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TennACADA By-Laws

Revised – August 2022

Article I. Name and Acronym

The name of this association shall be the Tennessee Academic Advising Association. The official acronym of this association shall be TennACADA.

Article II. Purpose

The Tennessee Academic Advising Association was created as a forum for sharing ideas and exchanging information related to academic advising and student success strategies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. A primary goal is to provide members with opportunities for professional networking and peer support, ultimately building a network of resources to enhance student success. Equally important is the representation and promotion of student success through academic advising and campus partnerships throughout the university community.

Objectives:

  1. To foster an environment that supports academic advising as a teaching/learning relationship between students and advisors,
  2. To promote collaboration across university advising, academic success, career programs, and the Professional Development Committee, and
  3. To provide professional networking for those engaged in academic advising and student success.

Article III. Association with the Global Community for Academic Advising (NACADA)

TennACADA is associated with the Global Community for Academic Advising (NACADA) and supports the goals and programs of NACADA.

Article IV. Membership

Section I. The membership and opportunities for leadership shall be open to all individuals and there shall be no discrimination for reasons of religion, age, race or ethnicity, gender identity, marital status, national origin, ability, or sexual orientation.

Section II. Membership

  1. Eligibility: Active membership shall be open to faculty members, administrators, counselors, and staff at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville whose interests are in the areas of academic advising and success.
  2. Procedure: An eligible individual shall become a regular member upon enrollment in the records of TennACADA.
  3. Rights: All members shall be eligible to vote, hold office, and attend meetings of TennACADA and are entitled to the services and benefits provided by TennACADA.

Article V. Meetings of Membership

Section I. The Executive Committee shall meet at scheduled times as determined by the Executive Committee. The calendar year shall run from August to July. Special interest meetings of the membership shall be held with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Section II. The Executive Committee is responsible for the preparation of the agenda. Individual members shall submit agenda items to the Executive Committee in advance of the meeting.

Article VI. Officers

Section I. The officers of the association shall consist of a president, vice president, secretary, communications coordinator, and professional development committee liaison.

Section II. The Executive Committee of TennACADA shall be comprised of a president, vice president, secretary, communications coordinator, and professional development committee liaison. Any of these positions may be shared by no more than two active members. These officers shall be elected by a simple majority of the votes cast by ballot or proxy vote. A member may not hold the same office for more than three years consecutively. The chair of the Executive Committee shall be the president of TennACADA. The term for each office is one year, however the Vice President role is a two-year commitment and will transition to the president role in the second year.

  1. President—The president shall preside at all meetings of the association and of the Executive Committee. The president is generally responsible for overseeing  the association’s activities. The president may call special meetings of the Executive Committee. The president will attend the Advising Council and handle TennACADA finances. The president shall coordinate the Outstanding New Advisor and Outstanding Advising – Primary Role awards.
  2. Vice President—The vice president shall perform the duties and responsibilities of the president in his or her absence and when so acting shall exercise the powers of the president. The vice president serves as program chair for the association and coordinates all activities relating to programs approved by the Executive Committee. The Vice President shall coordinate the Outstanding Advising – Administrator award.
  3. Secretary—The secretary records and posts minutes of each meeting. The secretary will be the chair of the Nominations Committee and oversee officer forms. The secretary shall coordinate the Outstanding Advising – Faculty Advisor award.
  4. Communications Coordinator—The communications coordinator is responsible for maintaining the membership distribution list, the association’s website, and email. The communication coordinator will obtain content for and create TennACADA newsletters. The communications coordinator shall coordinate the Outstanding New Advisor – Faculty Advisor award.
  5. Professional Development Committee Liaison—The professional development committee liaison will act as a liaison between the professional development committee, TennACADA, and the advising community. The professional development committee liaison must have at least two years of professional experience in academic advising, academic coaching, or other related areas at UT Knoxville or other higher education institutions. The professional development committee liaison is encouraged to attend a NACADA event or conference annually and attend all TennACADA and professional development committee meetings and events. The professional development committee liaison shall serve on a one-year term and is eligible for re-election. 

Section III. In the event of a vacancy on the Executive Committee following elections the Executive Committee shall have the discretion to appoint a member of the association to serve in the position until the next election cycle. The Executive Committee may make the decision not to appoint a new member if the duties of the member can be delegated until the next election cycle.

Section IV. The Nominations Committee oversees nominations for an election of association officers. The Nominations Committee will solicit nominations from the TennACADA membership for officer positions listed in Article VI. If there are no nominations for one or more positions, the Nominations Committee will solicit members directly for those positions. The Nominations Committee sends the election ballots to the membership, tallies the ballots received, and reports on election results to the current president. A simple majority of the votes received shall be required to ratify the election of each office. The chair of the Nominations Committee shall be the secretary. The Executive Committee shall make up the membership of the Nominations Committee.

Article VII. Standing Rules

Section I. Adoption, Amendment, or Deletion

  1. Standing Rules may be enacted, amended, or deleted by a majority vote of the association at a business meeting.
  2. Standing Rules may be enacted, amended, or deleted by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.

Section II. The TennACADA website shall maintain a current copy of the Bylaws and Standing Rules.

Article VIII. Amendments to By-Laws

Section I. Any active member(s) may submit a proposed amendment(s) to these bylaws to the president of the association. The proposed amendment(s) must be submitted in writing and with the signatures of five members.

Section II. Upon affirmation vote of a majority of the Executive Committee, the proposed amendment(s) shall be submitted to the membership at a regular or special meeting or by email within thirty days of approval by the Executive Committee.

Section III. The By-laws shall be amended by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of a quorum of the membership either by email or during a special or annual meeting of the association, following two weeks written notice of the proposed amendment(s).

Article IX. Awards

Section I. Award Descriptions and Selection

  1. TennACADA has the following awards:

Outstanding New Advisor Award
Outstanding New Advisor – Faculty Award
Outstanding Advising – Primary Role Award
Outstanding Advising – Administrator Award
Outstanding Advising – Faculty Advisor Award
Innovative Advising Award
Advocate in Advising: Friend to the Community Award
Melissa “Missy” Parker Excellence in Advising Leadership Award

  1. Descriptions, Eligibility, and Criteria can be found at https://tennacada.utk.edu/annual-advising-awards/

Section II. Awards Selection Committee

  1. Those on the TennACADA Executive Board are not eligible for consideration while serving for the TennACADA awards listed above or on the Awards Selection Committee.
  2. The president of TennACADA will serve as the chair of the Awards Selection Committee. All TennACADA members and previous award winners are eligible to participate on the committee and will be asked to serve by the chair.
  3. After the Awards Selection Committee is selected, they will work with the communications coordinator to communicate award nominations.
  4. The nomination process should be open no less than fourteen business days and no more than twenty-one business days.

Section III. Nomination Process

  1. All nominee packets will need to include the criteria set forward for each award on the TennACADA website. 
  2. The Awards Selection Committee will select the most qualified nominee to be awarded.
  3. All winners will be awarded at the TennACADA Awards Reception/End of the Year Celebration.
  4. The TennACADA Award winners will be considered for submission for Regional and International NACADA awards. This process will be overseen by the Associate Vice Provost for Student Success. TennACADA may be appointed to assist the process by the Associate Vice Provost for Student Success.

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