THE COLLEGE LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION
CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

The Constitution

I. Name. 
The name of this organization shall be the College Language Association.

II. Mission. 
The mission of this Association shall be to bring together in conferences of mutual understanding college and university teachers of languages and literatures, with a view to (1) improving the study and teaching of language and literature, (2) cultivating the appreciation of language and literature, (3) sharing with each other work of interest to the group, and (4) encouraging scholarly research in and the teaching of Black literatures and cultures as necessary aspects of higher education. The Association shall also publish a journal.

III. Membership.
3.1. Any teacher of languages or literatures in a college or university may become a full member of this Association upon payment of the membership fee as set forth by the Executive Committee and may remain so by payment of the same each year. The membership includes subscription to the CLA Journal.

3.2. Any teacher of languages or literatures in a college or university may become a life member of the Association upon payment of a life membership fees as set by the Executive Committee and approved by the Association.

3.3. Any college or university student, undergraduate or graduate, attending an institution represented by the membership and majoring in languages or literatures may become a non-voting member of the Association upon payment of the annual membership fee prescribed for such members.

3.4. Any college or university represented by the membership and willing to support the work of the Association may become an Institutional Member upon the payment of an annual institutional membership fees as set by the Executive Committee and approved by the Association.

3.5. Any teacher or former teacher of language or literature not coved by 3.1 may become an associate member of this Association, without the right to vote or hold office but with all other rights and privileges, upon payment of the regular membership fee and may remain so by payment of the same each year.

3.6. Distinguished writers, journalists, or educators in allied fields are eligible for honorary membership by majority of the Association, upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee.

IV. Officers. 
The officers of this association shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, and Editor of the CLA Journal.

V. Administration.
5.1. There shall be an Executive Committee comprised of the officers of the Association, one elected representative from the English discipline, one elected representative from the foreign language discipline, and the immediate past president of the Association.

5.2. All officers of the Association shall be elected for a term of two years and must be financial members of the Association.

5.2.1 At the end of the two-year term of the President, the Vice President shall succeed to the presidency.

5.2.2 For the purpose of continuity, the Secretary and Treasurer shall serve longer terms, as determined by the Executive Committee.

5.2.3 The Editor of the CLA Journal serves at the pleasure of the Executive Committee. The appointment of the Editor shall be reviewed every five years.

5.3 The elected representatives from the English and foreign language disciplines shall serve for no more than two consecutive years.

5.4 The Executive Committee shall recommend the policies of the Association and transact all other business delegated to it by the Association. It shall report its activities at each annual meeting, and its policies shall be subject to the direction and approval of the Association.

5.5 The Association shall sponsor Special Projects, which shall be administered by a Director, to be appointed as needed by the Executive Committee.

VI. Meetings.
6.1. The Association shall hold an annual meeting in the spring of each year, preferably in April, at a place chosen with due regard to favoring the several geographical regions represented in the Association, and subject to venue availability and Host Committee scheduling. The Executive Committee is empowered to establish the time and place for the annual meetings.

6.2. Presenters at the annual meeting must pay both annual membership dues and convention registration fees.

6.3. All members in good standing are entitled to attend the meetings and participate in all proceedings in accordance with the type of membership status held. The Association may invite as participants in discussions high school teachers of languages and literatures within the area of the conference and all language and literature majors in the host college. High school teachers may attend the convention upon payment of a registration fee.

6.4. To transact business, two thirds of members attending the annual meeting shall constitute a quorum for the CLA business meeting.

VII. Dissolution. 
Upon dissolution the College Language Association shall, after paying or making provisions for the payment of all of the liabilities of the Association, dispose of all assets of the Association exclusively for the purposes of the Association in such manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable or education purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501 © (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the Executive Committee shall determine. No part of the net earnings of the Association shall inure to the benefit of, or to be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the Association shall authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in the Constitution of the Association.

VIII. Amendments. 
This Constitution shall be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the members present at regular business sessions during any annual meeting provided the proposed amendments have been disseminated to all members one month prior to the meeting.

The Bylaws

I. The Officers.
1.1. All officers shall be elected at annual meetings by majority vote.

1.2. All officers shall hold offices until their successors have been chosen.

1.3. The Secretary, Treasurer, and Editor of the CLA Journal shall make annual written reports.

1.4. The President shall preside at all official business meetings of the Association and of the Executive Committee, and shall appoint committees with the advice of the Executive Committee. This officer shall during the annual meeting deliver an address on some subject of general or professional interest to the members.

1.5 The Vice President shall perform all the duties of the President in the absence of the latter and shall also chair the Program Committee.

1.6. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the Association, compile such minutes for distribution, keep duplicate records of all financial transactions, assist in preserving archives of the Association, and serve as Secretary of the Executive Committee.

1.7. The Assistant Secretary shall perform all duties of the Secretary in the absence of the latter and shall also chair the Membership Committee.

1.8. The Editor of the CLA Journal shall chair the Editorial Board and shall be responsible for the publication of the CLA Journal.

1.9. The Treasurer shall have custody of all funds of the Association and pay all bills properly incurred by the Association. This officer shall present an annual report at the business session for approval by the Association.

1.10. The Assistant Treasurer shall perform all duties of the Treasurer in the absence of the latter.

1.11. The immediate past President shall serve as an ex officio member of the Executive Committee.

II. The Executive Committee.
2.1. The Executive Committee shall have the authority to fill temporarily any vacancy occurring among the officers of the Association or among its own body until a successor can be regularly elected.

