CAEC bylaws

ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Charlotte Area Educational Consortium, hereafter referred to as the Consortium.

ARTICLE II: MISSION [top]
Charlotte Area Educational Consortium fosters the highest standard of collegiate, university, and professional education for the region. To fulfill this mission, the members of the Consortium support (1) engendering a spirit of willing cooperation, respecting always the autonomy of each institution; (2) removing barriers to cooperation that may exist among the institutions; (3) developing programs to ensure the most effective use of resources available among the institutions; and (4) promoting the Consortium as a resource for the region.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP [top]
Section 1
Membership in the Consortium shall consist of two categories: regular membership and associate membership. Member institutions remain in good standing by paying annual dues, attending meetings of the Board of Directors and the Council, following all policies of the Consortium, and appropriately participating in the programs of the Consortium.

Section 2
Regular membership in the Consortium shall be open to any non-profit college, university, or professional school based in the Charlotte Metropolitan region: Anson, Alexander, Burke, Cabarrus, Catawba, Chester (SC), Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lancaster (SC), Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly, Union, and York (SC) Counties or within 50 miles of Charlotte. To qualify for regular membership, an institution must be accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and its main or primary campus and governing/advisory board must be located in the region defined above. The annual dues for membership shall be set by the Board of Directors at its annual meeting.

Section 3
Associate membership in the Consortium may be granted by the Board of Directors to non-profit colleges, universities, or professional schools which enjoy regional accreditation and offer degree programs in the region defined in Section 2 above. Associate membership may be extended to non-profit or corporate non-educational institutions who share the mission and goals of the Consortium. Associate members may be represented on the board of directors and the Council as non-voting members. Faculty and students at associate member institutions may be invited by the Council to participate in selected Consortium programs. The annual dues for membership shall be set by the Board of Directors at its annual meeting.

Section 4
The Board of Directors of the Consortium may grant regular membership status to any associate member institution who has been a member in good standing for three (3) consecutive years.

ARTICLE IV: BOARD OF DIRECTORS [top]
Section 1
The powers of the Consortium shall be vested in the Board of Directors consisting of the chief administrative officers of institutions which meet the criteria for regular membership and have accepted the obligations and responsibilities of regular membership. The Board of Directors shall be the governing body of the Consortium and shall have the authority to conduct, manage, and control the affairs of the Consortium.

Section 2
The voting members of the Board of Directors shall consist of the chief administrative officers of the regular member institutions. A voting member who is unable to attend a meeting of the Board of Directors may designate an alternate who shall attend in his/her place and shall be given full voting privileges. Voting representatives of one-half of the regular member institutions shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

Section 3
Duties of the Board of Directors shall include:

  1. To give general direction to the operation of the Consortium.
  2. To establish programs and policies for the work of the Consortium.
  3. To secure funds to finance the work of the Consortium, approve the annual budget, and oversee the stewardship thereof.
  4. To accept and review recommendations for membership from the Chair.
  5. To approve regular and associate members.
  6. To set membership fees.
  7. To empower the Council with the operating responsibility of the Consortium between meetings of the Board.

Section 4
The Board of Directors shall elect a President and such other officers as they deem necessary. Their terms of office shall be one year and they may succeed themselves indefinitely.

Section 5
The President of the Board of Directors shall convene a spring meeting with the Chair of the Council and other members of the Executive Committee of the Council to review the work of the Consortium for the preceding year and to act on proposals for the work of the Consortium in the year ahead. In addition to the annual meeting specified in Section 6, the President of the Board may convene other meetings as deemed appropriate.

Section 6
The President of the Board of Directors shall convene an annual meeting of the Board of Directors and the full Council to review the work of the Consortium for the proceeding year, review plans for the coming year, approve the annual budget for the Consortium, approve new members, and elect a new President of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE V: THE COUNCIL [top]
Section 1
There shall be a Council and an Executive Committee of the Council.

Section 2
The Council of the Consortium shall be composed of at least one but not more than two official representatives from regular member institutions and such ex-officio representatives as may be authorized by the Executive Committee. A member who is unable to attend a meeting of the Council may designate an alternate who shall attend in his/her place and shall be given full voting privileges. Associate members shall be invited to name no more than two non-voting representatives to the Council.

Section 3
The Officers of the Council shall be a Chair, a Vice Chair, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. These officers will serve concurrently as officers of the Executive Committee.

Section 4
The Executive Committee of the Council, in addition to its four officers provided by Section 3 above, shall include two other at-large members and such ex-officio representatives as may be authorized by the Executive Committee (e.g. immediate past chair). The two at-large members will represent the registrar committee and the library directors committee.

Section 5
The terms of office for the officers and other members of the Executive Committee of the Council shall be: Chair and Treasurer shall serve two years and shall not be eligible for re-election to the same office; Vice Chair, Secretary, and at-large members of the Executive Committee shall serve one-year terms and may be re-elected to the same office once; such ex-officio representatives as may have been authorized by the Executive Committee shall serve one-year terms and may be re-elected indefinitely. New officers will officially assume their duties on the July first in the calendar year of their election. Should the Chair be unable to complete the term of office, the Vice Chair automatically becomes Chair for the unexpired term. Should any officer or member of the Executive Committee, other than the Chair, be unable to complete the term of office, the vacant position will be appointed by the remaining members of the Executive Committee and the Council will be notified at the next meeting.

Section 6
A nominating committee shall be named by the Chair to present a slate of officer nominees for the following year.

Section 7
Election of officers shall be held at the spring meeting of the Council and shall be by majority of the institutions present and voting.

Section 8
Duties of the Council shall include:

  1. To operate the Consortium between meetings of the Board.
  2. To develop and implement plans within the policies set by the Board.
  3. To develop and manage a Board-approved budget.
  4. To advise the Board of Directors of new Council officers at annual meeting.
  5. To prepare, through the Executive Committee, an annual report and plan for presentation to the Board at its annual meeting.

Section 9
Three regular meetings of the Council normally will be held each year. The meetings shall be open and any institutional member may attend. Additional meetings may be called by the Executive Committee of the Council at its own discretion or upon the written request of five members of the Council.

Section 10
Official representatives of regular member institutions or their substitutes at the meeting of the Council may vote. Other institutional members or representatives of associate member institutions present at the meetings have the privilege of voice but not vote. There shall be one vote per regular member institution.

Section 11
The Council of the Consortium shall appoint such ad hoc committees as it may consider desirable to conduct special studies and/or make special reports to the Council. Standing committees of the Council may also be established as the need arises and disbanded when the need no longer exists. The Council will support and encourage regular meetings of discipline groups (faculty) and administrative groups from the member institutions.

Section 12
Voting representatives of one-half of the regular member institutions shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. If a quorum is not present at any meeting, a majority of those present may adjourn the meeting but take no other official actions.

Adopted: December 7, 1972
Amended: November 16, 1978; November 8, 1979; October 25, 1984; April 11, 1991; April 11, 1996; April 29, 2003, December 16, 2008.