BYLAWS OF THE PACIFIC SOUTHWEST SECTION
(PSW)
American Society for
Engineering Education (ASEE)
Revised 1985
Revised
Revised
Revised
I. NAME
1.1. The name of this organization
shall be The Pacific Southwest Section (PSW) of the American Society for
Engineering Education (ASEE), hereinafter referred to as the Section.
II. OBJECTIVES
2.1. The purpose of the
Section shall be the promotion of the aims and objectives of the ASEE as stated
in the ASEE Constitution and Bylaws. The
Section shall concern itself with all ASEE affairs taking place within the area
prescribed by ASEE as the Pacific Southwest Section. Among the objectives are the promotion of the
highest ideals in the conduct of engineering education, with respect to
administration, curriculum, and teaching, and maintenance of the highest
professional standards among its members.
III. MEMBERSHIP
3.1. Membership in the
Section shall consist of all members of ASEE who reside or are employed in the
states of Arizona, Nevada, California, and Hawaii.
IV. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
4.1. The elected officers of
the Section shall consist of a Chair, Chair-Elect, Vice-chair for Faculty
Awards, Vice-Chair for Student Awards, Vice-Chair for New Faculty, Vice-Chair
for Membership, Vice-Chair for Community Colleges, Executive Secretary,
Treasurer, Webmaster, three Relations with Industry (RWI) Representatives, and
seven Directors.
4.2. The Chair-Elect shall be
elected annually and serve as Chair the second year in office.
4.3. The Vice-Chair for
Faculty Awards, Vice-Chair for Membership, Treasurer, Editor, two RWI
Representatives, Webmaster and three Directors shall be elected for terms of
two years starting in the even numbered years.
4.4. The Vice-Chair for
Student Awards, Vice-Chair for New Faculty, Vice-Chair for Community Colleges,
Executive Secretary, one RWI Representative, and three Directors shall be
elected for terms of two years starting the odd-numbered years.
4.5. By January 1 of each
year, the Chair shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of the
Immediate Past Chair, another Past Chair, and one member in good standing. This Committee shall nominate one or more members
of the Section for each vacancy to be filled.
These nominations must be presented to the Executive Secretary by March
15.
4.6. Additional nominations
may be made by petition of at least two members. Nominations proposed by the membership must
be accompanied by a statement from the nominees indicating a willingness to
serve. Petitions and statements must be
presented to the Executive Secretary by March 15.
4.7. A ballot listing all
eligible candidates shall be distributed to all eligible Section members on the
ASEE-PSW web page, electronically mailed and/or mailed to Section members by
May 1 of each year. Election shall be
determined by a simple majority of those votes postmarked or received by email,
one per member, on or before June 1.
4.8. The terms of newly
elected officers shall begin July 1.
4.9. Vacancy in the office of
the Chair shall be filled by the Chair Elect.
The Chair, with the approval of the Executive Board, shall appoint
members to fill vacancies which occur on the Executive Board until the next
regular election.
V. MEETINGS
5.1. The Section shall hold
an Annual Meeting. At this meeting there
may be a Business Session for the transaction of business of the Section.
5.2. The locations of Annual
Meetings shall be approved by the Executive Board at the Board meeting normally
one year or more in advance.
5.3. Additional meetings may
be scheduled by action of the Executive Board.
5.4. The Section Members in
attendance at any Section meeting shall constitute a quorum.
VI. EXECUTIVE BOARD
6.1. The officers listed in Section
4.1 and the immediate Past-Chair shall constitute the Executive Board. The
Vice-Chair for Meetings shall be appointed annually for a term of one year.
This individual will be the person who served as the Program Chair of the
Annual Meeting of the section in the year immediately preceding the term for
which the individual is appointed as Vice-Chair for Meetings. The Vice-Chair
for Meetings and the Program Chair of the Annual Meeting will be ex- officio
members of the Executive Board.
6.2. The Executive Board
shall be the overall governing and policy-making body for the Section.
6.3. The Chair, Chair-Elect
and Executive Secretary shall serve as Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary of the
Executive Board.
6.4. Fifty percent of the Executive
Board shall constitute a quorum. A
maximum of two votes may be made by proxies assigned to a Board member, in
writing, prior to a given Board meeting.
