logo

Bylaws

Bylaws

Sections & Zones

Approved June 24, 1992

Revisions Approved: February 7, 2009

I. Name

The names of the constituent groups comprising the Council of Sections of the ASEE shall be Zone I, II, III, and IV, and may be referred to collectively hereinafter as "Zones."

II. Objectives

The objectives of the Zones are identical to the objectives of the Society as set out in the Constitution and the Bylaws of the Society. To achieve its fundamental mission, the Zones have adopted the following goals:

A. To provide a formal organization structure to promote, encourage and facilitate the various activities of ASEE in each Zone.

B. To provide a means of direct member representation to the Board of Directors.

III. Membership

  • Zones I, II, III, IV, shall consist of the individual members of ASEE residing in the geographical area designated to be the responsibility of that Zone by the Board of Directors of ASEE.
  • Each of these Zones shall be subdivided into geographical sections by the Board of Directors of ASEE in order to implement in an efficient and economical manner the administration of the purpose of ASEE as set forth in Article I, Section 2, of its Constitution.
    • Each Section shall operate under a set of bylaws determined by the individual members residing in its jurisdiction consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of ASEE and the Bylaws of Zones I IV.
    • The bylaws for each Section shall provide for the election of a chair, a vice chair and/or chair elect and a secretary treasurer, each having a term of one year or more, and such other officers as may be determined in its bylaws.
    • The bylaws for each Section shall provide for an Executive Committee having the same officers as the Section, together with others who may be designated or elected, to serve as the governing body of that Section and to control the business, financial, and other activities of the Section in accordance with its bylaws and other regulations to which it is subject.
  • Upon petition by a group of members of ASEE, the Executive Committee of a Section may recommend to the Executive Board of its Zone the formation of a Chapter of ASEE in any area under its jurisdiction. Action by the Zone on such recommendation shall be reported to the Board to Directors of ASEE.
    • A Chapter will consist of individual ASEE members within the same metropolitan, industrial, or commuting area.
    • Each Chapter will be responsible directly to the appropriate Section chair.
    • A Chapter will not be represented as such on a Section Executive Committee or Zone Executive Board, although an individual member, belonging to a Chapter, may serve in these capacities by virtue of his or her membership in ASEE.

IV. Officers

The Officers of the Zone shall consist of a Chair, the immediate past Chair for the first year, the Chair-Elect for the second year, and the Zone Secretary.

  • The Zone Chair Elect shall succeed to Zone Chair at the same time as the President of ASEE, as provided in the ASEE Constitution.
  • The other officers of the Zone shall take office at the same time as the Chair.

V. Duties of Officers

  • The Chair of each of the four Zones shall have administrative responsibility within ASEE for implementing the functions of the respective Zone. By virtue of these offices, each Zone Chair shall become a director of ASEE, pursuant to Article III, Section 6 of the ASEE Constitution.
    • The Zone Chair of each Zone shall serve as Chair of the Zone Executive Board and preside at each meeting of the Executive Board.
    • If the Zone Chair or, the Zone Chair Elect cannot act, the Executive Board shall elect a permanent successor. In the absence of the Zone Chair, the Zone Chair Elect, if any, shall preside. In the absence of both the Zone Chair and Zone Chair Elect, any member of the Executive Board shall call the meeting to order and preside until the election of a Zone Chair Pro Tem, which shall take place immediately.
    • The Zone Chair has the responsibility of coordinating the selection of the various Zone awards in a timely way.
    • The Zone Chair has the responsibility of coordinating the nominating committee in the second year.
    • The Zone Chair also organizes any other ad-hoc committees deemed necessary by the Zone Executive Board.
    • The Zone Chair should be in attendance at Section Executive Board meetings.
  • The Secretary of each of the four Zones shall be responsible for keeping minutes of all meetings, including those of the Executive Board of the respective Zone, and maintaining the official records of this Board. Not later than May 15 of each year the Zone Chair shall notify the Executive Director of ASEE; the manager of Member and Information Services; and the Vice President, Member Affairs of the incoming membership of the Executive Board.

VI. Administration

  • Each Zone shall be administered by a Zone Executive Board. The membership shall consist of the Zone Chair, the Zone Secretary, the immediate Past Zone Chair for the first year of the Zone Chair's tenure, the Zone Chair Elect for the second year of the Zone Chair's tenure, and representatives designated by each constituent Section.
    • One of the representatives of each Section shall be the current Chair of the Section.
    • The Section Campus Representative shall be the second representative.
    • The third representative of each Section shall be the current Chair Elect of the Section.
    • If any of these representatives are unable to serve on the Executive Board, the Section shall designate a replacement.
    • The Zone Secretary shall be either the immediate Past Zone Chair or the Zone Chair-Elect as appropriate.
  • The Executive Board of each Zone shall:
    • Promote and coordinate the activities of the constituent Sections and Chapters.
    • Organize and conduct the annual meeting, a mid year meeting, and special meetings.
      • The mid-year meeting and any special meetings may be held as a teleconference in the interest of reducing costs.
    • Direct and coordinate projects involving more than one Section.
    • Recommend the establishment of new Chapters or the discontinuance of existing Chapters when deemed desirable to better promote the activities and interests of ASEE.
    • Serve as a channel of communication between the membership and the Board of Directors of ASEE and make recommendations to the Board of Directors on matters of concern to the Zone and its constituent groups.
  • A quorum shall consist of one third of the membership of the Zone Executive Board.

