ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of this organization shall be The Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges, Incorporated, hereafter referred to as the Consortium or CCSC, which is an Indiana not-for-profit corporation.
ARTICLE II – PURPOSE
The purpose of the Consortium is to promote the betterment of computer-oriented curricula in two- and four-year colleges and universities; to improve the use of computing as an educational resource for all disciplines; to encompass regional constituencies devoted to this purpose; and to promote a national liaison among local, regional, and national organizations also devoted to this purpose. Predominantly these colleges and universities are oriented toward teaching, rather than research.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
- Membership is intended for those interested in the issues associated with the teaching of computer-oriented or computer-supported courses at institutions of higher education. Each member communicates directly with the Consortium and exercises a single vote. Members in good standing are those whose dues have been paid as assigned by the Board of Directors.
- Membership shall begin on the first of the month after the membership application is received, and shall continue for 24 months. Persons renewing during the membership year will have 24-months extensions applied to their memberships. The Board shall have the right to award complimentary memberships to persons performing services for the Consortium and to persons participating in Consortium sponsored activities. The Board shall set the terms for such memberships. Complimentary members shall be extended the rights and privileges of the appropriate membership class.
STANDING RULE(S) FOR ARTICLE III
Complimentary memberships awarded based on conference attendance shall extend for at least 24 months following the starting date of the conference.
ARTICLE IV – VOTING
- For voting purposes, a member may, at the time of joining the Consortium or in writing to the Membership Secretary at any time, choose the region with which he/she wishes to be affiliated.
- Each regular member in good standing shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote of the entire Consortium Membership and one vote on each matter submitted to a regional vote in that member’s designated region.
STANDING RULE(S) FOR ARTICLE IV
- A member has at least 28 days from the date the ballots are mailed out in which to return a ballot for a national election. The Vice President shall certify the election and communicate the results to the Board of Directors. Results of the election shall be reported to the membership.
- If at the time of joining, a member does not specify a region, the Membership Secretary will assign the region, normally to be that region in which the member resides.
ARTICLE V – MEETINGS
- The Board of Directors shall conduct business as a group at least twice each fiscal year. One meeting shall be held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Consortium. Such meetings will occur with a minimum sixty (60) day notice to Board members.
- The Consortium will hold an Annual Meeting once during each fiscal year. The date and place of this meeting shall be selected at the previous Annual Meeting by a vote of those attending the meeting and shall be communicated to all members at least sixty days before the meeting.
- The Board of Directors may, with three months notice, call other general meetings of the Consortium to conduct necessary business. Actions taken at any properly announced general meeting in accordance with the provisions of these bylaws by a quorum (Article XIII) of the membership are binding on the Consortium.
STANDING RULE(S) FOR ARTICLE V:
- Whenever practicable, the Annual Meeting will be held in conjunction with the Annual ACM SIGCSE Technical Symposium.
- Conducting business by email shall be allowed and will be governed by Roberts Rules of Order, with the following modifications/clarifications:
- Any item which is proposed by a voting Board member and seconded by another voting Board member must be transmitted to the Board by the President.
- All percentages will be of the number of eligible voting Board members, rather than the number of votes.
- A minimum time of 3 business days will be allowed for all discussions.
- A minimum time of 2 business days will be allowed for all votes.
- At the beginning of each email discussion and vote, the President shall indicate the length of time for discussion and voting.
- The Vice President shall be responsible for collecting and reporting the votes. The report should include the overall counts as well as the individual votes.
- The President will distribute these rules whenever a proposal is transmitted to the Board.
ARTICLE VI – GOVERNING BODY
- The governance of the Consortium shall be vested in its Board of Directors.
- The Board of Directors shall be constituted as follows:
- The elected officers of the Consortium (President and Vice President). These officers shall have voting rights on the Board.
- The officers of Publications Chair, Treasurer, and Membership Secretary which shall be elected by the Board. These officers shall have voting rights on the Board.
- One (1) elected representative from each of the Consortium regions. Regional Representatives shall have voting rights on the Board.
