The Accounting Educator

The Newsletter of the Teaching and Curriculum Section
American Accounting Association

Vol. VIII No. 2 - Spring 1999

Proposed for Vote on August 16, 1999

BYLAWS
Teaching and Curricula Curriculum Section
American Accounting Association

I. Name of Organization

The name of this organization shall be the Teaching and Curricula Curriculum Section of the American Accounting Association. As a part of the American Accounting Association, the organization is subject to the bylaws and other rules that apply to Sections of the American Accounting Association.

II. Objectives

The Teaching and Curricula Curriculum Section is dedicated to the continual improvement of accounting education, especially through the encouragement, development, and sharing of relevant and innovative curricula, an renewed emphasis on effective and efficient instruction, and the exploration of knowledge-organization issued related to accounting programs. Specific objectives include but are not limited to:

A. In teaching:

1. to initiate, encourage, and sponsor foster research in methods of learning and their application to the field of accounting instruction;

2. to stimulate discussion and experimentation in instructional means, methods, and materials in general;

3. to raise questions and to disseminate share knowledge about teaching and teaching-related materials;

4. to initiate, encourage, and sponsor research in methods of learning and the improvement of skills and aids used to impart knowledge of accounting and related fields.

4. to provide guidance and opportunities for members both to test and to improve their teaching skills and instructional materials; and

5. to investigate and share various means of evaluating instruction and instructional methods and materials.

B. In curricula matters:

1. to encourage continued consideration of and experimentation in all facets of curricula curricular developments for accounting programs; and

2. to communicate interests, intentions, and information about curricula curricular developments in accounting programs.

C. In education:

1. to encourage a broad definition of scholarship which includes a high priority on teaching and curriculum curricular developments;

2. to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and findings about developments related to instruction and curricula curricular issues in accounting education;

3. to work with other organizations pursuing similar goals; and

4. to encourage qualified individuals to consider opportunities in accounting education by providing appropriate guidance and information about such careers.

III. Membership

All member in good standing of the parent American Accounting Association are eligible to become members of this Section. Those who pay the annual dues of this Section may vote, hold office, and participate in its activities as well as enjoy all the other privileges of membership.

IV. Dues and Fees

Annual dues shall be set within the limits established by the American Accounting Association. They shall be recommended by the Section's Executive Committee and voted on by the membership at the annual business meeting or, at the discretion of the Section's Executive Committee, by mail ballot and/or its electronic equivalent. They shall remain in effect until changed by that same process. A proposal to change the dues must be announced to the membership, in writing the Section's Newsletter, not less than thirty days prior to the annual business meeting or, in the case of a mail ballot, not less than forty-five days prior to the mail ballot due date (thus, a mail ballot requires a minimum of an additional fifteen days to be provided for responses). The proposal for change in dues must specify the date(s) at which the proposed change becomes effective.

Separate fees may be charged to participants of special events or recipients of particular services as authorized by the Chairperson subject to the approval of the Section's Executive Committee. The Section is also authorized to receive gifts and grants for special purposes.

V. Executive Committee of the Section

The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chairperson, all Vice Chairpersons the Vice Chair - Academic, the Vice Chair - Practice, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the immediate past Chairperson, and four of the Regional Directors selected by use of a predetermined rotation system. The Chairperson shall call the meetings of the Executive Committee and, with any other four three members, shall constitute a quorum. In addition to fulfilling those responsibilities specifically assigned to it, the Executive Committee shall act as an advisor to the Chairperson. Among its responsibilities shall be:

1. to formulate long- and short-term plans for the Section and decide on specific ways to implement the decisions of the membership;

2. to assist the Chairperson in establishing and staffing all standing and ad hoc committees to carry out Section business;

3. to oversee communications among officers, committees, and the membership as a whole;

4. to name interim officers, or elected committee members, to serve until the next annual election, if for some reason an elected position becomes vacant;

5. to submit a report, at least annually, to the membership about major actions and activities of the Section; and

6. to perform such other responsibilities as assigned by these Bylaws, the Section's Chairperson, or the membership.

The Executive Committee will receive the advice and counsel of an Advisory Committee, whose members shall be all the Section's Regional Directors, and the Section's representative to the AAA's annual meeting Program Advisory Committee.

VI. Officers

The officers of the section shall be the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson - Academic, the Vice Chairperson - Practice, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Regional Directors immediate past Chair.

