The name of the Association referred to in this document shall be the Oregon School Psychologists Association. The Association will maintain affiliation with the National Association of School Psychologists. These Bylaws are the primary document of the association and serve as the basic charter to guarantee rights and powers to the members.
Article I. Introduction
See the preamble above: the Association maintains its NASP affiliation, and these Bylaws serve as its basic charter.
Article II. Purposes and Limitations
Section 1. Purposes
The purposes of the Association shall be:
- To serve the mental health and educational needs of all children and youth in Oregon;
- To foster and maintain high standards of practice in the profession of school psychology;
- To promote actively the interests of school psychology through research and education; and
- To advocate for the conditions necessary for the effective practice of psychology in the schools of Oregon.
Section 2. Limitations
The Association shall be non-profit, non-sectarian, and non-partisan in its purposes and activities. It may, however, take public positions on political issues that affect the education, health and safety of children, or school psychology in Oregon.
Article III. Membership
Section 1. Categories of Membership
The association shall consist of the following categories of membership: Regular, Student, Retired, Honorary, and Associate.
- A Regular member is one who is:
- Certified or licensed by the state as a school psychologist; or
- Trained as a school psychologist, but is currently functioning as a consultant or supervisor in psychological services, or is primarily engaged in the training of school psychologists at a college or university.
- A Student member is one who is currently enrolled in a training program in school psychology.
- A Retired member is one who has retired and was a member in good standing of the Association at the time of retirement.
- An Honorary member is one who has:
- Served as president of the Association prior to the 2001–2002 term; or
- Made a significant contribution to the field of school psychology and been awarded honorary membership by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board. Payment of dues shall be excused for an Honorary member.
- An Associate member is one who:
- Works in a field related to school psychology, e.g. counseling, special education, speech and language, administration; or
- Is licensed by the State of Oregon as a psychologist and is engaged in professional work that is primarily psychological in nature; and
- Supports the purposes of the Association.
Associate members will have all the benefits and privileges of a member; however, they shall not be eligible to hold elected office nor shall they have voting privileges.
Section 2. Severance of Membership
- Membership shall be terminated for nonpayment of dues.
- A member may be expelled from the Association for a significant violation of ethical standards, following appropriate investigation and recommendations by the Professional Standards Committee with confirmation by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board.
Article IV. Government
Section 1. The Executive Board
- The Executive Board shall have voting privileges, conduct all matters of business, administer policy, and make recommendations to the Association members.
- The Executive Board shall consist of the six elected officers and the chairpersons of the standing committees of the Association.
- A quorum of the Executive Board is necessary for a decision to be made. A quorum shall consist of one more than half of the Board members, two of which must be elected officers. A call to Executive Board members not in attendance may be requested by a Board member on any vote in order to make a quorum. When a rapid decision or response must be made and the Board cannot be convened, a quorum (four of the six) of the elected officers may act for the Board.
Section 2. Bylaws
The adopted Bylaws of the Association may be amended in the following manner:
- Amendments may be proposed at a general business meeting or by mail.
- Voting may occur at a general business meeting or by mail as determined by the Executive Board.
- A two-thirds majority of the membership voting shall be required for the amendment(s) to pass.
- Communication with the membership regarding proposed Bylaws changes through the official Association newsletter, currently known as The Bulletin, may serve as the Board's official notice of the proposed changes. In addition, the Board may provide additional communication as deemed appropriate.
Article V. Officers
The officers of the Association shall consist of the following:
- Immediate Past President — one-year term of office: it shall be the duty of the Immediate Past President to assume and perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President and the President Elect, and to act as a consultant to the Executive Board.
- President — one-year term of office: it shall be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings of the Association; to act as Chairperson of the Executive Board; to exercise general supervision over the affairs of the Association and to assist with conference planning. It shall be the duty of the President to select each year the committee chairpersons and to serve as ex-officio member of all committees. The President succeeds the Past-President at the end of the term of office.
- President Elect — one-year term of office: in the event of the absence or incapacity of the President, it shall be the duty of the President-Elect to assume and perform those duties. The President-Elect shall succeed the President at the end of the President's term of office.
- Secretary — two-year term of office: it shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep the record of all meetings of the Association and of the Executive Board. The Secretary shall be elected during even-numbered years.
- Treasurer — two-year term of office: it shall be the duty of the Treasurer to keep custody of all funds of the Association; to collect dues and other debts due the Association, and to assist the Membership Committee to maintain a current membership list. The Treasurer shall prepare a budget for each fiscal year in consultation with the President; and shall report to the membership at regularly scheduled meetings or at the Executive Board's request. The Treasurer shall be elected during odd-numbered years.
- NASP Delegate — three-year term of office, elected by Oregon's NASP members: it shall be the duty of the NASP Delegate to attend Executive Board meetings and to serve as liaison between the Association and the National Association of School Psychologists.