- Upon approval by the Board of Directors, individuals charged with special duties may have representation to the Board. Such individuals will serve at the pleasure of the Board and will not have voting rights.
- All Board members must be Consortium members in good standing during the terms of their offices. Regional Representatives must be affiliated with their respective regions.
- Each person who is a voting member of the Board has only one vote.
- All terms of office commence at the start of the next fiscal year (Article VIII) following an election.
- The Treasurer, Membership Secretary, and Publications Chair shall each be elected for a three (3) year term. The Vice President will be elected for a two year term to be followed by a two year term as President. Regional Representatives will serve for three (3) year terms. Approximately one-third (⅓) of the Regional Representatives will be elected each year.
- Regional Representatives and Consortium officers elected by the General Membership shall be elected by official ballot pursuant to Article IV of these Bylaws from the nominees presented by the Nominating Committee (Article IX) at the Annual Meeting plus additional qualified nominations, if any, made at or prior to the Annual Meeting of the Consortium. A plurality of eligible votes cast is necessary for election. The election shall be conducted by the Nominating Committee. The Membership Secretary of the Consortium shall certify voter eligibility. In the event of a tie, the Board of Directors determines the outcome of the election.
- The President shall:
- Be the chief executive officer of the Consortium.
- Preside at all meetings of the Consortium and its Board of Directors.
- Be ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.
- Be responsible for the organization of the Annual Meeting.
- Be responsible for coordination with any other conventions or joint meetings in which the Consortium, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, shall participate.
- The Vice President shall:
- In the absence of the President, or during the incapacity of the President, perform all duties and assume all responsibilities of the President until the Board of Directors shall remove such authority.
- Serve as Secretary of the Consortium.
- Take the minutes and record attendance of all Board of Directors meetings and submit such for official Consortium publication subsequent to approval by the Board of Directors.
- Keep a record of all electronic mail discussions held by the Board of Directors, record all decisions made in this manner, and report these decisions as part of the minutes of the subsequent Board Meeting.
- Collect proposed changes in the Bylaws or Standing Rules and report them to the members of the Board of Directors.
- Keep such records and prepare such reports as may be requested by the Board of Directors.
- Maintain the official copy of the Bylaws, Standing Rules, and other policies of the Consortium; submit the official Bylaws and Standing Rules for official Consortium publication; distribute a copy of any Bylaw, Standing Rule, or policy to any member requesting the same, and bring the official copy of the Bylaws, Standing Rules, and other policies to each meeting of the Board of Directors.
- Chair the Nominating Committee, solicit and receive nominations, and prepare ballots.
- As election officer, receive completed ballots, tabulate the results in consultation with the other members of the Nominating Committee, and certify to the Board of Directors the results of any election.
- Insure that all provisions of Article IV – VOTING – are adhered to.
- The Treasurer shall:
- Receive and disburse the funds of the Consortium, and shall keep and preserve proper vouchers and books of accounts, which shall be open to inspection by the Board of Directors and subject to audit.
- Coordinate deposit of Consortium funds in such financial institutions or investments as may be approved by the Board of Directors.
- Submit a financial report at each meeting of the Board of Directors, and an annual financial report to the membership.
- Serve as Chair of the Finance Committee in preparation of annual budgets, and assist the regions with the preparation of their conference budgets.
- The Membership Secretary shall:
- Maintain the membership roster of the Consortium.
- Be responsible for the delivery of dues notices and ballots.
- Keep such records and prepare such reports as may be requested by the Board of Directors, the Finance Committee, or individual regions.
- Certify voter eligibility.
- The Publications Chair shall:
- Oversee publications of the Consortium.
- Provide a refereed publication forum.
- The duties of the Regional Representatives include:
- Communicating of Board actions/directives to the regional governing bodies and other regional officers as appropriate.
- Communicating regional actions and concerns to the Board.
- Attending Board Meetings.
- Serving on CCSC committees.
