INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNSELING SERVICES
BYLAWS
Section I. The official name of
the Association shall be the INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNSELING SERVICES,
a nonprofit corporation, incorporated in the District of Columbia.
Section II. Offices of the
Association shall be located in Alexandria, Virginia, and/or in such other
locations as may be determined by the Board of Directors.
The objectives of the Association shall be:
(1) To advance the professional development
of counseling services by establishing and encouraging high standards of
professional performance and conduct.
(2) To develop criteria, procedures, and
principles for evaluating and accrediting counseling agencies and services.
This accreditation shall apply only to the agencies and their counseling
services and not to counseling staff of those agencies.
(3) To provide methods or procedures for
assisting accredited services to meet established criteria.
(4) To build public goodwill, confidence,
and knowledge of the counseling profession by educating the consumer and the
public in the advancement, improvement, and uses of counseling services.
(5) To foster professional cooperation and
communication among counseling services operating in a variety of settings by
providing opportunity for exchange of experiences and opinions through
discussion, study, and publications. It is not, however, an objective of this
Association to handle consumer or staff complaints against a specific center or
agency.
ARTICLE III.
NON-DISCRIMINATION
The Association shall not discriminate on the basis of age, race,
color, national or ethnic origin, religious preference, handicap, sex or sexual
orientation in its hiring or promotion of paid or unpaid staff, including, but
not limited to, officers of the Association, members of the Accrediting Board,
central office staff members, or field visitors. Furthermore, the Association encourages
participation in Association activities by members of traditionally under
served groups in all positions for which they are otherwise eligible.
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. MEMBERSHIP: The Association shall include only those
university and college counseling services which are engaged in a counseling function
and which are accredited at one of the levels noted in Section 3.
Section 2: MEMBER
AGENCIES: Services must make
application, be evaluated, and be granted an accreditation status to become
Member Agencies/Services. Criteria for
evaluation and accreditation shall be developed by the Accrediting Board.
Section 3. ACCREDITATION
STATUS'S: Services may be granted one of
three accreditation status's:
a. Accreditation may be granted a service
which meets fully the criteria established
for the counseling setting. Accredited Agencies will be reviewed and
re-evaluated fully every four (4) years.
b. Provisional Accreditation may be
granted an agency which upon initial review is in accord with the ethical
standards and broad criteria for acceptable professional practice, but which
does not meet fully the criteria established for the counseling setting. Provisionally Accredited Agencies must seek
re-evaluation and full Accreditation status within a three (3) year period from
the date of Provisional assignment, and must submit an Annual Report form and
Current Staff Sheet in the intervening years.
c. Probationary status is granted an
agency which has been accredited but which currently is not in satisfactory
compliance with established criteria.
Probationary status is granted normally for a period not to exceed 12
months, but the Accrediting Board may grant an extension. Agencies which are not removed from
Probationary status within the given time frame will be dropped from
membership.
Section 4. APPLICATION FOR
ACCREDITATION: Only University and four
(4) year college services engaged in a counseling function may apply. A responsible officer, e.g., a director, of a
counseling service shall complete and sign the application form provided by the
Association and shall submit it along with the appropriate fees to the
principal office of the Association.
Section 5. REVIEW AND
EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS: Applicant
Agencies will be reviewed by the Accrediting Board. Applicant Agencies may be granted or may be
denied an accredited status.
Section 6. REVIEW OF ACCREDITED
AGENCIES: Accredited Agencies shall be
re-evaluated every four (4) years from the date of the last full evaluation. During the intervening years, each Accredited
Agency shall submit an Annual Report form, noting significant changes occurring
in the preceding year, and shall submit a Current Staff Sheet. These documents shall be submitted to the
Association office for review by the Accrediting Board.
Section 7. DENIAL OF
ACCREDITATION: Any applicant Agency may
be denied accreditation status, either Provisional or Accredited; any Provisionally
Accredited Agency, Accredited or agency
on Probationary Status, upon re-evaluation, may be denied a continuation of
that or any other accredited status.
Agencies denied an accredited status may reapply as Applicant Agencies
at a later date and will undergo the usual process of review and evaluation by
the Accrediting Board.
