Bylaws
Adopted: February 1985
Revised: April 2006
Revised: June 2012
Revised: November 2020
[A] NAME
The name of this Division shall be the International Division.
[B] OBJECTIVES
The International Division advances the practice and scholarship of international engineering education work and is in charge of promoting international understanding, collaboration, and exchange. The international division objectives, in alignment with the Society goals, focus on enhancing and promoting international perspectives and awareness to improve the engineering education field by advancing global and inclusive perspectives. Specifically, the Division shall:
- Promote the exchange of ideas for multicultural and multinational activities including programs, curricula, and activities that enhance the international educational experience of engineering and technology students and faculty.
- Recognize and encourage excellence and leadership in global engineering education.
- Organize and facilitate the International Division sessions of the Annual ASEE conference encouraging submission of papers with an international view on engineering education (e.g. research on student engineering experiences abroad, international faculty collaboration, student mobility schemes, assessment of intercultural competence).
- Enhance multiple modalities of academic interactions including virtual student teams and distance tools to deliver and share best practices in international collaboration. Integrate International division programs with those countries with strong engineering education efforts and learn from each other what works best in the international engineering education community.
[C] MEMBERSHIP
The members of this Division shall be those members of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) who identify to ASEE their wish to be affiliated with the group each year and who pay the division dues of $5.00 per year.
[D] ORGANIZATION
The Division shall be administered by an Executive Committee composed of Division Chair, Chair Elect, Secretary/Treasurer, Program Chair, Program Chair Elect, and Past Chair.
The Division Chair shall represent the Division on the Council Board of the Professional Interest Council to which it has been assigned by the Society.
[E] OFFICERS
- The unit’s elected officers are as follows:
Division Chair — serves a term of two years. Chair succeeds to the position of Immediate Past Chair when the new Chair is elected.
Chair Elect — serves a term of two years and succeeds to the position of Division Chair
Immediate Past Chair — serves a term of two years and has to be a member of the Nominating Committee and help with nominations
Secretary/Treasurer — serves a term of two years
Program Chair — serves a term of two years
Program Chair Elect – serves for a term of two years and succeeds to the position of Program Chair and has to be chair of the Awards Committee
Nominating Committee Chair — serving for a term of two years
Membership Chair — serving for a term of two years
Diversity and Inclusion Chair — serving for a term of two years
Member at large — 2 members serving for a term of two years.
- The Division Chair and other elected officers shall assume their duties at the close of the division’s business meeting conducted at the annual meeting of the Society.
- in the event of the resignation or death of one of the members of the Executive Committee, the vacated office shall be filled for the duration of the unexpired term by a person to be appointed by vote of the Executive Committee, except that in the event of the resignation or death of the Division Chair or the Program Chair, the Division/Program Chairs-Elect shall take office immediately, serve out the duration of the unexpired term followed by the term to which he/she was elected;
- in the event of the resignation or death of the Division or Program Chair Elect, a special election shall be conducted within 30 days to elect a new Chair Elect and the Executive Committee may, at its discretion, appoint a person to fulfill the duties of the Chair Elect until the position is filled by election;
- in the event of the resignation or death of the Immediate Past Chair, the vacated office shall not be filled for the duration of the unexpired term.
[F] ELIGIBILITY OF DIVISON CHAIR ELECT
The Division Chair Elect will be succeeding into the leadership of the Division. Hence, it is required that the Division Chair Elect has experience as a prior officer, preferably as Program Chair. Experience in other divisions is also considered for this role.
[G] DUTIES OF OFFICERS
- The DIVISION CHAIR shall:
- Have administrative responsibility for the conduct of all functions of the Division in accordance with these by-laws and the policies and procedures established by the Executive Committee.
- Schedule, organize, and conduct annual business meetings of the Division and all meetings of the Executive Committee. Meetings will be organized around the ASEE annual conference and also as required if something important needs to be discussed.
- Organize and suggest to the Executive Committee the organization of standing committees authorized by these by-laws and special committees authorized by the Executive Committee.
- Compile an annual report of the activities of the Division as requested by the Secretary of the Society.
- Assure that official cash disbursement signatures are on file at Society headquarters and approve all expenditures of Society funds.
- Represent the Division on the Council Board of the Professional Interest Council IV.
