Constitution

Constitution & Bylaws

(Effective June 1978, Amended June 1986, 1989, 1990, 2000, 2003, 2012, 2023)

ARTICLE I. NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Association Supporting Computer Users in Education (ASCUE), Inc. It shall be known and marketed as ASCUE or ASCUE, Inc.

ARTICLE II. MISSION & PURPOSE

Section 1. Mission
Our mission is to provide opportunities for resource-sharing, networking, and collaboration within an environment that fosters creativity and innovation in the use of technology within higher education.

Section 2. Purpose
The purposes of this association shall be:

• To provide a forum for the exchange of educational methodologies and administrative processes.
• To provide an international association for educational users of computers.
• To exchange information with manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers with a view to establishing and maintaining proper technical standards, and in meeting new needs for special devices and systems.
• To facilitate, within the membership, information sharing on current technology, assistance in solving institution specific problems, and collaboration in the utilization of technology.
• To encourage and assist in effective management practices of computer facilities for educational institutions.
• To encourage uses of technology, when appropriate, for the improvement of teaching and learning.

Additionally, the purposes of the corporation shall be exclusively charitable and educational within the meaning of Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue law).

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Classes of Memberships
Membership charges for the upcoming year shall be determined by the Board of Directors and posted on the ASCUE website by January 1.

Categories of membership include:

• Regular membership: Employed by an accredited college or university
• Emeritus membership: Retired from an educational institution and maintained a regular membership in ASCUE at least one year before retirement
• Corporate membership: Employed by a non-educational institution
• Student membership: Currently enrolled for credit in an educational institution (including K – 12) but not employed full time
• Associate membership: Associational partners that support and promote ASCUE membership and initiatives. Does not fit in any of the above classes.

Regular, Emeritus, and Corporate members have voting privileges. Student and Associate members do not.

Section 2. Payment of Annual Membership Fee

The annual membership fee shall be payable on or before the date of the annual conference, and shall be made payable to ASCUE and submitted to the treasurer. The treasurer shall report membership fees paid within 15 days.

Members who have not paid their membership fee within 90 days of the billing date shall automatically cease to be members.

Any member may resign at any time, but such resignation shall not become effective until submitted in writing and accepted by the Governing Board. Those submitting resignations shall not be entitled to rebates of membership fees paid.  

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
Section 1. Officers
The officers of this association shall be a president, program chair, secretary and treasurer. 

• The president shall hold office during the term of two years, and thereafter shall assume the position of immediate past president for a 1 year. The immediate past president is not an elected position.  
• The program chair is elected annually and may run for a second term.
• The secretary and treasurer are elected in alternating years and serve a term of two years.

All elections shall be by a simple majority of the members present at the annual business meeting. Board members elect will begin attending board meetings immediately following election, and shall assume office at the conclusion of the annual conference. The president, president-elect, secretary, and treasurer must hold regular ASCUE membership. 

Section 2. Governing Board

The Governing Board shall consist of all the officers enumerated in Section 1 above plus eight directors. The eight directors are the immediate past president, member engagement director public relations director, conference equipment coordinator, two board members at large, web coordinator, and sponsor relations coordinator. 

• The member engagement director, public relations director, conference equipment coordinator, web coordinator, and sponsor relations coordinator shall be appointed by the Governing Board each year.
• The member engagement director is elected biyearly and shall serve for two years.
• The board members at large shall serve for two years with one elected each year by a simple majority of the members present at the annual business meeting.

Any board member may resign at any time, but such resignation shall not become effective until submitted in writing and accepted by the Governing Board. In circumstances where formal resignation is not submitted to the Board, The Governing Board shall fill any vacancies on the board which may occur between the annual meetings. 

In the unusual event of no annual business meeting, the current Governing Board shall continue to serve.

Duties of the Eight Directors include, but are not limited to:

Section 3. Duties of the Immediate Past President

• The immediate past president shall counsel and serve in an advisory capacity to the president.
• The immediate past president shall meet regularly with the board for the purpose of reviewing ASCUE’s operations and procedures and recommending to the president any change considered desirable for the more efficient operation of ASCUE.
• As a director, this person will have a vote at Governing Board meetings.

