Issue 1.2 - Adopted December 2008
(Changes from previous issue are highlighted in yellow.)
1. Basis for the Bylaws
As provided for in the Constitution (Article 13), the IVETA Executive Committee is to agree on operating procedures to carry out the Goals and Objectives of IVETA (Bylaws). The following are the operating Bylaws adopted by the IVETA Executive Committee, effective December 2008.
1. Promoting professional linkages among international vocational educators and trainers.
1.1 Internet and Intranet Web Site, Broadcast Electronic Mail to Members.
1.1.1 The Executive Committee will identify an individual [The names of all technical coordinators and editors are listed in Annex 1] to coordinate all activities with service providers and select service providers. The Internet service provider is Jason’s Professional Graphics, Paso Robles, California, USA.
1.1.2 The objective of the Internet is to provide the general public access to information about the IVETA mission, administrative organization, products and services. The objective of the Intranet is to provide additional information to IVETA members that is available on the general public Internet site.
1.1.3 All communications regarding updating and upgrading of the Web Site are to be conducted though the Internet Coordinator.
1.1.4 Broadcast Electronic Announcements to all members (see following Hot Line Article) may be sent out in addition to placing information on the web; all such Broadcast Announcements are to be cleared by the IVETA President or his/her designee.
1.1.5 Hot Line. The President, or his/her designee, may draft brief (i.e., one page) Electronic Mail Hot Line messages that will be sent to all members. The objective of Hot Line messages is to highlight current and pending events at IVETA and the profession in general. The Hot Line may be issued on a monthly, or as needed, basis and is intended to consolidate and improve the quality of communications and reduce fragmentation and the number of “single subject” traffic/messages sent to members’ in-boxes. The Hot Line is not intended to restrict or replace individual communications between members and the Executive Secretariat or replace other IVETA products (i.e., the Quarterly Newsletter). It is intended to give members a quick summary of events, and provide links to sources of more detailed information.
1.2 Newsletter Publication
1.2.1 The Executive Committee will identify an individual to coordinate Newsletter design and publication. The contents of each Newsletter are to be approved by the President.
1.2.2 The objective of the newsletter is to regularly inform members of IVETA past and future sponsored events, products, services, administrative changes, and procedures. In addition, the Newsletter may contain articles and papers on current topics in technical and vocational education, but which may not qualify for publication in the official IVETA Journal.
1.2.3 All communications regarding design and publication of the Newsletter are to be conducted through the Newsletter Coordinator.
1.2.4 The Newsletter will be published electronically every four months and a notice will be sent to all members and affiliates to signal its availability (normally through the use of the Hot Line). In addition, the Executive Secretariat may provide the Newsletter electronically to Affiliate Members and/or others, who may not yet be formal members but who have specific interest in IVETA activities or are sharing their newsletters with IVETA.
1.3 Journal Publication
1.3.1 The Executive Committee will identify an individual to be the Editor responsible for the design and publication of the Journal and should review and approve the Publication Guidelines. The contents of each Journal, as provided for in the Constitution, are to be approved by the Editorial Committee of the Journal. The Executive Committee may suggest a possible theme for an issue.
1.3.2 The objectives of the Journal, which reflects regional contributions and is international in scope, are to provide a forum for the discussion of vocational education and training issues and practice; to assist in the dissemination of information on research and practice; and to strengthen the lines of communication among individual researchers and practitioners, institutions, and organizations. In addition, a platform is provided for individual views on relevant issues.
1.3 3 The Editor will nominate Journal reviewers, whose names are to be submitted to the Executive Committee for review and approval. At least fifty percent of the reviewers are to be IVETA members.
1.3.4 All communications regarding design and publication of the Journal are to be conducted through the Journal Editor.
1.3.5 The Journal will be published on a semi-annual basis and distributed electronically to all individual members via the Intranet an announcement of its availability (generally via the Hot Line ), and in hard copy to institutional members and others (at cost of printing and postage).