2.2. The Executive Committee shall meet in the Fall, preferably at the site of the next annual meeting, or if that is not possible, at a place so designated by the President. The Executive Committee shall also hold pre- and post-convention meetings at the site of the annual meeting for the purpose of conducting the Association’s business. Virtual meetings may also be scheduled to expedite the transaction of such business as determined by the Executive Committee.

III. Standing Committees.
3.1. The Program Committee shall be comprised of the Vice President (Chair), the chair of the Host Committee, and the elected representatives from the English and foreign language disciplines in the Association. It shall prepare the programs for the annual meetings. It shall notify participants of their places in the program in a timely manner prior to the date of the annual meeting.

3.2. The Editorial Board. Together with The Editor, Assistant Editor, Managing Editor, and Book Review Editor, the Editorial Board shall be comprised of six to eight Advisory Editors drawn from the membership of the Association, representing both English and the World Languages, and appointed to staggered five-year terms with the prior approval of the Executive Committee. No Advisory Editor may serve more than two consecutive five-year terms. The Editor is authorized to appoint and remove for cause any member of the Editorial Board with the approval of the Executive Committee.

3.3 The Committee on Archives shall preserve the records of the Association and solicit pertinent materials and artifacts from members for deposit in the repository that reflect their contribution to the Association. Members of this committee shall be drawn from the general membership with the Chair being appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee.

3.4. The Committee on Awards shall select from among scholarly and creative works in languages and literatures by the members of the Association the work or works that contribute most outstandingly to the enhancement, understanding, and/or appreciation of humanistic scholarship and values to be announced at the annual CLA Banquet. The Committee on Awards also selects the Daryl Dance Award recipient in alternate years. The five members of this committee shall be appointed by the Executive Committee from the general membership to staggered terms of no more than five years, making sure that the English and foreign language disciplines are represented, by the Executive Committee. The Chair of the Committee on Awards shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee.

3.5. The Committee on Black Studies shall promote research and scholarly publication among members of the Association, as well as among interested students, emphasizing both African and African American Studies and embracing trends and projects in related areas. The members of this committee shall be drawn from among the general membership of the Association and the committee members shall elect their own chair, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.

3.6 The Committee on CLA and Historically Black Colleges shall seek ways of improving communications and strengthening relationships among CLA members at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and further conduct joint projects and to insure the exposure of students and faculty to the CLA, its ideals, and its offerings. The membership shall be drawn from the general membership of the Association who shall elect their chair from among those actively employed at a historically black institution, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.

3.7. The Committee on CLA and Historically White Colleges shall introduce CLA as an academic and spiritual resource to black and white faculty at historically white colleges; introduce CLA to graduate students in the disciplines of languages and literature at historically white colleges; promote the teaching of literatures of the African diaspora at historically white colleges; increase the representation of black faculty in language and literature departments of historically white colleges; and promote the status of African American literature as part of the literary canon. The membership shall be drawn from the general membership of the Association who shall elect their chair from among those actively employed at a historically white institution, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.

3.8. The Committee on Constitution shall receive from members and present to the Association all proposed amendments to the Constitution. The membership shall be drawn from the general membership; the Chair shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee.

3.9. The Committee on Creative Writing shall encourage creative writing among members of the Association and among students in the institutions in which members are employed. This committee shall also call the attention of the Association to noteworthy productions in the general creative field, and shall oversee the administration of the annual creative writing contest and the awarding of the Margaret Walker Prizes in Creative Writing. The Chair shall be appointed by the President with approval of the Executive Committee.

3.10 The Committee on Curriculum: English shall sponsor studies of college curricula in languages and literature, offer constructive criticism of existing curricula, strive to enhance the work of teachers-in-training and teachers-in-service, and call attention of the Association to noteworthy curricula experiences in the field of English. The members shall be drawn from the general membership; the Chair shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee.

3.11. The Committee on Curriculum: Foreign Language shall sponsor studies of college curricula in languages and literature, offer constructive criticism of existing curricula, strive to enhance the work of teachers-in-training and teachers-in-service, and call the attention of the Association to noteworthy curricula experiences in the fields of language and literature. This committee will also work in conjunction with the Caroll Mills Young Study Abroad Scholarship Committee to advance Study Abroad opportunities among member institutions.

3.12. The Committee on Membership shall preserve the register of the Association, compile and preserve a database of information concerning members of the Association, and extend the membership of the Association by soliciting all eligible persons at least two times a year prior to the annual meeting. The Assistant Secretary serves as Chair of the Membership Committee.

3.13. The Committee on Nominations shall nominate a slate of officers every two years to be recommended for election by the Association and prepare a biographical statement on the nominees to be included in the preregistration packet. Members of the Association may nominate other names from the floor at he annual business meeting of the Association.

3.14. The Committee on Research shall compile from all available sources an annual annotated list of scholarly publications and creative projects of members for publication in the December issue of the CLA Journal, which shall serve as one source for investigation and study by the Committee on Awards. The Chair shall be appointed by the president with approval of the Executive Committee.

3.15. The Chairs and members of the Standing Committees of the Association shall be financial members of the Association.

3.16. Except as otherwise provided, Standing Committees shall establish a regular rotation of Chairpersons, so that no chairperson serves more than three consecutive two-year terms.

3.17. All Standing Committees shall make annual written reports for presentation at the business meeting of the Association.

IV. Budget. 
The fiscal year shall extend from January 1 to December 31.

V. Amendment. 
These Bylaws may be amended by a majority of those voting at the annual business meeting of the Association.