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Article I |
Name and Purpose |
Section 1. |
This association shall be known as the Texas College English Association (TCEA). |
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Section 2. |
The purpose of TCEA shall include the following: |
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a. To further the scholarly and professional interests of teachers of college English within the State of Texas |
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b. To disseminate information to its members and other interested individuals |
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c. To represent its members at meetings of the College English Association (CEA) |
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d. To foster projects and publications that may advance the research, the scholarship, and the teaching of English |
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e. To support the goals of the College English Association |
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f. To exist exclusively for educational purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law). |
Section 3. |
TCEA shall not participate in or intervene in any political campaign (including the publishing or distribution of statements) on behalf of any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, TCEA shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt from Federal income tax under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law) or (b) by an organization to which contributions are deductible under section 170 (c) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law). |
Section 1. |
Anyone interested in the research, the scholarship, and the teaching of college English is eligible for membership. |
Section 2. |
An annual membership begins on the first day of March and ends on the last day of the following February. |
Section 3. |
Life memberships in TCEA are given to past presidents and to outgoing editors of the TCEA journal who have completed one or more three-year terms. |
Section 4. |
Honorary life memberships may be awarded by the Executive Committee to members upon retirement (1) if a loyal member has maintained membership in TCEA for the uninterrupted period of fifteen years that immediately precedes the date of retirement; or (2) if the member has made extraordinary and exemplary contributions to TCEA. |
Article III |
Officers and Officials |
Section 1. |
The officers of TCEA shall be a president, a president-elect, the immediate past president, and a secretary/treasurer. All officers shall serve on the Executive Committee for the duration of their terms. Officers shall be members of the Texas College English Association and of the College English Association. |
Section 2. |
A nominating committee appointed by the president shall have the responsibility to provide a slate of candidates to the president at least twelve hours before the annual business meeting. A slate shall list at least one candidate for any vacant office. Additional nominations may be made by any member in attendance at the annual business meeting after the slate has been presented at the annual business meeting. |
Section 3. |
Each candidate shall be a member of TCEA and shall join or continue membership in the College English Association if elected to a TCEA office. |
Section 4. |
Each term of office shall be for one year and shall begin at the close of the annual meeting of the Texas College English Association. If a vacancy occurs in an office except for the office of the immediate past president, officers will normally succeed to the next office in the succession of offices before the president makes an ad interim appointment. |
Section 5. |
A candidate shall be elected to an office by a majority vote of the voting members who are in attendance at the annual business meeting. |
Section 6. |
The president shall preside at all meetings, appoint all committees and their chairs except as otherwise provided in the bylaws, and conduct the business of the association. Also, the president shall supervise and coordinate all programs sponsored by TCEA. The president shall succeed to the office of immediate past president. |
Section 7. |
The president-elect shall preside in the absence of the president and assist in the execution of the business of the association and succeed to the presidency if a vacancy occurs. The president-elect shall serve as the chair of the membership committee and shall promote the goals of the TCEA through recruitment and retention of membership. The president-elect shall succeed to the office of president. |
Section 8. |
The secretary/treasurer shall keep minutes of all meetings, maintain permanent records and archives, maintain accurate financial records, and assist the president with carrying on the correspondence of the association. The secretary/treasurer shall succeed to the office of the president-elect. |
Section 9. |
A vacancy in any office except that of the immediate past president shall be filled by an ad interim appointment by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee. At the close of the next annual business meeting after having been appointed, any ad interim officer shall relinguish the office held unless the individual has been duly elected to the office by the membership during the annual business meeting. Accepting an ad interim appointment shall not exclude a member from standing for any office of TCEA except for the office of immediate past president. |
Section 10. |
Duties, responsibilities, or positions abandoned by elected or appointed officials may be reassigned by the president upon approval of the Executive Committee. |
Section 1. |
The annual business meeting shall be held at the same time and place as the annual meeting of the Conference of College Teachers of English. |
Section 2. |
The Executive Committee shall meet at least once each year before the general business meeting of the Texas College English Association at a time and place designated by the president. |
Section 3. |
Special meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by the president when deemed appropriate. |
Section 1. |
Amendments to the Constitution may be made by a two-thirds majority at any regular meeting, provided that notice has been given at a previous meeting or by mail at least thirty days before the amendments are to be voted upon. |
