Association Bylaws
American Sign Language Teachers Association
Association Bylaws- American Sign Language Teachers Association
ARTICLE I – NAME of ORGANIZATION
Section 1, Name of the Association. The name of this non-profit organization shall be known as the national American Sign Language Teachers Association (ASLTA).
ARTICLE II – OBJECTIVES
- To provide a closer relationship between teachers of American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf Studies and other organizations with interests consistent with the mission of the Association.
- To provide development opportunities for ASL and Deaf Studies teachers.
- To develop and maintain certification standards for ASL teachers and programs offering ASL and Deaf Studies courses.
- To certify ASL teachers and programs offering ASL and Deaf Studies courses.
- To develop standards and procedures for the accreditation of training programs, facilities and personnel involved in the education of teachers of ASL and/or Deaf Studies.
- To develop and maintain a national directory of members, certified teachers, and certified ASL and/or Deaf Studies programs.
- To provide an effective avenue for the exchange of information regarding methods and materials in the instruction of ASL and Deaf Studies.
- To encourage the development and maintenance of affiliated chapters.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1, Membership Categories. Membership in ASLTA shall be open to teachers of ASL, Deaf Studies, and other interested persons. There shall be seven categories of membership. Members in good standing have paid the appropriate dues according to their membership category on an annual basis.
- Certified Member: This category applies to those people who have ASLTA certification from this organization. Members shall have full voting privileges.
- Associate Member: This category applies to those people who are working as ASL teachers, tutors, paraprofessionals, lab assistants, linguists, Deaf Studies faculty, and ASL-related positions. Members shall have voting privileges in all matters of the Association except evaluation and certification.
- Supporting Member: This category applies to those people who are current students or ASL teachers in training programs and other individuals who support ASLTA’s mission. Members shall have voting privileges in all matters of the Association except evaluation and certification.
- Retired Member (Certified only): This category applies to those people who are no longer teaching ASL but have ASLTA certification from this organization. Certification will remain in good standing as long as dues are paid. Members are exempted from certification renewal procedures and fees. Members shall have full voting rights.
- Retired Member (General): This category applies to those people who are no longer teaching ASL and have no ASLTA certification from this organization. Members shall not have voting privileges.
- Institutional Member: Educational institutions, agencies, corporations, and other associations which support the mission of the Association may choose to join as an institutional member. Institutional members shall not have voting privileges. The institutional member shall be listed in the Association’s membership directory.
- Honorary Member: This category applies to those people who have been honored by the Association for their contributions to the field of ASL instruction. Honorary members shall receive the Association’s communications. Since honorary membership is a lifetime designation, honorary members shall pay no annual dues.
Section 2, Dues. Dues for all membership categories shall be determined by majority vote of the Board of Directors. Dues are payable yearly. The membership cycle is September 1 thru August 31. Members in arrears more than three months after payment is due shall be dropped from membership.
Section 3, Code of Conduct. 3.1 Professionalism. Members will maintain a professional level of courtesy, respect, and objectivity in all ASLTA activities, strive to uphold those practices, and assist other ASLTA members of the board in upholding the highest standards of conduct. 3.2 Personal Gain. Members will exercise the powers invested for the good of all members of the organization rather than for their personal benefit, or that of the nonprofit they represent. 3.3 Equal Opportunity. Members will ensure the right of all members to appropriate and effective services without discrimination. ASLTA does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, sexual orientation, or hearing status. 3.4 Confidential Information. Members will respect the confidentiality of sensitive information known due to service. 3.5 Collaboration and Cooperation. Members will respect the diversity of opinions as expressed or acted upon by the ASLTA Board, committees, and membership, and promote collaboration, cooperation, and partnership among all members.
ARTICLE IV – MEETINGS
Section 1, General Meetings. General meetings of the membership shall be held biennially during odd numbered years at a location and date to be determined by the Board of Directors.
Section 2, Quorum. For the purpose of conducting meetings, at least twenty-five (25) voting members in good standing shall constitute a quorum. For issues involving the ASLTA Evaluation & Certification system, only members holding ASLTA certification may vote and at least twenty-five (25) voting members in good standing holding certification shall constitute a quorum (see Article III, Section 1.2).
Section 3, Special Meetings of the Membership. In absence of a quorum, the President or at least four (4) Board members may call a special meeting of the membership. Motions made at a special meeting are non-binding and are referred to the Board of Directors for further action. The Board of Directors, at its discretion, may defer action on motions until the next General Meeting with a quorum, refer motions to an appropriate committee for disposition or conduct an electronic referendum vote to determine consensus of the membership for selected motions made while in a Special Meeting.
Section 4, Board of Directors Meetings. The Board of Directors shall meet at least once monthly, either in-person or via video conferencing. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President or at least four (4) Board members.