- Manage communication with the Division members.
- The CHAIR-ELECT shall:
- Act for the Chair at business meetings and Executive Committee meetings in the event of the Chair’s absence.
- Represent the Division on the International Advisory Committee of ASEE.
- Succeed the Chair upon completion of his/her term in office.
- Help the Division Chair to communicate with the Division members.
- Be a member of the Nominating Committee.
- Take office as Division Chair in the event of the resignation or death of the Division Chair before his/her term is completed.
- Provide support to the Program Chair on issues related to the Annual Conference.
- The SECRETARY/TREASURER shall:
- Oversee and maintain the financial records of the Division and regularly report on financial status to the Executive Committee.
- Collect unit income, if any, and disburse monies authorized by the Executive Committee.
- Keep records of all the Division ‘s outstanding receivables and payables.
- Ensure that all the Division’s financial activities conform to the standards and procedures set forth in the ASEE Financial Policy Manual, which is available from the ASEE Accounting department.
- Record the minutes of Executive Committee meetings and the annual business meeting, and distribute copies of the minutes to appropriate Division and Society officers.
- Be responsible for the official records of the Executive Committee and the Division, and ensure that the files of the Division are passed along to his/her successor.
- The PROGRAM CHAIR shall:
- Arrange and coordinate the Division’s activities (e.g. social event, division mixer) at the Society’s annual meeting.
- Work with the Executive Committee to develop technical programs in accordance with the Division’s objectives.
- Coordinate sessions within the time frame set by ASEE headquarters for inviting speakers, notifying headquarters of logistical needs, etc., as set forth in the “Program Chair Guidelines” available from the ASEE annual conference guidelines.
- Work with ASEE staff in the on-site management of sessions.
- Work with the Program Chair Elect on assigning reviewers, identifying session moderators, and communicating with the Awards Committee to ensure the quality of the International Division sessions at the Annual Conference.
- The PROGRAM CHAIR ELECT shall:
- Work with the Program Chair to arrange and coordinate the Division’s activities at the Society’s annual meeting.
- Understand and support the role of the Program Chair as preparation for a successful transition into Program Chair once the term is over.
- Work with the Program Chair on assigning reviewers, identifying session moderators, and communicating with the Awards Committee to ensure the quality of the International Division sessions at the Annual Conference Serves as the Chair of the Awards Committee.
- Act as the chair of the Awards Committee.
- Promptly communicate awardee selection and information to ASEE headquarters. Notify awardee of selection and of presentation details. Plan the presentation ceremony.
- Take office as Program Chair in the event of the resignation or death of the Program Chair before his/her term is completed.
- The IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR shall:
- Serve on the Executive Committee and, upon appointment, on such other standing and ad hoc committees as the Division may establish.
- Serve as a member of the Nominating Committee.
- The Nominating COMMITTEE CHAIR shall:
- Create and manage the plan for the elections process.
- Promptly communicate to the Executive Committee on available positions and gather expressions of interest.
- Lead the Nominations Committee consisting of, besides the Nominations Committee Chair, the Immediate Past Chair, the Secretary/Treasurer, and a Member At Large of the International Division.
- Organize the electronic system to cast votes.
- Keep the Executive Committee informed about the activities and progress of the Nominating Committee.
- Tabulate, verify, and communicate the results of Division elections and other ballots.
- The DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION CHAIR shall:
- Attend the CDEI meetings and represent the International Division in the Commission.
- Report back to the Executive committee on major Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion decisions.
- Work with the Awards Committee to identify papers to nominate for the Best Paper on Equity and Inclusion Award.
- Work with the Membership Chair to communicate CDEI information to all division members.
- The MEMBERSHIP CHAIR shall:
- Work with the ASEE staff to maximize recruitment and retention of members affiliated with the Division.
- Communicate important information with the Division regularly.
- Develop methods for getting Division members involved in Division activities.
- Organize communication lists and provide access to listservs to leaders. The chair will be in charge of giving access to the listserv, ASEE Hub, and share important information when members require it.
- The Members (2) at large:
- Upon the recommendation of the Division Chair, one Member At Large shall serve on the Nominating Committee, while the other Member At Large shall serve on the Awards Committee.