Section 8. SUSPENSION AND
TERMINATION: Any Member Agency may be
suspended or terminated for cause.
Sufficient cause, other than non-payment of fees, shall include
violation of the Bylaws or any lawful rule or practice duly adopted by the
Association, or any conduct prejudicial to the interests and/or objectives of
the Association. Action to suspend or
terminate shall be taken by the Accrediting Board.
Section 9. RIGHT OF
APPEAL: Denial of an accredited status
or decision to suspend or terminate may be appealed according to the following
procedures:
a. The Accrediting Board will review, and
may reconsider, an accreditation, suspension, or termination decision upon
formal request for review by the principal officer of the effected agency. The request for review, specifying the
alleged error or other considerations to which exception is taken, must be
filed with the Chairperson of the Accrediting Board within sixty (60) days of
notice of the action. The Accrediting
Board will report its review decision to the Board of Directors.
b. Appeal of the Accrediting Board review
decision may be made to the Board of Directors on grounds of competence or
procedure. Such an appeal must be filed
with the President of the Association within sixty (60) days of notification of
the review decision, citing considerations to justify the appeal. After investigation, the Board of Directors
will either sustain the Accrediting Board decision or remand the case to the
Accrediting Board for re-evaluation under stipulated instructions in each
case. In the latter case the Accrediting
Board will report its findings to the Board of Directors for a final decision.
Section 10. VOTING: Each Accredited Agency shall have one vote on
questions subject to Association ballot.
That vote shall be exercised by the Accredited Agency director or
his/her designate. Each Accredited
Agency shall appoint and certify to the Association Office a person who shall
be the Agency's representative to the Association and who shall represent,
vote, and act for the Agency.
Termination of employment of the designated representative shall result
in termination of the representation; the Agency may then appoint and certify a
new representative.
FEES
Section 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF
FEES: All fees shall be established by
the Board of Directors. The Accrediting
Board may not collect fees or assess charges, except as approved by the Board
of Directors.
Section 2: EVALUATION
FEES: Fees for evaluation of agencies
seeking accreditation, re-accreditation or review for change in status may be
set and shall be consistent with the proper operation of the evaluation and
accreditation process. Fees so set must
accompany application for accreditation, and are non-refundable.
Section 3: DELINQUENCY: Any Member Agency delinquent in Association
fees for a period of sixty (60) days shall be notified of such delinquency and
shall be subject to suspension. If
payment of fees is not made within the next succeeding thirty (30) days, the
Agency shall be dropped from the rolls and thereupon forfeit all rights and privileges
unless suspension, at the request of the Agency, is waived by the Executive
Committee.
Section 4. REFUNDS: No fees shall be refunded.
MEETINGS
Section 1. SPECIAL
MEETINGS: Special meetings of the
Association may be called by the Board of Directors at any time; and special
meetings shall be called by the President upon receipt of a written request by
fifty (50) Accredited Agencies within thirty (30) days after the filing of such
request. The business to be transacted
at any special meeting shall be stated in the notice thereof, and no other
business may be considered at that time.
Section 2. REGIONAL
MEETINGS: Regional meetings of the
Association may be held at such time and place as shall be approved by the
Board of Directors.
Section 3. NOTICE OF
MEETINGS: Written notice of any meeting
of the Association shall be mailed to each Member Agency not less than ten (10)
nor more than forty (40) days before the date of the meeting.
Section 4. QUORUM: At any meeting of the Association, a quorum
shall consist of fifty one percent (51%) of the certified representatives of
all Accredited Agencies.
Section 5. VOTING: At meetings of the Association, each
Accredited Agency shall have one vote.
That vote and the right to participate may be exercised only by each
Agency's certified representative, registered and present. If a certified representative is unable to
attend a meeting, substitution may be made by the Agency upon certification to
the Association Office. Unless specifically
provided otherwise by these By Laws, a majority of those certified
representatives present and voting shall govern, provided a quorum is present.