Section 5, Parliamentarian. The President, or at least four (4) Board members, may appoint a Parliamentarian to advise the organization on parliamentary procedures. A certified Parliamentarian shall be present for all general assembly meetings.
ARTICLE V – BOARD of DIRECTORS
Section 1, Composition of Board of Directors. The President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Evaluation and Certification Director, Recruitment and Outreach Director, Professional Development Director, Communications Director, and ASLHS National Coordinator shall constitute the Board of Directors, and shall be responsible for business matters of the organization between regular meetings. All Board of Directors members, with the exception of the President, shall be voting members of the Board. In case of a tie vote, the President will cast a vote to break the tie.
Section 2, Duties of the Board. The National ASLTA Board shall have general supervision of all operations and business dealings of the National ASLTA between biennial meetings. They shall be responsible for supervising the implementation of any motions and resolutions made at the biennial meetings. They shall create and approve the budget and oversee the spending of funds. They will have the authority to enter into contracts and develop and agree to Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with other organizations. The Board shall endeavor to find ways to grow the organization and ensure its continued success.
Section 3, Budget. The Board of Directors, with the cooperation of the Treasurer and Finance Committee, shall prepare a budget on an annual basis by October 1st, based on the five-year strategic plan. The budget will clearly indicate projected revenue and sources (e.g., membership, grants, financial support) as well as projected expenditures including specific charges to ASLTA for services. No other charges, direct or indirect, may be made against the ASLTA budget without consent of the Board of Directors of ASLTA.
Section 4, Removal of Officers or Committee Chairs. Any officer or committee chair may be removed from office with a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VI – DUTIES of OFFICERS
Section 1, Duties of the President. The President shall be the primary elected officer. They shall preside at all Board meetings and be responsible for the oversight of all Board duties. They shall also be responsible for coordination of all Board activities, including but not limited to preparation of the Board meeting agendas.
Section 2, Duties of the Vice President. The Vice President shall serve in the absence of the President. They shall succeed to the office of President should that office become vacant prior to the expiration of the term of office of the President. The Vice President will oversee bylaws compliance, maintenance of Association policies and procedures, and the coordination and implementation of committee work. In addition, the Vice President shall perform all duties as assigned by the President and approved by the Board of Directors.
Section 3, Duties of the Secretary. The Secretary shall keep accurate and complete minutes of all meetings of the organization and the Board of Directors. The Secretary shall keep on file all documents, disks, communications, and other papers related to the business of ASLTA.
Section 4, Duties of the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall ensure that accurate financial records are kept and maintained, reports are made at each Board meeting, and an audit is performed annually. The Treasurer will also be responsible for maintaining the membership database.
Section 5, Duties of Evaluation and Certification Director. The Evaluation and Certification Director shall manage the Evaluation, Revision and Appeals Committee and serve as liaison between the Evaluation Committee and Board of Directors.
Section 6, Duties of Professional Development Director. The Professional Development Director shall be responsible for coordinating all aspects of professional development activities, including but not limited to conference planning and coordinating professional development opportunities for ASLTA members.
Section 7, Duties of Communications Director. The Communications Director shall be responsible for all publicity and outreach by the Board to the membership and the public at-large.
Section 8, Duties of ASLHS National Coordinator. The National Coordinator, as a program representative to the ASLTA Board, will ensure program goals, projects, and initiatives are completed that focus on providing additional value to ASL teachers and students to enhance ASL education in heritage language and world language contexts. On an annual basis, the National Coordinator will present ASLHS plans, projects, and budget for the next following year’s activities to the Board.
Section 9, Duties of Recruitment and Outreach Director. The Recruitment and Outreach Director shall be responsible for coordinating effort to expand membership. In addition, the Recruitment and Outreach Director will be responsible for coordination of the biennial General Meetings.
Section 10, Compensation. Members of the Board of Directors shall serve without compensation except for standard expenses as approved by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VII – ELECTION and APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS
Section 1, Officers to be Elected and/or Appointed. The officers to be elected, and who shall serve until their successors are duly elected, shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Chapter Affiliation Director, Professional Development Director, and Communications Director. The additional Board of Director position, Evaluation and Certification Director, is appointed by the Board of Directors. The additional Board of Directors position, ASLHS National Coordinator, is appointed by the ASLHS Board. All nine (9) positions shall be members of the Board of Directors. The President, Vice President, Evaluation and Certification Director, and Professional Development Director must hold ASLTA permanent Master certification, be members in good standing for at least two years prior to the election or appointment to the Board of Directors, and have a minimum of one year of service experience. The Secretary, Treasurer, Recruitment and Outreach Director, and Communications Director must hold a minimum Certified certification, be members in good standing for at least two years prior to election or appointment to the Board of Directors, and have a minimum of one year of service experience.
