ASEE Mechanics Division Bylaws

Revised 2020

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Article 1.  Name

  1. The name of this Division is the Mechanics Division.

Article 2. Objectives

The objectives of this Division are identical to those set forth in the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Constitution, with an emphasis on those objectives that pertain to the field of mechanics.  Specifically, the Division will

  1. provide a formal organizational structure to promote, encourage, and facilitate ASEE activities pertaining to mechanics education;
  2. provide a forum for the discussion of challenges and opportunities as well as the exchange of information pertaining to mechanics education and technology;
  3. disseminate knowledge concerning mechanics teaching and learning; and
  4. recognize and encourage teaching excellence and scholarship in the field of mechanics.

Article 3. Statement on Diversity and Inclusion

The Mechanics Division is committed to promoting the inclusion and education of diverse individuals and embracing diverse ideas in the professions of engineering and engineering technology. The Mechanics Division recognizes that diversity is strength in creativity, broadness of new ideas, and embracing new perspectives to arrive at the most truly innovative, resource-smart solutions possible.

Article 4.  Membership

The members of this Division are those members of ASEE who have chosen to be affiliated with the Division and pay the annual Division dues. The dues will be established or changed through a majority vote of the attendees present at the Division’s Annual Business Meeting.

Article 5. Organization

  1. The Division is administered by an Executive Committee composed of the Chair, Program Chair, Program Chair-Elect, Immediate Past Chair and five to seven Directors.  The Secretary, Treasurer, and Webmaster/Archivist are non-voting ex officio members of the Executive Committee.
  2. All Executive Committee positions except Webmaster/Archivist are elected as prescribed in Article 8. The Webmaster/Archivist is appointed by the Chair.
  3. No voting officer may simultaneously serve as Awards Chair.
  4. The Chair and Immediate Past Chair represent the Division on the ASEE Council Board of the Professional Interest Council to which the Division is assigned.

Article 6.  Officers

  1. The Division’s officers are as follows:

Chair, who serves a term of one year and succeeds to the position of Immediate Past Chair.

Program Chair (Chair-Elect), who serves a term of one year and succeeds to the position of Chair.

Program Chair-Elect, who serves a term of one year and succeeds to the position of Program Chair.

Immediate Past Chair, who serves a term of one year.

Secretary, who serves a term of one year.

Treasurer, who serves a term of one year.

Director (five to seven), who normally serves a four-year term.  After the first year of service, any Director is eligible for election to the position of Program Chair-Elect.  Once elected as Program Chair-Elect, the term as Director will end at the conclusion of the Division’s annual business meeting of the year of election.

Awards Selection Committee Chair, who is appointed by the Chair for a term of one year.

Webmaster/Archivist, who is appointed by the Chair for a term of one year.

  1. The Chair and other elected officers assume their duties at the close of the Division’s Annual Business Meeting conducted at the annual meeting of ASEE. Appointed officers assume their duties upon appointment.
  2. If a member of the Executive Committee is unable to complete his/her term, the vacated position will be filled for the duration of the unexpired term by a person to be appointed by the Executive Committee.