Section 6. VOTING BY MAIL: Proposals to be offered to Accredited
Agencies for a vote by mail, excepting election or similar ballots, shall be
approved by the Board of Directors or shall be endorsed by fifty (50)
Accredited Agencies. For a vote by mail
to constitute a valid action, at least twenty percent (20%) of the Accredited
Agencies must vote, and a majority of those voting shall determine the action.
Section 7. RULES OF ORDER: The meetings and proceedings of this
Association shall be regulated and controlled according to Robert's Rules of
Order (Revised), except as may be stipulated otherwise within these By Laws.
Section 1.
The Accrediting Board established under these Bylaws represents the
University and four year College Counseling Center Setting.
Section 2. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE
ACCREDITING BOARD: The Accrediting Board
shall be charged with the responsibility for evaluating Member and Applicant
Agencies, the counseling functions of which fall within its purview. In fulfilling these responsibilities, the
Accrediting Board shall:
a. Develop and periodically review and/or
revise criteria for evaluation of University and College counseling services.
b. Follow administrative procedures
governing field visits;
c. Review carefully all material relevant
to the evaluation of an agency;
d. Communicate in a timely manner with
Applicant Agencies regarding evaluation procedures and results, and conduct the
appropriate reviews of those agencies;
e. Conduct periodic reviews of Accredited
and Provisional Agencies as required, and conduct reviews of Provisional and
Probationary Agencies within the time limits allowed for those reviews; and
f. Report annually to the Board of
Directors on activities and operations of the Accrediting Board.
Section 3. COMPOSITION OF
ACCREDITING BOARD: Accrediting Board
members must be employees of Accredited Agencies and engaged in counseling
functions. The Accrediting Board must
have at least one (1) but not more than five (5) members from each of the U.S.
geographic regions designated by the Board of Directors as North Atlantic, Southern,
Midwest, and Western; and may have one (1) but not more than five (5) members
from Accredited Agencies in Canada. An
eligible representative of an Accredited Agency in other countries may be added
to the Accrediting Board at the discretion of the Board. Exceptions to these stipulations must be
approved by the Board of Directors.
Section 4. SELECTION OF ACCREDITING
BOARD MEMBERS: Annually, the Accrediting
Board Chairperson shall appoint a Nominating Committee of at least three (3)
and not more than five (5) members of whom not more than two (2) shall have
served on a Nominating Committee the previous year.
This Committee shall invite suggestions and/or poll the Accredited
Agencies for candidates for Accrediting Board places which are vacant or about
to expire. The Committees shall then
nominate candidates for the required positions and report those nominations to
the Accrediting Board for ratification or election. Candidates so selected will serve for a three
(3) year term and will be eligible to serve one (1) additional term at the
discretion of the Accrediting Board Chairperson.
Section 5. FORMATION OF NEW
ACCREDITING BOARDS: New Accrediting
Boards representing other specialized counseling settings may be established by
the Board of Directors after appropriate criteria for each new counseling
setting have been developed by a Task Force of members from the new counseling
setting. Criteria so developed shall be
reviewed and must be approved by the Board of Directors.
Section 6. COMPOSITION OF NEWLY
FORMED ACCREDITING BOARDS: Upon
formation of a new Accrediting Board under these By Laws, the Board of
Directors shall appoint an ad hoc committee consisting of at least two (2)
members from each established Accrediting Board to evaluate the counseling
services of those Provisional Agencies seeking Accreditation within the new
counseling setting. The ad hoc committee
will recommend Accreditation of those agencies as appropriate; and from those
Accredited Agencies, the ad hoc committee will nominate representatives to
serve for a term on the new Accrediting Board.
Nominations will adhere to the requirement for representation by regions
as set forth in Section 3. The recommendations
of the ad hoc committee will be reviewed and ratified by the Board of
Directors.
Section 7. OFFICERS OF
ACCREDITING BOARDS: The Accrediting
Board shall elect a Chairperson whose term of office shall be at least two and
not more than three (3) years. The
additional officers required, the qualifications for officers and the method of
their selection shall be determined by the Accrediting Board. If the Accrediting Board is unable to select
a Chairperson, this then becomes the responsibility of the President of the
Association.
