Name and Acronym
Purpose
Membership and Dues
Affiliation
Meetings of Membership
Member Sanctioned Activities
Standing Committees
Amendments
The name of this association shall be the Academic Counselors Association. The official acronym of this association shall be ACA.
The Academic Counselors Association was created as a forum for sharing ideas and exchanging information related to the delivery of advising services at The University of Texas at Austin. A primary goal is to provide its members with opportunities with professional development and peer support, ultimately building a network of resources to enhance student access in college. Equally important is the representation and promotion of the interests of academics advising within the larger university community.
Section 1. There shall be no discrimination for reasons of religion, age, race or ethnicity, color, sex, marital status, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation.
Section 2. Types of Membership
1. Eligibility
A. Active memberships shall be open to faculty members, administrators, counselors and staff at The University of Texas at Austin. Members must be eligible to participate as outlined by the Office of Community and Campus Involvement and the Office of the Vice President for Business Affairs, and agree to abide by the rules and regulations of The University. Individuals shall become active members in good standing upon payment of dues.
B. Associate ÷associate members are non-dues paying individuals who have interests in academic counseling and advising. Associate members are eligible to attend meetings of ACA.
2. Rights of Membership
Active members shall be eligible to vote, hold office, and attend meetings of the association, and are entitled to all the services and benefits provided by the association.
Section 3. Dues
The establishment to dues shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee and shall be administered in accordance with the rules and regulations regarding accounting as set forth by the Office of Community and Campus Involvement. Any change in the dues shall require approval of a majority of active members in attendance at a regularly scheduled meeting.
The Academic Counselors Association at The University of Texas at Austin will be affiliated with the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA).
Section 1. The membership shall meet at scheduled times as determined by the calendar devised by the Executive Committee. The calendar year shall run from August to July. Special interest meetings of the membership shall be held with the approval of the Executive Committee.
Section 2. The Program Chair(s) is responsible for the preparation of the agenda with the advice and approval of the Executive Committee. Individual members shall submit agenda items to the Executive Committee in advance of the meeting.
All actions purposing to have official consensus of ACA shall be presented to the active membership at a regularly scheduled meeting.
Section 1. Executive Committee
The Executive Committee of the Academic Counselors Association shall be comprised of the President, Vice-President/Program Chair, President-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, Historian, and Public Relations Coordinator. Any of these positions may be shared by no more than two active members, if they so chose to run as a team. These officers shall be elected by a simple majority of the votes cast by ballot or proxy vote. A member may not hold the same office for more than three years consecutively. Chair of the Executive Committee shall be the President of the Academic Counselors Association.
A. President-President - runs the general ACA meetings. Provides the agenda for and facilitates officers' meetings to plan and discuss upcoming projects and events; represents ACA on the Educational Policy Committee; represents ACA on the Provost Council for Academic Advising; involves members in committees and delegates responsibilities. Keeps lists of objectives, and establishes regular meeting times for ACA in consultation with the Executive Committee. Assists in program planning, fund-raising, and represents ACA when the occasion arises. Ensures that accounts are cleared and provides a written year-end report, including a financial report compiled by the treasurer to the membership. Provides orientation for, and turns over all materials to, successor.
B. Vice President/Program Chair - in absence of the President or at the request of the President, performs the President's duties. Serves as program chairperson for ACA: conducts membership survey regarding ACA projects, programs and social events; reserves rooms, sets dates, agenda and program content for meetings in consultation with the President; recruits sponsors to provide refreshments for general meetings. Coordinates and assists chairpersons of committees. Coordinates activities to welcome new members to ACA. Provides orientation for, and turns over all materials to, successor.
C. Treasurer - sets up account for new officers: makes deposits and writes checks for reimbursements and payments through the bank; maintains accurate banking records of all events sponsored by ACA. Registers ACA with the Office of Campus and Community Involvement and the Vice-President of Business Affairs. Renews NACADA membership annually. Must be ex officio member of all committees involving money. Produces a financial report for the membership. Keeps ACA roster updated and distributed. Co-owner of ACA e-mail distribution list. Provides orientation for, and turns over all materials to, successor.
D. Secretary - records and distributes minutes of each general ACA meeting to membership; carries on correspondence as necessary. Member of Nomination Committee and is responsible for administering the election process of new officers. Co-owner of ACA e-mail distribution list. Provides orientation for, and turns over all materials to, successor.
E. Historian - keeps photos and records of ACA events documenting annual projects and programs. Edits and publishes ACA newsletter each semester highlighting programs and members in individual colleges/schools and departments. Is responsible for ACA's inventory of materials and equipment. Must be member of at least one other standing committee with exception of Advisory Council. Provides orientation for, and turns over all materials to, successor.
F. Public Relations Coordinator - serves as the official press agent for ACA. Coordinates all press releases, web page information, and e-mail correspondence with the public. In partnership with the President, serves as main fundraising agent for the association. Must be ex officio member of any committee receiving donations. Provides orientation for, and turns over all materials to, successor.
G. President-Elect - shall be elected for the term of one year to observe the administration of the association. At the end of his/her term, the President-Elect shall automatically become the President for a term of one year. The President-Elect chairs the ACA Advisory Council. Provides orientation for, and turns over all materials to, successor.
Section 2. ACA Advisory Council
The ACA Advisory Council shall be comprised of a cross-section of the ACA general membership and additional non-members at the president's discretion. The incoming ACA President, in consultation with the outgoing ACA President, shall appoint council members to serve a 2-year term to begin on August 1 of the academic year. The outgoing ACA President will automatically be appointed for a one-year term on the Advisory Council. The charge of the ACA Advisory Council shall be to provide advice and feedback to the ACA Executive Committee and the ACA general membership. The ACA Advisory Council shall take pro-active measures to review trends in the academic advising profession and their impact on the University of Texas community. The ACA Advisory Council shall recommend official nominees for the NACADA Advising Awards based on nominations from the general ACA membership. All proposals from the ACA Advisory Council must go to the ACA Executive Committee for approval, which will then decide what action(s) should be taken.
Section 3. Nominations
The Nominations Committee oversees nominations for, and election of, ACA officers. The Nominations Committee will solicit nominations from the ACA membership for officer positions listed in Article VII, Section 1. If there are no nominations for one or more positions, the Nominations Committee will solicit members directly for those positions. The Nominations Committee sends election ballot to voting members, tallies the ballots received, and reports on election results to current President. A simple majority of the votes received shall be required to ratify the election of each office. The chair of the Nominations Committee shall be chosen by vote, by appointment of the active membership, or by the President. Interested volunteers shall make up the membership of the Nominations Committee. The Secretary shall be a member of the Nominations Committee.
Section 4. Professional Development Day
The Professional Development Day Committee plans ACA's annual Professional Development Day event. The chair of the Professional Development Day Committee shall be chosen by vote, by appointment of the active membership, or by the President. Interested volunteers shall make up the membership of the Professional Development Day Committee. At least one Executive Committee member should be a member of the Professional Development Day Committee.
Section 5. Holiday Party
The Holiday Party Committee plans ACA's annual Holiday Party. The chair of the Holiday Party Committee shall be chosen by vote, by appointment of the active membership, or by the President. Interested volunteers shall make up the membership of the Holiday Party Committee. At least one Executive Committee member should be a member of the Holiday Party Committee.
Section 6. Advising Expo
The Advising Expo Committee (formerly called Advising Day Committee) plans ACA's annual campus-wide advising event on the West Mall. The chair of the Advising Expo Committee shall be chosen by vote, by appointment of the active membership, or by the President. Interested volunteers shall make up the membership of the Advising Expo Committee. At least one Executive Committee member should be a member of the Advising Expo Committee.
Section 7. Scholarship
The Scholarship Committee meets annually to award one or more student development scholarships to students who support advising at the University of Texas at Austin. At the discretion of the Executive Committee, the Scholarship Committee may also be allowed to award one or more professional development scholarships to professional advising staff at the University of Texas at Austin who are members of ACA. The Treasurer will make a determination on the amount available for these scholarships and notify the chair of the committee. The chair of the Scholarship Committee shall be chosen by vote, by appointment of the active membership, or by the President. Interested volunteers shall make up the membership of the Scholarship Committee. The Public Relations Coordinator shall be a member of the Scholarship Committee. At least one Executive Committee member should be a member of the Scholarship Committee.
Section 8. All other committees shall be ad hoc and, as such, be formed by ACA active membership when such need arises. The chair of each committee shall be chosen by vote, by appointment of the active membership, or by the President. Interested volunteers shall make up the membership of the committees.
Any proposed amendment(s) to the by-laws of ACA shall be made available to the general membership electronically and/or at a regularly scheduled meeting at least thirty (30) days before a vote is taken on the proposed amendment. Any member of ACA may propose an amendment to the By-laws Committee.
Last updated: 12 October 2005
Academic Counselors Association