CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
OF THE ALUMNI/AE ASSOCIATION
of the
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
MEDICAL COLLEGE OF VIRGINIA CAMPUS

CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I.  NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Alumni/ae Association of the Department of Health Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia Campus (“the Association” or “Association”).

Article II.  Purposes

This Association is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, literary, and educational purposes.  Further, the Association shall:

1. Promote cooperation, understanding and fellowship among Association Members;
   
2. Foster a sense of community and structured communication among and between the faculty and staff of the Department of Health Administration (“The Department”) and the Association Members;
   
3. Support the Department in its alumni/ae and charitable, literary, and educational initiatives;
   
4. Help to increase the technical and professional knowledge of Department faculty and staff and Association Members;
5. Perform such other charitable, literary, and educational purposes as shall be consistent with the purposes herein described, and to receive and administer assets exclusively for charitable, literary, and educational purposes, no part of the earnings of which shall inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.

ARTICLE III.  MEMBERSHIP

The Membership of the Association shall be:

1. Degree Members;
2. Honorary Members.

ARTICLE IV.  OFFICERS AND MEMBERS AT LARGE OF THE ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

1. The Association will have an Alumni/ae Association Executive Committee (“AEC”) charged with implementing activities which support and accomplish the purposes of the Association.
2. The AEC shall consist of Officers and a maximum of nine Members-at-Large.  The Chair of the Department of Health Administration, or his/her designee, shall serve as an ex officio member of the executive committee.  
3. The Officers of the AEC shall be:
   • Past-President;
   • President;
   • President-Elect;
   • Secretary-Treasurer.
4.  All Members of the Association are eligible to serve as Officers and Members-at-Large of the AEC. 

ARTICLE V.  AMENDMENTS

1. To amend or change the Association Constitution or Bylaws, an Association Mailing ballot documenting the proposed amendment or change must be mailed to all Members of the Association at their last known address at least thirty (30) days prior to the date the proposed amendment or change is to take effect.  The adoption of the proposed amendment or change requires a majority vote of all ballots cast in response to the Association Mailing.
   
2. All Members of the Association may propose amendments or changes to the Constitution or Bylaws.  The AEC will consider all such proposals at its next AEC meeting, provided the proposals are received in writing at least thirty days prior to this next AEC meeting.  The AEC, at its discretion, may also convene a special meeting to consider proposed amendments or changes.  Approval of an amendment or change by at least a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the AEC triggers an Association Mailing ballot vote by the Association as described in the Constitution Article V, Section 1.

BYLAWS

ARTICLE I.  DEFINITIONS

AEC or Alumni/ae Executive Committee – the Executive Committee of the Alumni/ae Association of the Department.

AEC Annual Meeting – First Meeting of the AEC which takes place no later than 90 days into the start of a term.

AEC Meeting – a meeting of the AEC.

Annual Meeting(s) of the Association or Association’s Annual Meeting --  Meeting(s) of the Association Members for the purpose of conducting the business of the Association.

Association or The Association – the Alumni/ae Association of the Department.

Association Mailing – A mailing sent to all Members of the Association.

Degree Member – An individual who has satisfactorily completed a Department graduate or undergraduate Degree Program.

Degree Program or Health Administration Degree Program – one of the Virginia Commonwealth University’s and/or the Medical College of Virginia’s many health administration degrees conferred upon its graduates, including, but not limited to, degrees with nomenclature such as Bachelors of Science Health Administration, Masters of Hospital Administration, Masters of Health Administration, Masters of Science in Health Administration, Professional MSHA Program Online, Doctor of Health Administration, and Doctor of Health Services Organization and Research.

Department or The Department – The Department of Health Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia Campus.

Honorary Member – An individual with honorary membership.

Honorary Membership – An individual membership to the Association conferred upon a person, selected by the AEC and the Association to membership in the Association, who has not completed a Department degree program but has performed outstanding achievements in health administration or research.

