Florida EAP Consortium - Bylaws

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I.   NAME AND PURPOSE

Section 1.   The Florida English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
Consortium is a group of professionals involved in EAP programs in the state college system .

Section 2.  The Consortium was created to align Florida EAP programs including placement, curricula, and assessment.

II.  MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the EAP Consortium is to afford practitioners and administrators a venue for collaboration and to provide leadership and advocacy in statewide EAP issues.

III.   REPRESENTATION

Section 1.  Representation in the Consortium shall be open to any college that offers an EAP program.  Two representatives are selected by each participating institution. Each representative shall have 1 vote.

Section 2. Terms: Each representative shall serve a minimum two-year term. If a representative is unable to actively participate, the institution shall select/assign a new representative.

IV.  MEETINGS

Section 1.  Membership shall meet at least twice annually. Additional calls for meetings may be made by the Chair as deemed necessary.
     1a.  There will be one meeting in the Fall and one in the Spring.
     1b.  Meeting locations will be scheduled on a rotating basis as set by the Secretary.

Section 2.  An agenda will be distributed to the members by the Chair fourteen days in advance.

Section 3.  Meetings will be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order
3a. Quorum is defined as fifty percent of member institutions plus one.

V.  LEADERSHIP

Section 1.  The leadership of the Consortium will include:  Chair, Chair-elect, and Secretary.

Section 2.  The Chair shall preside at all meetings, establish ad hoc committees, appoint leaders of ad hoc and standing committees, and have general responsibility for conducting the business of the Consortium. The chair shall prepare the agenda and deliver a report at each meeting.  Additionally, the chair shall serve as a liaison to the FLDOE, TESOL, and any other professional forum. The Chair shall be elected by a majority vote of the Representatives and shall serve a two-year term.

Section 3.  The Chair-elect shall be principally responsible for making all arrangements in connection with meetings and assist the Chair in his/her duties.  In addition, the Chair-elect shall preside in the absence of the Chair. The Chair-elect shall serve a two-year term and succeed the Chair for an additional two-year term.

Section 4.  The Secretary shall schedule meetings and be responsible for recording and distributing the minutes from all meetings and conducting other activities as deemed necessary. The Secretary shall serve a minimum two-year term and be eligible for re-election.

VII.  ELECTIONS

Section 1.  The Secretary shall call for nominations from the membership prior to the spring meeting. Nominations will be submitted to the Secretary, who will prepare an electronic ballot which will be cast 30 days prior to the spring meeting.

Section 2.  Result of elections shall be announced at the spring business meeting. New officers begin their terms at the spring meeting.

VIII. STANDING COMMITTEES

Section 1.  Standing committees shall include:  Web, Assessment, and Learning Outcomes.

Section 2.  The standing committee leaders shall be appointed by the Chair. Leaders shall assign committee members as necessary.

Section 3.  The duties of the standing committees:

3a.  The Web committee shall develop, revise, and maintain the Consortium website and coordinate online access to meetings.

3b.  The Assessment committee shall study placement/assessment instruments.

3c.  The Learning Outcomes committee shall establish curricular goals for each level and skill in order to support effective scope and sequence.

IX.  AMENDMENTS

Proposed amendments of these bylaws must first be submitted to the officers in a petition signed by a minimum of 51% of the membership at least 30 days before the next business meeting.  To become effective, the proposed amendment must be discussed at the meeting and approved by electronic ballot by 51 % of the members.