Bylaws


ARTICLE I: NAME

The Engineering Deans Council of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) is the leadership organization of the Engineering Deans in the United States.

ARTICLE II: OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the EDC shall be:

a. Provide vision and leadership on engineering education, research, and engagement.

b. Advocate for engineering education, research, and engagement and serve as a resource to its constituents and the public at large.

c. Articulate as a key stakeholder of, and influence US public policy on engineering education, research, and engagement.

d. Partner with stakeholders (e.g. industry, government, educators and professional organizations) to promote excellence at every level of engineering education, research, and engagement.

e. Facilitate the exchange of information among its members and their stakeholders; and provide a forum for member colleges to foster dialog and collaboration and to share best practices.

f. Promote diversity and inclusiveness in all aspects of engineering education, research, and engagement.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.

Eligibility for membership in this Council shall consist of: (1) all engineering college members as defined in Article I, Section 2 of the ASEE Bylaws, and (2) EDC associate members which are defined as engineering units with programs that intend to seek EAC ABET Accreditation. EDC associate members pay ASEE affiliate membership dues. Associate EDC membership is for a three-year renewable term after application and approval by the EDC Executive Board.

Section 2.

Each such institutional member shall be entitled to one institutional representative to this Council. Representatives of institutions that are full members of ASEE shall each have one vote on the Council. Representatives from institutions that are EDC associate members shall be non-voting members of the Council.

ARTICLE IV: ORGANIZATION AND OFFICERS

Section 1.

The officers of this Council shall consist of a chair, a vice-chair, a secretary, and seven (7) directors, all serving for terms of two years each.

Section 2.

a. The chair and vice-chair of this Council and three (3) Engineering College directors thereof shall be elected for terms starting in the odd-numbered calendar years. The four (4) remaining Engineering College directors shall be elected in the alternate years.

b. The secretary shall be appointed by the chair and shall be a non-voting member of the Executive Board.

Section 3.

a. There shall be an Executive Board consisting of the chair, the vice-chair, and the seven (7) directors of the Council. The secretary shall be a non-voting member of the Executive Board.

b. The chair, vice-chair, and secretary of this Council shall serve as chair, vice-chair, and secretary respectively of this Executive Board.

c. The President and Executive Director of ASEE shall be ex-officio advisory members of the Executive Board without vote.

d. A quorum of the Executive Board for the transaction of business shall be four (4) of its voting members.

e. The immediate past chair of this Council shall continue to serve as an ex-officio advisory member of the Executive Board without vote for a period of two years.

ARTICLE V: ELECTIONS OF OFFICERS

Section 1.

A Nominating Committee of three (3) members shall be appointed by the chair, with the approval of the Executive Board of this Council at the time of the annual meeting. This committee shall then serve through the ensuing year. No member of the current Executive Board except the immediate past Chair of EDC may serve on the Nominating Committee.

Section 2.

a. The Nominating Committee shall nominate one or more member representatives for each vacancy to be filled at the regular annual election of officers and shall make reasonable efforts to insure that no one will advance to the office of Chair of EDC without having been elected to that position or to the position of vice-chair from a slate of two or more nominees. Each nominee at the time of nomination shall be a duly designated institutional (EDC) representative of an engineering college member of the Council, and shall have represented to the Nominating Committee the nominee’s willingness to serve if elected. If, following nomination, the representative status of any candidate or elected officer should change, that candidate or elected officer may still be elected and can serve throughout the office term, but will not be eligible for re-election. Write-in candidates, to be considered for election must, at the time of election, be duly designated institutional representatives.

b. Nominations shall be completed by January 30 of each year for those officers who are to be filled at the succeeding annual meeting. An electronic ballot containing these nominations with spaces provided for writing in the names of other candidates shall be emailed by the secretary of the Council to all voting institutional (EDC) representatives in time that ballots can be received back by the secretary not later than March 1 of each year

c. A simple majority of those votes received prior to March 1 shall elect.

d. In case of an unexpected vacancy in the office of the chair, the vice-chair shall assume the office of the chair until the next annual meeting. In the event that such vacancy occurs during the first year of the two-year term appointment, a special election may be called to fill the position of chair for the second year of the term. A vacancy in the office of secretary may be filled by direct appointment by the chair. Vacancies in other offices shall be filled by direct appointments by the chair, provided that they receive the majority vote of the existing members of the Executive Board.

e. Any elected officer of this Council who continues to be appointed as an institutional representative may be re-elected to one immediate successive term. Thereafter, at least one (1) term shall elapse before that institutional representative is again eligible to hold the same office.

f. The terms of newly elected officers shall begin concurrently at the conclusion of the ASEE Annual Meeting. The terms of those appointed to fill vacancies shall commence immediately upon appointment and confirmation and shall continue for the duration of the unexpired term.

