The Academy of Process Educators By-laws

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this organization shall be the International Academy of Process Educators (abbreviated IAoPE) (hereinafter referred to as the Academy).

ARTICLE II: INCORPORATION

The Academy shall be incorporated as a non-profit Section 501(c)(3) organization, registered in the state of New York.

ARTICLE III: CORE VALUES

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.

ARTICLE IV: VISION and MISSION

Section 1. Vision: The International Academy of Process Educators is a recognized leader in the transformation of education through performance-based learning and growth.

Section 2. Mission: The International Academy of Process Educators is a scholarly and a practicing community. We inspire, transform, empower, innovate, and foster learning.

ARTICLE V: MEMBERSHIP

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:

The right of any member attending the annual business meeting to vote on any matter brought to vote during that meeting.
The right to receive those publications of the Academy, which are made available to the membership at large.
The responsibility to serve in/on any Academy office or committee upon election or appointment.
The responsibility to support and practice the tenets of Process Education.

Section 3: Dues. The dues structure shall be as follows:

Individual Academy Members shall pay annual dues in an amount set by the Executive Board and receive access to the electronic version of the Faculty Guidebook (efgb).
For an annual dues payment in an amount set by the Executive Board, an institution may designate up to fifty (50) members of the institution as Academy members. However, unless the institution has a site license for the Faculty Guidebook, the number of members who may receive efgb access through its institutional membership in the Academy may be restricted by the Executive Board.

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.

ARTICLE VI: GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE

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, Information Director, Marketing Director, Mentoring Director, PE Academy Ambassador, Program Manager Mentor, and Research Director, 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.

President-Elect shall serve the progression of President-Elect, President, and Immediate Past-President.
Treasurer and Finance Officer may serve, at the pleasure of the Academy, more than one consecutive two-year term.

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:

A 75% vote of all members of the Executive Board.
A 51% vote of all Academy members attending the annual business meeting.

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:

Meet no less than three times during the fiscal year other than at the Annual Conference. Such meetings may be conducted via electronic media or in person and must have a simple majority to have a quorum.
Confirm the appointment of all individuals for elective office and all appointed offices.
Enter into any agreements, legal or otherwise, which are concurrent with the Mission of the Academy.
Approve all Academy grant proposals.
At no less than five-year intervals, the Executive Board will engage the Academy in a full strategic planning process to revise the strategic plan.
Create ad hoc committees as necessary.
Assign to individual Board Members the responsibility for preparing the various sections of the Academy Newsletters to ensure timely distribution of a high-quality product.

President: The President shall act as the leader and spokesperson of the Academy. The duties of the President are as follows:

Call and facilitate at least three Executive Board meetings between the Annual Conferences
Maintain regular communication with the Executive Board and the membership
Act as Ex officio member of all standing and temporary (ad hoc) committees
Act as the official spokesperson of the Academy
Act as presiding officer of the Annual Conference
Report the status of the Academy at the Annual conference
Perform duties at the discretion of the Executive Board
Review and recommend to the Executive Board any funding/grant proposals for their concurrence with the Core Values, Vision, and Mission of the Academy
Authorize emergency unbudgeted expenditures of up to $ 500 without a vote of the Executive Board by directing the treasurer to make such disbursements. These expenditures will be reported to the Executive Board at the next Board Meeting.

President-Elect: The President-Elect shall prepare for the ascension to the President. The duties of the President-Elect are as follows:

Preside at all Academy meetings in the absence of the President
Appoint the Nomination Committee and serve as its presiding officer
Collaborate with the Annual Conference Director and Program Chair on conference activities

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:

Take and disseminate the official minutes of all meetings of the Academy and/or the Executive Board
Work with the president to prepare the agenda of each Executive Board meeting
Select, with approval of the Executive Board, and purchase appropriate stationery for the Academy
Prepare the agendas and send out notices of Academy meetings in advance.

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:

Develop a budget and revenue plan for the Academy and present it for approval prior to the beginning of the fiscal year
Handle all legal and tax matters pertaining to Academy finances and incorporation
Work with the Treasurer to ensure that income and expenses comply with the annual budget
Work with the President and Immediate Past President to monitor implementation of the Strategic Plan and make provisions for updating this plan
Appoint the finance committee and serve as its presiding officer
Appoint the ad hoc Internal Audit Committee, composed of three members including the Finance Officer, to review the financial actions of the Academy and to report their findings at the Winter Meeting. This audit shall be completed before the Winter business meeting. The members of the Internal Audit Committee except for the presiding officer shall not be members of the Executive Board.