- Any vacancy on the Board of Directors because of death, resignation, disqualification, disability, or any other reason may be filled by appointment of the President (or by the Vice President should the Presidency be vacant) until the next election. The appointed replacement must meet all the qualifications of the office and will take office immediately and will hold office until the next election. If by then the term of office has not expired, an election shall be held for the unexpired portion. The elected official shall take office immediately upon certification of the election.
- Except as otherwise specifically provided in these Bylaws, all decisions at any meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof shall be by a majority of those representing a quorum.
STANDING RULE(S) FOR ARTICLE VI:
- The Vice President shall:
- Notify the winners of any election with a congratulatory message copied to the President within one week of certification of the election.
- Notify the unsuccessful candidates for any election with a message thanking them for their support of CCSC and encouraging them to continue active participation in the organization. Such notification should occur coincident with the notification of winners of such election, and should be copied to the President.
- Within two (2) weeks of election results, request the winner’s affiliation and contact information for public release, and forward said information to the CCSC Publications Chair (for publication in CCSC official publications), the CCSC Webmaster (for inclusion on the CCSC web site), and the Board listserv maintainer (for inclusion on the CCSC Board listserv).
- Be the interface between the individual regions and SIGCSE to maintain the “in cooperation with” status for all conferences.
- The Membership Secretary shall:
- Provide in a timely manner appropriate mailing lists as needed for any Consortium business.
- Be the interface between the Board and the Membership System Administrator to resolve registration system problems.
- Provide regular and timely reports of conference registrations and membership enrollments and renewals to support the financial system in tracking CCSC’s expected income.
- Maintain a centralized repository of CCSC membership information.
- Maintain the membership database as specified by the Board.
- Provide timely reports to support membership, financial, publications, and other Board functions, reflecting accurate and up-to-date membership information.
- The Publications Chair shall:
- Publish a minimum of four issues of the Journal each year.
- Each issue of the Journal shall consist of refereed proceedings of the sponsored conferences, other proceedings selected by the Board, and/or other publications chosen by the Board.
- The content of Journal issues shall be refereed, unless otherwise designated.
- Each issue of the Journal will include a complete list of the members of the Board of Directors along with appropriate contact information.
- Execute appropriately on a regular basis legal documents related to copyright issues.
- Set up and maintain a centralized repository of copyright forms with movement toward an electronic repository.
- Publish a minimum of four issues of the Journal each year.
- The Treasurer, assisted by Associate Treasurer(s) with whom tasks defined here and in Item 12 of Article VI of the Bylaws are shared in accordance with accepted accounting practices, shall have responsibility for the following:
- Maintain a centralized repository of proper vouchers and books of accounts in an electronic repository, and ensure appropriate access to the financial accounting system supporting this repository.
- Prepare tax and other legal and financial documents.
- Pay bills and expenses (national and regional) as authorized by the CCSC Board.
- With the Finance Committee, prepare and submit annual CCSC budget for Board approval.
- With the Comptroller, prepare and submit annual budgets for regional conferences for CCSC Board approval.
- Arrange for a Board-approved backup signatory for the CCSC Treasurer on all CCSC financial accounts.
- Serve as liaison with CCSC insurer, and coordinate with regional representatives regarding relevant information for individual conferences.
- Communicate with the appropriate national and regional authorizing officer to resolve submitted expenses in excess of Board-approved amounts.
- Maintain a list of duties and instructions for accomplishing that is accessible online to the Associate Treasurer(s), appropriate CCSC officers and Board members.
- Maintain such records as needed to support reconciliation of actual CCSC income with income expected from conference registrations and membership renewals.
- Individuals charged with special duties are the Conference Coordinator, Webmaster, National Partners chair, Associate Editors of the Journal, Comptroller, Associate Treasurers, and Membership System Administrator.
- The Membership System Administrator shall:
- Coordinate with individual regional/conference registrars to ensure that conference-related registration information is kept up to date.
- Provide support and coordination between the online registration system and online payment systems as specified by the Board.
