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PCPA's By-Laws

Adopted by the PCPA Membership in March 1973; and as amended by the PCPA Membership in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1986, 1988, 1995, 1998 and 2004.

Click here for the PCPA By-Laws (2004) in PDF Format.

ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE

Section 1. NAME. The name of this organization shall be the Pennsylvania College Personnel Association (PCPA).

Section 2. USE OF NAME. The name of this association shall be employed in connection with official business and activities of the association. The name of the association shall not be used by individuals, organizations, nor agencies without prior approval.

Section 3. PURPOSE.
A. To provide leadership in the student personnel profession within the framework of the goals of higher education.
B. To develop a representative voice to influence trends of a legislative, financial, professional, and administrative nature affecting the profession.
C. To provide the opportunity for individuals in the college student personnel profession to serve together productively and to participate in the research, thought, and the sharing of considered experience which are basic to professional growth and effectiveness.
D. To enhance the higher education environment in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania so that it is attractive both to students and professionals.
E. To encourage professional development and leadership of new professionals.

Section 4. AFFILIATION. The Pennsylvania College Personnel Association is a division of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA).

Section 5. AUTONOMY. The Association shall be autonomous in the conduct of its affairs, consistent with the constitution and By-Laws of the American College Personnel Association.
 

ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

Section 1. TYPES AND QUALIFICATIONS.

A. REGULAR MEMBERSHIP. Any person whose designated responsibilities include student personnel work, such as teaching, administration, counseling, and/or research on the college or post-secondary level while employed by an institution of higher learning, may be approved for regular membership.

B. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP. Persons expressing an interest in the general aims and purposes of the Pennsylvania College Personnel Association may be approved for associate membership.

C. STUDENT MEMBERSHIP. Students who are enrolled in regular standing at accredited graduate schools and who are devoting at least half-time studies related to the student personnel field are eligible for student membership. The student's major professor must attest to these qualifications.

D. EMERITUS MEMBERSHIP. A regular association member, having retired from professional employment, may request Emeritus status. Emeritus membership is granted by vote of the Executive Board, in accordance with cur-rent policy on Emeritus status, and will be based upon longevity of membership and service in this Association and the American College Personnel Association. Emeritus members shall be exempt from the payment of dues, but shall retain all rights and privileges of regular members.

Section 2. RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES. Regular, associate and student members in good standing shall be entitled to attend Association conventions and meetings, shall be eligible to serve on Association committees and shall have voting privileges. Only regular and student members who are also members in good standing of the American College Personnel Association may hold office and membership on the Executive Board.

Section 3. DUES. Annual dues shall be paid for a membership year in October and renewal is due one year from the renewal month.

Section 4. NONPAYMENT OF DUES. Any member shall become inactive for nonpayment of dues sixty days after the established due date and shall be dropped from membership for nonpayment of dues after notification.

Section 5. STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION. PCPA's Statement of Non-Discrimination is consistent with that of the American College Personnel Association and is available from the PCPA Executive Board.
 

ARTICLE III: MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. STATE MEETINGS. The Association shall meet in business sessions at least once a year. The time and place of each meeting shall be fixed by the Executive Board and notice thereof shall be given to the individual members at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting. The President of the Association, or the President-Elect in the President's absence, shall preside at State meetings.

Section 2. EXECUTIVE BOARD. The Executive Board shall meet at any time that is deemed necessary. The majority of the membership of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum toward the transaction of business. All members of the Board must receive notification at least fifteen (15) days in advance.

Section 3. SPECIAL MEETINGS. The Executive Board may call special emergency meetings if deemed necessary. Also, upon written request of twenty-five (25) members to the Recorder, stating the purpose thereof, a special meeting shall be called within thirty (30) days. At least fifteen (15) days notice is required for special meetings.
 

ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS

Section 1. OFFICERS. The officers of the Association shall be the President, the President-Elect, the immediate Past-President, the Recorder, and the Treasurer.

Section 2. AFFILIATIONS. All officers of the Association shall be members of the Pennsylvania College Personnel Association and the American College Personnel Association.

Section 3. TERMS. All officers of the Association, except the Treasurer and the Recorder, shall serve one year terms or until their successors are elected. The term of any elected office shall begin May 1.

A. The Treasurer shall be appointed by the Executive Board upon recommendation of the President and shall be selected from outside the Executive Board.

B. The Recorder shall serve for a two (2) year term.

Section 4. SUCCESSION. An elected officer shall not be eligible for immediate re-election to the same office. Any person filling an unexpired term of office is eligible for election to that office for one full term.

A. PRESIDENT-ELECT. The President-Elect shall automatically become President of the Association one year after the commencement of the term of office as President-Elect, or upon the death or resignation of the President.

