AATI Constitution

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS OF ITALIAN
CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS

APPROVED BY THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP BY ELECTRONIC VOTE
May 8, 2017; April 5, 2017; February 18, 2017

APPROVED BY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
September 29, 2016

APPROVED BY THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP BY ELECTRONIC VOTE
May 8, 2011

APPROVED BY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
MARCH 17, 2011

CONSTITUTION OF THE
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS OF ITALIAN

I. Name
The name of this organization shall be the American Association of Teachers of Italian (AATI; henceforth known herein as “Association”)

II. Purpose
The purpose of the Association shall be to promote and improve the teaching of the language, literatures, and cultures of Italian-speaking countries and geo-cultural areas, and to serve the interests of teachers of Italian on all levels in the United States and Canada, especially through publication of its journal Italica, its Newsletter, and its official Websites; the sponsorship of conferences, symposia, and workshops; the encouragement and support of research in the field of Italian Studies; informing the general public of its activities; and the collaboration with other professional organizations.

No part of the net earnings of the Association shall benefit any private shareholder or individual; no substantial share of the activities of the Association shall be for the purpose of carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, or participating in or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.

III. Membership
a) Any person may become a member on payment of the dues currently fixed by the Bylaws, and may continue as a member by payment of the annual dues.
b) Scholars may be elected to honorary life membership by the Association on the nomination by the Executive Council, subject to such limitation as may be stated in the Bylaws.
c) Recipients of the Association’s Distinguished Service Award are entitled to an honorary life membership, subject to such limitation(s) as may be stated in the By-laws. The Association’s Distinguished Service Award is to recognize and further encourage the achievements and contributions of the members of the AATI for distinguished teaching and or published research in the fields of Italian Studies: language, literature, linguistics, cinema, and civilization.
d) A non-member who has made a significant contribution to the building of the Association, to the fulfillment of its objectives, or to the development of the profession, may be elected to honorary life membership by the Association on the nomination by the Executive Council subject to such limitation as may be stated in the By-laws.
e) Libraries and other organizations may become institutional members with the right to receive the Association’s publications but without the right to vote or to participate in deliberations.
f) Members of the Association may organize local chapters, bearing the Association’s name, subject to such regulations as may be stated in the By-laws.

IV. Officers: Executive Council
a) The officers shall be a President, two Vice Presidents—a Vice President for Colleges and Universities (a faculty member currently teaching at a college or university) and a Vice President for K-12 (a faculty member currently teaching in the K-12 sector)—a Secretary-Treasurer, a Director of Communication, a Graduate Student Representative, a Representative for members in Europe and Italy and such Regional Representatives as shall be stated in the By-laws. Together with the immediate Past President, these officers shall constitute the Executive Council. The EC shall comprise no fewer than 6 members representing Colleges and Universities and 6 members representing K-12
b) The Past President will remain on the Executive Council during the entire time of his/her successor’s term (three or six years). The immediate Past President is a voting member of the Executive Council. A Past President is ineligible to run for the office of President and Vice-President. A Past Vice-President is ineligible to run for the office of Vice-President. A Past President and a Past Vice-President are eligible to run for the office of Secretary/Treasurer and/or Regional Representative.
c) The President, the two Vice Presidents and the Regional Representatives shall be elected for a period of three years; the Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected for a period of four years. The President, two Vice Presidents, and Secretary-Treasurer are eligible to serve for a second term.
e) The Director of Communication shall be elected for a period of three years and is eligible to serve for a second term. The Director of Communication should be competent with technology, including web site creation, list serves, and database software.
f) The editor of the AATI Newsletter serves as an ex-officio member of the EC with a term limit of three years, renewable for one term with the EC majority approval.
g) The Representative of Italy’s role is to represent our membership residing within Italy and Europe at large. He/she should be a faculty member from an Italian or European institution of higher learning and shall be elected for three-years, renewable for a second term. The Representative of Italy should not have a direct conflict of interest with the organization, for example owners/directors of for-profit institutions.

