By-Laws

Approved by the Board of Directors September 26, 1984
Amended by the Membership October 25, 1985
Amended by the Membership September 19, 1988
Amended by the Membership April 6, 1989
Amended by the Membership September 24, 1990
Amended by the Membership February 16, 1996
Amended by the Membership October 8, 1998
Amended by the Membership April 3, 2003
Amended by Membership October 27, 2005

Table of Contents

• Article I - Name
• Article II - Core Values and Purposes
• Article III - Authority
• Article IV - Membership
• Article V - Board of Directors
• Article VI - Officers
• Article VII - Committees
• Article VIII - Registerd Office and Agents
• Article IX - Finances
• Article X - General Provisions
• Article XI - Amendment of Bylaws

1. Friendships - to foster and promote standards of professional preparation, effectiveness, recognition, and association of student financial aid administrators and counselors at institutions of higher education and other public and private agencies/organizations concerned with or engaged in the support and/or administration of student financial aid.
   
   
2. People - to serve the needs and interests of students, faculties, and administrators of institutions of higher education, and public and private agencies/organizations administrating student financial aid by promoting and facilitating the coordination of student financial aid programs.
   
   
3. Association Governance - to promote and facilitate communication among institutions of higher education and other public and private agencies/organizations.
   
   
4. Training - to stimulate, promote, and conduct training, research, cooperative experiments, education, conferences, and other related activities as are desirable or necessary in fulfilling the purposes of the Association.

Section 2. Institutional Membership

1. Institutional membership shall be limited to persons engaged in the administration of student financial aid at an institution of higher education located in the State of Kansas.
   
   
2. Institutional members in good standing, as defined in Article IV, section 6,
   
   
3. shall be entitled to attend conferences and meetings of the Association and to vote as members of, or to hold office in, the Association. The Membership Committee chairperson will maintain a master directory listing all institutional members who are deemed to be in good standing, including any updates since the directory was last published.

Section 3. Associate Membership

1. Associate membership shall be open to persons representing public and private agencies and organizations concerned with or engaged in the support and/or administration of student financial aid.
   
   
2. Associate members in good standing, as defined in Article IV, Section 6,
   
   
3. shall be entitled to attend conferences and meetings of the Association, but shall not be entitled to vote or to hold office in the Association, except as noted in Article VI, Section 2, (b). The Membership Committee chairperson will maintain a master directory listing all associate members who are deemed to be in good standing, including any updates since the directory was last published.

Section 4. Ex-Officio Membership

1. Ex-officio membership shall be open to persons or entities representing public and private agencies and organizations concerned with or engaged in the support and/or administration of student financial aid.
   
   
2. Ex-officio members shall be entitled to attend conferences and meetings of the Association, but shall not be entitled to vote or to hold office in the Association. The Membership Committee chairperson will maintain a master directory listing all ex-officio members including any updates since the directory was last published.

Section 6. Membership Dues

1. The annual dues for membership in the Association shall be an amount determined by the Board of Directors.
   
   
2. Bills for membership dues shall be distributed by the Membership Committee chairperson at the beginning of the Association's fiscal year (July 1). Membership dues shall be payable on a date set by the Board of Directors.
   
   
3. Members of the Association who have not paid dues by the designated due date shall not be considered to be in good standing.

Section 7. Membership Meetings

1. The Annual meeting shall be held in the spring, and other regular meetings of the membership shall be held at a time and place determined by the Board of Directors. Regular and/or special meetings may be called by the president, Board of Directors, or by 20% of the Association membership.
   
   
2. Notification, via postal mailing or electronic communication, stating the purpose, location, day, and hour of all meetings shall be delivered not less than thirty days before the date of the meeting.
   
   
3. The presence in person of 33 1/3% of the members in good standing, attending a membership meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
   
   
4. Proxies may be used to vote on proposed by-law changes and/or other matters as identified by the Board of Directors at any duly constituted membership meeting of the Association. Proxies may not be used to establish a quorum. (e) To utilize a proxy vote, a member in good standing, not in attendance at the membership meeting, must request a proxy ballot from the secretary no less than ten days prior to the meeting.

Section 9. Rules of Order

1. The latest version of Robert's Rules of Order (by Henry Martin Robert) shall govern the proceedings of the Association and the Board of Directors to the extent that they do not conflict with any provisions of these By-laws.
   
   
2. The By-laws of the Association may be suspended by two-thirds of those members present and voting at a meeting.

Section 3. Meetings

1. The Board of Directors shall meet immediately prior to meetings of the Association. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the president or upon petition of two other members of the Board of Directors. The president shall designate the time and place of such meetings.
   
   
2. Notice shall be provided to each board member as to the time and place of the meeting.
   
   
3. A majority of the officers shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business with all matters to be determined by a majority vote of the officers present.
   
   
4. With the exception of elected officers as defined by Article VI, section 1, chairpersons of the standing committees and special committees shall serve as non-voting members of the Board of Directors.
   
   
5. Minutes of meetings of the Board of Directors shall be distributed to all members of the Association when appropriate.

Section 2. Election and Term

1. All officers of the Association, with the exception of the Associate Member Representative, shall be elected at large from among institutional members of the Association. The president and past-president are initially elected as president-elect.
   
   
2. Only associate members may be considered for the office of Associate Member Representative and only associate members elect this officer.
   
