Office of Director
Twelve Directors are elected to the Board of the Association by the MSERA membership in attendance at the Business Meeting during the Annual Meeting of the Association. These Directors and the elected Officers constitute the Board, which is responsible for the activities of the Association.
Article IV, Section 1.b. of the Constitution states:
The Directors shall consist of four members at large, one from among the representatives of elementary-secondary schools and the state departments of education, one from among the graduate students; and one from each of the constituent states.
Since its beginning, MSERA has sought a broad representation of members in the leadership roles of the Association. In general, the Directors assist the Officers in the operation of the Association and Annual Meeting to ensure that the particular group each represents has a designated voice in the governance of the Association.
Term of Office:
a. Article IV, Section 2, Parts b, c, and d of the
Constitution deals with the term of office of Board members.
b. The Directors of the Association shall be elected
for a term of two years. The Directors elected at large, and the Director
representing the elementary-secondary schools and the state departments of
education shall be elected at the Annual Meeting during odd-numbered years,
and the Directors representing the states shall be elected at the Annual
Meeting during even-numbered years. Each Director shall serve until a successor
assumes office.
c. All Directors will be eligible for reelection to the
offices that they hold for one additional term.
d. When a vacancy occurs among the Directors, the successor
to fill the vacancy is to be named by a majority vote of the Board of the
Association. Any person who is named to fill an unexpired term shall be eligible
for election to the office to which the appointment is made.
Duties and Responsibilities:
In accordance with Article 11 of the Bylaws, all Directors shall assume the following responsibilities:
a. Attend all regular and special meetings of the Board
(the absence from two meetings during a term of office shall constitute grounds
for declaring the office vacant. Article IV of the Constitution).
b. Stimulate interest in the membership of the
Association.
c. Perform such responsibilities as are designated by
the President. Directors who represent special interest groups
(elementary-secondary schools and state departments of education, and individual
states) have special responsibilities both to represent their constituent
groups with MSERA and to represent and promote MSERA within their constituent
groups. This presentation is particularly important in the areas of membership
and attendance/participation at the MSERA Annual Meeting.
In general, the business of the Association is conducted at the two Board Meetings each year. At these meetings Directors approve the annual budget, prepare for the Annual Meeting of the Association, hear and approve committee reports, and conduct other business of the Association. The Board has the authority during any budget year to establish the annual dues and also fees effective for the subsequent year (Article III, Bylaws).
While not a formal requirement, the Annual Meeting customarily is held in a different state, on a rotating basis, on odd-numbered years. The Director from the host state usually plays an important role in this process, often bringing her/his state's site proposal to the Future Site Selection Committee.
Directors may have other informal functions, such as: