GHC AAUP Constitution

Georgia Highlands College AAUP Constitution

Constitution of the Georgia Highlands College Chapter

of the

American Association of University Professors

I. Purpose: The Georgia Highlands College Chapter of the American Association of University Professors subscribes to the purpose of the Association as stated in Article I of the Association’s Constitution – "Its purpose shall be to facilitate a more effective cooperation among teachers and research scholars in universities and colleges, and in professional schools of similar grade, for the promotion of the interests of higher education and research, and in general to increase the usefulness and advance the standards, ideals and welfare of the profession." Specifically, the chapter desires to promote the well being of Georgia Highlands College, to promote cooperation among all elements of the college community, and to promote the welfare of the faculty of the college.

II. Membership: Membership is governed by Articles II and VII of the Association’s Constitution.

A. Membership Categories:

1. Active Members. A person holding appointment at an approved institution is eligible for Active membership if he/she has a position of teaching and/or research with the minimum rank of instructor, is a professional librarian, or is a counselor with faculty status. An administrator with less than half a normal teaching or research load is not eligible for Active Membership. Subcategories of Active Membership are

a. Full-Time

b. Entrant -- New to the AAUP, nontenured

c. Part-Time

d. Joint -- Spouse with a member in Full-Time category

2. Associate Membership. Administrators with less than half a normal teaching or research load are eligible for Associate Membership. This rule does not apply to professional librarians, department heads, or counselors with faculty status, all of whom remain Active Members.

3. Public Membership. All persons not eligible for Active or Associate Membership can become Public Members.

B. Membership Application: Application to and acceptance by the National Association shall be a prerequisite to local membership. State membership is also a prerequisite to local membership. Local dues may be set by the chapter, and payment of these is a prerequisite to membership.

C. Participation: Associate members may attend meeting by invitation of the chapter.

III. Officers: The officers of the chapter shall be president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer, and such other officers as the chapter may determine. Officers of the chapter shall be elected annually during Spring Semester. In addition to their normal duties, the officers shall make regular reports to the general faculty of the college on the work of the local, state and national organization.

IV. Executive Committee: There shall be an Executive Committee composed of the officers and three members elected at large. When necessary, the Executive Committee may act for the chapter until such time as the chapter itself can act.

V. Removal: Members of the Executive Committee may be removed by a three-fourths majority vote of the membership of the chapter.

VI. Quorum: For meetings of the chapter a quorum shall consist of one-third of the members. In the case of decisions made by a quorum, the remaining members may be polled either in writing or electronically at a later time, to be within one week of the original quorum vote, at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

VII. Meetings: There shall be at least one meeting held during each academic Semester. Special meetings may be called as deemed necessary by the Executive Committee or upon the request of twenty percent of the chapter membership. The Executive Committee shall prepare an agenda for each meeting and give a minimum of twenty-four hours written or electronic notice of these meetings.

VIII. Amendment: The constitution of the chapter may be amended at any meeting by a majority vote of the membership of the chapter, provided the amendment proposed is submitted in writing at a previous meeting of the chapter, and specifically announced in a call for the meeting at which the action on the proposed amendment is to be taken.