The name of this organization shall be the Western Extension Directors Association (WEDA), hereinafter called the Association, which is established in conformity with the constitution of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU).
Those invited to be members of the Association include the Extension Directors from the 1862 Land-Grant institutions from the following states and territories:
The Extension Directors/Administrators from the 1994 Land-Grant institutions in the previous states will be invited to elect (or appoint) one representative as an official member of the Association.
The official members of the Association are those who have paid their annual assessment dues in full.
The following shall be ex-officio, non-voting members of the Association:
The purposes of the Association include, but are not limited to, the following:
The Association (1) elects members to ECOP[1], (2) may formally exchange information between the regional and national levels via input to the Extension Section or ECOP, and (3) is the normal channel for Directors/Administrators of state/territory/tribal Cooperative Extension Services in the Western Region to engage the Board of Agriculture Assembly via the Section or ECOP. On matters to be ratified by, reported to, or recommended to APLU, the consensus of the Association’s members shall be conveyed to the chair of ECOP (who is also the chair of the Extension Section) by the chair of the Association, the Western Region ECOP members, or the WEDA Executive Director.
The Association members shall conduct its affairs in conformance with the Rules of Operation of the Cooperative Extension Section and APLU. The procedural details of the operation of the Association may be amended by a simple majority vote of members at any meeting where a quorum attends.
Meetings may be held as determined by the Association or at the call of the Chair, but no less frequently than twice per year.
A. Officers
Officers shall be elected from the Association’s members. The officers of the Association shall be the Chair, Chair-elect/Secretary each serving a one-year term that begins at the conclusion of the annual meeting of the APLU and ends at the same time the following year. A member may be elected for a previously held office.
B. Elections
The officers, committee members and liaisons shall be elected from among Directors/Administrators who are members of the Association and shall be elected at the summer or fall meeting (or as needed). Nominations shall be submitted by a Nominations Committee and nominations from the floor may be made. A simple majority vote of members is required for election. Officers, committee members and liaisons assume their role at the conclusion of the APLU Annual Meeting in November, or as otherwise indicated.
In the event the Chair-elect/Secretary, a committee member or liaison resigns or is otherwise unable to serve, the Chair, in consultation with the remaining members of the Executive Committee shall make an appointment to fill the unexpired term.
If the Chair resigns or is unable to serve, the Chair-elect/Secretary automatically becomes the Chair and also serves his/her full term. If the Chair-elect/Secretary is unable or unwilling to take over the Chair role early, the Executive Committee shall make an appointment to fill the unexpired Chair term.
C. Duties
The Chair shall preside at business meetings of the Association, at meetings of its Executive Committee and on all other occasions where the head of the organization is to be recognized. S/he is the chief executive officer of the Association. The Chair provides written notice of official meetings and an agenda prior to each meeting. The Chair acts on behalf of the Association in taking interim actions between meetings, with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee on matters of policy and precedent. The Chair shall appoint the chair of the Nominations Committee and all other committees.
The Chair-Elect/Secretary shall serve as Vice-Chair and undertake such duties as the Chair prescribes. S/he shall preside in the absence of the Chair. S/he shall be responsible for taking and distributing the official minutes of the meetings and facilitating communication among the members and the officers. S/he serves as the Secretary of the Association and of the Executive Committee.
Committee members and liaisons shall participate in and represent the Association at the assigned committee’s meetings. S/he shall be responsible for reporting meeting outcomes and actions to the Association at least once annually.
The Executive Committee shall be comprised of the Chair, Chair-elect/Secretary, immediate Past Chair, the western representative to the ECOP Executive Committee and, as a non-voting ex-officio member, the Western Extension Executive Director. The Executive Committee, through the Chair, executes the established programs of the Association and provides oversight for the activities of the Association.
Votes are cast by the members whose dues are paid in full or by his/her official representative. There will be one vote allowed per 1862 member institution, and one vote on behalf of the 1994 Land-Grant institutions.
For purposes of doing business of the Association, a quorum shall consist of a minimum of fifty percent of the Association’s members or their designee, who attend any duly called meeting. A duly called meeting requires that written notice and a meeting agenda be set out in advance of the meeting. A simple majority of members attending the meeting resolves all issues.
The emphasis in all meetings shall be an orderly process to achieve an objective decision by those members present and voting. Should there be a parliamentary challenge, however, it shall be answered by reference to Roberts Rules of Order.
The Western Extension Executive Directors Office will create and maintain a web site which will serve as a repository of documents for the Association.
These Rules of Operation may be amended at any business meeting of the Association, provided the proposed amendment has been made available to all members at least one month in advance of the meeting and is passed by a simple majority (51%) of the membership.
We’d love to hear from you! Let us know if you have any questions or comments about WEDA!
(541) 737-9920
Email Us