AASAP/UK

BY-LAWS FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMMES IN THE U.K. (AASAP/UK)

ARTICLE I: ORGANISATION

Section 1. The name of the association is ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMMES IN THE U.K. (AASAP/UK).

Section 2. The address of the Association is AASAP/UK, c/o University of Maryland, Connaught Hall, 36-45 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9EX.

The address may be changed by the Executive Committee.

Section 3. AASAP/UK is a not-for profit association.

Section 4. The financial and academic year for the purposes of the Association shall be 1st September to 31st August.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

Section 1. The educational purposes of the Association are to:

Represent American study abroad programmes in the U.K
Develop contacts between its own members and corresponding U.K. cultural and educational entities
Represent the common interests of Association members before public and private bodies and agencies
Promote and support academic standards
Provide a mechanism for collecting and disseminating information about or of importance to the members
Organise regular meetings of members and other interested bodies
Liaise with other organisations such as UKCISA, BUTEX, The British Council, U.S./U.K. Educational Commission, EAIE and the English Speaking Union
Liaise with the Embassy of the United States and the appropriate British government departments

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1 Full Membership

1.1.Full membership shall be open to colleges, universities and institutes of higher education headquartered in the United States and validly established there and duly accredited by one of the following agencies:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools;
New England Association of Schools and Colleges;
North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools;
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities;
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools;
Western Association of Schools and Colleges

1.2. Full membership shall be open to consortia acting as an association of colleges, universities and institutes of higher education meeting the requirements as set out in
Article III, Section 1.1.

Section 2. Associate Membership

2.1. Associate Membership shall be open to organizations that are not duly accredited by the agencies listed in Article III, Section 1.1, but that accept students from colleges, universities and institutes of higher education from the accrediting agencies.

Section 3. Affiliate Membership

Affiliate Membership, by application or invitation and at the discretion of the Executive Committee, shall be open to organizations headquartered in the United Kingdom that share the goals and mission of the Association.

Section 4. Representation

4.1. The entities that are members of the Association must indicate the physical person who legally represents it to the Association. Said individual, in his or her official capacity is obliged to notify the Association of any changes in its location or its representative.

4.2. Membership is voluntary, but it commits the members to respect the resolutions made by its representative bodies defined in these by-laws.

4.3. To be admitted as a member, application is made to the Executive Committee. The applicant must provide proof that it possesses all the requirements to be admitted as a Full or Associate Member. The Executive Committee decides on the admission of the member by a simple majority of its members.

Section 5. Membership fees and Special fees

5.1. Annual membership fees are determined by the Executive Committee as per Article IV, Section 1.2. Fees are required of Full and Associate members and are due by 15th October. Annual membership fees are not refundable.

5.2. When fees are levied for conferences and meetings mounted by the Association, each individual participant shall pay the attendance fee.

Section 6. Loss of Membership

The Executive Committee, by a two-thirds majority vote, shall have the power to revoke membership for the following reasons:
- violations of the by-laws
- loss of any of the requirements on which admission was based
- late payment of dues
- use of Association information for personal and/or commercial gain

ARTICLE IV: MANAGEMENT

Section 1. Executive Committee

1.1. The Executive Committee shall be entrusted with the overall management of the Association. It shall have the authority, by resolution adopted by a majority of the Executive Committee members in office, to adopt, amend, alter or repeal the by-laws with the approval of the AGM; to designate and appoint one or more committees which shall, to the extent provided in the said resolution, exercise the authority of the Executive Committee in the management of the Association, and may, at its discretion, appoint additional Executive Committee members to ensure adequate representation of the broad interests of the general membership. This authority shall not operate to relieve the Executive Committee or any individual member of it of any responsibility imposed upon him/her by law.

1.2. The Executive Committee determines the annual membership fees by a simple majority of voting members present at the Executive Committee meeting in the May prior to the Annual General Meeting. Members must be informed of changes in fees when notified of the time, date and location of the Annual General Meeting as per Article V, Section 3.3.

1.3. The Executive Committee shall have a variable number of members, with a minimum of four and a maximum of twelve. The Officers include the Chair, Deputy Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. Three elected members and up to five invited non-voting observers can augment the Officers. The term of office for the elected members and non-voting observers is one year with the possibility of re-election.

1.4. The Officers and members of the Executive Committee shall be nominated as institutional representatives of Full or Associate members. Nominations must be made in writing to the Secretary no later than the day of the Annual General Meeting.

1.5. The Executive Committee is elected into office at the Annual General Meeting.

1.6. The Executive Committee, by a simple majority, shall have the power to appoint and/or dismiss any officer, advisor, or employee as it deems necessary.