Member or Association Member – a Degree Member or an Honorary Member.

Term – that period of time starting September 1 of one year and ending August 31 of the next year.

ARTICLE II.  MEETINGS

SECTION 1.  The AEC shall meet at a minimum twice per term.  One of these meeting will be the AEC Annual Meeting. 

SECTION 2.  At all meetings of the AEC, a majority of AEC Officers and Members-at-Large shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.  The act of a majority of the AEC members present at any meeting at which there is a quorum shall be the act of the AEC. 

SECTION 3.  A member of the AEC may participate in a meeting of the AEC by a conference telephone or similar telecommunications equipment by which all persons participating in the meeting may hear each other if all of the participants are advised of the communications equipment and the names of the participants in the conference are divulged to all participants.  Participation in a meeting pursuant to this Section constitutes presence in person at the meeting. 

SECTION 4.  For purposes of conducting the business of the Association, an Annual Meeting of the Association shall be held at a time and at a place to be selected by the AEC.  The Association will meet at a minimum once per term. 

SECTION 5.  Regional meetings of the Association shall be encouraged and promoted whenever possible, especially in conjunction with conferences of the various regional associations.  Any Member of the Association may call a meeting of the Members of his/her region, but no official action of the Association may be taken at any such meeting.  Any Association Member calling a regional meeting shall notify the Chair of the Department and the President of the Association and shall invite their participation.

ARTICLE III.  MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1.  Members in the Association include all Degree Members and Honorary Members.

SECTION 2.  Any Member of the Association may make a written recommendation to request the AEC and the Association Membership confer upon an individual Honorary Membership into the Association.  If the written recommendation is received by the Association President at least thirty (30) days prior to an AEC meeting, the written recommendation will be considered by the AEC at that upcoming meeting.  If the written recommendation is received less than thirty (30) days prior to an AEC meeting, or if there is significant time until the next AEC meeting, the AEC at its discretion, may convene a special meeting to consider a recommendation.  Approval of the individual recommended for Honorary Membership by at least a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the AEC triggers an Association Mailing to all Members of the Association.  Honorary Membership will be conferred on the individual if a majority all of all ballots cast are in favor of such conference.

ARTICLE IV.  ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND MEMBERS-AT-LARGE

SECTION 1.  The President-Elect of the Association shall be elected for a one-year term, which is to be followed immediately by a one-year term as President, and thereafter a one-year term as Past President.  The Secretary-Treasurer of the Association shall be elected for a one-year term, which is to be followed by the next three immediate terms of President Elect, President, and Past President of the Association per the track described in this Section.  Officers may serve as Members-at-Large after their AEC Officer track described herein has completed, pursuant to the Constitution Article IV, Section 2.

SECTION 2.  Members-at-Large  of the Association shall be elected once and serve for three consecutive one year terms (“three year term”).  No Member-at-Large may serve more than two consecutive, three year terms.  Following two consecutive three year terms, an individual may be re-elected as a Member-at-Large after at least one term’s absence from the AEC. Members-at-Large may serve as an Officer after any number of terms as a Member-at-Large.

SECTION 3.  Association Officers and Members-at-Large for the next upcoming term are to be recommended from the Association Membership, each year, as needed, by the current AEC’s Nominating Subcommittee.  These recommended Association Members are to be approved by at least two-thirds of the AEC.  Upon such approval, the recommended slate shall be proffered to the Association through an Association mailing ballot at least thirty (30) days prior to the end of the current term.  Ballots shall contain the slate of recommended candidate names as well as a space for a write-in candidate.  Pending the Association Member’s acceptance of the same, Officers and Member-at-Large positions will pass to those Association Members receiving a majority of all ballot votes cast.

SECTION 4.  Officers and Members-at-Large shall be installed, and assume their duties, at the beginning of a term.

ARTICLE V.  DUTIES OF OFFICERS

SECTION 1.  The President of the Association shall preside at all meetings of the Association and AEC.  The President shall appoint, with the advice and consent of the AEC, all Subcommittee members, and shall be an ex officio member of all committees.   He/she shall perform such other duties as usually pertain to the office of president.

