ARTICLE I
NAME: The name of the organization is the New York State Disability Services Council (NYSDSC).
DEFINITIONS:
CUNY: Any Institution affiliated with the City University of New York, including the Community Colleges.
Employees: Individuals holding paid positions within an Institution with key responsibilities related to disability services, policy, and/or compliance for students with disabilities.
Good Standing: Member who is a current employee of an Institution who has paid dues for the current year.
Independents: Private or independent Institutions.
Institution: Any accredited degree-granting higher education institution that maintains a physical campus within New York State.
Joint Affiliate: Institutions that have affiliations with one or more sectors.
Proprietaries: Proprietary Institutions.
SUNY Disability Services Council: The predecessor organization to the NYSDSC.
SUNY: Any Institution affiliated with the State University of New York, including the Community Colleges.
HISTORICAL NOTE: This organization is the successor organization to the SUNY Disability Services Council and is being created in recognition of 1) the need for cooperation and communication across higher education disability services sectors, 2) the ability to effect greater change through the combined efforts of these higher education disability services sectors, and 3) the increased expectation for equal and equitable access in higher education.
PREAMBLE: The NYSDSC is an association for Employees of degree-granting higher education institutions within New York State who make policy or who are involved in compliance or coordination of disability services at each campus. While membership is voluntary, key persons are encouraged to join the organization and efforts will be made to interest representatives from all degree-granting higher education Institutions.
PURPOSE: To provide a forum to discuss and to find solutions to common problems in the delivery of disability services to students in higher education and to serve as a resource to government/legislative bodies and/or other organizations interested in the education of students with disabilities in higher education Institutions. Discussions may include, but are not limited to: provision of direct services; advocacy; education; professional development; and, funding of disability services.
MEMBERSHIP: Full membership is available to Employees of any Institution. Employees of Joint Affiliates must declare the sector they will participate in at the time of their membership application.
Associate membership is available to any person (including but not limited to students, VESID counselors, CBVH counselors, and pre-professionals) who would not qualify for Full Membership but who is interested in the provision of disability services to students with disabilities at higher education Institutions.DUES: The dues period will be January 1 to December 31 of each year and the dues amount will be established by the Executive Committee.
MEMBERSHIP TRANSITION: All members in Good Standing of the SUNY DSC will automatically become Full Members in the NYSDSC upon adoption of this Constitution.
ARTICLE II
ROLE: The NYSDSC is the primary professional organization within New York State for persons with key responsibilities related to disability services, policy, and/or compliance for students with disabilities at Institutions of higher education.
POWER AND FUNCTIONS: The NYSDSC disseminates relevant information to its members and may establish and promote unified positions on matters of equal access, student rights and advocacy, on a state-wide basis and/or within constituent sectors. All official business of the Council may be conducted at an official meeting, by U.S. Mail, or by electronic means.
ARTICLE III
VOTING: Each Full Member will be accorded one vote.
GOVERNANCE TRANSITION: Upon adoption of this constitution, SUNY DSC and NYSDSC will co-exist until the November 2007 meeting in Syracuse, at which time the SUNY DSC will be succeeded by the NYSDSC. The following elected SUNY DSC officials will complete their respective terms of office in the NYSDSC: President, President-elect, Past-President, Secretary and Treasurer. The 2-year and 4-year Representatives to SUNY DSC will assume appropriate roles in the SUNY sector council. The Title in SUNY DSC of “Past-President” will be renamed “Immediate Past President.”
A call for nominations for President-Elect of the NYSDSC will be solicited from the Full Membership in September 2007 with an electronic vote to occur by the end of October 2007, and installation of the successful candidate at the November 2007 meeting. This will allow for Employees of CUNY, Independents, and Proprietaries to become Full Members of the NYSDSC so they have the opportunity to fully participate and/or run for President-Elect. A regular election schedule will then resume as established in ELECTIONS below.
SECTOR REPRESENTATION: Each of the four sectors (SUNY, CUNY, INDEPENDENTS and PROPRIETARIES) will be represented on the Executive Committee. The sectors will elect a representative as detailed in the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE section of this Constitution.
The Full Members of the NYSDSC who are from SUNY Institutions will elect a council to represent their sector’s interests and select a representative to serve on the Executive Committee as detailed in the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE section of this Constitution.
The Full Members of the NYSDSC who are from CUNY Institutions will elect a council to represent their sector’s interests and select a representative to serve on the Executive Committee as detailed in the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE section of this Constitution.
The Full Members of the NYSDSC who are from Proprietary Institutions will elect a council to represent their sector’s interests and select a representative to serve on the Executive Committee as detailed in the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE section of this Constitution.
