Voting on the Bylaw Changes Has Now Ended
Thank you for voting on the changes to the AACTE bylaws during this month’s online vote. The proposed changes to both bylaws passed, with over 90% of respondents supporting the changes.
The first set of changes applies to Article II, Section 2, which now reads as follows:
Article II, Section 2—Member Meetings/Quorum
A. The Association shall hold one Annual Members’ Meeting and such other meetings on such days and at such places as may be determined by the Board of Directors. Such meetings need not be held at a geographic location if the meeting is held by means of the Internet or other electronic communications technology in a fashion pursuant to which the members have the opportunity to read or hear the proceedings substantially concurrently with their occurrence, vote on matters submitted to the members, pose questions, and make comments.
B. The lesser of 50 or 1% of representatives of regular members registered and in attendance at an annual or special meeting of the Association or represented by proxy shall constitute a quorum.
C. Any action that may be taken at a meeting of members may be taken without a meeting by ballot, provided that a ballot is delivered to all members entitled to vote on the action, and the number of votes cast by ballot equals or exceeds a quorum, and the number of approvals equals or exceeds the number of votes that would be required to approve the matter at a meeting at which the total number of votes cast was the same as the number cast by ballot.
This language allows the Association, in collaboration with the Board of Directors, to deliver updates on the business of AACTE to members electronically, whether through a year-end report, webinar, or some other Internet-based method. We are developing plans now to ensure that members receive accurate information in a timely, easily accessible manner. This language also allows any votes that would have been typically conducted at the Annual Business Meeting during an AACTE Annual Meeting to be carried out online instead through the AACTE Voting System. This change allows more members to participate and provides us with a more accurate vote count.
The second bylaw affected by this month’s vote is Article VI, Section 1 – Appointment of AACTE Members to the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Members voted to delete this article from the bylaws entirely, as NCATE no longer exists as an organization, and the new bylaws of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation do not allow for direct appointments by AACTE.
Members’ involvement with the Association, including through your votes on these issues, are vital to the continued success of our work. To get involved more directly, please consider applying to serve on one of our seven standing committees or on the Board of Directors. The application is accessible at http://submit.aacte.org through May 9, and any questions can be directed to me at lberrier@aacte.org.
Tags: AACTE governance