SECTION 2.  The President-Elect shall assume the duties of the President in his/her absence or disability.   He/she shall be responsible for the promotion of regional and/or educational activities.

SECTION 3.  The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep minutes of all the proceedings of the Association and the AEC and make an accurate and proper record of the same.   He/she shall be responsible for sending notices and other communications to the AEC and the Association.   He/she shall be responsible for the supervision of all financial matters of the Association in accordance with the authorization of the AEC.   He/she shall present to the AEC a report of the financial operations of the Association at the end of the term.  The fiscal year shall be from  September 1 – August 31.  He/she shall have input into any departmental specific fund raising activities.

ARTICLE VI.  DUTIES OF THE AEC

SECTION 1.  The AEC shall exercise all of the rights and privileges of the Association in the conduct of business except as herein or hereafter reserved by the Association. 

SECTION 2.  In the event of a vacancy between elections in any elective office, the AEC may fill such office for the unexpired term.

SECTION 3.  All income and expenditures of the Association shall be under the control of the AEC and it shall be the duty of the AEC to safeguard the funds of the Association. 

SECTION 4.  The AEC shall receive a report of monies contributed by alumni/ae to the department and periodically report expenditures to the Association.

SECTION 5.  The AEC shall present a report of activities to the Association at the Association’s Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE VII.  SUBCOMMITTEES

SECTION 1.  Standing Subcommittees.  The President, with the approval of the AEC, shall appoint the following standing Subcommittees:

Nominating Subcommittee:  This subcommittee shall be chaired by the immediate Past-President and consist of two additional members of the AEC.  The duties shall be to nominate from the membership of the Association one candidate for the office of Secretary-Treasurer, knowing that the candidate will also complete the three year term as President-Elect, President, and Past-President, thereafter.  It shall further be the duty of the Nominating Subcommittee to nominate additional Members-at-Large, as deemed appropriate by the AEC, so that there are up to nine Members-at-Large on the AEC.  These candidates shall be representative of the Association at large and be from separate graduating classes and/or degree programs, if possible.

Curriculum Advisory Subcommittee:  This subcommittee shall be chaired by an AEC member, to be appointed by the President, and consist of two additional Association members at a minimum.  Members must be representative of various health administration fields and may invite the participation of non-association members given the approval of the AEC.  The duties shall be to advise faculty of the Department regarding curriculum content.  To do so, members are expected to meet two times per term, with faculty as needed, and to provide a report to the Chair of the Department once each term. 

Awards Subcommittee:  This subcommittee shall be chaired by an AEC member,  to be appointed by the President, and consist of two additional AEC members at a minimum.  The duties shall be to select the recipient of that year’s Department’s Outstanding Alumnus/a Award.

Resource Development Subcommittee:  This subcommittee shall be chaired by an AEC member, to be appointed by the President, and consist of two additional AEC members at a minimum.  Members must be representative of various health administration fields and may invite the participation of non-association members given the approval of the AEC.  The duties shall be to assist the Department with the development and implementation of a fundraising strategy using, and within, the resources that are available to the Department.

SECTION 2.  Special Subcommittees.  The president shall, from time to time, appoint such special committees as necessary. 

SECTION 3.  Standing and special subcommittees may be dissolved by a two-third majority vote of the AEC when the purposes for which they were appointed have been completed. 

SECTION 4.  Participation in a Subcommittee meeting via a conference telephone or similar telecommunications equipment is permissible, as outlined in the Bylaws Article II, Section 3. 

ARTICLE VIII.  AMENDMENTS

These Bylaws may be amended in the same manner as the Constitution of the Association.

ARTICLE IX.  CONDUCT

Except as otherwise provided in the Constitution or Bylaws, Roberts’ Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern the conduct of the business of the Association and Subcommittees.

| top |