V. Annual Meeting
The time and place of the annual meeting shall be sent by the Executive Council six months in advance.

VI. Affiliations
The Executive Council may authorize the Association to join in the work of other educational organizations and may elect delegates or representatives for this purpose.

VII. Amendments
Amendments to the Constitution must first be approved by the Executive Council and submitted to the membership electronically, at least 20 days prior to being voted upon by electronic ballot. An amendment to the Constitution requires a two-thirds majority vote of those casting ballots. Any member of the AATI may submit an amendment for consideration to the Executive Council. A recommended amendment must be accompanied by signatures of twenty-five (25) members in good standing of the AATI.

VIII. Income
a) The income for each taxable year shall be distributed at such time and in such a manner as not to subject the Association to taxes.
b) The Association shall refrain from engaging in any act of self-dealing, from retaining any excess business holdings, from making any investments in such a manner as to subject the Association to taxes, and from making any taxable expenditure.

BY-LAWS

I. Membership and Dues
a) The annual dues shall be:

• Individual (USA, Canada, and Mexico) $50.00
• Couples $60
• International Resident $50
• Student $20
• Emeriti and PhD.s without full-time employment $30
• Institutional subscription $350
• Lifetime Membership $1,000
• Individuals may also be recognized as Patron ($100-$499); Donor ($500-$999); Benefactor ($1,000)
• Library Membership USA, CA, and Mexico ($95); Overseas ($115) ∙ The AATI National membership fee of the members who have chosen to join a local Chapter will be split between the AATI and the corresponding local chapter. AATI National will receive 60% of the fee and the Chapter 40% of the fee. Extra charges for a printed copy of Italica are not part of this formula. (see section II. j. 3 below).
• All previously mentioned memberships receive a digital version of Italica. For a printed copy, there shall be a $10 supplement for mailing addresses in the USA, Canada and Mexico, a $20 supplement for international addresses in countries not previously mentioned. The EC retains the right to change the fee according to increasing postage or supply costs. (see section I. b. below)

b) This section of the By-laws pertaining to membership and dues may be changed or amended on the recommendation of the Executive Council by majority vote at the
Annual Meeting or by an electronic vote.

II. Elections and Organization
a) The Election Nominating Committee shall be a standing committee composed of five persons serving staggered terms of three years. The members of the Committee and its Chairperson shall be appointed by the President upon consultation with and approval by the Executive Council. Two of the appointees to the Nominating Committee shall be members of the Executive Council, excluding the President, the two Vice Presidents, the Secretary-Treasurer, and the immediate Past President. At least two of the five members shall represent elementary and/or secondary levels of instruction. Any member of the AATI may suggest to the President the names of potential appointees to the Nominating Committee. The names of the members of the Nominating Committee will be announced to the membership through the AATI Newsletter, the AATI Listserv, and/or the official Website.
b) The Election Nominating Committee shall present its report to the President who shall transmit the slate of candidates to the Director of Communication (for distribution to the entire membership in the form of an electronic ballot at least fifteen (15) days before the vote for which new officers are to be selected.) Once the ballot has been distributed to the membership, members will have at least 21 days to vote online. More than two candidates may appear for election to any office, including the Presidency, but there must be at least two candidates for each office. Space shall be provided on the ballot for one write-in candidate for each office. All ballots are to be executed and tallied at least fifteen days before the Annual Meeting. The Committee Chairperson shall certify the results of the election by submitting the electronic ballots to the Director of Communication, who shall notify the membership of the results through the AATI Listserv and at the Annual Meeting.
c) In making its selection the Nominating Committee should give due consideration to such factors as geographic distribution and a balance of representation of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
d) In order to be nominated for any position on the Executive Council (except Graduate Student Representative), the nominee must have been a member in good standing with the organization for a minimum of three consecutive years.
e) The term of office in every case shall begin January 1.
f) The Editor of Italica shall be appointed by the Executive Council upon the completion of a full search. The Editor shall serve for a term of five years and for not more than
two terms. The Search Committee will be composed of at least three members of the Executive Council appointed by the President upon approval of the Executive Council.
g) The other Standing Committees of the Association shall be the Program Committee and the Committee on Awards. The Vice President for K-12 shall chair the Conference Program Committee during the term of office. The Conference Program Committee shall be composed of four other persons serving staggered terms of three years. At least two of the five members shall represent elementary and/or secondary levels of instruction. The members of the Conference Program Committee and the Committee on Awards shall be appointed by the President upon consultation with and approval by the Executive Council. The Ad Hoc Committees of the Association shall be those which the President deems necessary. The membership and term of office of each Ad Hoc Committee shall be determined by the President on recommendation of the Executive Council. The President and the Executive Council shall strive to secure fair distribution of committee members among the various constituencies of the Association.
h) The membership of the AATI shall be divided into ten (10) Regions. Each Region shall have at least one elected Regional Representative. In Regions that have the greatest number of members, one or two additional representatives will be appointed by the President upon consultation with and approval of the Executive Council. The total number of Regions will not exceed twelve. Regional Representatives are eligible to serve two, three-year terms.