1.3.6 Individuals wishing to publish articles in the Journal must become members of IVETA to have their article accepted for publication. However the Editor may solicit and accept single lead articles for selected Journal topics/issues from non-members.
1.4 Regional and International Conferences
1.4.1 IVETA may co-host and/or sponsor international and regional conferences on selected topics of interest to members.
1.4.2 Any person or agency wishing to co-host a conference with IVETA, or use IVETA’s name for promotional purposes, must submit a formal letter to the IVETA Executive Committee requesting agreement to proceed. The letter must have attached a completed Conference Template (See Annex II). The Executive Committee will consider the application and respond to the Proposer within 30 days.
1.4.3 Any Agency agreeing to co-host an international or regional conference with IVETA will organize a formal steering committee, which must include one member of the IVETA Executive Committee. For Regional Conferences, this member will normally be the IVETA Regional Vice President, and for International Conferences will be the IVETA President or his/her designee. This member will be responsible for clearing plans for Conference planning and implementation based on the Conference Template included in Annex I.
1.5 Professional Micro Grant Program (PMGP)
1.5.1 Objective of the PMGP: To assist VET practitioners and students expand and obtain knowledge of best practice in VET and disseminate this knowledge to the international VET community. Full details of the program are included in Annex III.
1.5.2 PMGP Revolving Fund: The PMGP is established as a revolving fund and separate line item in the IVETA accounts. Its express purpose is to receive donations from IVETA members and make grants to IVETA members from developing countries so as to facilitate the accomplishment of the overall goals of IVETA
1.5.3 PMGP Donors: Any IVETA member in good standing can contribute to the PMBP Revolving Fund by delivering funds the President of IVETA and designating it to the IVETA PMGP. There is no limit to the size of donations; however several categories of donors have been established. IVETA is registered as a not-for profit NGO in the State of Minnesota, USA and, depending on the tax rules in a donor’s country, donations to the PMGP may be tax deductible. All donors will receive an annual report on income and disbursements from the Fund and have access to records as they may request. A small portion of donations, less than 10%, will be used to fund IVETA costs in administering the PMGP.
1.5.4 PMGP Grantees: Any IVETA member from a developing country, defined as a qualified borrower from the World Bank, who is a member of IVETA in good standing at the time of submission of a grant proposal is eligible to receive a grant. IVETA institutional members are not eligible for PMGP financing, nor are individual IVETA members from developed countries
1.5.5 Size of PMGP Grants: The IVETA PMGP has limited funds, and the PMGP is explicitly a micro-grant program that is designed to facilitate/expand, and not supplant, ongoing activities and disseminate them to the broader VET audience. As such, it is anticipated that most grants can be up to US$2,000 at the outset.
1.5.6 Application for PMGP Grants: Eligible IVETA members may apply at any time using a Standard PMGP Request for Proposal (RFP) application form. Proposals that do not follow the RFP format will be rejected. Proposals will be evaluated by the IVETA PMGP Committee on a periodic basis and rated according to the rating sheet in the RFP.
1.5.7 PMGP Administration: A Professional Micro-Grant Program Coordinator selected by the Executive Committee will administer the PMGP. PMGP proposals will be reviewed by three IVETA members (normally the Vice President of the Region from which the proposal comes, the PMGP Coordinator, and one other person) designated by and under the general supervision of the IVETA Executive Committee
2. Membership
2.1 Fees.
2.1.1 Fees are set by the Executive Committee. Current fees may be found in Annex IV.
2.1.2 The Executive Secretariat will keep a roster (included in the directory) of contact persons for the Affiliate members and will collect their information on a regular basis, distributing information from them as appropriate for inclusion in the IVETA Hot Line and/or Newsletter. (see Articles 1.1.5 and 1.2.4).
2.2 Term
The Membership period is for 12 months, and shall commence on the first day of the month after the payment have been received by the Treasurer. The Executive Secretariat, in cooperation with the Membership Secretary, will send out membership reminders.
