Constitution
Article I
Affiliation and Name
This association is the Arkansas Unit of the Association
of Teacher Educators; a non-profit organization-and shall
hereinafter be called the Arkansas Association of Teacher
Educators (ArATE).
Article II
Purposes
Section 1. This organization shall serve as a State Unit
of the Association of Teacher Educators and as such shall
work closely with ATE to provide opportunity for
individual professional growth for all persons concerned
with teacher education in Arkansas.
Section 2. It shall seek to promote quality programs for
teacher education.
Section 3. It shall provide a forum for ideas and
practices related to teacher education; shall keep its
members informed of new and promising developments in
teacher education; and shall assist its members to
initiate these practices.
Section 4. It shall work cooperatively with other
organizations, agencies, institutions, and individuals
desiring to study and to improve teacher education
programs and practices.
Article III
Membership
Section 1. Any person, regardless of race, color, creed,
national origin, gender, or professional position,
residing and/or employed within the State of Arkansas may
become a member of ArATE by paying the stipulated annual
dues, and shall be entitled to all privileges of the
association.
Section 2. Persons enrolled as full-time students in
undergraduate or graduate teacher education programs in
the State may become Student Members of the Association by
paying the stipulated annual dues providing that in every
case payment is accompanied by the appropriate forms
signed by a sponsoring member. Student Members shall have
the right to receive such services of the Association as
the Executive Committee shall determine.
Article IV
Officers and Duties
Section 1. The officers shall be a President,
President-elect, Vice President, Immediate Past President,
and Executive Director. The President-elect shall succeed
to the office of President and the Vice- President shall
succeed to the office of President-elect upon completion
of the term of their respective offices or upon a vacancy
in the higher office.
Section 2. All elected and appointed officers shall be
members in good standing of ArATE and Regular, Life or
Distinguished Members of the Association of Teacher
Educators.
Section 3. The President shall:
• Provide leadership for ArATE.
• Preside over all business meetings of the Association
and the Executive Committee.
• Prepare and distribute the agenda for meetings of the
Executive Committee.
• Recommend appointment of the chair and members for all
standing committees and ad hoc to the Executive Committee
for action.
• Serve as ex-officio member of all committees of the
Association.
• Call special meetings of the Executive Committee.
• Perform all other duties incident to the office of
President.
Section 4. The President-elect shall:
• Serve as delegate for the Annual conference, Association
of Teacher Educators.
• Serve as Program Committee Chair for the Association.
• Assume the duties and responsibilities of the President
when the President is absent or cannot fulfill the
assigned constitutional duties.
• Serve as a member of the Executive Committee.
• Perform other duties authorized by the Executive
Committee.
Section 5. The Vice-President shall:
• Serve as assistant chair, Program Committee.
• Assume the duties of the President-elect when necessary.
• Serve as a member of the Executive Committee.
• Perform other duties authorized by the Executive
Committee.
• Serve as chair of the Membership and Publicity
Committee.
Section 6. The Immediate Past President shall:
• Serve as a resource regarding issues and procedures with
the President and other members of the Executive
Committee.
• Serve as member of the Executive Committee.
• Perform other duties authorized by the Executive
Committee.
• Serve as chair of the Nominations Committee.
Section 7. The Executive Director shall:
• Serve as secretary and treasurer of the Association.
• Receive and keep all records of the Association.
• Print and distribute communications and materials to the
membership.
• Provide membership lists for all members of the
Association.
• Notify the national office of the Association of Teacher
Educators of the names of newly elected delegates to the
Delegate Assembly of ATE.
• Supply a report at each meeting of the Association and
the Executive Committee of the financial status of the
Association.
• Present the financial records for inspection by the
Audit Committee.
• Prepare required reports of Association activities for
both the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) and the
Southeastern Regional Association of Teacher Educators
(SRATE).
• Serve as the contact person to receive distributions
from both ATE and SRATE.
• Perform other duties authorized by the Executive
Committee.