Following an election, if there are fewer than 6 members representing either Colleges / Universities or K-12, additional Regional representatives will be appointed by the President upon consultation with and approval of the Executive Council. They are eligible to serve two, three-year terms.
The Regions shall be the following:

1. New England (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)
2. New York State (2 representatives)
3. Mid-Atlantic (NJ, PA, DE, MD, DC)
4. Southeast/Southern (NC, SC, VA, WV, KY, TN, AL, FL, GA, LA, AR, MS, Puerto Rico)
5.  Midwest (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI, MN, IA)
6. Plains/Southwest (KS, MO, AZ, NE, ND SD, NM, OK, TX)
7. Rocky Mountains/Far West (CO, ID, MT, NV, UT, WY, HI, OR, WA)
8. California
9. Canada
10.  Italy

The President, at his/her discretion and upon approval of the Executive Council, may add Regional Representatives in Regions where the number of members warrants it or where it is geographically feasible.

In addition, the EC shall comprise no fewer than 6 members representing Colleges and Universities and 6 members representing K-12. If this quota is not naturally fulfilled following an election, additional Regional representatives will be appointed by the President upon consultation with and approval of the Executive Council.

h) Vacancies: Should the Presidency be unexpectedly vacated, the Executive Council shall elect one of its two Vice Presidents to fill out the term. Should the Presidency and
both Vice-Presidencies be unexpectedly vacated, the Executive Council shall elect from the remaining EC members to fulfill the vacated office(s) for the current term. In the case of the Secretary-Treasurer unexpectedly vacating his/her office, the President, upon approval of the Executive Council, shall appoint a successor to fill the remaining time of the current term. In the case of the Delegate to the NFMLTA and/or ACTFL, the President shall appoint a successor to fill out the term.
i) Chapters: Any group of active members may organize a chapter with an appropriate name, elect officers, and petition the Executive Council for a Charter.
j) Chapters and Chapter Membership:

1. Chapters may be organized by twenty (20) or more members, upon approval by the Executive Council. All Chapters must draft a constitution and a set of by-laws that shall be approved by the Executive Council of the Association. The constitution of such chapters shall be in agreement with the principles of the Constitution of the Association and must be approved by the Executive Council. There shall be no restrictions on the right of any member of the AATI to belong to the chapter of his/her choice.
2. Chapters will not charge a membership fee to their members with the exception of public fundraising, which will be communicated to the AATI National.
3. The AATI National membership fee of the members who have chosen to join a local Chapter will be split between the AATI and the corresponding local chapter. AATI National will receive 60% of the fee and the Chapter 40% of the fee. Extra charges for a printed copy of Italica are not part of this formula.
4.  With this type of membership, members of the AATI who would like to become members of their regional Chapter or another will be allowed register for one. Members outside the US will not be part of a Chapter.
5. Each year, each Chapter is eligible to apply to the AATI National for a sum of up to $500 fund to support professional development activities or academic events tied to their educational and pedagogical mission. The EC must approve the request and the Chapter is responsible for filing a follow-up report.
6. The President of each Chapter will become an ex-officio member of the EC, but without voting privileges.
7. The chapter presidents will organize an annual election to vote one in one AATI Chapter President to serve as a one-year voting member of the EC. This representative may serve a second term if re-elected.
8. Chapters will need to present a financial report by the end of each year, normally at the AATI @ ACTFL Conference.
9.  This agreement with the Chapters will be implemented upon payment of membership dues for 2017.
10. Those Chapters that do not comply with these rules will not be able to use the name or logo of AATI.

