By-Laws

ARKANSAS ACADEMY OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING BY LAWS

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Integrating A Tradition of Excellence and Achievement With Our Goals For The Future…… The University of Arkansas Fayetteville

A Statement on Agreement and Understanding

The Arkansas Academy of Electrical Engineering was founded on December 8, 1980, by the Department of Electrical Engineering with the approval of the Dean, College of Engineering, and President, University of Arkansas – Fayetteville.

The Charter Members are eminent Electrical Engineers as well as eminent graduates of the Electrical Engineering curricula of the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville at least twenty years prior to selection to membership.

The Department now delegates to the Charter Membership the privileges and responsibilities of perpetuating the Academy.

The Arkansas Academy of Electrical Engineering in appreciation of the honor bestowed individually and collectively will be perpetuated:

  1. As an endeavor to strengthen the dedication of students to Electrical Engineering through personal and professional example.
  2. For the annual recognition of those graduates of the Electrical Engineering Department who bring honor to Electrical Engineering as practitioners and as citizens.
  3. For the purpose of providing advisory guidance and counsel at the call of the Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty, or students.
  4. And for encouraging personal, corporate, foundation, and government gifts and grants of money, equipment and facilities to the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas for the benefit of the Electrical Engineering Department of the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville.

In the accomplishment of the before stated, the Arkansas Academy of Electrical Engineering does establish and abide by the Bylaws.

CHARTER MEMBERS

Glenn C. Bandy

K. Brewer

E. Cook

Charles E. Deitz

Michael L. Dertouzos

Thomas J. Epperson

Louis H. Fish

William C. Lindsey

James G. Manville

D. McCallum

E. Noel

Poularikas

Tom L. Powers

Rueben E. Russell

D. A. Schmand

Samuel C. Smith

W. Toler

Ronald E. Totty

Bryan Webb

Lauren L. Wreyford

 

BY LAWS

ARKANSAS ACADEMY OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS – FAYETTEVILLE
REVISED APRIL 04, 2017

I. MEMBERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE ARKANSAS ACADEMY OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

A. Active Members shall be limited to living individuals duly elected and subject to the conditions that:

  1. Each Active Member shall hold a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville or from a recognized engineering school granted at least fifteen years prior to election and said degree and professional activities shall attest to competence in Electrical Engineering.
  2. Each Candidate Member shall have received at least a three-fourths affirmative vote of the total votes cast for election to membership.
  3. There shall not be a cap on the number of active members, however, the average number of Active Members elected may not exceed an average of twenty (20) per year over any 4 year period.
  4. The number of Active Members whose degrees are from Electrical Engineering Departments at Universities other than the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville may not exceed twenty percent of the total membership.
  5. A member-elect shall be present at an Induction Ceremony prior to gaining status as an Active Member. A Member-elect is eligible for induction at any of the next four Induction Ceremonies after their nomination, upon their request.  A waiting list of Member-elects shall be maintained for upcoming Induction ceremonies.

B. Honorary Members shall be limited to living or deceased individuals duly elected and subject to the conditions that:

  1. An Honorary Member shall be a graduate Electrical Engineer who is retired or engaged in non-profit public service.  He or she shall have performed distinguished service in his or her profession, be it electrical engineering or other professional endeavors.
  2. Each Honorary Member shall have the unanimous approval of the Directors and a three-fourths affirmative vote of the membership present at the Annual Meeting.
  3. At no time shall the number of living Honorary Members exceed ten percent of the Active Members.
  4. An Honorary Member’s induction shall be scheduled with a thirty-day notification of election at the next Induction Ceremony following his or her election.  Honorary Members may be inducted in absentia.

C. Senior Members shall consist of Active Members who have been transferred or elect to be transferred from Active membership under the following conditions:

  1. Upon retiring from engineering practice or other professional endeavor, and being less than 72 years of age, an Active Member may elect to be transferred to Senior Membership.
  2. Active Members shall be transferred to Senior Membership upon becoming 72 years of age.
  3. Senior Members may continue to make annual contributions to the Academy at the individual Member’s option.

Senior Members may continue to participate in Annual Meetings with all voting and other privileges of Active members.  Senior Members may attend Induction Ceremonies, but shall purchase a ticket for themselves and any guests in attendance unless they have made a contribution in the year prior to the banquet equivalent to the cost of their requested tickets.  The ticket price will be determined by the Secretary Treasurer at a rate of actual expense plus 20%.

D. Inactive Members shall consist of Active Members who have been transferred or elect to be transferred from Active Membership.  The Secretary-Treasurer shall transfer to Inactive Status all Active Members who have not made contributions averaging the minimum annual requirement, as established in VI.A for two consecutive years. The Secretary-Treasurer shall notify them in writing of the change in status.

