IEA Constitution, Draft 04/22/04
PREAMBLE
We, the members of the Interdisciplinary Environmental Association, Inc., in order to encourage the study of interdisciplinary approaches to environmental issues and to recognize excellence in environmental studies, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the government of our order.
ARTICLE I - NAME
This Association shall be known as the Interdisciplinary Environmental Association, Inc.
ARTICLE II - OFFICERS
Section 1. ELECTED OFFICERS
The officers of the Association shall be a President, Vice President, Executive Director (who will also serve as Secretary/Treasurer), Chair of the Advisory Board (the Past President), and six Advisory Board Councilors.
Section 2. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Vice President, Executive Director, and Chair of the Advisory Board.
Section 3. ELECTION OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
The Vice President and Executive Director shall be elected every other year at a regular annual meeting of the International Conference on the Environment and shall hold office until their successors have been duly installed.
The Vice President shall automatically succeed to the office of President. The President will automatically succeed to the Chair of the Advisory Board. Neither the President nor the Chair of the Advisory Board shall serve successive terms.
Section 4. NOMINATING AND VOTING ON COUNCILORS AND THE VICE PRESIDENT
The Advisory Board shall solicit nominations for Councilors and the Vice President from the IEA membership. Nominations for Councilors and the Vice President shall be made to the Advisory Board by January 1st of an election year. The Advisory Board will seek confirmation of interest from the potential candidates and, if received, place them on the slate for the next annual Conference. Election to these offices, in the case of more than one confirmed nominee, shall be by a plurality vote of at least 40 percent of the Conference delegates. In the absence of a plurality of at least 40 percent, there shall be a runoff of the top two candidates with a simple majority required for confirmation. The elected Vice President will succeed to the office of President after two years.
Section 5. NOMINATING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Nominations for the office of Executive Director shall be made by the Council, upon recommendation of the Executive Committee, and voted upon at the next annual Conference. The current Executive Director shall not have a vote in the deliberations of a successor. A simple majority is required at the annual Conference for confirmation.
Section 6. ELIGIBILITY TO SERVE AS OFFICERS
Any member of the Association in good standing shall be eligible to hold office.
Section 7. TERMS OF OFFICE
The term of office for the President and Vice President shall be two years. The term of office for the Executive Director and Advisory Board Councilors shall be four years. With the exception of filling an unexpired term, the terms of office for all officers shall begin on Sept. 1 following the annual Conference at which they were elected.
Section 8. DUTIES
The PRESIDENT shall have full executive authority of the Association, shall be required to authorize all checks and documents of legal commitment for the Association, and shall preside at all meetings, including but not limited to the Conference and meetings of the Council and the Executive Committee. He shall serve for a two year term as President.
The VICE PRESIDENT shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee and the Council and shall perform other duties assigned by the Council or Executive Committee. The Vice President shall act for the President when requested by the President. If a vacancy occurs in the office of President, the Vice President shall assume the office of President for the remainder of that term as well as the succeeding term when the Vice President would have normally served.
The EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR shall direct the activities of all employees of the headquarters, under supervision of the Council, and shall attend to all correspondence incident to the working of the Association; shall keep an accurate record of all formal actions of all meetings of the Conference, a copy to be transmitted to each chapter promptly upon the conclusion of the Conference; shall keep similar minutes of the meetings of the Council and the Executive Committee, transmitting a copy of these minutes to each member of the Council immediately following each meeting of the Council or Executive Committee; shall act as custodian of all monies in the possession of the Association; shall disburse the same as directed by the Conference or by the Council, all disbursements to be made by voucher check stating the item or items for which payment is made; together with the President shall sign all checks authorizing the expending of the funds of the Association; shall receive petitions for new chapters and dispose of the same as directed by the Conference or by the Council; shall issue to all initiates of the Association certificates of membership; shall require each chapter to furnish, upon forms provided for the purpose, such information as shall be considered desirable by the Council; shall keep on file a list of all members of the Association, past and present; shall keep a complete file of all correspondence and records; shall keep an itemized account of all receipts and expenditures and shall report the same to each meeting of the Conference, and shall also report to the Council as they may require.
The financial accounts of the Executive Director will be subject to a formal annual audit. The Executive Director will give full cooperation for such audits or be immediately dismissed by the Council. The Executive Director shall furnish a bond for an amount to be determined by the Council, the cost of said bond to be paid by the Association.
The Executive Director shall also perform such other duties as may be assigned by the By-Laws or the Council.
