ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF PRE-PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS
ARTICLE I
The name of the Organization shall be the National Academy of Pre-professional Programs (NAPP).
ARTICLE II
The organization shall have perpetual existence.
ARTICLE III
The National Academy of Pre-professional Programs is organized to serve as a coordinating unit in seeking solutions to problems common to College and University training programs that are involved in baccalaureate level training of speech-language pathologists and audiologists. Its specific purposes include professional advocacy, exchange of information and coordination in self-improvement. In accomplishing these purposes, this organization in authorized to present position statements on issues in speech-language pathology and audiology communication sciences and disorders particularly those related to pre-professional personnel preparation; to serve as an advocate at the state, regional, and national levels for the needs of pre-professional, baccalaureate level training programs in speech-language pathology and audiology communication sciences and disorders, to serve as an advisory group to associations, agencies and legislative bodies; to serve as a vehicle for the collection, consolidation and dissemination of data specific to pre-professional, baccalaureate level training programs in speech-language pathology and audiology communication sciences and disorders through staff developments, student development, and product dissemination.
ARTICLE IV
Section 1
The Organization shall not be for profit, anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding; no part of the assets or net earnings of the Organization shall inure to the benefit of any private individual, nor shall any part of the assets or net earnings be applied at any time to any purpose other than the furtherance of the purposes stated above and/or charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purposes.
Section 2
Except as specifically provided to the contrary herein, or in the Bylaws or as provided as law, the powers of the Organization shall be vested in the Executive Board.
ARTICLE V
Section 1. Executive Board
The affairs of the Organization shall be managed by an Executive Board of not less than six (6) members nor more than twelve (12) members. Their number, qualifications, terms of office, duties and manner of selection shall be fixed in the Bylaws. The manner of changing the number of Board Members and the method, by which such change shall be made, shall also be fixed in the Bylaws.
Without qualifying or limiting the Executive Board's entire control and management of the Organization, the Executive board is expressly authorized:
• To cause these Articles of Organization to be amended from time to time in any and as many respects as said Executive Board deems desirable, excepting those provisions establishing the number of Board Members, qualifications, terms of office and manner of selection of said Executive Board, so long as amendments contain only such provisions as are lawful and proper.
• To adopt the Initial Bylaws of the Organization
• To make and alter the Bylaws of the Organization not consistent with these articles of organization, excepting those provisions establishing the number of Board Members, the qualifications, terms of office and manner of selection of said Executive Board.
Section 2. Officers
The officers of the Organization shall be a President, President-elect, while in office, or Past-President while in office, Treasurer, and Secretary. Their manner of selection and terms of office shall be established in the Bylaws, however, the President-elect shall succeed the President and if a vacancy occurs in the office of President, the President-elect shall serve as acting President for the remainder of the term of office and shall become President at the beginning of the new term. Any vacancy occurring in any office except President shall be filled by appointment of the Executive Board of a member to serve only until the end of the current administrative year or until replaced by a duly elected successor. Officers shall possess such powers and duties as are necessary to the fulfillment of the purposes set forth in the Articles of Organization and such powers and duties shall be established in the Bylaw
ARTICLE VI
Section 1. Membership
• Voting Membership: Membership in the National Academy of Pre-professional Programs is open to all institutions of higher education that provide for pre-professional, baccalaureate level preparation in speech-language pathology and audiology communication sciences and disorders.
• Associate Membership : Associate membership in the National Academy of Pre-professional Programs is open to all institutions of higher education that provide for graduate level preparation in communication sciences and disorders.
Section 2. Criteria for Voting Membership
Criteria for Voting Membership include all the following:
• The educational institution must be approved by state and regional or national accrediting agencies that act upon accreditation status of the College or University.
• Speech-language pathology and audiology should be an identifiable organizational unit within the College or University. Colleges and universities offering pre-professional, baccalaureate level preparation for student's interested in careers in communication sciences and disorders.
• Graduate level training programs must not be offered.
• Application for membership must be accompanied by an endorsement from which, addresses the criteria here delineated from the appropriate administrative official of the College or University. .
• Member institutions should have on file: “Assurance of compliance with the Department of Health, Education and Welfare Regulation under the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
Section 3. Criteria for Associate Membership
• The educational institution must be approved by state and regional or national accrediting agencies that act upon accreditation status of the College or University.
