Historical Documentation

The original association constitution, bylaws, and first set of minutes

Approved by the Association:

October 20, 1988

CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I: Name

The name of this organization shall be '' The Oklahoma State University Emeritus Faculty Association," hereinafter referred to as "the Association."

ARTICLE I I: Organization Goals

The Association's initial goals are to enhance professional and social interactions among emeritus faculty at Oklahoma State University and between the emeritus faculty and the faculty and administration of Oklahoma State .University.

ARTICLE I I I: Membership

Section 1.

Eligibility for membership in the Association shall be limited to those persons who have held faculty rank at Oklahoma State University and are retired from Oklahoma State University with Emeritus Faculty status.

Section 2.

Life membership shall be granted to any person eligible for membership upon payment of the prescribed fee.

Section 3.

Annual membership dues are assessed each year. Dues must be paid in order to qualify for continuing membership. Those who have paid dues are considered to be active members.

Section 4.

Any use of grammatical gender references shall be interpreted as applying equally to male and female persons.

ARTICLE IV: Emeritus Faculty Council/Officers

Section 1.

Management and administration of the Association shall be vested in a Council of nine elected voting councilors with rotating terms, plus five officers and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research, ex-officio and non-voting. All active members are eligible to serve on the Emeritus Faculty Council, hereinafter- "the Council." Councilors shall serve for three years on a revolving basis and Councilors having the full three-year term may not immediately succeed themselves.

Section 2.

The general officers of the Association shall consist of_ the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Immediate Past-Charman. The Vice-Chairman shall be elected for a term of one year and then shall automatically become Chairman for the succeeding year. The Chairman shall automatically becomethe Immediate Past-Chairman for the year following theChairmanship. The Chairman and immediate Past-Chairman shall not be eligible for immediate re-election as Vice-Chairman. The Secretary and the Treasurer each shall be elected for a term of three years, their terms not to be coincident, and shall be eligible for re-election. The officers shall take office on July 1 of each year.

Section 3.

The duties and responsibilities of the various officers are as follows:

The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the

Association and the Council and shall sign contracts and other

instruments on behalf of the Association as directed by the

Council and attested to by the Secretary. At the annual meeting, the Chairman shall present an annual report which shall include a summary of activities, membership, finances, recommendations, and other items that reflect the status of the Association.
The Vice-Chairman shall perform all the duties of the Chairman in the case of the Chairman's absence or inability to

perform said duties and shall accept special assignments as

determined by the Chairman and the Council.
The Secretary shall keep a record of the minutes of

the meetings of the Council and the Association, conduct the

Association's correspondence, and prepare and send out such other notifications as are deemed necessary. The Secretary shall send a copy of the annual report to the President of the University. The Secretary, under the direction of the Council, shall also perform such other duties as ordinarily pertain to the office. The Secretary shall also arrange for the preservation of the documents and records of the Association in such a manner that they will be accessible to the members of the Association and the University.
The Treasurer shall be the custodian of the

Association monies. The Treasurer shall collect all dues and

other monies receivable by the Association; disburse money under the direction of the Chairman as authorized by the Council and in accordance with accounting and disbursement policies of the University; keep a record of the accounts; and present a statement at each regular meeting of the Council showing the financial condition of the Association. At the annual meeting the Treasurer shall present a financial report comprising a complete balance sheet together with a categorized statement of the receipts and disbursements for the year.
The Immediate Past-Chairman shall continue to serve

on the Council and shall assist the Chairman, according to the

requests set forth by the Chairman.

Section 4.

The Executive Committee of the Council shall
consist of the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman, the Secretary, the Treasurer and the Immediate Past-Chairman of the Council. This Committee shall conduct business as needed between regular meetings of the Council and report to the full Council.

Section 5.

The Council shall manage the business and administer the rules of the Association directly or through standing committees chaired by a member of the Council. It shall fill all vacancies in the Council for the interim period until the election prior to the next annual meeting. A majority of the Council (eight) shall constitute a quorum unless otherwise provided for in the Constitution or By-Laws. A majority vote of the Council shall in all cases refer to a majority of the Councilors present at any meeting attended by at least a quorum of the Councilors. Section 6. Election of new officers and Councilors for the Association shall be by mail ballot by the active membership. A Nominating Committee shall be made up of three members of the Association with one of the Association officers as chairman. The Committee shall obtain the names of candidates from the active membership, who are willing to serve if elected, and with the number of candidates equal to at least twice the number of vacancies in the Council. For each officer position to be filled for the next year, two nominees with at least one year's experience on the Council shall be presented (after the first ree years of Council operation). Three new Councilors shall be elected each year for three year terms. Any vacancies in the Council or in the officers positions shall be filled at the same time on a separate ballot. The Council may fill any vacancies for an interim period until the next election is scheduled. Each active voting member may cast one vote for each Councilor to be elected. The three candidates receiving the most votes shall be declared elected for the full-term Councilor positions. Candidates for any Council position with unfulfilled terms receiving the most votes shall be declared elected for the vacancies on the Council.

