GACE By-Laws

ARTICLE I: FORWARD      

The Georgia Association of College and Employers, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as the "Association") is established for the purpose of aiding the selection and employment of students and alumni of institutions of higher learning within Georgia.

ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Eligibility

(a) Professional Membership of the Association shall consist of career services and experiential education representatives, in a related field, from four-year degree granting colleges and universities, community and junior colleges, and post-secondary state technical colleges in Georgia (hereinafter referred to as "institutions") and to employer representatives who are actively engaged in the selection and/or placement of students and alumni of these institutions (hereinafter referred to as "employers").

(b)  Affiliate Membership is available to professionals who do not meet the criteria for other categories of membership and who provide support products and/or services to the recruitment/career services functions; or are working in fields related to career services and/or college recruiting. Such members may include, but are not limited to, employees of contract recruiting firms, outplacement firms, media organizations, publishers, software companies, chambers of commerce, or other organizations related to the overall functions of career services and/or university recruiting/relations. Affiliate membership must be approved by the Membership Committee.

Affiliate members are not eligible to vote, hold office, or chair standing or ad hoc committees within the Association. Affiliate members may serve on committees.

(c)  Associate Professional Membership is available to individuals who have previously held a Professional Membership, have a continued interest in recruitment/career services, and whose membership is not in violation of membership laws. Individuals in this classification may not hold office, vote, or chair committees, but may serve on committees.

(d) The Executive Board may award an Honorary Lifetime Membership to a person who has been a member of Georgia Association of Colleges and Employers for a significant number of years and during that period shall have made notable contributions to the Association, or to the furthering of career services or recruiting function, OTHER CONSIDERATIONS NOTWITHSTANDING. Honorary Lifetime membership can also be awarded to those who have served as President of the Association. A person may receive Lifetime membership only at the time of his/her resignation or retirement or following either of these events.

All Honorary Members shall be exempt from paying dues but shall be required to pay conference fees. They shall not vote or be deemed part of a quorum at any meeting of the Association and shall not be a member of the Board of Directors, but may serve on committees. Any Honorary Lifetime Member who returns to regular membership status will have their Honorary Lifetime membership placed on hold until they resign or retire again.

Section 2. Application

Application for membership shall be made to the Membership Committee by furnishing a completed application form and payment of one year’s dues.

Section 3. Election

The Membership Committee shall determine whether to approve an applicant to membership. All applications that are not approved for membership by the Membership Committee shall be referred to the Executive Board for final determination.  When final determination regarding an application is made, the Membership Committee shall notify the applicant of the application status.

Section 4. Class

There shall be only one class of membership and members shall be persons who have been officially into membership and whose dues are current (with the exception of Lifetime members).

Section 5. Termination

Membership shall terminate when a member becomes ineligible, or is delinquent in the payment of dues, or in the event the Executive Board determines a membership be terminated for any cause which is deemed by the Executive Board to be justifiable. The Membership Committee shall review the membership list annually and determine the eligibility of all members.

Section 6. Transferability

A membership may be transferred to an eligible individual at the member organization.

Section 7. Reinstatement

The membership committee may reinstate a former member whose membership has been terminated for delinquency in dues, provided they meet the membership requirements. Moreover, a former member whose membership has been terminated for ineligibility or a justifiable cause deemed by the Executive Board may be reinstated by the Executive Board.

Section 8. Ethical Standards

Applicants and members shall endorse and abide by the "Ethical Standards and Procedural Guidelines in Educational Placement" of the American Association of Education Employment and/or "The Principles for Professional Conduct for Career Services and Employment Professionals" as set forth by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

ARTICLE III: EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 1. Powers and Responsibility

The property, affairs, and business of the Association shall be managed and directed by the Executive Board (hereinafter referred to as the "Board"), which may exercise all powers of the Association and do all acts and things not prohibited by law, by the Articles of Incorporation of the Association or by these By-Laws. In addition to the responsibilities and duties which may be inherent in, or of the affairs of the Association; (a) formulate, implement, and supervise the operation of all programs of the Association and advise and assist the various committees in carrying out such programs; (b) procure, protect, maintain, and manage the property and equipment of the Association; (c) prepare and adopt an annual operating budget and manage and supervise the financial operation of the Association; (d) develop plans with respect to capital improvements and long-range financial needs of the Association; (e) determine membership policy of the Association, establish fees, charges and plan and carry out any appropriate membership campaign; (f) seek to obtain public understanding, acceptance and esteem for the Association, its purpose, programs, and services.

