THE NORTH CENTRAL REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
STATE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION DIRECTORS
RULES OF OPERATION
THE NORTH CENTRAL REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
|
|
| July 15, 1977 July 1980 July 1982 March 1986 March 1991 July 1992 March 1993 November 1994 July 1998 September 2000 September 2001 |
The name of this organization shall be the North Central Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors, hereinafter called the North Central Regional Association (NCRA) established in conformity with the constitution of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC).
The NCRA, one of five such regional
associations, shall represent the administrators of the State
Agricultural Experiment Stations (SAESs) in the North Central
Region (NCR) in their collective dealings. On matters to be ratified
by, reported to, or recommended to NASULGC, the consensus of the
NCRA shall be conveyed to the chair, Experiment Station Section
(ESS), by the chair of the NCRA. The NCRA shall conduct its affairs
in conformance with the stated objectives and procedures of the
Rules of Operation of the ESS.
The NCRA, with the four other regional associations, is an integral
part of the ESS. Through its business meetings, the views of the
NCRA may be determined formally and transmitted to the Experiment
Station Committee on Organization and Policy (ESCOP) and the ESS
on matters either of its own origin or on matters referred to
it by ESCOP or the ESS. The NCRA also provides a forum for the
exchange of information and for discussion and debate among members
and guests on matters of common concern that may not require formal
action. NCRA also may take actions limited to the North Central
Region. The foregoing and other functions of the NCRA are as follows:
1. Arranges for and conducts its own affairs, elects members to
ESCOP, makes recommendations to ESCOP and to the ESS, reacts to
proposals of ESCOP and the ESS, and participates in the handling
of [interim] business of the ESS;
2. Participates with the ESCOP Committees, Cooperative State Research,
Education and Extension Service (CSREES), and other regional associations
in the programming and conduct of cooperative regional multistate
research and integrated research and extension activities as authorized
by the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform
Act of 1998 (AREERA);
3. Facilitates cooperation among its member SAESs, with federal
agencies, with industry, and with others in planning, programming,
financing, implementing, and performing agricultural research;
4. Employs and pays the salaries and/or benefits of the ED and
other staff;
5. Collects and disburses dues, and enters into contracts with
cooperators and/or granting agencies to cover the costs of the
programs agreed upon within the NCRA.
1. The voting members of the NCRA
shall consist of the directors (or duly authorized representatives)
of its twelve (12) member SAESs eligible for funding under the
Hatch Act, as amended in 1955 (69 Stat. 671): Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota,
Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
2. Associate and assistant directors of the member SAESs who attend
one or more meetings per year of the NCRA also shall be members.
However, the voting privilege shall be limited to one vote for
each SAES.
3. Nonvoting, ex-officio members of the NCRA shall consist of:
the ED; the administrator of CSREES/USDA; Northern Plains and
Midwest Area Directors for ARS/USDA; comparable area representatives
from ERS/USDA and FS/USDA; the director of the North Central Regional
Center for Rural Development; the 1890 Lincoln University research
director; designees of 1994 institutions or their designated representatives.
1. Three (3) regular meetings shall be scheduled each year. They shall consist of:
2. Other meetings may be scheduled
with approval of the Executive Committee.
3. Meeting locations shall be agreed upon by the membership who
may delegate the decision.
1. Officers. The officers of the NCRA shall be a chair and chair-elect,
each for a one-year term. The chair-elect succeeds the chair.
The ED serves as executive vice-chair, and the ED's office provides
administrative services for the NCRA.
2. Elections. The officers and members of standing committees
are elected at the summer meeting and assume responsibility at
the conclusion of the fall meeting.
Officers and committee members may succeed themselves, but the
general practice has been to rotate officers and committee members
in order to share the workload and to provide the directors opportunity
to participate in specific phases of the overall program.
3. Duties. The chair shall preside at business meetings of the
NCRA, at meetings of its Executive Committee, and on all other
occasions where the head of the organization is to be recognized.
The chair is the chief executive officer of the NCRA.
The chair-elect shall undertake such duties as the chair prescribes,
shall become chair for the remainder of the term should the chair
resign or otherwise be unable to serve, and shall preside in the
absence of the chair.
The ED, under the guidance of the chair, provides leadership and
support for activities of the Association, maintains permanent
Association files, maintains liaison with other associations and
government agencies and maintains the NCRA website.
Officers and designees of the NCRA are responsible for maintaining
and then passing on to their successors complete sets of official
documents and documents of a continuing directive nature.
The Executive Committee shall be comprised
of the chair, chair-elect, past chair; chair of the Multistate
Research Committee (MRC), and the ED.
The Executive Committee, through the chair, executes the programs
of the NCRA and guides the activities of the ED and other staff.
The Executive Committee also is empowered to handle the immediate
affairs of the NCRA between business meetings.
Committees may be established and
administrative advisors and other designees named at the will
of the NCRA. Administrative advisors shall be named from among
the SAES membership of the NCR; committee members may include
anyone desired (members or not) who are willing to serve. A list
of committees and designees for the coming year is to be prepared
by the Executive Director and circulated to the membership as
a part of the minutes of the summer meeting of the NCRA. Continuing
(permanent) committees or committee assignments consist of the
following:
1. Multistate Research Committee (MRC): five members
are elected, each to serve a three- year term. At least one member
is elected each year to succeed the member whose term expires.
The members elect their own chair for a one-year term. The ED
serves as an ex-officio nonvoting member.
2. Experiment Station Committee on Organization And Policy (ESCOP):
The NCRA has three representatives on ESCOP. They are the chair-elect,
chair, and immediate past chair of NCRA. The immediate past chair
of NCRA represents NCRA on the ESCOP Executive Core Committee.
The ED serves as a permanent alternate. ESCOP has a number of
standing, technical, and ad hoc subcommittees to which members
of NCRA are nominated. For details, consult the current ESCOP
membership and committee list.
For purposes of doing NCRA business, a quorum shall consist of a minimum of seven (7) SAES members present and voting at any duly called meeting where written notice and agenda are sent out three weeks in advance of the meeting. A simple majority resolves all issues except amendment of the Rules of Operation which shall require a two-thirds majority.
The emphasis in all meetings shall
be on orderly process to achieve an objective decision by those
present and voting. Should there be a parliamentary challenge,
however, it shall be answered by reference to Robert's Rules of
Order.
These Rules of Operation may be amended
at any business meeting of the NCRA or voted on by electronic
ballot provided the proposed amendment has been mailed to all
members three weeks in advance of that meeting and is passed by
a two-thirds majority of the voting members present at the meeting.
9/01