The Full Members of the NYSDSC who are from Independent Institutions will elect a council to represent their sector’s interests and select a representative to serve on the Executive Committee as detailed in the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE section of this Constitution.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: The Executive Committee will consist of the following officers and will be elected by a majority of the membership casting votes in an election:
President: It will be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings. The President will be a member ex officio of all committees. The President may appoint committee chairs who may serve as advisors to the Executive Committee. The President will assemble a Nominations Committee. The President will serve for a one-year term.
President-elect: It will be the duty of the President-elect to conduct elections, act in the absence of the President, and assume the presidency at the conclusion of the President’s one-year term.
Immediate Past-President: It will be the duty of the Immediate Past-President to be the advisor to the current President. The Immediate Past-President will serve for a one-year term.
Secretary: The Secretary will be the custodian of all official records and record and publish the minutes of the Meeting. The Secretary will be elected for a two-year term on the following schedule 2006-2008, 2008-2010, etc.
Treasurer: The Treasurer will maintain all financial and membership records of the Council. The Treasurer elected to the 2006-2008 term will have her term extended through 2009. Thereafter The Treasurer will be elected for a two-year term on the following schedule 2009-2011, 2011-2013, etc.
CUNY Representative: The CUNY representative will be selected by the members of CUNY Sector, and will be a member of the CUNY Sector Council. The term length will be determined by the CUNY Sector, not to exceed 2 years nor be less than 1 year.
INDEPENDENTS Representative: The INDEPENDENTS Representative will be selected by members of INDEPENDENTS Institutions. The term length will be determined by the INDEPENDENTS Sector, not to exceed 2 years nor be less than 1 year.
PROPRIETARIES Representative: The PROPRIETARIES representative will be selected by members of the PROPRIETARIES Sector. The term length will be determined by the PROPRIETARIES Sector, not to exceed 2 years nor be less than 1 year.
SUNY Representative: The SUNY Representative will be selected by the members of SUNY Sector Council. The term length will be determined by the SUNY Sector, not to exceed 2 years nor be less than 1 year.
PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE: The President's Committee will be made up of all prior Presidents of the current and predecessor Councils who are currently members of the NYSDSC in good standing. The Committee will work on issues as requested by the Executive Committee.
NOMINATIONS: A Nominations Committee will be assembled by the President for the purpose of identifying candidates for the positions of President-Elect, Secretary and Treasurer and conducting elections for these positions. The Nominations Committee shall consist of voting members with representation from each sector when possible. The Nominating Committee shall not exceed nine members. A call for nominations for election to available Executive Committee positions will be sent to all members in April of each year. Members will be provided at least three weeks to submit nominations.
ELECTIONS: An election will be held by electronic mail, by other electronic means, or by U.S. Mail in May. Newly-elected officers will assume their positions at the annual June Meeting of the NYSDSC.
In the event that only a single nomination is received for an open position, at the close of nominations the Secretary will be empowered to cast a single vote on behalf of the membership and no formal election will be necessary for that position. In the event of a tie vote, the tie will be broken by the flip of a coin to be conducted by the Immediate Past-President at the commencement of the June Meeting.ARTICLE IV
MEETINGS: The NYSDSC will meet two (2) times a year, each year in October or November and in June and for such other meetings as are scheduled by the Executive Committee. At least one meeting every 2 years will be held in Albany. No official vote will be taken at a meeting unless a quorum is present and the issue has been sent out to all members by electronic mail at least two weeks in advance of the meeting.
ATTENDANCE: All members are encouraged to be present at all general meetings, but in case of absence, any member may designate another member as his or her proxy for all quorum and voting purposes.
A majority of Full Members will be considered a quorum and sufficient for the conduction of official votes. When a vote is called outside of a meeting, voting will be conducted by electronic means or by U.S. Mail sent to all members. Members will be provided at least two weeks to return ballots from the date the vote is called.
DISSOLUTION: In the event of dissolution of the organization, its assets remaining after payment or provision of payment of all debts and liabilities of this organization shall be distributed to a not-for-profit organization which is organized and operated exclusively for educational or charitable purposes, and which the organization has designated as a recipient by a majority vote.
NON-INUREMENT: No part of the net earnings of the organization shall inure to the benefit of any member, trustee, director, officer of the organization, or any private individual (except that reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered to or for the organization), and no member, trustee, officer of the organization or any private individual shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the assets upon dissolution of the organization.
Adopted June 21, 2007
Modified July 21, 2008 (removes responsibility for elections from President-Elect; adds nominations committee for election of officers)