The immediate past president shall serve for a two-year term on the Advisory Board and shall be CHAIR OF THE ADVISORY BOARD in that term. The immediate past president shall perform other duties assigned by the Council or Executive Committee. He shall also serve as editor of Interdisciplinary Environmental Review and shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee and the Council.
ARTICLE III - COUNCIL AND ALLIED COMMITTEES
Section 1. COUNCIL
A. COMPOSITION
The Council shall be composed of the five executive officers and the seven members of the Advisory Board.
B. DUTIES
The Council shall have general supervision and direction over the Association at all times when the Conference is not in session. Additional powers and duties of the Council may be set forth in the By-Laws of the Association.
C. MEETINGS
The Council shall meet just prior to and immediately following each meeting of the Conference, as well as at least once in the intervening year at a time and place to be determined by the Council either at a previous meeting or by remote communication (email, phone, etc.). The President may call meetings of the Council (physical or conference call) for extraordinary reasons and with at least one month’s prior notice. By written petition from a majority of members of the Council, the President is required to call a special meeting of the Council after providing one month’s notice. Notice of meetings of the Council shall include a proposed agenda of items for consideration, but any other appropriate items may be included at any meeting of the Council.
D. QUORUM
A majority of the members of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Council. If a quorum is not present, the Council may transact business of an emergency nature, but must submit a summary of deliberations held at the meeting through the Executive Director to all absent members immediately following the meeting. The summary must include the opportunity to vote on any issues decided by the group present, said votes being added to the official votes taken at the meeting and, if necessary, reversing the decision.
E. VACANCIES
The Council shall fill by internal election all vacancies in its own membership occurring between regular meetings of the Conference. Any member so chosen to fill a vacancy shall assume all the duties and privileges of said office and complete the term of the individual being replaced. Said individual will be eligible to election for a full term at the next annual Conference.
F. LOCATION OF RECORDS
All official records of the financial transactions and the minutes of meetings shall be maintained at the headquarters of the Association and shall be open to all members of the Council at any time.
Section 2. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee shall have delegated authority between Conferences for the Association on any issue. The Executive Committee may be delegated any other specific powers deemed necessary by the Council or the Conference.
Section 3. ADVISORY BOARD
There shall be an Advisory Board of seven members, with the primary responsibility of providing oversight and advice for the organization and its Executive Committee. The outgoing President shall automatically become one of the seven members and serve as Chair of the Advisory Board for two years. The term of office for the six other members of the Advisory Board (the Councilors) shall be four years. At each even-year Conference, the three senior members of the Board shall cease office, being replaced by three Councilors elected from the slate of nominees put forward by the Advisory Board from proper nominations under II.4. The Advisory Board shall usually meet only when it serves as a nominating committee or when needed for issues of oversight or advice, though additional duties may be assigned by the Council.
ARTICLE IV - ESTABLISHMENT AND GOVERNMENT OF STUDENT CHAPTERS
Section 1. PLACE
An active student chapter of the Association may be chartered and established in any regularly incorporated and properly accredited four-year college or university granting the Bachelor's or higher degree, subject to such restrictions as may hereinafter be set forth in the By-Laws of the Association.
Section 2. NAMES
The student chapter of the Association shall be called Kappa Alpha Omicron (ΚΑΟ). The Greek letters of the organization stand for the perspectives that can be used to address environmental issues: kosmos (the universe), anthropos (humanity), and oikos (household [“ekos”]). The individual chapters of Kappa Alpha Omicron shall be named by the letters of the Greek alphabet in the order of their establishment. When the letters of the Greek alphabet are exhausted, they shall then be used in pairs, triplets, etc., as Alpha-Alpha, Alpha-Beta, Alpha-Gamma, etc., and then Beta-Alpha, Beta-Beta, and Beta-Gamma, etc.
Section 3. QUALIFICATIONS
To qualify for consideration as a chapter, a group of petitioners must seek establishment of a chapter at a regionally accredited senior college or university with a qualified environmental studies faculty and must have a petitioning body consisting of the President and/or Vice President of the college or university, the Dean and Chairperson of the appropriate program (or the department in which it is housed), and three faculty members with teaching or research responsibility in the program. Such a petitioning body should include at least two individuals who are members of the Association, but this requirement may be waved by a majority vote of the council for new or small programs or other extenuating circumstances.