Section 2. Membership

The number of members of the Executive Board (hereinafter referred to as "Board Members") shall be fifteen and be comprised of the eight members of the Board of Director and the Officers of the Association and the immediate Past President of the Association. All officers and directors must be members in good standing of the Association. Officers and directors shall be elected at the Annual Conference and will assume office on July 1 of that same year. Terms of office will be July 1 - June 30, to coincide with the fiscal year.

Section 3. Board of Directors

The number of Directors constituting the Board of Directors shall be eight. The duty of each Director is to serve as a member of the Executive Board, and to assume other responsibilities as assigned by the President. Four Directors shall be associated directly with the Institutions and four Directors shall be directly associated with the Employers. These eight Directors shall serve two-year terms.

Section 4. Officers of the Association

The Officers shall be President, who will also serve as the Chairman of the Board, President-Elect, Vice-President-Institution, Vice President-Employer, Secretary, and Treasurer. All officers, excluding the Secretary and the Treasurer, shall be elected to serve a one-year term of office.

The Secretary and Treasurer shall be appointed on an annual basis by the President of GACE with approval of the Board of Directors. The Treasurer, by virtue of the position, will also serve on the Conference Committee.

ALL OFFICERS SHALL AT THE END OF THE TERM OF OFFICE TRANSFER ALL OFFICIAL RECORDS TO THE INCOMING OFFICER. The duties of these officers are:

(a) The President, Chairperson of the Executive Board, shall preside at all meetings of the membership and the Executive Board; shall, with approval of the Executive Board, appoint all Chairpersons and members of the committees unless otherwise designated in the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws; shall be a member ex-officio of all committees; shall appoint a committee from the Board to nominate candidates to fill the unexpired term of any Board MEMBER excluding the office of President TO BE ACTED UPON AS PROVIDED IN ARTICLE 111, SECTION 6; and shall be responsible for having the Treasurer’s records of all financial business of the Association audited at the end of the fiscal year. The Board will elect the candidate to fill the unexpired term.

(b) The President-Elect shall perform duties as assigned by the Executive Board and shall perform all the duties of the President in his/her request. The President-Elect shall, subject to the approval of the Board, succeed to the office of President the following year.

(c) The Vice President - Schools shall be directly associated with an institution of higher learning; shall serve as Co-Chair with the Vice President - Employer of the Conference Committee for the annual meeting; and shall serve as liaison representative between the Board and the educational institution Membership.

(d) The Vice President - Employer shall serve as co-chair with the Vice President - Schools of the Conference Committee for the annual conference; and shall serve as the liaison representative between the Board and the employer membership.

(e) The Secretary shall keep all official minutes of the meetings of the Board and membership, shall preserve all papers, letters, and records of all transactions, except those of Treasurer; shall at the end of the term of office transfer all official minutes of the Board and membership, papers, letters, and records of all transactions to the incoming Secretary who will retain or transfer such data to the Incoming President.

(f) The Treasurer shall maintain a record of the Association's financial business, including payment of bills and collection of dues and other monies; shall provide at least quarterly financial reports to the Board; and shall be responsible for presenting to the President the Association's finalized financial records for the annual fiscal audit.

Section 5. Nominating Committee

The President of the Association shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of at least three (3) members, the Chairperson of which shall be THE PRESIDENT ELECT. At least four weeks prior to the regular annual meeting of the Association, the Nominating Committee shall present to the Board its nominations of candidates for the vacancies on the Board of Directors and Officers of the Association for its approval. These nominations shall be presented to the Association at the regular annual meeting at which time election shall take place. Nominations for officers and directors shall be permitted from the floor.

Section 6. Vacancies

Vacancies, except vacancies resulting from any increase in the number of Directors, shall be filled by a majority vote of the Board members then in office, and a Director or Officer so chosen shall hold office for the unexpired term of his predecessor or until his successor is elected and qualified, or until his earlier resignation or death. Vacancies resulting from an increase in the number of Directors shall be filled by a plurality vote of the membership. Should the office of President become vacant, the President-Elect would be elevated to serve as President until the next election for that office.

Section 7. Meetings and Notice

The Board may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within or without the State of Georgia. Regular meetings of the Board shall be held by call of the Chairperson of the Board, the time and place of such meetings to be determined by the Chairperson of the Board. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the Chairperson of the Board or by any two (2) members of the Board.

Written notice of the time and place, by personal delivery or by mail, facsimile or email sent to the Board member’s address as listed with the records of the Association kept by the Secretary shall be given at least five (5) days before the meeting.  Such notice shall state a reasonable time, date and place of meeting.

