The Constitution and Bylaws of the Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities (TECSCU)
As amended:
November 9, 1978, February 27, 1983, October 6, 1994, February 21, 1996, October 3, 1997, February 7, 2004, January 29, 2006, February 24, 2007, October 11, 2010, October 2, 2011, October 25, 2013, February 27, 2015
Article I
The name of the organization is the Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities (TECSCU), hereafter referred to as TECSCU or the Council
Article II
The Council purposes are:
Article III
Membership
Membership is available to any public college or university having an educator preparation program. The chief institutional representative of the public state college or university member shall be the primary administrator of the school, college, or department of education. The institution may designate additional institutional representatives who may serve on TECSCU committees, but not as members of the Executive Committee.
Article IV
Officers and Executive Committee
The Council officers include the President Elect, President, Past President and the Secretary Treasurer. Each officer serves a one-year term that begins at the conclusion of the first annual Council meeting of the calendar year. After serving a one-year term, the President Elect becomes President, the President becomes Past President, and the Past President rotates off the Executive Committee. The Secretary Treasurer may be appointed to serve additional terms.
The Executive Committee shall select the President Elect and Secretary Treasurer from the Executive Committee. In the event the President is unable to serve, the Executive Committee will determine if the President Elect will serve as both President Elect and President concurrently or if the President Elect rotates to President and a new President Elect is selected from the Executive Committee to complete the term. If the Past President is unable to serve, the Executive Committee appoints a person from the Executive Committee to fulfill the responsibilities of the Past President. Upon taking office each officer must be the primary administrator of an institution’s education unit.
Duties of the Officers
A. The past president shall:
B. The president shall:
C. The president-elect shall:
D. The Secretary Treasurer shall:
E. Executive Assistant
The Executive Committee annually appoints the executive assistant who serves as an ex-officio non-voting member of the Executive Committee. The Executive Assistant shall:
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall propose actions for the membership of the Council and shall act in behalf of the membership on such matters as must be attended to between meetings of the Council. Liaison with other organizations and agencies shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee includes the officers, a representative from each of the eight regions, the two representatives elected to the AACTE Board of Directors, and the representative to the AACTE Governmental Relations Committee. The Executive Assistant shall be an exQofficio nonQvoting member of the Executive Committee. When taking office all Executive Committee members, except the Executive Assistant, must be the primary administrator of an institutions education unit.
Regional Representatives
One regional representative shall be elected for a threeQyear term from each of the eight regions. Regional representatives may not serve consecutive elected terms. If a regional representative becomes a TECSCU officer or ineligible, a new regional representative will be appointed by the President and with the consent of the Executive Committee to complete the term of the regional representative.
Region I includes the following: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey.
Region II includes the following: Virginia, District of Columbia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Puerto Rico, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and the Virgin Islands.
Region III includes the following: Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana.
Region IV includes the following: Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, and Iowa.
Region V includes the following: Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Region VI includes the following: Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
Region VII includes the following: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.
Region VIII includes the following: Alaska, California, Guam, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.
Regional Representatives shall serve as liaisons between the Executive Committee and the membership within a particular region. Regional Representatives shall:
American Association of College for Teacher Education (AACTE) Representatives
AACTE Representatives serve as liaisons between AACTE and TECSCU for a term of three years. From the Council membership, the Nominating Committee submits two names to the president who forwards the names to the AACTE Board of Directors to be placed on an AACTE ballot. AACTE Representatives must be the primary administrator and of an institution’s education unit. Should the AACTE Representative become ineligible or unable to serve, the Executive Committee will select a replacement to complete the remainder of the representative’s term.
AACTE Governmental Relations Representative
The TECSCU representative to the AACTE Governmental Relations Committee serves a term of two years. The representative must be the primary administrator of an institution’s education unit. The representative’s duties and responsibilities are dictated by AACTE policy. From the Council membership, the Nominating Committee submits names to the Executive Committee who selects the TECSCU representative to the AACTE Governmental Relations Committee. Should the TECSCU representative to the AACTE Governmental Relations Committee become ineligible or unable to serve, the Executive Committee will select a replacement to complete the remainder of the representative’s term.
