CACE By-Laws - National Catholic Educational Association

National Catholic Educational Association

Chief Administrators of Catholic Education

By-Laws

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ARTICLE I. NAME

Section 1. The name shall be the Department of Chief Administrators of Catholic Education.

ARTICLE II. OBJECTIVES

Section 1. The objectives of this Department are to:

promote an awareness of the value of total Catholic education to the entire community
foster the mission of the NCEA
provide a forum for professional growth and development for its members
provide a forum for the exchange of ideas between those in leadership positions
support and assist those in leadership positions in their administration of Catholic education
develop an agenda reflective of its members’ priorities on issues affecting Catholic Education nationally
advance that agenda through the appropriate agencies to achieve successful implementation.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP AND MEETINGS

Section 1. Constituent membership in the CACE Department is open to anyone who exercises major administrative responsibility for Catholic education at the diocesan level or for a religious congregation. Constituent members join one of the three divisions most reflective of the individual’s role description. If the major administrative responsibility is for religious education, the member will join the Division of Religious Education. If the major administrative responsibility is for overall administration of Catholic elementary and secondary schools, the member will join the Division of Catholic Schools. If the major administrative responsibility is exercised in all or multiple areas of the Catholic educational ministry (at least schools and out-of-school religious education) the member will join the Division of Total Catholic education. When an individual ceases to function in the position, which entitled him/her to CACE membership, eligibility for CACE membership ceases.

Section 2. Associate membership will be offered to those holding positions in diocesan offices where they are responsible for programs related to the CACE objectives (Article II, Section 1), those who hold positions in the education departments, teacher preparation programs, or leadership development programs of colleges and universities, and those affiliated with state Catholic Conferences. The Executive Committee shall be empowered to accept as associate members, representatives from other NCEA departments, sections, and commissions, as well as members of other professional and ecclesiastical organizations whose work supports the objectives of CACE.

Section 3. Honorary membership shall be conferred upon past presidents of CACE and past Executive Directors of CACE.

Section 4. New members are expected to support their application for membership with appropriate documentation, e.g. a copy of appointment from the bishop or appropriate superior, if requested by the Executive Committee. Initial membership is subject to review by the CACE Executive committee.

Section 5. All, except honorary members, must pay annual dues to remain in good standing and to be eligible to participate in CACE. A Diocesan membership rate is available to diocesan offices. Those not affiliated with an individual diocese will be assessed individual dues.

Section 6. The department will have at least one annual business meeting during the calendar year.

Section 7. There will be an annual professional development conference for the department each year. In addition to professional development offerings, it will be structured to provide for divisional meetings and areas of interest. The departmental Executive Committee with input from the membership would plan the agenda, after soliciting input from CACE membership.

Section 8. Divisional meetings are open to all CACE members. All CACE members may take part in discussion at any divisional session but only divisional members may vote at their meeting.

Section 9. Only CACE members are eligible to attend the CACE meeting. Guests of CACE members may attend but not participate in discussions.

ARTICLE IV. DIVISIONS

Section 1. The CACE Department will consist of three divisions:

(a) Division of Total Catholic Education

(b) Division of Religious Education

ARTICLE V. THE OFFICERS AND THEIR DUTIES

Section 1. The officers of the Department shall be a President and Vice President.

Section 2. The President shall be responsible for the activities of the Department and shall preside at all meetings of the Department and of its Executive Committee.

Section 3. The President of the Department shall be an ex officio member of any committee within the Department. The Vice President may be delegated by the President to serve in this capacity for any meeting.

Section 4. The Vice President shall assist the President. In the latter’s absence, the Vice President shall preside at all meetings. In the event of a vacancy in the President’s office, the Vice-President shall succeed to that office.

Section 5. The Executive Director shall be recommended by the Executive Committee of the Department and appointed by the President of NCEA. The term of office of the Executive Director shall conform to the standard contractual arrangement of the national office.

Section 6. The Executive Director shall act as liaison officer between the Department and the other Departments and Sections of the Association. The Executive Director shall coordinate the work of the Department and of the members throughout the nation. The Executive Director will also coordinate the work of the 3 divisions within the Department.

Section 7. The Executive Director shall keep records for the officers and for the members of the Executive Committee. These records shall include the CACE By-Laws, a current list of all committees and their members, and the minutes from recent meetings. These records shall be available at all times when business meetings are held.

Section 8. The Executive Committee will designate one of its members to serve as secretary, or appoint someone to assume these duties.

ARTICLE VI. GOVERNANCE

Section 1. The Department will have a President, Vice President, Executive Director, Associate Director and an Executive Committee.

Section 2. The President and Vice President will be chosen in a general election held as described under ARTICLE VII.

Section 3. The Executive Committee of the Department is the basic policy-making group for the Department. The Executive Committee will consist of:

a) President and Vice President of CACE

b) Two members from the Division of Total Catholic Education, elected by the membership of the division

c) Two members from the Division of Religious Education, elected by the membership of the division

d) Ten members from the Division of Catholic Schools, elected regionally

e) A representative from the Catholic colleges and universities that serve Catholic education

f) President of NCEA (ex officio, non-voting)

g) Executive Director of the Secretariat of Catholic Education or his/her representative (ex officio, non-voting)

h) Executive Director of CACE (ex officio, non-voting)

i) Associate Director of CACE (ex officio, non-voting)

Section 4. The President and Vice President shall be chosen for a term of three years. They may not be re-elected to the same position until they have been out of elective office for three years.

