ECWCA Constitution

The East Central Writing Centers Association (ECWCA) supports and promotes the work of college, high school, and community writing centers in the region.

The purpose of the ECWCA is to foster communication, scholarship, research, and effective practices among colleagues in writing centers and to provide a forum for discussion of mutual concern
All writing centers within the region represent sites that are affiliates of ECWCA.
Individual members pay an annual fee
Membership fees and registration fees for annual conferences will be used to support the annual conference, ECWCA programming throughout the year, communication materials/technologies as needed, and for research, scholarship, and awards pertaining to writing centers
Board Membership and Terms: ECWCA will be facilitated by a Board normally comprised of 12 voting and 3 ex-officio members representing as fully as possible the faculty, staff, and students who work in writing centers. Anyone involved with writing center work within the region is eligible to serve on the Board. Only Board members have voting rights at board meetings. Board members are expected to attend all conferences, annual retreats, board meetings, and other relevant committee meetings as needed. Board members are expected to serve on at least one standing committee
The Executive Board will consist of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Content Strategist, and each standing committee will include at least one executive board member.

President

Position Description: The Presidency is filled by an elected Vice-President in the third and fourth years of that person’s tenure. The President takes office at the annual conference meeting and serves for two years. The President becomes the Past-President for a final year of service as an advisor to the newly installed President during the first year of their service. Should the President step down for any reason, the Vice President will fill the Presidential role; if the midterm election is within the first year of the new President’s term, the new President may renew for one additional term. Responsibilities typically include the following (commitment of between 5-15 hours/month):

Chair the Executive Board and full Board
Mentor Vice President in taking on Presidential responsibilities through regular communication and meetings
Appoint members to committees and approve decisions by committees before presentation to the full Board including planning the annual conference
Report board activities, membership numbers, and pertinent budget information to the membership at the annual regional conference
Recommend appointments to the positions of Content Strategist, Conference Chair(s), Secretary, and Treasurer to be considered by the Board
Lead the annual Executive Board Retreat and upcoming conference site visit when it occurs
Either serve as liaison and ECWCA Representative to the International Writing Centers Association (IWCA) or appoint a liaison who will attend (or send a proxy to attend) IWCA meetings at national conferences

Vice President

Position Description: The Vice President is elected by the membership. The Vice President of ECWCA works closely with the President and Immediate-Past President and serves as President-Elect. The ECWCA Vice President serves a total of five years in three positions with increasing leadership responsibility as follows:

the first two years of service will be as the Vice President
the next two years of service will be as the President
the final year of service will be as the Past President (ex-officio)

Responsibilities typically include the following (commitment of between 5-10 hours/month):

Engage in a mentoring relationship with the President through regular meetings
Assume the duties of the President in the President’s absence
Undertake responsibilities as delegated by the President
Serve on the Executive Committee and Policy, Nominating, and Election Committee

Should the President step down for any reason during their term, the Vice President will fill the Presidential role for the current term before assuming their own term; a new Vice President will be elected to fulfill the current term, and if the midterm election is within the first year of the term, the Vice President may renew for one additional term.

Secretary

Position Description:The Secretary will be appointed by the President with support of the Executive Board and approval by the full Board. The Secretary will serve in this capacity for two years or more and will keep the minutes and generally organize information for the organization. Responsibilities typically include the following (commitment of between 5-10 hours/month):

Take minutes during all full Board Meetings and retreats, including conference calls
Distribute copies of the minutes to the Board for approval and correct them as necessary before having them posted in the online archive
Develop and maintain the organization’s archives and records and work with the ECWCA Content Strategist to store these records and to make them available for the membership
Manage listserv and membership

Content Strategist

Position Description:The Content Strategist will be appointed by the President with support of the Executive Board and approval by the full Board. The Content Strategist will serve in this capacity for two years or more and is responsible for managing the organization’s website and social media where needed. Responsibilities typically include the following (commitment of between 5-10 hours/month):

Create and maintain the organization’s website, listserv, and social media
Develop and maintain the organization’s archives and records and work with the ECWCA Secretary to store these records and to make them available for the membership
Serve on the Communications Committee

Treasurer

Position Description:The Treasurer will be appointed by the President with support of the Executive Board and approval by the full Board. The Treasurer will serve in this capacity for two years or more and is responsible for keeping accurate financial records and for depositing and disbursing monies as directed by the Board.Responsibilities typically include the following (commitment of between 5-15 hours/month):

