorado Conference shall consist of the President, Vice President,
Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past President, the President or
designated representative from each Colorado university or college
chapter of the AAUP, and three additional Council members elected from
campuses without AAUP chapters.1
a. The officers and at-large members shall be
elected in alternate years for two year terms.
b. No more than two members of the Executive Council
may be from the same Colorado institution of
higher education.
c. To be eligible for the office of President, a
candidate must have been a member of the Executive
Council within the
ten years preceding the election.
- Duties: The Executive Council shall act
as the governing body of the Conference between Conference meetings. It
shall assume responsibility for the Conference’s continuing effective
presence in the state of Colorado, keeping all positions on the
Executive Council filled as vacancies occur. Other duties of the
Executive Council shall be specified in the Conference By-Laws.
ARTICLE III: Conference Meetings and Procedures
- The Conference shall meet annually in the fall at such time and place as may be decided
upon by the Executive Council.
a. Members
present shall constitute a quorum.
b. Notification of the Annual Meeting of the Conference shall be distributed at least
sixty days prior to the
scheduled meeting.
c. The agenda
will normally be distributed to Conference members at least three weeks
before the
meeting.
- Special
Conference meetings may be called by the Executive Council. The Council
shall convene such a meeting within sixty days of the decision.
- All members of
the Conference who attend a regular Annual or Special meeting of the
Conference shall be eligible to vote on all matters before the body,
provided that their national and state dues are current, except as
provided in the next paragraph.
- Proportional voting: The active members of the
Conference in each Chapter may elect not more than one delegate for each
fifteen active members or fraction thereof at the institution, to any
Annual or Special meeting of the Conference. All members of the
Conference shall be entitled to the privileges of the floor, but only
active members may vote. On request of one-fifth of the delegates
present, a proportional vote shall be taken. In a proportional vote,
the elected delegate(s) from each Chapter shall be entitled to a number
of votes equal to the number of active members at the institution. Any
other active member not at an institution represented by an elected
delegate shall be entitled to an individual vote. In case a Chapter has
more than one delegate, each delegate may cast an equal portion of the
votes to which the Chapter is entitled.
- In extraordinary circumstances, upon request of
unanimous vote of the Executive Council, the Conference may conduct a
vote by e-mail. The Conference Vice President will be responsible for
distribution of the ballot to each Chapter President and to all other
Conference members not represented by a Chapter. Each Chapter may cast
as many votes as a unit as it has Conference members in good standing.
Chapters and individual members not represented by a Chapter must
respond within fourteen calendar days.
ARTICLE IV: Dues
Any mandatory collection of Colorado Conference dues and fees must
be approved by a majority vote of the Conference membership
through a secret ballot.2
Conference dues shall be set either by a majority vote of the delegates voting at the
Annual Meeting or by a majority vote of the members of the Conference
Executive Council that is then ratified at the next Special or Annual
Conference Meeting.
ARTICLE V: Prohibition Against Private Inurement
No
part of the net earnings of this organization shall inure to the benefit
of or be distributed to any director, employee or other individual,
partnership, estate, trust or corporation having a personal or private
interest in the Conference. Compensation for services actually rendered
and reimbursement for expenses actually incurred in attending to the
affairs of the Conference shall be limited to reasonable amounts.
ARTICLE VI: Dissolution
Upon dissolution of the Conference, assets shall be disposed of exclusively
for the purposes of the Conference or distributed to such organizations
that shall, at the time, promote goals compatible to those of the
Conference and shall qualify as exempt organizations under Sections
501(c)(4) or 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
ARTICLE VII: Rules of Order and By-Laws
- Procedure: Robert’s Rules of Order,
current revisions, shall be the authority for this Chapter in matters of
parliamentary procedure. Provisions in this Constitution or By-Laws
shall prevail over any contrary provisions in Robert’s Rules of Order.
- By-Laws: The Chapter may adopt
other such rules and By-Laws for the conduct of business as it deems
necessary. Proposed By-Laws shall be circulated in writing to all
members as part of the Conference meeting agenda and shall be read and
discussed at a meeting of the Conference. By-Laws shall become
effective by a simple majority of the members present and voting at the
Conference Annual Meeting. By-Laws may be suspended by a two-thirds
majority vote of delegates present and voting at the Annual Meeting of
the Conference.
ARTICLE VIII: Amendments
Amendments to this
Constitution must be proposed by the Executive Council or petition of
twenty (20) percent of the Conference membership to the Executive
Council. Proposed amendments must be circulated in the Conference
agenda in advance of the Conference meeting. Enactment of an amendment
or a new constitution shall require a two-thirds majority of the
eligible voters present at the Conference annual meeting.
ARTICLE IX: Enabling Act
This Constitution will be effective immediately
upon adoption by the Conference at the Annual Meeting.
Note: This Constitution was adopted at a State
Conference Meeting on April 26, 2003.
PROPOSED COLORADO CONFERENCE BY-LAWS
American Association of University Professors
State of Colorado Chapter
(Partial – more to be added later)
- Duties of the Executive Council include:
a. To meet regularly to conduct the business of the Conference between Conference meetings;
b. To set the agenda for Conference meetings;
c. To create standing and ad hoc committees from time to time as they are deemed necessary to promote
the welfare of the
Conference. The chairperson and members of these committees shall be appointed
by the Executive Council;
d. To select the members of the Nominating Committee
e. To distribute all official correspondence to all members of the Executive Council;
f. To fill interim vacancies of any elective offices;
g. To interpret the provisions of this Constitution;
h. To follow the latest revision of Robert’s Rules of Order in its scheduled meetings and where applicable,
or by request, unless otherwise specified by this Constitution or By-Laws.
- The Nominating Committee shall attempt to nominate at
least two (2) candidates for each elective Conference office.
a. The Nominating Committee shall distribute a mail
in ballot to each member of the Conference at least
sixty (60) days
prior to the date of the annual meeting of the Conference.
(To be voted on by the Membership at the Annual Meeting on September 29, 2007.)
- Article II, Section 1 of the State Conference Constitution shall be amended by changing the first sentence to read:
1. Officers: The Executive Council of the Colorado Conference shall consist of the President, Vice
President for Legislative Matters, Vice President for Administrative Matters, Vice President for
Community College Matters, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past President, five additional Council
Members elected at large, and the President or designated representative from each Colorado
university or college chapter of the AAUP.
(This change will allow a better division of responsibilities and a renewed focus on community colleges.)
- Article II, Section 1, Subsection a of the State Conference Constitution shall be amended by deleting the current sentence and replacing it with the following:
a. The Conference President, Vice President for Legislative Matters, and Secretary shall be elected in even
numbered years for two year terms; the Vice President for Administrative Matters, Vice President for
Community College Matters, and Treasurer shall be elected in odd numbered years for two year terms;
and At-Large Members shall be elected in alternate years for two year terms. All terms shall begin on
November 1st.
(This amendment will stagger the terms of elected officers to maintain as much continuity as possible.)
1 Amended November 1, 2003, deleted phrase
“and five members … elected at large,….”
2 Amendment added November, 2004.