ECCSSA is an association of professional social and behavioral scientists, scientists and related professionals devoted to advancing research, practice, knowledge, and understanding, in the social and behavioral sciences for the progression of humankind.

The Association covers most of the Eastern United States and the Gulf Coast States, including Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as the Atlantic Provinces of Canada.

Mission Statement

WHO WE ARE

The East Coast Colleges Social Science Association (ECCSSA) is comprised of university and college faculty and academic staff in the social, behavioral sciences and allied disciplines in the sciences and humanities. Membership is open to anyone interested in the purpose and mission of the Association. Individuals and institutions meeting the criteria set forth in our By-laws shall become members upon the Treasurer’s receipt of dues. Disciplines include, but are not limited to: anthropology, criminal justice, economics, education, geography, history, political science, sociology, psychology, and related disciplines.

OUR MISSION

ECCSSA distinguishes itself by promotion of collaboration between disciplines and institutions. We promote cooperation in research and teaching that contributes to improving human opportunity and potential, community health and the public good at the local, regional, and global levels.

HOW WE MEET OUR MISSION

ECCSSA pursues this mission through a variety of venues including: an annual conference, public discussions led by issues’ experts, production of an annual Journal; and networking among individuals and institutions.

We conduct these activities and work to achieve these objectives without primary profit and in accordance with Section 501©3 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law) thereby allowing the Corporation to qualify as a tax-exempt organization.

By-Laws


East Coast Colleges Social Science Association

Article 1: Name

Section 1.01 The name of this organization is “East Coast Colleges Social Science Association” (ECCSSA) as amended in 2012. It exists by virtue of incorporation, approved on February 17, 1978 in the State of New Jersey. The Association was reincorporated in the State of Virginia in 2010. Some terms have changed based on language in the State of Virginia Incorporation, such as the change in the name Board of Trustees to Board of Directors.

Article 2: Mission

Section 2.01. 

According to the articles of incorporation, the ECCSSA has as its mission, the following:

  • To promote interest in the study and teaching of the Social Science and Behavioral Sciences – which includes anthropology, criminal justice,  economics, education, geography, history, political science, sociology, and psychology and  all modifications or combinations of subjects whose content as well as aim is predominantly social, behavioral or educational.
  • To promote the study of problems of teaching the social and behavioral sciences to the best advantages of students in the classroom;
  • To encourage research, experimentation and investigation in the field of  the social  and behavioral sciences;
  • To hold public discussions and programs, sponsor the publication of desirable articles, reports, and surveys; and, to integrate the efforts and activities of its members and their cooperative activities with others interested in the advancement of education in the social and behavioral sciences;
  • To cooperate with similar organizations in ventures which will achieve these purposes;
  • To do anything and everything necessary, suitable, convenient or incidental to the aforementioned purposes;
  • To conduct these activities and to achieve these objectives without primary profit and in accordance with Section 501©3 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law) thereby allowing the Corporation to qualify as a tax exempt organization.


Article III: Board of Directors (Formerly Board of Trustees)

Section 3.01. The association shall be managed by the Board of Directors (formerly Trustees) which shall consist of not less than three (3) or more than eleven (11) members who shall serve three year terms.

Section 3.02. The number of elected Directors Trustees shall be determined by the Board. Any increase or decrease in the number of Trustees shall follow the procedures set forth in these By-Laws.

Section 3.03. The Chair shall be an ex-officio member of the Board during the term of office and for two years following.

Section 3.04. A majority of Board shall be in the field of  the Social and Behavioral Sciences at a  2 year or 4 year or graduate College or University. The appointment of members to the Board will be on an as needed basis.(Note: ECCSSA changed this language when the restructuring of ECCSSA occurred from the language of the Board being selecting on a rotating basis with 1/3 of the membership elected each year. The Board voted that members could serve indefinite terms in order to identify individuals who had a genuine interest in the work and mission of the Association.)

Section 3.05. A majority of the members of the Board  shall be considered a quorum. A simple majority of those voting shall decide any question.

Section 3.06. In the event of the resignation or death of a Board member, the remaining Directors/Trustees may appoint a replacement to serve until the next annual meeting when a new member shall be elected to fill the remainder of the unexpired term. The appointment of said Board member shall be made at a meeting of the Board.

Section 3.07. Any Board member who misses two consecutive meetings, including teleconferences, may be dropped from the Board at the discretion of a majority of Board members. Non-payment of dues is also grounds for dismissal. A Board member will be notified in writing of such a decision.

