The name of this organization shall be the Academy of Process Educators (abbreviated AoPE) (hereinafter referred to as the Academy).
The Academy shall be incorporated as a non-profit Section 501(c)(3) organization, registered in the state of New York.
Our organization strives to be ethical, responsible, accountable, and trustworthy, relating with others with integrity, respect, and honesty. Our organizational values are: GROWTH, COMMUNITY, DIVERSITY, and PERFORMANCE.
Growth
We believe that everyone has the potential to generate their own self-growth so they work towards becoming their ideal selves and improve the quality of their lives.
Community
We form a network of like-minded individuals who develop/uphold best practices, provide mentoring, seek continuous improvement, and grow together.
Diversity
We invite, welcome, and celebrate participation of individuals with multiple perspectives brought among others, by their geography, nationality, age, ability, discipline, job function, ethnic/racial background, and gender.
Performance
We focus on processes as much as products because application of lifelong learning skills and supporting methodologies elevate the quality of performance in all domains.
Section 1. Vision: The Academy of Process Educators is a recognized leader in the transformation of education through performance-based learning and growth.
Section 2. Mission: The Academy of Process Educators is a scholarly and a practicing community. We inspire, transform, empower, innovate, and foster learning.
Section 1: Membership Criteria: A person becomes an Academy member by accepting the philosophy of Process Education and paying annual dues. It is strongly recommended that members attend the meetings of the academy. No one shall be considered for membership on the Board of Directors who has not been active in the Academy during the previous year.
Section 2: Membership Rights & Responsibilities. Academy Membership shall encompass the following:
Section 3: Dues. The dues structure shall be as follows:
Section 4: Removal of Academy membership shall be by a three-fifths vote of all Academy members present and voting at the Annual Business Meeting. Any such proposed action should be published in the meeting agenda sent to all Academy members at least thirty (30) days before the meeting.
Section 1: Executive Board: The governance structure of the Academy shall be composed of an Executive Board composed of ten (10) members in odd years and nine (9) members in even years- the President (two-year term after two years as President-Elect) , Immediate Past President (one-year term after two years as President), President-Elect (two-year term elected in odd years), Secretary (two-year term elected in even years), Finance Officer (two-year term elected in odd years), Treasurer (two-year term elected in even years), and four (4) At-Large Members (two-year terms with two elected each year). The Executive Board shall have responsibility for interpreting and implementing policy actions adopted at the Annual Business Meeting. The Executive Board shall also have the responsibilities for generating policies deemed necessary between Annual Conferences, provided that such interim policies shall not abrogate the Bylaws of the Academy.
The Executive Board shall meet no less than three (3) times between Annual Conferences. These meetings may be by conference call. A majority of the entire Executive Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The vote of a majority of the Executive Board members present at the time of the vote, if a quorum is present at such time, shall be the act of the Executive Board. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Executive Board may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Executive Board consent in writing to the adoption of a resolution authorizing the action.
Elected Officers: The elected officers of the Academy shall be the members of the Executive Board.
Appointed Officers: The appointed officers of the Academy shall be the chairs of standing and ad hoc committees (Membership, IJPE, Professional Development and Grants) and shall be appointed annually. In addition, the Academy Historian, Academy Webmaster, Assessment Director, Communication Director, Conference Director, Conference Program Chair, DDO Director, Information Director, Marketing Director, Mentoring Director, PE Academy Ambassador, Program Manager Mentor, Research Director, and Sergeant-at-arms, shall be annually appointed officers of the Academy.
The elected and appointed officers of the Academy shall be the members of the Academy Board.
Section 2: Nomination and Election of Officers
Nomination Committee: The Nomination Committee is a standing committee appointed and chaired by the President-Elect and approved by the Executive Board. It shall be composed of five members, including the President-Elect.
The Nomination Committee shall prepare a slate of nominees to present at the annual business meeting. These offices are as follows: President-Elect (odd years), Secretary (even years), Finance Officer (odd years), Treasurer (even years), and Board member at large (two each year). No one may be nominated for the Executive Board who has not been active in the Academy during the previous year.
The nomination committee shall be responsible for nominating to the Executive Board for their approval candidates to fill, until the next Annual Conference, vacancies in any uncompleted elected office or appointed office, and for administering Academy-wide balloting.
Election: The election of officers will take place during the annual business meeting, and new officers will begin their terms at the close of the annual business meeting. The Nominations Committee will announce whether voting will 1) take place by paper ballot for members attending the business meeting in person and electronically for members attending the business meeting online, or 2) electronically for all members attending the business meeting. The Chair of the Nominations Committee will present the slate of candidates to the membership. Nominations from the floor at the annual business meeting will be solicited, but each such candidate must be present and agree to run. All elections shall be decided by a plurality of the members present during the Annual Business Meeting.
Terms: Elected officers shall serve a one or two year term and shall not be eligible to serve any consecutive term in any single office, except as noted below. Members shall not hold more than one office on the Executive Board at the same time.
