Constitution
Article I. Name
The name of the organization shall be the Oklahoma Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (OACRAO). The organization (OACRAO) is incorporated by the State of Oklahoma.
Article II. Purpose
The purpose of the Association shall be to promote cooperation among the institutions of higher education in Oklahoma and to seek continual improvement in the operation of admissions, registration, record keeping, enrollment management, and other closely related functions at these institutions. It shall encourage membership and participation in the activities of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) and the Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (SACRAO). It shall render such professional service as fall within its scope of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and to duly recognize agencies within the state engaged in the conduct of higher education.
Article III. Membership
Institutional Membership
Any two-year or four-year degree-granting institution of higher education in the state of Oklahoma (accredited by the Higher Learning Commission) shall be eligible for membership. Eligibility of other educational institutions may be considered and approved by the OACRAO Executive Committee. Non-accredited institutions admitted as an OACRAO member prior to 2007 will be grandfathered into the organization. Institutional membership entitles the institution to one vote. The voting representative of the institution shall be designated on the annual membership form. An alternate voting representative may be appointed by the voting representative or elected by institutional representatives. Institutional membership entitles the institution to receive and participate on the OACRAO listserv.
Associate Membership
Institutions who are not otherwise eligible for any other membership in OACRAO and who desire to participate in its activities may apply for associate membership. Application must be submitted to and approved by the OACRAO Executive Committee. This membership is non-voting.
Article IV. Officers
Section 1. The officers of OACRAO shall be a president, past president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer, vice president for admissions and enrollment management, vice president for information technology, vice president for membership and mentoring, vice president for professional development, vice president for records and registration, and a communication coordinator/webmaster. In the event of a vacancy, the Executive Committee, by a majority vote, will fill that position for the remainder of the year.
Section 2. The president shall serve as chair of the Executive Committee and be an ex-officio member of all OACRAO committees. The president shall be responsible for all activities within OACRAO and may assign or delegate duties accordingly. Upon completion of a one-year term as president-elect, the president shall serve a one-year term.
Session 3. The president-elect shall serve as principal assistant to the president, as needed. Special responsibilities shall include planning the program for the annual meeting.
Section 4. The immediate past president shall serve as advisor to the president and other officers of OACRAO for one year after completion of the term as president. Special responsibilities shall include serving as an ex-officio member of the Membership and Mentoring Committee. The OACRAO past president is responsible for compiling and recommending changes to the Constitution. If an early vacancy occurs in the office of the president, the immediate past president shall assume those responsibilities for the remainder of the term. The Executive Committee will fill the past president position for the remainder of the term by a majority vote. Only former presidents of OACRAO are eligible for consideration.
Section 5. The vice presidents shall coordinate the work of committees in their respective professional areas, and assume responsibility for arrangements for the annual meeting as assigned by the president. The term of office for the vice president for professional development shall be for one year. The term of office for the vice president for admissions and enrollment management, the vice president for information technology, the vice president for membership and mentoring, and the vice president for records and registration shall be for two years. Election of the vice president for admissions and enrollment management and the vice president for information technology shall be determined in odd numbered years. The vice president for membership and mentoring and the vice president for records and registration shall be elected in even numbered years. The OACRAO vice president for professional development is responsible for planning and coordinator of the Summer Frontline Workshop for the frontline staff.
Section 6. The secretary shall maintain the membership roster, maintain all official records of OACRAO, maintain minutes of the annual business meeting and Executive Committee meetings, maintain the Constitution and Bylaws of OACRAO, serve as back-up to the treasurer, and perform assignments made by the president. The secretary shall serve for a two-year term with the term expiring in even numbered years.
Section 7. The treasurer shall invoice and collect annual membership dues, handle financial activities of OACRAO, file and maintain required incorporation and tax documents, prepare budgets, and perform other assignments made by the president. (Also see Bylaws Article V. Finances and Tax Compliance). The treasurer shall prepare a complete financial report at the close of the fiscal year, which will be audited by the Audit Committee and presented to the Executive Committee for final approval and publication. The treasurer shall serve for a two-year term set in odd numbered years. At the close of the treasurer’s two-year term, they will continue to serve an additional year on ex-officio basis as part treasurer to assist the new treasurer as needed during their first time of office.
Section 8. The communication coordinator/webmaster shall work in close concert with the OACRAO Executive Committee members to coordinate and disseminate OACRAO news via the OACRAO listserv (oacrao-l@lists.onenet.net), and the OACRAO website (www.oacrao.org) according to a predetermined annual schedule. The communication coordinator/webmaster shall be responsible for the annual gathering of information and publication of the OACRAO Directory to be distributed at the annual conference, labels for OACRAO mailings, and SACRAO newsletter updates. The term of office is two years and shall be elected in odd numbered years.
Section 9. Newly elected officers shall take office at the end of the annual meeting where they were elected.