  1. Inactive Members may be reinstated to Active Member status upon payment of the current year’s minimum contribution, subject to availability of membership openings as defined in I.A.4 and I.B.3 above.
  2. Inactive Members may continue to participate in Meeting but may not vote on items affecting membership or function of the Academy. Inactive Members may attend Induction Ceremonies, but shall purchase a ticket for themselves and any guests in attendance.  The ticket price will be determined by the Secretary Treasurer at a rate of actual expense plus 20%.

E. Distinguished Past Members – All members, Active, Senior, Lifetime and Inactive, will automatically be reclassified as Distinguished Past Members upon their death.

F. Active, Senior, Honorary, or Inactive Members who resign from the Academy shall be dropped from the membership rolls.

G. Active members may at any time elect to become Lifetime Members by making a one-time contribution to the Academy equal the greater of $2000 or [(72 –AGE) x (ACR) x (.800)], where AGE is the age of the member at election of Lifetime membership and ACR is the current minimum annual contribution requirement as established by VI.A.  Lifetime Members shall thereafter be exempt from the annual contribution requirement.

H. The Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Arkansas, if not elected as a member of Academy shall be an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Academy and its Board of Directors.

I. Academy Members are to have demonstrated a high standard of integrity and are charged with the responsibility of adhering to standards of highest ethical and moral conduct in all aspects of the practice of engineering or other professional endeavors.

J. Academy Members may at any time elect to receive all academy correspondence electronically or via standard mail.  The Member shall notify the AAEE Liaison in the Electrical Engineering Department, via email or in writing to change their choice of communication. Unless otherwise notified all correspondence will be via electronic mail, (Members as of January 1, 2017, if desired, may still receive correspondence by standard mail).  Electronic communication may be in the form of email, electronic polling, website polling or other means that may be deemed efficient by the board.

II. NOMINATIONS FOR THE ARKANSAS ACADEMY OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

A.The Secretary-Treasurer will receive nominations until November 15 of each year. Nomination may be from any of the following methods:

  1. From Active, Senior, or Lifetime members
  2. From faculty, staff, or alumni of the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville
  3. Self-nomination by individuals meeting membership requirements.

B. For II.A.ii above, the AAEE Liaison will forward a letter in electronic format from the President outlining membership requirements to and requesting nominations from the faculty and staff of the Electrical Engineering Department once per year.

For II.A.iii above, the AAEE Liaison will forward a letter from the President in electronic format to known electrical engineering graduates (with known email) of the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville the first year of their eligibility.  Individuals may self nominate at any point in the future, but will only receive eligibility notification once.

C. The Secretary-Treasurer shall deliver the nominations to the President and Board of Directors by December 1 of each year.

D. The President and Board of Directors shall review based upon the qualifications under I.A.1 and I.B and certify the nominations by December 15 of each year and return to the Secretary-Treasurer.

III. BALLOTING FOR THE ARKANSAS ACADEMY OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

A. Each voting member of AAEE will have the choice of an electronic ballot or standard mail ballot where standard mail ballots shall only be available for Members as of January 1, 2017.

  1. If the member remains with standard mail ballot:The AAEE Liaison in the Electrical Engineering Department shall prepare a letter ballot carrying the names and a biography of all those certified as nominees by the Board. Ballots shall be delivered to the members by January 1 of each year.  With the ballot shall be a blank envelope into which the marked ballot shall be inserted and a return envelope addressed to the AAEE Liaison in the Electrical Engineering Department.  By signature across the flap of the return envelope the voting member shall certify the ballot is eligible for canvassing
  2. If the member chooses electronic ballot:The AAEE Liaison in the Electrical Engineering Department shall prepare individual electronic files for each nominee certified by the Board.  These files will contain the biography of nominee. The files will be provided to the members electronically along with a ballot by January 1 of each year.  The member will electronically return the marked ballot or selections to the AAEE Liaison in the Electrical Engineering Department. If emailed to the AAEE Liaison in the Electrical Engineering Department the email of record should be used in order to certify the ballot is eligible for canvasing.  If polling ballot is used the eligibility will be determined automatically.

B. The AAEE Liaison in the Electrical Engineering Department shall canvas all ballots so certified that are received by February 1 of each year. By February15 of each year, the AAEE Liaison in the Electrical Engineering Department  shall notify the AAEE Board Members, and Board  shall declare as elected and eligible for invitation to membership those who have qualified under I.A.2.

C.The Secretary-Treasurer or designee shall notify the Elected Member(s) of election and determine their acceptance.