A. The Chairperson shall serve a one-year term. The responsibilities of the chairperson shall be:

1. to manage the affairs of the Section and carry out its actions and activities as directed by the Section membership with the advice of the Section's Executive Committee;

2. to preside at all meetings of the Section and its Executive Committee;

3. to coordinate the activities of the Section with the officers and other units of the American Accounting Association and with the parent organization itself, and to submit such reports as required;

4. to encourage maximum membership participation through such means as committee membership, programs, the fostering of regional activities, and involvement in regional and annual meetings;

5. to charge and appoint all committees and task forces, with the advice of the Section's Executive Committee;

6. to appoint our Section's representative to serve on the American Accounting Association's annual meeting Program Advisory Committee;

7. to solicit and approve applications for our Section- sponsored CPE at the American Accounting Association's annual meeting;

8. to prepare the annual budget with the assistance of the Treasurer and the advice of the Section's Executive Committee, and authorize the expenditure of Section funds;

9. to serve on the Council of the American Accounting Association as one of our Section's representatives; and

10. to represent the Section to all outside interests.

B. The Vice Chairperson - Academic shall be a faculty member elected to a one-year term and, on the completion of this elected term, shall succeed to the Chairperson position. The responsibilities of the Vice Chairperson - Academic shall be:

1. to assume the duties of the Chairperson when the Chairperson is unable to do so;

2. to carry out such duties as the Chairperson may assign;

3. to appoint Regional Directors and supervise their the activities of the Section's Regional Directors, and

4. to monitor and approve our Section-sponsored CPE at the AAA regional meetings.

C. The Vice Chairperson - Practice shall be a member from practice elected for a one-year term. The responsibilities of the Vice Chairperson - Practice shall be:

1. to maintain close coordination with groups and organizations outside the American Accounting Association which have similar interests;

2. to recommend to the Chairperson appropriate activities involving such outside groups and organizations; and

3. to undertake such other duties as the Chairperson may assign.

D. The Secretary shall be elected for a one-year term and shall be eligible for reelection for a maximum of two additional one-year terms. The responsibilities of the Secretary shall be:

1. to oversee the keeping of the Section minutes and records of meeting and other activities;

2. to supervise the formal communication activities of the Section and to coordinate its publications;

3. to supervise the activities of the Newsletter Editor;

4. to interact with the Executive Director of the American Accounting Association with regard to any issues of Section membership;

5. to monitor and supervise the Section's membership function;

6. to monitor and track the committees of the Section, and obtain progress updates from the committees to present to the Section's Executive Committee;

7. to monitor and supervise the Section's website on the American Accounting Association's homepage;

8. to record and report on all Section and Section Executive Committee meetings; and

9. to provide notice of all Section and Section Executive Committee meetings.

E. The Treasurer shall be elected for a one-year term and shall be eligible for reelection for a maximum of two additional one-year terms. The responsibilities of the Treasurer shall be:

1. to coordinate the management of Section finances with the Executive Director of the American Accounting Association;

2. to assist the Chairperson in preparing the budget for the coming year; and

3. to prepare and submit to the present at the annual business meeting a report on the Section's financial status and activities for the preceding fiscal year.

F. The duties of the immediate past Chair shall be:

1. to serve on the Council of the American Accounting Association as one of our Section's representatives;

2. to serve as a member of the Nominating Committee of the Section;

3. to assist the Chair of the Section, whenever possible, as requested by the Chair.

G. The Section's first representative on the Council of the American Accounting Association shall be the Chair of the Section. The next Section representative on Council shall be the immediate past Chair. If one of these persons is unable to attend the Council's meeting, the alternate shall be the Vice Chair - Academic.

H. No Section officer shall receive compensation, honoraria, professional fees, stipends, etc., for the performance of Section responsibilities. Officers may be reimbursed from Section funds for expenses incurred in connection with the performance of their duties under guidelines established by the Section's Executive Committee and the American Accounting Association.

