ARTICLE I: Name

The organization shall be known as the "Northeast Association of Advisors for the Health Professions," hereinafter referred to as the NEAAHP.

ARTICLE II: Purpose

The purpose of the Association is educational. NEAAHP seeks to advance undergraduate advising for the health professions and serve as a resource for advisors who guide students preparing for a career in the health professions. To further these goals, NEAAHP will disseminate information regarding the health professions to advisors, facilitate continued communication among advisors within the region and between the advisor community and health professions schools and organizations, sponsor educational meetings, and promote the professional identity of advisors for the health professions.

ARTICLE III: Membership

1. Advisor Membership

a. An individual who is a duly authorized health professions advisor at an accredited college or university that prepares students for the health professions is eligible for advisor membership. Each advisor member shall have the privileges of the floor in all discussions, may be appointed to committees or elected to the Executive Committee, shall have access to all advising resources of the organization, and shall be entitled to vote at the annual business meeting.

b. Terminations of membership shall occur when a member ceases to fall under the definition of membership as defined in Article III.1.a or when he/she fails to pay dues within six months of the start of the fiscal year.

2. Emeritus/Emerita Membership

A member who retires from health professions advising and all related activities may be named an emeritus/emerita member by the Executive Committee. Emeritus/emerita members shall have the privileges of the floor in all discussions, but will not be entitled to vote at the annual business meeting. Service on committees shall be at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE IV: Executive Committee

1. The Executive Committee shall direct and manage the affairs of the Association. It shall meet at regularly scheduled times during the year.

2. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the officers of the Association and six members elected for three-year terms, two members to be elected each year.

3. For the election of two members to the Executive Committee each year, nominations shall be made from the floor at the annual business meeting. Voting shall be by closed ballot, each voting member voting for up to two nominees. The President shall designate tellers. The two nominees with the greatest number of votes shall be declared elected. The Secretary shall maintain al list of the number of votes received by each nominee. Any vacancy that occurs among the elected board members, other than officers, shall be filled by the Executive Committee by appointing the nominee having the greatest number of votes from among the candidates not elected.

4. The Executive Committee shall have the power of fill any vacancy occurring in an office of the Association.

ARTICLE V: Officers

1. The officers shall be President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Immediate Past President.

2. The incumbent President, upon expiration of a one-year term, shall assume the office of Immediate Past-President for the following one-year term. The incumbent President-Elect, upon expiration of a one-year term, shall assume the office of President for the following term.

3. A new President-Elect shall be elected annually by a simple majority of the voting members present at the annual business meeting. The Secretary and the Treasurer shall be elected for three-year terms in the same manner.

4. Nominations for officers and At-Large Representative to NAAHP shall be made by the Executive Committee. Consent must be obtained from the nominees. Nominations will be sent to members with the announcement of the annual meeting. Additional nominations, with the consent of the nominees, may be made from the floor at the annual business meeting.

5. The President and President-Elect shall assume office at the close of the annual meeting. The Secretary and Treasurer shall assume office on September 1, following the annual meeting at which elected, and serve until August 31, there years thereafter.

6. Duties

President. The President is the principal executive officer of NEAAHP and shall coordinate and supervise the activities and affairs of the Association. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and Executive Committee.

President-Elect. The President-Elect shall assist the President in conducting the affairs of the Association, preside at meetings in the absence of the President, and perform other duties as may be assigned by the Executive Committee.

Secretary. The Secretary shall take minutes of the proceedings of all meetings of the Executive Committee and of the annual business meeting, be custodian of the Association's records, and in general perform all duties incident to the office and such other duties as may be assigned by the Executive Committee.

Treasurer. The Treasurer shall have charge and custody of and be responsible for all funds of the Association. A financial report shall be submitted at the annual business meeting.

Immediate Past-President. The Immediate Past-President shall serve as advisor to the Executive Committee and perform such other duties as may be assigned by the President or the Executive Committee.
 

ARTICLE VI: Meetings and Quorums

1. Meetings of the Association shall be held annually at such time and place as the Executive Committee shall determine. Additional meetings may be called by the Executive Committee.