ARTICLE VI: DUTIES AND SUCCESSION OF OFFICERS

Section 1.

The chair of this Council shall perform the duties which usually devolve upon that office. The Council Chair shall, by virtue of this office in this Council, serve as a director of the ASEE.

Section 2.

The vice-chair shall serve as chair in the absence of the chair at any function or meeting of the Executive Board or Council and shall be Council Representative on the Nominating Committee of the Society.

Section 3.

a. The functions and duties of the Executive Board of the Council shall be as follows:

1. The Executive Board shall act as the executive body of this Council, being responsible for all functions and activities necessary to satisfy the objectives set forth in Article II of these bylaws.

2. During intervals between meetings of this Council, the Executive Board shall formulate the general policies of the Council.

3. The Executive Board shall authorize all official publications of the Council subject to the provisions of Article VIII, Section 2, of the ASEE Constitution.

4. The Executive Board shall, before May 1 of each year, prepare a budget for the following fiscal year to be submitted to the Board of Directors of ASEE by the chairman of the Council.

5. The Executive Board shall submit a report of its activities at each annual meeting of the Council.

ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS

Section 1.

A meeting for the transaction of the business of the Council shall be held each year at the same time and place as the Annual Conference of ASEE. The time and place of the annual meeting of the Council shall be announced to the membership of the Council not less than thirty (30) days before the date of the meeting.

Section 2.

Special meetings of the Council may be called by the chair of the Executive Board as needed upon reasonable notice to the membership of the Council.

Section 3.

A quorum at any regular or special meeting of the Council shall be a minimum of 30 at the time and in the place designated for the meeting.

Section 4.

Meetings of the Executive Board of this Council may be called by the chair as needed upon fifteen (15) days’ notice to the membership of the Executive Board.

ARTICLE VIII: COMMITTEES

Section 1.

The chair, with the advice and approval of the Executive Board, shall appoint such committees as are deemed necessary and designate the chair thereof.

ARTICLE IX: FINANCES

Section 1.

Dues to be paid for membership in this Council shall be set by the ASEE Board of Directors and published on the ASEE web site, and shall be paid to ASEE Headquarters.

Section 2.

Failure to pay current dues shall be deemed cause for cancellation of membership, in accordance with Article VII, Section 7 of the ASEE Bylaws.

Section 3.

The fiscal year of the Council shall be from October 1 through September 30.

Section 4.

This Council, with the approval of the Vice-President for Finance of ASEE, may accept gifts or grants from individuals, firms, or associations, from the Federal Government or from state governments or their agencies, and expend or use the funds derived from such gifts or grants in accordance with the terms accompanying such, provided such gifts or grants are for the furtherance of the purposes of this Council.

Section 5.

The receipt and expenditures of such gifts or grants shall be reflected in the annual budgets and financial reports of this Council as approved by the ASEE.

ARTICLE X: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section 1.

The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order (latest edition) shall govern this Council in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of ASEE or the bylaws of the Council; in other cases, the Constitution and Bylaws of ASEE shall govern.

Section 2.

Any action by this Council shall be invalid if it is in conflict with the Constitution or Bylaws of ASEE.

ARTICLE XI: AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS

Section 1.

These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Council present and voting at any annual meeting.

Section 2.

Amendments to be presented for action at the annual meeting shall be circulated to the members of the Council by email, not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the annual meeting.

Section 3.

These bylaws also may be amended by a two-thirds majority of all votes cast in an email ballot provided that ballots are received from at least 50 percent of the members of this Council.

Section 4.

A closing date not less than fourteen (14) nor more than twenty one (21) business days after the ballot emailing date shall be specified and only those ballots received by that date shall be counted.

Section 5.

Amendments may be submitted by a majority vote of the Executive Board of the Council or by a petition to the Executive Board signed by not less than ten (10) members of the Council.

1/7/1982 the EDC changed Engineering College Council to Engineering Deans Council (Changed ECC to EDC).

3/25/85 Amended Sections 4c and 4d

3/3/1993 Amended to eliminate the position of non-voting Affiliate Board Member and to replace the position with a voting regular member.

6/22/ 2000 Amended Article III, Membership, Sections 1 and 2, to establish the EDC associate member category.

6/28/ 2001, EDC amended the EDC Bylaws to make them gender neutral.

6/26/2013, EDC amended Article III Section 1, Section 3(deleted), Section 4 (deleted); Article IV Sections 3( c) and 3( e); Article V, Section 2 (b); Article IX, Sections 1,2,3; Article IX, Sections2,3, and 4