If a Chapter becomes inactive, does not perform properly its functions, or conducts its affairs as to jeopardize the best interests of the Association, the Executive Council may dissolve or suspend the Chapter and its activities upon majority vote by the Executive Council. Were this to be the case, any remaining assets of the Chapter would be turned over to the Association and held in reserve for a period of three years in order for the Chapter to reorganize as deemed appropriate by the Executive Council.

A chapter president may serve no longer than four consecutive years. The presidents of the Chapters shall form an Assembly of Chapter Presidents to coordinate the aims and purposes of the chapters and those of the Association. The Assembly shall meet annually in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Association. The Assembly shall also choose a delegate to represent them at the Executive Council as an ex officio member; this appointment shall last for three years. 

III. Duties of the Officers
a) The President is the chief administrative officer of the Association, with direct responsibility for the conduct of its affairs during his/her term of office. He/she shall call all meetings and preside over them. He/she shall report at the Annual Meeting the actions and decisions of the Executive Council as well as his/her own, and his/her reports shall be published in the AATI Newsletter and on the official Website. The President or a representative of the EC appointed by the President will serve as the liaison with other Italian Studies organizations: AAIS, Canadian Society for Italian Studies, and others deemed necessary.
b) The two Vice Presidents shall assist the President, and except as provided in By-law Vc, shall preside at meetings in the President’s absence. The Executive Council shall
decide which Vice President shall preside. The Vice President of K-12 must come from that constituency as well as the Vice President of Colleges and Universities. The Vice
President for Colleges and Universities and the Vice President for K-12 shall be responsible for the following respective duties:

The Vice President for Colleges and Universities

• Provide a detailed report of his/her activities for the Association at the annual meeting of the Association;
• Serve as liaison and maintain regular contacts with related language and cultural organizations, and take care of organizing sessions at the MLA and its regional organizations as well as other Italian organizations;
• Maintains communication with the following organizations: ∙
  • MLA
  • Media and Cinema Society
  • American Comparative Literature Association 
  • JNCL-NCLIS (=Joint National Committee for Languages and the National Council for Languages and International Studies)
  • Linguistic Society of American ∙ And other similar organizations
• Serve as liaison to the following:
  • College and University members
  • College Essay Contest
  • Graduate Student Caucus
• Provide appropriate information to the Editor of the AATI Newsletter; and solicit information from regional representatives
• Organize conference (s) held outside of North America
• Advise the President of specific needs of college and university members;

The Vice President of K-12

• Provide a detailed report of his/her activities for the Association at the annual meeting of the Association;
• Coordinate regional chapters;
• Serve as liaison to Società Onoraria;
• Serve as liaison to the National Italian High School Contest Examination;
• Keep the President apprised of all actions taken by the officers and regional representatives regarding the welfare of the Association.
• Maintain communication with the following organization:
  • ACTFL
  • Serve as liaison to K-12 members;
  • Provide appropriate information to the Editor of the AATI Newsletter,
  • Organize conference (s) held in North America
  • Advise the President on the specific needs of K-12 members;
  • Work with the President and Secretary Treasurer on AATI annual conference(s) including the determination of appropriate sites in Italy, and in conjunction with other organizations.
• Coordinate:
  • International conference (s)
  • Regional Representatives
  • Work with the President and Secretary Treasurer on AATI annual conference(s) including the determination of appropriate sites in North America, and in conjunction with other organizations;
  • Coordinate:
    • Annual National Conference (ACTFL and/or others)
    • Regional Chapters

