AUGUSTANA COLLEGE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION – STUDENT PROGRAM BY LAWS/CONSTITUTION

PREAMBLE
We, the education students of Augustana College, in order to uphold the ideals of the education profession; to promote future success and progress of our state and nation through education; to promote a form of students and understanding and the appreciation for the education profession and the role of the professional education association in behalf of advancing standards, attitudes, and training; do hereby, establish this constitution of The Student education Association of Augustana College.

ARTICLE I – Name
The formal education organization of Augustana College shall be named Augustana College Education Association – Student Program, herein referred to as ACEA-SP. It is affiliated with the South Dakota National Education Association – Student Program (SDNEA-SP), the National Education Association – Student Program (NEA-SP), the Sioux Falls Education Association (SFEA), the South Dakota Education Association (SDEA), and the National Education Association (NEA).

ARTICLE II – Purpose
The purpose of the ACEA-SP is:
1. To develop an understanding and appreciation of the education profession and educational issues;
2. To Have a voice in educational issues and policies that affect us as future teachers;
3. To stimulate the highest ideals of professional ethics, standards, attitudes, and training;
4. To Promote leadership skills among future educators;
5. To enhance the education program at Augustana College by providing extra-curricular activities to gain a better understanding of the learning process and the content areas;
7. To work in association with all education affiliates identified in Article I of the document.

Article III - Membership
Section 1: Membership includes being a paid member of the local, state and national association. The membership year extends from September 1st to September 1st of the following year.

Section 2: Membership is open to all students of Augustana College interested in the education profession. Membership is strongly recommended for students who are preparing for the teaching profession.

Section 3: All membership shall have the right to vote on all official business of the local chapter.

Section 4: All members are expected to attend all scheduled meetings and programs of the local chapter.

Section 5: All members are expected to be a committee member and attend scheduled meetings.

Article IV – The Executive Committee

Section 1: The Executive committee consists of the president (or co-president) vice-president, secretary, treasurer, faculty advisor, and the state representative.

Section 2: Duties of the Executive Committee are
a. To set up all meeting times of the association, the Executive Committee, and the Council;
b. To regulate the progress of the committee and the committee chairs and to advise them on committee related issues, activities, and duties;
c. To determine the general policies and goals of the association;
d. To establish a budget for approval by the Council and the association;

Article V – The Council
Section 1: The council consists of the Executive Committee and the chairperson of each committee found in Article IX of this document.

Section 2: Duties of the Council:
a. To report all activities of the committee;
b. To discuss, give suggestions, and approve all association programs if the local;
c. To approve the budget and present it to the association for approval by 2/3 for the membership at the meeting;
d. To be responsible for updating the Constitution.

Section 3: Recall Responsibilities:
a. To appoint a committee investigating and report any inappropriate actions by an elected official of the said organization.
b. To select and approve by an unanimous vote of the board, the members to be set on the impeachment committee.

Article VI – Duties of the Officers

Section 1: The President (or Co-President) will:
a. Preside over all association meetings;
b. Prepare an agenda with the consultation of the faculty advisor for all association meetings;
c. Attend Education division meetings and report them back to the Executive Committee and Council;
d. Be responsible for providing supervision of the other officers and members by insuring that jobs are completed;
e. Be responsible for keeping communication open with the association and various other staff and faulty;
f. Will make all decisions, and will directly consult with the faculty advisor in regard to these decisions when school is not in session, or when the Executive Committee cannot convene.

Section 2: The Vice-President will:
a. Perform the duties of the President during his/her absence;
b. Assist the president in any capacity required in order to promote the well-being of the association;
c. Oversee the election of officers for the following year or in the case of the vacancy of an office during the year;
d. Assume the position of presidency if the office should become vacant during the year.

Section 3: The Secretary will:
a. Take the minutes of all association meetings and will print and distribute them at least two days prior to the next association meeting where they will be approved by a 2/3 majority of those present;
b. Keep a permanent record of all educational activities of the association;
c. Be responsible to oversee the publicity committee;
d. Be the historian for the association, or appoint any other member (s) to do so.
e. Write thank-you notes as the need becomes necessary.

Section 4: The Treasurer will:
a. Balance the budget and be responsible for handling purchase orders;
b. Report the current budget status at association meetings or to the executive committee and board upon request of the president;
c. Oversee the fundraising committee;
d. Be responsible for handling membership dues and all association monies.

Section 5: The State Representative will:
a. Attend all representative assemblies and all other state board meetings;
b. Report back to the association those activities that take place on the state level;
c. Present an article of th3 local events to the Vice-President of SDNEA-SP for publication in the Student Advocate.