Section 3: Removal from Office
Any elected officer may be removed from office for malfeasance or non-performance of duties. Such action may be accomplished by one of the following methods:
Section 4: Duties of Elected Officers (Performance Criteria for elected and appointed officers are found in the document, “Performance Criteria for Board Members.” This document is subject to change using an assessment process included in the document.)
Executive Board: The Executive Board shall conduct Academy affairs. The President of the Academy is the designated official spokesperson for the Academy and acts at the direction of the Executive Board. To conduct such business, the Executive Board shall perform the following duties:
President: The President shall act as the leader and spokesperson of the Academy. The duties of the President are as follows:
President-Elect: The President-Elect shall prepare for the ascension to the President. The duties of the President-Elect are as follows:
Immediate Past President: The Immediate Past President shall serve as a resource for the Executive Board of the Academy. To fulfill these duties, the Immediate Past President shall offer appropriate counsel to the Executive Board, President, and President-Elect. In addition, the Immediate Past President shall track the implementation of the Strategic Plan and make provisions for updating the Strategic Plan.
Secretary: The Secretary shall be the official custodian of all documents belonging to the Academy. In addition, the Secretary's other duties shall be:
Finance Officer: The Finance Officer shall oversee the development and promulgation of the financial policies of the Academy. In addition, the Finance Officer's other duties shall be:
Treasurer: The Treasurer shall supervise and monitor all financial transactions of the Academy and its activities/properties. In addition, the Treasurer's other duties shall be:
Board Members at Large: The Board Members at Large shall perform those duties as assigned by the President. In addition, other duties of the Board Members at Large shall be:
Section 5: Duties of Appointed Officers
Academy Historian: The Academy Historian shall be responsible for preserving artifacts and significant documents that record the achievements of the Academy of Process Educators. The Academy Historian’s responsibility shall be
Assessment Director: The Assessment Director shall be responsible for continuing to elevate the performance of the Academy. Other duties shall be:
Communication Director: The Communication Director shall facilitate communication with current members, prospective members, past members, conference attendees and conference host schools. The Communication Director shall help the President and the Executive Board prepare and copy edit documents for promulgation to the membership. In addition, the Communications Director's other responsibilities shall be:
Conference Director: The Annual Conference Director is appointed by the Executive Board and shall supervise and monitor all preparations for the Annual Conference and shall report progress to the Executive Board when asked. The Annual Conference Director shall be responsible for all aspects of conference planning, publicity, logistics, recruitment of attendees, and implementation. Other duties shall be:
Conference Program Chair: The Program Chair is appointed by the Executive Board and is responsible for organizing the Conference Program and recruiting presenters. Other duties of the Program Chair shall be:
Deliberately Developmental Organization (DDO) Director. The DDO Director shall set annual goals and objectives to advance the Academy as a DDO and submit these to the Executive Board for approval. The DDO Director shall assist the organization and its membership in conscious development of skills that exemplify Process Education principles especially Self-growth. In addition, the Director’s responsibilities shall be:
Grants Director: The Grants Director shall, with the help of the Grant Committee, prepare applications for the appropriate grants and submit them to the Board for review and transmittal. The Grants Director shall gather, support, and mentor Academy members with relevant expertise and interest to carry out grant projects. In addition, the Grants Director's additional responsibilities shall be:
IJPE Editor: The International Journal of Process Education is sponsored by the Academy to provide for publication of its members' research. The IJPE editor is appointed by and reports to the Executive Board of Directors and will have complete authority for determining the publishing schedule and the editorial content within the defined scope of the journal. Although Pacific Crest is listed as publisher on the ISSN certificate. The Academy, as official sponsor, has assumed most the traditional publisher roles including bearing printing and reasonable distribution costs of the journal. In addition, the IJPE Editor's other duties include:
Information Director: The Information Director shall create systems and processes to help the Academy and its members meet their information needs. The Information Director shall store the Academy records in such a way that they can be easily and consistently accessed. In addition, the Information Director's other responsibilities shall be:
Marketing Director: The Marketing Director shall support the efforts of the Academy Board in advertising and public relations (PR) efforts as deemed appropriate by the Board. The Marketing Director shall work closely with the Webmaster to ensure that consistent branding (themes, colors, designs, etc.) are used on all Academy materials, whether physical or electronic. In addition, the Marketing Director's other duties shall be:
Membership Chair: The Membership Chair shall develop processes to increase Academy membership. In addition, the Membership Chair's other duties shall be:
Mentoring Director: The Mentoring Director shall set annual goals and objectives to advance the Academy mentoring mentality and submit these goals to the Executive Board for approval. The Mentoring Director shall help others perform more effectively by assessing mentoring performance and guiding others in their performance. In addition, the Mentoring Director's responsibilities shall be:
