The formal name of this organization shall be the Tennessee Educational Technology Association (TETA) consisting of the following regional founding Chapters:  East Tennessee Educational Technology Association (ETETA), Middle Tennessee Educational Technology Association (MTETA), and West Tennessee Educational Technology Association (WTETA).

TETA is a non-profit organization whose purposes are:

a. To provide professional educational technology associations within the east, middle, and west Tennessee regions as defined by the three grand divisions of Tennessee. 

b. To provide for the sharing and exchanging of ideas, techniques, materials, and procedures for use in educational technology.

c. To provide general recognition of the vital professional role played by the educational technology profession and the high level of competence required for this role.

d. To promote the improvement of curriculum and instruction through the effective use of information, communication, and technology.

e. To promote, encourage, and support the appropriate use of technology for the improvement of educational management.

f. To cooperate with manufacturers, distributors, and operators of educational technology products and services in developing and maintaining proper technical standards; and in meeting new needs for specialized devices, systems, and services. 

g. To communicate current research relating to educational technology to members and other organizations. 

h. To promote professional standards in the field of educational technology.

i. To promote and provide professional development opportunities for the effective use of educational technology.

j. To seek affiliation and promote membership with state, national, and international organizations which share our purposes.

All activities of TETA and its present and future regional Chapters are governed by these bylaws and Procedures as approved by the Board.

Membership in TETA shall be available to all persons who are interested in using technology for educational purposes regardless of ethnicity, gender, creed, or national origin, and who agree  to comply with the basic tenets of TETA as described in these Bylaws.

The TETA Board of Directors shall determine the procedures for application for membership, eligibility of applicants, types of membership, membership privileges, and membership dues.

Membership in a regional Chapter shall constitute membership in TETA.

The membership year shall be January 1 until December 31. Dues must be current for the membership year to allow membership discount for Summer Institute.

he officers of the regional Chapters shall consist of a President, a President-elect, a Secretary,  a Treasurer, a Member-at-Large and the immediate Past President of the Chapter. 

The term of office shall be one (1) year, coinciding with the membership year.  Only voting members may serve as regional Chapter officers.

The President shall:

a. Call and preside at all meetings of the regional Chapter.

b.    Determine meeting site and provider of lunch for each meeting.

c. Call and preside at all meetings of the regional Chapter Executive Committee.

d. Appoint committees and chairman as needed.  The President shall be an  ex-officio member of all committees.

e. Represent the regional Chapter in matters of importance.

f. Authorize expenditures of the Chapter in keeping with the actions of the Executive Committee and its budget.  

g. Receive the report of the regional Chapter’s Nominating Committee and communicate that information to the regional Chapter membership in a timely fashion.

h.    Establish an agenda and work with the TETA Executive Director to schedule vendor presentations at the meetings

The President-elect shall:

a. Serve for the President when the President is unable to do so and preside at official meetings of the regional Chapter in the absence of the President. 

b. Automatically assume the office of the President upon the vacancy of the office of President.  He or she shall complete the term of office of the former President and shall then serve the full year to which he or she was elected.

c.   Serve as the Chapter Ambassador at regional meetings, reaching out to new attendees and guests. The President Elect will check with presenting vendors (at regional meetings) to ensure their needs are met for a productive and timely presentation.

The Secretary shall:

a. Keep a record of the meetings of the regional Chapter and see that actions requiring communication with members, other individuals, or groups are carried out as required. 

b. Keep a record of the meetings of the regional Chapter Executive Committee. 

c. Maintain a copy of the bylaws for ready reference.

d. Maintain a copy of Robert’s Rules of Order for reference.

e.    Post minutes to the TETA website in a timely manner after each Regional Meeting.

At the May meeting, a nominating committee shall be appointed. The Nominating Committee shall report to the President of the chapter prior to the October meeting. At the October meeting, the President will announce to the membership the recommendations of the nominating committee. At the November meeting, election of officers will occur. Nominations will be accepted from the floor. If those nominations occur, a written ballot is required.

Timeline of Elections

Formation of the Nominating Committee: September meeting

Submission of Nominations to President: prior to October meeting

Notify membership: October meeting

Election of Officers: November meeting

Results will be sent to TETA Chair and TETA Executive Director by November 25

Incoming officers for each regional Chapter shall be installed in their respective office during the January meeting. 

A vacancy may be declared to exist when an elected officer fails to attend three consecutive meetings without a valid reason, or an officer’s resignation is received. In the case of a vacancy of an officer, a Past President, or a member at large, the Executive Committee shall appoint a replacement within thirty (30) days to fill the vacant office until the time for the next regular election.

Officers as defined by the bylaws shall constitute an Executive Committee that shall have the authority to manage the business of the Chapter between meetings of the membership.

The Board of Directors of the TETA shall be comprised of twelve (12) directors, four (4) from each Chapter. 

