Constitution

Index

Article I: Name
Article II: Purpose
Article III: Membership
Article IV: Officers
Article V: Executive Council
Article VI: Meetings
Article VII: Amendments
Article VIII: Adoption

Article I – Name

The name of this organization shall be Pennsylvania Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

Article II – Purpose

The purpose of this organization shall be:

Section 1: To encourage and assist the professional preparation, effectiveness, and recognition of:
Student financial aid administrators in post-secondary educational institutions;
Secondary school counselors and administrators interested in the development of student financial aid programs;
Administrators and representatives of government agencies interested in the development of student financial aid programs, and;
Representatives of foundations, community organizations, business and other corporate or individual entities interested in the development of student financial aid programs.

Section 2: To improve the quality of professional aid administration in post-secondary educational institutions.

Section 3: To provide for effective and meaningful communication with agencies of the States and Federal Government responsible for the implementation of student financial aid programs.

Section 4: To improve the quality of professional advice and information provided to students and guidance personnel relative to educational financial aid.

Section 5: To assist and encourage interested organizations, community groups, and foundations in the development of student financial aid programs.

Section 6: To promote the research, studies, seminars, and workshops necessary to the continued growth of professional student financial aid administrators.

Article III – Membership

Section 1: There shall be five (5) classifications in this Association. The Association reserves the right to reject, revoke, or reevaluate membership on an individual basis. Voting rights in the Association are limited to current “Regular” and “Associate” members who are in good standing.

• Regular membership shall be limited to persons employed, at the date of application, by institutions of post-secondary education located within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who are responsible for the administration of student financial aid and/or having the authority to award aid. This constitutes true voting membership of the association. Regular members may vote, hold office, or serve on a committee. Regular membership can be purchased on an individual or institutional basis.

• Associate membership shall include persons employed at the date of application by organizations affiliated with financial aid matters, such as the representatives of secondary schools, government agencies, foundations, private and community organizations, independent contractors, and representatives of post-secondary educational institutions who do not qualify for Regular membership, such as admissions counselors. Associate members may vote, and may not hold office (other than ISS sector representative), but may serve as a member or chair of a committee. Associate membership can be purchased on an individual basis, but not on an institutional basis.

• Life membership shall be an honorary membership granted by the Executive Council to individuals for appropriate reasons. Life members may not vote, may not hold office, but may serve on or chair a committee. Life members who also qualify as regular members will have the same privileges as a regular member.

• Retired membership shall be limited to persons who were Regular or Associate members in this Association, who are no longer employed in the financial aid profession, and who are not eligible for Regular or Associate membership. Retired members may not vote, may not hold office, but may serve on or chair a committee.

• Student membership shall be for and limited to graduate and undergraduate students in post-secondary education who do not qualify for regular membership. Student members may not vote, may not hold office, but may serve on a committee.

Article IV – Officers

Section 1: The Officers of this Association shall consist of President, President-Elect, Vice President, Treasurer, Treasurer-Elect, Secretary, and immediate Past-President.

Section 2: The President-Elect and Treasurer-elect shall be elected every one (1) year as specified in the by-laws. The President, President-Elect, and Immediate Past-President, Treasurer, and Treasurer-Elect shall not succeed themselves. The Vice-President and Secretary shall be elected every two (2) years, as specified in the by-laws and may succeed themselves.

Section 3: The term of office of President-Elect shall begin upon election and continue for one (1) year; at the end of that year, the President-Elect assumes the office of President for one (1) year and, at the end of that year assumes the office of Immediate Past-President for one (1) year.
The term of office of the Treasurer-Elect shall begin upon election and continue for one (1) year; at the end of that year, the Treasurer-Elect assumes the Treasurer position for one (1) year.
The term of office for each of the remaining officers shall begin upon election and shall continue through the succeeding two (2) years.

Section 4: The duties of officers shall be as specified in the by-laws and in the parliamentary authority adopted by the Association insofar as the latter does not conflict with the former.

Section 5: Vacancies shall be filled as specified in the by-laws.

Bylaws

Index

Article I: Membership and Dues
Article II: Election and Removal of Officers and Councilpersons
Article III: Duties of Officers and Councilpersons
Article IV: Duties of the Executive Council
Article V: Committees
Article VI: Vacancies in Office
Article VII: Representatives of the Association
Article VIII: Parlimentary Authority
Article IX: Standing Rules
Article X: Limitation on Activities
Article XI: Dissolution
Article XII: References
Article XIII: Amendment of the Bylaws
Article XIV: Adoption

Article IV – Duties of the Executive Council

Section 1: The Executive Council shall have all the power and authority over the affairs of the Association except that of modifying any official action taken by formal vote of the membership of the Association.