Article V
Elections
The Executive Committee shall appoint a Nominating Committee at the first meeting of the calendar year. The Nominating Committee will consist of eight-members— one from each of the eight regions, plus the past president who serves as chairperson. The Nomination Committee is charged with identifying and presenting to the membership at the Fall business meeting the names of two candidates from each regional area where vacancies exist. Additional nominations may be made from the floor by the membership. Balloting shall be by mail or email after the Fall meeting. Each member institution may cast one vote for each vacancy. The chief institutional representative shall cast the vote for the member institution. The Nominating Committee shall count the votes and report the results to the Executive Committee who will announce the election results to the Council membership. Should there be a tie vote, the Council President and the two AACTE Representatives would break the tie. The Nominating Committee will perform others duties as directed by the TECSCU Constitution and Bylaws.
Article VI
The TECSCU Constitution and Bylaws may be amended by the vote of the chief representative from institutions in good standing by any one of the following: (1)simple majority present at any meeting of the Council membership provided that all members have been notified at least sixty days in advance of the meeting and of the proposed amendment; or (2) simple majority of either a mail ballot or an electronic ballot. A simple majority of the Executive Committee is required before any amendment to the Constitution and Bylaws may be considered by the Council membership.
Article VII
Dues and Fees
Dues and fees shall be determined by a simple majority of members at the Fall business meeting. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for recommending dues and fees to the Council membership. If the Executive Committee makes no recommendations at the fall business meeting then the existing dues and fees will remain in effect for the coming year.
Article VIII
Meetings
There shall be two Council membership meetings annually. The Executive Committee shall determine the time and place of the meetings. A business meeting will be held in conjunction with the fall Council membership meeting, but additional business meetings may be held at the discretion of the President in consultation with the Executive Committee. Unless otherwise determined, one Council membership meeting shall be conducted in conjunction with the annual meeting of AACTE (American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education). The president shall appoint a parliamentarian, and Robert’s Rules of Order shall be followed for all Council business meetings.
Article IX
Standing and Ad Hoc Committees
Article X
It shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee to establish a position description for the position of Executive Assistant upon which an annual evaluation will be based, determine the compensation, establish a procedure for evaluating the performance of the Executive Assistant, and approve the annual evaluation of the Executive Assistant. The President shall appoint a committee of three from the Executive Committee to conduct the annual evaluation and report to the Executive Committee for its approval.
Article XI
It shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee to maintain the legal/fiscal aspects of the organization, including the employment of such consultants as necessary to conduct the business of the Council.
Article XII
If any Executive Committee member fails to fulfill his or her duties, he or she may be removed from the Executive Committee by a simple majority vote of the Executive Committee.
Article XIII
Dissolution
In the event the membership of the Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities votes to cease and desist as a Council, the treasurer will pay all expenses encumbered by the Council, and any funds will be divided equally among institutions holding active membership at the time of dissolution.
November 9, 1978, February 27, 1983, October 6, 1994, February 21, 1996, October 3, 1997, February 7, 2004, January 29, 2006, February 24, 2007, October 11, 2010, October 2, 2011, October 25, 2013, February 27, 2015
Article I
The name of the organization is the Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities (TECSCU), hereafter referred to as TECSCU or the Council
Article II
The Council purposes are:
- To maintain a responsive communication and information system for the articulation and exchange of viewpoints, issues, and concerns on selected aspects of educator preparation, especially as they relate to TECSCU institutions.
- To identify and delineate issues and problems related to the development of viable educator preparation programs and activities in TECSCU institutions.
- To provide legislative, education agencies, and policy-making groups information relevant to TECSCU’s interests.
- To recommend to education organizations and associations proposals for study and actions related to the direction, goals, and standards for educator preparation.
- To partner and collaborate with education organizations, associations, and agencies in activities that support high quality educator preparation and P-12 student learning.
- To present quality preparation of education professionals before segments of the public and education policy makers.
- To provide professional development and support to its membership.
- To encourage participation in Council activities by members from under represented groups.
Article III
Membership
Membership is available to any public college or university having an educator preparation program. The chief institutional representative of the public state college or university member shall be the primary administrator of the school, college, or department of education. The institution may designate additional institutional representatives who may serve on TECSCU committees, but not as members of the Executive Committee.
Article IV
Officers and Executive Committee
The Council officers include the President Elect, President, Past President and the Secretary Treasurer. Each officer serves a one-year term that begins at the conclusion of the first annual Council meeting of the calendar year. After serving a one-year term, the President Elect becomes President, the President becomes Past President, and the Past President rotates off the Executive Committee. The Secretary Treasurer may be appointed to serve additional terms.
The Executive Committee shall select the President Elect and Secretary Treasurer from the Executive Committee. In the event the President is unable to serve, the Executive Committee will determine if the President Elect will serve as both President Elect and President concurrently or if the President Elect rotates to President and a new President Elect is selected from the Executive Committee to complete the term. If the Past President is unable to serve, the Executive Committee appoints a person from the Executive Committee to fulfill the responsibilities of the Past President. Upon taking office each officer must be the primary administrator of an institution’s education unit.
