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ARTICLE I: NAME AND
PURPOSE |
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Section 1: Name |
The organization shall be named the Minnesota College
Personnel Association (MCPA), a State Division of the
American College Personnel Association (ACPA).
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Section 2: Purpose |
The purpose of the organization shall be to foster
college student development and provide leadership to
college and university communities in the following
ways:
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To unite in one organization all persons engaged in
or interested in any phase of college student
personnel work in Minnesota.
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To maintain and improve professional standards and
encourage further development of college student
personnel work in Minnesota.
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To conduct activities designed to promote
professional growth among college student personnel
workers in Minnesota.
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To disseminate information about and focus attention
on legislation in any way affecting college student
personnel services in Minnesota.
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To encourage experimentation and research in the
field of college student development.
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To disseminate information and encourage discussion
among members of the Association.
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To advance the programs, principles and core value
and purpose of the American College Personnel
Association.
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To maintain communication with ACPA and with members
of ACPA Divisions in other states.
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ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP |
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Section 1: Qualifications and Types |
Any professional person or graduate student who is
engaged in or interested in college counseling and
college student development in higher education is
eligible to become a member.
There shall be no restriction based on sex, race, creed,
color, religion, ethnic origin, age, disability, marital
status, or sexual orientation.
Membership shall be of four types:
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Regular Members - Full dues-paying members of MCPA
whose designated
responsibilities relate to student and human
development in the context of
post-secondary education.
- Student Members - any person who is regularly enrolled in an accredited graduate school in courses related to the student affairs profession and who is devoting at least half-time to studies, as defined by their educational institution. The student’s major professor must attest to these qualifications annually. This type of membership may not extend beyond three consecutive years. Undergraduate students may also become members if planning to go into the student affairs field.
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Retired Professionals - Retired professionals
retaining interest in the aims and purposes of the
Association.
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Associate Members - Affiliated vendors supporting
the Higher education area.
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Section 2: ACPA Membership |
Members of the MCPA shall be invited and encouraged to
apply for dual membership in ACPA. Voting officers must
have joint membership. |
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Section 3: Rights and Privileges |
Each member in good standing shall be entitled to attend
conventions and meetings and to serve on MCPA
committees. All members in good standing are eligible to
vote. Only regular members are eligible to hold elected
office in the Association. |
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Section 4: Dues |
Dues for members of the Association shall be set by the
Executive Council on an annual basis and reported to the
Association. |
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Section 5: Terms of Membership |
Application for membership shall be made through the
Membership Chair. A person shall become a member on
payment of annual dues. The membership period shall be
determined by the Executive Council.
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ARTICLE III: OFFICERS
AND EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION |
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Section 1: Officers |
The officers of the Association shall be a President, a
President-Elect, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. |
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Section 2: Executive Council |
The Executive Council of this Association shall consist
of (a) the officers of the Association, (b) the
immediate Past President of the Association, and (c)
five members at large. |
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Section 3: Nominations and Elections |
The president, with approval of the Executive Council,
shall appoint a Nominations and Elections Committee of
two regular members and Chaired by the immediate past
president who shall follow the responsibilities as
outlined in Article V, Section 1. |
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Section 4: Election of
Officers |
All officers of the Association shall be elected at
large from among the individual eligible members by mail
or email balloting to be completed no
later than May 30. |
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Section 5: Term of Office for Officers |
The officers shall serve one-year terms, except the
Treasurer who shall serve a two-year term, beginning on
June 1 and ending on May 31 or until a successor is
elected. Officers may not succeed themselves unless
provided for in the by-laws. |
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Section 6: Duties of the
Officers |
The President shall be the principal officer of the
Association, the chair of the Executive Council and
Board of Directors, and preside at all general meetings.
The President shall appoint all members to committees
unless the method of appointment is otherwise specified.
The President shall hold ex-officio membership on all
committees. In addition, the President shall:
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complete the Board roster through appointment of
individuals;
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coordinate the scheduling of Board meetings as
outlined in Article III, Section 11;
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set the agenda for Board meetings;
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compile a series of resources for the Board and
membership;
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research the MCPA archives to review position
descriptions and annual positions;
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orient Board members to their position roles and
responsibilities.
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assist the annual MCPA Conference;
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maintain regular communication with the American
College Personnel Association;
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attend the annual ACPA Summer Leadership Meeting.
The Past President shall:
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coordinate the promotion and determination of the
annual MCPA award recognition with the Senior
Advisor and Delegate-At-Large representatives;
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serve as resource for inquiries concerning
membership in MPCA and coordinate with the
Delegate-At-Large representatives to link current
and prospective members to MCPA;
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work with the Senior Advisor to develop and maintain
a connection with the Past Presidents and other
senior student affairs officers;
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define and formalize the recognition of retired MCPA
members;
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coordinate the elections of the Executive Council
positions and complete the annual ballot;
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notify the Boad of any legislative issues relevant
to higher education, either local or national.