IV. ORGANIZATION OF AND FOR THE ARKANSAS ACADEMY OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

A. Meetings of the Membership –

  1. There shall be an Annual Meeting of the membership held at such time and at such place as shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
  2. There shall be an induction ceremony for the purpose of inducting newly elected members and it shall usually be held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting at a time and place determined by the Board of Directors.
  3. There may be such other meetings as shall be determined by the Board of Directors or a petition signed by one-third of the Active, Senior and Lifetime Membership shall require the Board of Directors to call such meetings.
  4. All meetings shall be announced by thirty (30) days prior to the date of the meeting. The meeting will be announced by standard mail unless the member chooses to be notified electronically.
  5. Informal, social gatherings of members may be conducted at any time throughout the year with approval of the Board of Directors.  Academy business such as membership nominations may be discussed during social gatherings, but no actions or decisions for the Academy shall be voted upon.
  6. Members may attend all called meetings remotely via voice or video conferencing at their request to the Secretary Treasurer and/or AAEE Liaison provided such meeting type is available.  The AAEE will endeavor to provide such remote A/V meeting capabilities. Members attending remotely are considered in attendance for voting or other business matters.

B. Quorum at the Membership Meetings.

  1. A quorum shall consist of Active members present.
  2. Every act of or decision made by a simple majority of those present shall be an act of the membership.

C. Directors.

  1. The Board of Directors shall consist of six (6) Directors with two (2) elected by and from the members at each Annual Meeting of the Academy.  In addition, the immediate Past-President shall serve as a director.
  2. Vacancies on the Board of Directors occurring from death or resignation shall be filled at the next Annual Meeting of the Academy.  Members will elect a Director to complete the un-expired term of each vacancy.

D. Officers.

  1. The officers of the Arkansas Academy of Electrical Engineering shall be a President, Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer, and they shall be elected by the Board of Directors promptly after the election of the Board by the membership. The President and Vice-President shall also serve as officers of the Board of Directors, and they shall be selected from the Board.  The President and Vice-President shall serve one (1) year terms; the Secretary-Treasurer may serve continuous terms.
  2. The Officers shall have such duties as are necessary to the purposes and functions of the organization and such duties as are assigned by the Board of Directors.
  3. Officers shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred if authorized and approved by the President and the Board of Directors.
  4. All Officers shall be University of Arkansas Electrical Engineering graduates.
  5. Board Members may be assisted by faculty, staff, and employees of the Department of Electrical Engineering in discharging their duties.  Examples would include compilation and distribution of ballots and minutes of the proceedings of AAEE and preparation for the annual meeting.

E. Committees.

  1. The Board of Directors shall authorize and the President shall appoint such committees as are necessary to advance the purposes and business of the Academy.
  2. There shall be a Nominations Committee of three (3) members, which shall present a slate of candidates for election as Directors at the Annual Meeting of the Academy. Additional nominations may be made by any member present.  There will be no vote by proxy.

V. LIMITATIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR THE ARKANSAS ACADEMY OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

A.The Board of Directors may remove a member upon the recommendation of an appointed Committee on conduct but not until such time as the Board or the membership has heard the appeal of the member so recommended if such hearing is requested.

B. The Bylaws may be amended at any Annual Meeting where such intention has been a part of the notice of the Annual meeting and the amendment carries the favorable recommendation of two-thirds of the Board of Directors and a simple majority of the Active members present.

C. The members of the Arkansas Academy of Electrical Engineering are not responsible for any indebtedness or liability incurred by or for any acts performed by any member or individual, at any regular or special meeting, outing or other social activity of the Academy.

VI. FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

A.The Arkansas Academy of Electrical Engineering will be self-supporting using exclusively reserved monies deposited with the University of Arkansas Foundation These monies will result from contributions made or solicited by the members for this and additional purposes.  Each Active Member shall be required to make a minimum annual contribution or elect to make a one-time contribution, as defined in I.G., to the foundation.  The contribution amounts will be updated periodically by the membership and published in the minutes of the meeting.  Contributions shall be due September 15 and are payable on or before October 15 each year.  Notice of the amount due will be sent to each non-Lifetime Active member on or before September 10 each year. The notice will be sent by standard mail unless the member chooses to be notified electronically.

Active members who have not made their minimum contribution by the announcement of the annual Induction Ceremony will be provided a reminder notice by the Secretary Treasurer.

B. Members of the Academy will be responsible for their expenses incurred while attending meetings and other functions of the Academy.

C. The Board of Directors shall adopt an annual budget, which shall be reported to the membership and said budget will provide the Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering with direction and authority as to the expenditure of monies from the above account.

D. The officers and directors will instruct the Secretary-Treasurer in such efforts as he shall make annually to maintain funds in the above account pursuant to Item 4, “STATEMENT OF AGREEMENT AND UNDERSTANDING CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS ACADEMY OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING.”

VII. RECOGNITION AND AWARDS

A. A plaque or certificate of recognition and membership in the Academy will be awarded to each Active or Honorary Member at the induction ceremony.

B. A photograph or electronic facsimile of each Honorary, Lifetime, Senior and Active Member of the Academy, individually identified, shall be prominently displayed in the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas.

C. A biographical sketch limited to one hundred and fifty words will be maintained for each Honorary, Active, Senior and Distinguished Past member of the Academy in the library or lounge at the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas – Fayetteville.  These records will be easily accessible to the students.