- The Comptroller shall:
- Conduct preliminary reviews of regional/conference budgets and coordinate clarification with regional committees before submission of the budgets to the Treasurer and subsequently to the Board.
- Review financial records on a regular basis to ensure that income and expense items are properly recorded and up-to-date and agree with bank statements and Board-approved budgets.
- Chair the Audit Committee.
- Regularly reconcile the status of the CCSC’s financial accounts with the records maintained in the centralized repository.
- The Associate Membership Secretary shall assist the Membership Secretary with duties as assigned.
- The Associate Editor(s) shall assist the Publications Chair with duties as assigned, to include such items as:
- Copy formatting.
- Proofreading.
- Manuscript assembly.
- The National Partners Chair shall:
- Continually monitor potential National Partners for CCSC.
- Actively solicit potential National Partners at national conferences.
- Monitor the CCSC web site for accuracy and completeness of National Partners roster and visibility, notifying the CCSC Webmaster and the CCSC Publications Chair of needed updates.
- Make recommendations to the CCSC Webmaster and the CCSC Publications Chair regarding visibility of National Partners.
- Monitor CCSC regional web pages and publications to ensure that National Partners are appropriately represented.
- Provide ongoing assessment for minimal commitments to National Partners [on the part of] the individual regions.
- Provide regular reporting to the Board regarding both successes and challenges for the National Partners program.
- Maintain relationships with current National Partners.
- The Webmaster shall:
- Be the point of contact with the Internet Service Provider hosting the official CCSC web site and centralized repository of financial and publications records.
- Maintain the CCSC web site, providing timely updates as information is made available by regional and national officers.
- Maintain the centralized repository, including providing access to the appropriate CCSC officers.
- The Associate Treasurer(s) shall assist the Treasurer with duties as assigned.
- In addition to duties defined in regional Bylaws, Regional Treasurers shall:
- Submit proposed Conference Budgets to the Comptroller in sufficient time for CCSC Board approval one year in advance of the region’s conference.
- Submit all expense and reimbursement requests to the CCSC Treasurer.
- Report, and submit for deposit to the appropriate CCSC financial account as designated by the CCSC Treasurer, any income collected regionally.
- Reconcile local records of income and expenses with the CCSC financial accounting system by timely communication with the CCSC Treasurer.
- Upon appointment, the Board will decide whether and how frequently an individual charged with special duties is to attend Board meetings. This schedule can be changed only by Board action.
- Evaluation by the Board of the need for each special duties position shall take place no later than three (3) years after the (re)establishment of need for the position; election by the Board of the individual to fill the position will occur concurrently. Approximately one third of existing special duties positions should be revisited in each of the next three years.
- The UPE (Upsilon Pi Epsilon) Liaison shall provide a regular report to UPE on student activities sponsored at individual CCSC conferences by UPE grants.
ARTICLE VII – REGIONS
- Consortium membership is affiliated with official Consortium regions (per Article IV, section 1).
- Regions must function subject to regional bylaws consistent with these Bylaws and approved by the CCSC Board.
- Prior to any CCSC-sponsored conference, the region will submit the conference budget for CCSC Board approval.
- The establishment of a region must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the voting members of the CCSC Board.
- Each official Consortium region will elect a Regional Representative to the Board of Directors pursuant to Article VI.8.
STANDING RULE(S) FOR ARTICLE VII
- Conference budgets must be submitted by the region and approved by the CCSC Board one year in advance of the conference.
- Each region will elect the following officers:
- Regional web master
- Regional registration chair
- Regional editor
- Regional treasurer
- In order for a new region to be created, a petition must be presented to the Board by a current member of the Board. The petition must demonstrate the need for and viability of adding a new region and show how the new region will impact existing regions.
ARTICLE VIII – FISCAL AFFAIRS
- The fiscal year of the Consortium will run from August 1-July 31.
- The Consortium shall assess membership fees as follows:
- The amount of membership fees for each membership class in the Consortium shall be determined and approved by two-thirds of the votes cast at a meeting of the Board of Directors. Current membership fees shall be sustained until changed. Proposed changes in the membership fees require thirty (30) days prior written notice to the members of the Board of Directors. Any change in membership fees becomes effective at the beginning of the next fiscal year.
