ATTW Constitution

ARTICLE I

Name

The name of the organization shall be The Association of Teachers of Technical Writing.

ARTICLE II

Purposes

This organization is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes within the meaning of section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the corporation shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by a corporation exempt from Federal income tax under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law) or (b) by a corporation contributions to which are deductible under section 170 (c) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law).

The primary purposes of the organization shall be to

• Provide support for the academic discipline of technical writing/technical communication;
• Provide means of communication between teachers of technical writing/technical communication at the national and international levels;
• Disseminate information on the discipline of technical writing/technical communication to both the greater academic community and to the public at large.
• Provide liaison with other scholarly and professional organizations to foster exchange of ideas and provide additional support to the discipline and profession;
• Provide timely announcement of meetings, workshops, and other activities related to the advancement of the profession and discipline;
• Provide up-to-date annual bibliographies and information files on matters pertinent to the membership;
• Encourage, sponsor, and report research on the teaching of technical writing/technical communication;
• Produce, publish, and distribute to members the organization's official journal.

ARTICLE III

Membership

Membership shall be open to any individual or institution interested in supporting the purposes identified in Article II. In any case, membership shall be open to any person without regard to race, age, sex, or religious affiliation.

ARTICLE IV

Officers

Elected Officers

The organization's elected officers shall consist of the President, Vice President, and three Members-at-Large. Each elected officer shall serve a two-year term of office. Neither the President nor the Vice President shall be nominated for consecutive terms in their respective offices.

The Executive Committee

The Executive Committee of the organization shall consist of the elected officers, the two immediate past presidents, and three appointed members, which are the Executive Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Editor of the journal. The Executive Secretary, the Treasurer, and the journal Editor will be appointed by the President upon receiving approval of a majority of the Executive Committee (excluding the votes of those appointed members of the committee who may be eligible for reappointment to these appointive offices).

Officers' Duties

The duties of the organization's officers shall be as follows:

The President shall

1. Serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the organization;
2. Chair the Executive Committee;
3. Preside at all meetings scheduled for the conduct of the organization's business/affairs;
4. Represent the organization at all official functions;
5. Present all matters of organizational operations and business to the Executive Committee for its information and/or approval.
6. Submit all proposals for the expenditure of organizational funds in amounts exceeding $250.00 to the Executive Committee for approval; and shall
7. Appoint individuals and committees as needed to conduct the business/affairs of the organization in an efficient and timely manner.

The Vice President shall

1. Perform all duties and functions requested by the President;
2. Perform all duties and functions of the President when the President is incapacitated;
3. Chair the Nominating Committee; and
4. Serve on the Executive Committee.

The Members-at-Large shall

1. Perform all duties and functions requested by the President or the Executive Committee through the President; and
2. Serve on the Executive Committee.

The Two Immediate Past Presidents shall

1. Serve in an advisory capacity to the President and the Executive Committee; and
2. Serve on the Executive Committee.

The Executive Secretary shall

1. Serve as the organization's principal correspondent and operating officer,
2. Maintain all official records of the organization, including the archives for correspondence;
3. Maintain the organization's official membership roster,
4. Maintain the organization's official list of active committees;
5. At the President's request, conduct the organization's biennial election of officers (including production, distribution, and tallying of ballots and reporting election results to the President in timely fashion); and
6. Serve on the Executive Committee.

The Treasurer shall

1. Handle all routine financial transactions of the organization, such as receiving and recording dues and payment of routine organizational debts;
2. At the request of the President, handle transactions which exceed $250.00 including payment of debts, commitment of funds, and the placing of organizational funds in federally insured savings plans;
3. Submit reports on the organization's financial status to the President at the end of each calendar quarter of each year or when requested to do so;
4. Present an annual financial report to the membership at the organization's annual meeting after its review by the President and the Executive Committee;

The Editor of the official journal shall

1. Under the guidance of the President and the Executive committee, produce, publish, distribute to the membership (and maintain the archives of) the organization's official journal (including selection of articles, solicitation of advertisements) in a timely and cost efficient manner,
2. In every case submit information on the following matters to the President for the review and approval of the Executive Committee:
   • A proposed annual budget;
   • Proposals to change constituency of the editorial boards;
   • A semi-annual financial report;
   • Requests for approval to commit organizational funds for proposed expenditures which would exceed by $150.00 the total amount included in the journal's annual budget;
   • Requests for approval to undertake any significant change in the make- up, production, or distribution of the journal; and
3. Serve on the Executive Committee.