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:

Act as an authorized signer for Academy checks
Provide quarterly financial reports to the Executive Board and monthly financial reports to the Finance Officer
Collaborate with the Finance Officer to review financial portions of all Academy grant applications
Send out dues invoices and collect Academy dues. Inform the Secretary and Webmaster of those who have not paid their dues
Maintain a current database of Academy members, including attendance at Academy Conferences, and share this database with the Board
Set up and maintain all bank accounts necessary to complete Academy financial transactions
Initiate and complete the process of becoming bonded.

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:

Serve on the Annual Conference Committee, two each under the Conference Director and Program Chair, supporting the Co-chairs in their duties
Review the Constitution and Bylaws for needed changes
Serve on the Grants Committee, at the pleasure of the Grants Director
Link the Academy to useful external resources (people, money, etc.)

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

Keep track of achievements and major activities associated with the Academy
Archive photos and written reports to document events
Answer questions about Academy historical events through collection and evaluation of information from primary sources
Assist and contribute to annual conference exhibits
Collaborate with the Secretary in determining process for archiving all historical documents

Assessment Director: The Assessment Director shall be responsible for continuing to elevate the performance of the Academy. Other duties shall be:

Initiate diverse assessment activities among the Academy Board, its committees, and the membership at large.
Organize and facilitate the annual conference session and overall assessment process.
Provide assessments of assessments to increase the use and effectiveness of assessment by the Academy and its members.

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:

Produce, with the help of the webmaster and with input from the Board, a frequent Academy newsletter that will motivate Academy members to get involved.
Edit and publish products that communicate the Academy vision and processes (e.g. educational documents about Process Education).
Motivate membership involvement in a range of Academy activities and projects through newsletters, blogs, social media and other innovative ways.

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:

Select a committee to prepare for the Annual Conference
Oversee annual Conference publicity and recruit attendees
Develop a process for Conference registration
Develop and implement a Conference assessment process
Submit all invoices to the Treasurer for payment.

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:

Coordinate with the designated Board Members at Large when selecting speakers and session facilitators for the Conference
Coordinate with the designated Board Members at Large when developing a Conference Program and selecting sites for all Conference activities
Coordinate with the Academy Webmaster to produce the Conference pages on the Academy website
Coordinate with the Conference Host institution and the Executive Board in selecting the Conference theme.

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:

Select a grant standing committee including Board Members at Large
Facilitate the process of identifying grant opportunities matching Academy needs, interests, and expertise.
Direct and coordinate evaluation and monitoring of grant-funded programs.

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:

Possessing a strong general knowledge of the fields covered in the journal and be skilled in the arts of writing, editing, critical assessment, communication, negotiation, and diplomacy.
Publishing original, important, well-documented, peer-reviewed articles on a diverse range of topics of interest to the readership.
Establishing policies for
- Submission of manuscripts and criteria for authorship/contributorship
- Processes for mentoring of authors, peer review, evaluation of decisions regarding publication, and methods for reconsideration of rejected manuscripts
- Identification and selection of theme issues and supplements
- Conflict of interest and disclosure
- Handling allegations and findings of scientific misbehavior and misconduct
Communicating publication guidelines and policies (e.g., Instructions for Authors, Instructions for Reviewers, ethical guidelines, editorial board reports, Editorials).
Selecting an Editorial Board, overseeing its work, and presiding at its meetings.
Receiving, reviewing, and acting on complaints from those involved in the publication process.
Representing the editorial board in negotiations with the journal's sponsor.
Collaborating with the Academy webmaster re journal layout and printing decisions.

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:

Solicit and fulfill the information needs of the Academy Board, its committees and the members.
Produce necessary reports to communicate the gathered information to stakeholders.
Create and maintain an Academy Member's Site, ensuring dissemination of access information to Academy Members via newsletter and annual conference.

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:

To bear primary responsibility for creation, curation, and distribution of advertising and branding materials (including but not limited to conference “swag”, postcards, flyers, letterhead, and business cards)
To support the Membership Chair in his or her efforts to attract new members to join the Academy.
To support the Conference Director and Program Chair in their efforts to publicize the annual conference and attract attendees.