Duties of the Officers
A. The past president shall:
- Serve on the Executive Committee.
- Serve as chairperson of the Nominating Committee.
B. The president shall:
- Convene and preside over all Council meetings.
- Develop meeting agendas for the annual business and Executive Committee meetings, subject to approval of these groups as the first order of business.
- With the advice and consent of the Executive Committee, establish or abolish standing, ad hoc, and continuing study committees and appoint members to committees.
- Appoint a program committee that includes the President-Elect as chairperson and members from the Council membership.
- With the consent of the Executive Committee appoint officers and regional representatives to complete terms that have not expired when officers or regional representatives are unable to complete their terms.
C. The president-elect shall:
- Serve in the role as president in the event the president is unable to preside at Council meetings.
- Chair the Program Committee and arrange all general meetings of the Council.
D. The Secretary Treasurer shall:
- Maintain records of Executive Committee meetings and actions, as well as business meetings of the membership; and maintain the organization’s records.
- Work with the Executive Assistant to ensure that appropriate reports and budgets are made available to the Executive Committee.
- Work with the Executive Assistant to ensure all members are billed for annual dues and fees and disburse funds upon appropriate receipts for all obligations of the Council.
- Prepare and submit an annual fiscal report of the Council at the annual meeting. Such reports are to show the status of all accounts including the balance at the beginning of the period, all receipts, all disbursements and the balance at the ending of the period.
- Present a draft annual budget to the Executive Committee for approval.
- Assume responsibility for the appropriate authorizations for all financial transactions, either as established in the bylaws or designated by the Executive Committee.
- Maintain the bank account(s) of the Council as separate fund(s) and be responsible for signature cards.
- Maintain all Council financial records including income and expenditures, copies of contracts, and documentation sufficient for purposes of informing external as well as internal reviews of finances and/or external audits. Utilize and maintain appropriate records of Council credit cards.
- Arrange for auditing of the books and records of the Council as required by law and/or directed by the President or Executive Committee.
- Transfer all materials pertaining to the office to the newly elected Secretary Treasurer and instruct the newly elected Treasurer on the duties and responsibilities.
- Complete and submit on time all required IRS, Federal and other forms and provide a copy of completed forms to the Executive Committee.
E. Executive Assistant
The Executive Committee annually appoints the executive assistant who serves as an ex-officio non-voting member of the Executive Committee. The Executive Assistant shall:
- Provide administrative and clerical support to the Executive Committee. Assist the President-Elect and President in providing administrative support for Council meetings. Oversee the maintenance and efficiency of the Council’s website and social media tools.
- Provide to the Executive Committee reports as requested.
- Work with the Executive Committee to ensure a well articulated and comprehensive communication strategy is in place, which includes newsletters and other Council publications.
- Report to the Executive Committee through the president.
- Provide support to the Council committee charged with reviewing the Christa McAuliffe Award nominees.
- Work with the Executive Committee on collecting and analyzing membership profiles, Council successes, and indicators of educator preparation effectiveness and best practices in educator preparation.
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall propose actions for the membership of the Council and shall act in behalf of the membership on such matters as must be attended to between meetings of the Council. Liaison with other organizations and agencies shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee includes the officers, a representative from each of the eight regions, the two representatives elected to the AACTE Board of Directors, and the representative to the AACTE Governmental Relations Committee. The Executive Assistant shall be an exQofficio nonQvoting member of the Executive Committee. When taking office all Executive Committee members, except the Executive Assistant, must be the primary administrator of an institutions education unit.
Regional Representatives
One regional representative shall be elected for a threeQyear term from each of the eight regions. Regional representatives may not serve consecutive elected terms. If a regional representative becomes a TECSCU officer or ineligible, a new regional representative will be appointed by the President and with the consent of the Executive Committee to complete the term of the regional representative.
Region I includes the following: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey.
Region II includes the following: Virginia, District of Columbia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Puerto Rico, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and the Virgin Islands.
Region III includes the following: Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana.
Region IV includes the following: Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, and Iowa.
Region V includes the following: Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Region VI includes the following: Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
Region VII includes the following: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.
Region VIII includes the following: Alaska, California, Guam, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.
Regional Representatives shall serve as liaisons between the Executive Committee and the membership within a particular region. Regional Representatives shall:
- Maintain contact with the membership in the region.
- Recruit new members in the region.
