Bates College Alumni Association Bylaws

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Article I PURPOSE

The purpose of the Bates College Alumni Association (hereinafter, the “Association”) is the establishment and perpetuation of fellowship among the alumni of Bates College (hereinafter, the “College”), the formation of mutually beneficial relationships between the alumni and the College, uniting all alumni in supporting the welfare of the College, and encouraging education as a way of life through ties to the College.

Article II MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. The following shall be Full Members of the Association:

(A.) all persons who have graduated from the College,  or have received an honorary degree from the College; and

(B). any student who has successfully completed at least one academic semester.

Section 2.  Those persons set forth in Section 1 of this Article II shall be considered a Bates Alum.

Section 3.  The spouse or partner of a deceased Bates Alum will be an Honorary Member of the Association and be considered a member of the class of the deceased Bates Alum through which the Honorary Member claims membership in the Association.

Section 4. A person may, by nomination or written application, be admitted as a Full Member of the Association by majority vote at any meeting of the Alumni Council of the Alumni Association (hereinafter, the “Council”).

Section 5. All Full Members and Honorary Members of the Association (collectively, the “Alumni Association Members”) shall be entitled to equal rights and privileges and shall assume equal obligations unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws.

Article III ALUMNI COUNCIL

Section 1. The business and affairs of the Association shall be administered by the Council.

Section 2. The following persons shall be Council Members:

(A.) the Officers (as defined in Article IV);

(B.) the President of the College Key ; and

(C.) up to thirty (30) At Large Members.

(D.) The Immediate Past President may, at their discretion, remain as a Council Member for one (1) year following the conclusion of their presidency.

Section 3. At-Large Members may be elected for up to two (2) consecutive three (3) year terms.  At-Large Members shall be elected, up to the maximum thirty (30) At-Large Members, by a majority vote of all Voting Council Members pursuant to an election that shall be held by no later than June 30 of every calendar year on terms set forth by the Governance Committee.  

The Vice President may have their term extended for four (4) years so that they may serve their full terms as Vice President and President. The Immediate Past President may, at their discretion, remain as a Council Member for one (1) year following the conclusion of their term as President.  All Council Members except for the Immediate Past President shall be Voting Council Members.  

In no event shall a Council Member serve more than eleven (11) consecutive years as a Council Member. Upon conclusion of their two (2) consecutive three (3) year terms, or upon conclusion of their term as President or, if chosen, Immediate Past Present, a Council Member cannot be reelected as a Council Member for a period of at least twelve (12) consecutive months; upon the conclusion of such twelve (12) month period, a former At-Large Member may stand for reelection to a new term as an At-LargeMember on the Council.

Section 4. Each Voting Council Member shall have one (1) vote on all Council business on which a vote is required or otherwise taken.

Section 5. The following persons and entities may nominate any Alumni Association Member to be an At-Large Member of the Council:

(A.) all Alumni Association Members;

(B.) all staff members of the College;

(C.) all professors at the College;

(D.) the trustees of the College; and

(E.) the President of the College.

Section 6. The Council shall solicit nominees for At-Large Members of the Council from the Alumni Association Members on an annual basis.

Section 7. All nominations for a person to become an At-Large Member of the Council shall be submitted to the Office of Alumni Engagement and to the President of the Council.

Section 8. Nominees to be an At-Large Member of the Council will be considered in a holistic manner based on criteria that are set forth by the Council from time to time in the Council’s sole discretion. Only Full Members of the Association may be elected as At-Large Members or Officers of the Council.

Section 9. All Council Members must be informed about the College and about new programs and developments at the College and active participants in the College community. Members are expected to attend and be active participants in all Council meetings. Council Members must be active participants in at least one of the Council Committees (set forth in Section 10 of this Article III). Council Members who are unable to meet these expectations may be removed from the Council by a unanimous vote of the Executive Committee or a vote of greater than two-thirds (2/3) of the Voting Members of the Council.

Section 10. The Standing Committees of the Council shall be the Executive Committee, the Governance Committee, and the Awards Committee.  The Standing Committees must meet at least three (3) times per year with at least a quorum of their respective members. The Standing Committees must report their activities to the full Council immediately following each of their meetings.

The Executive Committee members shall be: (1) the President (who shall serve as Committee Chair), (2) the Vice President, and (3) the Assistant Vice President or Director for Alumni Engagement.  If the Assistant Vice President or Director for Alumni Engagement is unable to attend a meeting of the Executive Committee, they may designate another member of the College Advancement staff to attend the meeting in their stead.

a. The Governance Committee is appointed by the Executive Committee and shall consist of the President, the Vice President (who shall serve as Committee Chair), and at least three (3) additional members, all of whom must be At-Large Members.  The Governance Committee shall: (1) administer the nomination process set out in Article III, Section 6 and (2) oversee the operations and functioning of the Council and make any recommendations to the Council as may be necessary, reasonable, or prudent. 

b. The Governance Committee must publish the names of nominees for At-Large Membership to the full Council by no later than February 1 of every calendar year and must publish the procedures for the election of At-Large Members to the full Council by no later than March 1 of every calendar year.

c. The Awards Committee is appointed by the Executive Committee and consists of the President and at least four (4) additional members. The Awards Committee is charged with presenting to the full Council candidates to receive any awards that the Council may establish from time to time in its sole discretion. The Awards Committee must award at least one award. The Chair will circulate award candidate information with the Vice President for College Advancement for approval prior to communication. The Awards Committee will submit via email the award candidate information to the full Council at least one (1) week before any vote scheduled on granting any award. The committee shall continually review and evaluate existing award categories and develop other award categories for presentation to, and approval by, the full Council.

