BYLAWS OF THE PACIFIC SOUTHWEST SECTION (PSW)

American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)

Revised 1985

Revised March 11, 1997

Revised April 14, 2000

Revised April 14, 2004

Revised March 20, 2017

Revised July 1, 2023 (current)

I. NAME

1.1. The name of this organization shall be The Pacific Southwest Section (PSW) of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), hereinafter referred to as the Section.

II. OBJECTIVES

2.1. The purpose of the Section shall be the promotion of the aims and objectives of the ASEE as stated in the ASEE Constitution and Bylaws.  The Section shall concern itself with all ASEE affairs taking place within the area prescribed by ASEE as the Pacific Southwest Section.  Among the objectives are the promotion of the highest ideals in the conduct of engineering education, with respect to administration, curriculum, and teaching, and maintenance of the highest professional standards among its members.

2.2 The Section is committed to promoting the inclusion and education of diversity of its membership and embracing diverse ideas in the professions of engineering and engineering technology. The Section recognizes that diversity, both intellectually and socially, fuels innovation and the development of imaginative and enduring solutions to global problems.

The Section will neither discriminate nor tolerate discrimination against any member due to personal characteristics such as age, belief system, disability status, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, race, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, or any other visible or non-visible differences.

III. MEMBERSHIP

3.1. Membership in the Section shall consist of all members of ASEE who reside or are employed in the states of Arizona, Nevada, California, and Hawaii.

IV. ELECTION OF OFFICERS

4.1. No individual may hold more than one Board position simultaneously. The elected officers of the Section shall consist of a Chair-Elect, Vice-Chair for Faculty Awards, Vice-Chair for Student Awards, Vice-Chair for New Faculty, Vice-Chair for Membership, Vice-Chair for Community Colleges, Executive Secretary, Treasurer, Website Developer, three External Partnership Liaisons (EPLs), and seven Directors.  All elected officers must be current members of ASEE at the time of the election and during the effective term.

4.2. The Chair-Elect shall be elected annually, serve as Chair the second year in office, and serve as Past-Chair the third year in office. The Chair and Past-Chair are officers of the Board, but are not elected positions.

4.3. The Vice-Chair for Faculty Awards, Vice-Chair for Membership, Treasurer, two EPLs, Website Developer and four Directors shall be elected for terms of two years starting in the even numbered years.

4.4. The Vice-Chair for Student Awards, Vice-Chair for New Faculty, Vice-Chair for Community Colleges, Executive Secretary, one EPL, and three Directors shall be elected for terms of two years starting the odd-numbered years.

4.5. By April 1 of each year, the Chair shall appoint an Election Committee to manage the Section’s annual election.  This Committee shall consist of the current Past-Chair and any two Board members.

4.6. By May 1, the Chair shall solicit nominations for open Board positions through an e-mail sent to the entire Section.  Nominations must be received by the Election Committee by May 15, and accompanied by a statement from the nominees indicating a willingness to serve.  All nominees must be current ASEE members at the time of nomination.  If no nominations are received for an open Board position, the Election Committee shall actively recruit Section member(s) to run for the position.

4.7. The Election Committee shall create an electronic ballot listing all eligible candidates that shall be distributed to all Section members via e-mail by June 1.  The election shall close by June 15, at which time only votes by current ASEE members shall be counted.  The election shall be determined by a plurality of those eligible votes received before the ballot closes.  In the event of a tie between two or more candidates, the Election Committee shall hold a run-off election.  If a tie still exists after the run-off, the election will be decided by having the remaining candidates draw lots. The Election Committee shall inform the Chair of the results, and the Chair shall announce the new Executive Board to all Section members via e-mail before July 1.

4.8. The terms of newly elected officers shall begin July 1.

4.9. Vacancy in the office of the Chair shall be filled by the Chair-Elect. The Chair, with the approval of the Executive Board, shall appoint members to fill vacancies which occur on the Executive Board until the next regular election.  All appointees must be current ASEE members.

4.10 An Executive Board member may be removed from office for failure to satisfactorily perform the duties and responsibilities of that office. Action to remove the member may be initiated by a petition addressed to the Executive Board which is signed by at least three (3) members of the Executive Board. Upon receipt of such petition, the member may be removed from office as decided upon by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Executive Board.

V. MEETINGS

5.1. The Section shall hold an Annual Section or Zone Conference.  At this conference there may be a Business Session for the transaction of business of the Section.

5.2. The locations of Annual Conferences shall be approved by the Executive Board at the Board meeting normally one year or more in advance.

5.3. Additional Section meetings may be scheduled by action of the Executive Board.

VI. EXECUTIVE BOARD

6.1. The officers listed in Sections 4.1 and 4.2 shall constitute the Executive Board.

6.2. The Executive Board shall be the overall governing and policy-making body for the Section.

6.3. Fifty percent of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum.  Board members unable to attend a Board meeting may assign in writing their proxies to an elected Board member prior to a given Board meeting.  These proxies may be used to help constitute a quorum and to vote on matters that appear before the Board.  Each Board member may be assigned a maximum of two votes by proxy.  Only elected Board members are allowed to vote.

6.4. The Executive Board shall meet at least twice per year, including once during the Annual Conference.

6.5. The Executive Board Advisory Council shall consist of prior Past Chairs of the Pacific Southwest Section and are ex-officio members of the Executive Board without voting privileges.