Collect membership dues, making deposits to the ECWCA bank account, writing checks to cover approved expenses and awards, and preparing the ongoing budget with the Board
Monitor the ECWCA bank account and file an annual financial report with the Board at the annual conference concerning all monetary transactions of ECWCA. The reports will be presented to the ECWCA Board at its Annual Meeting
File annually with the IRS and with monthly financial reporting
Serve on the Conference Committee, work with the Conference Chair through receiving checks from registration and disbursing checks for expenses as approved by the Board

Past President (ex-officio)

Position Description:The Past Presidency is the final year of the elected Vice President’s five-year tenure. The Past President offers support and guidance to the current president. Responsibilities typically include the following (commitment of between 1-3 hours/month):

Serve as advisor to the current President during the first year of the President’s term
Participate in ECWCA Board discussions online and in conference calls

At-Large Members

Position Description:Three voting Board members are elected by the membership to serve staggered three-year terms.Responsibilities typically include the following (commitment of between 3-5 hours/month):

Attend full Board meetings and retreats
Participate in discussions on the ECWCA Board listserv and in conference calls
Help to develop and execute short- and long-term goals in the best interests of ECWCA
Serve on at least one ECWCA committee

Community College Representative

Position Description:Position Description: The Community College representative is elected by the membership to serve a two-year term. This Board member will serve as liaison to members who work at similar institutions and will offer leadership related to initiatives for two-year colleges.Responsibilities typically include the following (commitment of between 3-5 hours/month):

Focus on creating a network of ECWCA community college members so that the organization can focus on meeting the needs of these institutions
Work closely with the At-Large Representatives to organize events and meetings
Maintain and develop a database of their members and event information in the ECWCA Google Folder
Serve on an ECWCA committee

K-12 Representative

Position Description:Position Description: The K-12 representative is elected by the membership to serve a two-year term. This Board member will serve as liaison to members who work at similar institutions and will offer leadership related to initiatives for K-12 school members.Responsibilities typically include the following (commitment of between 3-5 hours/month):

Focus on creating a network of ECWCA K-12 school members so that the organization can focus on meeting the needs of these institutions
Work closely with At-Large Representatives to organize events and meetings
Maintain and develop a database of their members and event information in the ECWCA Google Folder
Serve on an ECWCA committee

Graduate Student Representative

Position Description:The Graduate Student Representative is elected by the membership and will serve at least one year and no more than two years. The representative will be a liaison to student members and will offer leadership related to student-member initiatives. Responsibilities typically include the following (commitment of between 3-5 hours/month):

Focus on creating a network of ECWCA graduate student members so that the organization can focus on meeting their needs
Work closely with At-Large Representatives to organize events and meetings
Maintain and develop a database of their members and event information in the ECWCA Google Folder
Serve on an ECWCA committee

Undergraduate Representative

Position Description:Position Description: The Undergraduate Student Representative is elected by the membership and will serve at least one year and no more than two years. The representative will be a liaison to undergraduate student members and will offer leadership related to student-member initiatives.Responsibilities typically include the following (commitment of between 3-5 hours/month):

Focus on creating a network of ECWCA undergraduate student members so that the organization can focus on meeting their needs
Work closely with At-Large Representatives to organize events and meetings
Maintain and develop a database of their members and event information in the ECWCA Google Folder
Serve on an ECWCA committee

Conference Host (ex-officio)

Position Description:The Conference Host will be appointed by the Board following the submission of a conference proposal (in the case of co-hosts, the Conference Host(s) will decide who will participate at Board meetings).The Conference Host has primary responsibility for planning the ECWCA Annual Conference. This will begin with the prior year’s conference meeting. The Conference Host serves a total of two years in two positions as follows:

The first year of service will be as Conference Host (ex-officio)

The second year of service will be as the Past Conference Host (ex-officio)

Responsibilities typically include the following (commitment varies):

Work with the Conference Committee to propose and organize annual conference program
Settle the budget, receipts, and expenses with the Treasurer and the President
Keep records of the planning and arranging of the conference to pass on to future hosts and the Board and submit a report on the conference, including a full accounting of expenses and cash received within three months following the conference

Past Conference Host (ex-officio)

Position Description:At the end of the annual conference, the Conference Host becomes the Past Conference Host for the following year. Responsibilities typically include the following (commitment of between 1-3 hours/month):

Serve as advisor to the Conference Host
Participate in ECWCA Board discussions online and in conference calls as needed

For all Board positions, the term year begins at the Board meeting of the Annual Conference for which that person is elected or appointed and ends at the beginning of the subsequent conference Board meeting with the exception of the President’s position.