The President-Elect shall act in place of the President
at all Association and Executive Council and Board of
Directors meetings the President is unable to attend and
shall succeed to the office of the President in the
event of the incapacity or resignation of the President.
In addition, the President-Elect shall:
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appoint the annual MCPA Conference Chair(s) and
assist in the selection of the conference committee;
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select the annual MCPA Conference site in
collaboration with the Conference Chair(s);
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fill vacant Board positions for the presidential
year;
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work closely with the Delegate-At-Large
representatives;
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serve as the ACPA liaison, in collaboration with the
President;
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attend the annual ACPA Summer Leadership Meeting.
The Secretary shall:
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keep records of the current activities of the
Association and the Executive Council and Board of
Directors;
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record minutes of all MCPA Board of Director
meetings;
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issue all notices of meetings;
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transfer to the Executive Director of ACPA the names
of elected officers within thirty (30) days of their
election;
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receive annual reports for local chapters;
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be responsible for the collection and maintenance of
any documents pertaining to all MCPA activities;
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present the minutes of the previous year's annual
meeting at the annual meeting.
The Treasurer shall:
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collect and disburse funds of the Association,
subject to the approval of the President and the
Executive Council;
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make a financial report to the Association at the
annual budget to the Executive Council.
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develop the annual MCPA budget, in collaboration
with the MCPA Executive Council.
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provide the monthly and annual financial reports to
the MCPA Board of Directors and to the Association,
Council and Board of Directors
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work with the MCPA Conference Chair in preparing the
final conference budget report.
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Section 7: Duties of the
Delegate-At-Large Representatives |
The five Delegate-At-Large representatives serve to
represent the interests of these following higher
education systems: community colleges, state
universities, technical colleges, private colleges and
universities, and the University of Minnesota.
The Delegate-At-Large representatives shall:
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recruit campus representatives for each institution;
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cooperate with campus representatives and the Past
President in ensuring that current members renew
their memberships and recruit new members;
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facilitate the meeting of their campus
representatives at the annual MCPA Conference;
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coordinate in the distribution of mailings and other
information to members in their respective system:
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promote MCPA activities to their respective system;
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secure workshop presentations for the annual MCPA
Conference;
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assist the Membership Chair in the coordination and
advancement of the MCPA membership directory;
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develop new programs/workshops that will serve the
interests of members and other professionals in
their system.
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Section 8: Election of Executive Council Members |
Members of the Executive Council shall be elected from
among the regular members of the Association by mail or
email balloting to be completed no later than May 30.
Members of the Executive Council may not succeed
themselves unless provided for in the by-laws. |
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Section 9: Executive Council Duties |
The Executive Council shall
a) establish the amount of dues for the membership;
b) formulate policies for the accomplishment of the
purposes of the Association and recommend such policies
to the membership for adoption;
c) make necessary decisions on behalf of the Association
during the interim between meetings;
d) serve as a board to carry out the plans and purposes
of the Association;
e) act on applications for Local Chapter status and make
recommendations on the application to ACPA Headquarters. |
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Section 10: Vacancies of Officers and Executive Council
Members |
If a vacancy occurs among the elected officers and executive council members, other than the President or President-Elect, the Nominations and Elections Committee shall submit the names of at least two candidates for each vacancy to the Executive Council which shall elect one person to fill the vacancy. Any person elected to fill a vacancy may be eligible to succeed themselves for one full term.
If a vacancy occurs in the office of the President:
a) when less than 75% of the term remains, the
President-Elect shall succeed the office of President to
serve the remainder of that term and an additional full
term.
b) When more than 75% of the term remains, the President
Elect shall succeed the office of President to serve the
current term. A new President-Elect shall be elected in
a special election by the membership.
If the office of President-Elect shall become vacant, a
special Association elect shall be held to fill the
vacancy. The person elected shall fill the unexpired
term and shall assume the Presidency in the following
term. |
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Section 11: Executive Council Meetings |
The Executive Council shall meet at the time and place
of the annual business meeting of the Association and at
least two times in additions to that meeting during the
year at a time and place designated by the President.
The Council must have present a quorum consisting of at
least half of the Executive Council. |
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Section 12: Voting Rights |
On any occasion when the MCPA Board of Directors must
vote on an issue, all board members have the right to
make a motion, seconds, and
vote. Voting on any official business of MCPA will only
occur when there is a majority of both the MCPA
Executive Council and the MCPA Board of Directors
present.
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ARTICLE IV: AUTONOMY OF
DIVISION |
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Autonomy of MCPA |
MCPA shall be autonomous in the conduct of its affairs,
consistent with the constitution and by-laws of ACPA.
