ARTICLE I.  NAME

The name of this organization shall be the UAB African American Faculty Association, hereinafter referred to as the Association.

ARTICLE II.  PURPOSE

The purpose of this Association shall be to:

• Provide a forum for association and collaboration among African American faculty; 
• Address issues related to the recruitment, hiring, promotion, treatment, and retention of African American faculty; 
• Promote professional development and scholarship among African American faculty and students;
• Support and maintain the educational and cultural traditions of African Americans; and
• Function as an advisory board on behalf of the African American campus community.

ARTICLE III.  MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Composition

Active membership in the Association shall be open to all African American faculty of UAB. An active member is a person who has paid their membership fee for the calendar year. Lifetime members by default are active members while still employed by UAB. Lifetime members are eligible for associate membership after leaving UAB.

Section 2.  Membership Privileges

All active members shall have the right to vote, to hold office, and to serve on and/or chair committees.

Section 3.  Membership dues are required for active membership status in the Association.

There are two categories of membership dues:

1. Regular Member Dues: This is required for active membership from January to December calendar year. The regular membership dues are paid each calendar year and are due in January of each year.  Regardless of when it is paid during the year, it covers membership for the calendar year during which it is paid. 
2. Lifetime Member Dues: This is required for active membership for life. This option requires a one time payment for lifetime membership to take effect immediately. However, a member could choose to pay over a two-year period or less. If this installment option is chosen, the member’s active lifetime membership status takes effect when his/her final installment is paid.    

ARTICLE IV.  STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP

The scholarship recipient(s) will be selected by the Association in accordance with the ideals of the Association. 

ARTICLE V.  OFFICERS

Section 1.  The elected officers of the Association shall be an Immediate Past President, President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and Communications Officer.  These officers constitute the Executive Committee of the Association and perform the duties prescribed by these bylaws.  The Immediate Past President is an ex-officio member of Executive Committee. President can appoint active member(s) as ex-officio members to the Executive Committee as needed. 

Section 2.  Elections

Elections shall be conducted every even calendar year for all offices.  The officers of the Association shall be voted upon either at a membership meeting or through electronic voting held during fall semester of an election year.  Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of all votes cast by active members present at said electoral meeting or participating in the electronic voting process. The process for electronic voting shall be determined by the chair of an election committee with approval of the executive committee.

Section 3.  Terms of Office

The officers shall serve a term of two years.  New officers shall take office in January 1^st  following their election.  Past officers are expected to advise in-coming replacements for the first quarter. No member shall hold more than one office at a time.  Officers may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms in the same office.

Section 4.  Vacancies

In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the Vice-President shall succeed to that office. The President shall fill other vacancies with the majority approval of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VI.  DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1.  Officers of the Association shall perform the duties prescribed by these bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Association.  All officers shall remain active members during their term of office.

Section 2.  The President shall:

1. Preside at all meetings of the Association;
2. Serve as Chair of the Executive Committee;
3.  Serve as chief spokesperson for the Association; 
4. Appoint officers, with the majority approval of the Executive Committee, in the event of vacancies prior to the elections; 
5. Authorize expenditures with the approval of Executive Committee and have the authority, in addition to the Treasurer, topay bills of the Association; and
6. Co-sign checks as authorized by the Executive Committee.

Section 3.  The Vice-President shall:

1. Perform all duties of the President in the absence of that officer;
2. Succeed to the office of President in the event of a vacancy in that office; and
3. Assumes parliamentary duties (e.g. is responsible for responding to all procedural issues arising within the Association.)
4. Prepare a narrative account of the Association’s activities during his or her term of office, which, when approved by the membership, will become a permanent part of the Association’s official history.           

Section 4.  The Secretary shall:

1. Keep and distribute the minutes of the meetings of the Association and the Executive Board; 
2. Handle, receive, and retain the administrative paperwork of the Association;
3. Handle the distribution of all meeting notices and formal correspondence; and 
   • Perform the duties of the President in the absence of both that officer and the Vice-President.

Section 5.  The Treasurer shall:

• Receive all Association monies (cash, checks and electronic forms of payment in consultation with Executive Committee) and keep the books of the Association;
• Co-sign checks as authorized by the Executive Committee; and
• Prepare, publish, and circulate bank and electronic payment statements at each business meeting of the Association to the Executive Committee.
• Provide the Nominating Committee with a list of active members.

Section 6.  The Communications Officer shall:

• Manage updating Association website and managing social media account(s).

Section 7. The Immediate Past President shall:

• Serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee; name three active members who shall be approved by the Executive Committee to serve on the Nominating Committee and perform other duties as assigned by the President.
• Serves as ex-officio member of Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VII.  STUDENT LIAISONS

There shall be two student liaisons (one undergraduate student with at least junior status and one graduate student with at least second-year status) to the Association.  Priority is given to student organizations developed from the Association. The President or designee of Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA) and President or designee of Blazer Women Mentoring Excellence Network (BWOMEN) are the liaisons to the Association.  The students serve as liaison for one year.

ARTICLE VIII.  MEETINGS

Section 1.  Regular membership meetings of the Association shall occur at least threetimes each academic year.  Special meetings may occur as deemed necessary by the Executive Committee. Members of the Association shall receive notification of the date, time, and place of all meetings.

Section 2.  Votes, other than officer elections and bylaw amendments, shall be carried by a simple majority of those voting at the meeting. The President shall vote in the event of a tie.

ARTICLE IX.  COMMITTEES

Section 1. Executive Committee

The administrative responsibility of the Association shall be vested in an Executive Committee comprised of the elected officers.  The Executive Committee shall be empowered to act on behalf of the Association.

Section 2.  Standing Committees  

The standing committees of the Association shall be the Membership Committee,Program Committee, Faculty Development Committee, Student Outreach Committee,and Scholarship Committee.  The Executive Committee appoints Standing Committee Chairs. The Standing Committee Chairs report to the Executive Committee. 

Section 3.  Ad Hoc Committees

• The President shall appoint such other committees as the Association or the Executive Committee deem necessary to carry on the work of the Association. 
• Nominating Committee is an ad hoc committee; it is responsible for recruiting active members to serve in individual offices. The Nominating Committee contacts the Treasurer for list of active members to recruit potential officers. 

Section 4.  Liaisons to each academic unit, school, or Libraries 

The Executive Committee shall appoint one liaison to facilitate communications to and feedback from their schools, units, or Libraries. Liaisons serve for one year but can be re-appointed. Active membership status is required for one to be a liaison.

ARTICLE X.  PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revisedshall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Association may adopt.

ARTICLE XI.  AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

Section 1.  These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds majority of active members voting provided that each amendment shall have been proposed in writing to the Secretary.  The Secretary shall distribute proposed amendments to the active members two weeks prior to voting.

Section 2.  Only active members may present proposed amendments to these bylaws. 

Section 3.  To abolish these bylaws Article XI Section 1 and Section 2 must be followed.