Any petition for establishment of a chapter received from a group so qualified shall be submitted to the members of the Council. To be accepted, the petition must be approved by at least two thirds of the members of the Council. Councilors must have a period of at least thirty days to consider a petition. Any Councilor who does not return a ballot shall be counted as voting affirmatively.
The petition to establish a chapter of Kappa Alpha Omicron will include:
A.
A report of the accreditation status of the college or university
B.
Letters of support from the president or vice president, the appropriate dean, and the appropriate department chair
C.
An exact listing of all full-time and adjunct faculty in the location’s environmental program with full curriculum vitae
D.
Copies of pertinent pages from the institution's catalog indicating the school's history, its grading system, the degree(s) and/or program(s) offered in environmental studies, and all active related course listings
E.
A statement from the department indicating its reasons for seeking a chapter and its plans for participating in the activities of Kappa Alpha Omicron
F.
A list of at least three petitioning members with teaching or research responsibilities in the environmental program and the basis for their admission to the Association
Section 4. INSTALLATION
It shall be the duty of the President to conduct the installation of each new chapter whenever possible. In the event of being unable to perform this duty, the President shall designate some other member of the Executive Committee or Advisory Board to serve in this capacity. Each incoming chapter shall be required to pay a charter fee set by the Council. The traveling expenses of the installing officer shall be borne by the Association Treasury.
Section S. CHAPTER BY-LAWS
Each active chapter shall adopt its own By-Laws, which shall conform to the provisions of this Constitution and its By-Laws.
Section 6. CHAPTER OFFICERS
Each chapter shall elect student officers annually, according to its By-Laws, and the newly-elected chapter secretary shall notify the Central Office promptly of the results of the election. Each chapter shall have a faculty advisor, chosen according to regulations of the host college or university, who shall be responsible for the conduct and well-being of said chapter.
Section 7. SUSPENSION OR FORFEITURE OF CHAPTER
The Conference shall have power to place on probation, suspend, or dissolve any chapter whenever the welfare of the Association will be served by such action. Similar action may be taken by the Council if it is deemed advisable, but any such action by the Council shall be subject to approval at the next annual Conference, and shall not be permanently binding without such approval. No chapter shall be placed on probation, suspended, or dissolved without the privilege of presenting its case before the body ordering said probation, suspension, or dissolution.
ARTICLE V - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. ELIGIBILITY
Members can originate from any type of organization (including research institutions, academic institutions, consultancy firms and ministries that deal in areas of environmental economics and other related fields), but members do not represent their organizations. Those not affiliated with specific organizations as detailed above, but who have a demonstrated professional interest in environmental issues and who have met the requirements set forth in these articles, shall be eligible for membership in the Association as well.
Section 2. CLASSES OF MEMBERS
A. CLASSES
There shall be three classes of members: active, general, and honorary. All membership descriptions assume the individual has a demonstrated interest in environmental issues.
An active member is one duly initiated at the institution where the student is a candidate for a baccalaureate or advanced degree of the host institution. Members who pursue graduate work or later affiliate with another institution may continue as active members. Members initiated as graduate students shall be active members of the chapter that initiated them. All members continuing active status must fulfill all relevant requirements for active membership. Any chapter may also initiate a faculty member at the rank of instructor or higher who is teaching or performing research in the program at the host college or university.
A general member is someone not affiliated with a chapter or institution who otherwise is actively involved in environmental issues.
An honorary member shall be a person who has made conspicuous contributions to the field of interdisciplinary environmental studies and is designated an honorary member by a ¾ majority vote of the Council. Individual chapters may propose notable local persons for such consideration by the Council.
B. FEES
All individual fees shall be determined by the delegates at the Biennial Conference upon the recommendation of the Executive Director and the Council. Such fees remain in force until changed by Conference action.
There shall be an initiation fee for each initiate.
There shall be a regular annual membership fee to cover the costs of the Association and the cost of receiving Interdisciplinary Environmental Review after the first year of membership.
There shall be a fee for sustaining membership, a designation given to a member who voluntarily chooses to pay an annual membership fee greater than the regular annual membership fee. Additional mailings or other recognition may be given to sustaining members, as provided by the Council.
There shall be a fee for lifetime sustaining membership, a designation given to a member who voluntarily chooses to pay a substantial fee set by the Council in lieu of making annual sustaining membership fees. Special recognition may be given to lifetime sustaining members, as provided by the Council.
C. TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP
An initiate of any chapter who transfers to another institution with a chapter may transfer membership to the latter chapter, provided that before such affiliation is effected an authentication of the membership is checked with the Central Office of the Association.
