Prepared by George C. Dariotis, Educational Adviser, US Educational Foundation in Greece
ARTICLE 1 Name and Purpose
Section 1: Name
The name of the Organization shall be OSEAS-Europe, where OSEAS is an acronym for OverSeas Educational AdviserS. The geographic region referred to by Europe includes all countries in Western Europe, including Israel, East/Central Europe and the NIS.
Section 2: Purpose
OSEAS-Europe adheres to the OSEAS Code of Ethics, as
developed by
Overseas Educational Advisers Worldwide in 1986-87, and supports the
NAFSA: Association of International
Educators mission
statement.
The purpose of the Organization is:
a) to seek out and bring together those engaged in the profession of educational advising of students and scholars towards US study and/or research;
b) to promote professional development for said advisers;
c) to enhance networking amongst educational advisers;
d) to support communications and technologies within the region;
e) to encourage leadership, involvement and volunteerism within the OSEAS-Europe region and NAFSA, and
f) to maintain strong ties with USIA, other
OSEAS regions, and other
organizations, centers, or associations (whether public or privately supported) whose goals are similar to those of OSEAS-Europe.
ARTICLE 2 Membership and Fees
Section 1: Membership
Anyone working in educational advising, within the geographic area outlined in Article 1, Section 1, qualifies for membership in this Organization.
Section 2: Fees
Fees may be proposed by the Board of Directors and approved by vote of the membership.
ARTICLE 3 Board of
Directors
Section 1: Definition and Duties
a) The management of the affairs of OSEAS-Europe shall be vested upon a seven member Board of Directors, which shall include six members elected from the region as described in Article 1, Section 1.and a seventh member appointed by the Board of Directors
to serve as Treasurer. All Board positions are voluntary and no monetary compensation is provided.
b) NAFSA membership is a requirement for being a member of the Board of Directors, due to the close ties between the organizations.
c) All Board decisions shall pass by a simple majority vote. The Board of Directors submits an annual report to the OSEAS-Europe membership in May of each year.
Section 2 Additional Board Duties: OSEAS-Europe Representation in
NAFSA:
a) The OSEAS-Europe Chair shall serve as the "OSEAS-Europe Regional
Representative" within the OSEAS leadership in
NAFSA.
b) If the Chair is unable to serve in this capacity, the Board will select another representative.
Section 3: Elected Officials
The Board of Directors shall consist of the Chair, the Immediate Past Chair, and the Chair Elect, each of whom must be a member of OSEAS-Europe for at least three years prior to their election, and three members who represent Western Europe, East/Central
Europe and the NIS, who are the At-Large Members of the Board of Directors.
Section 4: Term of Office
Chairs are elected for a three-year term during which they fill the positions of Chair Elect, Chair, and Immediate Past Chair. Members of the Board of Directors are elected for two-year terms.
Upon completion of their three-year term, Chairs are not eligible for reelection to the position of Chair Elect until two years have elapsed. Members of the Board of Directors may be elected to the Chair Elect position upon completion of their two-year te
rm and may be elected to a second term on the Board after a two-year absence from the Board of Directors.
The Treasurer is appointed for a three-year term and this term may be extended if both parties agree.
Section 5: Board Vacancies
a) In the event of a vacancy in the position of Chair, the Chair Elect shall succeed to that position, completing his/her unexpired term, and in addition serving as Chair the following year.
b) In the event of a vacancy in the position of Chair Elect for any reason other than succession to the Chairship, the vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the Board of Directors. The person selected must have served on the Board previously.
c) In the event of a vacancy in the At-Large membership, the position shall be filled by appointment by the Board of Directors.
All appointments made by the Board of Directors to fill an unfinished term of office shall be made by unanimous vote.
Section 6: Ex-Officio Members of the Board of
Directors
OSEAS-Europe members may be appointed by the Board of Directors to assist with special projects.
Section 7: Treasurer
The Treasurer shall be responsible for overseeing the work of the "US based Account Administrator" (see Section 8 below) and for providing the Board with regular reports on the fiscal status of the Organization.
Section 8: US Based Account administrator
a) The position of US Based Account Administrator is a voluntary position. This person shall be a NAFSA member.
b) The US Based Account Administrator will be appointed by the Board of Directors and shall not serve on the Board of Directors, but will report to the OSEAS-Europe Treasurer. The US Based Account Administrator must meet with the unanimous approval of the
Board of Directors, by special vote for this position.
c) The duration for this position is three years with a possible two-year
extension, by agreement between the Account Administrator and the Board
of Directors
d) The US Based Account Administrator pays any bills as
instructed by the OSEAS-Europe Chair, and is the sole signator on all banking transactions up to $5,000.00. Amounts over that will require the additional signature of the NAFSA Central Deputy Executive Director.
ARTICLE 4 OSEAS-Europe Funds
a) The official currency of the Organization shall be the US dollar.
b) A special bank account shall be maintained by NAFSA in the US for OSEAS-Europe funds.
c) The Organization's Fiscal Year runs from July 1 to June 30.
d) The US Based Account Administrator shall manage disbursement of funds under the supervision of the OSEAS-Europe Treasurer and Board.
e) Disbursement of funds shall be done as indicated in Article 3, Section 8, Paragraph d.
f) OSEAS-Europe will be guided by the fundraising guidelines that apply to all groups that function within NAFSA.
ARTICLE 5 Elections and Quorum
a) Elections are to be held annually for the position of Chair Elect, and every two years for the positions of At-Large members. Elections are to be held in June of each year.
b) Election shall be by simple majority of the votes cast. In the event that more than two candidates are nominated for the same position, a plurality is sufficient for election.
c) Nominations for positions to be filled will be solicited from the membership three months prior to elections, and nominations must be submitted at least one month prior to the election.
d) Nominations for Board positions and elections may be held electronically, or via mail, at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
e) Elections shall be held electronically, unless fewer than 75% of voting members have access to e-mail, in which case elections are to be held through the mail. It is the responsibility of the Chair to determine the number of members that have e-mail ac
cess.
ARTICLE 6 OSEAS-Europe Conference
Conferences will be held periodically for purposes of professional development. Funding for these conferences will be secured by the Board of Directors. All fundraising will abide by NAFSA's Fundraising Guidelines.
ARTICLE 7 Process of Amendment
These By-laws may be amended by the Board of Directors at any properly noticed regular or special meeting, provided written notice thereof has been given thirty (30) days in advance. Proposed amendments may be submitted to the Chair of the Board by any me
mber of the Board of Directors, or by petition signed by at least
twenty-five (25) members of OSEAS-Europe. Approval by a two-thirds (2/3)
majority of all members of the Board of Directors shall be required for
adoption of any amendment.
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