CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

OF THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

PROFESSIONAL CHAPTER OF

THE COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

 ARTICLE I

NAME

The name of this organization shall be The University of Iowa Professional Chapter of The Council for Exceptional Children.

 ARTICLE II

PURPOSE

The primary purpose of this chapter shall be to advance the education of individuals with exceptionalities and to promote related educational, scientific, and charitable purposes. Specifically, the chapter intends to assist and provide support to The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) in all its efforts on behalf of persons with exceptionalities, and to participate in all appropriate governance activities of CEC subject to the general supervision and control of CEC.

 ARTICLE III

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Qualifications

Membership shall consist of professional personnel and other persons interested in the education of individuals with exceptionalities.

Section 2. Minimum Membership Requirement

The chapter shall maintain a minimum of fifteen (15) paid members who shall meet the membership qualifications established by CEC.

Section 3. Unified Membership

All chapter members must also be members of The Council for Exceptional Children and the federation with which the chapter is affiliated. The chapter may not accept enrollments for local membership only.

Section 4. Membership Term

The policy pertaining to the membership year shall be consistent with the policy of The Council for Exceptional Children.

 ARTICLE IV

ORGANIZATION

Section 1. Relationship to The Council for Exceptional Children

The University of Iowa Professional Chapter shall be affiliated with The Council for Exceptional Children and the Iowa Federation of The Council for Exceptional Children.

Section 2. Fiscal Year and Administrative Term

The fiscal year and administrative term of office shall be July 1 through June 30.

ARTICLE V

OFFICERS

Section 1. Elected Positions

The officers of this chapter shall be duly elected by the membership and consist of a president, president elect, secretary/corresponding secretary, and treasurer.

Section 2. Prerequisite to Nomination and Election

All officers must be members in good standing of The Council for Exceptional Children at the time of their nomination and election and remain so throughout the duration of their term of office.

Section 3. Succession

The president elect shall automatically succeed to the presidency at the expiration of the president's term of office.

Section 4. Vacancies

If a vacancy occurs in the office of president, the president elect shall serve as acting president for the remainder of the term of office and shall become president at the beginning of the new term. A vacancy occurring in the office of president elect shall be filled by an appointment of the executive committee for a member to complete the term of office for that year only. Nomination and election of a president elect shall be necessary at the following election. A vacancy occurring in the office of secretary/corresponding secretary or treasurer shall be filled by an appointment of the president, with the approval of the executive committee, for a member to complete the term of office.

Section 5. Duties of Officers

A. The powers and duties of the president shall be:

1. To serve as chief executive of the chapter with the powers and duties usually belonging to such a position;
2. To serve as presiding officer at general meetings of the chapter and at meetings of the chapter executive committee;
3. To serve as an ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating committee;
4. To prepare the annual report as required by The Council for Exceptional Children and the federation.

B. The powers and duties of the president elect shall be:

1. To serve in the place of, and with the authority of, the president in case of the president's absence or disability;
2. To serve as program chair of the chapter, responsible for planning and developing programs for chapter meetings.

C. The powers and duties of the secretary/corresponding secretary (may be divided into two positions at the discretion of the executive committee) shall be:

1.To keep a careful record of the proceedings of each meeting;

2.To notify the executive committee of the time and place of committee meetings;

3.To carry on the correspondence of the chapter as directed by the president.

E. The powers and duties of the treasurer shall be:

1.To receive all funds belonging to the chapter and pay out the same on orders approved by the executive committee and signed by the president;

2.To keep an itemized account of receipts and expenditures and to file with the secretary a written report of same at the executive committee meeting preceding the annual meeting of the chapter;

3.To submit books for an audit by a special committee appointed by the president at the end of the term of office.

Section 6. Election of Officers

The officers of the chapter shall be elected by the membership from those members in good standing who are nominated by the nominating committee. A nomination may also be made from the floor.

Section 7. Term of Office

Each term of office shall be one year, with the exception of the secretary/corresponding secretary, and the treasurer, who may serve for three terms. Each term of office shall coincide with the fiscal year, July 1 through June 30.

