By-Laws

Article I: The Organization

Section A. Name

The name of this organization shall be: Southeastern Association for Science Teacher Education, (SASTE)

Section B. Purpose

The purpose of this organization shall be to foster leadership in and support for those involved in the professional development of teachers of science-primarily for those working in or concerned with states in the Southeast (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina).

Section C. Membership

The membership shall consist of persons concerned with the professional development of teachers of science who have registered for the Association’s annual conference.

Section D. Relationship to Other Organizations.

This association shall be a regional division of the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE).

Article II: Officers

Section A

The officers of the association shall be a President, President-Elect, Regional ASTE Representative, Past-President, and Secretary-Treasurer.

Section B. Duties of the Officers

  1. President: The President shall be the executive officer of the Association and as such should carry out the policies of the Association and other duties as usually pertain to this office. S/he shall preside at all meetings of the Association and shall carry out any other duties assigned to him or her in the Constitution, including the organization of the annual conference.
    • A. The President shall appoint all committees not otherwise provided for in the Constitution and By-Laws.
    • B. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees appointed by him or her provided this is not contrary to the Constitution and By-Laws.
    • C. The President can appoint members to represent the Association at meetings and conferences.
  2. President-Elect: The President-Elect shall serve in the absence of the President or his or her inability to serve and shall carry out any other duties assigned to him by the Executive Committee (see Article III: Committees section for a description of the committee).
  3. Regional ASTE Representative: The Regional ASTE Representative shall hold regional meetings and attend the regional director meetings at the annual international ASTE conference. The representative shall submit biannual reports to the ASTE board communicating the activities and interests of SASTE. The representative shall serve on the international ASTE Board of Directors during the SASTE rotation. 
  4. Secretary-Treasurer: It shall be the duty of the Secretary-Treasurer to maintain all permanent records of the Association and any other duties assigned to him or her by the Executive Committee or the Constitution.
    • A. The Secretary-Treasurer shall ensure the notification of all members of the time and place of all meetings of the Association.
    • B. It shall be the duty of the Secretary-Treasurer to tally all votes taken and to record and announce the results.
    • C. It shall be the duty of the Secretary-Treasurer to keep minutes of all business meetings of the Association, to circulate copies to members, and to forward a copy of such minutes to the President of SASTE.
    • D. It shall be the duty of the Secretary-Treasurer to keep a record of all receipts and disbursements. S/he shall make a financial report to the members of the regular annual meeting. S/he shall prepare and distribute any additional information not reported at the annual meeting at the next annual meeting or via email.
  5. Past-President: It shall be the duty of the Past-President to chair the Nominating Committee (see Article III: Committees section for a description of the committee).

Section C. Election of Officers

  1. The President-Elect shall succeed the President. The term of the President shall be two years (i.e., President-Elect and then President) beginning with the close of the regular annual meeting.
  2. The President-Elect shall be elected by a majority vote from the slate of nominees presented by the Nominating Committee (see Article III: Committees section for a description of the committee). This vote is to be by voice or by ballot at the regular annual meeting of the Association. The term of office begins with the notification of the President-Elect.
  3. Regional ASTE Representative shall be elected by a majority vote from the slate of nominees presented by the Nominating Committee (see Article III: Committees section for a description of the committee). This vote is to be by voice or by ballot, the same as that for President-Elect. The office shall be a period of three years.
  4. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected by a majority vote from the slate of nominees presented by the Nominating Committee (see Article III: Committees section for a description of the committee). This vote is to be by voice or by ballot, the same as that for President-Elect. The office shall be for a period of three years.
  5. The slate of nominees prepared by the Nominating Committee (at least one nominee for each office) shall be announced or distributed during the SASTE business meeting by the Secretary-Treasurer. Additional nominations may be made by petition of any member during the SASTE business meeting. Said petitions shall be added to a blank space on the ballot for election, in the case of a ballot vote.  In the case of a voice vote, said petitions will be added to the roster of names being voted on.

Section D. Succession of Officers

  1. If the President is unable to take office or to complete his or her term, the President-Elect shall assume office.
  2. In the event an officer is unable to serve, the President shall appoint officers to fill unexpired terms with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Article III. Committees

Section A.

The Association shall have the following permanent committees: Executive Committee and Nominating Committee. Additional temporary committees may be approved by the President in accordance with the Constitution and approved by the Executive Committee.

  1. The function of the Executive Committee will be to transact the business of the Association in the interim between SASTE meeting
    • A. The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, President-Elect, Past-President, the Secretary-Treasurer, and the Regional ASTE representative.
    • B. The Executive Committee shall approve all committee appointments.
    • C. Action of the Executive Committee can be accomplished by mail ballot, email, or telephone ballot in addition to action taken in meetings of the committee.
    • D. Actions of the Executive Committee are subject to review by SASTE members at its next scheduled meeting.
  2. The function of the Nominating Committee shall be to prepare a slate of nominees for President-Elect, President-Elect every year, Regional ASTE Representative every three years, and for Secretary-Treasurer every three years prior to the annual meeting.
    • A.  The Nominating Committee shall consist of the Past-President, the President-Elect, and two additional members. At least one member of the Nominating Committee shall not be a member of the Executive Committee. The Past-President shall serve as the chairperson.

Article IV. Publications

Section A. 

SASTE shall publish an annual update for distribution at the SASTE meeting.

The Secretary-Treasurer will be responsible for its preparation and distribution to members.

Section B.

Other publications may be authorized upon the recommendation and approval of the Executive Committee.