Section 2, Election Procedures. There shall be alternating elections every two (2) years. Groups of officers to be elected in alternate elections are as follows: 1. The President, Secretary, and Professional Development Director and 2. The Vice President, Treasurer, Recruitment and Outreach Director and Communications Director. Elections will take place by electronic ballot through the ASLTA website to be opened at 12:00am on the second day of the biennial meeting in the time zone where the meeting is held and closed at 11:59pm on the second day of the biennial meeting in the time zone where the meeting is held. All voting members in good standing 30 days before the biennial meeting shall be provided with one (1) electronic ballot. Election results will be announced at the regular biennial meeting, in the ASLTA newsletter and on the ASLTA website.
Section 3, Nominations Process. Nominations for elected members of the Board of Directors shall be made by a Nomination Committee composed of three (3) ASLTA certified members in good standing who are accepted by the Board of Directors. At least one of those members must hold professional / master level to serve as the Nomination Committee Chair. Recommendations for nominations of officers may be submitted to the Nomination Committee by any voting member of the organization, provided the nomination is accompanied by 1) biographical data detailing the nominee’s qualifications for the office and 2) signature of the nominee giving signed consent. A call for Nomination Committee members from the membership, shall be announced through ASLTA communications in January and again 30 days before nominations start during the election year. Nominations from the membership can be submitted to the Nomination Committee between 90 days prior to the biennial conference until 30 days prior to the biennial conference.
Section 4, Expiration of Terms of Office. Officers of this organization shall continue in office until the conclusion of the business meeting held during the biennial meeting of the membership.
Section 5, Limit on Consecutive Terms in Office. Beginning July 1, 2019, no elected Board member may serve more than two (2) consecutive 4-year terms on the Board, regardless of position.
Section 6, Resignations, Vacancies and Removal from Office.
- A Board member may resign by notifying the President of the Board in writing 30 days prior to the effective date.
- The Board of Directors shall have the authority to fill any vacancy on the Board that may occur between regular meetings of the organization with the exception of the office of the President that shall be filled by the Vice President.
- Board members who miss two consecutive meetings or fail to fulfill duties may be asked to resign and are subject to removal with a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
Section 7, Nepotism. It is in ASLTA’s best interest to avoid conflict of interests between familial/domestic obligations, to reduce favoritism or the appearance of favoritism, and to prevent family conflicts from affecting ASLTA as an organization. Therefore, no two people with a familial/domestic relationship may serve on the ASLTA Board or any ASLTA-related committee during the same term.
ARTICLE VIII – COMMITTEES
Section 1, Committees. The National ASLTA depends on a network of member volunteers. Members are encouraged to participate through committee work. Anyone serving on a National ASLTA committee must be a member in good standing and are encouraged to pursue ASLTA certification.
Section 2, Standing Committees. The National ASLTA will have the following five (5) standing committees: Bylaws Committee, Steering Committee, Finance Committee, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and Evaluation and Certification Revision Committee. Standing committees shall meet at least once monthly, either in-person or via video conferencing.
Section 3, Duties of the Bylaws Committee. The Bylaws Committee will be responsible for the development, maintenance, and modification of the National ASLTA Bylaws. At least one member of this committee must hold a current (valid) ASLTA certification.
Section 4, Duties of the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee, in collaboration with the Treasurer, will be responsible for development of the National ASLTA budget. If no members volunteer for the Finance Committee, the Treasurer may develop the budget and present it to the Board for approval. At least one member of this committee must hold a current (valid) ASLTA certification.
Section 5, Duties of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee will be responsible for developing strategies and promoting best practices related to diversity. This may include but is not limited to racial, social, sexual, and gender diversity. At least one member of the committee must hold a current (valid) ASLTA certification.
Section 6, Duties of the Evaluation and Certification Revision Committee. The Evaluation and Certification Revision Committee will be responsible for developing, maintaining, and modifying the ASLTA certification process. All members of this committee must hold a current (valid) ASLTA Master certification.
Section 7, Ad Hoc / Special Committees. In conjunction with General Meetings, a Nominations Committee, Awards Committee, and Conference Committee must be established on odd numbers years. Additionally, the National ASLTA may choose to establish a variety of ad hoc committees as needed. Ad hoc committees shall meet at least once monthly until the purpose and goals of the committee are met, , either in-person or via video conferencing.
ARTICLE IX – AMENDMENTS to BYLAWS
These bylaws may be amended only by electronic ballot to all voting members in good standing with a 2/3 affirmative vote and a majority of eligible votes cast.
ARTICLE X – PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable and consistent with these Bylaws, and any special rules of order the Association may adopt.
ARTICLE XI – DISSOLUTION
In case of dissolution, all monies and records shall be given to a non-profit organization chosen by the ASLTA membership.