VII. Committees

  • Nominating Committee
    • The Nominating Committee for each of the Zones shall be composed of the immediate past Zone Chair and the three immediate past Section Chairs.
    • The immediate Past Zone Chair shall be Chair of the Nominating Committee.
    • In the event that the Chair of the Nominating Committee is unable to serve, the current Zone Chair shall designate a Chair selected from the members of the Nominating Committee.
    • In the event that a member of the Nominating Committee wishes to be considered as a potential nominee, the past Zone Chair shall appoint a replacement from the same Section.
    • Each of the Zone Nominating Committees shall submit nominations of individual members of ASEE, who have served as a section officer, for the office of Zone Chair Elect. Except under unusual circumstances, nominees should have served previously as Section Chairs.
    • The Zone Nominating Committee shall adhere to the following schedule and procedure:
      1. In odd numbered calendar years the Nominating Committees of Zones I and III and in even numbered calendar years the Nominating Committees of Zones II and IV shall furnish the Executive Director of ASEE two or more nominations for the office of Zone Chair Elect of the respective Zone not later than August 15.
      2. The nominations shall be processed in the same manner and coincident with nominations for ASEE President Elect.
      3. The Zone's representative to the ASEE Nominating Committee shall be the most immediate available Past Zone Chair, or an alternate named by the Zone Chair if an eligible Past Zone Chair is not available.
  • Awards Committees
    • The Zone Chair shall select a committee for each Zone award.
    • Each committee should consist of a minimum of one member from each constituent section.
  • Ad-Hoc Committees
    • The Zone Chair may set up ad-hoc committees and appoint its members with the approval of the Zone Executive Board.

VIII. Meetings of the Zone Executive Board

  • Annual Meetings
    • Each Zone Executive Board shall hold a business meeting during the Annual Conference of ASEE. The time and place of the Zone Executive Boards' annual meetings shall be announced to the members of the Executive Boards not less than thirty (30) days before the date of the meetings.
    • A combined meeting of the Executive Boards of the four Zones shall be scheduled at the time and place of the annual meeting of the Society, and following the annual business meetings of each individual Zone Executive Board.
    • The Vice President Members Affairs (VPMA), ASEE, shall be responsible for organizing and conducting the combined meeting of all Zone Executive Boards at the time and place of the annual meeting.
  • Mid-year Meetings
    • The VPMA should hold a mid-year meeting of Zone Chairs in conjunction with, but prior to, the Winter meeting of the ASEE Board of Directors. Other members of the Zone Executive Boards are welcome to attend.
    • Each Zone Executive Board shall also hold a mid year business meeting. The time and place of this mid year business meeting shall be announced to the members of the Zone Executive Board not less than thirty (30) days before the date of the meeting.
    • It should be held as close to the Winter BOD meeting as possible.
    • In the interests of travel time and coordination, this meeting should be held as a teleconference.
  • Special Meetings
    • The VPMA may call a special teleconference meeting of all the Zone Chairs at his/her discretion upon fifteen (15) days notice.
  • Minutes of all meetings should become part of the Zones and VPMA reports to the mid-Year and Annual meetings of the BOD.

IX. Parliamentary Procedure

The rules contained in ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER (latest edition) shall govern the meetings of the Executive Boards in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of ASEE or the bylaws of these Zones. In other cases, the Constitution and Bylaws of ASEE shall govern the meetings.

X. Amending the Bylaws

  • These Bylaws shall be amended by a 2/3 vote of the members of the four Executive Boards of Zones I IV who are in attendance at the combined meeting of the Executive Boards at the annual meeting of the Society.
  • These Bylaws may also be amended by a mail/email ballot to the members of the four Executive Boards. The ballots should be mailed by the VPMA.
  • The amendment shall be passed if 2/3 of the returned ballots contain a favorable vote by a specified date not exceeding thirty (30) days after they are mailed.
  • The VPMA shall be responsible for tallying the ballots and reporting the results to each of the four Zone Chairs.
  • Proposed amendments may be submitted by a majority vote from any of the four Zone Executive Boards or by petitions signed by not less than fifty (50) individual members of any Zone and submitted to a Zone Chair or by the recommendation of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee of ASEE to a Zone Chair through the Executive Director of ASEE.
  • Amendments approved by the Zone Executive Boards shall be submitted to the Vice President, Member Affairs for approval by majority vote of the ASEE Board of Directors and shall take effect only upon such approval.