- Members whose memberships have not been renewed will be billed for membership fees.
- A change in membership fees must be published to the membership at least sixty days prior to taking effect.
STANDING RULE(S) FOR ARTICLE VIII
All full registrants for a CCSC sponsored conference shall become members of the Consortium in the appropriate membership class effective the opening date of the conference.
ARTICLE IX – COMMITTEES
- The President of the Board of the Consortium may create committees as needed.
- The following standing committees shall be established: Nominating, Finance.
STANDING RULE(S) FOR ARTICLE IX
- The Consortium committees include the following standing committees: Nominating Committee, Finance Committee, Publications Committee, Audit Committee, and Service Recognition Committee. The committee chairperson shall select, from the voting members of the Consortium, members for each committee except as otherwise provided in the Standing Rule. These committees shall perform such responsibilities as may be assigned by the Board of Directors and shall include the duties specified in the following Standing Rules.
- Nominating Committee consisting of the Vice President and two representatives from separate regions, and chaired by the Vice President, whose duty it shall be:
- To prepare nominations (prior to the Annual Meeting) for Directors scheduled to be elected each spring and to ascertain the availability of such nominees to serve in those positions;
- To receive nominations made either at the Annual Meeting or by the membership prior to the Annual Meeting; the Nominating Committee shall endeavor to nominate at least two qualified candidates for each Director position to be filled by election;
- To prepare a ballot and accompanying candidate biography; and
- To receive and tabulate any ballots of the entire membership. The Vice President shall certify the results of any such ballots to the Board of Directors.
- Finance Committee, whose chair shall be the Treasurer of the Consortium, whose duty it shall be:
- To provide a projection each spring of Consortium income for the following year with recommendations as to the amounts which should be allocated to each of the Consortium’s activities;
- To recommend to the Board, the Membership Secretary, and the regional steering committees, policies and procedures which will safeguard and expedite the financial transactions each is responsible for;
- To recommend to the Board dues increases or alternative actions which would raise revenue or minimize expenses.
- Publications Committee, whose chair shall be the Publications Chair, whose duty it shall be:
- To Coordinate with Contributing Editors (established by the individual conferences’ steering committees) who will
- perform as necessary selection and editing of articles and formatting of the individual manuscripts of each Journal issue according to established guidelines;
- deliver camera-ready or electronic copy (as applicable) of the manuscripts and supporting materials to the Editor (Publications Chair) or his/her designate in a timely manner;
- To recommend to the Board the dates and contents of at least four issues of the Journal each year (volume).
- To coordinate with the CCSC Webmaster (as an ex-officio member of the Publications Committee) content of the official CCSC web site.
- To Coordinate with Contributing Editors (established by the individual conferences’ steering committees) who will
- Audit Committee, consisting of the Comptroller (chair) and at least two additional members appointed by the President, whose duty it shall be:
- To verify the correctness and completeness of the financial records of the Consortium.
- To verify the correctness and completeness of the membership records of the Consortium.
- To make recommendations to the Board regarding needed changes in policies and procedures in support of correctness and completeness of the records of the Consortium.
- Service Recognition Committee, consisting of three members appointed by the President with terms staggered so that one member is appointed each fall to a three year term, whose duty it shall be:
- To receive nominations for service awards from CCSC members;
- To ensure that all nomination materials are in order;
- To review those nominations; and
- To recommend nominations for service awards to the National Board at the Fall Board Meeting.
ARTICLE X – STANDING RULES
- The Board of Directors may formulate standing rules to supplement these Bylaws, so long as they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws.
- Standing Rules may be adopted or modified by a two-thirds majority of the voting members of the Board.
- Notice of a proposal for changes in Standing Rules shall be submitted to each member of the Board of Directors at least ten business days prior to the vote.
- Each Standing Rule adopted shall become a directive for implementation of these Bylaws.