Section 10. The process for removing an elected or appointed member of the Executive Committee from office shall be as follows:
Any Executive Committee member who, during the course of a term of service, fails to qualify as a voting member for a period of ninety (90) days due to loss of employment or some other circumstance, shall be removed from office immediately and a replacement shall be named in accordance with Article IV, Section
Executive Committee members are expected to attend all scheduled committee meetings. Each member is responsible for notifying the OACRAO president of an absence from a meeting. If any member misses three consecutive, regularly scheduled meetings without extenuating circumstances, that member’s active status on the Executive Committee will be reviewed by the Executive Committee to determine whether or not that member should be removed from office. Vacant positions will be filled in accordance with Article IV, Section 1.
Any voting member may file a concern about an Executive Committee member with the president or past president of OACRAO. The concern must be in writing and specify the nature of the problem in adequate detail. Such reasons can be, but are not limited to, dishonesty, failure to perform in office, or financial mismanagement.
After concurrence by an Executive Committee member, the full Executive Committee will convene in special session within thirty (30) days to consider the concern. A conference call will be acceptable for this purpose. The person(s) initiating the concern may be invited to present evidence and be available for questioning at this special session. The Executive Committee member who is the subject of concern will be given reasonable time prior to the meeting to prepare a response to the written concern(s) and will be invited to be present to deliver that response. The president shall preside over this special session. If the president is the subject of the concern, the past president shall preside.
The Executive Committee members will vote, by secret ballot, to retain or remove the individual from office. If the special session is conducted by conference call, the secret ballot will be mailed to the presiding officer within twenty-four (24) hours of the meeting.. The ballots will be retained for at least thirty (30) days after the main-in vote. A two-thirds majority vote of those voting will be required to remove an Executive Committee member from office. The presiding officer will report the result of the vote to the Executive Committee, the individual who was the subject of concern, and the individual(s) who initiated the concern, respectively.
Article V. Committee and Representatives
Executive Committee. The officers of OACRAO, the chair of the Professional Access and Equity Committee/state representative to SACRAO, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education liaison representative, and the exhibits coordinator shall constitute the Executive Committee, with the power to fix the place and time of annual meetings as provided by the Bylaws, to make necessary arrangements.
The Executive Committee shall also conduct the business of OACRAO in the period between the annual meetings. Should any annual meetings be omitted, or the time for it be changed, the time between two consecutive meetings shall be counted as one year for the administration of OACRAO.
Representation. The president, vice presidents, and committee chair will make every reasonable effort to reflect among the committee appointees the variety of personal and professional characteristics represented in the membership, such as professional area of responsibility, gender, ethnicity, state, and institutional type.
Professional Access and Equity/SACRAO Representative. The president and past president shall serve as the contact persons for the AACRAO Committee on Professional Access and Equity and the Oklahoma SACRAO representative. If neither are able to participate, the president will select a designee. This individual will promote equal education opportunity and participation with the SACRAO and AACRAO organizations. The appointment will be for a one-year term.
Audit Committee. The secretary shall serve as the chair of the Audit Committee and other members will be appointed by the president from members within OACRAO. The appointment will be for a one-year term.
Other Committees. Each vice president shall select from the membership a committee of three to assist in the planning of programs and projects for OACRAO. Each committee reports to the Executive Committee through the appropriate vice president. All committee appointments are for a one-year term.
Representatives. The president shall appoint a liaison representative to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to promote interaction with that agency and provide an avenue for exchange of information. The president or past president, or Executive Committee member if necessary - by majority vote of the current Executive Committee - shall serve as the state representative to SACRAO, who shall be responsible for attending the SACRAO annual meeting and reporting all pertinent information to the Executive COmmittee and the membership. Both representative appointments shall be for a one-year term.
Exhibits Coordinator. This individual, appointed by the president, acts as a liaison between the Executive Committee and corporate entities that provides services that may be beneficial to the OACRAO membership. (Also see Bylaws, Article V. Finance and Tax Compliance.) The appointment shall be for a one-year term.
Ad Hoc Committees. The president, with approval from the Executive Committee, may form an ad hoc committee to address a specific topic pertinent to OACRAO. The president shall appoint a committee chair and as many committee members as deemed necessary to provide an equity of representation from OACRAO. The ad hoc committee shall report to the Executive Committee via the chair and shall only remain in existence for the time required to accomplish its mission. Upon completion of the mission, the committee will be dissolved.
As a side note, members are encouraged to look through AACRAO’s training opportunities, such as the SEM Endorsement Program that provides formal recognition for learned outcomes.
Article VI. Amendments
The Constitution may be amended at any annual meeting by a majority vote of the members present and voting, provided the substance of the proposed Constitution changes have been presented to the membership prior to the annual business meeting (see Bylaws, ArticleVII).
Revised, proposed, and approved 3/31/2023.