• Colleges and universities offering graduate level preparation in communication sciences and disorders.
• Member institutions should have on file: “Assurance of compliance with the Department of Health, Education and Welfare Regulation under the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
ARTICLE VII
Section 1. There shall be the following Standing Committees:
Membership Committee
Finance Committee
Information Exchange Committee
Professional Development and Advocacy Committee
Nominating Committee
Honors
Section 2
Ad Hoc Committees may be established and their functions assigned at the discretion of the President. Such establishment must clearly indicate the purpose and length of service for the Committee.
Section 3. Meetings
• There shall be at least one (1) annual meeting of the membership of the organization. The purpose of the annual meeting is to nominate officers and conduct such other business as may be brought before the membership.
• There shall be at least two (2) meetings of the Executive Board annually.
• Special meetings may be called by the President with the consent of the Executive Board or by special petition of one-third (1/3) of the membership.
• All membership meetings shall be made known to the membership in writing at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting date. Those present shall constitute a quorum at the annual meeting or any special meeting of the general membership of this organization.
• A simple majority of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum at regularly or special meetings of the Board.
ARTICLE VIII
Section 1. Fiscal Year and Fees
• The fiscal year and administrative terms of office shall be January 1 through December 31.
• The annual dues shall be determined by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership voting.
• Fees become payable by February 1 of each fiscal year and may be paid anytime during the fiscal year. Members not remitting fees by the end of the fiscal year shall be in arrears, with loss of voting privileges.
ARTICLE IX
Section 1. Amendments
Any proposed amendments to these Articles of Organization and to the Bylaws of the Organization shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Board for review.
Section 2
All proposed amendments presented to the Executive Board shall be submitted to the membership not less than fifteen (15) days prior to any regularly constituted meeting of the general membership.
Section 3
Any proposed amendments shall become a part of these Articles of Organization by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the votes cast by a mail ballot of the general membership of the organization.
ARTICLE X
In the event of dissolution of this organization, or in the event it shall cease to carry out the objects and purposes herein set forth, all the business, property and assets of the Organization shall go and be distributed to other similar non-profit, tax exempt, religious, charitable, literary, scientific or education organization or organizations as may be selected by the Executive Board of this organization. In no way shall any of the assets or property, in the event of disorganization, go to be disturbed to members or inure to the benefit of private individuals.
BYLAWS
ARTICLE I: OFFICERS
Section 1
• The President shall:
• Serve as chief executive with the powers and duties usually associated with such a position.
• Give professional leadership to the planning and program of the organization.
• Call and preside at meetings of the Executive Board.
• Preside at meetings of the membership.
• Serve as spokesperson for the organization to other individuals, agencies, or organizations.
• Serve as an ex-officio non-voting member of all committees except those making nominations and conducting elections.
• Prepare an annual report to be distributed to the membership and all interested parties.
• The President-Elect shall:
• Serve in the place, and with the authority, of the President in his/her absence or in case of his/her disability.
• Serve on the Membership Committee.
• The Treasurer shall:
• Serve as custodian of the funds of the organization.
• Pay all bills approved by the President.
• Submit biannually to the Executive Board an audited account of monies received and expended and prepare Interim fiscal reports as requested by the Executive Board. The biannual audit shall be conducted within forty-five (45) days prior to the transfer of records to the newly elected Treasurer.
• Serve as chairperson of the Finance Committee.
• The Secretary shall:
• Keep a record of the proceedings of all meetings of the membership and the Executive Board.
• Assume custody of all records not specifically assigned to others.
• Keep accurate rolls of the Executive Board and all standing and ad-hoc committees.
• Have available copies of the Articles of Organization and Bylaws and minutes of all official meetings.
• Serve as chairperson of the Membership Committee.
• The Past-President, during his/her term of office shall:
• Serve as chairperson of the Nominations Committee.
• Serve as chief executive of the organization if the position of President becomes vacant and the position of President-elect is vacant.
• Serve on the Executive Board.
Section 2
The President, Treasurer and Secretary will serve two-year terms. The President-elect will serve a one-year term, immediately preceding his/her assumption of the presidency. The Past-President will serve a one-year term, immediately following his/her term as President. The Treasurer and Secretary will be elected on alternate years. These terms of office shall coincide with the dates for the calendar year.
