Revised 7/26/13
ATTACHMENT A
CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS OF THE FISCAL OFFICERS OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES STATE SUPPORTED
Article I. Name
This organization shall be known as Fiscal Officers of Colleges and Universities State Supported (FOCUS) of Virginia.
Article II. Purpose
The purpose of this Organization shall be to acquaint the members with methods in the management of college and university finances, the discussion of problems of mutual interest with the ultimate goal of improving the management among the colleges and universities and the promotion of continued cordial relations among the members of the Organization. This Organization shall establish and maintain a dialogue with State Fiscal Agencies for the purpose of informing the State Fiscal Officers the Organization's position on financial management issues.
Article III. Membership and Voting
It is understood that active membership is institutional. Institutional membership shall be open to the State supported colleges and universities in Virginia. Institutions which become members of this Organization shall be known as institutional members. Those persons designated by the institution shall be known as institutional member representatives, and only administrators charged with fiscal responsibilities of the institution shall be so designated. Institutional representatives shall include but not be limited to the following administrators: Comptroller, Assistant Comptrollers, Treasurers (Bursars), and Assistant Treasurers (Bursars). Institutions of complex organizations may hold an institutional membership for the system and each separately organized institutional entity. The Executive Committee shall make the final determination in any questionable case.
Article IV. Officers and Committees
Section I. Officers
The officers shall be President, Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer. Their duties shall be those usually incumbent upon such officers consistent with the purpose of the Organization.
In the case of the resignation, death, or disability of the President, the VicePresident shall automatically succeed to that office for the balance of the unexpired term. In the case of the resignation, death, or disability of the Vice-President or Secretary-Treasurer, an interim appointment to these positions shall be made by a majority vote of the balance of the Executive Committee members.
If at all possible, the officers should be elected so that the President, every other year, is a representative from an institution with an FTE enrollment of less than 10,000.
Officers’ terms shall be for one year. The Secretary-Treasurer shall automatically succeed the Vice-President and the Vice-President shall automatically succeed the President unless extenuating circumstances prevent the succession.
Nominations for Officers and Executive Committee members shall be done by the Executive Committee and voted on by the membership at the fall meeting with each member institution having one vote.
Section 2. Committees
a. Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall be composed of the President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, the previous year’s President, and not more than two other members appointed by the Officers. The Executive Committee shall include at least one representative from an institution with FTE enrollment under 10,000. The Executive Committee shall arrange the program for each semi-annual meeting and shall perform such other duties as the Organization shall commit to them.
b. Other Committees
The President shall establish other committees as necessary in order to accomplish the purposes of the Organization.
Article V. Meetings
The time and place of the Semi-Annual Meetings and any Special Meetings of the Organization shall be determined by the Executive Committee.
Article VI. Membership Dues
A fee based on FTE enrollment shall be paid annually, on a calendar year basis, for the membership of any institution in the Organization unless otherwise ordered by the Organization.
The fee schedule will be $50 $100 for institutions with FTE enrollment under 10,000 and $100 $200 for institutions with FTE enrollment of 10,000 or greater (see amendment I).
Dues shall be paid on notice form the Secretary-Treasurer. Any change in amount of annual membership dues shall be recommended by a majority vote of the members of the Executive Committee and acted upon by the membership at the semi-annual meetings of the Organization.
Article VII. Amendments
The Constitution and Bylaws may be amended at any semi-annual meeting by a two-thirds majority of the legal votes cast by the institutional members, having paid their membership dues, present and voting.
Amendment I. Dues Increase
Enacted 7 2013
A vote passed to amend the Constitution and Bylaws in April 2013 to increase the annual membership dues to from $50 to $100 for institutions with FTE enrollment under 10,000 and from $100 to $200 for institutions with FTE enrollment of 10,000 or greater.
Background:
At a previous meeting (Feb 2013), a vote was passed for FOCUS to begin assuming certain costs related to the FOCUS Online initiative, which had previously been borne by the University of Virginia. These costs include replacing and upgrading equipment, as needed, to support and enhance the FOCUS Online experience, and to reimburse travel costs and registration fees for FOCUS Online staff. Accordingly, to assume these costs related to FOCUS Online, and to ensure sufficient reserves for contingencies and special programming initiatives