WAPED Constitution

WASHINGTON ASSOCIATION ON POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION AND DISABILITY

May 2025 

Section 1

The organization's official name shall be Washington Association on Postsecondary Education and Disability (WAPED).

Section 2 

WAPED is a professional career and occupational education association. 

Section 1

The purposes of WAPED are: 

1. Facilitate the exchange of information among persons serving students with disabilities in postsecondary education including community and technical colleges, universities, adult, and continuing education programs. 
2. Encourage the coordination of efforts among all postsecondary institutions for inclusion of persons with disabilities in programs and services. 
3. Inform the public concerning postsecondary education programs and/or services to persons with disabilities.
4. Facilitate improving the postsecondary educational opportunities for persons with disabilities. 
5. Communicate and coordinate with other organizations and agencies involved in efforts related to education and access support for persons with disabilities. 
6. Advance high standards of professional ethics and conduct among persons serving students with disabilities in postsecondary education. 
7. Conduct educational and professional meetings and conferences for people working with students with disabilities in postsecondary education. 
8. Provide an effective voice for postsecondary educators of persons with disabilities in the state. 
9. Warehouse and provide access to resources that support advocacy of disability offices and their operations. 
10. Uphold the spirit and meaning of the Americans with Disabilities Act which states, “…no qualified individual with a disability shall, by reason of such disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination by any such entity.”

Section 1 - Board of Directors 

The Board of Directors shall be elected by the membership to serve as a policy-making body and be responsible for carrying out the affairs of WAPED. It shall be empowered to do all things necessary and proper for conducting the affairs of WAPED, consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws, except those sections specifically reserved for the membership or officers as stated in the Constitution or Bylaws.

Section 2 - Board Make Up 

The Board shall consist of the following members: 

A. The elected officers 
B. Four (4) Board members elected at-large

Section 3 - Officers 

WAPED officers shall consist of President, President-Elect, Immediate Past-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Technology Advisor, Conference Coordinator, and Incoming Conference Coordinator.

Section 4 - Board Members at Large 

Four (4) Board Members at Large shall be composed of two (2) elected from community and technical colleges and two (2) from four-year colleges and universities. Whenever feasible there should be one (1) from a community college, one (1) from a technical college, one (1) from a four-year private college, and one (1) from a four-year public college. 

Section 1

A member in good standing is a person who expresses an interest in the general aims and purposes of WAPED. Such persons may be engaged in the administration or provision of services to persons or students with disabilities in a postsecondary setting. A member in good standing will pay dues to WAPED. The four types of membership, as defined in the WAPED Bylaws, shall include institutional, professional, associate, and emeritus.

Section 2 

Individuals in good standing holding Professional or Institutional memberships shall be entitled to be a candidate for elective office, vote, have access to the listserv and pay reduced fees for conference registration.

Section 3 

Members who join WAPED as professional members shall be entitled to continue their professional membership regardless of change in employment and/or responsibility. 

Section 1

The Nominations Committee shall be comprised of the Immediate Past-President plus at least two (2) other members in good standing. The Immediate Past-President shall serve as chair of the committee.

Section 2 

The Nominations Committee is responsible for preparing a slate of candidates for the elective offices to be voted upon by the general membership at the Annual Spring Conference.

Section 3 

The Nominations Committee shall solicit names of prospective candidates from the membership. The Committee shall confirm that each prospective candidate is a member in good standing, accepts the nomination and has paid his/her membership dues in full.

Section 4 

The Nominations Committee shall prepare a ballot with the names of those nominated. Every effort will be made to ensure that at least two (2) candidates shall be nominated for each elected position of the Board. Nominees may only be included on the ballot for one office per election year.

Section 5

During elections in the business meeting at the Annual Spring Conference, nominations may be made from the floor. Nominees made from the floor must be members in good standing and agree to be a candidate. 

Section 1

The election of Officers and Board members shall be conducted in the business meeting at the Annual Spring Conference. Positions can only have one person serving at a time.

Section 2

The Nominations Committee chair shall be responsible for conducting the annual elections.

Section 3 

The elections shall be by secret ballot.

Section 4

The Nominations Committee shall act as tellers and tally the votes. The results shall be announced to the membership at the conclusion of the elections.

Section 5

Candidates must receive a simple majority of the ballots to be elected.

Section 6

If no candidate for a given office receives a simple majority of the votes cast, the Nominations Committee chair shall open the floor for additional nominations for that position. Upon closing nominations, an election shall be conducted for that position until a candidate receives a simple majority. 

To implement this constitution, the membership shall adopt Bylaws consistent with this Constitution. 

Section 1

President or President-Elect: In the event a vacancy occurs in the office of the President, the President-Elect shall assume the office and serve the balance of the term and the next term. In all cases where the President is temporarily unable to serve for a period of 90 days, the President-Elect will temporarily assume the office until the President can assume the responsibilities again. If the position of President-Elect becomes vacant, the President shall appoint a member in good standing to fill the vacancy. Such appointments are subject to approval by the Board. If the President-Elect is serving temporarily as President, the vacancy in the President-Elect shall not be filled.

Section 2

Secretary or Treasurer: Vacancies in the positions of Secretary or Treasurer will be filled by the President with the approval of the Board.

Section 3

Immediate Past-President: Should a vacancy occur in the position of Immediate Past-President the Board shall appoint a member in good standing to assume the responsibilities of Chair of the Nominations Committee.

Section 4

Board Member: A vacancy in the position of Board member shall be filled by appointment by the President and subject to approval by the Board.

Section 5

All members appointed to fill vacant positions on the Board shall serve through the unexpired term of the position except in the position of President. (See Section 1 of this Article.) 

Section 1

WAPED voting procedures, as outlined in the Bylaws, shall be used to conduct meetings of the Board, the membership, and WAPED committees. 

Section 1

Amendments to the Constitution or Bylaws may be made by members in good standing, by raising a motion to amend, either in writing or by decree during any formal meeting of the Board. The Board must approve such proposed amendments before presenting them to the membership for adoption. The approved proposed amendment shall be presented to the membership to be voted upon.

Section 2

Such proposed amendments shall be presented in writing to the membership at least thirty (30) days before the vote is taken.

Section 3

An amendment shall be ratified by two-thirds majority vote in favor by the membership in attendance at a membership business meeting or a two-thirds majority voted in favor on ballots submitted in agreed upon manner to the total membership in good standing.  

Section 4

The Immediate Past-President shall conduct the election. It shall be conducted in the same manner prescribed in Article 5. The chair of the Nominations Committee shall convene the Nominations Committee on or as soon after the date stipulated on the ballot for return as practical and tally the votes. The results shall be announced at the next Annual meeting or the next meeting of the Board, whichever comes first. If announced at the next Board meeting, the Board shall notify the membership of the results within thirty (30) days of its meeting.

Section 5

The effective date of the amendment shall be the date of the conclusion of the business meeting in which the amendment was passed by the membership, unless otherwise stipulated in the amendment. 

Proposed by the Board and ratified by membership at the 2025 Spring Business Meeting on April 25, 2025. 

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