3. Executive Committee and Secretariat
3.1 The Association Officers (Executive Committee) are elected for two years, serve without pay, and include a President; a President Elect; an Immediate Past President, not more than nine Vice Presidents, a General Secretary; and a Membership Secretary. The Officers shall form an Executive Committee and have voting rights during meetings. A Vice President can run for only two consecutive terms and a President for one term. Executive Committee members must have been paid-up members of IVETA for one year prior to taking office.
3.2 Roles of Executive Committee Members
3.2.1 President: The President shall lead IVETA in accordance with the Constitution and the stated purposes of the Association. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Executive Committee and shall be responsible for the functioning of all committees. Should the President be absent or fail to perform the stated duties, the President Elect will then assume this responsibility.
3.2.2 President Elect: The President Elect shall provide the benefit of his/her experience to the President as suitable and shall serve in lieu of the President as necessary. In the event the President Elect cannot assume the responsibilities, the Executive Committee shall appoint a Chair Pro-tem who will act until either the President or President Elect may again assume such responsibilities or until the next election of officers.
3.2.3 Immediate Past President: The Immediate Past President will provide general advice and counsel to the Executive Committee, and provide such assistance as requested by the President, based on past experience and IVETA policies.
3.2.4. Vice Presidents: Each regional Vice President shall represent and promote the Association in his/her respective geographic region shall take concrete steps to identify a liaison contact person (s) in each country in the region. Each shall be responsible for initiating and maintaining professional contacts within and between regions, promoting the purposes of the Association, and reporting on significant developments within the region. In addition, regional Vice-Presidents will communicate and coordinate efforts on an intra-regional basis. In addition, the North American Vice President shall be responsible for planning or designating someone to plan and/or assist with the ACTE program.
3.2.5 General Secretary: In consultation with the President, the General Secretary shall develop and distribute meeting agendas, keep accurate records of the Executive Committee and General meetings and deal with non-routine Secretarial issues for the Executive Committee (e.g. special surveys, updating of Official Rules and Regulations based on actions of the Executive Committee and ensuring they are updated on the Intranet).
Processing of official minutes of meetings will be as follows, so far as is practical: (a) the General Secretary will draft minutes within two weeks of meetings and circulate them to the Executive Committee who will have two weeks to comment; (b) the General Secretary will then forward the Minutes to the President for clearance, within one week, who will forward them to the Executive Secretariat for distribution to the Executive Committee and Intranet Coordinator for posting. Annual meeting minutes will only be posted on the Intranet as drafts, because they will be formally be approved at the following Annual Meeting.
3.2.6 Membership Secretary: The Membership Secretary shall be responsible for developing and implementing outreach programs to solicit new individual and institutional members and retain existing members. This could include, but not be limited to, membership promotion campaigns, development of brochures and promotional materials, organization of IVET displays at conferences, development of membership promotional material, including information packages for use by Executive Committee members. In executing these tasks, the Membership Secretary will coordinate with the Executive Secretariat (See Article 3.3).
3.3. Executive Secretariat: Provides leadership in advising and interpreting IVETA operating policies for the General Membership, advises the IVETA Executive Committee on the need for development and revision of operating policies, and provides administrative support to the IVETA Executive Committee and general membership in implementation of Operating Rules and Regulations adopted by the Executive Committee. The incumbent is an individual agreed by the Executive Committee on a biannual basis. The incumbent is paid an honorarium that is reviewed on an annual basis, is provided with a travel budget to allow him/her to attend selected IVETA events, and is reimbursed for all direct costs of implementing his/her duties. The incumbent is not an elected voting member of the Executive Committee. The qualifications for the incumbent are a minimum of a Bachelors Degree in Vocational/Technical Education (VTE) or a related field, experience in teaching and administering VET, experience with implementation of VET in multiple countries (including developing countries), demonstrated verbal and written communications skills, and expertise in word processing, Excel, booking principles, and use of the Internet. Within the above framework, the duties of the Executive Secretariat are as follows:
3.3.1 Communication with the Membership and General Public: responds directly to individual queries from individual members and the general public to clarify and confirm IVETA Policies, Rules and Regulations adopted by Executive Committee; and as necessary advises, and/or requests assistance, from the IVETA President, or other Executive Committee members or Coordinators, to clarify policies and regulations with members and the general public.
