The New School Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP-TNS) Bylaws

Article I: Name 
The name of this organization is The New School Chapter (AAUP-TNS) of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP or the Association). 

Article II: Purposes
The purposes of this chapter are to: 

  1. Support the policies and goals of the Association as set forth in Article 1 of the AAUP constitution, and in all matters act in harmony with the principles and procedures of national Association and its constitution; 

  2. Facilitate the cooperation of teachers and research scholars in universities and colleges, and in professional schools of similar grade, for the promotion of the interests of higher education and research, and in general to increase the usefulness and advance the standards, ideals, and welfare of the profession;

  3. Defend academic freedom at The New School and throughout academe;

  4. Encourage faculty participation in governance at The New School; 

  5. Protect and advance the professional status and interests of all faculty, including fundamental worker rights; 

  6. Facilitate the dissemination of information on higher education principles and practices;

  7. Inform the academic community about AAUP standards and policy statements; and 

  8. Develop necessary and proper chapter programs for the accomplishment of the aforementioned purposes. 

In furtherance of the purposes described above, but not in limitation thereof, the chapter shall have power to conduct studies; to assert demands for information from the administration deemed necessary for those studies; to disseminate statistics and other information; to engage in appropriate fundraising activities; to conduct promotional activities, including advertising and publicity, in or by any suitable manner of media; to hold such property as is necessary to accomplish its purposes; and to employ individuals to further its purposes under Article II. This chapter is organized and operated for the above stated purposes, and for other nonprofit purposes. No part of its assets, income, or profits shall be distributable to, or inure to the benefit of, any individual, except in consideration of services rendered.

Article III: Members
Eligibility for membership in this chapter shall extend to all current and retired faculty members and graduate students at The New School who are national members of the American Association of University Professors, except for associate members. For the purposes of these bylaws, in accordance with the Association’s definition, the term “faculty” includes, but is not limited to, all individuals whose appointments consist primarily of teaching or research activities conducted at a professional level. These include (1) tenured and EE faculty, (2) tenure-track, RTA, RTA-OARS faculty, (3) full- and part-time non-tenure-track instructors, (4) graduate-student employees and postdoctoral fellows who are primarily teachers or researchers, and (5) librarians, archivists, curators, and technicians who participate substantially in the process of teaching or research. Those individuals whose primary duties are administrative should not be defined as faculty. All chapter members may vote in chapter matters. 

Article IV: Officers and Organization
A. The officers of this organization shall be the president, vice president, recording secretary, correspondence secretary, and treasurer. When an officer has resigned or is disqualified, the office shall be filled by a special election of the chapter, which shall be held as promptly as is feasible. The leadership committee is empowered to fill vacancies in any elective office until a special election is held. The person so elected shall hold office for the remainder of the term. Officers elected by secret ballot shall also serve as chapter delegates/alternates to AAUP meetings and any applicable AAUP state conference meetings in the order listed above. 

  1. President: The duties of the president shall include carrying out the policies of the chapter, appointing members to committees of the chapter (except the nominating committee), delegating committee constitution to others on the leadership committee, exercising general supervision over the activities of the chapter, and presiding at meetings of the chapter and leadership committee, except when otherwise specified in these bylaws or in the charges of specific committees. The president will have the power to create ad hoc committees as part of the leadership committee, which has the power to create ad hoc committees as necessary with a majority vote.

  2. Vice President: The vice president acts in collaboration with the president to coordinate leadership activity with the other officers and the leadership committee. In the absence of the president, the vice president shall serve in the president’s stead. 

  3. Recording Secretary: The duties of the recording secretary shall include keeping a record of all proceedings and correspondence of the chapter, and certifying chapter delegates to the Association’s annual meeting. It shall be the duty of the recording secretary to maintain records on the names of the officers of the chapter and the chapter bylaws, and to coordinate record keeping of the chapter with the treasurer. In the absence of the president and vice president, the recording secretary shall preside at meetings of the chapter. 

  4. Correspondence Secretary: The duties of the correspondence secretary shall include preparing or overseeing the preparation of newsletters for distribution to the faculty if such shall be desired and of maintaining official contact with the Association. In the absence of the president, vice president, and recording secretary, the correspondence secretary shall preside at meetings of the chapter. 

  5. Treasurer: The treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all funds received and disbursed. At the request of the leadership committee, the treasurer shall prepare an annual chapter budget and report of finances, and submit them for approval. It shall be the duty of the treasurer to remit to the Association and/or to the applicable state conference any dues collected on behalf of the Association and/or conference. In the absence of the president, vice president, recording secretary, and correspondence secretary, the treasurer shall preside at meetings of the chapter. 

B. Terms of Office. The term of office for all officers and members at large of the leadership committee will be one year. The president and vice president may serve no more than three consecutive one-year terms.

C. Nominations and Elections. Each officer and member at large will be voted in during the spring semester, with the annual general election announced and commenced at least two weeks in advance of the spring general assembly. Officers and members at large will be elected by a majority vote cast by ballot (majority of votes cast, abstentions not counted). Spring elections will begin by the first week of April and the incoming leadership committee will start in the first week of May. An annual nominating committee will be elected by the leadership committee every fall. The nominating committee is charged with providing a slate of one nominee for each office; the list of nominees will ideally include some continuing members and some new members, as well as a fair representation of divisions of the university and faculty appointments. The nominating committee will submit its report to the leadership committee at least two weeks in advance of the announcement of the election. When the nominating committee submits its report, the leadership committee will also ask for additional nominations from the general membership, either from the floor in a general assembly meeting or by ballot. Only candidates who have accepted a nomination and agreed to serve if elected will be included on the ballot. The president shall appoint a teller who, together with the recording secretary, shall tally the election returns, and together they shall attest the results of the election in a report to the leadership committee. In the case of a tie the deciding vote shall be cast by the leadership committee. No person shall hold more than one office at a time. In the case that fewer than five officers and two members-at-large are able to run and serve on the leadership committee, the chapter can proceed with at least the minimum officers required by AAUP: a president, vice-president, and secretary-treasurer.

Article V: Dues
The chapter may establish chapter dues. Any chapter dues will be established by a secret ballot vote conducted among voting chapter members. The vote may be conducted either by email ballot or, after reasonable notice, at a regular or special membership meeting. Chapter members must pay current AAUP dues, any mandatory conference dues, and chapter dues. 

Article VI: Committees
A. Leadership Committee. The leadership committee shall consist of the elected officers of the chapter and two members elected at large. It is anticipated that one member at large will focus on matters concerning general labor issues and will liaise with the Worker Solidarity standing committee as part of their duties, while the other member at large will focus on matters concerning faculty governance and will liaise with the Faculty Governance and Academic Freedom standing committee as part of their duties. 

Leadership committee members in attendance shall constitute a quorum for conduct of business of the committee. The leadership committee shall assume responsibility for the chapter’s continuing effective presence at the institution, keeping all positions on the leadership committee filled as vacancies occur. The leadership committee shall: 

  1. Meet regularly; 

  2. Respond to faculty members seeking assistance; 

  3. Conduct the business of the chapter between meetings; 

  4. Regularly recruit members and encourage maintenance of membership in coordination with the membership committee;

  5. Make necessary appointments to complete an unexpired term of any officer; 

  6. Set the agenda with appropriate notice for chapter meetings; 

  7. Consult regularly with the administration on matters of mutual interest; and 

  8. Respond to inquiries from the media. 

B. Other Committees. The chapter may create additional standing and ad hoc committees as necessary to promote the welfare of the chapter. Ad hoc committees can be formed by the chapter with a motion to commit or refer. The leadership committee also has the power to form ad hoc committees as necessary through a majority vote. Except when otherwise stipulated in these bylaws or when otherwise stipulated in a committee’s charge, the president of the chapter will appoint the chair and members of each committee as necessary. New standing committees will be formed by amending the bylaws with a majority vote of the general membership (majority of votes cast, abstentions not counted). Committees will have a minimum of three members. The terms of committee members will be specified in the appointment. All ex officio members are full committee members, with the ability to make motions and to vote, with the exception that current members of the leadership committee may not sit on the nominating committee. 

  1. Standing committees shall be: Membership; Racial and Gender Justice; Worker Solidarity; and Faculty Governance and Academic Freedom. All standing committees will consist of at least three members, and will aim to have at least one faculty member from each division of the university and a fair representation across faculty appointments. In addition to these guidelines, the following charges apply to the standing committees:

    a. Membership. The committee is charged with maintaining member rosters and expanding membership, including outreach to eligible members beyond full-time faculty, such as part-time faculty, students, and alumni.

    b. Racial and Gender Justice. The committee is charged with ensuring and bolstering principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice throughout the university.

    c. Worker Solidarity. The committee is charged with coordinating communication and action with other organizations representing workers at the university. It is anticipated that one member at large of the leadership committee will liaise with the Worker Solidarity Committee.

    d. Faculty Governance and Academic Freedom. The committee is charged with bolstering faculty governance at the university, taking up issues of academic freedom, coordinating with other governance bodies (including the faculty councils of each division, University Faculty Senate, University Student Senate, and University Staff Senate), and may take up other matters concerned with faculty affairs across the university, such as tenure and working conditions. The Faculty Governance and Academic Freedom Committee will also be charged with monitoring the university’s finances. It is anticipated that one member at large of the leadership committee will liaise with the Faculty Governance and Academic Freedom Committee.

  2. An annual Nominating Committee of three to five active chapter members will be elected by the leadership committee in the fall semester with the responsibility of submitting the names of suitable candidates to run in the spring general election for each officer and member at large position. Current officers may not serve on the nominating committee. The names of current officers and members at large may be submitted by the nominating committee to serve additional terms. It is anticipated that the nominating committee will submit one name for each position, although the committee may also submit two names for one position when it is deemed to be appropriate. The nominating committee will confirm each candidate’s willingness to serve in the position if elected, and will only submit names of candidates who have agreed to serve. The work of the nominating committee is confidential. The nominating committee will do its best to avoid a complete change in membership of the leadership committee, instead aiming to submit names that would result in a leadership committee with some continuing members and some new members. The nominating committee will also aim to provide a list of names representing different divisions of the university and faculty appointments. The nominating committee will submit names in the form of a report to the leadership committee at least two weeks before the general election is announced in the spring semester. Each nominating committee is dissolved after submitting its report, except in the case of a nominee withdrawing their name from the election, in which case the nominating committee will immediately reconvene to choose an alternate nominee.

Article VII: Meetings
The chapter shall hold regular meetings at least twice each academic year. Special meetings of the chapter may be called by the president or a majority of the leadership committee. Any member can call a meeting by sending a request to the leadership committee. The request shall include a notice setting forth the meeting agenda and an explanation thereof, and shall be sent at least one week in advance of the proposed meeting time. Written notice of meetings shall be provided to each member by the communications secretary at least five days in advance of the meeting date. The president shall call special meetings of the chapter within seven days of being so directed by the leadership committee. The quorum required for the transaction of business at all meetings shall consist of the number of members present . 

Article VIII: Dissolution
Upon dissolution of the chapter, its assets shall be distributed to the Association, a charitable and educational organization. 

Article IX: Amendments
These bylaws may be amended by majority vote of the members, provided that a notice setting forth the proposed amendment or amendments and explanation thereof and known objections thereto shall have been sent to each member at least fifteen days prior to the vote. Any member of the chapter may initiate an amendment. 

Article X: Rules of Order
Robert’s Rules of Order Revised shall be the authority for this chapter in matters of procedure not specified above. 

Enacted this 9th day of July the year 2020. 

Current version: Revised April 11, 2021 as part of general election ballot.