Section 4. Duties of the President

• The president shall be the chief executive officer of the association. This person shall preside at all meetings of the association and its Governing Board and shall call such meetings as are deemed necessary.
• The president shall exercise general supervision over the activities and welfare of ASCUE and keep in touch with the other officers relative to matters of policy.
• It shall be the president’s responsibility to coordinate the activities of all committees.
• The president is an ex-officio member of all committees.
• The president is a voting member of the Governing Board.
• The president coordinates the local arrangements for the annual conference.

Section 5. Duties of the Program Chair

• The program chair shall, in the absence of, or during the incapacity of the president as determined by the Governing Board, perform all duties and assume all responsibilities of the president until the Board shall revoke such authority.
• The program chair shall arrange for the presentation of a program consisting of professional papers, panel discussion, demonstrations, and other material of professional interest to the membership at the annual conference. This person shall select a committee to assist in this work.
• The program chair shall collaborate with the president to coordinate local arrangements for the annual conference as assigned [which shall include arrangements for ASCUE social events, transportation, annual conference gifts/awards, conference workshops.]
• The program chair shall periodically publish in the newsletter items in relation to the annual conference.

Section 6. Duties of the Board Members at Large

• The two board members at large shall serve on at least one standing committee.
• The two board members shall serve as liaison between ASCUE membership and the Governing Board.
• The board members at large shall facilitate taskforces or other duties as assigned by the president.
• The two board members at large shall attend all board meetings.
• The two board members at large are elected in alternating years and serve a period of two years.

Section 7. Duties of the Secretary

• The secretary shall keep a record of the meeting of the Governing Board and the association and see that actions of the association requiring communication with members, other individuals, or groups are promptly carried out in keeping with the desires of the association.
• The secretary shall receive the report of the Nominating Committee and see that it is presented at the annual business meeting.
• The secretary shall handle the distribution of the proceedings of the annual conference.
• The secretary shall send notice of the annual business meeting to each member of the association at least thirty days in advance of the meeting.

Section 8. Duties of the Treasurer

• The treasurer will establish procedures for the depositing of funds and the maintenance of ASCUE’s properties.
• The treasurer, upon receipt of authorized invoices, shall render payment for bills and encumbrances of ASCUE.
• The treasurer shall maintain a record of all transactions and report as requested to the officers and board and annually to the association at the annual business meeting.
• The treasurer shall make the ASCUE financial records available for audit to an audit committee prior to or during the annual business meeting.
• The treasurer will be a bonded representative of the organization.

Section 9. Duties of the Member Engagement Director

• The member engagement director shall chair the Member Engagement Committee and determines and implements proactive strategies for membership recruitment, retention, and progression across all membership levels.
• The member engagement director shall be responsible for the maintenance of all archival records relevant to the activities of the association.
• The member engagement director shall periodically publish in the newsletter items of general interest to the ASCUE membership.
• The member engagement director, in cooperation with the Program Chair and Public Relations Director, and Web Coordinator, advises on overall digital strategy and membership experience across all platforms, including website redesigns, mobile application development, and social media.

Section 10. Duties of the Public Relations Director

• The public relations director is responsible for the publication of a periodic newsletter to be issued as frequently as the membership and Governing Board deem it desirable and appropriate, subject to the availability of sufficient material to publish it.
• The public relations director is responsible for publicity concerning the annual conference, working in collaboration with the Membership Engagement Director.
• The public relations director is responsible for editing and printing the annual conference proceedings.

Section 11. Duties of the Conference Equipment Coordinator

• The conference equipment coordinator shall coordinate equipment needs for presenters at the annual conference.
• The conference equipment coordinator shall coordinate with vendors, the host site, and educational institutions to provide the needed equipment.

Section 12. Duties of the Web Coordinator

• The Web Coordinator shall be responsible for publishing and maintaining an ASCUE organization web site with accurate, current contents.
• The Web Coordinator shall be responsible, in cooperation with the Program Chair and Public Relations Director, and Membership Engagement Director, to publish and maintain each conference web site.
• The Web Coordinator shall cooperate with the Public Relations Director to publish the periodic newsletter on the web site.