In any case, only Board members are allowed to vote.
6.5. The Executive Board
shall meet at least twice per year, including once during the Annual meeting.
6.6. Executive Board Advisory
Council shall consist of all Past Chairs of the Pacific Southwest Section and
will be ex-officio members of the Executive Board without voting privileges.
6.7. Board members unable to
attend a Board meeting may assign their proxies to an elected Board
member. These proxies may be used to
help constitute a quorum and to vote on matters that appear before the Board. A proxy must be assigned in writing.
VII. COMMITTEES AND REPRESENTATIVES
7.1. The Chair, with the
advice of the Executive Board, shall appoint such committees and
representatives as are deemed necessary.
VIII. CHAPTERS
8.1. Local chapters of ASEE
members at one or more institutions within the same metropolitan, industrial,
or commuting area may be established by recommendation of the Section to the
Council of Sections, Zone IV.
IX. FINANCES
9.1. The Fiscal Year for the
Section shall be July 1 through June 30.
9.2. At the last Executive
Board meeting of each fiscal year the members of the Executive Board shall
approve an operating budget for the following fiscal year.
9.3. The Executive board is
authorized to solicit voluntary contributions as required.
9.4. At the end of each
treasurer’s term of office, there shall be an audit of the financial records of
the Section.
DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
10.1. The Chair shall:
provide general leadership to the Section; preside at the Business Session of the
Annual Meeting and at all meetings of the Executive Board; with the Executive
Secretary, certify to the resolutions passed at the Annual Meeting and at the
meetings of the Executive Board; be an ex-officio member of all committees of
the Section; submit a report of Section activities at the Annual Business
Meeting of the Section and be a member of the Executive Board of the Council of
Sections, Zone IV.
10.2. The Chair-Elect shall:
perform the duties of the Chair in his or her absence; fill the role of Section
Campus Representative and coordinate the activities of ASEE Campus
Representatives within the Section; with the help of the treasurer, prepare an
annual operating budget for approval by the Executive Board, perform such
duties as delegated by the Chair; submit a written report to the Chair by May 1
describing the previous year’s accomplishments; and be a member of the
Executive Board of the Council of Sections, Zone IV.
10.3. The Vice-Chair for
Meetings shall be responsible for all meetings of the membership of the section
with the approval of the Executive Board. The Vice-Chair for Meetings shall
provide assistance and guidance throughout the year to the Annual Program
Chair, who hosts the Annual Meeting during that year. With the approval of the Executive
Board, the Vice- Chair for Meetings will arrange the next Annual Meeting
(defined as the meeting following the individual’s term of office). These
arrangements include determination of location, help in solicitation of
sponsorship, and the recruitment of an Annual Program Chair. The Vice-Chair for
Meetings shall also, as part of his/her responsibilities, submit a written
report to the Section Chair by May 1 describing the previous year s
accomplishments and perform such duties as delegated by the Section Chair.
10.4. The Vice-Chair for
Faculty Award shall: direct the faculty award and recognition activities of the
Section; appoint an Awards committees to assist in the selection of the
recipients of awards and recognition’s; perform such duties a delegated by the
chair; submit a written report to the Chair by May 1 describing the previous
year’s accomplishments.
10.5. The Vice Chair for
Student Awards shall: administer the Student Engineering Design Award
Competition; be responsible for raising the funds to underwrite the student
awards; perform such duties as delegated by the Chair; and submit a written
report by May 1 describing the previous year’s accomplishments.
10.6. The Vice-Chair for
Community Colleges shall: be in general charge of all liaison and promotion of
ASEE activities between the Section and the Community Colleges; assist the
Vice-Chair for Faculty Awards in Selection of the outstanding Community College
Faculty Award; perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Chair; submit
a written report to the Chair by May 1 describing the previous year’s
accomplishments.
10.7. The Vice-Chair for
Membership shall: plan and direct the recruitment of members for the Section;
in cooperation with the Executive Secretary maintain the Section Membership
files, mailing addresses, record of Section Fees paid, and such other
information that will aid in achieving membership objectives; submit a written
report to the chair by May 1 describing the previous year’s accomplishments.
