CONSTITUTION

(Revised 2021)

 Article I - Name

The name of this organization shall be the Virginia Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators (VACTE).

Article II - Purpose

The Virginia Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators provides a voice for education through advocacy, equity, leadership and professionalism for teacher educators and other professional school personnel.

Further, the Association collaboratively elevates the public profile of the education profession across the Commonwealth of Virginia and supports quality education for all learners at all levels through exemplary professional, clinical, and research-based practices.the quality preparation and career-long development of teachers. 

Article III - Membership

Section I - Membership Categories

  • A. Institutional Membership

Institutional membership shall be open to all regionally-accredited colleges and universities with state-approved educator preparation programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Other institutions may petition the Executive Committee for membership.  Each institution shall designate a single voting representative. As a state-affiliate organization, a percentage of institutional members must concurrently be members of AACTE, in accordance with policies determined by that organization.

  • B. Individual Membership

 Individual membership shall be open to all individuals who share a common interest in educator preparation, education policy, assessment and accreditation, and the work of PreK-12 schools (both public and private)

Section 2 - Membership Year

 The membership year shall be from July 1 to June 30.

Section 3 - Dues

The dues for the various membership categories shall be determined by the Executive Board annually with consent by simple majority vote (greater than 50%) of the membership in good standing.

 

Article IV - Officers 

Section 1 - Officers

There shall be five officers of the association:  President, President-Elect, Past-President, Secretary and Treasurer.  The President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be elected from institutional representatives and individual members in good standing.  The President and Past-President shall assume these roles in linear succession following term of office initiating as President-Elect.

Section 2 - Term of Office

The term of office for the President, President Elect, Past-President, Secretary and Treasurer shall be two years.  The Secretary and Treasurer may be reelected and serve consecutive terms.  Officers shall assume office July 1 following the spring election.

Section 3 - Duties

  • A. The President shall preside over all meetings of the Association and the Executive Board. The President shall arrange for an external audit of the association’s financial accounts in June of the year coinciding with the new term of the treasurer. During the two years following the completion of the term of office, the President shall continue to serve as a member of the Executive Board as Past-President. The President or their designee shall serve on the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Advisory Council of State Representatives and the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) Council of Presidents and National Delegate Assembly. The President shall be an individual member, a faculty member or administrator at a VACTE member institution in good standing, and a member of ATE.

  • B. The President-Elect shall serve as a member of the Executive Board and chair the Conference Planning Committee. The President-Elect shall assume the Presidency after a two-year term. The President-Elect shall serve in the absence of the President and succeed to the Presidency if for any reason the President cannot fulfill responsibilities or term of office. In such case, the President-Elect shall succeed to the unexpired remainder of the Presidency and subsequently commence a full two-year term as President on July 1 following election of a new President-Elect in accordance with Article VI, Section I. In the event that the President-elect shall not be able to serve out a full term, both a President and President-elect shall be elected at the time of the next election. The President-Elect shall alternate between an individual member or a faculty member or administrator at a public VACTE member institution and an individual member or a faculty member or administrator at a private VACTE member institution.

  • C. The Past-President serves in an advisory capacity and shall serve as Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee, the Awards Committee, and shall perform other duties as requested by the Executive Board. The Past-President or their designee shall serve on the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) National Delegate Assembly. The Past-President shall serve as a member of the Executive Board and conduct meetings in the absence of the President or President Elect.

  • D. The Secretary shall record all minutes of the Executive Board and general membership/business meetings, distribute the minutes to the constituent membership, archive meeting minutes for consultation, and perform other duties as required. The Secretary shall serve on the Communications Committee and as a member of the Executive Board.

  • E. The Treasurer shall supervise all monies paid into and out of the general fund. The Treasurer shall prepare a financial report for presentation at general membership/ business meetings and maintain a current roster of individual members and institutional member representatives. The Treasurer shall also serve on the Conference Planning Committee and as a member of the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall provide assistance as required for the biennial audit and be responsible for all external financial reports.