1.7. Meetings shall be conducted according to the rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.

1.8. Minutes shall be kept of all Executive Committee meetings and will be sent to all Executive Committee members and will be made available to all members at large upon written request to the Secretary.

Section 2. The Officers

2.1. The Officers shall consist of the Chair, Deputy Chair, Secretary and the Treasurer.

2.2. Officers’ term of office is three years with the possibility of re-election with a maximum of two consecutive terms in any one office.

2.3. The Chair shall chair the Executive Committee, preside at all general meetings, and supervise the execution of policy. He/she will appoint chairs of all sub-committees with a simple majority of the Executive Committee.

2.4. The Deputy Chair shall fulfil the duties of the Chair in his/her absence and shall take any additional responsibilities as requested by the Chair.

2.5. The Secretary shall take minutes of the General and Executive Committee meetings. He/she will keep a list of all members and a list of all sub-committee heads. He/she will send pertinent information, as designated by the Executive Committee, to the membership. He/she will keep the Association records.

2.6. The Treasurer shall have custody of the Association funds and shall have all monies deposited in the name and to the credit of the Association in depositories designated by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Association as directed by the Executive Committee by taking proper vouchers for such disbursements and shall render at regular meetings of the Executive Committee an account of these transactions and of the financial conditions of the Association. The Treasurer will prepare the Annual Financial Report.

Section 3. Meetings of the Executive Committee

3.1. The Executive Committee shall meet not fewer than three times a year, normally between September and May.

3.2. Notice of the time, date and location of the meetings shall be given not less than seven days in advance to all members of the Executive Committee.

Section 4. Sub-committees

4.1. A simple majority of the Executive Committee can create or abolish sub-committees as needed. The Chair has the power to appoint committee chairs.

4.2. Sub-committee chairs are responsible for: carrying out the wishes of the Executive Committee and/or the general membership; reporting at Executive Committee and/or general meetings; appointing a deputy to serve or vote in his/her absence; keeping records of their activities and giving same to succeeding chairs or the Secretary.

4.3. Membership of subcommittees will not be limited to Executive Committee members but will include general members.

4.4. No sub-committee chair or member shall contract debts or commit the Association without the consent of the Executive Committee.

4.5. All committees must submit requests for funding to the Executive Committee to be submitted as part of the Annual Financial Report.

ARTICLE V: MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Conduct of Meetings

1.1. Meetings shall be conducted according to the rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.

1.2. Minutes shall be kept of all meetings and will be sent to the person representing each member as per Article III, Section 4.1. Minutes will be sent at the same time as notice of any subsequent general meeting, as per Article V, Sections 3.3. and 4.1.

Section 2. Voting Rights and Decisions

2.1. Each member represented by the person as per Article III, Section 4.1.will have one vote and may be represented exclusively by another member by means of written proxy. In case of a tie, the Chair shall have the deciding vote.

2.2. Voting privileges are extended exclusively to Full and Associate members.

2.3. Decisions based on voting, whether for elections or policy matters, shall be by simple majority of the voting members present.

Section 3. Annual General Meeting (AGM)

3.1. There will be one AGM per year held in the autumn.

3.2. At this meeting, the Association’s Annual Financial Report will be approved, new Executive Committee members elected and the year’s work reviewed. In addition, the membership will vote on any matter set before it by the Executive Committee for its approval.

3.3. Notice of the time, date and location of the meeting shall be given and requests for written nominations of members to serve on the Executive Committee shall be made not less than twenty-one days in advance to all members.

3.4. All nominations for Officers and Executive Committee members must be presented to the Secretary in writing on or before the day of the AGM.

Section 4. Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM)

4.1. Extraordinary General Meetings may be called at any time by the Executive Committee with seven days written notice.

ARTICLE VI: FINANCES AND ASSETS

Section 1. Income

1.1. The income of the Association consists exclusively of: i) annual membership fees of its members; ii) extraordinary assessments as needed for conferences and meetings; iii) voluntary payments by its members; and iv) contributions, grants, donations and bequests by third parties.

Section 2. Accountability

2.1. The Treasurer must submit a written summary of income and expenditure at the AGM that must be approved by the members.

2.2. All cheques, drafts, money orders, notes or any other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Association shall be signed by the Treasurer and/or any other officer of the Executive Committee. Funds of the Association shall be disbursed only upon written authority.

2.3. All funds of the Association shall be deposited in such banks as the Executive Committee may select.

2.4. Any contribution, grant, donation or bequest shall be used exclusively in support of the Association’s activities.

ARTICLE VII: DISSOLUTION

Section 1. The Association may be dissolved by a resolution passed at the Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary Meeting by a two-thirds majority of the eligible voters attending such a meeting.

Section 2. Upon dissolution, the Association will pay surplus funds to such other charities as have objects similar to those of the Association.