10.8. The Vice-Chair for New
Faculty shall: contact individuals recently appointed to faculty positions with
the objective of informing them of opportunities in ASEE membership; promote
membership in ASEE through the Dean’s sponsorship program; perform such duties
as delegated by the chair; and submit a written report to the Chair by May 1
describing the previous year’s accomplishments.
10.9. The Webmaster for the
section shall: contact individuals recently appointed to Executive Board for
information to be posted on the ASEE-PSW website and via electronic mail. The Webmaster is responsible for the
operation and maintenance of the website and electronic mail list with input
from the Executive Board Members.
10.10. The Executive
Secretary shall: notify members of the time and place of all meetings; record
and maintain files of the minutes of all meetings of the section and Executive
boar; mail copies of the minutes to all members of the Executive Board, the
Chair of the Council of Sections, Zone IV, and ASEE headquarters; serve as
historian of the section and maintain files of the correspondence, reports and
other material of importance in a suitable depository as determined by the
Executive Board; with the Chair, certify to the resolutions passed at the
annual meeting and at meetings of the Executive Board; immediately after each
election report the names and terms of all officers of the Section to the Chair
of the Council of Sections, Zone IV, and ASEE headquarters; perform such duties
and delegated by the Chair; and submit a written report by May 1 of the
previous year’s accomplishments.
10.11. The Treasurer shall:
be the financial agent of the Section; deposit all money received on behalf of
the Section in a bank or banks approved by the Executive Board; maintain
financial records for the Section; submit a financial statement at the Annual
meeting and as requested by the Executive Board; assist the Chair-Elect to
prepare an annual operating budget for approval by the Executive Board, perform
such duties as delegated by the Chair; and submit a written report to the Chair
by May 1 describing the previous year’s accomplishments.
10.12. The RWI representative
shall: promote and coordinate relationships between industrial and governmental
engineering organizations and the engineering educational institutions in the
Section as appropriate to the objectives of the Section, one of which shall be
the coordination of the faculty workshops in his/her area; perform such duties
as delegated by the chair; submit a written report to the Chair by May 1
describing the previous year’s accomplishments.
10.13. The Directors shall;
serve as members at large on the Executive Board to represent the various
constituencies within the membership of the Section and perform such duties as
designated by the Chair. Seven Director
positions are available.
10.14. Members of the
Executive Board Advisory Council shall consist of all Past Chairs of the
Pacific Southwest Section. In this capacity, they will be ex-officio Executive
Board members without voting privileges and are to serve the Executive Board in
an advisory role only. They will be copied on all Executive Board
correspondence in order to keep them informed and allow them to participate in
any discussion. They will be invited to all Executive Board meetings. Their
attendance does not help constitute a quorum. They may serve in some other
office of the Executive Board with the accompanying responsibilities and
duties.
XI. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
11.1. Meetings shall be conducted
in a manner consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of ASEE and the Bylaws
of the Section. For matters not covered
by these documents, Robert’s Rules of Order shall be consulted.
11.2. Actions taken by the
Section shall be valid unless challenged by the (National) ASEE Board of
Directors or by a petition signed by at least ten percent of the members of the
Section. The validity of challenged
actions shall be determined by negotiations between representatives of opposing
views. In cases where negotiations fail
to provide agreement, the (National) Board of Directors shall be the final
authority.
XII. AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS
12.1. Proposed amendments to
these bylaws may be submitted to the members of the Section by a majority vote
of the Executive Board, or by a petition to the Executive Board of at least ten
members of the Section.
12.2. Bylaws may be amended
by the favorable vote from at least two-thirds of the members who attend and
vote at any Annual Meeting.
12.3. Amendments to be
presented for action at an annual meeting shall be published in the newsletter
of the Section via ASEE-PSW website, electronic-mail and/or mailed to members
of the Section at least thirty days before the Annual Meetings.
12.4. Bylaws may also be
amended by a mail ballot, ASEE-PSW website ballot or electronic-mail ballot to
all members of the Section. Amendment
shall be approved if ballots via mail, ASEE-PSW Website, or electronic-mail
from at least ten percent of the members of the Section are returned within thirty
days and if at least two-thirds of the votes are favorable.