- Attend Executive Committee meetings.
- Perform other duties as designated by the Executive Committee.
American Association of College for Teacher Education (AACTE) Representatives
AACTE Representatives serve as liaisons between AACTE and TECSCU for a term of three years. From the Council membership, the Nominating Committee submits two names to the president who forwards the names to the AACTE Board of Directors to be placed on an AACTE ballot. AACTE Representatives must be the primary administrator and of an institution’s education unit. Should the AACTE Representative become ineligible or unable to serve, the Executive Committee will select a replacement to complete the remainder of the representative’s term.
AACTE Governmental Relations Representative
The TECSCU representative to the AACTE Governmental Relations Committee serves a term of two years. The representative must be the primary administrator of an institution’s education unit. The representative’s duties and responsibilities are dictated by AACTE policy. From the Council membership, the Nominating Committee submits names to the Executive Committee who selects the TECSCU representative to the AACTE Governmental Relations Committee. Should the TECSCU representative to the AACTE Governmental Relations Committee become ineligible or unable to serve, the Executive Committee will select a replacement to complete the remainder of the representative’s term.
Article V
Elections
The Executive Committee shall appoint a Nominating Committee at the first meeting of the calendar year. The Nominating Committee will consist of eight-members— one from each of the eight regions, plus the past president who serves as chairperson. The Nomination Committee is charged with identifying and presenting to the membership at the Fall business meeting the names of two candidates from each regional area where vacancies exist. Additional nominations may be made from the floor by the membership. Balloting shall be by mail or email after the Fall meeting. Each member institution may cast one vote for each vacancy. The chief institutional representative shall cast the vote for the member institution. The Nominating Committee shall count the votes and report the results to the Executive Committee who will announce the election results to the Council membership. Should there be a tie vote, the Council President and the two AACTE Representatives would break the tie. The Nominating Committee will perform others duties as directed by the TECSCU Constitution and Bylaws.
Article VI
The TECSCU Constitution and Bylaws may be amended by the vote of the chief representative from institutions in good standing by any one of the following: (1)simple majority present at any meeting of the Council membership provided that all members have been notified at least sixty days in advance of the meeting and of the proposed amendment; or (2) simple majority of either a mail ballot or an electronic ballot. A simple majority of the Executive Committee is required before any amendment to the Constitution and Bylaws may be considered by the Council membership.
Article VII
Dues and Fees
Dues and fees shall be determined by a simple majority of members at the Fall business meeting. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for recommending dues and fees to the Council membership. If the Executive Committee makes no recommendations at the fall business meeting then the existing dues and fees will remain in effect for the coming year.
Article VIII
Meetings
There shall be two Council membership meetings annually. The Executive Committee shall determine the time and place of the meetings. A business meeting will be held in conjunction with the fall Council membership meeting, but additional business meetings may be held at the discretion of the President in consultation with the Executive Committee. Unless otherwise determined, one Council membership meeting shall be conducted in conjunction with the annual meeting of AACTE (American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education). The president shall appoint a parliamentarian, and Robert’s Rules of Order shall be followed for all Council business meetings.
Article IX
Standing and Ad Hoc Committees
- Standing committees shall be created and abolished by the president with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee and shall consist of members of the Council from each region.
- Standing committees shall function to fulfill purposes of the Council. With Executive Committee approval, the President sets the charges of the committees, appoints committee members, and designates a chairperson who convenes and conducts committee meetings. Each committee will make an annual report at the fall business meeting.
- As the President sees fit and with the approval of the Executive Committee ad hoc committees may be formed for specific purposes. Committee appointments are made and the committee functions in the same manner as standing committees. However, committee membership does not have to include a representative from each region.
Article X
It shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee to establish a position description for the position of Executive Assistant upon which an annual evaluation will be based, determine the compensation, establish a procedure for evaluating the performance of the Executive Assistant, and approve the annual evaluation of the Executive Assistant. The President shall appoint a committee of three from the Executive Committee to conduct the annual evaluation and report to the Executive Committee for its approval.
Article XI
It shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee to maintain the legal/fiscal aspects of the organization, including the employment of such consultants as necessary to conduct the business of the Council.
Article XII
If any Executive Committee member fails to fulfill his or her duties, he or she may be removed from the Executive Committee by a simple majority vote of the Executive Committee.
Article XIII
Dissolution
In the event the membership of the Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities votes to cease and desist as a Council, the treasurer will pay all expenses encumbered by the Council, and any funds will be divided equally among institutions holding active membership at the time of dissolution.