Section 11. The President, in consultation with the Executive Committee, may appoint Ad Hoc committees as they deem advisable in order to carry out most effectively the purposes of the Association. Such Ad Hoc committees must consist of At-Large Members and will report to the Executive Committee.  Members of an Ad Hoc committee will serve for one (1) year following their appointment of said committee.

Section 12. There will be at least three (3) regularly scheduled meetings of the Council each year. Meeting schedules for the year will be announced in the summer.  At least one meeting will be scheduled to coincide with a Board of Trustees weekend meeting. The first meeting of each Council year shall take place in the fall, preferably during Back to Bates Weekend. The Executive Committee will determine meeting agendas, which will be circulated a minimum of two (2) weeks in advance of a scheduled meeting.  No action at any meeting of the Council shall be permitted unless a quorum of the Council is present for the entirety of any such meeting.  A quorum of the Council is defined as more than fifty percent (50%) of the At-Large Members.

Council Members are expected to attend all full Council meetings unless there are extenuating circumstances. Should a Council Member fail to attend two (2) regularly scheduled (that is, not Special Meetings as set forth below) Council meetings, the President will contact the Council Member to discuss if they have the time to remain an active member of the Council.

At the discretion of the President, special guests may be invited to attend Council meetings. Special Meetings of the Council may be called by the Executive Committee by providing at least forty-eight (48) hour’s notice to the At-Large Members. Special Meetings may be conducted virtually.

When meeting on campus, Council Members are lodged in a local hotel and meals on campus are provided.

Section 13. Throughout the year, the Assistant Vice President or Director for Alumni Engagement will coordinate presentations by various offices of the College to the full Council regarding information of interest or import to the Alumni Association Members.  The Council shall submit an annual report of its activities and recommendations to the Association.  The Council shall act as an Advisory Board to the Office of College Advancement or such comparable subsequent office of the College. 

Article IV OFFICERS

Section 1. The Officers of the Association shall be a President, Vice President (who shall be the President-Elect), Immediate Past President, and the Assistant Vice President or Director of Alumni Engagement (will serve as an ex-officio officer).   Only Full Members of the Association may serve as Officers of the Association. The terms of the Officers commence on the July 1 that immediately succeeds the election of a new Vice President.  The Vice President shall succeed the President at the conclusion of the President’s two-year (2) term.  

Section 2. By no later than the February 1st that precedes a required vote to elect a new Vice President, the Governance Committee shall solicit the full Council for nominees for Vice President; nominations for the Vice President shall be submitted by any At-Large Member to the Governance Committee.  By no later than the March 1st that precedes a required vote to elect a new Vice President, the Governance Committee shall publish to the full Council the name(s) of all nominee(s) for Vice President together with the manner in which the election will be held and the date of the election.  The Vice President shall be elected by a majority vote of the Council, which vote must occur prior to June 30 of the last year of the President’s two (2) year term.   

Section 3. If a vacancy occurs during the President’s term, the Vice President shall serve as President for the remainder of the College’s fiscal year during which the vacancy occurs together with the subsequent two (2) years.  A vacancy in the office of the Vice President shall be filled in the manner set forth in Section 2 of this Article IV.  In the case of a simultaneous vacancy of both the President and the Vice President, both the President and the Vice President shall be elected from amongst the then-existing At-Large Members by a majority vote of the Voting Council Members in an election to be administered by the Assistant Vice President of Alumni Engagement.

Section 3. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and the Council.       

Section 4. The Assistant Vice President or Director of Alumni Engagement shall conduct the official correspondence of the Association and the Council.  The Assistant Vice President of Alumni Engagement shall keep a complete register of the members of the Association and the Council and shall be the custodian of all papers and reports of the Association and the Council.

Article V MEETINGS OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Section 1. The Annual Meeting of the Association shall be held at such time and place as shall be determined by the Council.  Notice thereof shall be provided to the members of the Association by the  Assistant Vice President of Alumni Engagement at least four (4) weeks prior to the date of the Annual Meeting.

Section 2. Special meetings of the Association shall be called by the Council or upon the written request of at least one percent (1%) of the Full Members of the Association.  Such meetings shall be held at a time and place to be designated by the Council, notice thereof to be provided to the Full Members at least four (4) weeks prior to the date of the special meeting.  The notice shall state the nature of any and all business to be acted upon at the special meeting.

Section 3. One hundred (100) members of the Association shall be necessary to constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Association.

Article VI ALUMNI AWARDS

Alumni Awards may be conferred on an annual basis at the discretion of a majority vote of the Voting Members of the Council.  Nominees for alumni awards shall be presented to the Council by the Awards Committee at least annually.  Awardees shall be notified of the receipt of their award by the President of the Council or their designee.

Article VII AMENDMENTS

These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Voting Members of the Council.

The Association shall be provided notice of all by-law changes approved by the Council within thirty (30) days of their approval by the Council.  A Full Member of the Association may then submit to the Assistant Vice President or Director of Alumni Engagement a petition within sixty (60) days of notice of a bylaw change to call a referendum on such bylaw change during the next Annual Meeting of the Association.  A petition shall require a referendum if it contains signatures of three percent (3%) of the Full Members of the Association.  If a qualifying petition is received by the Assistant Vice President or Director of Alumni Engagement within sixty (60) days of notice of the bylaw change, the bylaw change will be suspended until a vote of all Full Members of the Association is held.  A majority of Full Members of the Association present at the Annual Meeting may approve or reject the referendum question.