ARTICLE XI – RESTRICTIONS
This organization shall be non-racial, non-partisan, non-sectarian and shall wholly abstain from any political or labor affiliation or endorsements for public office.
STANDING RULE(S) FOR ARTICLE XI
Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Consortium of Computing Science in Colleges (CCSC) is committed to promoting a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environment where all members have an opportunity to thrive, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability status, age, nationality, thinking style and experience, or any other characteristic that makes each person unique. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential values that are integral to our mission of promoting the betterment of computer-oriented curricula in two- and four-year colleges and universities, improving the use of computing as an educational resource for all disciplines, and fostering collaboration among local, regional, and national organizations.
To achieve our commitment to DEI, we will:
- Foster a welcoming and inclusive environment: We will strive to create an environment where all members feel valued, respected, and included in all aspects of our organization’s activities.
- Promote diversity: We recognize that diversity strengthens our organization and
enhances our ability to achieve our mission. - Ensure equity: We will strive to create an equitable environment where everyone has access to the opportunities and resources to fully participate in our organization.
- Provide inclusive programming: We will promote diversity in our speakers and sessions and strive to address issues of bias and discrimination in our field.
We recognize that promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion requires ongoing effort and commitment. We are committed to continuously evaluating and improving our practices to ensure that our organization reflects these values and principles.
ARTICLE XII – RECORDS
The Consortium shall keep correct and complete books and records of accounts and shall also keep minutes of the meetings of its members, Board of Directors and committees having any of the authority of the Board of Directors. Minutes of all Board meetings will be published in a timely manner.
STANDING RULE(S) FOR ARTICLE XII
- After approval by the Board, minutes of all Board meetings must be published on the consortium’s Web page.
- In conjunction with the spring meeting of the Board, the Audit Committee (Article IX) will audit the financial and membership records for the previous fiscal year, and report its findings to the Board.
ARTICLE XIII – QUORUM
- Ten percent (10%) of the roll of voting members of the Consortium shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Consortium as a whole.
- A simple majority of the members of the Board of Directors who have voting rights shall constitute a quorum of the Board of Directors.
- A simple majority of the members of any committee of the Consortium shall constitute a quorum of the committee.
ARTICLE XIV – RULES OF ORDER
Rules contained in “Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised” most recent edition, shall govern this organization in all cases to which they are applicable, provided they are not inconsistent with the Bylaws and Standing Rules of this organization.
ARTICLE XV – BYLAWS AMENDMENTS
- Proposed amendments of these Bylaws may be submitted in writing to the Vice President by any member of the Consortium. Proposed amendments will be presented to all members of the Board of Directors for consideration. All proposed amendments must be approved by the Board of Directors before being submitted to the membership; those approved by the Board shall be distributed to the membership at least thirty (30) days in advance of the Annual Meeting of the Consortium.
- The amendments approved by the Board will be submitted once a year to the membership for approval together with the annual election ballot following the Annual Meeting. The procedure for conducting the vote on the Bylaws will be the same as for conducting the election of officers. An amendment is approved if the amendment receives a simple majority of the ballots cast in the election and that majority is at least 10% of the voting membership.
- Amendments to these Bylaws become effective at the start of the next fiscal year after the amendments are approved, with the exception of changes concerning elections or officers. Changes in the Bylaws concerning elections shall take effect with the next election after the amendments are approved. Changes concerning officers are implemented at the beginning of the following fiscal year.
ARTICLE XVI – RIGHT TO APPEAL TO THE MEMBERSHIP
Any Consortium member in good standing may appeal any action of the Board of Directors to the general membership within sixty days of the publication of that action. The request to have the membership affirm or rescind the Board action must be accompanied by a petition containing the signatures of five per cent of the current roll of voting members. Once the petition is received and the Membership Secretary has verified the signatures, the Board of Directors, within 30 days, will conduct a vote of the membership as defined in Article IV. The results of that ballot must be announced on the CCSC web site after the results are known and an e-mail notice sent to members.