3.3.2 Membership Administration: has the lead responsibility for billing and receiving membership applications and funds, maintains membership data base and related list serve, communicates with individual members to clarify membership issues as necessary, and coordinates with and supports the Membership Secretary as needed to develop and implement of membership promotional campaigns.
3.3.3 Executive Committee Advice and Communications with Members: alerts the Executive Committee concerning the need for new and/or revised operating policies and regulations, and prepares draft policies and regulations for adoption if needed. Assists with the preparation of broadcast communications to the General Membership, via the list serve, and sends out general membership communications (i.e., IVETA monthly Hot Line or other broadcast messages to all members) via the list serve as approved by the President.
3.3.4 Business Meetings and Conferences: provides support to the Executive Committee and others in organizing and implementing Executive Committee Meetings, Regional, and International Conferences. Supports the IVETA President and the North American Vice President in organizing the IVETA Annual Business Meeting and Mini-conference (which is normally in coordination with the ACTE Convention).
3.3.5 Financial Activities: provides membership and other income information to the Treasurer on an ongoing basis and approves expense invoices for payment by the Treasurer.
3.3.6 IVETA Products and Services: provides general support, as requested by related coordinators, for operation of the: (a) Intranet, (b) Internet, (c) Journal, (d) Newsletter, and (e) Professional Micro Grant Program.
3.3.7 Archives: maintains archives of IVETA policies, rules and regulations, products, correspondence, and financial records (in cooperation with the Treasurer). Maintains the Association’s public documents as necessary.
3.4 Treasurer: The incumbent is an individual agreed by the Executive Committee on a biannual basis. The incumbent is reimbursed for all direct costs of implementing his/her duties. The incumbent is not an elected voting member of the Executive Committee. The qualifications for the incumbent are a minimum of a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration, or a related field, experience in administering VET, experience with implementation of VET in multiple countries (including developing countries), demonstrated verbal and written communications skills, and expertise in word processing, Excel, booking principles, and use of the Internet. Within the above framework, the duties of the Treasurer are as follows:
3.4.1 The Treasurer shall be responsible for receiving and accounting for the Association's funds. The Treasurer will report on the financial status of the Association at Executive Committee and General Meetings, provide a final report within 45 days after the end of the Fiscal Year (December 31) and provide other reports when asked by the President. The Treasurer has signature authority on financial transactions, along with the President or his/her designee. The Treasurer will provide the Audit Committee (See Article 4.3) with IVETA financial records the day before the Annual Meeting.
3.4.2 The Treasurer is responsible for assuring that required processes are maintained with respect to IVETA’s 501(c )(3) Non-Government Organization and tax-exempt status so as to retain these designations, such as renewal annually with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office of the name, President, and contact information. Should the organization receive over $25,000 in gross receipts in a calendar year, a Form 990 tax form would need to be filed with the IRS.
4. IVETA Committees and Awards
4.1 Nominating Committee: Upon assuming office, the President shall appoint a committee to nominate a slate of candidates for Association officers for the subsequent term of office. The Nominating Committee shall select candidates for each elected office and prepare the election ballot.
4.1.1 Procedures for Nomination of Officers
· The Nominating Committee can meet through phone conferencing or
email, but should start its work in a timely way, early in the year of the election.
· Eligibility: To run for office, a member must be paid up and in good standing for at least one year. The Executive Secretariat will provide the committee a list of those who meet the criteria of eligibility by region.
· Executive Committee members may be elected for two two-year terms with the exception of the President, who serves for one two-year term.