Section 3. INITIATION
All persons brought into new membership in a chapter of the Association should be initiated into that chapter in accordance with the initiatory services prescribed by the Council.
Section 4. EXPULSION
By formal request from a chapter under regulations presented in the By-Laws, any member of the Association may be expelled by formal action of the Council, after opportunity for due process, presented in the By-Laws.
ARTICLE VI - THE CONFERENCE
Section 1. POWERS
The power of legislation for the Association shall be vested in the Conference except as exercised by designated bodies during the interim between Conferences.
Section 2. COMPOSITION
The Conference shall be composed of the elected officers of the Association, the general membership in attendance, and one delegate from each chapter in good standing. Each chapter represented shall have one vote (although additional delegates may attend the Conference) and each member of the Council present shall have one vote. In the absence of any duly elected delegate or proxy representing any active chapter, the Conference shall have power to seat as the delegate from said chapter any member of the chapter who may be in attendance at the Conference. In event such substitution is made and the regular delegate or proxy then arrives, the said delegate or proxy shall assume the rights and privileges as delegate or proxy.
Section 3. ELECTION OF DELEGATES
Delegates shall be elected by each chapter promptly after official receipt of the formal call of the Conference. The Chapter shall notify the Executive Director of the results of the election at least ten days prior to the opening of the Conference.
Section 4. OFFICERS
The President, Vice President and Executive Director shall serve ex-officio as the officers of the Conference. In the absence of any of these officers, the Conference shall have power to fill the vacancy during the absence of the regularly elected officer. In the case that all of these officers should be absent, the By-Laws shall provide for temporary officers.
Section 5. MEETINGS
Regular meetings of the Conference shall be held every year at such times and places as shall be fixed by the Council or as may have been directed by a previous Conference. A special meeting of the Association shall be called by the President upon the written demand of at least three-fourths of the active chapters or upon the demand of at least three-fourths of the members of the Council. Each Chapter must be given at least one month’s notice of any meeting of the Conference, and in case of a special meeting, the notice shall state the business to be transacted at such meeting, provided, however, that nothing in this Constitution shall prevent the consideration of any business of importance at any meeting of the Association.
Section 6. QUORUM
Delegates or proxies from ten percent of the active chapters entitled to representation by delegates shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any session of the Conference.
ARTICLE VII - INSIGNIA OF THE ASSOCIATION
Section 1. COLORS
The colors shall be forest green and snow white.
Section 2. EMBLEM
The emblem of the Association will be a highlighted, forest-green deciduous tree in plan view, including leaves, trunk, and stylized major roots, on a field of snow white. The lower case letters “iea”, also in forest green, shall run vertically on the left side of the tree.
The emblem of the Association shall be worn only by duly initiated members of the Association, and shall not be used on any object or device without the approval of the Council or Convention.
Section 3. FLOWER
The official flower of the Association shall be the daisy. The daisy, having both wildflower and cultivated garden flower varieties, represents the dual aspects of the natural world as both an ecological system with value in its own right and as a source of resources for humanity that should be used wisely and sustainably. The daisy is also a member of the Compositae, and as such consists of many separate flowers of different forms and functions that have aggregated to form the single large bloom. Thus the flower represents the need to bring together diverse nations, viewpoints, and disciplines in order to functionally address the world’s environmental issues.
Section 4. CERTIFICATE OF MEMBERSHIP
A certificate of membership approved by the Council shall be issued to each initiate upon the receipt of the initiation fee. This certificate shall bear an official image of the seal of the Association and the signatures of the President and Executive Director.
Section 5. SEAL
The official seal of the Association shall be a circle thirty inches in diameter. In the center shall be an appropriately scaled and centered emblem of the Association and around the bottom edge will be the year of incorporation. This seal shall be kept by the Executive Director, and shall be used on all proper occasions when the business of the Association demands it. A smaller, appropriately scaled version of this seal will be used on all official documents and letterhead.
Section 6. SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
A. AWARD
Each chapter may award to members of the Association at its discretion a gold scholarship pin. The body of the pin shall be in the form of a tree of similar form to the Association’s emblem and of 2 cm in height. Superimposed on the trunk of the tree will be the Greek letters Kappa Alpha Omicron, and underneath the tree will be the legend “SCHOLARSHIP AWARD."