Section 3.08. The Board shall elect a chairperson from its membership at the annual meeting to serve for at minimum a three-year term. Nothing however, shall prevent an elected chairperson from serving more than a three-year term. The chairperson shall be ex-officio member of the Board for two years following the term of service.

Section 3.09. In the event of a resignation or death of the chairperson, the officers of the Board, acting as a group, shall call a special meeting of the Board for the purpose of electing a new Chairperson.

Section 3.10. The Board shall have the power to appropriate funds from the treasury, to review the actions of officers and committees, to select the place for the annual meeting, and to exercise all powers not herein assigned to other officers.

Article IV: Board Meetings

Section 4.01. The Board may hold its meetings at the office of the Corporation or at such other places either within or without the Commonwealth of Virginia, as it may from time to time determine.

Section 4.02. There shall be at least two (2) Board meetings each year, including teleconferences one to be held at the annual meeting, the second to be called by the Chairperson of the Board.

Article V: Board Officers and Duties

Section 5.01. The officers of this Association shall be: a) Chair; b) Vice-Chair; c) Secretary, and d) Treasurer.

Section 5.02. Any member of the Association shall be eligible to apply for membership on the Board and for any office. All members elected to office must consent thereto and must be members in good standing.

Section 5.03. The Officers can be appointed at  any time and at the Board meeting during the annual meeting of the Association by a majority of the Board and membership voting at the meeting.

Section 5.04. The Board of Directors shall review applications submitted by its membership and put a motion on the floor for a vote. If this takes place at the annual meeting, the Board and membership can vote. The Board can also meet at its discretion to vote in new members of the Board. Each newly appointed member of the Board shall serve a one-year contingency period after which time, the appointed member can serve an extended term. This one-year contingency is provided to give the new member  the opportunity to experience the work of the Association and the Board; as well as determine if membership is a good fit for all involved.

Role of Chair

Section 5.05. The Chair shall be a general advisor to the Board of Directors/Trustees. It shall be the Chair’s obligation to promote in all suitable ways the best interest of the Association. The Chair shall assist in planning the programs and appoints chairs of committees to carry on the work of the Association.

Section 5.06. The Chair is an ex-officio, non-voting member of all committees, with the exception of the Nominating Committee.

Role of Vice Chair

Section 5.07. In the temporary absence of the Chair, the Vice Chair will transact the duties of the Chair and such other duties as the Board shall determine.

Section 5.08. The Vice-Chair participates closely with the Chair to develop and implement officer transition plan. The Vice-Chair shall also assume such duties as the Chair or Board of Directors/Trustees shall specify. In the case where the Chair has to depart, the Vice-Chair shall function as Chair until a new Chair is elected.

Role of Secretary

Section 5.09. The Secretary and Treasurer shall be responsible for carrying out policies formulated by the Board of Directors/Trustees.

Section 5.10. The Secretary shall maintain the records including archiving e-mails and postal communication, advertisements about ECCSSA and an active list of ECCSSA membership.

  • The Secretary shall work cooperatively with the treasurer in maintaining these records.
  • The Secretary shall be sufficiently familiar with legal documents (articles, by-laws, etc.) to note applicability during  meetings.
  • The Secretary shall distribute the minutes of all meetings no later than 72 hours after they are held to Trustees, Officers, and registered agent.
  • The Secretary shall keep an organized file of all minutes, notices and committee reports. It is incumbent upon an out-going Secretary to see that these records are transferred to the new Secretary in total.
  • In the event the Secretary is not present at a meeting, a selected member shall take the minutes and communicate them to the Secretary.

Section 5.11. In the event that the Secretary is unable to serve for any reason, the Chair of the Board shall appoint a substitute to serve until the next annual meeting, with the advice and consent of the Board.

Role of Treasurer

Section 5.12. The Treasurer shall manage the finances of the Association.  

  • The treasurer shall receive and disburse all funds. The Treasurer shall keep a record of all expenditures and sign all checks. The Chairperson shall countersign all checks over twenty-five dollars.
  • The treasurer shall publish an annual financial report for distribution during the annual meeting. Financial records shall be available for inspection by members.
  • The treasurer shall provide a list of active full-paying members to the officers of the Board of Trustees and to the Secretary of the Board after each annual conference.
  • The treasurer ensures development and board review of financial policies and procedures.