Article V
Executive Committee
Section 1. The Executive committee shall consist of six
members plus the President, President-elect,
Vice-president, Immediate Past President, and Executive
Director shall be non-voting member.
Section 2. The six board members of the Executive
Committee will serve three-year staggered terms with each
position designated to represent one of the following
constituencies: P-12 education, higher education,
at-large.
Section 3. The members of the Executive Committee shall be
members in good standing of ArATE and Regular, Life, or
Distinguished Members of the Association of Educators.
Section 4. The Executive Committee shall:
• B e the governing body of the Association.
• Assist the President in conducting the affairs of the
Association.
• Act upon recommendations for appointments made by the
president.
• Determine budgetary policy and have the accounts of
ArATE audited prior to the Annual Spring Meetings.
• Determine a schedule of meeting dates and places for the
Executive Committee but shall meet within the week prior
to general meetings of the Association.
Section 5. A quorum shall be necessary for the transaction
of business and shall consist of five (5) voting members
of the Executive Committee. A majority vote will decide
any motion.
Section 6. The Executive Committee shall meet in special
sessions called by the President or by written request of
any five (5) members of the Executive Committee.
Section 7. Chairs of all standing committees shall be
invited to attend and participate in meetings of the
Executive Committee without vote.
Article VI
Delegates to the ATE Delegate Assembly
Section 1. The number of ArATE delegates to the Delegate
Assembly of the Association of Teacher Educators shall be
in accordance with the policies of ATE. The
President-elect shall serve as a delegate. Other delegates
will be appointed by the Executive Committee as needed.
Section 2. The delegates shall be members in good standing
of ArATE and Regular, Life or Distinguished Members of the
Association of Teacher Educators.
Section 3. The delegates shall:
• Represent the ArATE in the Delegates Assembly of the
Association of Teacher Educators.
• Present an annual report at a time designated by the
Executive Committee.
Article VII
Nominations, Elections, Terms of Office and Vacancies
Section 1. Nominations
• A slate of nominees for the offices of Vice-President
and members of the Executive Committee shall be prepared
by the Nominations Committee during the fall business
meeting. The presiding officer shall call for nominations
from the floor. The ballot shall be distributed to the
membership through email after the fall meeting. All
nominees shall be members in good standing of both the
Association of Teacher Educators and ArATE.
Section 2. Elections
• The Vice-President shall be elected annually.
• Two members of the Executive Committee shall be elected
annually for a three year term.
• Voting shall be by means of a ballot sent electronically
to all members by the Executive Director.
• The Nominations Committee shall prepare the ballots and
an annotation of each nominee's qualifications and forward
them to the Executive Director for distribution to the
members.
• To be elected, the nominees must receive a plurality
vote of the members casting ballots as certified by the
Executive Committee at the winter meeting.
Section 3. Terms of office
• The term of office shall begin on July 1st.
• The President, President-elect, and Vice-President shall
serve one year terms. Once elected as Vice President, a
person shall serve, in order, consecutive terms as
Vice-President, President-elect and President.
• Members of the Executive Board shall serve three years.
• The Executive Director shall be appointed by the
President with the consent of the Executive Board and
shall serve at the pleasure of the Executive Board. The
term of office shall be three years (may be reappointed)
with an annual review by the members of the voting
Executive Committee.
• No member of the Executive Committee shall serve in two
offices simultaneously.
Section 4. Vacancies
• Should the Presidency become vacant, President-elect
shall become President for the remainder of the term and
for the following term.
• A vacancy in the office of President-elect shall be
filled by the Vice-President.
• A vacancy in the office of Vice-President shall be
filled at the earliest possible time by a plurality vote
of the membership voting by electronic ballot from among
the nominees recommended by the Executive Committee.
• A vacancy in the office of Executive Director shall be
filled by appointment of the President upon approval by
the Executive Committee.
• Should a position on the Executive Committee become
vacant, it shall be filled by appointment of the President
with the approval of the Executive Committee.
Article VIII
Committees
Section 1. Standing Committees
There shall be Program Committee, a Membership and
Publicity Committee, a Nominations Committee, and Audit
committee, and an Awards Committee.