The Board of Directors shall have the authority to manage the affairs of TETA, including, but not limited to, approving expenditures of funds of the TETA and establishing annual dues. 

There shall be a liaison to the TETA from the Tennessee State Department of Education to be appointed by the Commissioner of Education.  There shall be a liaison to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) from the TETA to be appointed by the TETA Board.  There shall be a liaison to the Consortium of School Networking (CoSN) appointed by the TETA Board.

Officers and directors shall receive no remuneration for serving in such capacities, but this shall not be construed to mean that they may not be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in connection with their duties. 

The Chapters’ representatives to the TETA Board of Directors shall consist of the President, President-elect, and Past President of each Chapter and one at-large member elected by the membership of each Chapter.  Only voting members as defined by these bylaws may serve as a regional officer. 

A vacancy may be declared to exist when an elected Director fails to attend two consecutive meetings without a valid reason, or a Director’s resignation is received.  The Secretary or Chair of the TETA Board shall notify the Chapter that a vacancy exists and request that a replacement from the Chapter be elected. 

The officers of the TETA Board of Directors shall consist of a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.  These officers shall be elected from and by the current TETA Board of Directors at the December Board of Directors meeting.  All officers will be elected for a one-year term, except the Chairman who will be elected for a two-year term.

The Chairman shall:

a. Call and preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and preside at all meetings of the Association. 

b. Call and preside at meetings of the TETA Executive Committee.

c. Appoint committees and chairman as needed.  The Chairman shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.

d. Represent the Association in matters of importance. 

e. Authorize the expenditures of the Association in keeping with the actions of the Board of Directors and its budget.

The Vice-Chairman shall:

a. Serve for the Chairman when the Chairman is unable to do so and preside at official meetings of the Association in the absence of the    Chairman. 

b. He or she shall complete the term of office of a resigned Chairman.

c. Assume the office of Chairman when the Chairman’s term is complete.

The Secretary shall:

a. Keep a record of the meetings of the Board of Directors and the Association and see that actions requiring communication with members, other individuals, or groups are carried out as required. 

b. Keep a record of the meetings of the Board of Directors’ Executive Committee. 

c. Be responsible for maintaining the historical records of the organization.

d. Maintain a copy of the bylaws for ready reference.

e. Maintain a copy of Robert’s Rules of Order for ready reference.

The Treasurer shall:

a. Establish the account(s) in the name of the TETA as approved by the Board of Directors.

b. Establish procedures for the depositing of funds and the maintenance of TETA properties.

c. Receive and disburse all funds of the TETA as authorized by the Board of Directors. 

d. Maintain a record of all financial transactions and report as requested to the Board of Directors and to the Association at each general meeting. 

e. Make his or her records available for an annual audit.

f. Pay all invoiced or receipted expenses pertaining to Summer Institute and any other TETA sponsored event.

g. Prepare records for filing annual Federal Tax Return.

The Board of Directors of TETA shall form an Executive Committee that shall have the authority to manage the business of the TETA between meetings of the Board of Directors. 

The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, and one (1) Director appointed by the Chairman who represents a Chapter other than that of the Chairman. 

Chapter Meetings:

There shall be a minimum of six (6) Chapter meetings per year at times to be determined by the Chapters. 

A quorum at a meeting of the membership shall be a majority of the Executive Committee and a minimum of six (6) other members of the Chapter. 

A simple majority will constitute a quorum at meetings of the Executive Committee. 

State Meetings:

There will be at least one annual meeting per year for the purposes of conducting such business as may properly come before the TETA membership. Any general membership meetings will be called as approved/required by the board.

A simple majority of the state membership shall constitute a quorum at state annual meetings.   Fourteen (14) days notice will be given for any general membership meetings.

There shall be quarterly meetings of the Board of Directors and additional meetings as required.  Fourteen (14) days notice of meeting location and time shall be given to the general membership before quarterly Board of Directors meetings.  Twenty-Four (24) hours notice of meeting location and time, if possible, shall be given to the general membership before a called meeting of the Board of Directors.

A simple majority shall constitute a quorum at meetings of the Board of Directors. 

The business of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committees may be conducted electronically via voice, data, or video conference as long as a two-thirds majority of members agree.

The fiscal year of the TETA will be January 1st through December 31st.

The latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order will govern this organization in all cases in which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the bylaws or special rules of order of this organization.

The TETA Board of Directors may hire an Executive Director. The Executive Director may hire additional staff based on job descriptions and salaries that are approved by the board of directors.

The TETA bylaws may be altered, amended, or repealed, or new bylaws adopted by the affirmative vote of a two-thirds majority of the Board of Directors.  Such action may be taken at any regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors for which prior notice of the proposed action shall have been given to the general membership.

The bylaws will be considered to be effective immediately upon ratification by the Board of Directors.