ATE Organization

ATE Constitution

Constitution of the Virginia Tech Academy of Teaching Excellence

Article One

Section A - Name

This organization will be known as The Academy of Teaching Excellence.

Section B - Purpose

Founded originally in 1974 to honor and reward excellence in instruction, the Academy of Teaching Excellence membership voted in 1987 to expand its role significantly beyond honorary status. The membership defined the Academy as an organization of faculty committed to the enhancement of the educational environment, the highest standards of instruction, the vigilant pursuit of new forms and technologies of teaching, the continual evaluation of practices and standards of teaching effectiveness, and personal and organizational commitment to the importance of teaching in the research university.

Section C - Activities and Projects

To fulfill its purpose, the Academy membership seeks opportunities for direct involvement in various projects of instructional importance. While continuing to seek new projects, the Academy has agreed

1. To help develop a faculty member's teaching if a department or faculty member requests assistance.
2. To participate in the teacher-training program for graduate teaching assistants. Members of the Academy, working with the Dean of the Graduate School and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), will participate in the efforts of CIRTL, the Center for Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning
3. To oversee the process for selecting the winners of the University Teaching Award.
    

Article Two - Membership

The membership of the academy consists of all of faculty members of Virginia Tech who are past winners of the Wine Award, the Sporn Award for the teaching of introductory subjects, or the University Teaching Award, and all those who were elected to the Academy before 1982. Emeriti faculty retain their status as members. Any member may resign by sending an email to the Chair.

Article Three - Governance

Section A - Officers and Duties

Chair of the Academy: The Chair is not elected directly. Rather, the Chair Elect becomes the Chair at the end of one year's service and serves for one year. The duties of the Chair are as follows:

• Preside over meetings of the Academy.
• Plan the Fall and Spring meetings; determine time and place; secure place and catering
• Serve as chair of the Executive Committee.
• Oversee the Certificates of Teaching Excellence (CTE) selection process: identify chairs of college committees and make sure that that they are aware of expectations and deadlines; supply CETL with the names of winners and sign the award certificates.
• Organize the workshop on dossier preparation; participate as member of workshop committee.
• Coordinate the selection process for the major teaching awards: make dossiers of candidates to be considered for the University Teaching Awards available for review by the Academy's selection committee; preside over University Teaching Award selection; invite University Teaching, Wine, and Sporn Award winners to join the Academy; notify the University Development office and appropriate Deans of winners of teaching awards.
• Work with the Directors of CETL and CIRTL to facilitate GTA training including recruiting ATE members to this effort.

Chair Elect: The Chair Elect is elected at the Spring meeting of the Academy and serves for one year. The Chair Elect becomes the Chair at the end of one year's service. The duties of the Chair Elect are as follows:

• Support the efforts of the chair.
• Help to plan the Fall and Spring meetings; with Chair, determine invited speaker.
• Chair the nominations committee.
• Organize a panel of speakers from among the ATE membership for the annual Virginia Tech Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy (CHEP)

Past Chair: The Chair becomes the Past Chair at the conclusion of the one-year term and serves for one year. The Past Chair cannot be elected Chair Elect for seven years. The duties are as follows:

• Mentor the Chair and provide historical perspective on previous practices.
• Serve on the committee that selects new members to the Academy of Faculty Service and the Academy of Faculty Leadership.

Executive Secretary/Treasurer: The Executive Secretary/Treasurer is elected for a one-year term. The duties are as follows:

• Maintain the files of Academy; maintain an updated listserv in collaboration with CETL
• Prepare and distribute the announcement for an upcoming meeting and publicize the meeting.
• Record the minutes of each meeting and distribute them.
• Help the Chair and Chair-elect when needed.

Historian: The Historian is elected for a one-year term. The duties are as follows:

• Maintain the history of the Academy, including a complete list of members and former officers. The records should also include the award or awards (Wine, Sporn, and University Teaching) won by each member and the year in which the award was received.
• Record and help publicize Academy activities through photographs and written accounts.

Social Chair:

• Convene occasional meetings for the express purpose of social and professional interaction among members of the society. No formal business will be conducted at these gatherings.

Section B - Elections

All elections are held at a Spring general meeting. Any member of the Academy is eligible to hold any of the offices and to vote. The Nominations Committee will present its list of candidates at the meeting. Academy members will be given an opportunity to make further nominations. Nominators must receive prior permission from the individual they wish to nominate. Alternatively, the process of filling the positions on the Executive Committee will be by appointment by the Chair from a list of those willing to serve, if no one is willing to stand for election.

Section C - Filling Vacant Positions

If the position of Past Chair is vacant, the Chair will appoint a member of the Academy to serve the remainder of the term. A vacancy in the position of Chair will be filled by the Chair Elect. A vacancy in either the position of Chair Elect or Executive Secretary will be filled by a member of the Academy appointed by the Chair until the Academy's next general meeting at which the Academy will elect a replacement.

Section D - Terms

The term of a newly elected (or appointed) Officer begins on the second Saturday in May and ends on the subsequent second Saturday in May.

Article Four - Committees

Section A - Executive Committee

The Executive Committee consists of the Chair, Chair Elect, Past Chair, Executive Secretary/Treasurer, Historian and Social Chair. The Chair of the Academy will serve as chair of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee may act on behalf of the Academy in all matters subject to review at any general meeting.

Section B - University Teaching Award Selection Committee

The Award Selection Committee selects the winners of the University Teaching Award. The committee consists of those who have won the Wine Award, the Sporn Award for the Teaching of Introductory Subjects or the University Teaching Award during the three previous years. The Chair of the Academy convenes this committee.

Section C - Nominations Committee

The Nominations Committee presents a list of candidates for the Academy's consideration at the meeting at which the elections of the new officers and other elected positions are held. The list should include at least one candidate for each position up for election. The committee consists of three Academy members appointed by the Chair and is reconstituted each year. The Chair Elect will chair this committee.

Article Five - Meetings

Section A - Meetings

There will be at least two general meetings of the Academy each academic year, one in the Fall and one in the Spring. A general meeting may be called by the Chair or by 10% of the membership with two-weeks notice. This can be done by sending each member an e-mail or a printed invitation.

Section B - Motions

A motion may be acted upon at a meeting of the Academy only if it has been distributed to the Academy members prior to the meeting or proposed at an earlier meeting. The Academy can choose to suspend this requirement of prior notice by two-thirds vote of the members present at the meeting.

Section C - Quorum

A quorum at general meetings of the Academy will be 10% of the membership.

Article Six - Finances

The Provost's Office provides funding for the Academy and its activities.

Article Seven - Amendments

A proposed amendment to the bylaws must be presented at a general meeting for reading and consideration but cannot be voted on at that meeting. The proposed amendment becomes an amendment by a majority vote after a second reading at a subsequent meeting.

© Copyright 2023 Academy of Teaching Excellence. This document last updated: April 26, 2023