The ballot shall be mailed to all of the active membership at least three weeks before the annual meeting. Each active member of the Association shall be permitted one vote for each officer and for each councilor position and councilor vacancy on the ballot.

ARTICLE V: Amendments

This Constitution of the Association may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the active members present at the annual meeting of the Association or at a special meeting called t·or that purpose provided that a statement of the proposed amendment is signed by at least twenty active members and shall have been previously submitted to the Council. The Council shall distribute copies of the proposed amendment with a notice of the meeting to each active member not less than one week and not more than thirty days before the meeting. Changes in the terms of the proposed amendments, but confined strictly to the same subject matter, may be made at the meeting by a majority vote of the quorum present.

BY-LAWS

Committees

Section 1.

At the first regular meeting of the Council after the annual meeting of the Association, the Chairman shall appoint a committee chairman from the Council and two additional members from the active membership to comprise each of the following standing committees: Membership, Finance, Communications, Activities, University Emeritus Faculty Benefits, and University and Emeritus Faculty Relations.

Ad hoc committees may be appointed at such times and for such purposes as the Council determines. The stated purpose and duration of ad hoc committees shall constitute their charge. All committee appointments are subject to approval by the Council. The action and authority of these committees shall be subject at all times to the supervision and control of the Council.

Section 2.

The Membership Committee shall maintain an
up-to-date 1 ist of eligible members of emeritus faculty of the Oklahoma State University (main campus and branches) together with their addresses and telephone numbers. They shall develop appropriate measures for augmenting and extending the active membership among the eligible emeritus faculty.

Section 3.

The Finance Committee shall have charge of the finances of the Association. The Treasurer shall be a member of the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee shall present a financial report, including a proposed budget, to the Council at the March meeting each year. The Finance Committee also shall develop information on personal finance benefits specifically applicable to the emeritus faculty.

Section 4.

The Communications Committee shall provide a newsletter and other communications between the emeritus faculty and the University faculty and administrators and between local emeritus faculty and those emeritus faculty members living outside the local community.

Section 5.

The Activities Committee shall develop and/or publicize activities of special interest to the emeritus faculty, such as seminars, short courses, special speakers, and tours, wherever and whenever they might be scheduled.

Section 6.

The University Emeritus Faculty Benefits Committee shall assemble and publicize to the emeritus faculty the benefits and opportunities available to them because of their particular status. These include such items as parking permits, Colvin Center permits, and library usage. The Committee shall also identify other benefits that might be developed in the interest of emeritus faculty members.

Section 7.

The University and Emeritus Faculty Relations Committee shall study and develop interactions between emeritus faculty members and the faculty members and administrators of the University and assess the various ways in which the emeritus faculty might enhance the effectiveness of Oklahoma State University as an educational institution.

Section 8.

At the end of each Association year, each standing committee shall make a written report to the Council on the year's activities and recommend activities and actions for the coming year.

Section 9.

Should vacancies occur on any committee, the Chairman, with advice of the Council, shall appoint replacements.

ARTICLE II: Fees, Dues, and Accounts

Section 1.

Annual dues are payable by July 1 of each year and shall be delinquent if not paid by September 1. The dues for active and life membership shall be recommended by the Council and approved by the Association each year, Dues are not refundable.

Section 2.

Receipts from life memberships shall be deposited by the Treasurer at interest. Expenditures from life memberships shall be limited to earned interest.

Section 3.

All expenditures must be approved by the Council Executive Committee.

ARTICLE III: Meetings

Section 1.

The annual meeting of the Association shall be held at a designated time and place during the month of April each year. The Association shall also meet annually in October. Notice of the annual meeting shall be sent to members at the same time as the annual ballot at 1·east three weeks before the annual meeting,

Section 2.

Special meetings of the Association may be called by the Chairman, by any three members of the Council, or by twenty active members of the Association. A notice of such a meeting shall be distributed to all active members at least one week before the date of the meeting. The notice shall include the time and place of the meeting and a brief statement of the business to be considered. At such special meetings the only official business that shall be transacted is that stated in the notice.

Section 3.

At any meeting of the Accociation, thirty active members shall constitute a quorum.

Section 4.

All Association meetings shall be conducted in accordance with "Robert's Rules of Order", Revised.

ARTICLE IV: Auditing

The fiscal year of the Association shall be from May 1 to April 30. An annual audit of the Association finances shall be made during the month of May by a committee appointed by the Council. A report of the committee audit shall be submitted to the Council for its approval at its next meeting.

ARTICLE V: Emeritus Faculty Council Meetings

Meetings of the Council shall be held each month during the academic year. Special meetings shall be called by the Secretary at the request of the Chairman or any three council members and/or officers. A quorum is necessary to transact Council business.

ARTICLE V: Emeritus Faculty Council Meetings

ARTICLE VI: Amendments

The By-Laws of the Emeritus Faculty Association may be amended by a majority vote of the Council present. Any By-Law change so made shall be announced to the membership and shall become effective 30 days after such notification. If a petition from at least twenty active members is received by the Secretary asking for reconsideration, the amendment shall not become effective without further action. Before consideration of any amendment to the By-Laws, the Council shall send a copy with a notice of the meeting to each active member not less than one week and not more than thirty days before the Council meeting. Changes in the terms of a proposed amendment, but corlf"ined strictly to the same subject matter, may be made at the meeting by a majority vote of the quorum present.

