Bylaws

Approved June 30, 1998
Revised and Effective July 12, 2012

Article I     

Name

The name of this organization shall be the Two-Year College Division of the American Society for Engineering Education.

Article II

Objective

The Two-Year College Division (TYCD) was established by the ASEE Board of Directors in 1992, in recognition of the important role played by two-year programs in the engineering education pipeline. The TYCD of ASEE is composed of faculty and administrators hailing from two-year colleges that have programs in Engineering Science transfer and/or Engineering Technology. The primary role of the division is to focus on those engineering and engineering technology education issues that are important (and, in some cases, unique) to community colleges, junior colleges, 2 + 2 programs, two-year technical institutes, and other two-year programs. Two-year colleges play an important role in educating our nation’s scientists and engineers.

One goal of the member schools of the TYCD is to assure a steady supply of qualified Engineering Science and Engineering Technology transfer graduates to our senior engineering transfer institutions. Another goal of TYCD member schools is to provide students with terminal, application-oriented associate’s degrees in Engineering Technology. Yet another objective of member schools it to serve as a technical resource for regional business and industry.

The TYCD of ASEE provides members with a forum to discuss, confer, and share thoughts and strategies on topics of interest to two-year colleges including accreditation, pedagogy, transfer issues, retention, and recruitment. The open-door policy of TYCD member institutions necessitate the acceptance all students regardless of their level of academic preparation; we then educate and prepare these students for either immediate employment as Engineering Technicians, or for transfer into baccalaureate Engineering programs. Finally, purpose of the Two-Year College Division shall be the promotion and development of Engineering education, and shall be consistent with the purpose of the Society as stated in Article I Section 2 of the constitution of ASEE.

Article III

Membership

Membership shall consist of those members of the Society who are interested in the objectives of the division. The TYCD is a dues-free division.

Article IV

Officers, Executive Board & Responsibilities

Section 1.

The officers of this Division shall consist of a Division Chair, a Division Vice-Chair, a Division Program Chair, a Division Treasurer-Secretary, the immediate past Division Chair, and the appointed Division Newsletter Editor.

Section 2.

All officers shall be elected for terms of two years. Officers may serve for consecutive terms with the permission and the consenting majority vote of the membership.

Section 3.

Nominations for these offices shall be made by the Division Chair and by the division members during the Annual Business Meeting of the Division. Only those individuals who have previously held elected office in the TYCD shall be eligible for nomination as Division Chair.

It is recommended, but not required, that all candidates for the office of Division Chair have previously held the position of Division Program Chair. Such a proviso would ensure that the incoming Division Chair has familiarly with the Society inner-workings and has had an opportunity to interact with key Society personnel who are responsible for putting together the Society’s most important annual event.

Elected officers shall assume their offices at conclusion of the ASEE Annual Conference following the election. Election will be by majority vote of those voting.

Section 4.

The Division Program Chair shall be responsible for the TYCD program at the ASEE Annual Conference during his or her term of office. The Division Program Chair shall also be responsible for managing the peer review process of abstracts and papers submitted for the TYCD program at the same ASEE Conference.

Section 5.

In case of vacancy in the office of the Division Chair, that office shall be filled by the Division Vice-Chair.

Section 6.

The Division Chair shall fill by appointment any vacancies in other offices occurring between Annual Business Meetings of the Division. The terms of these appointments shall be for the period from the time of appointment to the end of the term of the replaced officer.

Article V  

Duties of Officers and Committees

Section 1. The Division Chair’s duties will include:

a. formulating a yearly agenda including a list of activities and events.
b. presiding over regular and special meetings for the Division.
c. representing the Division at ASEE, community, and national events, where appropriate.
d. creating positions or committees as needed to perform the duties of the office.
e. insuring that activities of the Division are managed under the guidelines of the Bylaws of the TYCD, and the policies of ASEE.

Section 2. The Division Vice-Chair’s duties will include:

a. assisting the Division Chair in achieving the goals and objectives of the Division.
b. assuming the duties of Division Chair in her/his absence.
c. acting as liaison between the Executive Board and all regular, special, and/or temporary committees.

Section 3. The Secretary-Treasurer’s duties will include:

a. maintaining written correspondence with on-campus and off-campus organizations as needed.
b. recording events and activities performed by the Division.
c. keeping minutes during meetings and documenting a record of those minutes.
d. preparing an annual report for the college and the parent organization.
e. keeping record of the Division funds and making expenditures in a legal manner, according to ASEE policies.
f. compiling and presenting a monthly and annual financial report of the Division.
g. overseeing fund raising activities.