[H] ELECTION OF OFFICERS – Nominating Committee
- The Nominating Committee shall annually nominate candidates for each elected office for which the term is due to expire at the next annual business meeting. All officers will be elected by vote.
- The Nominating Committee consists of the elected Nominating Committee Chair, the Immediate Past Chair, the Secretary/Treasurer, and a Member At Large of the International Division. They will serve during the same two- year period while they are in office.
- Elections will be conducted electronically or at the Business Meeting in person.
- The slate of candidates shall be prepared by the Nominating committee and shall be sent to the full membership of the Division electronically not less than 30 days before they are to be voted upon.
[I] AWARDS
- The Program Chair Elect will serve as the Awards Committee Chair.
- One Member At Large appointed by the Division Chair should serve as a member of the Awards Committee.
- The Program Chair will serve as a member.
- The committee will be in charge of selecting papers for two awards: Best Student Paper Awards and Division Best Paper Award.
- The committee will suggest papers to be submitted to the Best CDEI paper award.
- The committee will suggest awards as they see appropriate.
[J] MEETINGS & ACTIVITIES
- An annual business meeting of the Division shall be held during the annual conference of the Society. Those members present at the meeting shall constitute a quorum. The business meeting shall include at least:
- Reports from the incumbent officers on the Division’s activities for the preceding year, membership, and finances.
- Presentation of Division awards, unless the Division schedules a separate function for that purpose.
- The Executive Committee shall hold regular meetings during the annual conference of the Society and special meetings throughout the year as called by the Division Chair. Those members of the Executive Committee present at meetings of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.
- The Executive Committee may establish such other activities as deemed desirable to promote the objectives of the unit. It may also invite other members of the Division to its meetings.
- All meetings of the Division are open to all interested persons. Only members of the Executive Committee, however, are eligible to vote on Executive Committee matters and only members of the Division are eligible to vote on Division-wide matters, including the election of officers.
[K] PUBLICATIONS
- The Division shall produce and distribute such publications as the Executive Committee deems appropriate to promote the objectives of the Division.
- In accordance with Article VIII of the ASEE Constitution, papers and discussions presented at meetings of ASEE and the councils or groups therein shall become the property of ASEE and may be published as ASEE series, miscellaneous or occasional publications if authorized by the Board of Directors or its delegated representative. The ASEE Board of Directors, through its delegated representative, may grant permission to publish such papers and discussions elsewhere on condition that ASEE receive proper credit or may waive any property right ASEE may have in the paper or discussion. Papers not accepted for publication shall be returned to the authors and shall no longer be considered the property of the Society.
[L] AMENDMENTS
- Amendments to these by-laws may be made at the annual business meeting of the Division, or at any meeting during the year, upon affirmative vote by two-thirds of the members who vote. Only members of the Division may vote on proposed amendments to the by-laws.
- Proposed amendments to these by-laws shall be prepared by a committee of Division members appointed by the Division Chair. Proposed amendments shall be sent to the full membership of the Division electronically not less than 30 days before they are to be voted upon.
- Amendments approved by the division membership shall be submitted through the PIC IV Chair for approval by majority vote of the ASEE Board of Directors and shall take effect only upon such approval.
[M] DIVERSITY STATEMENT
The International Division recognizes explicitly and welcomes the inclusion of diverse individuals as well as diverse stakeholder-groups and their diverse values and perspectives. Their representation is critical to the division, provides strength in creativity, broadens new ideas, and increases effectiveness in arriving at the most innovative, equitable, and socially responsible solutions possible. The representation of the engineering and technology education community from both inside and outside of USA is welcome in order to enhance international partnerships and exchange of views on engineering education development worldwide.
Thus the International Division is committed i) to promoting the inclusion and education of all diverse individuals and groups, ii) to encouraging the free and equitable expression of diverse ideas in the professions of engineering and engineering technology and iii) to conveying to the engineering and technology education community the importance of socially responsible development and use of technology.
[N] OTHER PROVISIONS
- Any provision of these by-laws shall be deemed invalid if it contravenes the Constitution and By-Laws of the Society or of the Professional Interest Council (PIC) to which the Division belongs.
- The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, latest edition, shall govern this unit in all matters of parliamentary authority to which they are applicable and in which they are consistent with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Society and the By-Laws of this Division. In all other matters, the Constitution of the Society shall govern.