Bylaws |
Article I |
Committees |
Section 1. |
The Executive Committee shall be a standing committee of this organization and shall be composed of all the officers as described in the Constitution Article III, Section 1, and the editor of the journal of the Texas College English Association. Under the leadership of the president, the Executive Committee shall conduct the business of the association. |
Section 2. |
Additional standing committees shall be the Membership Committee and the Publications Committee. All standing committees except the Executive Committee shall be appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee. The normal term of office of all members appointed to standing committees shall be for three years, following a staggered pattern, with each incoming president of TCEA appointing or re-appointing at least one member of each standing committee. |
Section 3. |
The Membership Committee, to be chaired by the president-elect, shall seek to further the goals of TCEA through recruitment and retention of members. |
Section 4. |
The Publications Committee, to be chaired by the editor of the journal of the Texas College English Association, shall serve as an advisory committee for TCEA publications. |
Section 5. |
To accomplish the work of the association, the president may appoint ad hoc committees. |
Section 6. |
The Executive Committee shall periodically review the charges of ad hoc committees and may dissolve those which have completed their responsibilities or those which have failed to further the goals of TCEA. |
Section 7. |
Members of all committees shall be members of the Texas College English Association. |
Section 8. |
The editor of the journal of the Texas College English Association shall be appointed by the president for a term of three years with the approval of the Executive Committee and shall be a voting ex officio member of the Executive Committee. The editor shall be a continuing official of the Texas College English Association. The editor shall be a voting member of the Executive Committee except in those meetings at which the Executive Committee is considering the appointment of an editor. The editor shall be a member of the College English Association while serving as editor of the journal of the Texas College English Association. |
Section 9. |
With the exception of an editor, a member of the Executive Committee may serve any number of terms as an officer or in any office but not a second consecutive term in the same office, except that in an emergency the president may serve a second consecutive term. With the consent of the Executive Committee, an editor may serve multiple consecutive terms. |
Section 10. |
A majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business of the Executive Committee. |
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Article II |
Liaison to College English Association |
Section 1. |
The immediate past president shall become the liaison officer of the Texas College English Association for a term of one year. |
Section 1. |
Any change in the annual dues for the Texas College English Association shall be initiated by the Executive Committee and approved by the members. |
Section 2. |
No part of the net earnings of TCEA shall inure to the benefit of or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that TCEA shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments as set forth in Article I, Section 2 (f), of the Constitution. |
Section 1. |
One-tenth of the total membership shall constitute a quorum; but at no time shall the lack of a quorum prevent those members present from proceeding with a business meeting, provided that notice has been given to the membership at a previous meeting or by mail at least thirty days before the date of the meeting. |
Section 1. |
Amendments to the bylaws may be made by a majority vote of the members attending any regular business meeting, provided that notice has been given at a previous meeting or by mail at least thirty days before the amendments are voted on. |
Article VI |
Rules of Order |
Section 1. |
The business meetings of the Texas College English Association shall be conducted under Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised in all cases to which the Rules are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Texas College English Association. |
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Article VII |
Dissolution Clause |
Section 1. |
In the event of dissolution of the Association, the balance of the treasury will be transferred to the College English Association for the purpose of reorganizing the Texas College English Association. |
Section 2. |
Upon the dissolution of TCEA after the Executive Committee shall have paid or shall have made provision for the payment of all the liabilities of TCEA, the Executive Committee shall dispose of all of the assets of TCEA. The assets shall be used exclusively for the purposes of TCEA or distributed to such organization and organizations organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes, as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the Executive Committee shall determine. Any such assets not disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the county in which the principal office of TCEA is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes. |
Approved March 2, 1990, by the ad hoc TCEA Constitution Committee (Thomas R. Arp [Southern Methodist University], Martha Luan Brunson [Southwest Texas State University], Lavon B. Fulwiler [Texas Woman's University], and Joe D. Thomas [Consultant, Rice University]) for submission to the membership for initial consideration at the March 3, 1990, business meeting. Final consideration and proposed adoption are scheduled for March 1991. |
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Note: Direct comments, suggestions, and revisions to the Chair by February 1, 1991. |
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William E. Tanner |
Department of English, Speech, and Foreign Languages |
Texas Woman's University |
Denton, Texas 76204 |
Phone: (817) 898-2342 |
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Transcribed for this page by Shearle Furnish, West Texas A&M University, April 13, 2000. |
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