AERA / SIG: Middle Level Education Research

Constitution and Bylaws

Article I.

Name and Governing Authority

Section 1. The special interest group shall be known as the SIG: Middle Level Education Research.
Section 2. The SIG shall be governed by these bylaws as amended from time to time in accordance with the provisions herein.
Section 3. The bylaws of the SIG are subject to the bylaws and constitution of AERA.

Article II.

Purpose and Methods

Section 1. The purpose of the SIG shall be to improve, promote, and disseminate educational research reflecting early adolescence and middle level education.
Section 2. The methods used will be the publication of research in newsletters/journals, presentations of research findings at an annual conference, and other professional activities deemed appropriate by the SIG.

Article III.

Membership

Section 1. Membership in the SIG, including the right to vote and hold office, shall be open to any person whose AERA and SIG dues have been paid for the current year.
Section 2. The membership year shall run concurrently with AERA membership. SIG members are to renew their membership at the same time they renew AERA membership.

Article IV.

Elected Officers

Section 1. The elected officers of the association shall be: Immediate Past President, President, President-Elect/Program Chair, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. They shall serve on the Executive Committee of the SIG.
Section 2. Every two years the President shall automatically become the Immediate Past President, the President-Elect assumes the office of the President, and the Vice President shall become the President-Elect/Program Chair.
Section 3. All officers shall hold office for two years. SIG officers must retain SIG and AERA membership. Failure to do so will make the officer ineligible to hold the office.
Section 4. The term of office shall start at the closing of the annual meeting of AERA and continue for two years.
Section 5. Only members whose AERA and SIG dues are paid may be nominated and hold elective office.

Article V.

Nominations and Elections

Section 1. The officers shall be elected by written ballot immediately prior to the annual meeting of AERA.
Section 2. The Nominating Committee will consist of the President-Elect/Program Chair, the President, and the Immediate Past President. The current President will serve as chair of the committee.
Section 3. The Nominating Committee shall propose a slate of nominees for each office that is open and shall ascertain the availability of those persons chosen prior to February 1. The slate presented by the Nominating Committee and any further nominees presented from the membership shall be placed on the ballot.
Section 4. The Secretary shall mail a ballot to every member prior to the annual meeting. Ballots should be returned to the Secretary within two weeks of receipt of the ballot.
Section 5. Election to office will be by a plurality of votes cast for that office.
Section 6. In case of a tie vote, the winning candidate shall be determined by chance.
Section 7. If a vacancy occurs in the office of Secretary, Vice President, or President Elect/Program Chair, then the President, with the approval of the SIG Association Council, will appoint a member to serve until the next election. At that time, someone will be elected to fill the remainder of the Secretary's term. In the case of the Vice President or President-Elect/Program Chair, someone would be elected to serve in subsequent offices.

Article VI.

Duties of Officers

Section 1. The President shall: (1) ensure that all correspondence with AERA is efficiently processed; (2) represent the SIG's interests to AERA; (3) preside at all meetings of the SIG and establish agendas for these meetings in consultation with SIG Officers and Executive Committee members; (4) appoint, in consultation with the Executive Committee, all standing and ad hoc committees and their chairholders; (5) act as liaison to other national and international organizations involved with middle level education issues; and (6) provide leadership appropriate for the SIG's continued growth and development.
Section 2.

The President-Elect/Program Chair shall: (1) act as the President in the President's absence; (2) chair the Program Committee (comprised of proposal reviewers, session chairs, and discussants); and (3) manage all correspondence with AERA in the establishment of the annual program. If there is a host or co-sponsoring organization, the program chairholder of that organization shall be an ex-officio voting member of the Program Committee.
Section 3. The Vice President shall: (1) coordinate communication among SIG members by co-editing the SIG's newsletter; and (2) assist the President and President-Elect/Program Chair in areas identified by the Executive Committee; and (3) facilitate the development of MLER SIG Policy Briefs and/or Position Statements.
Section 4. The Immediate Past President shall: (1) serve as chairperson of the Membership Committee, (2) shall assume other duties as assigned by the President, and (3) assist the Treasurer in maintaining the SIG's membership database.
Section 5. The Treasurer shall: (1) manage the SIG's finances; (2) process membership applications that are not processed through AERA; (3) manage the SIG's membership database; and (4) provide a financial report to the general membership at our biannual meetings.
Section 6. The Secretary shall: (1) record the minutes of all meetings and disseminate these minutes to the general membership in a timely fashion; (2) conduct all elections; and (3) coordinate the mailing of SIG material as necessary.
Section 7. The Editor(s) of the newsletter and the Web Manager will be ex-officio, non-voting members of the Executive Committee. The Editor(s) of the newsletter shall publish a minimum of three newsletters annually. The Web Manager shall: (1) keep the SIG's website updated; and (2) provide the general membership with easy electronic access to information regarding SIG-sponsored activities. The Historian shall keep the SIG's history current and submit an annual report at the AERA business meeting.

Article VII.

