Constitution

Article I: Name

This organization chartered under the laws of the State of Illinois shall be known as the Illinois Community College Faculty Association, herein referred to as the Association.

Article II: Purpose

The Association shall represent the common interests of the faculties in Illinois community and junior colleges and shall be the voice of these faculties. It shall sponsor activities for innovative programs and professional development and disseminate information of concern to these faculties.

Article III: Membership

All faculty of all public community and junior colleges in the State of Illinois who are regularly assigned instructions; all faculty employed with some teaching responsibility and administrative responsibility, but not designated as administrative personnel by their respective Boards of Trustees; all faculty employed as counselors, librarians, and other non-instructional faculty who are not designated as administrators of their respective colleges are members of the Association.

Article IV: Delegate Assembly

The Delegate Assembly shall conduct the business of the Association. The Delegate Assembly shall meet in regular session not less than one time per academic year at a time and place to be designated by the Executive Committee of the Association. A special session of the Delegate Assembly may be called by either a two-thirds majority of the Executive Committee of the Association or by a simple majority of the members of the Association. Any such call for a special session of the Delegate Assembly shall include the time, date, place, and purpose for the special session. Any special session so called shall be limited to the purpose indicated in the call for the special session.

The Delegate Assembly shall consist of two (2) voting delegates from each college campus in attendance at the regular meeting of the Assembly.

Article V: Elected Officers

The elected officer of the Association, as elected by the Delegate Assembly, shall be: President, President-elect, Vice-President for Legislative and Governing Board Affairs, Vice President for Membership and Delegate Affairs, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer. All elected officers of the Association shall be faculty from within the Illinois Community College system.

Article VI: Duties of the Officers

  1. President. It shall be the duty of the President to preside over all meetings of the Association and the Executive Committee; to appoint, with Executive Committee approval, all members of permanent and ad hoc committees; to be an ex officio member of all committees except the nominating committee, and to be responsible for directing all activities of the Association to assure to the fullest extent possible the fulfillment of the purpose and the objectives of the Association. The President shall serve a term of two (2) years.
  2. President-elect. It shall be the duty of the President-elect to assist the President in his/her duties and in the absence of the President to preside over meetings and fulfill the responsibilities of the presiding officer, and to be responsible for programs at the general meetings of the Association. The Administrative Vice-President shall serve a term of two (2) years, shall be elected in the even years, and shall be President-elect of the Association.
  3. Vice-President for Legislative and Governing Board Affairs. It shall be the duty of the Vice-President for Legislative and Governing Board Affairs to represent the Association in all matters pertaining to legislative affairs and to disseminate all legislative information. It shall also be the duty of this officer to represent the Association to the Illinois Community College Board and to maintain liaison with the Board of Higher Education and any other governing boards affecting community and junior college boards. The Vice-President of Legislative and Governing Board Affairs shall be elected in odd numbered years and shall serve a term of two (2) years.
  4. Vice-President for Membership and Delegate Affairs. It shall be the duty of the Vice-President to encourage attendance of members, delegates, and alternates at general meetings of the Association; to maintain accurate mailing lists of campus coordinators; to disseminate to the membership information concerning meetings and agendas; and to assist with registration and identification of delegates for Delegate Assemblies. The vice-President for Membership and Delegate Affairs shall be elected in even numbered years and shall serve a term of two (2) years.
  5. Recording Secretary. It shall be the duty of the Recording Secretary to maintain minutes of all meetings of both the Association and the Executive Committee; to distribute the minutes of designated parties; to maintain and transmit the records to the President; and to maintain a yearly file of minutes in the Association’s archives.  The Recording Secretary shall serve a term of two (2) years and shall be elected in odd years.
  6. Treasurer. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to collect all monies due the Association and to provide properly for their deposit and security; to work with other officers of the Association in the structuring of a budget; to work with the Executive Committee and follow any other procedures of this organization; to submit interim reports of the status of the treasury at general meetings of the Association; to conduct registration at these meetings; and to prepare the books for audit. The treasurer will be bonded at the expense of the Association. The treasurer shall be elected in the even numbered years and shall serve a term of two (2) years.
  7. Should any office, other than the President become vacant, the Executive Committee shall fill the vacancy by appointment for the unexpired term.  In the event that the Association Treasurer shall be unable to perform the functions of that office the President shall carry out those duties until the Executive Committee can meet to fill the vacancy as outlined above.

Article VII: Committees

  1. It shall be the duty of the Executive Committee to carry on the business of the Association as directed by the Delegate Assembly. The Executive Committee consists of all elected officers, chairpersons of the standing committees, the regional coordinators, Association representatives to the Illinois Community College Board Advisory Committees, the Illinois Community College Board Liaison, and the immediate past president.
  2. The Standing Committees of the Association shall be as follows:
    1. Teaching and Learning Initiatives: The Dr. Joseph T. Cipfl Workshop Grant Award and Faculty Research Grant
    2. Illinois Articulation Initiative
    3. The Student Scholarship Committee
    4. The Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the President, with the approval of the Executive Committee, at least sixty (60) days prior to the annual election.  The committee shall consist of a chairperson and two (2) members.
    5. Other ad hoc committees may be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Article VIII: Meetings

The Delegate Assembly shall be convened at the Annual Conference. The date and location of this conference shall be determined by the Executive Committee.

Article IX: Elections

Elections shall be held during the meeting of the Delegate Assembly at the Annual Conference. Only those persons duly elected as members of the Delegate Assembly pursuant to article IV, hereinabove, shall be authorized to participate in the business of the Delegate Assembly.

Article X: Finance

The Finance Committee shall be empowered to establish and oversee a financial system necessary for the operation of the Association. The Finance Committee shall consist of the Treasurer, the President, and the immediate Past-president of the Association.

Article XI: Amendments

This constitution may be amended using one of the following methods:

  1. The proposed amendment shall be presented in writing to any of the elected officers for consideration by the Executive Committee. Endorsement of a proposed amendment by the Executive Committee shall be a two-step process:
    1. The amendment shall be presented to the Executive Committee as an informational item at the next scheduled and publicized meeting.
    2. A vote on the proposed amendment will take place at the following meeting after all Executive Committee members have had time to consider the implications of the amendment. If approved by two-thirds majority of the Executive Committee members present and voting, the amendment shall be communicated to the membership at the Delegate Assembly and will be voted upon by that body at the Delegate Assembly.
  2. A proposed amendment will be considered directly by the Delegate Assembly if it is:
    1. sponsored by a delegate, and
    2. signed by at least ten (10) delegates of the current Assembly and
    3. presented in the appropriate format at the Delegate Assembly

Proposals meeting the above criteria will automatically be placed on the agenda for the Delegate Assembly. An amendment is considered passed if it is approved by two-thirds (2/3) of the delegates present and voting, and will be effective immediately.

Article XII: Ratification

This constitution shall be effective upon ratification by two-thirds (2/3) of the delegates present and voting at the Delegate Assembly.

 

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Voted on and approved by Delegate Assembly

November 2018