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ARTICLE V: APPOINTED
POSITIONS AND COMMITTEES |
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Section 1: Appointed Positions
(MCPA Board of Directors) |
The President shall appoint the following positions:
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Senior Advisor
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Membership Chair
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MCPA Conference Chair(s)
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Technology Chair
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Counselors Commission Chair
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Professionals of Color Commission Chair
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GLBTA Commission Chair
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New Professionals Commission Chair
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Diversity Programs and Initiatives Chair
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Graduate Liaison
The President shall also be granted to the latitude to
appoint any other position determined to be essential by
the Executive Council. |
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Section 2: Duties of Appointed
Position (MCPA Board of Directors) |
The Senior Advisor shall:
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facilitate communication between the MCPA Board of
Directors and all campuses in Minnesota, most
notably, with each campus' senior student affairs
officers or the campus official designated for this
purpose;
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maintain a directory of Minnesota senior student
affairs officers to be forward to the future Senior
Advisor;
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raise awareness of the current issues in the student
affairs profession;
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help define the role of MCPA in relations to current
issues;
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promote the career development of student affairs
professionals;
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serve as a visionary and resource to the MCPA Board
of Directors;
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send letters of welcome to senior officers who are
new to Minnesota and encourage them to join MCPA;
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solicit presentations from senior professionals for
the annual MCPA Conference;
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lead a Past Presidents' and senior officers'
gathering at the annual MCPA Conference;
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inform the MCPA Board of Directors of any pertinent
and current legislative issues relevant to higher
education, either locally or nationally;
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coordinate the promotion and determination of the
annual MCPA award recognition with the Past
President and Delegate-At-Large representatives.
The Membership Chair shall:
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receiving all membership applications, new and
renewing, and integrating contact information into
the MCPA directory;
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support and advance the process for state-only,
national-only and dual membership of MCPA and ACPA;
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generate reports on membership as needed;
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generate mailing labels for MCPA use;
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work collaboratively with ACPA Headquarters
personnel to further advance MCPA directory
integration.
The MCPA Conference Chair(s) shall:
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develop and administer the annual MCPA Conference
budget;
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coordinate the conference committee in developing
the conference;
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submit the application to ACPA for the Speaker's
Grant;
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coordinate the publicity for the conference;
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oversee the conference logistics and proceedings;
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write and present the final conference report to the
MCPA Board of Directors;
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collaborate with the Treasurer in reporting the
final conference budget;
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inform the MCPA Board of Directors concerning the
development of the conference.
The Technology Chair shall:
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maintain and advance the MCPA listserv and on-line
resources;
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maintain and advance the MCPA web site;
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advance and electronically distribute the periodic
MCPA electronic newsletter;
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lead the MCPA Board of Directors in its integration
of technology in conducting and advancing the
Association's purposes.
The Counselors Commission Chair shall:
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solicit counselor-related sessions for the annual
MCPA conference;
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submit the annual MCPA Conference for NBCC
continuing education credits;
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market the annual MCPA Conference to counselors
state-wide.
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provide input and support in the annual MCPA
Conference planning process;
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attend MCPA Board of Director meetings and report on
issues/processes pertaining to the Chair's duties;
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report relevant MCPA Board of Director business back
to the commission members;
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conduct on-going meetings with the commission
representatives to explore the needs (and strategies
to meet the needs) of a diverse population of
student affairs professionals concerned with
counseling issues;
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lead the Counselors Commission session at the annual
MCPA Conference.
The Professionals of Color Commission Chair shall:
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solicit sessions related to and for professionals of
color for the annual MCPA conference;
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market the annual MCPA Conference to professionals
of color state-wide.
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provide input and support in the annual MCPA
Conference planning process;
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attend MCPA Board of Director meetings and report on
issues/processes pertaining to the Chair's duties;
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report relevant MCPA Board of Director business back
to the commission members;
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conduct on-going meetings with the commission
representatives to explore the needs (and strategies
to meet the needs) of a diverse population of
student affairs professionals concerned with issues
impacting students and professionals of color;
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lead the Professionals of Color Commission session
at the annual MCPA Conference.
The GLBTA Commission Chair shall:
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serve as a resource to the MCPA Board of Directors
in assuring that issues and concerns specific to
gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender members and
individuals are included and addressed by MCPA;
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advocate for and ensuring the provision of GLBTA
educational sessions and programs at the annual MCPA
Conference and within other MCPA activities as
appropriate;
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advocate for and create educational GLBTA educational
opportunities and awareness-raising activities
within MCPA events and publications;
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identify interest for networking and other
discussion related to GLBTA membership and issues;
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work closely with the Diversity Programs and
Initiatives Chair and other commissions to address
continuing membership and Association needs around
GLBTA issues.
The New Professionals Commission Chair shall:
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solicit new professional-related sessions for the
annual MCPA conference;
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market the annual MCPA Conference to new
professionals state-wide.