The SIG Association Council

Section 1. The SIG Association Council shall be made up of the Executive Committee and seven members of the organization who are to be elected in the same manner as the officers. A graduate student may be included (appointed or elected) as an eighth council member. Council members must be current with both AERA and SIG membership dues.
Section 2. The Council shall be the legislative and policy making body of the association. The Council shall assume leadership for standing and ad hoc committees. Council members are expected to be in attendance at all official association meetings.
Section 3. The SIG Association Council shall hold at least one meeting per year, at a time to be determined by the Council during the AERA annual meeting. The President may call meetings of the Council at other times and must call one upon a petition of a majority of Council members.
Section 4. Half the members of the Association Council shall constitute a quorum, and decisions shall be by a majority of those present.
Section 5. The term of office of the councilors shall be two years of which four will be chosen in the even numbered years and three odd. All seven councilors shall be elected initially without reference to a term office. After being seated, four shall be selected by lot to serve one year and the other three shall serve two years.
Section 6. If a vacancy appears in the Association Council, the President, with the approval of the Council, will appoint someone to fill the remainder of the term.

Article VIII.

Committees

Section 1.

Standing committees:

  1. Permanent standing committees shall be the Program Committee, the Nominating Committee, and the Membership Committee.
  2. The Membership Committee will consist of Association Councilor from each state and country represented on the Council and such persons the President or President-Elect/Program Chair appoints.
  3. The responsibility of the Program Committee shall be to arrange for the content and to make local arrangements for annual conventions. The President-Elect/Program Chair and the Vice President shall primarily have responsibility for content decisions—arranging for speakers and overseeing a blind review process for making decisions about papers to be presented. The Coordinator of Local Arrangements, who is appointed by the Vice President, shall primarily have responsibility for local arrangements.
  4. Other standing committees may be established by the Executive Committee, the Association Council, or the general membership. These committees shall be discontinued by the constituting body or by the Association Council.
Section 2.

Ad hoc committees:
Ad hoc committees may be established by the President, the Executive Committee, or the Association Council.
Section 3. Committee membership:
  1. The President shall appoint the committee chairholder or co-chairholders except as restricted by the bylaws.
  2. Each committee shall have at least three members.
  3. Any member of the association may be appointed as a chairholder or committee member.
  4. Any member of the association may request membership and shall be granted membership on any committee except the Nominating Committee.
Section 4. Subcommittees and their chairholders may be appointed by the committee chairholder.

Article IX.

Finances

Section 1.

Dues and assessments:

  1. Dues and assessments may be established by the Association Council subject to approval by a majority of members voting on the change.
  2. The Association Council shall have authority to establish and collect fees for meetings, workshops, publications, etc.
Section 2. The Association Council shall provide for an operating budget.
Section 3. All receipts and disbursements shall be made through bank accounts authorized by the Executive Committee.
Section 4. The Association Council may receive money and enter into contracts as necessary.

Article X.

Meetings and Business

Section 1. The Association Council shall set the time and place of meetings of the association.
Section 2. Except for sufficient reason, there shall be at least one convention of the association each year. At least one session of each convention shall be set aside to conduct a business meeting for the association.
Section 3. On petition of twenty per cent of the voting members, the Council must call a business meeting to be held within three months of the date of the petition.
Section 4. The association and its committees shall be governed by the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, except as amended by the bylaws.

Article XI.

Amendments and Revisions

Section 1.

Amendments to the bylaws shall be made in either of the following ways:

  1. The Council may draw up proposals and submit them, with any arguments it chooses, to the membership for ratification.
  2. Any member may submit to the Council,in writing, and signed by its sponsors, a proposed amendment or amendments. The Council shall then submit the proposed
    amendment with any arguments and recommendations to the members of the association.
Section 2. The shall present any proposed changes to the Constitution and bylaws along with any explanation and recommendations from the Council at the convention. The amendments shall then be voted on by mail at the same time officers and councilors are elected. To pass, an amendment must receive fifty-five per cent of those voting on the issue.
Section 3. An amendment to the constitution and bylaws becomes effective upon acceptance unless otherwise specified on the ballot.

Article XII.

Executive Director

Section 1. Appointment:
The Executive Director shall be appointed by the SIG Officers, with approval of the Council, for a term not to exceed five years. The incumbent may be reappointed.
Section 2. Duties:
The Executive Director shall: (1) provide leadership toward the organization's mission and strategic goals; (2) formulate plans and advise on policies for the accomplishment of the MLER SIG's objectives, and, upon the approval of the Council, shall be responsible for their administration; (3) continue the work of forging connections with the National Middle School Association, The National Association of Professors of Middle Level Education, the National Forum, and the Department of Education concerning issues pertinent to middle level education; (4) disseminate information through the MLER SIG listserv, newsletter, meetings, conferences, and similar forums; (5) perform duties described elsewhere in these Bylaws or assigned by the Officers and Council members and shall inform the Officers and Council members of programs and procedures which contribute to the effectiveness of the organization; and (6) serve as a non-voting, ex officio member of Council.

 

Revised and Amended April 14, 2007