B. PAST-PRESIDENT. The President shall automatically become the Past-President of the Association upon termination of office as President.

C. RESIGNATION OR DEATH. In case of resignation or death of an officer of the Association, other than the President, the Executive Board shall appoint a person to serve the remainder of the term of office.

Section 5. DUTIES OF ELECTED OFFICERS.

A. PRESIDENT. The President shall:

1. Be the chief elected officer of the Association.
2. Preside at all State meetings of the Association.
3. Serve as chairperson and preside at meetings of the Executive Board.
4. In consultation with the Executive Board, appoint chairpersons and members of all committees, except those chairpersons designated by these By-Laws, and shall be ex-officio member of all committees.
5. Present a written report to the Association at the time of the State meeting. This report shall be filed with the Executive Board for distribution to the membership.
6. Maintain communications and records with ACPA and file an annual and mid-year report with ACPA.

B. PRESIDENT-ELECT. The President-Elect shall:

1. Perform the duties of the President in the absence or incapacity of the President.
2. Be responsible for coordinating the orientation and training of the officers, Executive Board members and Committee Chairs who will serve during the President-Elect's term as President.

C. PAST-PRESIDENT. The immediate Past-President shall:

1. Serve as a consultant to the Executive Board.
2. Preside at meetings in the absence of the President and President-Elect.
3. Serve as chairperson of the Nominating/Elections Committee, the Awards/Commendations Committee and the By-Laws Committee.

D. TREASURER. The Treasurer shall:

1. Represent the Association in assuring the receipt and expenditure of funds in accordance with the directives established by the Executive Board.
2. Present a written report to the Association at the time of the State Meeting. This report shall be filed with the Executive Board for distribution to the membership.
3. Present interim reports at the Executive Board meetings. At the conclusion of the fiscal year or whenever there is a change of Treasurer or when otherwise deemed necessary, and as soon thereafter as possible, the Treasurer's annual report shall be examined, at the expense of the Association, by a qualified non-member appointed by the President.
4. In consultation with the President, develop and present the proposed budget to the Executive Board at the first Executive Board meeting of the fiscal year.

E. RECORDER. The recorder shall:

1. Keep all records of the Association.
2. Keep minutes of all business sessions of the Association and of the Executive Board. A copy of all minutes shall be forwarded to the President, other members of the Executive Board, and Committee Chairs within two weeks of such meetings.
3. Be responsible for the annual updating of the Association's policies and procedures.
4. Maintain all materials to be transferred to the Association's archives.

Section 6. COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES.

A. COMPENSATION. None of the elected officers of the Association shall receive any compensation for their services to the Association.

B. EXPENSES. Some necessary expenses of the elected officers of the Association shall be paid from the funds of the Association under policies established by the Executive Board.
 

ARTICLE V: NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS

Section 1. NOMINATING COMMITTEE. The Nominating Committee shall be composed of the immediate Past-President or, if that person is unable to serve, the designee of the Executive Board, as Chairperson. At least two additional members shall be appointed by the Executive Board.

Section 2. PROCESS OF NOMINATION. The Nominating Committee shall submit to the Executive Board for its approval the proposed slate of candidates, schedule, and procedures for carrying out the election of Association Officers and Executive Board members. This will be completed no later than the first board meeting after January 1 of the academic year in which the election occurs. The Nominating Committee shall affirm the eligibility and willingness of each nominee to serve. Whenever possible two or more eligible and willing persons shall be nominated for each office.

Section 3. ELECTIONS. The Nominating Committee shall conduct and complete the election of Officers and Executive Board members no later than April 1 of the academic year in which the election occurs. A simple majority of the returned ballots shall constitute election to office. The nominating Committee shall certify the results of the election to the Executive Board. In the event that a person is elected and withdraws prior to beginning his or her term of office, the Executive Board, in consultation with the Nominating Committee, will act to fill that position prior to May 1.
 

ARTICLE VI: THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 1. COMPOSITION. The Executive Board shall be composed of the President, the President-Elect, the immediate Past-President, the Recorder, the Treasurer, six Members-At-Large, and four Commission Chairs.

A. MEMBERS-AT-LARGE. The Members-At-Large shall serve for two-year terms and shall represent three segments of higher education in Pennsylvania: the two-year colleges, the independent private colleges and universities, and the public colleges and universities.

1. There shall be two representatives from each segment (east & west).
2. One representative from each segment shall be elected each year.
3. If the status of a Member-At-Large should change relative to the member's ability to represent appropriately his/her segment or if a Member-At-Large should fail to fulfill his/her responsibility, the Executive Board may select a replacement to complete the member's term of office.

