CONSTITUTION

A. ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

Article I. Name
The name of the Association shall be the Minnesota College and University Career Services Association (MCUCSA).

Article II. Definitions
In this Constitution unless the context indicates the contrary:

Collegiate Unit - A member or a group of career development professionals that represent a specific college or institution. When voting, often one member of a collegiate unit is called to cast a vote. For example, Bemidji State University is a collegiate unit casting one vote.  In this same instance, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities has several collegiate units representing each college within the institution allowing for several votes.

Quorum - The minimum number of members of an assembly that must be present to make a vote valid.  Fifty percent (50%) of the eligible collegiate units of MCUCSA shall constitute a quorum at meetings.

Amendment - The process of amending the Constitution by parliamentary procedure; a change to a document.

Bylaws - Rules adopted by an organization in order to regulate its own affairs and the behavior of its members.

Business-related - A decision or vote that is made with only procedural and not monetary implications.

Good Standing - Collegiate units and/or members will be deemed in “good standing” if membership requirements are fulfilled as stated in the Constitution, dues and additional fees are paid on time, and they abide by the Constitution and Bylaws.

Career Development Professional - A staff member who is employed in the career development profession within higher education.  According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), professional staff members must have the requisite qualifications and competencies to perform effectively in their defined roles with students, alumni, faculty, administrators, and employers. A career development professional does not include students at the undergraduate or graduate level.

Article III. Mission
MCUCSA exists to foster the professional development of our members for the benefit of our students and alumni. By working collaboratively, we strive to leverage our expertise to become change agents and resource providers in the career development field.

Article IV. Purpose
Section 1. The purpose of MCUCSA shall be to enhance and promote the concept of career planning and employment services as an integral part of the higher educational process.

To achieve this purpose, MCUCSA will:
Section 1a. Foster collaboration among career development professionals in the nonprofit, four-year colleges and universities in Minnesota.

Section 1b. Encourage research relative to career and professional development, benchmarking, and other matters relevant to career planning and employment services. 

Section 1c. Develop and share information and best practices of higher education career centers.

Section 1d. Promote professional standards among career development professionals and offices.

Section 1e. Promote efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and professionalism of higher education career centers.

Section 1f. Provide opportunities for career development professionals to grow personally and professionally to prepare them for the future.

Section 1g. Collaborate across educational systems to promote career-related opportunities to students and/or alumni.

Article V. Membership
Section 1. The privilege of membership in MCUCSA shall be extended to career development professionals from nonprofit, four-year colleges and universities in Minnesota.

Section 2. The privilege of membership in MCUCSA shall also be extended to graduate and professional school career personnel, in decentralized career office systems, when there is an affiliated MCUCSA member.

Section 3. The privilege of membership in MCUCSA shall be extended to members and/or collegiate units in good standing.

Section 4. For conducting MCUCSA business each collegiate unit, as represented by an individual career office, shall have one vote.

Section 5. MCUCSA is committed to promoting equal education and employment opportunities to all persons without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, socioeconomic status, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

Article VI. Officers
Section 1. The officers shall be a past president, a president, a president elect, a secretary, and a treasurer.

Section 2. The president, president elect, and past president shall serve one-year terms consecutively, beginning as president elect, then president, and finally past president. The secretary and treasurer shall be elected for staggered two-year terms for a maximum of two consecutive terms. The secretary also serves as a liaison and member of the Membership Committee. Officers shall be elected by a vote of the collegiate units at the summer meeting and shall hold office until their successors have been elected.

Section 3. In case the office of president becomes vacant, the president elect shall assume that office for the remainder of the unexpired term.

 Section 4. In the absence of the president, the duties of the office shall be performed by the president elect.

Section 5. When an office, other than president, is left vacant for any cause, the president, with the approval of the Executive Board, shall make the appointment to fill that office until the next summer meeting when an election will take place to fill the position for the remainder of the vacated term.

Section 6. At the MCUCSA summer meeting, the outgoing president shall be recognized for successful completion of the presidential term.

Article VII. Executive Board
Section 1. The officers named above and the two members-at-large elected from the membership shall constitute the membership of the Executive Board.

Section 2. The two members-at-large shall be appointed by their respective committees for staggered two-year terms at a maximum of two consecutive terms at the same time as other elections are held at the summer meeting of MCUCSA. One member-at-large shall serve as a liaison to and member of the Professional Development Committee, and one as a liaison to and member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. If a member-at-large position is left vacant for any cause, the president, with the approval of the Executive Board, shall make the appointment to fill the position until the next summer meeting when an election will take place to fill the position for the remainder of the vacated term.

Section 3. The president of MCUCSA shall chair the Executive Board.

Section 4. A simple majority of voting members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum to conduct MCUCSA business.

Section 5. The Executive Board shall be responsible for transacting the business of MCUCSA not reserved to the general membership under the Constitution.

Section 6. An archivist and a parliamentarian shall each be appointed by the Executive Board and shall attend Executive Board meetings as needed.

Article VIII. Programming and Business Meetings
Section 1. There shall be a minimum of three professional development programs per year, with additional programs as determined by the Executive Board.

Section 2. There shall be a summer business meeting in May or June, a fall business meeting, a spring business meeting, and other business meetings as determined by the Executive Board.

Section 3. Fees for programming (if any) shall be paid before the programming meeting date in order to constitute good standing.

Section 4. MCUCSA members may invite non-member faculty, staff, and undergraduate and graduate students from their institutions to attend programming meetings on a space available basis at a rate set by the Executive Board.

Article IX. Amendments
Section 1. Proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be presented in writing to the Executive Board for review.

Section 2. The Executive Board shall send out proposed amendments for review to the membership. Amendments may be discussed and voted on at a business meeting or via an online vote, as needed. 

Section 3: If voting is to take place at a meeting, amendments will be sent to membership a minimum of two weeks in advance and each collegiate unit shall have a single vote. If voting online, each collegiate unit shall submit a single vote, and membership shall have 14 days to submit their discussion and/or votes. In the event that an online vote cannot be completed, amendments will be discussed at the next business meeting.  

Section 4. If adopted by a two-thirds majority, the amendment shall become effective immediately unless an alternative date is determined.

Section 5. A designee of the Executive Board shall send the updated Constitution to each collegiate unit within thirty days following the business meeting. 

Amended July 2014
Amended June 2017
Amended June 2019
Amended June 2020
Amended November 2020
Amended June 2021
Amended June 2022