VII. Nominations and Elections

A. The Nominating Committee shall consist of the two most immediate past Chairs willing to serve. The more senior past Chair shall serve as the Nominating Committee Chair while the more recent past Chair shall serve as a member of the committee. Other members of the committee shall be three members of the Section who are not then serving in any other elected position of the Section and who were elected to this position at the preceding annual meeting the Nominating Committee by majority vote of the voting Section membership. The Nominating Committee will actively solicit nominations from Section members. The Nominating Committee shall present to the Secretary, nominees for the positions of Vice Chairperson - Academic, Vice Chairperson - Practice, Secretary, and Treasurer and the two three members of the nominating committee to be elected. This slate of officers shall then be presented to the membership not less than about sixty days before the annual meeting election. A petition signed by ten twenty-five or more members may also be used to nominate a member for any office is received but must be received by the Secretary at least thirty days before the annual meeting election. The Section's Executive Committee has the discretion to use mail ballots, and/or electronic equivalents, for the elections. If the election is made by mail, a minimum of an additional fifteen days must be provided for the receipt of the member's votes. All nominees must be members in good standing of the Section and must indicate a willingness to serve in that the nominated capacity.

B. Election of officer nominees shall be by majority vote of Section members present and voting in the annual election at the annual meeting of the Section. Newly elected officers shall assume office at the conclusion of the annual business meeting at which they are elected certified. Proxy votes will not be accepted. The results of the election shall be certified and then announced at the Section's annual business meeting by the Secretary.

VIII. Regional Directors and Associate Directors

A. The term of the each Regional Director shall be one year. To facilitate planning, the commencement of a new Associate and Regional Director's term shall be immediately after the region's annual meeting rather than at the annual business meeting of the Section. The responsibilities of a Regional Director shall be:

1. to coordinate Section the Section's activities in the region;

2. to meet, at least annually, with the Vice Chairperson - Academic to plan and discuss Section activities in the region;

3. to serve on the Section's Executive Committee Advisory Committee to the Section's Executive Committee as provided for in the established rotation schedule;

4. to carry out such other activities as the Section's Executive Committee may assign; and

5. to report annually to the Section's Executive Committee about Section activities carried out in the region.

B. Associate Regional Directors shall be named for each region recognized by the American Accounting Association. They shall be named by the Vice Chairperson - Academic, with advice from the Section's Executive Committee, to serve one year or the remainder of any unfilled term. The Associate Regional Directors shall assist their Regional Directors and succeed to the Regional Director position at the conclusion of their Regional Director's term.

IX. Newsletter Editor

A. The Executive Committee of the Section shall be responsible for selecting an editor for the Section newsletter.

1. the term of appointment shall be for three years, commencing with the date of the Section's annual business meeting; and

2. every three years prior to the end of the current editor's term, the Section's Executive Committee shall decide whether to extend the term of the existing current editor for a maximum of another three years or appoint another editor for a three-year term.

B. The responsibilities of the editor of the newsletter shall be:

1. to solicit news items for the newsletter;

2. to publish a quarterly newsletter;

3. to supervise the distribution of the newsletter to the members of the Section on a timely basis; and

4. to prepare and submit an annual report to the Section's Secretary.

X. Meetings

The Section shall hold an annual business meeting in conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Accounting Association. Matters coming before the Section membership at that or any other meeting of the Section shall be decided by a majority of those Section members present and voting. Other meetings may be held at such time and place designated by the Section's Executive Committee upon suitable notification of the membership at least thirty days in advance. Notification should include an agenda as well as the time and place.

XI. Expenditures

Procedures for the expenditure of funds shall be established by the Section's Executive Committee. Expenditures may not be made nor debts incurred in the name of the Section in an amount which exceeds the unencumbered funds available to the Section during the year.

XII. Publications

The Section may publish materials in addition to its newsletter such as special newsletters, proceedings, working papers, monographs, etc., as deemed appropriate by the Section's Executive Committee within the policies of the American Accounting Association.

XIII. Amendments

Within the guidelines of the American Accounting Association, amendments to these Section Bylaws must be proposed by the Section's Executive Committee, or by a petition signed by at least twenty-five members of the Section, at least sixty days prior to the Section's annual business meeting. Proposed amendments shall be presented for vote by the membership at the next annual business meeting or, at the discretion of the Section's Executive Committee Chairperson, by mail ballot and/or its electronic equivalent. Amendments to the Bylaws must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the Section's members voting. A thirty-day notice must be given of Bylaw amendments to be presented for vote of the membership. If taken by mail, at least thirty fifteen days must also additionally be provided for response (i.e., a minimum of forty-five days from the announcement date to the final due date for ballots). Amendments shall go into effect as soon as the results of the balloting are ratified certified by the Secretary.


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