VII. COMMITTEES AND REPRESENTATIVES

7.1. The Chair, with the advice of the Executive Board, shall appoint such committees and representatives as are deemed necessary.

VIII. CHAPTERS

8.1. Local chapters of ASEE members at one or more institutions within the same metropolitan, industrial, or commuting area may be established by recommendation of the Section to the Council of Sections, Zone IV.

IX. FINANCES

9.1. The Fiscal Year for the Section shall be July 1 through June 30.

9.2. At the last Executive Board meeting of each fiscal year the members of the Executive Board shall approve an operating budget for the following fiscal year.

9.3. The Executive board is authorized to solicit voluntary contributions as required.

9.4. At the end of each Treasurer’s term of office, the Executive Board may perform an audit of the financial records of the Section.

X. DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS

10.1. The Chair shall: provide general leadership to the Section; preside at the Business Session of the Annual Meeting and at all meetings of the Executive Board; with the Executive Secretary, certify to the resolutions passed at the Annual Meeting and at the meetings of the Executive Board; be an ex-officio member of all committees of the Section; submit a report of Section activities at the Annual Business Meeting of the Section and be a member of the Executive Board of the Council of Sections, Zone IV.

10.2. The Chair-Elect shall: perform the duties of the Chair in his or her absence; perform such duties as delegated by the Chair; submit a report at the meetings of the Executive Board describing the previous year’s accomplishments; and be a member of the Executive Board of the Council of Sections, Zone IV.

10.3. The Vice-Chair for Faculty Awards shall: direct the faculty award(s) and recognition activities of the Section; appoint a Faculty Awards committee to assist in the selection of the recipients of awards and recognitions; perform such duties as delegated by the Chair; submit a report to the Chair at the meetings of the Executive Board describing the previous year’s accomplishments.

10.4. The Vice-Chair for Student Awards shall: direct the student award(s) of the Section; appoint a Student Awards committee to assist in the selection of the recipients of awards; perform such duties as delegated by the Chair; and submit a report at the meetings of the Executive Board describing the previous year’s accomplishments.

10.5. The Vice-Chair for Community Colleges shall: be in general charge of all liaison and promotion of ASEE activities between the Section and community colleges; assist the Vice-Chair for Faculty Awards in selection of the outstanding Community College Faculty Award; perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Chair; submit a report to the Chair at the meetings of the Executive Board describing the previous year’s accomplishments.

10.6. The Vice-Chair for Membership shall: plan and direct the recruitment of members for the Section; coordinate the activities of ASEE Campus Representatives within the Section; submit a report to the Chair at the meetings of the Executive Board describing the previous year’s accomplishments.

10.7. The Vice-Chair for New Faculty shall: contact individuals recently appointed to faculty positions with the objective of informing them of opportunities in ASEE membership; promote membership in ASEE through the Dean’s sponsorship program; perform such duties as delegated by the Chair; and submit a report to the Chair at the meetings of the Executive Board describing the previous year’s accomplishments.

10.8. The Website Developer for the section shall: update and maintain the Section’s website with input from the Executive Board Members.

10.9. The Executive Secretary shall: notify members of the time and place of all meetings; record and maintain files of the minutes of all meetings of the Section and Executive Board; distribute copies of the minutes to all members of the Executive Board, the Chair of the Council of Sections, Zone IV, and ASEE headquarters; with the Chair, certify to the resolutions passed at the annual meeting and at meetings of the Executive Board; immediately after each election report the names and terms of all officers of the Section to the Chair of the Council of Sections, Zone IV, and ASEE headquarters; perform such duties and delegated by the Chair; and submit a report at the meetings of the Executive Board.

10.10. The Treasurer shall: be the financial agent of the Section; perform financial transactions on behalf of the Section using ASEE account(s); maintain financial records for the Section; submit a financial statement at the Executive Board meetings and as requested by the Executive Board; perform such duties as delegated by the Chair; and submit a report to the Chair at the meetings of the Executive Board describing the previous year’s accomplishments.

10.11. The EPLs shall: promote and coordinate relationships between industrial and governmental engineering agencies and the engineering educational institutions in the Section as appropriate to the objectives of the Section; perform such duties as delegated by the board; submit a report to the Chair at the meetings of the Executive Board describing the previous year’s accomplishments. Three EPL positions are available.

10.12. The Directors shall: serve as members at large on the Executive Board to represent the various constituencies within the membership of the Section and perform such duties as designated by the Chair. Seven Director positions are available.

XI. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

11.1. Meetings shall be conducted in a manner consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of ASEE and the Bylaws of the Section.  For matters not covered by these documents, Robert’s Rules of Order shall be consulted.

11.2. Actions taken by the Section shall be valid unless challenged by the (National) ASEE Board of Directors or by a petition signed by at least ten percent of the members of the Section.  The validity of challenged actions shall be determined by negotiations between representatives of opposing views.  In cases where negotiations fail to provide agreement, the (National) Board of Directors shall be the final authority.

XII. AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS

12.1. Proposed amendments to these bylaws may be submitted to the members of the Section by a majority vote of the Executive Board, or by a petition to the Executive Board of at least ten members of the Section.

12.2. Bylaws may be amended by an electronic ballot emailed to all members of the Section.  Amendment(s) shall be approved if at least ten percent of the members of the Section are returned within thirty days and if at least two-thirds of the votes are favorable.