B. COMMISSION CHAIRS. The Commission Chairs shall serve for two-year terms.

1. Membership Commission Chair. The Membership Commission Chair shall be responsible for the major membership work of the Association which includes encouraging eligible persons to become members of ACPA as well as PCPA, maintaining accurate membership records, and processing fees.
2. Communications Commission Chair. The Communications Commission Chair will oversee and recommend appropriate action affecting overall policy of Association publications such as, but not limited to, the PCPA newsletter, the PCPA journal, and alternate recruitment publicity.
3. Development Commission Chair. The Development Commission Chair will plan, initiate, and coordinate Keystone Seminar Series, identify issues of particular concern to graduate students, new professionals, as well as veteran professionals within the State and in particular to members of PCPA. He/She will be able to assist the PCPA Conference Chair with program planning that will address issues specific to the broad range of PCPA members.
4. Constituencies Commission Chair. The Constituencies Commission Chair shall identify issues of particular concern to minority student affairs professionals, gay/lesbian/bisexual professionals, and affirmative action guidelines. He/She shall communicate pertinent legislation related to and affirmative action guide lines to all committee chairs and Executive Board members, monitor compliance to the guidelines, and collect and compile affirmative action reports from committee chairs and Executive Board members for the President's annual report.

C. DUAL ASSIGNMENT. There shall be no dual assignment to the Executive Board of any member of the Association.

Section 2. FUNCTIONS. The Executive Board shall be the administrative board of the Association and its function shall be as follows:

A. To formulate and recommend policies to the membership for its consideration and action.
B. To formulate policies appropriate for executive action and direct the execution thereof subject to review by the membership.
C. To plan and implement the actions necessary to accomplish the legislative decisions of the membership.
D. To communicate Association business to the membership of the Association.
E. To request reports from committees, as deemed necessary, for the execution of business.

Section 3. MEETINGS. The Executive Board shall meet at the time and place of the State Meeting and at other times during the year as designated by the President. The Executive Board must have a quorum present, consisting of a simple majority of the members of the Executive Board. Each member of the Executive Board shall have one vote.

Section 4. REMOVAL. Grounds for removal include: failure to perform the duties of their office as set forth by these by-laws and/or a failure to attend three consecutive Executive Board meetings. An Officer or Executive Board member may be removed by the following process:

A. A petition to remove must be submitted to another officer. This petition must contain signatures of at least 10% of the voting members of the organization but no less than thirty (30) signatures. Upon receipt of such a petition, the Executive Board shall call a meeting to review the petition.

B. Upon the third consecutive meeting a member has missed, the Recorder shall make a motion to dismiss the Executive Board member at the next regularly scheduled meeting. The member will receive notice of this action by the Recorder within one month prior to the next meeting.

C. Grounds for removal and defense are to be presented by the officer at a regular or special meeting of the Executive Board.

D. The officer in question shall be provided an opportunity to present a defense or explanation for the aforementioned actions either in person or in writing.

E. The Executive Board must retire to executive session to discuss the issue, a paper ballot must be taken, and a quorum is necessary for the vote of removal.

Section 5. APPEALS. Appeals of the removal of an officer or Executive Board Member shall be as follows:

A. An officer may appeal the vote for removal by requesting in writing a special appeal meeting. This request must be postmarked no later than five working days after the initial meeting.
B. The President or President-Elect, if the President is the officer, being removed, shall notify all Executive Board Members and convene a special meeting to be held within 30 days of the postmarked letter.
C. The appeal hearing should allow for the presentation of any new evidence. Both sides should be allowed no more than thirty (30) minutes to present their case.
D. The vote should be by paper ballot and shall require a quorum of the members and a simple majority of the vote.
 

ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES

Section 1. COMMITTEES. Both standing committees and special committees may be created for the promotion of the purposes of the Association. Committees shall consist of members of the Association, with their number, jurisdiction, method of selection, and tenure determined in accordance with these By-Laws. Existing committees may be discontinued by decision of the Executive Board.

Section 2. STANDING COMMITTEES. The Association shall have the following committees (Nominating Committee, Awards and Commendations, and By-Laws excepted) which shall be appointed by the President of the Association in consultation with the Executive Board. Committees shall perform such functions as may be prescribed in these By-Laws. Committee chairpersons not already members of the Executive Board are entitled to attend Board meetings for reporting purposes. They will not, however, be empowered to vote on the Executive Board.

A. NOMINATING COMMITTEE. The Nominating Committee shall be charged with conducting nominations and election procedures as directed under Article V of these By-Laws.

B. CONFERENCE COMMITTEE. The Conference Committee shall plan, initiate, and coordinate the arrangements and activities necessary for the Annual State Conference. The chairperson of the Conference Committee shall be appointed by the Executive Board preferably two years in advance of the conference to be chaired. In turn the Conference Chair will appoint the committee members with the advice and consent of the Executive Board.