Section 8. VACANCIES ON
ACCREDITING BOARD: A vacancy on the
Accrediting Board shall occur: upon the
resignation of the member from the Board or upon the resignation of the member
from the professional staff of the Accredited Agency represented. Any vacancy
occurring on the Accrediting Board before expiration of a term of office shall
be filled by the Accrediting Board. An
Accrediting Board member so selected shall serve his/her own full term. If a vacancy cannot be filled by the
Accrediting Board, this then becomes the responsibility of the President of the
Association.
Section 9. MEETINGS OF
ACCREDITING BOARD: The Accrediting Board
shall meet at least once a year and shall give written notice thereof to the
Board of Directors and Member Agencies not less than two (2) months prior to
the time of meeting.
OFFICERS
Section 1. ELECTED
OFFICERS: The elected officers of the
Association shall be the President and the President Elect. The President Elect will be elected by the
Accredited Agencies of the Association each year and will succeed to the
Presidency. Each elected officer shall
serve until a successor has been duly elected and assumes office.
Section 2. APPOINTED OFFICERS:
The appointed officers of the Association shall be the Vice President and the
Treasurer. The Chairperson of the Accrediting Board shall be
appointed Vice President, and the number of Vice Presidents shall be increased
with the addition of each new Accrediting Board of the Association. The Treasurer shall be appointed by the Board
of Directors upon recommendation of the President and shall serve at the
pleasure of the Board.
Section 3. QUALIFICATIONS FOR ELECTED
OFFICE: The designated representative of
each Accredited Agency in good standing shall be eligible for nomination and
election to the elective offices of the Association.
Section 4. NOMINATION AND
ELECTION OF OFFICERS: A Nominating
Committee as specified in Article XI shall prepare and submit to Accredited
Agencies each year two (2) nominations for the office of President Elect of the
Association. Any person so nominated
shall have given his/her prior consent to nomination and election to that
office and his/her agreement to succeed to the Presidency if elected.
Section 5. TERM OF OFFICE: Each elected officer shall take office immediately
upon installation and shall serve for a term of one (1) year or until his/her
successor is duly elected and qualified.
Each elected and appointed officer shall serve concurrently as a member
of the Board of Directors and as a member of the Executive Committee.
Section 6. RE-ELECTION: No elected officer, having served one (1)
full term, shall be eligible for
re-election to the same office, until at least one (1) year shall have
elapsed.
Section 7. VACANCIES AND
REMOVAL: Vacancies in any elective
office may be filled by the Board of Directors at any regular or special
meeting; vacancies in the office of Vice President shall be filled by the
Accrediting Board. The Board of
Directors by a two thirds vote of its membership may remove any officer from
office for cause.
Section 1. PRESIDENT: The President shall be the principal elective
officer of the Association and shall preside at meetings of the Association and
the Board of Directors; he/she shall be a member ex-officio, with right to
vote, of all committees except the Nominating Committee. The President shall, at whatever time is
deemed proper, communicate to the Association or to the Board of Directors such
matters and make such suggestions as may in his/her opinion tend to promote the
welfare and increase the usefulness of the Association, and he/she shall
perform such other duties as are necessarily incident to the office of
President or as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. PRESIDENT ELECT: The President Elect shall assist the
President with duties as shall be delegated by the Board of Directors and shall
succeed to the Presidency. The
President Elect shall perform the duties of the President in the event that the
President is unable to serve. Should the
President Elect be serving as Chairperson of the Accrediting Board at the time
of his/her election as President Elect, he/she may continue to serve in the
position of Chair until succeeding to the Presidency.
Section 3. IMMEDIATE PAST
PRESIDENT: The immediate Past President
shall serve as consultant to the President and shall continue implementation of
selected programs and policies for the benefit of the Association.
Section 4. VICE PRESIDENT: The Vice President who shall be the
Chairperson of the Accrediting Board shall be responsible for such duties as
are individually assigned to him/her by the President with the approval of the
Board of Directors.
Section 5. TREASURER: The Treasurer shall represent the Association
and insure the receipt and expenditure of funds in accordance with the
directives established by the Board of Directors, and shall be under such bond
as determined by the Board. The
Treasurer shall perform the duties customary to the office and such additional
duties as may be determined by the Board of Directors.
BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. AUTHORITY AND
RESPONSIBILITY: The Board of Directors
is the governing body of the Association and shall have supervision, control
and direction of the affairs of the Association, its committees and
publications; shall determine its policies and changes therein; shall actively
prosecute its objectives and supervise the disbursement of its funds. The Board of Directors shall set standards
for membership in the Association. It
shall establish and monitor minimum standards for all criteria for evaluation
and accreditation and shall ratify administrative and member selection
procedures adopted by the Accrediting Board.
The Board of Directors may adopt such rules and regulations for the
conduct of its business as shall be deemed advisable, and may, in the execution
of the powers granted, appoint such agents as it may consider necessary.
Section 2. COMPOSITION OF THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS: The Board of Directors
shall consist of the President, the immediate Past President, the
President Elect, Chairperson of the Accrediting Board who shall serve as Vice
President, and two (2) Representatives. The Representatives shall be elected by
Accredited Agencies. The Treasurer shall be an ex-officio member without vote.
Section 3. TERM OF OFFICE OF REPRESENTATIVES: Representatives of Accredited Agencies will
serve a term of three (3) years or until their successors have been elected and
assume office. Those Representatives who
have served a full three (3) year term shall not be eligible for re-election
until at least one (1) full year has elapsed.
Section 4. BALLOTING: Representatives to the Board shall be elected
by ballots mailed to the Accredited Agencies at least sixty (60) days prior to
the annual meeting of the Board of Directors.
Ballots must be received by the Association at least thirty (30) days
before the annual meeting of the Board.
The Board of Directors shall designate a recipient of the ballots.
Section 5. QUORUM OF THE
BOARD: At any meeting of the Board of
Directors, a majority of the whole Board shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of the business of the Association, and any such business
transacted shall be valid providing it is affirmed by a majority of those
present.
Section 6. MEETINGS OF THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS: The Board shall meet
annually and in special session upon call of the President at such time and
place as the President designates. The
Board may be called to meet in special session upon demand of a majority of the
Accredited Agencies. The business to be
transacted at any special meeting of the Board, including conference calls,
shall be stated in the notice thereof, and no other business may be transacted
at that time. Notice of all meetings of
the Board of Directors shall be sent to each member of the Board at his/her
last recorded address at least fourteen (14) days in advance of such meetings.
Section 7. VOTING: Voting rights of a member of the Board may
not be delegated to another nor exercised by proxy.
Section 8. ABSENCE: Any Officer or Representative who shall have
been absent from two (2) consecutive regular meetings of the Board of Directors
shall automatically vacate his/her seat on the Board of Directors, and the
vacancy shall be filled as provided by the Bylaws; however, the Board of
Directors shall consider each absence as a separate circumstance and may
expressly waive an absence by affirmative vote of a majority of its members.
Section 9. VACANCIES AND
REMOVAL: Any vacancy occurring on the
Board of Directors between annual meetings of the Board shall be filled by the
Board of Directors. A member of the
Board so elected to fill a vacancy shall serve the unexpired term of his/her
predecessor. The Board may remove any Board
Member for cause by affirmative vote of two thirds of its members.
Section 10. BOARD ELIGIBILITY
AND RESIGNATION PROCEDURES: When a
member of the Board of Directors provides notice (or it comes to the attention
of the Board) that he/she can no longer fulfill his/her Board responsibilities
or term of office, or that he/she is no longer eligible to serve on the Board,
that member should inform in writing, the President of the Board (or the
Executive Committee of the Board if the person initiating the vacancy action is
the Board President) of the intended resignation, the date of such a
resignation, and the reasons for initiating such action. When such situations come to the attention of
the Board of Directors, the Board has the authority to act to resolve
eligibility issues consistent with the intent and spirit of the Bylaws and the
best interests of the organization.
Section 11. COMPENSATION: Representatives
and Officers shall not receive any compensation for their services.