Section 13. Duties of the Sponsor Relations Coordinator

• The Sponsor Relations Coordinator shall serve as a static point of contact for sponsors and a liaison between sponsors and the Governing Board.
• The Sponsor Relations Coordinator shall be responsible for soliciting, securing & billing sponsors for the annual conference.
• The Sponsor Relations Coordinator shall cooperate with the Program Chair concerning sponsor presentations at the annual conference.

Section 14. Compensation and Reimbursement of Officers

• Officers and board members of the association shall receive no compensation. It shall be proper for a unit carrying out a contractual relationship with the association to receive payment as reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs to an individual who is a member of the board and/or officer of the association as long as such payment does not represent additional compensation to the officer or the board member. Reasonable expenses will be paid for board members attending required meetings.

ARTICLE V. MEETINGS
Section 1. Regular Meetings
Regular meetings of the association shall be held at such times and places as may be designated by the Governing 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 association shall be held no later than July 30 of each year. The secretary shall send notice of the annual business meeting to each member of the association at least thirty days in advance of the meeting. The fiscal year shall extend from June 1 to May 31.

Section 3. Special Meetings
Special meetings may be held at any time upon authorization of the Governing Board, or by the written request of 25% of the voting membership, notice of which shall be sent to the members of the association by the secretary at least thirty days in advance of the meeting.

Section 4. Governing Board Meetings
The Governing Board will normally have a meeting prior to the annual business meeting. In addition, they will hold at least one additional meeting each year. This meeting may be in-person or online.

Section 5. Quorum
One-third of the voting members of the association who are registered and attending the annual conference shall constitute a quorum at any regular or special meeting. Two-thirds of the Governing Board shall constitute a quorum for board meetings. In order to pass a motion before the board, a simple majority vote is required, provided the quorum is constituted.

Section 6. Procedural Guidelines
Robert’s Rules of Order (revised) shall govern at all business meetings and board meetings where they are not inconsistent with these by-laws.

ARTICLE VI. COMMITTEES
Section 1. Standing Committees

• Member Engagement Committee (MEC): Chaired by the Membership Engagement Director, the MEC provides strategic direction on overall membership policies, recruitment, and retention strategies, as well as advises ASCUE on the optimal member experience as it relates to communications and digital strategies. MEC shall consist of a minimum of three members and shall hold at least 4 meetings a year.
• Nominating Committee: Evaluates the characteristics and performance of board members roles and responsibilities and are responsible for selecting/reviewing candidate nominations that are best for each seat on the ASCUE Board.  In addition, the Committee will hold at least one meeting a year.   
• Finance and Auditing Committee: Chaired by the treasurer, provides financial analysis, and reporting of ASCUE annual budget and related internal controls. In addition, the Committee will hold at least one meeting a year.   

Section 2. Other Committees

• With the approval of the board, the president shall provide for implementation of additional programs through the appointment of committees and designation of their chairs. These committees will carry out regular functions such as publications, public relations, and others.
• Ad hoc committees can be created by the president with the approval of the Governing Board to meet special needs of the association.

Section 3. Committee Status and Operation

• Committee chairs shall report at the annual meeting and upon request by the president and Governing Board.
• They shall recommend to the Governing Board actions deemed necessary and appropriate in their area of responsibility for the successful operation of the association.
• Terms of office, size and operational requirements of standing and special committees will be established by the Governing Board.

ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Amendments to the Constitution and By-laws

• Amendments to this document may be made at the annual meeting, or at the regular or special meeting of the association by two-thirds vote of the members present, provided a quorum is in attendance.
• Any voting member may propose an amendment to these by-laws by submitting it in writing to the Governing Board no less than 30 days before the Annual Business Meeting. At the Annual Business Meeting, the Governing Board will make a recommendation for adoption or rejection to be voted on by the membership.

ASCUE Constitution — Revised 6/14/2023