Section 8. Removal from Office

A. A petition for removal of an officer shall be signed by at least five members of the chapter and submitted in writing to the president. If the president is the subject of the petition, it shall be presented to the president elect.

B. The president (president elect) shall solicit relevant evidence from all parties concerned, and call a meeting of the executive committee to consider the matter within fifteen days following receipt of the petition.

C. The executive committee shall forward the petition, with or without recommendations, to a meeting of the general membership that is to be held within thirty days following the executive committee's consideration of the petition.

D. At the meeting of the general membership, an opportunity shall be made available to all interested parties to present any relevant evidence. A two-thirds majority vote of the members present, provided there is a quorum, is necessary for the removal of the officer.

 ARTICLE VI

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1. Composition

The executive committee shall consist of the officers of the chapter, the immediate past president, and the chairs of the standing committees.

Section 2. Duties

The duties of the executive committee shall be: (a) to formulate and propose policies for the chapter; (b) to fill vacancies; and (c) to make recommendations to the chapter.

 ARTICLE VII

COMMITTEES

Section 1. Types of Standing Committees

Standing committees shall be: the membership committee, the program committee, the governmental relations committee, the history committee, the newsletter committee, the publicity committee, and the nominating committee.

Other committees shall be appointed as needed.

Section 2. Appointment of Committee Chairpersons

The president, with the approval of the executive committee, shall appoint the chairpersons of all standing committees with the exception of the program committee and the nominating committee. The president elect shall serve as chairperson of the program committee; the past-president shall serve as chair of the nominating committee.

Section 3. Appointment of Committee Members

Committee members shall be appointed by the chairpersons, subject to approval by the president. The membership and nominating committees shall have no less than two members in addition to the chairperson.

Section 4. Duties of Committees

A. The duties of the membership committee shall be:

1.To maintain an active record of members and to provide all officers and committee chairpersons with such a list;

2.To maintain an active program for the recruitment of new members;

3.To support CEC headquarters in its follow-up of membership renewals;

4.To be responsible for membership transactions with CEC headquarters.

B. The program committee shall be responsible for developing and presenting suitable programs for chapter activities.

C. The duties of the governmental relations committee shall be:

1.To develop a governmental relations program under the direction of the executive committee or the membership;

2.To disseminate information pertinent to international and state/provincial legislative programs.

D. The history committee shall be responsible for collecting, organizing, and preserving significant records and historical documents of the chapter.

E. The newsletter committee shall produce a minimum of two newsletters each year.

F. The publicity committee shall plan and develop publicity that will give recognition to chapter activities and members.

G. The nominating committee shall prepare a slate of nominees for each office to be filled, and present it to the membership. Nominees must be members, in good standing, of The Council for Exceptional Children.

 ARTICLE VIII

MEETINGS

Section 1. Special Meetings

The president with the consent of the executive committee may call special meetings.

Section 2. Quorum

A majority of officers and/or one-fourth of the membership body shall constitute a quorum at a regular or a specially called meeting.

 ARTICLE IX

DURATION AND DISSOLUTION

The duration of the chapter shall be perpetual unless the officers of the chapter unanimously determine that it would be dissolved. Upon the dissolution and final liquidation of the chapter, the officers shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all the debts and liabilities of the chapter, distribute all of its assets to the headquarters of The Council for Exceptional Children with a request that they be retained in a non-interest bearing account and made available to the chapter should it ever be reorganized.

  ARTICLE X

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE

Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, latest edition, shall be used as a guide by this chapter in carrying out its parliamentary procedure.

 ARTICLE XI

AMENDMENTS

This Constitution and Bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting by a two-thirds vote of the membership present, provided there is a quorum. Such amendment or amendments shall have been submitted in writing to the executive committee. Within 30 days of the date received, it shall be submitted to the membership in writing. The membership shall have received the proposed amendment or amendments at least 14 days prior to the meeting.

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