NOMINATIONS
The immediate Past President of the Association shall invite, from
Accredited Agencies, suggestions for those offices and Representative positions
on the Board of Directors which are vacant or about to expire, allowing at
least thirty (30) days for suggestions to be made. The Immediate Past President
shall then present two (2) nominations for each seat on the Board which is
vacant or about to expire to Accredited Agencies at least thirty (30) days
before the annual meeting of the Board of Directors. Said nominations shall be
voted upon by Accredited Agencies as prescribed by these Bylaws.
COMMITTEES
AND COUNCIL
Section 1. SPECIAL COMMITTEES:
The President with the approval of the Board of Directors shall appoint other
necessary committees, subcommittees or task forces which are not in conflict
with other provisions of these Bylaws. The duties of such committees shall be
prescribed by the Board of Directors upon their appointment.
Section 2. ADVISORY
COUNCIL: The Advisory Council shall be
selected and convened at the discretion of the Board of Directors. The Council shall number at least seven (7)
members; a majority shall be selected from the past presidents of the
Association, and the remainder shall be selected from Accredited Agencies. The Council will function only in an advisory
capacity to the Board of Directors and/or the President.
MAIL
VOTE
Section 1. SCOPE: Whenever, in the judgment of the Board of
Directors, any question shall arise which the Board believes should be put to a
vote of Accredited Agencies and when it deems it inexpedient to call a special
meeting for such purpose, the Board of Directors, unless prohibited by these
Bylaws, may submit such a matter to the Accredited Agencies in writing for
decision by a mail vote, and the question thus presented shall be determined
according to a majority of the votes received.
Voting on any matter, including the election of officers or Representatives,
may be conducted by mail, electronic mail or fax. Any and all action taken in pursuance of a
majority vote by mail in each case shall be binding upon the Association in the
same manner as would be action taken at a duly called meeting.
BUSINESS
AFFAIRS
Section 1. EXECUTIVE AND
STAFF: The Board of Directors shall
employ a salaried staff head whose title and terms and conditions of employment
shall be specified by the Board. This
person shall manage and direct all activities of the Association as prescribed
by the Board of Directors and shall be responsible to the Board; shall employ
and may terminate the employment of members of the staff necessary to carry on
the work of the Association; shall fix their compensation within the approved
budget; shall define the duties of the staff, supervise their performance,
establish their titles and delegate those responsibilities of management as in
his/her judgment, shall be in the best interest of the Association.
Section 2. FISCAL PERIOD: The fiscal period of the Association shall be
established by the Board of Directors.
Section 3. BUDGET: The Board of Directors shall adopt in advance
of the next fiscal period an annual operating budget covering all activities of
the Association. The Treasurer shall
furnish the Association within sixty (60) days following the end of each annual
fiscal period a financial report for the year just completed.
DISSOLUTION
Section 1. Dissolution of the
Association may be prescribed only by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. PROVISIONS: The Association shall use its funds only to
accomplish the objectives and purposes specified in these Bylaws, and no part
of said funds shall inure, or be distributed to the Member Agencies of the
Association. On dissolution of the
Association any funds remaining shall be distributed to one or more regularly
organized and qualified charitable, educational, scientific or philanthropic
organizations to be selected by the Board of Directors, provided that such
organizations are exempt under Section 501 (C) (3) or corresponding provisions
of the Internal Revenue Code.
Section 1. PROVISIONS: These Bylaws may be amended, in whole or in
part, by a two thirds vote of the Board of Directors present at any special or
regular meeting, notice of proposed changes having been sent to Accredited
Agencies thirty (30) days before such meeting.
Amendments may be proposed by the Board of Directors on its own
initiative, or upon petition of any fifty
(50) Accredited Agencies addressed to the Board. Adoption of amendments proposed by petition
shall be by a majority vote of Accredited Agencies returning mail ballots
within thirty (30) days following the date of mailing by the Association.
Section 2. MAIL BALLOT: When in the judgment of the Executive
Committee it appears undesirable to wait for a regular meeting or to call a
special meeting of the Board to amend the Bylaws, the matter may be submitted
to the Board of Directors in writing by mail for vote and decision. The question thus presented shall be approved
by a two/thirds vote of the Board of Directors.
Any and all action taken in pursuance of this vote in each case shall be
binding on the Association in the same manner as would be action taken at a
duly called meeting.