· Place a call for nominees in the Newsletter so that Association members may submit names of nominees to the Nominating Committee. Check any such submissions with the list of those eligible.
· Identify person(s) interested in running for each position.
· Contact those who are eligible to ascertain their interest in running for office and to provide them with information about the office.
· Prepare a slate of officers from those who have agreed to run for office (write in’s are accepted on the ballot).
4.1.2 Procedures for Election of Officers
· Collect biographical statements and pictures of candidates for office and publish them on the Intranet site and in the newsletter by September prior to an election.
· Email a ballot in late September to those members eligible to vote via the Listserve, which allows assurance that only those eligible to vote do, in fact, vote. Ask for the ballots to be returned by October 30 to the Executive Secretariat.
· Count the election ballots at an Executive Committee meeting prior to the Annual Meeting.
· Ask the Executive Committee to certify the election results at annual Executive Committee meeting.
· Present the results at the annual business meeting.
4.2 Program Committee at ACTE: The Vice President for North America (or his/her designate(s), shall be responsible for organizing the content of the international program in conjunction with the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) annual convention. This involves selecting a desired structure and theme and communicating an invitation for presentation proposals with guidelines for such submissions. Selections shall be made from the applications and all applicants informed of the results. Logistics should be coordinated with the Executive Secretariat and communications continued with the presenters.
4.3 Audit Committee: Upon assuming office, the President shall appoint a person/committee with financial expertise to audit the financial records. This appointment process shall occur at least two months prior to the annual business meeting. The Treasurer shall submit the records to the Audit Committee at least one day in advance of Annual Meetings as is consistent with safeguarding them. Findings shall be reported at the annual meeting and supplemented by a written report.
4.4 Awards Committee: The objective of the Awards is to recognize individuals and organizations for significant contributions to the development of international vocational education and training, and/or for continuing service and support to the Association Recipients may include individuals, companies, government agencies, and organizations that support the international efforts of the association and its members.
4.4.1 Procedures for Awards: The Executive Committee will identify an IVETA member to Chair the Awards Committee. The Chair will form a Committee with a minimum of three members, and the Committee with act independently of the Executive Committee, so that the process is objective and the intent of the awards is maintained. The Awards Committee will seek nominations for the IVETA Awards, select awardees, and arrange the presentation processes. Awards will be presented annually at an awards luncheon held on the occasion of the Annual Business Meeting, except for the Silvius-Wolansky Award which is to be made at International IVETA conferences, when held.
4.4.2 Selection of Awardees: The Chair of the Awards Committee shall invite all IVETA members, at least once annually, to submit nominees for awards to the Committee by a given date sufficiently in advance of the expected date of the presentations to allow for suitable processing and preparation. Announcement will be made in the IVETA Newsletter and on the Web Site, with Executive officers informed also by email. All nominations should be made in writing. Nominations for the Silvius-Wolansky Award must be submitted through the nominator’s Regional Vice-President; other nominations can be submitted directly to the Chair of the Awards Committee. Information should be included that describes activities to support the nomination. On receipt of nominations, the Chairman shall work with other members of the Committee and seek further information about the nominees as necessary. The Committee shall decide and agree upon the names of award winners. Wherever possible, the names of award winners will be kept confidential until the awards ceremony takes place.
4.4.3 Presentation of the Awards: The Chairman of the Awards Committee will liaise with the organizer of the conference or the event at which the awards are to be presented, regarding arrangements for presentation. A member of the Committee will arrange for the preparation of the required plaques and certificates with the necessary inscriptions. The Chairman, or a designated member of the Committee, will prepare an Order of Presentation stating the name and purpose of each award, the names of recipients with a summary of their achievement, and the name of the IVETA officer or member making the presentation.