c) The Secretary-Treasurer shall receive and disburse all monies on behalf of the Association, and keep an accurate record thereof. He/she shall report on the membership and finances of the Association at the Annual Meeting. The Secretary-Treasurer will also prepare any necessary tax forms and an annual financial report that shall be published in the Spring issue of the AATI Newsletter and on the official Website. The Secretary Treasurer shall be provided funds in an amount authorized by the Executive Council. The Secretary-Treasurer shall also keep an accurate record of the proceedings of meetings of the Association and of the Executive Council, which shall be distributed within two weeks after an Executive Council meeting and subsequently published on the official Website. The Secretary-Treasurer will aid in the maintenance of the membership database along with manage the renewals and collection of dues.

d) The Director of Communication shall be responsible for the following: maintenance of the Websites and Listservs and membership database lists in collaboration with the Secretary-Treasurer of the Association, who is responsible for depositing all dues in the Association’s checking and other bank accounts.

e) Both the Vice President for Colleges and Universities and the Vice President for K-12 shall be responsible for the following duties:

• Provide a detailed report of his/her activities for the Association at the annual meeting of the Association;
• Respond to all inquiries related to AATI matters as directed by the President and Secretary-Treasurer;
• Coordinate the augmentation of membership, regenerate interest in increasing Contingency and other funds;
• Assist in the increase of advertising on the web page;
• Assist the Program Committee for annual conference(s);
• Assist the Officers and the EC with the promotion of the Association here and abroad;
• Prepare announcements such as Association conference(s) calls for papers, in conjunction with the President and Secretary-Treasurer;
• Carry out other appropriate duties as needed.

f) Regional representatives: Regional representatives need to procure and maintain relationships with the following:

• Consulates
• Enti Gestori
• Cultural/Community Centers (Italian, Italian American)
  Regional MLA Organization Regional representatives will be asked to file an annual report to the VP for Colleges and Universities by June 30 of the calendar year. A rubric shall be provided to regional representatives by the VP of Colleges and Universities. The report’s objective is to demonstrate active contact with the representative regions, as well as show how representatives promote Italian and highlight their regions’ activities during the year. The Regional Representatives for Canada and of Europe/Italy shall present an annual report albeit with less detail because of the size of their constituencies. Nevertheless, they should inform the EC of major events related to Italian Studies in their respective geographical areas.

  The VP for College and Universities will share the results with the entire EC and offer suggestions.

g) Graduate Students within the AATI: ∙

• A Graduate Student will be elected to the Executive Council to represent his/her constituency within the organization. This representative will serve a two-year term, non-renewable. He/she should be a member in good standing for at least one year prior to the nomination and must be a graduate student at the time of nomination. Should he/she successfully defend his dissertation during his/her term, he/she will complete it. The Graduate Student Representative will be elected
  by the graduate student constituency. ∙
• The Graduate Student Representative will assist in organizing conference sessions appropriate to graduate students and junior faculty. This position will work closely with the VP for Colleges and Universities.
• The Graduate Student Representative will serve as the liaison between the EC and the Graduate Student Caucus along with Directors of Graduate Studies. ∙ The
  Graduate Student Caucus, under the advisement of Vice President of Colleges and Universities, will assist in creating activities, networking and academic opportunities within the field.

h) National High School Contest Chairperson: The National Italian High School Contest Chairperson will serve as an ex-officio, voting member of the EC. He/she will be
appointed by the President with majority approval of the EC, and serve a five-year term, renewable once. A new appointment of the chairperson will occur one year prior to his/her leadership and allows for one year of shadowing the chairperson.

i) Representative of AATI Chapter Presidents: Each year, the AATI Chapter Presidents will elect one of the Chapter Presidents to represent all on the Executive Council as a voting member. He/she will act as the liaison between the EC and the other Chapter Presidents. This position is eligible for a second term, if elected by his/her peers.

j) Director of Società Onoraria: The director of the Società Onoraria Italica will serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member of the EC.