Constitution & Bylaws

Constitution

Article I. Name

The name of the corporation shall be the Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, Inc., hereinafter also referred to as SACRAO.

Article II. Purposes

The corporation is a non-profit, professional association whose purposes shall be to provide for the spread of information and the interchange of ideas on problems of common interest; to contribute to the advancement of higher education in its fullest and broadest implications; to foster a friendly spirit of unity and cooperation among its members; and to function as a unifying and coordinating agency among the separate state organizations represented in SACRAO, and with the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. SACRAO shall encourage and promote cooperation with the state/regional associations within SACRAO and assist in their separate meetings and professional development activities. 

Specifically, the association shall promote and advance the improvement of academic records, admissions, data management, enrollment services, financial aid management, international education, and registration practices through study, education, and research; advance professional knowledge and techniques by fostering the exchange of experiences and information; and develop and advance standards of competence in the profession. 

In the event of the dissolution of the corporation, after all debts of the corporation are paid, any remaining assets will be donated to charitable organizations for the advancement of higher education as determined by the Executive Committee.

Article III. Membership and Voting

Section 1. Institutional Membership

Institutional membership shall be open to employees of any collegiate institution located in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia or West Virginia, as well as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 

The employees should have job responsibility in at least one of the following areas: academic records, admissions, data management, enrollment services, financial aid management, international education, and registration. 

The institution must be accredited as a collegiate-level degree-granting institution of higher education, or be approved as a candidate for accreditation, by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Institutions meeting the above conditions may enter SACRAO by submitting to the Vice President for States/Regionals and Membership a written request. Institutions not meeting these qualifications may become members upon approval of the Executive Committee. 

Any state/regional association desiring to have its state(s) added to the membership of SACRAO must petition the Executive Committee of SACRAO. The petitioning state/regional association's request must be approved by the Executive Committee and later by a majority vote of the members present at the Annual Meeting.

Section 2. Honorary Membership

Individuals no longer eligible for institutional membership in the Association may be recommended for continued affiliation as honorary members. This honor is reserved for persons retiring or leaving the Association who made significant contributions to the profession and to the Association. A membership fee is not required of honorary members. This membership is non-voting. 

If an honorary member becomes eligible for active or corporate SACRAO membership, the benefits of honorary membership will be suspended until the individual is no longer eligible for active or corporate membership.

Section 3. Educational Agency Membership

State Educational Boards or Agencies of Higher Education, within the SACRAO borders, may apply for educational agency membership. This membership is non-voting.

Section 4. Corporate Membership

Organizations that are not collegiate or state-related educational boards or agencies may apply for corporate membership. This membership is non-voting.

Section 5. Graduate Student Membership

Graduate students interested in pursuing careers in the profession are eligible to apply for graduate student membership. This membership is non-voting.

Section 6. Associate Membership

Individuals who are not otherwise eligible for any other membership in SACRAO and who desire to participate in its activities may apply for associate membership. This membership is non-voting.

Section 7. Voting

Voting is limited to institutional members. An institutional member is one for whom current institutional membership dues have been paid.

Article IV. Executive Committee Duties, Responsibilities and Elections

Section 1. Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall be composed of fourteen officers, the Chair of the Local Arrangements Committee for the upcoming Annual Meeting, the Chair of the Local Arrangements Committee for the next consecutive Annual meeting, the Chair of the Local Arrangements Committee for a past Annual meeting, the Corporate Partner Liaison, and the Treasurer-elect. Executive Committee members must be institutional members of the Association. 

The fourteen officers are: President; President-Elect; Immediate Past President; Secretary; Treasurer; Vice President for Communication and Recognition; Vice President for Information Technology; Vice President for Program and Evaluation; Vice President for States/Regionals and Membership; Program Vice President for Distinct Populations and Programs; Program Vice President for Professional and Personal Development; Program Vice President for Records and Academic Services; Program Vice President for Recruitment, Admissions and Enrollment Management; and Program Vice President for Topics in Higher Education. 

Voting members of the Executive Committee are the officers. The Chair of the Local Arrangements Committee for the upcoming Annual Meeting, the Chair of the Local Arrangements Committee for the next consecutive Annual meeting, the Chair of the Local Arrangements Committee for a past Annual meeting, the Corporate Partner Liaison, and the Treasurer-elect are non-voting.

The President shall be the Chair of the Executive Committee. The Committee shall have those duties specifically assigned in the Constitution and Bylaws and in the Executive Committee operational manual. In addition, it shall consult with the President on important policy matters. Members of the Executive Committee must be institutional members of the Association.

Section 2. Terms of Office

The term of office shall be one year for the President, the President-Elect, and the Immediate Past President. 

The term of office shall be two years for the Secretary; Treasurer; Vice President for Communication and Recognition; Vice President for Information Technology; Vice President for Program and Evaluation; Vice President for States/Regionals and Membership; Program Vice President for Distinct Populations and Programs; Program Vice President for Professional and Personal Development; Program Vice President for Records and Academic Services; Program Vice President for Recruitment, Admissions and Enrollment Management; and Program Vice President for Topics in Higher Education. 

The following officers shall be elected in even-numbered years: Treasurer-Elect; Secretary; Vice President for Information Technology; Vice President for Program and Evaluation; Vice President for States/Regionals and Membership; Program Vice President for Recruiting, Admissions and Enrollment Management; Program Vice President for Topics in Higher Education. 

The following officers shall be elected in odd-numbered years: Vice President for Communication and Recognition; Program Vice President for Distinct Populations and Programs; Program Vice President for Professional and Personal Development; Program Vice President for Records and Academic Services. 

All officers shall assume office at the close of the Annual Meeting at which they are elected. 

The President shall assume office after serving as President-Elect. All officers shall be elected at the Annual Meeting. A simple majority of active members present and voting shall be necessary for election. Any officer who completes a full term in office may not be re-elected immediately to that office, but may be elected to a second and final term after being out of office for at least one calendar year. Past Presidents of the Association, however, may not be re-elected to serve on the executive committee. 

In the event a position of the Executive Committee is discontinued, the change of the position shall be effective with expiration of the term for the incumbent.

The president appoints the Corporate Partner Liaison (CPL) for a term of three years, and a past LAC chair for a term of one year.