Section 8. Quorum

At all meetings of the Board, SIX members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and the act of a majority of the members present at any meeting shall be the act of the Board except as may be otherwise specifically provide by Law, by the Articles of Incorporation, or by these By-Laws. At any meeting of the Board, the members present may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting.

Section 9. Consent of Board Members

Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board or of any committees thereof may be taken without a meeting, if all members of the Board of committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing, setting forth the actions to be taken, and the writing or writings are filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board of Committee. Such consent shall have the same force and effect as a unanimous vote of the Board.

Section 10. Standing Committees

The following shall constitute regular standing committees of the Association, such committees to perform the duties as described in the Standard Operating Procedures Manual and such other duties as may be delegated to them from time to time by Board. The standing committees are: Awards, Conference, Experiential, Finance and Budget, Historian, Membership, Newsletter, Nominations, Special Projects, Sponsorship, Strategic Planning, Technical Institute, Technology, USC-CACE and Drive-in Workshop. The President shall, subject to the approval of the Board, appoint the Chairperson of all standing committees. The Experiential Learning Committee, Technical Institute Peer Group, and USC-CACE shall forward the appointees for their respective Chairpersons to the President for consideration.

Section 11. Additional Committees

The Board and/or the President may designate from among the membership one or more additional committees, each of which shall perform such duties and functions and have and exercise such authority as may be provided.

Section 12.  Meeting Attendance Policy

To be an effective organization, membership involvement is crucial, particularly for those who act in decision-making capacities such as Board Members or Committee Chairs.  Individuals who agree to serve as members of the Board of Directors, Officers of the Association, Committee Chairs, and Ad Hoc Committee Chairs must attend at least three out of the five Board meetings throughout the year.  Failure to attend these meetings could result in removal from the position by majority vote of the Board.

ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS OF THE ASSOCIATION

There shall be a regular annual membership meeting of the Association to conduct business and elect Officers and Directors. A special meeting of membership may be called by the Chairperson of the Board or any two members of the Board upon giving notice to the membership in the same manner as set forth in Article III, Section 7 of the By-Laws. All meetings of the Association shall be held at a time and place designated by the person or persons holding the meetings. Those members present at any properly called Association meeting constitute a quorum. Each Association member in good standing shall be allowed to vote. A majority vote is required to pass motions raised at the Association meeting unless otherwise standing shall be allowed to vote. A majority vote is required to pass motions raised at the Association meeting unless otherwise stated in the Articles of Incorporation or the By-Laws. The Board may invite to meetings of the Association special guests. Association members may invite to such meetings representatives of their organizations and their families.

ARTICLE V: DUES AND FEES

Section 1. Dues

The annual dues of the Association as established by the Board shall be $40.00.  Sponsorship options will be available on a limited basis, consisting of dues, fees for Drive-In Workshop, conference registration, and information table at annual conference.  The options are as follows:

Platinum Membership: 1 year-$3,000, 2 years-$5,500.  Includes dues for 4 members, drive-in workshop for 4 members, and conference registration for 4 members.

Gold Membership: 1 year-$2,000, 2 years-$3,750.  Includes dues for 4 members, drive-in workshop for 4 members, and conference registration for 2 members.

Silver Membership: 1 year-$1,750, 2 years-$3,250.  Includes dues for 4 members, drive-in workshop for 4 members, and conference registration for 1 member.

All memberships and sponsorships (not including event sponsorships) will be available on a rolling basis.

Section 2. Fees

The Board shall approve the registration fee for the annual meeting as recommended by the Chairperson, Conference Committee.

ARTICLE VI: RULES OR ORDER

The meetings of the Association and the Board shall be governed by the "Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised" provided that any such rule is consistent with the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Association.

ARTICLE VII: COMMISSIONED GROUPS

To effectively accomplish the purpose, program, and events of the Association, the President may commission such groups as it deems necessary or desirable. Such groups shall perform these duties and functions and exercise such powers as designated by the President.

All commissions granted shall be subject to revision or revocation by the Board.

ARTICLE VIII: AMENDMENTS

Amendments to or revisions of the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws must be made upon recommendation of the Board and by a majority vote of members in attendance at the annual meeting, provided at least fourteen (14) days notice in writing is given; or by a majority vote of those members returning ballots within fifteen days of the mailing date of votes taken by mail. The notice to be given hereunder shall be shall be given in accordance with Article 111, Section 7 hereof.

AMENDED MAY 19, 2006

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA