Article I. Name

The name of the organization shall be the Alliance for Excellence in Online Education (referred to as the Alliance)

Article II. Purpose

Mission: The Alliance for Exellence in OnlineĀ EducationĀ is a coalition of members from educational institutions, vendors and corporate partners dedicated to advancing the quality of online pedagogy by continuously upgrading online educational experiences for faculty, staff and students. Our focus is on continuously upgrading the online education experience for post-secondary faculty, administrators, student services personnel and ultimately the student. We believe this endeavor will serve as a developmental resource for its participants. By sharing our individual experiences and seeking out best practices from national experts in this rapidly advancing, technology driven, medium of educating; we will advance the quality of online pedagogy locally and regionally.

Vision: Members of the Alliance believe this endeavor will serve as a developmental resource for all participants. The standard of excellence represented by our online business education model can be translated into other post-secondary disciplines. By sharing our individual experiences and seeking out best practices from recognized experts in this dynamic medium of educating, we will succeed in advancing the experience for all constituents of online education. Ultimately, the Alliance members hope to expand membership to a national and international level.

Article III. Membership

Section 1 – Eligibility

A. Full Membership in the Alliance is open to all administrators, faculty and student services personnel of community colleges and other post-secondary institutions dedicated to enhancing the quality of online education..

B. Associate Membership will be granted to other accredited post-secondary educational institutions and corporate friends dedicated to enhancing the quality of post-secondary online education.

C. Individual memberships are not available at this time.

Section 2 – Good standing

A. To qualify as an active Full or Associate Member, annual dues of $250.00 must be paid in full. Dues will be voted upon by the steering committee annually, and the treasurer will collect and account for the dues collected.

B. Each Full Member Institution can designate a representative and an alternate to attend the monthly Alliance steering committee meetings. Ideally, this person will be involved in the online education programs of their institution; this representative will act as the liaison between their institution and the Alliance by sharing information and advancements of the Alliance as well as concerns of the constituents of their institution.

C. Associate Members are invited to attend steering committee meetings and vote on policy issues only. Note: Elected Officer positions are reserved for Full Member representatives.

Article IV. Governance

Section 1 – Officers

The officers of this organization shall constitute the “Executive Council,” with each officer having one vote. In order to ensure an equitable distribution of power, only one elected officer per member institution will be allowed. See section D. for additional details.

A. Titles and duties of each officer

1. There shall be a President/Chairperson who will preside at all meetings, appoints necessary committees, and calls special meetings of the steering committee as a whole or the officers.

2. There shall be a Vice President who will be responsible to prepare the steering committee rules to be approved by the officers upon inception of the Alliance and reviewed for possible updates each year. She/he also will assist the President and preside at all meetings in the absence of or at the call of the President.

3. There shall be a Secretary who will keep an accurate record of all current members, call roll at meetings, be responsible for all entry fees and forms, and compose or oversee all records, steering committee contact information, written documents and newsletters to keep members informed about steering committee events or meetings.

4. There shall be a Treasurer who will collect dues, keep an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements, prepare all financial statements and budget requests, organize oversee any fundraisers, and present a financial report to the steering committee at the end of each year.

5. There shall be a Member-at-Large who will serve as a voice of the steering committee during all Executive Council (officers’) meetings and may be an “officer in waiting,” available to serve in emergency situations and to run for any officer vacancy that might come up. She/he will also assist the President with any tasks or duties as deemed necessary. This position is exempt from the “one officer per institution” rule that is stated in Section 1, above.

B. Officer Elections

Officers will be elected through a by voluntary nomination, in January of each academic year. For the inaugural year 2003, the elected officers will remain in office through 2004. Officers shall be nominated at a general steering committee meeting. The voting shall be done at the same meeting by private ballot. Officers will be elected by a plurality of votes with a quorum of two-thirds of the steering committee members necessary to elect officers. The counting and handling of the ballots shall be the responsibility of the Vice President. Due to the constraints of geography and weather, attendance can be via the use of technology (i.e. conference call) Voting by proxy is acceptable if filed with the Secretary dated not more than one month prior to the scheduled meeting. Use of email or facsimile is acceptable.

C. Officers’ Terms of Office

The term of office shall be one year, beginning in January 1. For the inaugural year 2003, the elected officers will remain in office through the end of 2004. The officer’s position resides with the person, not the institution. If the officer is not employed by a full member of the Alliance, the position will be filled by a special election of existing steering committee members (see Section 1 D 2).

D. Vacancies in Officer Positions

1. Upon vacancy of the office of the President, the Vice President shall fulfill duties as stated in Article IV, Section 1.

2. Upon vacancies of any other office, a new officer will be appointed within one week six weeks following the vacancy during a regular or special meeting by methods stated in Article IV, Section 1.

Section 2 – Removal of Members and Officers

A. Removal of Member Full or Associate Member Institutions or Officers

The following are reasons for initiating removal proceedings:

1. Failure to fulfill the responsibilities of his/her office as defined in these bylaws. (for officers)

2. Resignation. To be submitted in writing to the President or Vice President and shall be effective upon receipt unless otherwise specified.

3. Failure to pay membership dues on time or develop a payment plan with the treasurer prior to due dates.

B. Procedure for Removing Member Full or Associate Member Institutions or Officers

Any Full or Associate Member in good standing may bring charges against another member colleges or an officer by presenting his/her their concerns to the President of the steering committee. The accused member or officer must be notified in writing by the President of the reason for the proposed removal in advance of the meeting to consider removal. The accused member will be given the opportunity to present their case at the meeting and prior to any vote on their membership. To revoke membership, two-thirds of the members in good standing must be in attendance, and a majority vote for removal is necessary for official expulsion. The advisor must be at the meeting.

If the accused officer is the President, the next highest ranking officer will control the proceedings.

Article V. Meetings

Section 1 – Regular Meetings

The steering committee will meet monthly during the academic year. If any change in the regular meeting time is needed, member representatives will be notified by the Secretary or a representative at least the steering committee secretary three days prior to the scheduled meeting.

Section 2 – Special Meetings

Officers will be notified at least one week before any special meetings. Any additional meetings to address problems, dismissal or concerns regarding the steering committee will be scheduled by the President.

Section 3 – Officers’ Meetings

The steering committee officers will meet prior to the regular or special meetings of the steering committee to plan the steering committee meetings. The President (or V.P. if President is unavailable) and at least three other officers must be present.

Article VI. Committees

Section 1 – Ad hoc committees

The President may appoint recruit members to serve on sub-committees to assist with special events such as the annual symposium.

Article VII. Events

A. An annual symposium will be organized and sponsored by the Alliance. Funding will be obtained independently through sponsorships.

B. Steering committee members are encouraged to participate in and support this event.

C. Other types of developmental educational events will be explored and decided upon by the steering committee.

Article VIII. Communications

To promote communication, a quarterly e-newsletter will be established. The e-newsletter will be facilitated by the Secretary with input from all member institutions. The e-newsletter will be sent to steering committee members for distribution within their institution.

Article IX. Finances

Section 1 – Membership Dues

A. Dues will be determined annually. At the first meeting of the academic year, members will discuss and vote on the proposed amount of dues.

B. An account will be established at a mutually agreed on financial institution and the President and Treasurer will have co-signatory responsibilities.

Section 2 – Fundraisers

All members are expected encouraged to participate in steering committee-sponsored fundraisers.

Article X. Amendments

Proposed amendments to these bylaws shall be presented at a regular steering committee meeting at least one month before the steering committee votes on amendments. These bylaws may be amended by a 2/3-majority vote with a simple majority of the steering committee members constituting a quorum. Voting by proxy is acceptable if filed with the Secretary dated not more than one month prior to the scheduled meeting. Use of email or facsimile is acceptable.

Article XI. Parliamentary Authority

The Alliance will use an informal meeting style guided by the following outline. The President will facilitate steering committee meetings.

1. Call to order.
2. Roll call of members present.
3. Reading of minutes of last meeting.
4. Officers reports.
5. Committee reports.
6. Special orders – Important business previously designated for consideration at this meeting.
7. Unfinished business.
8. New business.
9. Announcements.
10. Adjournment.