B. REQUIREMENTS
A vital interest in environmental science/studies is a basic requirement for a scholarship award; additionally, the prospective member must demonstrate high achievement in related courses and in academic work in general.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS shall qualify for a scholarship award when they have completed at least twelve semester hours (or its equivalent) in collegiate environmentally-related courses, with an average grade ratio in ALL college level environmental courses taken of ABOVE the second highest grade (usually a B, 3.0) on the institution's scale, and shall have an overall average on all collegiate work of at least the second highest grade (usually a B, 3.0) on the institution's scale, as well as ranking in the highest 35% of the class where such rankings are available.
GRADUATE STUDENTS, to qualify for a scholarship award, shall have completed approximately 30% of the residence requirements for the Master's or Doctorate Degree, with an average in all courses completed for graduate credit of at least midway between the highest and second highest grade on the institution's scale and NO grade in graduate courses of "failure" or its equivalent.
If unusual features of an institution's grading scale make it difficult to apply these standards, the chapter advisor shall, in conference with the Executive Director, develop in writing an equivalent basis for membership which shall apply to that institution until a change occurs in its grading scheme. At each Conference, the Executive Director shall report the specific variances allowed since the previous Conference. In the interim between Conferences, the Council shall be informed of agreements after they are made.
FACULTY MEMBERS above the rank of graduate assistant who are teaching in an environmental field shall be eligible for membership and a scholarship award if they have published peer-reviewed research and/or maintain active programs in an environmental field.
A chapter may invite into its membership ALUMNI who attended the institution prior to the chartering of a campus chapter of Kappa Alpha Omicron, and who have so distinguished themselves in the field of environmental science/studies that they would have qualified for membership.
ARTICLE VIII – FEES AND ASSESSMENTS
Section 1. INITIATION FEE
To become an active member of the Association, one must pay such initiation fee as shall be set forth in the By-Laws as well as any fees established by the active chapter. All members retain lifetime membership in the Association, once initiated. To remain in active status, members must pay annually the dues designated by the Council, and if a member of a local chapter, the dues established by that chapter as well.
Section 2. ASSESSMENTS
Special assessments upon the members of the Association or upon the chapters shall not be levied except by the Conference, or by the Council with the approval of a majority of the active chapters entitled to representation at the Conference. This section shall not be construed to forbid the collection of a Conference attendance fee, nor to forbid the levying of assessments by chapters upon their own members.
Section 3. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Following open tender for services, the Board shall appoint a professionally accredited and licensed auditor for a two-year period. The Board shall establish criteria to evaluate the tenders and select the best overall bid for services. The auditor contract may be renewed subject to satisfactory performance as determined by the Board.
All IEA financial accounts and records shall be open to inspection by the auditor at any time. No auditor shall be an office bearer, a member of IEA, or related to such.
ARTICLE IX – COMMITTEES, AMENDMENTS, AND BY-LAWS
Section 1. COMMITTEES
Standing committees of the Association shall be a By-Laws Committee (with duties to interpret the Association’s Constitution and By-Laws, develop amendments and requests for new committees for approval, etc.), a Conference Organizing Committee (with duties to help organize and prepare for conferences of the Association), and a Journal Committee (with duties to advance and assist in the operation of the Association’s journal, Interdisciplinary Environmental Review: this committee shall be chaired by the editor of IER), and other committees as desired by the Conference. Other committees of the Association may be proposed to the By-Laws Committee as desired by the Conference and/or Association officers. Such proposed committees will become standing committees with duties and privileges as developed by the By-Laws Committee if ratified by the membership at a meeting of the Conference (requiring 2/3 vote). If ratified, duties and privileges of the new standing committee shall become part of the By-Laws of this document.
Section 2. AMENDMENTS AND BY-LAWS
Amendments and By-Laws to this Constitution shall be made upon the affirmative vote of three-fourths of the active chapters or by three-fourths of the delegates of the active chapters and members of the Council at any duly constituted Conference. Membership should have at least one month’s notice of the text of any proposed Amendment or By-Law before voting. Approved Amendments and By-Laws shall be appended to this Constitution and be subject to the rules of the Constitution for future modification, addition, or deletion.
ARTICLE X : DISSOLUTION OF THE IEA
Dissolution Process
IEA may be dissolved by a resolution adopted by a special general meeting called for this purpose and supported by more than two-thirds of the paid members present.
Disposal of Assets
Upon dissolution of IEA, all bank accounts will be frozen. A financial and physical audit will be completed and the Board will meet with donor representatives to agree on a process for disposing of all assets.
April 22, 2004. Respectfully submitted by Kimberly and Michael Reiter
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