PE Academy Ambassador: The PE Ambassador shall share stories about personal practice and research projects with external communities to promote the value of the Academy. The PE Academy Ambassador shall analyze potential members’ needs to figure out which attributes to share to get people to join the Academy. In addition, the PE Ambassador's responsibilities shall be:
Professional Development Director: The Professional Development Director shall plan and bring to fruition events, both online and face-to-face, that will help Academy members improve their performance as Process Education practitioners. In addition, the Professional Development Director's other duties shall be:
Project Managers’ Mentor. The Project Managers’ Mentor shall support the leadership needs of project managers to accomplish defined projects within timeframes. The Project Managers’ Mentor shall help others perform more effectively by assessing project management performance and guiding managers in enhancing outcomes. In addition, the Mentor’s responsibilities shall be:
Research Director: The Research Director shall leverage experience in research practice and ability to set the long-term direction of the Academy research program by identifying, reviewing, and assigning research projects using an understanding of target audiences and goals. The Research Director shall plan and develop a research program for the Academy. In addition, the Research Director's other responsibilities shall be:
Sergeant-at-Arms. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall maintain order and enforce standards for proper behavior for events, with a courteous demeanor. The Sergeant-at-Arms must know the rules for the conduct of meetings, such as Roberts' Rules of Order, to advance Academy business effectively. In addition, the Sergeant-at-Arms' responsibilities shall be:
Webmaster: The Webmaster shall create and maintain a web presence on behalf of the Academy of Process Educators, including any related technology in order to support functioning of the Academy, these Bylaws, and the Strategic Plan. In addition, the Webmaster's other duties shall be:
Section 1: Severable or Transferable Interest. No member shall have any severable or transferable interest in the property of the Academy.
Section 2: Control and Management. All property of the Academy shall be subject to the control and management of the Executive Board. Except upon dissolution of the Academy, the Executive Board must approve in advance any accumulation or disposal of property.
Section 3: Disposal upon Dissolution. Upon dissolution of the Academy, none of its property shall be distributed to any members. All of its property shall be transferred to organizations(s) the Executive Board determines to have purposes and activities most consonant with those of the Academy, provided that such other organization(s) shall be exempt under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code or a corresponding provision of the Internal Revenue Laws.
Section 4: Appropriation of Association Funds. No appropriation of the Academy's Funds shall be made except pursuant to the authority of the Executive Board, as outlined in Article VI.
Section 5: Conflict of Interest. The Academy maintains a Conflict of Interest Policy to ensure that its directors, officers, and key persons act in the Academy’s best interest and comply with applicable legal requirements. It is intended to supplement but not replace any state and federal laws governing conflict of interest applicable to nonprofit and charitable organizations.
Section 6: Challenge of Executive Decision to Dispose. In the event of dissolution, the Executive Board shall, sixty days prior to such action, submit to all Academy members in good standing a plan of dissolution. The action shall be approved by a plurality of those members returning ballots.
Section 1: Committees: The Standing Committees of the Academy shall be (1) the Nominations Committee, (2) the Annual Conference Committee, (3) the Grant Committee, (4) the Membership Committee, (5) the Professional Development Committee, (6) the IJPE Editorial, and (7) the Finance Committee.
Section 2: Duties: The Standing Committees of the Academy shall conduct the regular business of the Academy under the direction of the Elected and Appointed Officers of the Academy and the Executive Board. The specific duties of the Standing Committees of the Academy shall be as follows:
Section 1: Parliamentary procedure adopted by the Academy in November 2019 and adapted from the National Association of Parliamentarians, found on the Academy’s web page, shall be the parliamentary authority for the Academy's proceedings unless otherwise stipulated and waived by 75% of those voting at the proceeding.
Section 2: Parliamentarian. The President may appoint a parliamentary authority for all official meetings of the Association from among those in attendance.
The Executive Board shall determine the fiscal year of the Academy.
Section 1: Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Academy shall be held at such times and places as may be designated by the Executive Board.
Section 2: Annual Business Meeting. An annual business meeting to include the election of officers and the transaction of other business relative to the affairs of the Academy shall be held no later than July 30 of each year, preferably during the annual conference. The secretary shall send the agenda of the annual business meeting to each member of the Academy in advance of the meeting.
Section 3: Quorum. One-third of the Academy members who are registered and attending the annual conference shall constitute a quorum for the annual business meeting.
Section 1: Initiation. Proposals to amend these BYLAWS may be initiated by the Executive Board, by recommendation of a standing committee, or by an Academy member in good standing when accompanied by a petition signed by no less than ten (10) percent of the current Academy membership.
Section 2: Approval. Amendments to these BYLAWS shall be ratified by a vote at a meeting of the Executive Board of the Academy with a two-thirds majority of the Executive Board voting favorably.
These BYLAWS shall be ratified by a two-thirds majority vote of all Academy members attending the 2008 Annual Conference.
Last Modified April 2022