Article 7.  Duties of Officers

  1. CHAIR
    • has administrative responsibility for the conduct of all functions of the Division in accordance with these bylaws and the policies and procedures established by the Executive Committee;
    • schedules, organizes, and conducts annual business meetings of the Division and all meetings of the Executive Committee;
    • appoints all standing committees authorized by these bylaws and special committees authorized by the Executive Committee;
    • compiles an annual report of the activities of the Division as requested by the Board Secretary of ASEE;
    • ensures that official cash disbursement signatures are on file at ASEE headquarters and approves all expenditures of ASEE funds allocated to the Division.
  1. PROGRAM CHAIR (CHAIR-ELECT)
    • acts for the Chair at business meetings and Executive Committee meetings in the event of the Chair’s absence;
    • succeeds the Chair upon completion of his/her term in office;
    • arranges and coordinates the Division’s activities at the ASEE’s annual conference;
    • works with the Executive Committee to develop technical programs in accordance with the Division’s objectives;
    • coordinates 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 on the ASEE Conference website;
    • recommends at least three highly reviewed papers to the Awards Selection Committee for consideration as the Division’s Best Paper;
    • works with ASEE Conferences staff in the on-site management of sessions.
  1. PROGRAM CHAIR-ELECT
    • arranges and coordinates the Division’s awards banquet at the ASEE’s annual conference, including selection of a speaker and preparation of the printed program for the awards banquet;
    • assists the Program Chair as needed to arrange and coordinate the Division’s activities at the ASEE’s annual conference;
    • succeeds the Program Chair upon completion of his/her term in office.
  1. IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR
    • serves on the Executive Committee and, upon appointment, on other Division’s standing and ad hoc committees;
    • leads the Nominating Committee in developing the list of candidates for Division officers;
    • keeps the Executive Committee informed about the activities and progress of the Nominating Committee.
  1. DIRECTORS
    • serve on the Executive Committee and, upon appointment, on other Division’s standing and ad hoc committees.
  1. SECRETARY
    • records the minutes of the Executive Committee meeting at the Annual Business Meeting and distributes copies of the minutes to appropriate Division and ASEE officers;
    • is responsible for the official records of the Executive Committee and the Division and ensures that the files of the Division are passed along to his/her successor;
    • tabulates, verifies, and communicates the results of Division elections and other ballots.
  1. TREASURER
    • oversees and maintains the financial records of the Division and regularly reports the financial status of the Division to the Executive Committee;
    • collects Division income, if any, and disburses funds authorized by the Division Chair;
    • ensures 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.
  1. AWARDS SELECTION COMMITTEE CHAIR
    • advertises the Division’s awards as outlined in Article 12 and solicits nominations;
    • leads the Awards Selection Committee in selecting recipients of Division awards in accordance with the provisions of each award and the policies and procedures established for awards by the Executive Committee;
    • promptly communicates awardee selection and information to ASEE headquarters;
    • notifies awardee and nominator of selection and of presentation details;
    • plans the presentation ceremony;
    • notifies nominators whose nominees were not selected;
    • keeps the Executive Committee informed about the activities and progress of the Awards Committee.
  1. WEBMASTER/ARCHIVIST
    • develops and maintains the Division’s web site(s);
    • ensures that the Division web site(s) adhere to the policies and standards of ASEE as to privacy and all other internet issues;
    • keeps, catalogs, and transfers to his/her successor those Division documents that are not normally kept by the Secretary or/and Treasurer but are records of the activities and achievements of the Division and its members;
    • is responsible for filing the appropriate historical documents in the Division’s paper or/and electronic archival library.

Article 8.  Election of Officers

  1. The Program Chair-Elect will be selected from the current set of Directors. At each Annual Business Meeting, the Program Chair-Elect, two new Directors, a Secretary, and a Treasurer will be elected from Division membership and by the Division members present. Prior to the meeting, the Nominating Committee will nominate two or more candidates for the office of Director, and one or more candidates each for the offices of Program Chair-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer. Additional nominations for these elected offices may be made at the Business Meeting.
  2. Election of the offices of Director, Secretary, and Treasurer will be conducted by ballot among those Division members present at the Annual Business Meeting. The Secretary will prepare a ballot in advance of the Meeting that includes the nominees from the Nominating Committee and additional space for nominees presented at the Meeting.  Special elections may be conducted by e-mail.
  3. In the event that none of the eligible Directors accepts nomination for Program Chair-Elect, the Executive Committee may solicit nominations from the general Division membership.

