Constitution & By-Laws

1. The Association shall provide an organization for Illinois academic institutions, students, and all employers interested in Cooperative Education and Internships.
2. The objectives of the organization shall be:
1. To broaden recognition and understanding of the significance and values of Cooperative Education and Internships.
2. To strengthen the functioning of Cooperative Education and Internships by providing the opportunity for an exchange of information, ideas and experience among employers, educators, students, and local, state, and federal leaders.
3. To establish and maintain strong professional relationships with other related organizations.
4. To function as a unified source of information for gaining state support and funding for Cooperative Education and Internships.

1. Membership is open to Illinois academic institutions, students, individuals, and all employers interested in the promotion of Cooperative Education and Internships.
2. The membership in ILCEIA will run from July 1 through June 30 annually.
3. A paid membership entitles the person holding the membership to one vote per issue at all ILCEIA meetings and in the conduct of other business requiring a vote.

1. The President of the Association shall appoint a Nominating Committee that will be responsible for presenting a proposed slate of nominees for Executive Board positions. This slate will be presented to the Association for consideration at the spring meeting. Nominations from the floor shall be accepted at the time of the election.
2. Officers of the Association shall take office annually on July 1. The out-going President will remain in the position of MCEIA Illinois State Director until the MCEIA Annual Conference in the fall, when the new President shall assume the duties of that position.
3. All officers shall be elected by majority vote to serve for a term of one (1) year in that elected position. The Vice-President/President-Elect automatically becomes President of the Association the following year.
4. In the event the President is unable to complete his or her term of office, the Vice-President/President-Elect will succeed and serve as President for the remainder of the term.
5. In the event that any other officer is unable to complete his or her term of office, the remaining members of the Executive Board will appoint another member of the organization to complete that person's term of office.

1. There will be three (3) meetings of ILCEIA during the membership year, with the first meeting being conducted at the annual MCEIA conference. The remaining two (2) meetings shall be determined by the Executive Board.
2. Additional meetings shall be called at the discretion of the Executive Board.
3. The number of paid members to constitute a quorum to transact business at any meeting of the Association shall be stated in the by-laws.

1. The Association shall be incorporated as a non-profit organization according to the statutes of the State of Illinois.
2. Annual dues will be determined by the Executive Board.
3. Any expenditure of the Association funds must be approved in advance by the Executive Board.

1. Amendments to this Constitution may be made at any regular business meeting of the Association by a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the members present, providing all members are notified of the proposed amendment at least one month prior to the business meeting at which the amendment is to be considered.
2. Amendments, if passed, shall be added to the constitution and will go into effect immediately, unless otherwise stipulated.
3. Changes to the By-Laws may be made by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present at any general meeting, with the exception of the dues which will be set annually by the Executive Board.

ARTICLE C-XI Bylaws

The Executive Board of the Association shall maintain an active set of Bylaws regulating the business affairs of the Association.

ARTICLE C-XII  Dissolution

No part of the net income of the Association shall at any time be distributed to/for the benefit of any officer or member of ILCEIA. In the event of dissolution of ILCEIA, all funds remaining in the treasury will be transferred to such other organization or organizations as the Executive Board will determine to have purposes and activities most nearly consonant to those of ILCEIA.



Illinois Association for Cooperative Education & Internships (ILCEIA)

BY-LAWS
(Amended November 2007)

ARTICLE B-I  The Executive Board

1. The Executive Board shall be responsible for the affairs and business of the Association.
2. The duties of the officers are as follows:
1. The President shall serve as the chief executive officer of the Association and shall represent the Association as required at the regional and national level.
2. The Vice-President/President-Elect will assist the President and assume responsibility for the organization in the President’s absence. He/she will serve as chairperson for the state conference.
3. The Secretary shall serve as recorder for the Association and work with the Historian to collect documents for, and maintain, the archives. In the absence of the Historian, the Secretary will also serve as acting Historian.
4. The Treasurer shall serve as chief fiscal officer of the Association.
5. The Membership Coordinator shall be responsible for monitoring the membership roster, maintaining membership records, developing and distributing membership certificates/packages, and creating and distributing the membership directory when necessary.
6. Three (3) members of the Executive Board constitute a quorum. A quorum has the ability and is authorized to make decisions requiring immediate action.
3. The Past-President will serve in an advisory capacity to the President and also serve as chairman of the Nominating Committee.
4. All Executive Board and Committee members must be members of the Association.