Section 3. Duties of Officers

A.  The President shall implement all provisions of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association; shall preside at all meetings of the Association at which present; shall act as Chair of the Executive Committee; and shall be responsible for the supervision of all Association activities.
B.  The President-Elect shall be the principal assistant to the President; shall coordinate the Annual Meeting program; shall perform all of the duties of the President in the absence of that officer; and shall perform other assignments, which may be delegated by the President.
C.  The Immediate Past President shall chair the Constitution and Bylaws and SACRAO Site Selection Committees and perform other duties, which may be requested by the Executive Committee. D.  The Vice Presidents shall have the following responsibilities:
  1. The Program Vice President for Recruiting, Admissions and Enrollment Management shall be responsible for coordinating the affairs of the Association in the professional areas of recruiting, admissions, enrollment management, retention, special services, and financial aid. This Vice President shall serve as a member of the annual Program Committee and shall be responsible for coordinating program activities relative to these professional areas.
  2. The Program Vice President for Topics in Higher Education shall be responsible for coordinating the affairs of the Association in the topics that are relevant to the organization in higher education, including current trending topics, laws, legal and policy and important topics among the states, regionals and systems.
  3. The Program Vice President for Distinct Populations and Programs shall be responsible for coordinating the affairs of the Association in areas of access and equity, campus to campus affairs, international affairs, veterans, and athletic affairs. This Vice President shall serve as a member of the annual Program Committee and shall be responsible for coordinating program topics relative to distinct populations and programs.
  4. The Program Vice President for Professional and Personal Development shall be responsible for activities relating to professional and personal growth of the membership and to issues of the profession. This Vice President shall serve as a member of the annual Program Committee and shall be responsible for coordinating program topics relative to professional, personal and staff empowerment, research and poster sessions, and state and regional relations.
  5. The Program Vice President for Records and Academic Services shall be responsible for coordinating the affairs of the Association in the professional areas of academic affairs, academic progress and graduation, academic records and registration. This Vice President shall serve as a member of the annual Program Committee and shall be responsible for coordinating program activities relative to these professional areas.
  6. The Vice President for Information Technology shall be responsible for coordinating the affairs of the Association in the professional areas of information technology.
  7. The Vice President for States/ Regionals and Membership shall be responsible for liaison between the Association and state/regional members and issues related to membership. This Vice President solicits and collects the annual dues, forwards funds to the Treasurer, and updates membership records.
  8. The Vice President for Program and Evaluation shall be responsible for assisting the President-Elect, and evaluations will fall under this vice president.
  9. The Vice President for Communication and Recognition shall be responsible for the scholarship committee which would be responsible for awarding all scholarships. The Journal editor reports to this vice president and is selected by the President. The journal editor can serve up to three years. The Vice President of Communications and Recognition serves as the Newsletter editor. Recognition and Awards committee reports to this vice president who will serve as ex officio member for the scholarship and recognition and awards committee.
E.  The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the Annual Meeting and meetings of the Executive Committee; shall be responsible for the management of the archives of the Association; and shall perform other duties, which may be requested by the Executive Committee.
F.  The Treasurer shall record the payment of annual dues; shall be responsible for the payment of expenses of the Association; shall secure the approval of the President before payment; shall prepare financial statements for the Executive Committee; and at the close of the fiscal year shall prepare a complete financial report. This report shall be audited by the Auditing Committee appointed by the President, and the report of the Auditing Committee shall be presented to the Executive Committee and to the Association. The Treasurer shall perform such other duties as may be requested by the Executive Committee.
G.  The Treasurer-Elect is a non-voting member of the Executive Committee and serves for an elected term of one year, which begins at the annual business meeting. The Treasurer-Elect’s first year is to learn the processes and procedures related to the position of Treasurer, along with other duties, as assigned. This officer succeeds to become the Treasurer of the association for a two-year term, at which point they become voting members of the Executive Committee. H.  The Corporate Partner Liaison (CPL) is a non-voting member of the Executive Committee and serves for an appointed term of three years, which begins at the annual business meeting. The CPL will be responsible for maintaining and building relationships with existing corporate partners as well as cultivating relationships with new corporate partners, based on emerging technology and trends in admissions and registrar fields. The CPL will advise the annual meeting LAC and CP Chair on corporate partner participation and serve as a resource for each annual meeting LAC and CP Chair. I.  The Past Local Arrangement Chair (PLAC) is required to be an active institutional member of SACRAO and have previous experience as a past LAC chair. The Past Local Arrangement Chair serves as a non-voting member of the Executive Committee and acts as an advisor, consultant, and mentor for both the current and incoming LAC chairs.

 

Section 4. Election of the Executive Committee

The slate of nominees for the SACRAO officer positions proposed by the Nominations and Elections Committee shall be submitted to the membership in writing at least thirty (30) days in advance of the Annual Meeting. The Nominations and Elections Committee will make every reasonable effort to reflect among the selected candidates a variety of personal and professional characteristics represented in the membership such as professional area of responsibility, gender, ethnicity, state and institutional type. No state shall be represented by more than three voting members on the Executive Committee in any given year, except in a case where a member who was elected by the membership moves to another state which is already represented by three voting members.

Section 5. Unexpired Terms

With the exception of the office of President-Elect, the Executive Committee shall have the authority to fill any vacancy by the appointment of another member for the remainder of the unexpired term. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President-Elect, the Nominations and Elections Committee shall nominate a slate of nominees for the office and conduct a special election to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term. Any individual elected or appointed to serve an unexpired term shall be eligible to serve a succeeding full term or terms, as provided for in the constitution.

Article V. Amendments

The Constitution may be amended at any Annual Meeting or by online vote by majority vote of eligible institutional members voting, provided the substance of the proposed amendment shall have been submitted to the membership in writing at least thirty (30) days in advance of the Annual Meeting or of the closing of online voting. If not proposed in advance, the amendment shall require a two-thirds vote of the members voting.

Bylaws

Article I. Meetings

Section 1.

The Annual Meeting of the Association shall be held at a time and place to be fixed by the Executive Committee.

Section 2.

Special meetings of the Association may be called by the Executive Committee upon written notice to the general membership at least thirty (30) days prior to the called meeting.

Section 3.

Meetings of the Association shall be conducted in accordance with the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised. Prior to each meeting of the Association, the President shall appoint a Parliamentarian whose role shall be to assist the chair in questions of meeting order and parliamentary procedure.

Article II. Membership/Dues

Section 1. Membership Year

The membership year of the Association shall be from July 1 through June 30.

Section 2. Dues

Changes to the dues for institutional, educational agency, corporate, graduate student, and associate members will be submitted to the membership for approval at the Annual Meeting by the Executive Committee.

Section 3. Membership Renewal

Renewal notices shall be mailed to the membership by June 1 with dues payable on or before October 15.

Article III. Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Association shall be from January 1 through December 31.

Article IV. Committees and Appointments

Section 1.

A five-member Nominations and Elections (N&E) Committee shall be elected by the membership. N&E Committee members must be institutional members of the association. Election shall be from a pool of eight candidates proposed by the membership and selected by the Nominations and Elections Committee. No state shall be represented by more than two candidates including the incoming chair. The Nominations and Elections Committee will make every reasonable effort to reflect among the candidates selected the variety of personal and professional characteristics represented in the membership such as professional area of responsibility, gender, ethnicity, state, and institutional type. The election, to be concluded no later than May 30, shall be conducted by the Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee, who is also responsible for tabulating the votes and reporting the results to the membership. Among the four candidates receiving the largest number of votes, the individual receiving the highest vote total will be the Chair-Elect. The Chair-Elect will assume the role of Chair in the second year to provide continuity. Except for the Chair-Elect, no member shall be eligible to serve again on the Nominations and Elections Committee until five years have elapsed from the end of the year's service. This same provision shall apply to the Chair-Elect after serving as Chair. After election to the committee membership and during service on the committee, a member shall not be eligible for nomination to an association office nor become eligible by resigning from the committee. Past Presidents of the Association may not serve on the Nominations and Elections Committee.

Section 2.

The President shall appoint a Chair for the Local Arrangements Committee for the next consecutive Annual Meeting.

Section 3.

An Auditing Committee shall be appointed by the President for each Annual Meeting. This Committee shall review the books of the organization to include Treasurer and LAC for the preceding year.

Section 4.

A Finance Committee, composed of the President, the Immediate Past President, the President-Elect, the Treasurer, the Treasurer-Elect, and the Corporate Partner Liaison, shall oversee the fiscal activities of the Association. The outgoing Treasurer shall serve as an ex-officio member of this Committee.

Section 5.

A Constitution and Bylaws Committee shall be appointed by the President, chaired by the Immediate Past President, to recommend any necessary changes which need to be brought before the Association.

Section 6.

A Federal Advocacy Committee shall be appointed by the President to assist SACRAO and provide guidance in regards to federal regulations and other federal initiatives.

Section 7.

A Recognitions and Awards Committee shall be appointed by the President and will report to the Vice President for Communications and Recognition.

Section 8.

A Scholarship committee shall be appointed by the President and will report to the Vice President for Communications and Recognition.

Section 9.

A SACRAO Journal Editorial Board shall be appointed by the President.

Section 10.

The President may appoint other committees as necessary.

Article V. Amendments

These Bylaws may be amended at any Annual Meeting by majority vote of members present and voting, provided the substance of the proposed amendment shall have been submitted to the membership in writing at least thirty (30) days in advance of the Annual Meeting. If not proposed in advance, amendment shall require a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting.

To allow for input from those who may not be able to attend the annual meeting, bylaws may also be amended by online vote of the SACRAO membership. Online votes are subject to the requirement of thirty (30) days notice prior to the vote, or the amendment shall require a two-thirds majority of the votes cast.