American Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies

Preamble

This Association - the American affiliate of the International Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies - is established to support a "worldwide" - but not "uniform" - field of curriculum studies. Our hope, in establishing this organization, is to provide organizational support for a rigorous and scholarly conversation within and across national and regional borders regarding the content, context, and process of education, the organizational and intellectual center of which is the curriculum.

Article 1: Name
The name of the organization is the American Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies.

Article 2: Membership
Membership is open to university faculty and students, and as an academic discipline and a professional field of study. Members automatically become members of IAACS.

Article 3: Dues
Dues are collected from members to support the Association's activities, including its financial obligations to its parent organization, the International Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies. The amount of yearly dues is to be determined by the Coordinating Council in a session chaired by the Treasurer.

Article 4: Voting
A. All individual members, including officers of the Association, are eligible to vote. B. Individual members will vote in elections held every three years for officers and committee members. C. Voting and other Association business will be conducted, in general, electronically, via the internet, except when appropriate technology is not available to members. The Secretary will be responsible for facilitating communication among members and committees, including members with non-internet connections. D. When a candidate for an office fails to achieve a majority of votes, the two candidates with the most votes will stand in a "run-off" election to determine the elected official.

Article 5: Meetings
A. Meetings will be held each year, organized by the Conference Committee, in consultation with the Coordinating Council. B. Meetings of related organizations may be held concurrently. C. Meetings may not interfere with the triennial meetings of the International Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies. (It is anticipated that these meetings will be held in the fall.)

Article 6: Governance Structure
A. Voting members are eligible for election to standing committees and for election to office. For the sake of efficient communication, committees will be limited to five members, elected by the general membership and chaired by the AAACS President or her/his designate. B. Officers. There will be four officers elected by the general membership: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary. These four officials will constitute the Coordinating Council, which will define and recommend policy to the general membership. Officers serve three-year terms and may be re-elected once. The President will chair Coordinating Council meetings and support the smooth and efficient functioning of the Association. The Vice-President will coordinate the activities of the committees and act as President in case of the President's absence due to illness or resignation. The Treasurer will maintain records - accessible to all members - regarding the Association's financial activities. The Secretary will keep records of all Association business (membership list, minutes of all meetings, etc.), including an archive for an Association history, to be started immediately. Officers will hold office for 3 years, taking and leaving office at annual meetings. C. Standing Committees Membership Committee Purpose: To encourage new members of AAACS and to address members' concerns regarding organizational issues. Nominations Committee Purpose: To solicit nominations and conduct elections for officers and to calculate election results for officers and committee members. The Provisional Executive Committee will serve as the first Nominations Committee, to be disbanded as soon as an elected Nominations Committee is in place. Technological Support Committee Purpose: To ensure technological support for Association business and members' communication. Conferences Committee Purpose: To plan for upcoming conferences and to assist with conference planning and organization. If the number of presentations warrants, divisions - such as "pedagogy" or "curriculum history" - may be established (by a vote the Conferences Committee with the approval of Coordinating Council) in which Division Heads (appointed by the Conferences Committee) may coordinate conference planning within specialized areas, such as pedagogy or curriculum history. Publications Committee Purpose: To oversee Association publications, including an AAACS scholarly journal and a "News and Notes" publication to keep members informed of Association and members' activities and to encourage informal conversation among members. Ad Hoc Committees Purpose: To perform specific organizational tasks as deemed necessary by the Coordinating Council. E. Election to Committees. D. Election to Committees Committee elections will be held every three years. Committee members may be re-elected once.

Article 7: Amendments
This Constitution may be amended by presenting a written amendment to the President, who will distribute it to the General Membership. The amendment will pass if it agreed to by two-thirds of the voting members.

Article 8: Ratification
This Constitution was ratified by those attending the organizational meeting in Seattle, April 9, 2001.