Section 6: The Faculty Advisor will:
a. Assist students in working with others in a positive, growth-oriented manner;
b. Assist in working with other organizations, departments, and offices,
c. Provide resources, guidance with projects, evaluation of performance, and answers to questions;
d. Be accountable for budget expenditures made on the organization’s account including: off-campus purchases as well as Food services, Bookstore, and Central Services;
e. Sign all purchase orders prior to processing at the Business Office;
f. Become aware of all organization-sponsored events, on and off campus.

Article VII – Elections

Section 1: Eligibility for office will include:
a. Being a member of the association and being able to meet the responsibilities of the office as set forth in these By-Laws;

Section 2: Nomination of Candidates includes:
a. Notification of at least one week in advance of the February meeting that nominations will take place;
b. Nominations will be accepted from the floor at the meeting or through notification of the Vice-President before the meeting if attendance is not possible.
c. Each candidate will submit a short written platform to the Vice-President at the time of nomination.

Section 3: Elections are as follows:
a. All members will be eligible to vote for the President (or Co-President), Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and State Representative;
b. Treasurer, and State Representative;
c. Elections will take place by secret ballot returned through the campus mail;
d. For an election to an office, a candidate must receive a simple majority of the votes from all ballots received. In the case of a tie, the candidates present their platform before the association at the next association meeting and it will be voted upon there by secret ballot./p>

Section 4: Terms of office for the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and State Representative will be from February to February of the following year.

Article VIII – Delegates to conventions and assemblies

Section 1: Selection of delegates will be on a voluntary basis. In the event of an excess of volunteers, a secret ballot election will be held at the association meeting.

Article IX – Committees

Section 1: Standing Committees:
a. Community Awareness Committee: is to maintain active communication with the SFEA as a part of the Adopt-a-Local program by attending SFEA meetings. They are also responsible to bring awareness of the association to the Sioux Falls schools, the surrounding community schools, any Business Partnership schools. This committee is also responsible or informing the media as to ACEA’s activites and interrations with the above.
b. Campus Awareness Committee: will be responsible for preparing, posting and/or changing posters concerning association activities, events, meetings and other association functions, preparing and distributing election ballots and for providing campus media exposure as to association events (via. Mirror and Campus Cues).
c. Fund-raising Committee: is responsible for organizing at least one fundraising event each year). This committee work with and seek the advice of the treasurer and the organization advisor.
d. Secondary Awareness Committee: is responsible for recruiting those individuals interested in secondary education for promoting within ACEA activities and issues pertinent to secondary education.
e. Nominations/Membership Committee: will be responsible for recruiting members throughout the year,. In locating members who are interested in running for ACEA offices, and in developing a ballot for the election of officers. This ballot will be presented to the membership at the February meeting. This committee will work with and seek the advice of the Vice-President in nominating matters.

Article X – Recall

Section 1: Officers and all elected representative may be recalled for, reasons of misfeasance and non-feasance in office.

Section 2: Recall may be initiated by a written petition submitted to the Council by 10% of the association membership. This petition must contain the charges being brought against the elected official. A committee shall be appointed by a unanimous vote of the Council to investigate the matter/charges. The committee will report its findings to the Council within in two weeks. If just cause is found, the Council will conduct a hearing of the case. The elected official will be recalled by unanimous decision of the Council. All Council members will have a vote except for the officials under consideration.

The official may appeal this decision to the general assembly. The decision of the board may be reconsidered by a 2/3 majority vote of the members present at eh association meeting (a minimum of 50% of the members need to be present).

If 10% of the majority favors reconsideration, another hearing will be held before the association members and a 3/4 majority vote for repeal will allow the official to remain in office.

Section 3: Vacancies in elected offices
a. A vacancy in the office of President will be filled by the Vice-President.
b. Vacancies in the elected position of Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and State Representative will be filled following regular election guidelines found in article VII, section 1, 2, and 3 of these By-Laws. (Article VII, section 2a will change to one week after the vacancy of the week.) Vacancies must be filled within 30 days of the vacancy.

Article XI – Amendments to the By-Laws

Section 1: Proposal of Amendments. Amendments to the By-Laws may be proposed to the association members by one or more of the following methods:
a. By a majority vote of the Executive Committee;
b. By a m vote of the Council;
c. Amendments off the floor at an association meeting by an association member.

Section 2: Amendments to the By-Laws.
a. The text of any proposed amendment must be printed and sent to the association President at least one week prior to the next association meeting for it to be considered at that meeting;
b. The text of any amendment will be read at the association meeting prior to the vote on its adoption;
c. These By-Laws may be amended only at association meeting by a 2/3 majority vote of all members present.

Section 3: Effective Date. Amendments to these By-Laws will become effective immediately upon adjournment of the association meeting unless otherwise provided in the amendment. NOTE: Amendments to the By-Law must not conflict with state or national constitutions.

Article XII – Rules of Order

Section 1: Roberts Rules of Order, Revised, shall be the authority on all questions of procedure.