2. A majority of the voting members in attendance at the meeting shall constitute a quorum.

3. A quorum is necessary to take formal action. Decisions will be made by majority vote of those present and voting.

4. The agenda for the annual business meeting shall be determined by the Executive Committee, based in part on suggestions received from the membership. The President shall have the authority to make changes in the agenda, should it be deemed necessary.

5. Robert's Rules of Order shall govern all parliamentary procedures.

ARTICLE VII: Committees

1. The Executive Committee shall establish such committees as may be necessary to carry out the work of the Association.

2. Committee chairs shall be appointed by the President. Committee members shall be appointed by the President in consultation with the Executive Committee. Vacancies on any committee shall be filled in the same manner as prescribed for the original appointment.

3. All committees will function in a manner prescribed by the Executive Committee and will continue at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

4. The role of all committees, except the Executive Committee, shall be advisory.

ARTICLE VIII: Liaisons

1. Representatives to the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP)

a. NEAAHP is a Voting Class Regional Association Member of NAAHP.

b. Two representatives shall be elected to serve on the Board of Directors of NAAHP in accordance with NAAHP Bylaws.

1. One representative shall be elected by he Executive Committee of NEAAHP from among the President, President-Elect, and Immediate Past-President.

2. One representative shall be elected at-large from the membership of NEAAHP, in a manner determined by the Executive Committee.

2. Liaisons to Other Professional Organizations

a. The President may appoint members to serve as liaisons to other professional organizations as may be necessary to facilitate the activities of the Association.

ARTICLE IX: Fiscal Year

The fiscal year shall be from July 1 to June 30, inclusive.

ARTICLE X: Dues

Annual dues for advisor members shall be set by the Executive Committee and shall be payable within six months of the start of the fiscal year. Dues shall not be prorated.

ARTICLE XI: General Prohibitions

Notwithstanding any provision of the Constitution and Bylaws which might be susceptible to a contrary construction:

1. The Association shall be organized exclusively for scientific, advisory, and educational purposes;

2. The Association shall be operated exclusively for scientific, advisory, and educational purposes;

3. No part of the net earnings of the Association shall or may under any circumstances inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual;

4. No substantial part of the activities of the Association shall consist of carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation;

5. The Association shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office;

6. The Association shall not be organized or operated for profit;

7. The Association shall not:

a. Lend any part of its income or corpus, without the receipt of adequate security and reasonable rate of interest to;

b. Pay any compensation, in excess of a reasonable allowance for salaries or other compensation for personal services actually rendered to;

c. Make any part of its services available on a preferential basis to;

d. Make any purchase of securities or any other property, for mare than adequate consideration in money or money's worth, from;

e. Sell any securities or other property for less than adequate consideration in money or money's worth to; or

f. Engage in any other transactions which result in substantial diversions of its income or corpus to any officer, member of the Executive Committee, or substantial contributor to the Association.

The prohibitions contained in section (7) do not mean to imply that the Association may make loans, payments, sales, or purchases to anyone else, unless such authority be given or implied by other provisions of the Bylaws.

ARTICLE XII: Distribution on Dissolution

Upon the dissolution of the Association, the Executive Committee shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all liabilities of the Association, dispose of the assets of the Association exclusively for the purposes of the Association, in such manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for such 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 said assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of the County in which the treasury of the Association is then located, exclusively for such purposes, or to an organization or organizations, as such court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

ARTICLE XIII: Adoption

This Constitution and Bylaws shall become effective immediately at the close of the annual business meeting adopting the same by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the members present and voting.

ARTICLE XIV: Amendments

1. The Constitution and Bylaws may be amended only at the annual business meeting by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the members present and voting.

2. All proposed amendments must be submitted to the membership at least thirty days prior to the annual business meeting to make them eligible for adoption.

Last updated: October 5, 1998
Robert C. Ripley, Associate Dean of the College
Brown University, Providence RI 02912
rip@brown.edu