Section 4. The Division Program Chair’s duties will include:

a. responsibility for all program sessions and activities at the national ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition or other similar activities.
b. coordination with other divisions for joint sponsoring, when appropriate.

Section 5. The Division Newsletter Editor’s duties will include:

a. responsibility for the production and delivery of the TYCD’s newsletter to all of its members and other appropriate ASEE committees and/or divisions. Note that the Division Newsletter Editor position is an appointed position, not an elected position.

Article VI

Meetings

Section 1.

The Division Chair, in concert with the Division Program Chair, shall arrange for an Annual Business Meeting of the Division to be held concurrently with the Annual Conference of the Society.

Section 2.

Special meetings of the Executive Board or of the Division may be called by the Division Chair as needed upon reasonable notice to the membership of the Division as appropriate. The preferred delivery method for any special meetings shall be via conference call or via a remote meeting and desktop sharing web-based application. Special votes can also take place electronically using a mechanism such as email.

Section 3.

Because the TYCD is composed of a membership generally of modest fiscal means and because many TYCD members encounter budgetary difficulties which preclude their in-person participation in the Annual Society Conference, and because so few TYCD members can regularly attend the Annual Society Conference, a quorum at any regular or special meeting of the division shall be the number present at the time and in the place designated for the meeting.

Article VII

Executive Board

Section 1.

The Division shall be directed by an Executive Board composed of the following:

a. The Division Chair
b. The Division Vice-Chair
c. The Division Program Chair
d. The Division Treasurer-Secretary
e. The immediate past Division Chair
f. The person who has been appointed the Division Newsletter Editor

Article VIII

Committees

Section 1.

The Division Chair shall appoint such committees as are deemed necessary to accomplish the objectives of the Division and designate the Division Chair, responsibilities and term thereof.

Section 2.

The Division shall have a TYCD Annual Design Competition Committee which can consist of anywhere from one to four members of the division.

Section 3.

The Division shall have a Division Newsletter Editor appointed by the Division Chair.

Article IX

Voting

Section 1.

The nomination and voting for officers shall occur during the Annual meeting or during a Special Meeting as follows:

a. During an Annual meeting, the Division Chair will solicit nominations from the division membership.
b. During special meetings, the Division Chair shall solicit nominations by contacting Division members who have expressed an interest and providing a notice on the Division listserv.
c. selection of at least one nominee for each open officer’s position.
d. presentation of the slate of candidates to the TYCD membership including a “write-in” opportunity for each position prior to April 1.
e. prepare ballots and conduct an election prior to June 1. Members may vote electronically, by e-mail, regular mail, or fax.
f. counting of the ballots with two witnesses present. A simple majority of the ballots counted for each office shall constitute election. In the case of a tie, a simple majority vote of the membership present at the annual business meeting will break the tie.
g. announcing the results of the election at the annual meeting of the Division. Elected officers shall assume their offices at the conclusion of the Annual Conference.

Article X

Parliamentary Authority

Section 1.

The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order (latest edition) shall govern the Division in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of the ASEE and the Bylaws of this Division in all cases the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society shall govern.

Section 2.

Any action by this Division shall be invalid if it is in conflict with the Constitution or Bylaws of the ASEE.

Article XI

Amendments to Bylaws

Section 1.

Proposed amendments shall be circulated to the membership of the Division at least thirty (30) days before the annual meeting at which adoption is desired, unless it is unanimously agreed at the annual meeting to introduce an amendment at that same meeting.

Section 2.

These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds affirmative vote of those members voting at the Annual Business Meeting.

Section 3.

These Bylaws may also be amended by two-thirds affirmative vote of the members of this Division obtained by ballot (letter or electronic). Only those ballots received within thirty (30) days of the sending out date shall be counted.

Section 4.

Bylaw amendments may be submitted by a majority vote of the Executive Board of this Division or by a petition to the Executive Board signed by a simple majority of the members of the Division who are present during a meeting or who participate in an electronic vote.

Section 5.

Amendments approved by the division membership shall be submitted through the PIC III Chair for approval by majority vote of the ASEE Board of Directors and shall take effect upon such approval.