ECWCA members who are not officially appointed or elected are welcomed to participate in Board meetings as non-voting members. Members are also welcomed to assist in planning conferences, serving on committees, and participating in task force work as appointed by the Board.

I. Elections:

Nominations will be accepted until three weeks before designated or announced election date.
Voting will open two weeks before the designated election date.
Election participation will be open to individuals holding an ECWCA membership or individuals who have participated in one of two previous conferences (n.b., once a membership platform has been reliably established, ECWCA will sunset the conference route to voting eligibility).

II. The Board will have the following responsibilities:

1. To select the host institution and to assist the conference host in planning the annual ECWCA conference

2. To plan and implement programming in accordance with member needs (e.g. book groups, discussion forums, workshops)

3. To report to the ECWCA membership at the annual conference and to communicate with the membership other times as needed

4. To serve as liaison between ECWCA and other regional and national organizations, especially the International Writing Centers Association

5. To determine the disbursal of the treasury in support of research, scholarship, awards, the representation of ECWCA at national meetings, and other needs related to writing centers

6. To attend and participate in Board meetings. If a Board member cannot regularly attend Board meetings or otherwise attend to their responsibilities on the Board, the Executive Board may appoint a new member to fill the position until the next election.

7. To maintain an online presence with the Board (typically at least one contact a month)

III. Meetings of the ECWCA Board will be convened by the President of the Board at their discretion, but no less often than once annually during the ECWCA Conference.

Present Board members will hold a substantial working meeting prior to the Annual Conference, and the new Board will meet on the last day of the conference.
The Board will meet for at least a one-day retreat in the summer.
The Board will hold regular meetings throughout the academic year either in person or electronically.

IV. Quorum and Voting Decisions: The presence of one more than half of the voting Board members will constitute a quorum for decision-making. Decisions of the ECWCA Board can be approved by a simple majority of the quorum.

V. Online Voting: Any Board member may make a motion, ask for discussion, and call for a vote online. Once a Board member makes a motion, the members will have a week to discuss and vote. Board members who do not vote will be considered as abstaining but will be counted for the purpose of constituting a quorum.

Committees guide the ongoing work of the Board in working groups of approximately 3 or more board members. All Board members serve on at least one committee, and all committees, except the Executive Board, should include ECWCA members. Ex-officio members are encouraged but not required to serve on committees.

Each committee selects a Chair who reports out about committee activities at regular board meetings. Each committee prepares a brief committee report (approx. 1-2 pages) at the end of each academic year to provide guidance to the continuing committee and aid in general continuity of the Board.

I. Executive Board (membership: President (chair), Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Content Strategist)

Addresses emergency concerns
Meets on an as-needed basis as convened by one of its members
Meetings open to but not required for full Board
Sets agenda for full board meetings
Establishes policy around writing center advocacy and research
Offers leadership around ECWCA programming and initiatives

II. Policy, Nominating, and Election Committee (membership: VP, at least two additional board members, and up to two additional ECWCA members)

Maintains and revises constitution as necessary
Presents full Board with constitution revisions for approval
Creates, maintains, and updates Board policies and guiding documents as needed (e.g., position descriptions, committee membership lists)
Runs annual elections
Recruits prospective Board members for both elected and appointed positions
Recruits conference hosts (2-3 years out)

III. Communications Committee (membership: Content Strategist, at least two additional board members, and up to two additional ECWCA members)

Maintains Wild Apricot and website
Maintains social media
Provides listserv guidance
Creates, maintains, and updates communications plan and social media content strategy
Facilitates awards and scholarships, including soliciting nominations and readers, for the Travel Scholarship.

IV. Outreach Committee (membership: at least three Board members, and up to two additional ECWCA members)

Creates and organizes events/programming for ECWCA membership to participate in (e.g., write-in, webinars, research network forums, book clubs, etc.)
Coordinates with state and regional leaders to promote events and programming

V. Conference Committee (membership: Conference Host, Treasurer, at least two additional board members, and up to two additional ECWCA members)

Supports CFP creation and dissemination
Supports proposal review process
Provides guidance in accordance with the conference guide
Makes updates to the conference guide
Supports Conference Host with additional conference-related tasks as needed