Article I
Name

The name of this organization shall be the Southwest Association of College and University Housing Officers and shall hereafter be referred to as the Association.

Article II
Purpose

This Association is organized for educational and research purposes of its membership and shall not be operated for profit. In furtherance of these general purposes, the Association shall strive:

Section 1. To encourage membership and participation in the Association without regard to any form of arbitrary discrimination.

Section 2. To contribute to the improvement and coordination of the various aspects of student residence, food service, developmental programming, administration, and related operations at member institutions.

Section 3. To sponsor activities, services, and research which will aid its members and provide a means of exchanging and distributing professional information and ideas relating to the various aspects of student residence, food service, developmental programming, and related operations.

Section 4. To support and encourage the professional development of Association members.

Section 5. To ensure that the Association's programs, services, and related activities represent the diverse student population which it serves.

Article III
Membership

Section 1. Membership in the Southwest Association of College and University Housing Officers is by institutions and shall be open to all institutions of higher education (junior colleges, four-year colleges and universities) located in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, and which have housing officers involved in the coordination of administration, educational programming and/or food service operation for students and staff members. Membership of similar institutions located outside of Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas may be granted by the Executive Committee.

Section 2. When all or part of an institution's on-campus housing is provided by a private company, the following membership guidelines shall apply:

1. If the only housing by an institution is provided by a private company, then the private company may become a member if the institution's designated authority approves in writing that the private company may represent the institution. If approved, the private company's representative would be entitled to one vote and individuals may hold office. This company will be referred to as an affiliate of the institution.

2. If both the institution and a private company provide campus housing, then the institution's Chief Housing Officer will determine if the private company's employees will be included within the membership of the institution, or if the private company may represent the institution and become the recognized SWACUHO member. If the latter occurs, the private company's representative will be entitled to one vote and individuals may hold office provided the host institution's CHO specifies in writing that the private company may represent the institution.

3. If both the institution and a private company provide campus housing for the institution but the Chief Housing Officer does not wish to include the private company's employees within the institution's membership, then the private company may become an Associate Member, but individuals may not vote or hold office.

Section 3. Association membership may be granted by the Executive Committee to those who have an expressed interest in the activities and purpose of the organization. The criteria for this category of membership will be:

1. Associate Member--at the discretion of the Executive Committee, membership may be granted to any organization or individual who has an express interest in the activities and purpose of the organization.

2. Emeritus Affiliate Member--any individual who has retired from an institution of higher education eligible for membership in the Association or who has retired from a private residence hall at an institution eligible for membership in the Association.

3. Associate Member and Emeritus Affiliate membership include all member benefits, except voting rights and holding an elected office.

Section 4. There shall be no honorary memberships.

Section 5. The membership year for the Association shall be from October 1 to September 30. A member failing to pay annual dues by the date of the annual conference of any membership year shall be presumed to have allowed their membership to lapse. Institutions requesting information about SWACUHO and wishing to pay dues prior to the annual conference will have the dues applied to the current year's membership roster. Those institutions paying dues at the annual conference or through September 30 will have the dues applied to the upcoming membership year.

Section 6. A canceled membership may be reinstated by reapplying for membership.

Article IV
Dues

There shall be no fee charged for admission to the Association. Annual dues will be established by the Association by-laws.

Article V
Annual Conference

The Association shall hold a conference annually.

Article VI
Representation

Section 1. Any institution of higher education or affiliate eligible for membership shall be entitled to send one or more representatives to Association conferences. Only housing officers of member institutions or their affiliates shall be eligible for election to office in the Association. Article III, Section 2 membership guidelines will apply.

Section 2. Each member college, university or affiliate sending a representative or representatives to an Association conference shall have one vote regardless of the number of delegates in attendance. Article III, Section 2 membership guidelines will apply.

Section 3. One summary report of the information submitted and actions taken in annual conferences shall be recorded and provided to each member institution, affiliate or associate.

Article VII
Officers

Section 1. The Officers of the Association shall be a President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Section 2. The President-elect shall be elected at the annual conference business meeting of the Association and shall serve until the close of the next following conference. The President-elect shall automatically progress to the Presidency the succeeding year at the close of the annual conference providing s/he remains a member in good standing in the Association. The Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected at an annual conference for a two-year term, providing s/he remains a member in good standing in the Association. Their term of office of the Secretary and Treasurer shall not be concurrent. All officers are eligible for reelection.

Section 3. Nominations for the President-elect, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be made by the Nominating Committee. Further nominations may be presented from the floor by members.