C. AWARDS AND COMMENDATIONS COMMITTEE. The Awards and Commendations Committee, chaired by the immediate Past-President, shall seek and process nomination(s) for the three (3) primary PCPA awards: Outstanding New Professional, The Joseph Merkle Award for Outstanding Contributions to PCPA, and Outstanding Contribution to the Student Affairs Profession. These awards may or may not be awarded each year. This committee may also recommend to the Executive Board the establishing and/or presenting of additional awards or special commendations as deemed appropriate.

D. BY-LAWS COMMITTEE. The By-Laws Committee, chaired by the Past-President, shall review the PCPA By-Laws and recommend to the Executive Board revisions, additions and/or deletions which may be appropriate. Any action by this committee must be consistent with the provisions of Article X, Section 1 and 2 of these By-Laws.

E. NATIONAL BOARD OF CERTIFIED COUNSELORS COMMITTEE. The NBCC Committee shall evaluate all PCPA sponsored programs, i.e., lectures, colloquiums, seminars, and workshops, for possible NBCC recertification credit for PCPA's National Certified Counselors (NCC). Prior to the PCPA sponsored activity, the Committee shall collect the information necessary to request the use of ACPA's NBCC provider number. The Committee shall also verify the attendance of NCC's and prepare certificates documenting the recertification hours for each NCC. A permanent file of all NBCC recertification activities and credits shall be maintained by the Committee.

F. PAST OFFICERS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. POAC shall consist of past Executive Board members who wish to stay actively involved in the Association. POAC may assume responsibility for special projects at the direction of the Executive Board.

G. FACULTY LIAISON COMMITTEE. The Faculty Liaison Committee shall provide a link between PCPA and the faculty of the graduate preparation programs in the Commonwealth and serve as consultant to the PCPA Executive Board and membership providing up to date information on Student Affairs graduate student preparation programs.

H. GRADUATE STUDENT LIAISON COMMITTEE. The Graduate Student Liaison Committee shall provide a link between PCPA and graduate students in Student Affairs programs, providing suggestions to the PCPA Executive Board that deal with current and relevant issues to graduate students.

I. HISTORICAL COMMITTEE. The Historical Committee shall maintain and update archives, maintain a running history of PCPA activities and distribute as appropriate, provide historical context to current issues and provide PCPA archive information to the ACPA archivist.

Section 3. REMOVAL. Grounds for removal of Committee Chairs include failure to perform the duties as defined by their job description and/or failure to submit reports of activities to the Executive Board. A Committee Chair may be removed by the following process:

A. The President must privately consult with the Chair in question.

B. If the Chair continues to be delinquent, the President must then consult with the Board regarding grounds for removal and prepare a defense if requested.

Section 4. SPECIAL COMMITTEES. The President and/or the Executive Board may propose special committees as deemed necessary for a term of one year.

Section 5. TENURE OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS. The term of office for Committee Chairs shall coincide with the governance year.

Section 6. REPORTS. Each committee chairperson shall submit an annual written report to the President who shall report salient developments to the Executive Board.
 

ARTICLE VIII: THE ASSOCIATION YEAR

Section 1. FISCAL YEAR. The fiscal year shall be May 1 to April 30.

Section 2. GOVERNANCE YEAR. The governance year shall be May 1 to April 30.

Section 3. MEMBERSHIP YEAR. Annual dues shall be paid for the membership year of October 1 - September 30.
 

ARTICLE IX: PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES

Section 1. RULES OF ORDER. The business of the Association shall be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order.
 

ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS AND REVISIONS

Section 1. INITIATION. Amendments to or other changes in these By-Laws may be initiated in the following ways:

A. EXECUTIVE BOARD. The Executive Board may propose amendments.

B. COMMITTEE. The President may appoint a committee to consider revising the By-Laws in general or amending a particular section.

C. MEMBERS. Any twenty (20) members of the Association may submit to the Executive Board a proposed amendment(s) in writing and signed by the sponsors. The Executive Board will be responsible for relaying such a proposed amendment to the President and may append its recommendations concerning the proposed amendment at this time.

Section 2. ADOPTION. These By-Laws may be amended by the following method:

A. MAIL. The President shall send the proposed changes, along with the recommendations of the Executive Board, to the membership for a vote by mail. At least thirty (30) days must lapse between the mailing date and the date on which the vote was counted. The President shall appoint a committee to count the votes. An affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of members returning ballots shall be required for the acceptance of the proposed amendment.

B. ANNUAL STATE MEETING. Amendments may be acted upon at the State Meeting under the following conditions:

1. Proposed amendments are to be presented in writing to the membership at least thirty (30) days prior to the annual State meeting at which the proposed amendments are to be considered.

2. A two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the members present is necessary for adoption of such proposed amendments.

 

 

 

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