Article I

Purpose And Membership

Section 1. Purpose. The purpose of the Electronic Campus of Virginia Cooperative is (a) to use Net.Work.Virginia, and other means of communicating at a distance, to better serve students who need access to courses and programs where they live and work by coordinating the efforts of those offering such learning options; and (b) to further the dialogue among distance-education policy-makers and administrators by:

1. providing linkages to member institutions for the exchange of information on e-learning;
2. developing and disseminating "position papers" to assist and shape the e-learning agenda for Virginia;
3. promoting the efficacy and viability of e-learning as a means of increasing teaching effectiveness and learning;
4. serving as an advisory body on e-learning;
5. providing a forum for discussion of issues relative to e-learning;
6. connecting to and developing a consortium of users/providers of e-learning technology; and,
7. marketing and promoting e-learning opportunities provided by member institutions.

Section 2. Membership. Membership in the Cooperative is open to all public and nonprofit colleges and universities in the Commonwealth that are accredited by the Southern Association's Commission on Colleges and wish to participate in a cooperative that provides access to higher education through distance and distributed learning. Non-profit organizations or agencies that support higher education as approved by the membership are also welcome to join.

Section 3. Types of Membership. Institutions may join as active members or affiliates. The Board shall set fees for both categories at its last meeting of each year. Active members are entitled to list courses or programs on the E-CVA web site, attend meetings, plan, set goals, and implement activities. Affiliate members may attend meetings and share information. The Board of Directors may also choose to invite representatives from other entities to attend the meetings on a regular basis and serve as ex-officio representatives of their organization.

Section 4. Members' Responsibilities. Both active members and affiliates are expected to (a) regularly attend meetings, (b) pay their membership fees in a timely fashion, and (c) ensure that the information appearing on the ECVA web page about their institution's distance learning offerings is accurate and up-to-date.

ARTICLE II

Board Of Directors

Section 1. Board of Directors. Each active member is entitled to one representative on the Cooperative's Board of Directors.

Section 2. Meetings. The membership meets regularly at times agreed to by the Board of Directors. Member institutions are welcome to have additional representatives of the institution participate in the meetings.

Section 3. Quorum and Voting. A quorum is met by a simple majority of current active members. It is the fervent objective of the Cooperative to make decisions by consensus, but where this is not possible, a vote will be taken. An affirmative vote by two-thirds of the members present is necessary for passage.

ARTICLE III

Officers

Section 1. Number, Election, and Term. Officers shall be the chairperson, vice chairperson, and treasurer. Officers shall be elected from the Board of Directors at the last meeting in the calendar year and shall serve one-year, renewable terms.

Section 2. Duties of the Chairperson. The chairperson shall set the schedule of meetings, chair the meetings, maintain communication through the listserv and other means, and represent the Board before external bodies.

Section 3. Duties of the Vice Chairperson. The vice chairperson shall replace the chairperson when s/he is unable to conduct his/her duties.

Section 3. Duties of the Treasurer. The duties of the treasurer are to accept dues payment and report on the budget at each meeting and to disperse funds as agreed to by the membership.

Section 4. Meeting Recorder. Records of the meetings will be kept by a meeting recorder. The recorder will post the draft minutes to the listserv prior to the next meeting. This responsibility will rotate among the members of the Board.

ARTICLE IV

Committees

Section 1. Committees of the Board. Committees of the Board, both standing and ad hoc, shall be constituted as agreed to by the membership. Committees report their findings to the full Board of Directors.

Section 2. Steering Committee. Five representatives from the Board of Directors and the chairperson will serve as the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will meet regularly to set the agenda for upcoming meetings and to deliberate recommendations to come before the full Board. Membership on the Steering Committee will be voluntary and affirmed by the membership at the last meeting of each year.

ARTICLE V

Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Cooperative shall begin January 1 and end on December 31 of each year.

ARTICLE VI

Amendments To The By-Laws

The by-laws can be amended by consensus. Any proposed changes will be introduced at least one meeting prior to the meeting at which a decision is made and communicated electronically to the membership.

adopted March 8, 1999

Search for Courses | About E-CVA | E-CVA Home

The Blacksburg Electronic Village is an outreach effort of Virginia Tech
Website questions and comments may be directed to: webmaker@bev.net