  • F. The Executive Director shall act as liaison to the national American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) and the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE), the respective regional associations, state agencies, and other state associations. The Executive Director shall oversee the submission of all required reports to the national organizations and shall serve as Parliamentarian, insuring that all association meetings are conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order. The Executive Director is appointed by the Executive Board for a three-year term. The term may be renewable. The Executive Director must be a faculty member or administrator at an AACTE member institution and a member of ATE, in good standing.

Article V - Executive Board

There shall be an Executive Board composed of the five officers (President, President-Elect, Past-President, Secretary, Treasurer); the Executive Director; appointed chairs of the standing committees (Communications, Scholarship and Journal Editorial Board); a representative of each Executive Board-designated special interest group, and the institution, agency and association representatives defined in Article V, Section 3.  The officers, Executive Director, and standing committee chairs shall be voting members of the Executive Board.  Representatives of special interest groups, institution, agency and associations shall be non-voting members.  Members of the Executive Board shall, to the extent possible, represent diversity in terms of cultural diversity, institutional size, superintendent regions within the commonwealth, and public/private designation. No more than two representatives from a given institution may serve on the Executive Board concurrently. All members of the Executive Board must hold individual membership in VACTE or represent a VACTE institution in good standing. Chairs of standing committees are elected for staggered, renewable three-year terms. The Executive Board shall meet at least four times per year.

Section 1 - Standing Committees

  • A. Awards Committee. This committee shall solicit nominations, review and make recommendations for all awards to the Executive Board. The committee is chaired by the Past-President and two VACTE members appointed by the Executive Board for a three-year term.

  • B. Communications Committee. This committee shall manage, create, and maintain all public media for VACTE. The committee is chaired by the Webmanager. Membership shall include the Secretary and one additional VACTE member appointed by the Executive Board for a three-year term.

  •  C. Conference Planning Committee. This committee shall plan and conduct at least two conferences per year. The committee is chaired by the President-Elect. Membership shall include the Webmanager, treasurer, clinical experiences chair, Virginia Education Assessment Collaborative chair; diversity, equity, and inclusion chair; conference location liaison, and other VACTE members appointed by the Executive Board.

  •  D. Journal Editorial Board. The Editorial Board shall be responsible for the publication policies of The Teacher Educators’ Journal, including content, production, and distribution. The Editor(s) are appointed by the Executive Board for a three-year term. The Senior Editor of the Journal or their designee will have one vote on the Executive Board.

  • E. Nominations and Elections Committee. This committee shall recommend candidates for each Executive Committee vacancy ensuring broad representation including cultural diversity, institutional size, superintendent regions within the commonwealth, and public/private designation, and conduct the election. The committee is chaired by the Past-President and two VACTE members appointed by the Executive Board for a three-year term.

  • F. Scholarship Committee. This committee shall publish guidelines, solicit nominations, and select recipients for VACTE scholarships. Composition of the committee shall comprise at least three VACTE members and a Chair, appointed by the Executive Board for a three-year term.

Section 2 - Special Interest Groups

  • A. Clinical Experiences. The committee shall facilitate the sharing of information between and among institutions related to clinical practices across undergraduate, graduate, and in-service programs. Membership is open to all institutional representatives and individual members of VACTE in good standing. The Executive Board shall appoint a Chair annually who shall serve as a non-voting member of the Executive Board.

  • B. Council of Virginia Deans, Directors, and Chairs of Education (CVDDCE). This council comprises lead administrators for VA educator preparation programs and provides an opportunity for networking and information sharing among administrators of educator preparation programs in Virginia. The convener shall serve as a non-voting member of the Executive Board.

  • C. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The committee shall foster a collaborative and culturally-responsive community by identifying opportunities, sharing information, and planning and executing initiatives to enhance diversity and promote equity and inclusion in the profession, professional preparation programs, and the VACTE. Membership is open to all institutional representatives and individual members of VACTE in good standing. The Executive Board shall appoint a Chair annually who shall serve as a non-voting member of the Executive Board.

  • D. Government Relations. This committee shall facilitate development of legislative priorities and position statements influencing educator preparation; monitor actions of the General Assembly, Board of Education, and Virginia Department of Education; and work collaboratively with ATE-VA and others to serve as One Voice for Virginia Teacher Education. Membership is open to all institutional representatives and individual members of VACTE in good standing. The Executive Board shall appoint a Chair annually who shall serve as a non-voting member of the Executive Board.

