Constitution – Statutes of the ICUC

Article I. Name and Seat

The name of the organization shall be International Center for First-Year Undergraduate Chemistry Education (ICUC), hereafter referred to as ‘the Center’.
The constitution of the Center shall be operated in accordance with the requirements of the national law of the legal Seat.
The Founding legal Seat of the Center shall be The Department of Chemistry at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (the Coordinating Center) and the Center shall at all times be a non-profit making organization governed by the national law of the legal Seat.

Article II. Purpose of the ICUC

The Center's purpose is to focus attention on entry-level chemistry education and provide information, expertise and advocacy for educators throughout the world. The Center defines itself as the international focal point of work in this vital area.
In particular, the Center shall:
- Share knowledge and skills related to first-year chemistry among members of the Center and the wider chemistry community, and serve as a clearing-house for information pertinent to first-year chemistry education.
- Continually assess the goals and objectives for first-year chemistry courses, and advocate content and methods to attain these goals and objectives.
- Actively participate in the research, development, testing, assessment and dissemination of information appropriate for first-year chemistry education.
- Engage in a wide range of activities to promote and develop good practice in first-year chemistry education, as determined by the Center’s Board and in response to input from the Center’s members.

Article III. Membership

The Center shall consist of individual members only. Individual members, however, are free to gain the status within their institutions of ‘[The Institution’s] Affiliate to the ICUC’.
The Center shall be open to individuals who share the purposes of the Center, subject to approval of their membership. Criteria for membership shall be set by the membership committee, subject to the approval of the Board, with the general expectation that members will be University and College faculty with a long-term interest in introductory chemistry.
Individuals wishing to be admitted as members should submit their request to the Chair of the Board, or to any existing member for them to pass on to the Chair of the Board. Membership shall be subject to approval by the Board.
Members may terminate their membership by giving notice of resignation in writing (including email) to the Chair of the Board.
A member may be expelled for good cause from the Center following the vote of two-thirds of the Board.

Article IV. Officers

The officers of the Center shall be: The Chair of the Board and a further eight Board Members. Other officers, such as Secretary and Treasurer, shall be elected from the Board, and by the Board, if and when the Board deems such officers to be required.
The Chair of the Board shall be the executive head and legal representative of the Center. The Chair of the Board shall be elected annually by the Board from the membership of the Board. A candidate for Chair of the Board is entitled to cast his/her own vote for him/herself.

Article V. The Board

The Board shall consist of nine members, elected from the membership by the process described in Article V(5). There is no limit to the number of times a member can be re-elected to the Board. The election of the first Board shall be organized by the Coordinating Center (The Department of Chemistry at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign).
The Chair of the Board, together with the Board, shall organize all meetings and activities of the Center, including the annual elections to the Board.
No member can act on behalf of the Center without approval of the Board.
The normal term of office for each Board member shall be three years; but the Chair of the first Board and the two other members with the most votes in the election for the first Board shall serve for four years, the three members with the next most votes serving three years, and the three Board members elected with the least votes serving two years, initiating a staggered process for turnover of membership of the Board.
Elections to the Board shall be achieved by an email voting process. A list of members volunteering for membership of the Board shall be sent to all members of the Center. Each member of the Center can select the candidates he or she approves of for Board membership, making any number of selections up to the number of places available on the Board at that election. A candidate for membership of the Board is entitled to cast one vote for him/herself. As an international organization, it is desirable to have Board members from at least four different countries. Accordingly, the first four Board members to be selected from the voting results shall be the four candidates from different countries with the most votes. The remaining five Board members shall be those with the most votes out of the pool of candidates remaining. If this process results in any ties the existing Chair of the Board shall cast a deciding vote. For election of the first Board, Prof. Paul Kelter of the Coordinating Center shall cast such deciding votes.
The elections to the Board shall take place in September of each year, with nominations being accepted from the 2nd Monday in August until the 1st Monday in September.
The work of the Board, including all Board meetings, can be conducted either at full face-to-face meetings, or via tele-conferencing, video-conferencing, email, or whatever combination of these or other technologies are deemed suitable by the Board. These arrangements are required to ensure that geographical location and access to funding for international travel will not restrict membership of the Board. There shall be a minimum of one full Board meeting per year.
The Board shall be the executive body of The Center. It shall conduct the administrative and scientific business of The Center in accordance with Article II.

Article VI. Funding

The ICUC is being set up using initial funding from the Coordinating Center: The Department of Chemistry at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The issue of funding will need to be regularly reviewed as the ICUC develops. All members are encouraged to consider the possibility of providing supporting funds, including appropriate sponsorship opportunities.
If and when the ICUC acquires its own bank account, a complete financial statement will be provided for all members at least once per year.

Article VII. Amendments to the Constitution

Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed by the Board or by one-tenth of the members. Such amendments shall be submitted to all members at least one month before the meeting of the Board at which they are to be considered, and shall require the votes of two-thirds of Board members for approval.

Article VIII. Dissolution of the Center

In the event that the Board, by a two-thirds majority, deems that the Center is unable to fulfill its purposes as specified in Article II, it shall be dissolved.
Upon dissolution of the Center, any assets remaining after payment or provision for payment of all debts and liabilities of the Center shall be distributed to an international non profit-making fund or foundation, preferably concerned with education in chemistry.

Article IX. By-Laws

Apart from those situations in which two-thirds majorities are required, as specified in Articles III(5), VII(1) and VIII(1), decisions of the Board shall be made by simple majority, with the Chair of the Board casting the deciding vote in the event of any ties caused by abstentions, or any other reason.
Should a vacancy occur among the officers of the Center, or members of any committees it has set up, each body shall have the power to elect a new member who will serve until the next full election.
The Board shall set any fees for membership of the Center, giving all members three months notice of any introduction of, or alteration to, such fees.
The business year of the Center shall be the financial calendar year.
Adopted: 6 August 2004, by vote of the Founding Members

Composition of First Board:

Chair: Paul Kelter, University of Illinois, USA
Jose Miguel Abraham, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Argentina
Margaret Asirvatham, University of Colorado-Boulder, USA
Carlos Castro-Acuña, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
Mike Mosher, University of Nebraska at Kearney, USA
Maria Oliver-Hoyo, North Carolina State University, USA
Gabriel Pinto, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain
Andrew Scott, University of Highlands and Islands Project, Scotland
Frank Torre, Springfield College (MA), USA