ARTICLE I:  NAME AND AUTHORITY

Section 1:  The name of this association shall be the Northwest International Baccalaureate Association (NIBA).

Section 2:  The association shall be governed by the broad dictates set forth in the Corporations Not For Profit section of the Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho, and Alaska statutes.

ARTICLE II:  PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

Section 1:  The purpose of the Northwest International Baccalaureate Association shall be the general improvement of education for students enrolled in International Baccalaureate and preparatory programs in the states of Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and Alaska.

Section 2:  The following objectives of NIBA are designed to achieve the purpose given in Section 1 of this article:

1. To facilitate continuing program development, curriculum improvement, and curriculum implementation.


2. To facilitate and sponsor International Baccalaureate (IB) and preparatory in-service training for teachers, counselors, coordinators, and administrators.


3. To serve as a clearing house for ideas and materials relating to IB and associated preparatory programs.


4. To facilitate publicity for students, schools, and school systems participating in the IB and associated preparatory programs.


5. To facilitate professional, student, and public discussion of IB and associated preparatory programs.


6. To provide a support structure for Northwest schools newly affiliated with the IB program.
7. To foster recognition and understanding of the International Baccalaureate by North American Universities and Colleges.


8. To act as a liaison between the International Baccalaureate and the Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and Alaska State Departments of Education, legislators, and legislative committees.


9. To pursue grant writing and corporate funding.

ARTICLE III:  MEMBERSHIP

Section 1:

1. Membership in the NIBA is open to Coordinators representing public, private, and parochial  schools that have bona fide affiliation or participation status in the International Baccalaureate North America (IBNA) organization.
2. Emeritus membership is extended to past coordinators of IB programs.  Emeritus membership does not require payment of membership dues.

Section 2:  Membership dues are $200 per member program per year.

ARTICLE IV:  DUTIES OF MEMBERSHIP 

Section 1:  The officers for the NIBA will be an Executive Director, a Deputy Director,, a treasurer, a recorder, and individual caucus chairs for each state, and a Board of Directors.  Coordinators are eligible to serve as officers after three years of membership participation in NIBA. 

Section 2:  Officers will be chosen for two-year, renewable terms.  They will be chosen at the annual Fall NIBA meeting in odd-number years, with the terms beginning the following summer.

Section 3:  The duties of the Executive Director shall be to preside over the NIBA meetings, to keep the official NIBA membership roster, to sign official NIBA letters, to be the liaison with IBNA, and to be the official contact person for the association, to set up the Fall Subjects Sessions, to invite and arrange accommodations, ground transportation, etc. for presenters, to represent NIBA at the Annual Regional Meeting, to keep NIBA members up to date on official business, and to plan the summer Board of Directors meeting.

Section 4:  The duties of the Treasurer are to collect all annual dues for NIBA, to collect all registration fees for teacher subject sessions, to collect money for NIBA fund-raising projects, and to keep current and accurate records of the NIBA bank account.

Section 5:  The duties of the Recorder are to take minutes at the NIBA meetings and to distribute these minutes to the membership.

Section 6:  The duties of the caucus chairs for each state are to work for better admission and credit policies at the public and private universities and colleges within the state, to attend the annual PNACAC meeting, and to work with the state departments of education and/or legislative bodies to promote the IB and to make sure that the IB is consistent with any educational reform movements.

Section 7:  The Executive Director has the authority to call an “ad hoc” committee from time to time to deal with issues that arise between meetings.  This committee will decide on a “recommended” course of action and present it to the membership by e-mail for quick approval. 
 
Section 8:  The duties of the Deputy Director are to represent NIBA at the IBNA Subregional Association Meeting and to implement the IBNA mission of increasing access to the IB within the NIBA states by being the contact person for interested and applicant schools, to assist the caucus chairs of each state, to arrange for an IB presence at PNACAC, and to facilitate business partnerships with IB programs.

ARTICLE V:   Board of Directors 

Section 1:  The NIBA Board of Directors shall consist of the Executive Director, the Deputy Director, the Treasurer, the Recorder, and (4) additional members.

Section 2:  The four additional members shall serve for 3-year terms and their terms shall be staggered.

Section 3:  The duties of the Board of Directors are to consider and propose Constitutional/structural changes to NIBA, make financial decisions and recommendations, act as a nominating committee for NIBA officers, and to create an agenda for the Fall meeting.

ARTICLE VI:  MEETINGS

Section 1:  Meetings of NIBA delegates will be held once a year in the Fall with a Board of Directors meeting in the summer.

Section 2:  Special meetings of NIBA delegates may be called by any member.

ARTICLE VII:  QUORUM 

Section 1:  A quorum for regular or special meetings shall be 2/3 of the membership.

ARTICLE VIII:  AMENDMENTS 

Section 1:  Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by filing a copy of the proposed amendment with the Executive Director prior to the meeting at which the proposal will be considered.

Section 2:  A two-thirds vote of the entire membership shall be required to effectuate an amendment to this constitution.

ARTICLE IX:  BY-LAWS 

Section 1:  The membership may provide such By-Laws for the conduct of its business and the carrying out of its purposes as it may deem necessary.

Sections 2:  Upon proper notice the By-Laws may be amended by a majority vote of the members at any regular or special meeting called for that purpose.

ARTICLE X:  RULES OF ORDER 

Section 1:  On all questions of parliamentary law not specifically covered in the Constitution and By-Laws, “Roberts Rules of Order, Revised” shall be the governing authority.