Membership Chair: The Membership Chair shall develop processes to increase Academy membership. In addition, the Membership Chair's other duties shall be:

Select a membership committee
Set and meet goals for attracting new members to join the Academy and retaining existing members
Coordinate Academy outreach to attendees at Process Education-oriented Professional Development events
Maintain relationships with programs offering advanced degrees in Process Education to ensure that all graduates become members of the Academy.
Collaborate with Institutional Member schools and Chapters to help them produce local Academy programs and/or professional development events.

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:

Plan and develop a mentoring program for the Academy.
Produce written resources to strengthen the mentoring processes.
Encourage other members to become self-growers by exemplifying the self-growth process.

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:

Represent the Academy at Pacific Crest institutes and other external conferences
Maintain a database of interests and list of Academy members who share those interests.
Connect prospective members with Academy members who share their interests.

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:

Select a professional development standing committee
Help meet the Strategic Plan goals and objectives for professional development
Coordinate with outside organizations which provide Process Education-oriented professional development opportunities

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:

Stay abreast of project plans, development, and implementations
Assess monthly reports on progress of projects to increase project productivity
Provide support to project managers to strengthen their project management skills

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:

Mentor Academy members who are engaged in research, especially those in the Academy Research Program.
Coordinate with the IJPE editor to ensure that Academy research papers are brought to the editor’s attention.
Create a repository of completed, ongoing, and planned research projects.

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:

Create and maintain a website for each annual PE Conference
Create and maintain a website for the International Journal of Process Education
Create and maintain the primary Academy website processeducation.org
Create online flyers, surveys, forms, databases, etc., in conjunction with the information director, as requested by the board or any duly appointed officers in support of approved projects
Maintain an Academy mailing list, ensuring that best practices are followed in contacting Academy members (i.e., following CanSpam laws)
Coordinate with the Communications Director to ensure that a web-based Academy Newsletter is created and sent to all Academy Members a minimum of twice yearly
Serve as general technology support for the Academy board (including appointed officers/positions)
Archive all websites once yearly

ARTICLE VII: BUSINESS AFFAIRS OF THE ACADEMY

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.

ARTICLE VIII: STANDING COMMITTEES

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:

The Nominations Committee: The Nominations Committee serves under the President-Elect and shall prepare a slate of candidates for election to the Executive Board at the Annual Business Meeting, making a reasonable effort to provide at least two candidates for President-Elect and Board Members At Large, and at least one candidate for the other available offices. The Nominations Committee conducts the election of the Executive Board, counts the ballots, and certifies the winners.
The Annual Conference Committee: The Annual Conference Committee serves under the Annual Conference Director and is responsible for preparing for and conducting the annual conference. Specific duties are listed in Article VI Section 5 under the duties of Annual Conference Director and Program Chair.
The Grant Committee: The Grant Committee serves under the Grants Director and shall search out grant opportunities and prepare grant applications. All grant applications must be approved by the Executive Board before being submitted.
The Membership Committee: The Membership Committee serves under the Membership Chair and is responsible for encouraging new members to join the Academy and for retaining existing members.
The Professional Development Committee: The Professional Development Committee serves under the Professional Development Director and is responsible for preparing and implementing an annual professional development program for Academy members.
The IJPE Editorial Board: The IJPE Editorial Board serves under the IJPE Editor and is responsible for advising and assisting the editor in producing a high-quality research journal for the Academy.
The Finance Committee: The Finance Committee includes the Treasurer, Finance Officer, and at least one additional member. It shall assist with preparation of the budget, and, prior to the beginning of the fiscal year, will prepare a proposed budget, which shall be presented to the Executive Board for approval. The Finance Committee will recommend to the Executive Board the disposition of net funds at the end of the fiscal year, with a percentage to remain in the available fund balance and a percentage to be placed in the Reserve Funds.

ARTICLE IX: RULES OF ORDER

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.

ARTICLE X: FISCAL YEAR

The Executive Board shall determine the fiscal year of the Academy.

ARTICLE XI: MEETINGS

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.

ARTICLE XII: AMENDMENTS

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.

ARTICLE XIII: RATIFICATION OF BYLAWS

These BYLAWS shall be ratified by a two-thirds majority vote of all Academy members attending the 2008 Annual Conference.

Last Modified December 2024