Section 2: Regular meetings of the Executive Council shall be scheduled each year. Special meetings may be called by the President or upon petition of five (5) or more members of the Council. A meeting is an event where all council members must have a reasonable opportunity to participate in real time discussion. A simple majority of members shall constitute a quorum at any official meeting of the Council.

Article V – Committees

Section 1: Standing committees of the Association, which shall be responsible to the Executive Council, are:

• The Government Relations Committee shall have the responsibility of coordinating the Association’s interests with governmental and quasi-governmental agencies.
• The Annual Conference Committee shall have the responsibility for all aspects of the Association’s Annual Conference.
• The Membership and Association Governance Committee shall have the responsibility of providing for the soliciting of new members and installations of the Association’s officers and councilpersons as well as reviewing the Association Governance as requested by the Executive Council.
• The Communication Committee shall develop and provide effective communications to enhance member benefits, create a positive image, and to promote the organization.
• The PA Financial Aid Training Committee shall enhance the professional development of the financial aid community by offering training opportunities to members of the Association.
• The Finance and Development Committee shall be responsible for the monitoring of the financial viability of the Association and to recommend to Council appropriate courses of action to ensure financial strength including but not limited to development activities, investment policy, and budgeting.
• The Technology Committee shall be responsible for ensuring the effective use of technology to support all activities of the Association.

Section 2: Committee membership must be approved by a simple majority vote of the Executive Council.

Section 3: All committees are responsible to the Executive Council.

Article VI – Vacancies in Offices

Should an officer or Councilperson become ineligible to hold the office for which he/she was elected or resign his/her office for any reason the following procedures shall be followed:

Section 1: Should the President be unable to take office or complete the term of office, the Immediate Past-President shall assume the Presidency.

Section 2: Should the Treasurer be unable to take office or complete the term of office, the Treasurer-Elect shall assume the Treasurer position.

Section 3: A vacancy occurring in any office or Executive Council position other than the Presidency or Treasurer position shall be filled upon nomination by the President and a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Executive Council. An officer or Councilperson seated in this manner shall serve for the remainder of the established term. The position of President-Elect, filled in this manner, shall not provide for succession to the Presidency. Likewise, the position of Treasurer-Elect filled in this manner, shall not provide for succession to the position of Treasurer.

Section 4: An appointment to the Executive Council made in accordance with the provisions to the Article shall not prejudice the election of the incumbent to a regular term of office.

Article VII – Representatives of the Association

Section 1: The responsibilities of the President/Immediate Past-President serving a two-year term on the Council of the Eastern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (EASFAA) shall include attendance at EASFAA Council meetings as the PASFAA representative with follow-up reporting of EASFAA activities and actions to PASFAA Council. In the event that the representative cannot complete the full term of the appointment, the President will nominate an Active member to be approved by Council for the remainder of the term.

Section 2: Duties related to the website shall be assumed by an Active /Associate member of the Technology Advisory & Electronics Initiative Committee, as appointed by the chair of that committee. This position shall be designated as the Website Representative. The duties shall include, but not be limited to, collecting and forwarding all requests for new development, programming, e-commerce and database services to the contracted website development organization, as well as seeking solutions for any technical difficulties encountered by members. This member of the Technology Advisory & Electronics Initiative Committee shall be appointed to a three-year term, and will be eligible to serve additional terms if desired, without term limits.

Section 3: Any employee or agent of the Association with fiscal responsibility may be bonded at the expense of the Association in the amount determined to be appropriate by the Executive Council.

Article VIII – Parliamentary Authority

Roberts Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern the Association proceedings in all cases in which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Constitution and bylaws.

The President-Elect shall serve as the Parliamentarian and is responsible for making sure that business is conducted in accordance with the parliamentary procedural guidelines adopted by the Association for the purpose of governing its proceedings.

Article IX – Standing Rules

Section 1: Standing Rules may be adopted or amended by the Association or by the Executive Council by a majority vote of those present and voting, provided a quorum is present, at any meetings of either body.

Section 2: A record of the Standing Rules of the Association shall be kept by the Secretary and be made available to new Council members, and upon request, to any member of the Association.