Section 3
Nominees for President-elect, Treasurer and Secretary shall be presented to the membership bi-annually by the Nominations Committee at the annual meeting. Nominations may also be made from the floor. Election will be by mail ballot.
ARTICLE II: EXECUTIVE BOARD
The Executive Board shall consist of the officers of the organization, and the chairpersons of the Information Exchange, and the Professional Development and Advocacy Committee.
The duties of the Executive Board shall be to:
• Serve as the organization's administrative body.
• Act upon such recommendations and petitions as may be received.
• Adopt an annual budget.
• Develop and recommend to the membership policies, procedures, and programs for consideration and action.
• Assume and discharge such other duties and responsibilities as are, or shall be, assigned through the Articles of Organization and/or Bylaws or by mandate of the membership.
Section 2
The Chairpersons of the Information Exchange Committee and the Professional Development and Advocacy Committee with be appointed by the incoming president to two-year terms. These appointments may be terminated, for cause, by a majority vote of the elected officers of the organization.
ARTICLE III: COMMITTEES
Section 1
The President, along with the approval of the Executive Board, shall appoint the chairpersons and members of the Information Exchange, and Professional Development and advocacy Committees. The Treasurer shall serve as the chairperson of the Finance Committee. The Secretary shall serve as the chairperson of the Membership Committee, which will also Include the President-elect, while in office, or the Past-President, while in office. The Past-President will serve as chairperson of the Nominations Committee.
Section 2
The chairperson of each Standing Committee shall appoint two members to serve on that committee, subject to approval of the Executive Board. The Membership Committee shall be comprised of the Secretary, President-Elect, while in office, or the Past-President, while in office, and a Member-At-Large appointed by the chairperson.
Section 3
The duties of the Committees are as follows:
• The Membership Committee shall:
• Maintain an active record of members and provide all officers and committee chairpersons with such a list.
• Maintain an active program for the recruitment of new members.
• Review and act on all applications for membership in the organization.
A. The Nominating Committee shall:
• Prepare bi-annually a nomination for President-Elect.
• Prepare bi-annually a nomination for Treasurer.
• Prepare bi-annually a nomination for Secretary.
• Obtain prior approval of nominee before submission of slate at annual meeting.
• Present the slate of nominees at the annual meeting of the membership, for a mail ballot.
• Recommend nominations for Honors of the Organization, at the request of the Executive Board.
• The Finance Committee shall:
• Prepare the annual budget for the organization for submission to the Executive Board.
• Recommend fiscal policies and procedures to be followed by the organization.
• Make provisions for a bi-annual audit of the organization's fiscal records.
• The Information Exchange Committee shall:
• Propose to the membership and conduct activities related to the implementation of the purposes of the organization as described in the Articles of Organization or as directed by the membership.
• Prepare an annual report of activities for submission to the membership.
• The Professional Development and Advocacy Committee shall:
• Propose to the membership and conduct activities related to the implementation of the purposes of the organization as described in the Articles of Organization or as directed by the membership.
• Prepare an annual report of activities for submission to the membership.
Section 4
Committee chairpersons shall be responsible for:
• Recommending appointees to committees for consideration by the Executive Board.
• Convening and chairing meetings of the committees.
• Submitting a proposed budget for the committee to the Finance Committee.
• Maintaining minutes and other records of committee business and sumcopies of these to the Secretary for placement in the archives.
ARTICLE IV: PROCEDURES
Section 1
Voting privileges are extended to the person responsible for the administration of speech-language pathology and audiology communication sciences and disorders program, or his/her designee, at each voting member institution.
Section 2
In communicating with other professionals, members shall represent as positions of the National Academy of Pre-professional Programs only those items that have been adopted by the Executive Board.
Section 3
The rules of the parliamentary practice in Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern the proceedings of the organization, subject to any special rules which have been, or may be, adopted.
ARTICLE V: AMENDMENTS
Any proposed amendment shall become a part a pat of the Bylaws by a simple majority vote of the general membership voting by mail ballot. NAPP Articles of Organization and Bylaws drafted by:
James F. Naas, Ph.D.
Brescia College
Owensboro , KY 42301
November 1983
Revised: September 15, 2004