Article V. Meetings 

Section A. SASTE shall hold an annual business meeting in October of each year in conjunction with the annual conference. The conference and meeting will be planned by the current President-Elect in consultation with the Executive Committee.

Section B. A quorum for all business meetings of the Association shall be 10 members. The President or designee shall preside at all business meetings. At least three members of the Executive Committee shall be present for any action, including votes, to occur or be approved.

Section C. The President may call a special meeting of the Association with the approval of the Executive Committee, provided that all members are notified of the time and place or means of communication, and purpose of such a meeting at least thirty days in advance.

Section D. Each committee (permanent or temporary) shall meet as needed through the means of communication that is convenient to most members of that committee.

Article VI. Amendments

Section A.

Changes to these Bylaws may be submitted by a petition of five members and adopted by the following procedures.

  1. The proposed amendment shall be submitted to the Executive Committee for its consideration at least thirty days before discussion and/or voting.
  2. If the proposed amendment (or as revised and amended) shall be approved by the Executive Committee, it then shall be presented to the membership of the Association.
  3. The proposed amendment shall be presented to the membership by paper or electronic within 60 days after approval of the Executive Committee and shall be adopted upon receiving a two-thirds majority of the members voting within 30 days of the date the ballot is made available for voting.

Article VII. Standing Committees

Section A. All standing committees shall report in writing annually to the President. Such reports will outline the activities of the committee for the year, make recommendations for action to the Board, and make budget requests for the new year.

Article VIII. Finances and Dues

Section A. Membership shall be complimentary for all individuals who register for the annual conference; therefore, no dues shall be collected.

Section B. Registration fees for the annual conference will be reviewed periodically by the Executive Committee. Recommendations will be presented to the members at the regular annual business meeting and voted on during the meeting or within 30 days by paper or electronic ballot. Changes to the registration fees will be effective for the next and subsequent conferences until further review. All monies collected as part of the treasury of this Association shall be deposited and disbursed by the Secretary-Treasurer of SASTE.

Section C. The Association shall be recognized by the Internal Revenue Service by the following name and Tax Identification Number: Southeastern Association for Science Teacher Education (SASTE), EIN 61-1660168

Article IX. Awards

  1.  John Shrum Award: The John Shrum award is the highest award that SASTE gives. It is named in honor of John Shrum, a long-time faculty member at the University of Georgia. It honors someone with a lifelong commitment to science education and participation and leadership with SASTE. It is typically given to a senior person. Nominations for this award should be received by the President-Elect on the nominating person’s official letterhead and judged by the Executive Committee. The John Shrum award carries a $300 stipend and a letter of nomination archived by SASTE.
  2. Rod Nave Award: The Rod Nave award is a special honor for a supporter of the science education community and SASTE. It is named after Rod Nave, a professor of physics at Georgia State University who designated special classes for science teachers to teach, particularly using the latest technologies and emphasizing the conceptual physics approach. It is typically given to a person who represents a significant connection between the sciences and the science education community. Nominations for this award should be received by the President-Elect on the nominating person’s official letterhead and judged by the Executive Committee. The Rod Nave award carries a $100 stipend and a letter of nomination archived by SASTE. SASTE membership is not required for this award.
  3. Deborah Tippins Mentor Award: The Deborah Tippins Mentor award is a special award given to a person who embodies mentoring relationships. It can also be given to a person who demonstrates exemplary mentoring of junior SASTE members. It is named after Deborah Tippins, who has an international reputation for mentoring colleagues locally, nationally, and internationally. Nominations for this award should be received by the President-Elect on the nominating person’s official letterhead and judged by the Executive Committee. The Deborah Tippins Mentor award carries a $100 stipend and a letter of nomination archived by SASTE. SASTE membership is not required for this award.
  4. The Outstanding Faculty Position Paper Award: This award is given to a SASTE member who is also a faculty member.  The Faculty Position Paper should be received by the President-elect and judged by a committee established by the same. The criteria for judging the Faculty Position Paper may include but are not limited to: a) How well does the paper communicate a clear position? b) How relevant is the paper to the conference theme? c) How relevant is the paper to science education? d) Does the paper build a unique argument? (not just repeat the arguments of others in the field)? e) Is the position supported by literature, personal experience, or philosophical argument when necessary? Does the paper have a potential impact in terms of fostering dialogue among science educators? f) Does the paper conform to guidelines with respect to page length, spacing, and font? g) How well does the paper fully develop the position or perspective? Paper submissions for this award should be received by the President and judged by a committee established by the President. The Outstanding Faculty Position Paper carries a stipend of $50 and the name of the individual archived by SASTE.
  5. The Eddie Griffin Memorial Award for Outstanding Student Position Paper: This award is given to a SASTE member who is also a graduate student.  The Student Position Paper should be received by the President-elect and judged by a committee established by the same. The criteria for judging the Outstanding Student Position Paper may include but are not limited to:
    • a) How well does the paper communicate a clear position?
    • b) How relevant is the paper to the conference theme?
    • c) How relevant is the paper to science education?
    • d) Does the paper build a unique argument? (not just repeat the arguments of others in the field)?
    • e) Is the position supported by literature, personal experience, or philosophical argument when necessary? Does the paper have a potential impact in terms of fostering dialogue among science educators?
    • f) Does the paper conform to guidelines with respect to page length, spacing, and font? Paper submissions for this award should be received by the President and judged by a committee established by the President. The Eddie Griffin Memorial Award for Outstanding Student Position Paper carries a $50 stipend and the name of the individual archived by SASTE.