I. NAME
The name of the association shall be: The Conference of College Teachers of English of Texas.
II. PURPOSE
The purpose of the conference shall be the improvement of teaching and the advancement of research in English language and literature.
The Conference of College Teachers of English supports the English and Language Arts teachers of the public and private elementary, middle, and high schools of Texas through the Texas Council of Teachers of English.
III. MEMBERSHIP
All individuals who pay annual dues and have been or are actively engaged in the teaching of English at the college level shall be classified as members in good standing, eligible to vote and to appear on the program of the annual meeting.
An individual who leaves active teaching while a member in good standing of the Conference may continue his or her voting membership while paying annual dues. If such a membership lapses for nonpayment of dues, the member automatically resigns from the Conference.
If a member in good standing resigns from active teaching during the year in which he or she is: (1) a CCTE Officer, or (2) a member of the Council, or (3) a member of a committee appointed by the President of CCTE, then that member may serve out the remainder of the term of office. (Amendment or correction)
If a member in good standing resigns from active teaching after having a paper accepted for reading at the next regular meeting, that member may read the paper at the meeting. Any other person approved by the officers of the Conference may become a non-voting member of the Conference upon payment of annual dues.
After fifteen years of membership, a Conference member retiring from active professional duties may, upon application to the Conference Executive Secretary, be recognized as a voting Life Member of the Conference and be excused from paying annual fees. Former Presidents, Executive Secretaries/Treasurers, Editors of CCTE Studies, and Web Managers of the Conference (provided they have served at least three years), upon retirement from professional duties, shall be recognized as Honorary Members of the Conference, with voting privileges and remission of annual fees.
IV. OFFICERS
The officers of the Conference shall be a President, a President-Elect, an Executive Secretary/Treasurer, a Past President, and a Past Past-President. (Amendment or correction)
The President-Elect shall be elected for a term of one year by the voting members at the regular annual meeting of the Conference and shall perform all duties of a Vice President during the year. The President-Elect’s regular responsibility shall be to propose resolutions to be presented at the General Business meeting of the Conference. (Amendment or correction) The President-Elect shall succeed as President at the next annual meeting of the Conference. In the event that the President cannot serve or complete the term of office, the President-Elect shall succeed to the office and serve the remainder of that term in addition to his or her own term.
The immediate Past-President of the Conference becomes an ex officio voting member of the Executive Committee. The Past-President’s responsibility shall be to organize the State of the Profession breakfast at the annual Conference. (Amendment or correction)
The Past Past-President of the Conference becomes an ex officio voting member of the Executive Committee. The Past Past-President’s responsibility shall be to recommend nominees for the positions of President-Elect and three new Councilors. (Amendment or correction)
Terms of office for the President-Elect, President, Past-President, and Past Past-President shall begin at the conclusion of the meeting and extend through the next annual meeting. (Amendment or correction)
The Executive Secretary/Treasurer shall be elected by the Executive Committee and shall hold office for such term and under such conditions as the Committee may specify. (Amendment or correction)
The editor of CCTE Studies and the Web Manager shall be voting members of the Executive Committee. The Local Arrangements Chair of the Conference she or he is arranging shall be a voting member of the Executive Committee. (Amendment or correction)
V. ADMINISTRATION
The business of the Conference shall be administered by the Executive Committee, (Amendment or correction) which shall consist of the President, President-Elect, the Executive Secretary, the immediate Past President, and nine members of the Conference to be known as Councilors. Each Councilor shall be chosen for a three-year term of office. At each regular annual meeting, three Councilors shall be elected by the voting members there present for a term of three years to fill the places of the Councilors retiring. The term of office for Councilors shall begin at the end of the annual meeting of their election and shall extend for three years. The President shall have the power to appoint a replacement for a member of the Executive Council or a Councilor unable to complete his or her term of office.
The Executive Committee (Amendment or correction) shall be the administrative body and steering committee of the Conference. It shall make a report of its activities at each regular annual meeting, and its policies and actions shall be subject to the direction and approval of the Conference.
VI. MEETINGS
The Conference shall hold an annual meeting during the spring at such place and time as the Executive Committee shall determine from year to year. (Amendment or correction)
The Executive Committee (Amendment or correction) shall meet semi-annually; once during the regular annual meeting of the Conference, and once in the fall.
The fall meeting shall ordinarily be held in conjunction with the annual convention of the South Central Modern Language Association, but the Executive Committee (Amendment or correction) may change the place and time of this meeting at its discretion.
For the transaction of business at an annual meeting, ten percent of those voting members of the Conference there registered shall constitute a quorum of the Conference. The President may call a quorum. (Amendment or correction)
VII. DISSOLUTION
Upon dissolution of the Conference, the Executive Council shall, after paying or making provisions for the payment of all the liabilities of the Conference, dispose of all the assets of the Conference exclusively for the purposes of the Conference in such manner, or to such organization or organizations operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purpose as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501 (c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the Executive Council shall determine. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the District Court of the county in which the principal office of the Conference is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.
VIII. AMENDMENTS
Amendments to the Constitution must first be approved by two-thirds of the members of the Executive Committee. (Amendment or correction) Notice of a vote on the amendment must be given to the membership at the call to the annual meeting. The amendments must then be ratified by a majority vote at the business meeting following the official notice.
BY-LAWS
I. DUES AND FEES
The annual dues for an individual membership in the Conference shall be twenty-five (25) dollars. (Amendment or correction)
The annual dues for an institutional membership for a junior college shall be fifteen (15) dollars. (Amendment or correction)
The annual dues for an institutional membership for a senior college or university shall be twenty-five (25) dollars. (Amendment or correction)
All members in attendance at the annual meeting except Life and Honorary Members and special guests of the Conference shall pay a registration fee set by the Executive Committee (Amendment or correction) at its fall meeting.
II. COMMITTEES
The Executive Committee (Amendment or correction) is authorized to set up and maintain such committees and procedures as will best present to the profession the purpose of the Conference as stated in Section II (Amendment or correction) of the Constitution.
Amendments of the Constitution or By-Laws (Amendment or correction) must first be approved by two-thirds of the members of the Executive Committee. (Amendment or correction) Notice of a vote on the amendments must be given to the membership at the call to the annual meeting. The amendments must then be ratified by a majority vote at the business meeting following the official notice.
Amended
March 8, 1986
March 5, 1992
April 4, 1997
April 3, 1998
March 3, 2000
March 2, 2007
February 22, 2013
March 2016