Section 5. Representatives on the CACE Executive Committee will be chosen for a term of four years. Representatives take office immediately upon election. No divisional representative may serve two consecutive four-year terms.

Section 6. Regional representatives shall be elected for one four-year term. Representatives take office at the fall annual meeting immediately after their election.

Section 7. Executive Committee members who miss two meetings without cause (prior notice and sufficient reason) or three consecutive meetings even with cause will be considered to have resigned their position.

Section 8. The Executive Committee will meet at least three times a year, two of which will be held in conjunction with the annual departmental conference and the annual NCEA Convention.

Section 9. The members of the Executive Committee are to assist the President and the Executive Director in planning and conducting the activities of the Department.

Section 10: The Executive Committee participates in the evaluation process of the Executive Director.

Section 11: The Executive Committee advises the Executive Director in the formulation of the budget and assists with the oversight of the budget.

Section 12. The Executive Committee is authorized to act for the Department in urgent matters, which may arise between the regularly scheduled meetings of the Department. The membership shall be informed of such action by correspondence as soon as possible and also at the next regular meeting of the Department at which time the Department may approve or censure the action thus taken.

ARTICLE VII. ELECTIONS

Section 1. To be eligible for election as an Officer of CACE or to be a member of the CACE Executive Committee, one must have been a constituent member of CACE for at least two years.

Section 2. The vice-president of CACE will be the president-elect and will assume office as president with the completion of the term of the current president at the Spring Business meeting or as provided for in Section 10 of this article.

Section 3. Nominations for vice-president/president-elect will be solicited following the spring business meeting at which the current president begins his/her last year in office. The nomination process shall be completed by July 1. Nominees shall then be presented to the membership at the fall meeting. The election will be conducted electronically or by mail ballot after the fall meeting. The election shall be completed by December 15. The newly elected vice-president/president-elect shall take office at the same time as the new president.

Section 4. The President and Vice President must belong to separate divisions.

Section 5. The term of office of the President and Vice president is three years.

Section 6. Representatives will be elected prior to the CACE Annual Meeting each fall. A nominating committee of the CACE Executive Committee will coordinate elections with the Associate Director. CACE Regions shall follow the established CACE Election Protocol and Timeline in executing elections. Members will be chosen for a term of four (4) years and may not be re-elected. Members take office at the CACE Annual Meeting in the fall. Members elected to complete an unfinished term may be re-elected to a full term if the unexpired term is one year or less. If the unexpired term is more than one year, the replacement may not be re-elected to a full term.

Section 7. Vacancies on the Executive Committee of CACE are filled immediately by appointment made by the Executive Director in conjunction with the nominating committee.

Section 8. The vice-president/president-elect succeeds the president of CACE if he/she cannot finish the term as president. After completing the term of office created by vacancy, he/she then will also complete his/her own full three-year term.

Section 9. A vacancy in the Vice President position will be filled by someone chosen by the Executive Committee until the next regularly scheduled election. This interim vice-president shall not assume the presidency as outlined in Section 2 of this Article. However, he/she shall be eligible for nomination as provided for in Section 3 of this article.

ARTICLE VIII. NCEA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. The CACE Department will have two representatives on the NCEA Board of Directors; the President and Vice President.

Section 2. These representatives will take office at the conclusion of the annual NCEA Convention in the spring.

ARTICLE IX. COMMITTEES

Section 1. The President may appoint committees for a term not exceeding the President’s term of office.

Section 2. If a member of a committee ceases to qualify as a member of the Department he/she shall lose membership on the committee.

Section 3. If need arises, standing committees may be established. The standing committee shall operate within the bylaws adopted by CACE and the guidelines established by the Division to which it relates. All committee actions require approval of the Division by which it was established.

ARTICLE X. VOTING

Section 1. Only constituent members in good standing are qualified to vote on proposed resolutions of the Department or in a CACE election.

Section 2. A vote of membership may be taken at any CACE business meeting. A vote of the membership may be taken electronically or by mail. Passage of the resolution shall be by a simple majority within the stated voting period.

ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENTS

Section 1. Any proposed amendment to these By-laws should be presented in writing to the Executive Committee or at the Annual Meeting. The proposed amendment shall be presented to the assembly by the President, but shall not be voted on until the closing business meeting. A two-thirds vote of constituent members present is necessary for passage.

Section 2. The interpretation of these By-laws shall be in the first instance the responsibility of the Executive Director. In the event of a controversy, which cannot be solved by dialogue, the Executive Committee of the Department has the responsibility of issuing an interpretation. The interpretation of the Executive Committee shall be binding on all.

Approved by CACE membership: March 5, 2010

Approved by NCEA Board of Directors: April 7, 2010