Section 5.13. In the event that the Treasurer is unable to serve for any reason, the Chair of the Board shall act as treasurer or appoint a substitute to serve until  such time a treasurer is elected or appointed, with the advice and consent of the Board.

Section 5.14. In the event that an officer is unable to serve or if the Board determines that an officer has not performed his/her duties in accordance with these by-laws, the Board may, by a majority vote, remove the individual and appoint a substitute to serve until the appointment or election of a replacement.

Article VI: Board Committees

Section 6.01. There will be four standing committees: the Nominating, Awards, Marketing, and  Membership. The members shall be appointed by a vote of the Board of Directors/Trustees. In addition, the Board may establish such ad hoc committees as it deems necessary and may appoint the members to those ad hoc committees.

Role of Nominating Committee**This language will be changing based on the reorganization of the Association’s activities. With the change of the conference structure, the Board voted to eliminate Annual Meetings of a membership. The Board needs to meet to change the language of this section.

Section 6.02. There shall be a standing committee on Nominations which shall recommend at least one candidate for each of the following officers to which elections is required at the annual meetings: vacancies on the Board of Trustees, Chairperson, Co-Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Section 6.03. The Nominating Committee shall solicit nominations for officers and trustees with the association’s newsletter prior to the annual convention. Nominations from the floor will also be accepted.

Section 6.04. Prior to the annual meeting, the Nominating Committee shall submit to the membership a listing, with a brief biography, of all candidates nominated by the Nominating Committee or by petition. Listings shall be by office and in alphabetic order of candidates for that office. The listing shall indicate the Nominating Committee’s candidates. If an ad hoc group (having taken a name) submits a slate of candidates by petition, the ad hoc group’s name shall be indicated next to candidates on the listing.

Role of Awards Committee

Section 6.05. There shall be a standing committee on Awards which shall recognize through appropriate means outstanding achievements in the social sciences in or for the community colleges.

Role of Marketing Committee

Section 6.06. There shall be a standing committee on Marketing.  

  • The Marketing committee shall be charged with the responsibility of assessing the potential markets and membership for ECCSSA, including identifying needs, primary constituencies to be served (target markets), products and services to be offered and how services are provided.  
  • The marketing committee also is responsible for ongoing promotion of the Association, including analyzing market trends, advertising, public relations and membership.  
  • The marketing committee may choose to appoint a subcommittee on membership.


Role of Committee Chairs

Section 6.07. The Committee Chair shall ensure that members have the information needed to do their work. Committee chairs also organize committee operations and make appropriate assignments to committee members, sets the agenda and runs the meeting.

Article VII: Adopted Rules


Section 7.01. The Board and Committees have the right to adopt special rules to meet a current or special situation. The Board and committees shall adopt special rules by majority vote of all members present.

Article VIII: Association Membership

Section 8.01. Membership is open to anyone interested in the purposes of this Association. Individuals and institutions, meeting the criteria set forth in these By-laws, shall become members upon the Treasurer’s receipt of dues.

Section 8.02. The annual dues for individual membership in ECCSSA shall be the responsibility of the Board, and shall be established by the Board. The Board may also devise categories of membership. Any increase in the membership fee schedule shall be approved by the Board. The dues period normally runs from one annual meeting to the next. (However, renewals and new members are welcome at any time.)


Section 8.03. An annual meeting of the membership shall be held during the open Board meeting at each annual conference. A special meeting may be called by the Chair of the Board of this Association when deemed necessary.**This language should change. The annual meeting can be the posting of a report on the website.

Section 8.05. A membership listing for conduct of association business shall be available to any member within the association.

Article IX: Parliamentary Authority

Section 9.01. The current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised governs this Association in all parliamentary situations that are not provided for in the law or its certificate of incorporation, by-laws, or adopted rules.

Article X: Amendment of By-laws

Section 10.01. These by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the membership in person or by mail.

Section 10.02. Proposed amendments shall be formulated by the  Chair and/or members of the Board  or an appointed Committee by the Board and submitted to the membership.

Section 10.03. Proposed amendments may also be submitted by members of the Association to the Board for review and consideration.

Section 10.04. There shall be no proxy voting.

Publication Disclaimer: ECCSSA hereby let it be known that the authors are solely responsible for the appropriate citation of references, particularly as it refers to images, in works submitted for publication. In the case, that copyright issues emerge, the author will be held responsible for liabilities.

Modified and amended: May 1, 2015. More changes to be made based on reorganization.