4.4.4 The Awards are as follows:
· The Silvius-Wolansky Award is awarded to an Outstanding Leader in Technical Vocational Education, an individual not necessarily a member of IVETA who has made significant contributions to the advancement of technical vocational education and training at the local, national, and international levels. The award honours the work of Dr. G. Harold Silvius and Dr. William Wolansky, outstanding leaders committed to vocational education and training and supportive of international programs. The award is sponsored by Iowa State University and the recipient receives an engraved plaque and a cheque for US$300 (subject to available funding). IVETA administers the award and is responsible for ensuring global representation when selecting the recipient.
· The Joel Magisos Exceptional Service Award is awarded to recognize long-term individual achievement in support of IVETA. Particular attention is placed on activities relating to the continuing development and growth of the organisation. A nominee must be a current member of IVETA who has been involved in Association activities over several years. The award honours the contributions to IVETA of Joel Magisos, a sustaining Charter Member. The recipient receives an engraved plaque.
· The Robert D. Cain Business Organization Awards are awarded to companies, government agencies, or educational institutions in recognition of support of IVETA, such as sponsorship of general association programs, conference activities, work release for association participation, publicity and publication assistance. Robert D Cain was a long-term business member who made significant contributions to IVETA. Plaques may be awarded for continuing support to the Association and Certificates for new or specific support
· The Valued Supporter of IVETA award is awarded to an individual for exceptional support during the last year. Activities may include membership recruitment, fund raising, organization of conference programs, and work on Association publications. A nominee must be a current member of IVETA who has preferably been involved in Association activities for several years. The recipient receives an engraved plaque.
5. Meeting Procedures
5.1 Robert's Rules of Order shall apply in all General Membership and Executive Committee meetings (See Annex V for a summary.)
5.2 Minutes of General Membership and Executive Committee meetings are to be taken by the General Secretary and submitted to the President for review before dissemination. Final minutes of Executive Committee meetings and draft Minutes of General Membership Meetings are to be placed on the Intranet within 45 days of each meeting (See Article 3.2.4.)
5.3 Meetings: the Annual General Membership Meeting and Semi-Annual Meetings of the Executive Committee are to be held at locations and times agreed upon by the Executive Committee.
6. Organizational Structure
6.1 Constitution: The initial formal Constitution forming IVETA was agreed to in Los Angeles in November 1984. The latest amended version of the Constitution was agreed to in November, 2006, in Atlanta, Georgia, and is posted on the IVETA Internet site.
6.2.1 Legal Status: IVETA is incorporated as a non-profit organization in the State of Minnesota,
U.S.A. This incorporation is necessary to attain federal tax-exempt status with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. IVETA received its Certificate of Incorporation on August 24, 2001 (see Annex VI), based on information provided in an application that included the Articles of Incorporation. For IVETA, the Articles of Incorporation referenced the organization’s existing Bylaws.
Each year the organization must register with the Minnesota Secretary of State to affirm its continuing operation and provide updated information regarding its President and administrative offices (in this case, the Executive Secretariat). There are no fees associated with the annual registration as long as it has not lapsed. Registration can be accomplished online. The Executive Secretariats is responsible for the annual affirmation process.
6.3 Tax Status: Following an “advance ruling period” that was in place from February 2002-September 27,2006, IVETA has been classified by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as a 509(a)(2) Public Charity, and as an organization exempt from U.S. Federal income tax under section 501(c )(3)of the Internal Revenue Code. (See Annex VI)
Federal income tax return submissions are not required unless the gross receipts of the organization are $25,000 or more. However, it is recommended that labeled forms received by the Executive Secretariat be signed and returned in accordance with the regular due date as a means of maintaining contact with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
DOWNLOAD ALL ANNEXES or:
1. DOWNLOAD List of IVETA Editors & Tech Coordinators
2. DOWNLOAD IVETA Conference Guidelines
3. DOWNLOAD IVETA Professional MicroGrant Program information package
4. DOWNLOAD IVETA Membership Fees
5. DOWNLOAD Summary of Roberts Rules of Order
6. DOWNLOAD IVETA Articles of Incorporation
CLICK HERE TO GO TO IVETA CONSTITUTION
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