Section 4.

1. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the President-elect shall progress to the Presidency, and an interim appointment to the office of President-elect shall be made by the new President until the next election at the annual business meeting.

2. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President-elect, the President shall call upon the Nominating Committee to submit nominees for the position of President-elect and shall poll all member institutions by written ballot within thirty days of the vacancy.

3. In the event of other vacancies on the Executive Committee, the President shall make interim appointments.

4. All interim appointments shall be with the concurrence of the Executive Committee.

Section 5. The President will appoint, with the concurrence of the Executive Committee, a State Director from each of the three states: Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, to serve a two-year term on the Executive Committee. State Directors shall serve as membership chairpersons for their respective states. State Directors for Arkansas and Oklahoma will be appointed on odd calendar years; Texas will be appointed on even years.

Section 6. The President will appoint, with the concurrence of the Executive Committee, a Newsletter Chairperson, a Historian and a Data/Marketing Coordinator to each serve a two-year term on the Executive Committee. The Newsletter Chairperson, in addition to editing, printing and distributing the Association newsletter, will act as the Association contributing editor for the ACUHO-I news magazine and serve as the official photographer at the Association meetings and conferences. The Historian will maintain all archives and relevant information pertaining to the Association. The Data/Marketing Coordinator will develop and maintain accurate computer data base information on the Association and its membership assuring accurate communication with the membership on Association activities.

Section 7. The four elected officers, President, President-elect, Secretary, and Treasurer, the three State Directors, and the immediate Past-President shall constitute the Executive.

Article VIII
Conduct of Business

Section 1. The Association shall conduct a business meeting during each annual conference. Sixty percent of voting members present at each conference shall constitute a quorum.

Section 2. Any matters which the President may wish to refer to the membership at times when the annual conference is not in session may be submitted to the membership by correspondence if it cannot be deferred until the next annual conference.

Section 3. Officers for the ensuing year shall be elected at the business meeting of the Association.

Section 4. Prior to the opening of the business meeting of the annual conference, the Treasurer shall certify member representatives eligible to vote.

Article IX
Control of Funds

Section 1. The Treasurer shall open and maintain federally insured account(s) in the name of the Association. All disbursements of Association funds shall be by check initiated by the Treasurer.

Section 2. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the receipt and disbursement of all Association funds and shall render an audited accounting to the Association at the annual business meeting.

Section 3. Association funds shall be used to defray the normal operating expenses of the Association including clerical and telephone expense, postage, stationary, and the collection and transcription of minutes of the annual meeting. Other uses for such funds shall be made only in those cases where such expenditures clearly implement the general objectives of the Association and only with the approval of the Executive Committee of the Association.

Article X
Amendments

Section 1. This constitution may be amended by two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of member representatives in attendance at the business meeting of the annual conference, or in the event of a mail ballot, a majority of the total membership of the Association. Only one vote shall be recorded from each member institution or its affiliate represented at the business meeting at the annual conference, or in the event of a mail ballot, one vote per member institution or its affiliate shall be recorded. Article III, Section 2 membership guidelines will apply.

Section 2. By-laws may be amended by a majority vote of member institutions or their affiliates in attendance at the business meeting at the annual conference, or in the event of a mail ballot, a majority of the votes cast by the membership of the Association. Only one vote shall be recorded from each member institution or its affiliate represented at the business meeting at the annual conference, or in the event of a mail ballot, one vote per member institution or its affiliate shall be recorded. Article III, Section 2 membership guidelines will apply.

Section 3. Amendments to the constitution and/or by-laws may be proposed by any member. Such proposals shall be submitted in writing to the President of the Association and shall be presented at the business meeting of the next annual conference.

Section 4. Amendments to the constitution and/or by-laws may be proposed by the Executive Committee. Such proposals shall be submitted either to the members in attendance at the business meeting at the annual conference or to the total membership by mail ballots.

Article XI
Dissolution and Prohibited Activities

Section 1. On the dissolution of the Association, the Executive Committee, after paying or making provision for the payments of all the liabilities of the Association, shall dispose of all its assets exclusively to such organizations organized exclusively for charitable, educational or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501 (a)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law) as the Executive Committee shall determine.

Section 2. Prohibited Activities: No part of the net earnings of the Association shall inure to the benefit of or be distributable to its members, officers or other private persons, except that the Association shall be authorized and empowered to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article II hereof. The Association shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public service. This does not prohibit any person acting as an individual from supporting a political campaign through whatever legal means available.