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provide input and support in the annual MCPA
Conference planning process;
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attend MCPA Board of Director meetings and report on
issues/processes pertaining to the Chair's duties;
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report relevant MCPA Board of Director business back
to the commission members;
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conduct on-going meetings with the commission
representatives to explore the needs (and strategies
to meet the needs) of a diverse population of
student affairs professionals concerned with new
professionals issues;
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lead the New Professionals Commission session at the
annual MCPA Conference.
The Diversity Programs and Initiatives Chair shall:
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serve as a resource to the MCPA Board of Directors
in integrating all aspects of diversity into MCPA
programs;
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work with the MCPA Conference Committee to ensure
that there are sessions which will address diversity
issues;
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spearhead the membership survey to ensure that MCPA
meets its diversity goals;
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review and submit an Affirmative Action plan to ACPA;
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inform and educate the MCPA Board of Directors on
diversity issues.
The MCPA Graduate Liaison(s) shall:
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represent the interests and concerns of graduate
students to the MCPA Board of Directors;
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assist in the planning and presentation of special
activities or sessions at the annual MCPA
Conference;
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coordinate the planning and implementation of a job
search seminar;
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help to organize any mentor programs;
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recruit graduate students;
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present needs and concerns of graduate students to
the MCPA Board of Directors.
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Section 3: Standing Committees |
Standing committees shall be appointed by the President
of the Association with the approval of the Executive
Council. The standing committees and their duties are:
The Conference Planning Committee shall plan and arrange
all details for the annual MCPA Conference of the
Association.
The Nominations and Elections Committee shall:
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recommend a slate of officers and members-at-large
which will be present to a meeting of the Executive
Council prior to a mail or email ballot to all
eligible voters;
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plan and carry out details of the elections of
officers including a report of election results to
the Executive Council and to the members.
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Section 4: Additional Standing Committees |
The President of the Association may, with the approval
of the Executive Council, shall create additional
standing committees. |
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Section 5: Ad Hoc Committees |
The President, with the approval of the Executive
Council, shall appoint such ad hoc committees as may be
necessary. |
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Section 6: Tenure of Committee Members |
The term of office of committee chairpersons and members
shall coincide with the term of office of elected
officers.
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Contents |
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ARTICLE VI: DIVISION
MEETINGS |
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Section 1: Annual Meeting |
There shall be an annual meeting at which time the
annual business meeting shall be conducted. The time and
place of the meeting shall be determined by the
Executive Council. |
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Section 2: Special Meetings |
Special meetings may be called by the President with the
approval of a majority of the Executive Council. Notices
of each meeting shall be sent to each member at least
fifteen days prior to the date of such meeting. |
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Section 3: Quorum |
The active members present at any Association meeting of
which written notice has been duly given shall
constitute a quorum for the transactions of business.
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ARTICLE VII: LOCAL
CHAPTERS |
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Section 1: Organization of Local Chapters |
The Association may recommend to ACPA headquarters the
chartering of local chapters of MCPA. Such Chapters
shall be organized in accordance with the constitution
and by-laws of ACPA, MCPA, and the guidelines for
chartering a state ACPA division.
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Section 2: Autonomy of Chapters |
A local MCPA chapter shall be autonomous in the conduct
of its affairs, consistent with the constitution and
by-laws of ACPA and MCPA.
A local chapter may retain its name or adopt another
name, but in all instances it shall identify itself as
A Local Chapter of the Minnesota College Personnel
Association. Members of local Chapters must be members
in good standing of the MCPA.
Each local Chapter shall file with the MCPA Executive
Council an annual report of its activities, membership,
financial status, constitution and by-laws.
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ARTICLE VIII: AMENDMENTS |
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Section 1: Annual Business Meeting |
Except as provided in Section 2, below, amendments of
these by-laws may be acted on only at the annual
business meeting of the Association. A proposed
amendment shall be presented in writing to the Executive
Council at least sixty (60) days prior to the annual
meeting and to all members of the Association at least
thirty (30) days prior to the annual meeting at which
the proposed change is to be considered. An amendment
may by adopted by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the
members present. |
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Section 2: Mail Ballot |
If, in the judgment of the Executive Council action on a proposed amendment is desirable before the next annual meeting, it may be taken through a mail, e-mail, or website ballot following presentation of the amendment in writing to all members of the Association. If two-thirds of the members returning the ballots within the succeeding thirty (30) days vote affirmatively, the amendment shall be adopted.
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ARTICLE IX: RULES OF
ORDER |
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Rules of Order |
Roberts Rules of Order Revised ( by Henry M. Roberts)
shall govern proceedings of the Association not
otherwise specified in the by-laws.
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ARTICLE X: DATE OF
EFFECT |
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Date of Effect |
These by-laws shall by in effect immediately following
their adoption, the election of officers, and the
chartering of the MCPA and ACPA.
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