Article 9. Committees

  1. The Executive Committee will establish standing and ad hoc committees as it deems necessary to carry out the activities of the Division.
  2. At least 3 standing committees will be maintained: the Nominating Committee, the Awards Selection Committee, and the Membership Committee.
  3. The Nominating Committee consists of the three most recent past division Chairs available to serve.  The most Immediate Past Chair will serve as Nominating Committee Chair. This committee is responsible for soliciting candidates for officer positions.
  4. The Awards Selection Committee consists of at least three members appointed by the Chair. This committee carries out the duties as described in Article 12.
  5. The Membership Committee consists of at least three members appointed by the Chair. The Membership Committee Chair will be selected by the committee members. This committee is responsible for conducting activities for increasing Division membership and engagement.

Article 10.  Meetings & Activities

  1. An annual business meeting of the Division will be held during the ASEE Annual Conference. Those Division members present at the meeting will constitute a quorum.  The business meeting must include
    1. reports from the incumbent officers regarding the Division’s membership, finances, and activities for the preceding year;
    2. election of officers for the following year;
    3. presentation of Division awards, unless the Division schedules a separate function for that purpose.
  2. The Executive Committee will hold regular meetings during the ASEE annual conference and special meetings throughout the year as called by the Chair. Those members of the Executive Committee present at meetings of the Executive Committee will constitute a quorum.
  3. The Executive Committee may establish other activities as deemed desirable to promote the objectives of the Division.
  4. 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.

Article 11.  Publications

  1. The Division will produce and distribute such publications as the Executive Committee deems appropriate to promote the objectives of the Division.
  2. With the exception of invited speakers and panelists, only favorably reviewed papers shall be presented at meetings 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 will become the property of ASEE and may be published as ASEE miscellaneous or occasional publications or series 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.

Article 12. Awards

  1. The solicitation of nominees, evaluation of nominees, and selection of winners for the Division awards shall be carried out by the Awards Selection Committee under the direction of the Awards Selection Committee Chair.
  2. The Mechanics Division awards, pending qualified nominees, are as follows:
    1. Archie Higdon Distinguished Educator Award recognizes distinguished and outstanding contributions to engineering mechanics education.
    2. Ferdinand P. Beer and E. Russell Johnston, Jr., Outstanding New Mechanics Educator Award(s) recognize up to three individuals, who have no more than five years of academic experience past their first regular academic appointment, for demonstrated strong commitment to mechanics education.
    3. James L. Meriam Service Award recognizes significant service to the Division as characterized by notable leadership, significant contributions, and prolonged and dedicated service. Candidates for the award must be members of the Mechanics Division and must have served the Division for a minimum of ten years.
    4. Best Presentation Award recognizes individual(s) for the outstanding paper presentation in the Mechanics Division sessions at the ASEE Annual Conference held in the previous year.
    5. Best Paper Award recognizes the best paper accepted by the Mechanics Division for publication in the ASEE Annual Conference Proceedings. The Program Chair will recommend at least three highly reviewed papers to the Awards Selection Committee for consideration as the Division’s Best Paper.
  3. The requirements for the nominee application package for each award will be announced by the Awards Selection Committee in advance of the Annual Conference.
  4. The method of recognition of award winners will be determined by the Awards Selection Committee in consultation with the Executive Committee.

Article 13.  Amendments

  1. Amendments to these Bylaws may be made at the annual business meeting of the Division or by mail or e‑mail ballot at any time 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 Bylaws.
  2. Proposed amendments to these Bylaws will be prepared by a committee of three Division members appointed by the Division Chair. Proposed amendments will be sent to the full membership of the Division by letter or in the publications of the Division no less than thirty days before they are to be voted upon.  Proposed amendments may also be sent to members electronically.
  3. Amendments approved by the Division membership will be submitted through the Chair of the Professional Interest Council to which the Division has been assigned for approval by majority vote of the ASEE Board of Directors and will take effect only upon such approval.

Article 14. Other Provisions.

  1. Any provision of these Bylaws will be deemed invalid if it contravenes the Constitution or Bylaws of ASEE or of the Professional Interest Council to which the Division belongs.
  2. The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, latest edition, will govern this Division in all matters of parliamentary authority to which they are applicable and in which they are consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of ASEE and the Bylaws of this Division.  In all other matters, the Constitution of ASEE will govern.

 

 

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