1. The Executive Committee shall establish standing committees in such areas as membership, conference, finance, networking, and others as needed.
2. The Executive Board shall establish Standing Committees in the following areas and attempt to maintain their on-going vitality:
   A. College-Employer Relations shall be responsible for seeking methods for improved working relations and information exchanges between educators and employers. Will work with the Membership Coordinator to increase the number of active members with focus on employer and student membership.
   B. Communications shall be responsible for improving awareness of cooperative education, internships, and ILCEIA through promotional materials and publicity releases. Manage all printed and electronic materials to insure consistency of ILCEIA’s message, design goals, and theme. Responsible for maintaining the quarterly newsletter – collecting and editing information, layout, printing and distributing to the membership. Also responsible for the update and maintenance of the ILCEIA website.
   C. Historian shall research and maintain the official history of ILCEIA and hold the officially approved version of the organization’s Constitution and By-Laws. Collect, organize, maintain, and houses all archives. Acquire and archive materials compiled by each board member. Provide historical records and documents when requested by members of the board. Work with the Communications Chair for publicity, marketing, and website projects.
   D. Awards and Recognition shall be responsible for working with the Executive Board to create and develop awards that will recognize the contributions made by educators/employers in the ILCEIA organization who have made significant contributions in promoting and sustaining the cooperative education and/or internship philosophy. Responsible for working with the Board to create and develop awards/scholarships for undergraduate co-op/internship students, and/or graduate students pursuing their degree in student affairs/human resources/career counseling related areas.
3. All current committees shall report on activities during the scheduled Association meetings.
   

1. The fiscal year will be from July 1 through June 30.
2. The Treasurer will receive all funds, keep an account of all receipts and expenditures, act as chairman of the Finance Committee, and will present in writing a financial report at the end of the year and at any other time when requested to do so by the President.
3. All disbursements of Association funds shall be made by the Treasurer, with the approval of the President.
4. The Finance Committee shall arrange for an annual audit of the financial records to be completed at the end of the fiscal year. This audit may be conducted by members who are not currently serving on the Finance Committee.

1. Membership in the Association shall consist of:
   A. College Members – open to cooperative education and internship representatives from any state accredited post-secondary educational institution who have an interest or primary responsibility in cooperative education and internships provided:
   a. The Institution is located in the state.
   b. The institution grants an associate or baccalaureate degree.
   B. Employer Members – open to representatives of employing organizations who have an involvement in cooperative and internships provided:
   a. Their organizations recruit and/or employ cooperative education and internship students from institutions within the state.
   C. Non-State Members – open to employers, educators, or students with an internship or cooperative education role located outside the state.
   D. Student Members – open to academically enrolled representatives from any accredited post-secondary educational institution within the state who have an interest in the field of career services/development provided:
   a. The institution grants an associate or a baccalaureate degree.
   b. The academically enrolled representative provides a student identification card showing student status upon application for membership.
2. Membership dues will be set by the Executive Board.
3. The membership year will be from July 1 through June 30.
4. Currently, the annual membership dues are:
   Individual $25
   Institutional $100
   Student $10
5. Institutional memberships will allow registration of up to five (5) participants. These memberships may be transferred to new participants within the institution during the membership year by notifying the Treasurer in writing. Notification should include name, title, and business address of both participants. Registered institutional participants shall have the rights and privileges exactly equal to those individual members.
6. Lifetime Member – members shall be granted Life Member status by the Executive Board upon meeting the following criteria:
   A. The member has been a member for at least 15 years.
   B. The member shall be retired from active employment and request, or be nominated, for Life Member status.
   Life Members shall not be required to pay dues and shall be permitted to register for the annual drive-in conference at the cost of 50 percent of the normal registration fee (not including dues and special event charges). The Membership Coordinator shall contact the Life Members annually to determine if the member wants to remain on the Association membership roster.
   A Lifetime Member shall have all the rights and privileges as any member of the Association. If a member receives Lifetime Membership status while serving on the Executive Board, the individual will be able to continue serving on the Board until the end of the term.
   

ARTICLE B-VI  Rules of Order

The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order (latest edition) shall guide this organization.

ARTICLE B-VII  Meeting Quorum

A quorum of 15 paid members of the Association will be required to transact business at a meeting of the Association held in Illinois; this to increase to 15 percent of the membership when membership exceeds 100.

ARTICE B-VIII Membership Code of Conduct

The Association adopts the Midwest Cooperative Education and Internship Association Membership Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct.