Mechanics Division Bylaws

Revised June 1993 - pdf Version, Word Version

Article I.  Name and Purposes

  1. The name of this organization shall be the Mechanics Division of the American Society for Engineering Education.

  2. The purposes of this division are identical with those of the Society as stated in Article I of the Constitution and with those of the Professional Interest Council (PIC) III as stated in Article I of its By-Laws, but with special emphasis on those objectives as they pertain to the field of mechanics.

Article 2.  Membership

Membership of this division shall consist of those individual members of the Society who wish to affiliate with this division.   Affiliation with this division is accomplished by appropriately marking the field-of-interest questionnaire circulated annually by the Executive Secretary of the Society.

Article 3.  Executive Committee

  1. There shall be an Executive Committee of the Mechanics Division presided over by a Chair who shall also serve as Chair of the division itself.

  2. The Executive Committee shall consist normally of eight elected members.  The immediate past Chair of the division shall also be a member of the committee even though the regular term as an elected committee member has expired.  Committee members shall be elected for terms of four years each, with the terms staggered so that two members are elected each year.

  3. The Chair-Elect, an elected member of the Executive Committee, will serve as Program Chair and become the Division Chair the following year.  The Program Chair shall be responsible for arranging the annual program of the division in consultation with the Chair of the Executive Committee.   Suggestions for the Annual Meeting shall be solicited from members of the Executive Committee and shall be invited from the division membership at large.

  4. The Program Chair-Elect, an elected member of the Executive Committee, will become Chair-Elect (Program Chair) the following year.  The Program Chair-Elect shall assist the Program Chair in arranging the annual program of the division and with obtaining the guest speaker.

  5. The Division Secretary/Treasurer and the Division Archivist shall be ex-officio advisory member of the Executive Committee without vote.

  6. Meetings:

a.  The Executive Committee shall hold an annual business meeting each year at the time of the annual meeting of the society.   The time and place of the annual business meeting shall be announced to the members of the Executive Committee not less than thirty (30) days before the date of the meeting.   The annual business meeting of the Executive Committee shall normally be held prior to the annual business meeting of the division.

b.  Special meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by the Chair upon fifteen (15) day's notice to the members.

c.  A quorum shall consist of four (4) voting members of the Executive Committee.

Article IV.  Standing and Special Committees

  1. The Council, Division and Constituent Committee Operating Manual prescribes the following standing committees as a minimum: Program, Nominating, Membership, Publicity and /or Newsletter and Awards Committees.

  2. There shall be standing committees of the Executive Committee in the subject areas of solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, dynamics, and software.  These committees shall serve as a source of advice and evaluation for the Executive Committee and as reviewers for the Program Chair.   Members of these standing area committees shall be appointed each year to each committee.

  3. Special committees may be appointed by the Chair of the Executive committee to meet special needs of the division.

Article V.  Officers

  1. The officers of the Mechanics Division shall consist of the Division Chair, the Division Secretary/Treasurer, Awards Chair and the Division Archivist; and their duties shall be those that usually evolve upon such offices and are contained in the Mechanics Division Operating Manual.

  2. A Program Chair-Elect shall be elected from and by the Executive Committee ans shall succeed to the offices of Chair-Elect (Program Chair) and Chair in successive years.  Each office shall be held for a one-year term.  The election of the Program Chair-Elect shall be by mail ballot prior to June 1 each year.  Not later than May 1, ballots shall be mailed to members of the Executive Committee by the secretary of the division and are to be marked and returned to the secretary for tallying.  In case of a tie vote, a run-off election will be held by those members of the Executive Committee present at the annual meeting.   In the event of a vacancy in the office of Chair, the Division Secretary will notify the Senior Executive Committee member who will serve as Chair for the duration of that particular term.  The senior committee member shall be considered as that member whose tenure in office on the committee is longest.  In the event of a tie with respect to such time, the tie shall be resolved in favor of the one whose membership in the Society is the longest.

  3. The Chair and immediate past Chair shall also serve as members of the Executive Board of the PIC III committee of the Society in accordance with the bylaws of that council.

  4. The Executive Committee, through the Chair, shall appoint a Secretary/Treasurer of the division to serve a term of one year.   NO limitation shall be placed on the number of consecutive terms that may be served by the Secretary/Treasurer.  The Secretary/ Treasurer shall keep and maintain the records of the division, keep a roster of membership, be responsible for the space ans other requirements for the annual and other meetings, and list the attendance at such meetings.  The Secretary/Treasurer will maintain financial records as outlined in Article X below.