Members shall be appointed for a term of one year. They
may be re-appointed.
Section 2. Ad Hoc Committees
Ad Hoc Committees may be created and dissolved by the
Executive Committee upon recommendation of the President.
Section 3. Each committee shall submit an annual report to
the Executive Committee no later than the first day of
June.
Section 4. The President shall be an ex-officio member of
all committees of the Association.
Section 5. Duties and Responsibilities of the Committee:
• Program Committee shall plan the annual meeting of the
Association. The President-Elect shall serve as chair and
the Vice-President as assistant chair.
• Membership and Publicity Committee shall recruit members
form among those eligible for membership, promote the
Association i n the mass media of the state, and keep the
general public informed of the activities, programs, and
meetings of the Association.
• Nominations Committee shall prepare a slate of nominees,
annotations of candidates' qualifications, and ballots. It
shall submit this information to the Executive Director by
the fall meeting.
• Audit Committee shall conduct an inspection of the
financial records of the Association and submit this
report to the President electronically after the spring
meeting.
• Awards Committee shall be responsible for selecting
recipients for all competitive awards distributed by the
Association. The Committee may also recommend to the
Executive Committee that additional awards or honors be
approved.
Article IX
Dues and Fees
Section 1. The dues for Regular and student Members of the
Association shall be set by The Executive Committee.
Section 2. All persons attending Annual Meetings and other
conferences, workshops, and meetings of the Association
may be charged registration fees. These fees shall be
determined by the Executive Committee.
Article X
Meetings
Section 1. There shall be at least two general business
meetings of the Association annually, one in the Fall and
one in the Spring. The time and place of the meetings
shall be determined by the Executive Committee.
Section 2. Regular meetings of the Executive Committee
shall be determined by the Executive Committee.
Section 3. Special meetings of the Association may be
called by the Executive Committee.
Section 4. All business meetings shall be conducted
according to the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order
provided that such rules do not conflict with any part of
this Constitution. The President shall appoint a
Parliamentarian for all business meetings.
Article XI
Local Units
Section 1. A local unit of the Association may be
authorized by the Executive Committee.
Section 2. An application for Local Unit authorization
must be presented to the Executive Committee and, as a
minimum, includes a copy of a proposed constitution
modeled after the ArATE constitution, and a statement of
financial solvency.
Section 3. All local units shall have completed autonomy
in all matters that do not conflict with the Constitutions
and Bylaws of the Association of Teacher Educators of the
Constitution of ArATE.
Article XII
Participation with Other Organizations
Section 1. This Association shall participate in the
activities of the Association of Teacher Educators and the
Southeastern Regional Association of Teacher Educators. As
a State unit of ATE, this Association shall promote and
urge membership in ATE and SRATE.
Section 2. This Association shall participate in the
activities of such educational organizations as shall be
approved by the Executive Committee.
Article XIII
Fiscal and Membership Years
Section 1. The fiscal year shall extend from July 1
through June 30 of the following year.
Section 2. The period of membership of each person who
joins the Association and pays the stipulated annual dues
shall extend from fall conference of the current year to
the fall conference of the following year.
Article XIV
Amendments
This constitution may be amended by a majority vote of the
members voting at a regularly scheduled business meeting
or through an electronic vote provided that a copy of the
proposed amendment had been sent to all members at least
three weeks prior to the date of the vote or meeting.
Article XV
Assets on Liquidation
No part of the net income, revenue, and grants of the
Association shall inure to the benefit of any member,
officer or private individual (except the reasonable
compensation may be paid for services rendered in
connection with one or more of its purposes), and no
members officer, or any private individual shall be
entitled to share in the distribution of any part of the
assets of the Association, on its dissolution or
liquidation. In the event such dissolution or liquidation,
the assets of the Association, after payment of debts and
obligations, shall be transferred to the Association of
Teacher Educators Leadership Fund for Teacher Education.
(Revised: August, 2005)
Revised: September, 2005
Revised: March, 2006