- With the exception of the NASP Delegate position, the names of candidates for elective offices shall be submitted by the Nominations, Elections and Awards Committee. Candidates shall be elected to office by a plurality of the vote of members.
- All officers shall serve a one- or two-year term in the same position beginning July 1. They may be reelected to an office at a later date.
- The President shall appoint a member to fill a vacancy in any elected office as it occurs, with the approval of the Executive Board. Any member so chosen shall serve until the term of the vacated office has expired and a successor duly elected, unless otherwise removed from office by the Executive Board.
- Removal of officers from their elected posts for due cause shall be the responsibility of the Executive Board. A two-thirds vote by the Executive Board shall constitute removal.
- The President is the official spokesperson for the Association; other officers and committee chairs do not have the authority to express positions or opinions in the name of the Association unless expressly delegated to them by the President.
- Officers and committee chairpersons shall be members of the Association during their time in office.
Article VI. Committees
Section 1. Standing Committees
Committee chairpersons shall be selected for one-year terms by the President and must be approved by at least four of the six elected officers. Committee chairpersons may be removed from the Executive Board by at least four of the six elected officers. The standing committees of the Association are:
- Conference Planning Committee
- Legislative Committee
- Membership Committee
- Nominations, Elections and Awards Committee
- Professional Standards and Certification Committee
- Public Relations/Public Information Committee (includes Newsletter and Web Site subcommittees)
The duties of the standing committees shall be as follows:
- Conference Planning Committee
- The Conference Planning Committee, with the assistance of the President, shall be responsible for planning and coordinating all conferences. The committee chair may appoint subcommittees to assist in planning and coordination. This committee may survey interests and provide training to members; in this respect, it assists the Board with long-range planning and development.
- Legislative Committee
- The Legislative Committee shall be responsible for the promotion of legislation at all levels of government that will advance the goals and purposes of the Association. The committee will also maintain awareness of legislation important to the field of school psychology and will make recommendations to the general membership on a regular basis.
- Membership Committee
- This committee shall be responsible for periodically reviewing the criteria for membership; for reviewing all membership applications; for recommending acceptance or rejection of applicants; for actively promoting increased membership; for issuing a Membership Directory; and for maintaining an accurate membership list with the assistance of the Treasurer.
- Nominations, Elections, and Awards Committee
- This committee works closely with the Executive Board to solicit and provide nominations for the Association's elected positions, appointed positions, and awards, and coordinates the elections each spring.
- Professional Standards and Certification Committee
- This committee shall be responsible for developing and maintaining a clearly defined position of the Association regarding the ethical and professional standards to be adhered to by its members, published in a handbook. The major areas of concern are professional practice and the protection and general well-being of children and other individuals served by school psychologists. The committee will also formulate a plan for cooperative action with certification and licensing bodies, colleges, universities, and other agencies engaged in the continuing professional development of school psychologists.
- Public Relations/Public Information Committee
- This committee works closely with the Executive Board and the Conference Planning Committee to provide information about the Association's activities to its members and to the community through publications and by coordinating contacts with the media. The newsletter and the web page are ongoing subcommittees; the chair works closely with the newsletter editor and the web page editor and creates other subcommittees as required.
Section 2. Ad Hoc Committees
Ad Hoc committees shall be created and disbanded by the President as deemed necessary by the Executive Board.
Article VII. Finances
Section 1. Budget and Fiscal Year
The Executive Board shall present for approval an annual budget to the membership during the fall business meeting. The fiscal year shall be July 1 through June 30 and shall coincide with the elective year of the officers.
Section 2. Expenditures
All account items within budget shall be paid by the Treasurer. All account items above budget limits shall be referred to the Executive Board prior to approval of payment.
Section 3. Debts
No member of the Association shall contract or cause to be made in the name of the Association any debt of any nature whatsoever without the specific and proper authorization of the Executive Board.
Section 4. Dues
Dues shall be payable upon receipt of an annual dues statement from the Association. The amount of the dues shall be set by the Executive Board with the approval of the membership.
Section 5. Dedication of Funds and Dissolution
All assets of the Association shall be permanently dedicated to the purposes set forth in Article II. In case of dissolution, all assets will be distributed to a public or tax-exempt cause selected by the Executive Board.
Article VIII. Meetings
The General Membership Meeting of the Association shall be held during the fall of the year, at such time and place as determined by the Executive Board. The Executive Board may call additional general membership meetings as needed. Proposals (e.g., annual budget, amount of dues, etc.) shall pass when at least one more than half of the Association members attending the general membership meeting vote for them. Voting for Bylaws revisions and elected officers shall be conducted according to Articles IV and V.
Article IX. Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the revised edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the Association and the Executive Board when conducting meetings in a parliamentary manner. (Historically, the Executive Board has chosen to suspend Robert's Rules in favor of a consensus model.)
Adopted [date to be recorded upon approval].
By-Laws Revision Subcommittee members for 2000–2001: Philip Bowser, Steve Haskell, Vinny Martin, Karen O'Brien, Michael Safko, David Streight.