Association Constitution and ByLaws

Amended spring 2016 (to be determined)

Article I Name

The name of this organization shall be the WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION.

Article II Purposes

The Association is organized for the following purposes:

  1. To initiate and facilitate continuing contributions by its members to further the scholarly and professional objectives of Western Washington University.
  2. To provide a means for continuing professional, educational, and social activities of its members.
  3. To sponsor selected educational and other programs and activities that promote the interests and concerns of its members.
  4. To communicate and provide liaison on behalf of retired personnel with appropriate representatives of the University, governmental agencies, and other associations that affect the welfare of retired persons.
  5. To advance the interests of its membership and conduct other approved activities.

Article III Membership Eligibility

  1. Active and retired Western Washington University employees
  2. Members and former members of the Western Washington University Board of Trustees
  3. Retirees of other universities and colleges
  4. Spouse/partners, widows/widowers of the above listed persons
  5. If approved by the Board, other persons who will support the goals of the Association

Article IV

Dues Annual dues shall be fixed by the Board of Directors and stated in the By-Laws, subject to change by proper amendment of the By-Laws.

Article V Board of Directors and Officers

  1. Board of Directors: A Board of nine Directors elected by the membership shall be responsible for governing the Association. The Board of Directors may be referenced as “the Board” in this document. The Board shall have the authority to establish standing and/or ad hoc committees as it deems desirable.
  2. Term of Office: Directors shall be elected for terms of three years. One-third of the Directors shall be elected annually. Any vacancy on the Board shall be filled by the Board in accordance with Article V-9 except that if a vacancy should occur while the nominating committee is at work, (Art. V-5) the committee shall nominate to fill such vacancy.
  3. Eligibility for Board Membership: Nine directors shall be elected. Only members of the Association whose dues are paid are eligible for election. Each of the nine Directorships is numbered. Directors holding positions I, II, and III shall be elected in years one, four, seven, etc. Directors IV, V, and VI shall be elected in years two, five, eight, etc., and directors VII, VIII, and IX are elected in years three, six, nine, etc. Directorships I, IV, and VII shall be filled only by retirees from the classified staff/administrative exempt of Western Washington University. Directorships II, V, and VIII shall be filled only by retired Western Washington University faculty members. Directorships III, VI and IX are available to all members of the Association.
  4. Elections: The Directors shall be elected by a ballot distributed to all members at least three months before the Annual Meeting. Election shall be by a plurality of votes cast. Newly elected Directors shall assume their duties at the meeting preceding the Annual Meeting.
  5. Nominations: Each year, the Board shall appoint a nominating committee of at least three persons. This committee shall invite suggestions from the membership and prepare a slate with a candidate for each Directorship. The slate shall be completed and reported to the Board in time to be published in a Spring WWURA Newsletter. Nominations may also be made by petition bearing the signatures of at least three members of the Association. Such nominating petitions must be received by the chair person of the Nominating Committee at a time to be specified by the Board and early enough to be included on the ballot.
  6. Balloting: Ballots shall be issued to the Association’s membership by electronic and/or USPS mail. The Membership Committee under the supervision of its chairperson, shall count the ballots. The chairperson shall certify the ballot results and shall report them to the President. Board nominees (who are members of the Membership Committee) shall be ineligible to count ballots or certify results. Ballots shall be received not later than one week before the Annual Meeting.
  7. Electors: Each member of the Association, whose dues are paid, is entitled to vote.
  8. Officers: The officers of the Association shall be a President, a President-elect, a Past President, a Treasurer, and a Secretary. The President- elect shall be elected by the Board of Directors from the present or former Directors. Where no candidate is forthcoming from among current or past Directors, the Board may seek from among the general membership, as candidate, a person of demonstrated service and commitment to the Association. The Treasurer and Secretary shall be elected by the Board of Directors from the membership of the Association, including the current Board. Officers who are not active Directors shall become exofficio, non-voting members of the Board of Directors for the term of their office. The Board shall annually elect a President-elect, a Treasurer, and a Secretary. The President-elect shall serve for one year as Vice President of the Association, during the following year as President, and in the third year as Past President. The Treasurer and Secretary shall serve one-year terms but may be re-elected. Election of officers shall be at a meeting of the new Board. (Art. V-6) preceding the Annual Meeting. All newly-elected officers shall assume their duties at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting.
  9. Board Vacancies: Board vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the Board, except as provided in Article V-3. Board appointees shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term of office.
  10. Leave of Absence for Directors: A Director may be granted leave of absence for finite periods during his or her term of office by action of the Board taken at a regular Board meeting. A Director on leave may be replaced by an Interim Director appointed by the Board as provided in Article V-9. A Director not on leave of absence, who during any 12-month period is absent from one-third of the regular Board meetings, shall be deemed to have resigned from the Board and shall be replaced as provided in Article V- 9.

ARTICLE VI Duties of Officers

The duties of officers shall be specified in the By-Laws of the Association. ARTICLE VII Amendments

  1. Vote Required: The Constitution may be amended either by a two-thirds majority vote of Association members present at any meeting of the membership provided that notice has been given and ten percent or more of the members are present at the meeting or by majority vote of the ballots returned from a poll, distributed by electronic or USPS mail, of the Association’s membership.
  2. Notice: Notice of proposed amendments must be sent to the membership one month before they are to be acted upon. Should the Board decide to submit proposed amendments by mail ballot, a period of one month from the date of mailing must be allowed for receipt of valid ballots.