ARTICLE VI I: Procedure for Disbanding the Assocation

In the event that the Association is disbanded, any Association financial resources that exist at the time shall be transferred to the OSU Foundation to be used for the advancement of the academic mission of Oklahoma State University as determined by the Board of Directors of the OSU Foundation.

ARTICLE VI I I: Initiating the Original Council

The initial Council organization shall be designed and implemented by the Interim Board of the Association so as to set up the rotation system in the Council, subject to any modifying action taken by the active members at the Association organizational meeting following the Council formation.

Oklahoma State University Emeritus Faculty Association Elctober 20, 1988; 9: 15 a. m. Case Study 2, OSU Student Union

MINUTES OF THE MEETING

This meeting of the Emeritus Faculty Association was called to order by Chairman Bob Henrickson with 83 persons in attendance from the 247 letters mailed to a local emeritus faculty list. Chairman Henrickson reviewed the history of formation for the organization indicating the steps by which we arrived at todays meeting.

The minutes of the Emeritus Faculty Meeting of April 15, 1988, were reviewed by Secretary McCollom and approved as printed. The Treasurer's report was made by Treasurer Jungers and was approved as presented. The Treasurer reported $70.00 in the treasury made up from annual dues paid thus far.

Secretary McCollom reviewed the status of the Constituion and By-Laws proposed for the OSU Emeritus Faculty Association that was distributed to-the emeritus faculty list with the announcement of this meeting. A number of suggestions for change were made with the Secretary being given instructions to include them with appropriate wording. Following a motion and second to approve the Constitution and By-Laws, several amendments were proposed:

In the Constitution, Article V: Amendments, wording should be developed to require a majority of the membership present vote for approval of any amendment with the stipulation that a quorum must be present. The motion was made and seconded and approved unanimously.

In the By-Laws, Article II: Fees, Dues, and Accounts, a motion was made and seconded to require up to two dues statements be sent before a member is delinquent. The motion did not pass.

In the By-Laws, Article V: Emeritus Faculty Council meetings, the first sentence was proposed to be altered to eliminate specifying the day of the month in which the meetings of the Council would be held. The motion passed.

The motion to approve the Constitution and By-Laws as amended with minor editing permissible by the Secretary was passed unanimously.

At this point, President John R. Campbell arrived and made a number of informal remarks about emeritus faculty and their importance in the past development of the University before opening the floor to discussion and questions. He felt that the Emeritus Faculty Association would be a valuable asset to the University. He agreed that the Association should be able to communicate well with the administration and others on areas of interest and concern. The question was asked as to whether the Assocation should be an official entity in the University. He appe􀀗red to f􀀘el that the Association could work well 􀀜h􀀞ther it was or not and that he had not looked into the ramifications. He indicated that the administration should be encouraged to respond and interact with the Association for furthering the goals of the Association and the University. For activities that might be appropriate, he suggested that research could be continued by particularly productive faculty. Scholarship programs from alumni with the help of emeritus faculty would be important, since the faculty are the ones that the alumni know. He also indicated that emeritus.faculty could be important contributors in interfacing with the local community organizations on behalf of the University. The President then left for another meeting:

The committee chairmen reported on some of the plans and activities that have already been initiated on behalf of the Emeritus Faculty Assocation. A brief summary follows.

Membership Committee, Frances Stromberg, Chairman.
The membership list is improving but is still incomplete and still has some inaccuracies. There are currently 450 emeritus faculty names on the list with 256 considered to be local. There are nine from the Oklahoma City Technical Institute and
fifty-nine from the Oklahoma State Tech at Okmulgee included on the full list. The Committee is preparing a data base on a PC system to assist in upgrading the list. They will also encourage active membership in the Association.

Communications Committee, Mary Lou Sare, Chairman.
The Committee plans a newsletter to be issued quarterly to the Association members. They also have met with PIO at OSU to create an appropriate logo for newsletters, stationery, etc.

Finance Committee, Dick Jungers and Walter Starks, Co-Chair. Activities jointly with the Activities Committee will be developed to address information on helping to resolve financial situations encountered by retired faculty. This includes those who have IRA's and Tax Sheltered savings who will have to start using them at a minimum specified rate by the age 70.5 years. Annual membership dues are probably not going to be tax deductible, however Life membership fees paid to the OSU Foundation will probably be tax deductible. This information is preliminary and must be confirmed by a tax expert.

At this point, a motion was made to approve the recommendations of the Emeritus Faculty Council to make the annual dues for the next year $10.00 and the Life Membership fee for the next year $100.00. The motion was made by Jungers and seconded by Plaxico. The motion passed unanimously.

Relations Committee, Bill Taggart, Chairman.
The Committee shall study and develop interactions between emeritus faculty members and the faculty members and administrators of the University to enhance OSU as an educational institution.