1. Develop fundraising options and set goals for fundraising, working directly with the Executive Committee to determine funding needs for each annual conference.
2. Solicit sponsors and advertisers to support conference, and work with program chair to incorporate advertising into program. Follow-up with and thank sponsors and advertisers post-conference.
3. Make and oversee local arrangements at convention site, including room reservation, catering, and price negotiation. 

1. Assist the editors of TCQ, the ATTW Bulletin, and the ATTW website to coordinate organizational publications, announcements, and other materials.
2. Assist the annual conference organizers to coordinate program materials and conference-planning documents.
3. Assist the Executive Committee coordinate a variety of administrative documents.
4. Assist with structuring environments and relationships to support the workflow of the organization, but will not hold a primary responsibility for generating content.

The Executive Committee, as defined in this Article, shall exercise the right to act on behalf of the organization's membership in the conduct of the organization's routine functions and activities not precluded by other Articles of this constitution.

ARTICLE V

Meetings

The organization shall meet at least once annually at a place and time announced by the President, with prior approval of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VI

Finances

No part of the net earning of the organization shall inure benefit of, or be distributed to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article II hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the organization shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.

Dues

The President, having received the approval of the Executive Committee, may change the annual membership dues of the organization so long as no more than one such change occurs in any calendar year.

ARTICLE VII

Nominations and Elections

Nomination of Candidates

At the request of the President, the Vice President will form a Nominating Committee which consists of at least five persons in addition to the Vice President. As Chair of the Nominating Committee, the Vice President will present a proposed slate of nominees to the Executive Committee for its review, emendation, and approval in timely fashion. The slate of nominees forwarded by the Nominating Committee will include

• One candidate for the office of President (the Vice President shall normally be nominated to run unopposed for this position);
• Two candidates for the office of Vice President; and
• Six candidates for the three member-at-large positions.

In the event the incumbent Vice President is not available for nomination to the Office of President, the Nominating Committee will nominate two candidates for this position as well.

Election of Officers

The President, upon receiving the Executive Committee's approved slate of nominees, will request the Executive Secretary to conduct the organization's biennial election. (See Article IV.)

Procedures.

Ballots will be mailed to all current members of record by first class mail to insure that a majority of all members will have sufficient time to have their completed ballots in the hands of the Executive Secretary (via pre-addressed, postage-prepaid envelopes enclosed with the ballots) no later than fourteen calendar days before the announced date of the organization's annual meeting. Ballots received after midnight on this day will not be tallied.

Tallying

Ballots will be tallied, results recorded and notarized, and then the tallied ballots will be retained for at least one year (in safe and secure storage) by the Executive Secretary.

Reporting Results

Immediately upon completing the official tally, the Executive Secretary will report the election results to the President, and assure that the President has in hand a copy of the officially notarized tally no later than two days before the announced date of the annual convention.

Determining Candidates-Elect.

Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates receiving a simple majority of votes tallied shall be considered candidates-elect. The three member-at-large candidates who receive the highest numbers of tallied votes will be considered candidates-elect.

Announcing Results.

Upon receipt of election results the President will immediately contact each candidate-elect and encourage each to attend the annual meeting to assume office when, at the end of the meeting, the outgoing President will officially announce the names and the newly elected officers to the membership.

ARTICLE VIII

Constitutional Amendment

This constitution shall be amendable by a two-thirds majority of those current members of record who return votes to the Executive Secretary by the date specified in pertinent correspondence as the Amendment Vote Deadline Date. This would normally be thirty days after mailing materials on the amendment to members by first class mail.

ARTICLE IX

Dissolution

Upon the dissolution of the organization, the Executive Committee shall, after payment of all the liabilities of the organization, dispose of all of the assets of the organization exclusively for the purposes of the organization in such manner, or to such organization or organizations and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue, Law), as the Executive Committee shall determine. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the County in which the principal officer of the Association is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

ARTICLE X

Parliamentary Authority

All official meetings of the organization shall be conducted according to the Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure by Alice B. Sturgis. The presiding officer shall appoint a parliamentarian to advise the assembly at each annual meeting.