  • E. Virginia Education Assessment Collaborative (VEAC). The committee provides a centralized assessment structure for Virginia EPPs that standardizes and reduces the complexity of data collection for both the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Membership is open to all institutional representatives and individual members of VACTE in good standing. The Executive Board shall appoint a Chair annually who shall serve as a non-voting member of the Executive Board.

Section 3 - Institution, Agency or Association Representatives

  • A. Advisory Board on Teacher Education and Licensure (ABTEL). The public and private higher education representatives on ABTEL shall serve as non-voting members of the Executive Board. The ABTEL representatives are recommended by the VACTE Executive Board and ultimately appointed by the State Board of Education to serve a three-year term.

  • B. Virginia Public Education Coalition (VPEC). The VACTE Executive Board shall appoint a representative to VPEC to serve a three-year term as a non-voting member of the Executive Board.

  • C. Virginia Public Schools. The VACTE Executive Board shall appoint a representative from a Virginia Public School to serve a three-year term as a non-voting member of the Executive Board. Recommendations will be solicited from the membership.

Section 4 - Removal from Executive Board

Individuals elected or appointed to a role on the Executive Board shall be removed for failure to fulfill the obligations and duties of their office, failure to attend two consecutive Executive Board meetings, breach of trust, or engagement in unethical behavior.

Article VI - Election of Executive Board Officers

Section 1 - Election Process

  • A. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall solicit nominees for all Executive Board vacancies from the membership and shall prepare a slate of nominees for presentation to the Executive Board for initial review to verify willingness to serve and membership requirements and to ensure broad representation.

  • B. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall present the vetted slate of nominees to the membership at least two weeks prior to the spring general membership/business meeting.

  • C. The Past-President as chair of the committee shall conduct the election at the Spring general membership/business meeting.

  • D. Ballots shall be counted by members of the Nominations and Elections Committee and those elected shall be announced no later than 7 business days following the election.

  • E. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall recommend appointments for unexpired term vacancies to the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall appoint an individual to fill the remainder of any elected term.

 

Section 2 - Voting Eligibility

  • A. Each member institution in good standing with VACTE shall have one vote. The voting representative (or appointed proxy) shall be identified by the member institution.

  • B. Each individual member in good standing with VACTE shall have one individual vote.

  • C. On matters pertaining to AACTE, only the representative of an AACTE member institution in good standing shall be allowed to vote. The vote must represent a simple majority of eligible voting members (institutional and individual) at the Spring general membership/business meeting.

 

Article VII - Finances

The fiscal year for the Association shall begin July 1. The dues for the various membership categories (i.e., institutional, individual) shall be determined by the Executive Board annually.  All dues shall be used to support the work of the VACTE.

The Association maintains 501(c)(3) status of the Internal Revenue Code and is not organized for profit and no part of its funds shall accrue to the benefit of any member. Any assessments to finance special projects estimated to exceed $5000 shall require the approval of at least fifty percent of the voting membership. The President shall arrange for an external audit of the association’s financial accounts in June of the year coinciding with the new term of the treasurer.

The Virginia Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators shall not engage in propaganda or lobbying, and the association shall not participate in or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. 

 

Article VIII – Constitutional Amendments 

Amendments to this Constitution shall be proposed for discussion at a general membership/ business meeting of the VACTE.  Proposed amendments to the VACTE Constitution shall become a part of the constitution when they have been: (1) presented to the membership at either the spring or fall conference general membership/business meeting and then (2) approved by a simple majority of the voting membership present at the following conference general membership/business meeting.

 

Article IX – Dissolution  

Dissolution shall be initiated by the VACTE Executive Board should membership drop below 30% of the approved educator preparation programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia for two consecutive years.  A proposal for dissolution shall be voted on by all members in good standing at the time of the proposal presentation. A simple majority of the voting membership shall result in association dissolution. 

In the event of dissolution of the Virginia Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators (VACTE), any assets remaining after paying or making provision for payment of all liabilities, shall be divided among full institutional members who have been in good standing for the three-year period immediately prior to the dissolution date.

Upon dissolution, notification shall be made to the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the Association of Teacher Educators.