Research Consortium

Bylaws of the West Chester University
Research Consortium

Article I. Name

The name of this organization will be The West Chester University Research Consortium.

Article II. Object

The object of this organization will be to be an advocate for and to support the performance of academic research by faculty members at West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

Article III. Membership

Section 1. Membership will be open to all West Chester University faculty who perform academic research or who are interested in developing a research program, and to administrators who support research.

Section 2. Applications for membership will be considered and acted upon by the Board of Directors.

Article IV. Officers

1. The officers of the organization will be a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and three Directors.
2. Officers will serve for a term of two years or until their successors are elected; the term of office will commence at the close of the annual meeting after the election.
3. Elections for officers will be held on even-numbered years.
4. No member will hold more than one office.
5. If the President is unable to complete his or her term, the Vice President will serve as President for the unexpired term, the office of Vice President becoming vacant.
6. If any office other than that of President becomes vacant, nominations will be called for and a special election will be held; the specially elected officer to serve the unexpired term.
7. The Election Committee will, during the Fall semester, call for nominations from the members for those offices to be filled at the next election. Both the call and the nominations may be made by electronic mail. Members of the Election Committee are ineligible for nomination or election. The deadline for receipt of nominations will be at least three weeks after the call for nominations.
8. Election of officers will be made by mail ballot. Election will be by majority of the valid votes cast. If more than two candidates are on the ballot for any office, the ballot will provide for preferential voting; the number of preferences being one less than the number of candidates. First the ballots will be sorted by first choice. Any person receiving the majority of the first choice votes will be elected. In the event that no person receives the majority of the first choice votes, the candidate with the fewest first choice votes will be eliminated. The ballots for that person will be distributed to the other candidates according to their second choice. This procedure will be repeated until a candidate has the majority of the votes or until all the levels of preference are exhausted.
9. The Elections Committee will distribute ballots with signature-envelopes. Completed ballots must be enclosed in a signed signature envelope which clearly identifies the voter. Before opening any ballot, the Election Committee will check the names on the envelopes against the membership list. Any ballots in envelopes not bearing the name of a member will be deemed invalid. If more than one envelope bears the name of a member, all such ballots will be invalid. The election committee will open the envelopes and place the valid ballots in a ballot box, taking care to avoid learning or revealing the content of the ballot. All ballots in an envelope containing more than one ballot will be invalid. After the valid ballots have been separated from their envelopes, the Election Committee will count the ballots and report the tally to the Board of Directors.

Article V. Meetings

1. There will be a meeting during the third week in October and one during the third week in February unless otherwise ordered by the Consortium or by the Board of Directors. The February meeting will be the annual meeting. The purpose of the annual meeting will be the receiving reports of officers and standing committees, the installation of newly elected officers, and any other business that may arise.
2. Special meetings may be called by the President or by the Board of Directors. A special meeting will be called at the written request of fifteen members of the Consortium. The purpose of the meeting will be stated in the call. Except in cases of emergency, at least two weeks’ notice will be given.
3. Twenty-five members will constitute a quorum.

Article VI. The Board of Directors

1. The officers of the Consortium, including the Directors, will constitute the Board of Directors; past Presidents will be invited to attend in an advisory capacity.
2. The Board of Directors will have general supervision of the affairs of the Consortium between its business meetings, will fix the hour of meetings, and will perform such other duties as are specified by these bylaws. The Board of Directors will be subject to the orders of the Consortium, and none of its acts will conflict with the actions taken by the Consortium.
3. The Board of Directors will meet at least once each month for the period from September to May, subject to the call of the President.
4. The quorum for the Board of Directors will be a majority of its members.

Article VII. Committees

1. A Program Committee, composed of three members, will be appointed by the Board of Directors at its November meeting. It will be the duty of this committee to plan programs for meetings of the Consortium and at other events sponsored or cosponsored by the Consortium.
2. An Election Committee, composed of three members, will be appointed by the Board of Directors at its November meeting. It will be the duty of this committee to conduct elections by mail ballot for election of officers and for any other matter for which a mail ballot may be required.
3. Special committees will be appointed by the President, the Consortium, or the Board of Directors, as the Board of Directors or the Consortium will from time to time deem necessary to carry on the work of the Consortium.
4. The President will be an ex-officio member of every committee except the Election Committee.

Article VIII. Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised will govern the Consortium in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order which the Consortium may adopt.

Article IX. Amendment of Bylaws

These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote by mail ballot provided that the proposed amendment has been approved by the Board of Directors, pr by a petition signed by at least 10% of the members of the Consortium.

 Research Consortium Home