  5. The Executive Committee, through the Chair, shall appoint an Awards Chair of the division for a term of one year.  No limitation shall be placed on the number of consecutive terms that may be served by the Awards Chair.

  6. The Executive Committee, through the Chair, shall appoint an archivist of the division for a term of one year.  No limitation shall be placed on the number of consecutive terms that may be served by the Archivist.

Article VI.  Nomination and Elections

The Nominating Committee, whose members shall be the three most recent available past Chairs of the Division, and whose Chair shall be the most recent available past Chair of the Division, shall nominate two candidates for four-year terms on the Executive Committee.  The names of the nominees shall be posted on the central ASEE bulletin board by the Division Secretary or an appointed representative on or before the day prior to the annual business meeting of the division.   Additional names may be placed in nomination from the floor at the annual business meeting of the division by presentation of a written nomination signed by five or more division members.  Election shall be by majority vote of those members present and voting at the annual business meeting of the division.  Additional names may be placed in nomination from the floor at the annual business meeting of the division by presentation of a written nomination signed by five or more division members.   Election shall be by majority vote of those members present and voting at the annual business meeting of the division.  Vacancies and unexpired terms shall be filled by temporary appointments approved by a majority of the Executive Committee.   The temporary appointments shall be in effect until the next annual meeting, at which time the vacancies shall be filled through regular procedures.

Article VII.  Meetings and Activities

  1. The Executive Committee shall arrange for an annual conference for the division to be held concurrently with the annual meeting of the Society.

a.  An annual business meeting of the division shall be scheduled during the annual conference of the division.  The time and place of the business meeting shall be published in the annual program prepared by the Society.  A quorum shall consist of fifteen (15) members of the division.

b.  One or more additional meetings of the division and/or joint meetings with other ASEE groups may be scheduled during the annual conference of the division.

  1. The Executive Committee shall have power to arrange special summer schools to be sponsored by the Society, or by the Society and other cooperating agencies.

  2. The Executive Committee shall administer such other activities as may be desirable for the promotion of the purposes of the division.

  3. Individual members of the Society and other interested persons shall be eligible to attend all meetings of the division.

Article VIII.  Awards

  1. The Awards Chair will head a committee of three appointed by the Executive Committee, through the Chair, who will select winners of the Mechanics Division awards. 

  2. The Archie Higdon Distinguished Educator Award will be presented annually at the Division Banquet to the outstanding mechanics educator.  Nominees will normally be solicited from the membership at large in the Fall Newsletter.

  3. The Outstanding New Mechanics Educator Award will be presented to mechanics educators with up to five years experience beyond their terminal degree.  Up to three individuals will be recognized annually at the Division Banquet.  Nominees will normally be solicited from the membership at large in the Fall Newsletter.

  4. The Mechanics Division Service Award will be awarded to an individual in honor of and with deep appreciation for extraordinary service given to the Mechanics Division.  This award will be given infrequently upon the recommendation of the Awards Committee and approval of the Executive Committee.

Article IX.  Publications

  1. The Mechanics Division Newsletter. The secretary/Treasurer of the division shall be authorized to assemble, prepare and edit the Mechanics Division Newsletter.  The Newsletter will normally be published four times a year.

  2. Papers. All papers presented at meetings of the division become the property of the Society and may be recommended for publication in the Conference Proceedings, ASEE Prism or in the Mechanics Division Newsletter.

Article X.  Finances

The Secretary/Treasurer manages the Bank Account Service System (BASS) and Operating Budget Accounts of the division in accordance with guidance from ASEE HQ and the Mechanics Division Operating Manual.

Article XI.  Amendments

These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members of the division attending the annual business meetin of the division.   Amendments may be submitted by a committee of three members appointed by the Chair of the division of by petition signed by not fewer than twenty-five (25) members of the division.  Proposed amendments shall be circulated by mail to the members of the Executive Committee of the division to less than thirty (30) days prior to the annual meeting, at which time the amendments will be presented for adoption and posted at the annual meeting at least one day prior to the business meeting at which the amendments are to be voted upon.

Prof. Joseph J. Rencis
204 Mechanical Engineering Building
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR 72701
1-479-575-4153 (V-mail/Office)
1-479-575-6982 (FAX)
jjrencis@uark.edu (E-mail)

Copyright 2002, ASEE Mechanics Division
For problems or questions regarding this web contact Prof. Joseph J. Rencis.
Last updated: June 04, 2010.