   
3. Officers shall be elected within thirty (30) days prior to or at a designated general or the annual meeting of the Association.
   
   
4. With the exception of the president-elect, president, and past-president, an elected officer may be a candidate for a successive term in the same office.
   
   
5. The president, president-elect, past president, vice president, and secretary serve a one-year term beginning at the annual conference.
   
   
6. The treasurer serves a two-year term starting with the next fiscal year as defined in Article IX, section 2.
   
   
7. The Associate Member Representative serves a two-year term beginning at the annual conference.

Section 3. Duties of Officers

1. The president shall be the chief elected officer of the Association and shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and of the Association. The president shall appoint the members of all committees, with exception of the Association Governance Committee, and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. The president shall submit an annual report to the Association on all matters that may be of interest or concern to the members.
   
   
2. The president-elect shall serve as the chair of the Conference Planning Committee and perform such duties as are assigned by the president and/or by the Board of Directors. The president-elect shall also perform the duties of the president in the event of or the absence or incapacity of the president and as directed in Section 5 (a) of this article.
   
   
3. The vice-president shall serve as Co-Chair of the Conference Planning Committee and perform such duties as are assigned by the president and/or by the Board of Directors and as set forth in Section 5 (a) of this article.
   
   
4. The secretary shall be responsible for keeping and maintaining the records of the Association and the Board of Directors, for the distribution of meeting notices and such other communications as provided for in these By-Laws, and for the performance of such other duties as are appropriate to the secretary's office and prescribed by the Board of Directors.
   
   
5. The treasurer shall represent the Association and be responsible for the receipt and expenditure of funds in accordance with the directives established by the Board of Directors. The treasurer shall maintain appropriate and adequate financial records and shall provide such records to the next Treasurer. The treasurer shall submit a financial report to the Association at Board of Directors meetings and Association meetings. The Treasurer shall report the Registered Office and Agent as defined in Article VIII, section 2 as required by state law. The Treasurer shall arrange for an annual audit as defined in Article IX, section 3.
   
   
6. The Associate Member Representative shall attend all meetings of the Board of Directors and shall perform duties as are appropriate to the business of the Association as assigned by the president and/or prescribed by the Board of Directors.

Section 5. Vacancies

1. If for any reason the president does not complete the term of office for which elected, the office shall be filled by the president-elect. A president-elect succeeding to the office of president shall serve the full year term as president in addition to serving the unexpired term of the former president. If for any reason the president-elect cannot fulfill the responsibilities of the office of president, the vice-president shall assume the duties of the president for the remainder of the unexpired term. This interim appointment shall not prejudice the election of the incumbent to the office of president-elect. If for any reason the president-elect and vice president should be unable to assume the office of the president, an Interim Presidential Appointment Committee shall be appointed by the remaining members of the Board of Directors. The Interim Presidential Appointment Committee shall appoint an institutional member of the Association to fulfill the office of the president for the remainder of the unexpired term and shall notify the membership of appointment. Such appointment shall not prejudice the election of the incumbent to the office of president-elect.
   
   
2. A vacancy in the office of president-elect during the term shall be filled by the current vice president. Such an appointment shall be on an interim basis until the next election of officers, and shall not prejudice the election of the incumbent to the office of president-elect.
   
   
3. If for any reason the Associate Member Representative does not complete the term of office for which elected, the vacancy shall be filled by an associate member of the Association, in good standing, to be appointed by a majority of the Board of Directors from nominations presented by the president. Such appointment shall be on an interim basis until the next general election of officers, and shall not prejudice the election of the incumbent to a regular term of office.
   
   
4. A vacancy in the office of past president shall be filled by the most recent past president. Such appointment shall be on an interim basis until the next annual conference.
   
   
5. A vacancy in any office other than that of president, president-elect, or Associate Member Representative shall be filled by an institutional member of the Association, in good standing, to be appointed by a majority vote of the Board of Directors from nominations presented by the President. Such appointment shall be on an interim basis until the next general election of officers, and shall not prejudice the election of the incumbent to a regular term of office.

1. The Association Governance Committee shall consist of the president, president-elect, and the three immediate past presidents. The past president shall serve as committee chair. This committee is responsible for conducting the nomination and election of officers and reviewing and updating the Association By-Laws and Policy & Procedures.
   
   
2. The Conference Planning Committee is responsible for the planning and execution of Association conferences. The president- elect will chair this committee, with the vice president serving as co-chair.
   
   
3. The Corporate Development Committee is responsible for soliciting sponsor support for all activities of the Association, including exhibits at the conferences.
   
   
4. The Electronic Resources Committee is responsible for managing the electronic communications for the Association and researching new electronic initiatives.
   
   
5. The Membership Committee is responsible for soliciting institutional, associate, and ex-officio membership in the Association. Additional duties include the publication and timely maintenance of the Association's membership master list.
   
   
6. The Newsletter Committee is responsible for the publication of the Association's newsletter.
   
   
7. The Publicity and Awareness Committee is responsible for activities, projects or workshops that disseminate information pertinent to public interest regarding federal and state financial aid programs.
   
   
8. The Training Committee is responsible for providing training to the Association's membership, high school counselors, and other partners in student financial aid. This committee will assist the Conference Committee in program planning at that committee's request.