Governing Documents

Article I: Name

The name of the organization shall be the Georgia Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

Article II: Purpose

The purpose of this association shall be to provide, by means of annual conferences and otherwise, for the dissemination of information and the interchange of ideas on problems of common interest, to contribute to the advancement of higher education, to foster a friendly spirit of unity and cooperation among its members, to provide professional development in the areas of records management, admissions, enrollment management, administrative information technology and student services, to promote a spirit of professional pride in the vocation, and to function as a unifying and coordinating agency among the educational associations and organizations within the State.

Article III: Membership and Voting

Section I: Active Membership

Any administrative or professional officer whose duties are concerned with admissions, registration, or records of students in any collegiate or technical institution in Georgia (or outside of Georgia when those duties directly serve the students and educational entities in Georgia) accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education, or any other recognized regional accrediting entity, shall be eligible for active membership and entitled to hold office in the Association. An officer of the Association shall remain entitled to hold office in the Association if their membership status changes to either Associate or Affiliate member and there is no break in the service while holding office.

Section II: Associate Membership

Any administrative or professional officer in any collegiate or technical institution in Georgia (or outside of Georgia when those duties directly serve the students and educational entities in Georgia) accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education, or any other recognized regional accrediting entity, whose duties are not directly concerned with admissions, registration, or records of students, shall be eligible for associate membership.

Section III: Affiliate Membership

Individuals and organizations which are found to have purposes parallel with those of GACRAO and desire to participate in its (non‐voting) activities may be approved for this status by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee as hereafter provided is empowered to approve all applications for affiliate membership.

Section IV: Honorary Membership

Individuals no longer eligible for active membership in the Association may be recommended for continued affiliation as honorary members. This honor is reserved for persons retiring or leaving the profession in Georgia who have made significant contributions to the profession and to the Association. Should an honoree reenter the profession such that he or she regains eligibility for active membership, the honorary status shall be deferred until honoree is again no longer eligible for active status.

Section V: Voting

Association business shall be conducted at the annual meeting by the members present. Voting may be by individual ballot in a manner designated by the President (show of hands, voice, or secret) EXCEPT that upon request of any individual member, an institutional membership vote must be taken. Institutional Membership entitles each institution to one vote. Institutions having more than one institutional representative shall be expected to designate one of its representatives as the voting representative. In addition to voting at the annual meeting, membership may be asked to vote on association business via electronic media (e‐mail, password protected voting through association website, etc.). Electronic voting will be limited to institutions in good standing (current dues paying members).

Article IV: Officers

Section I

Officers of the Association shall be President, Immediate Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, Conference Chair, Member‐At‐Large I, Member‐At‐Large II, Member‐At‐Large III, and Member-At-Large IV.

Section II 

Officers shall be elected at the annual meeting. A majority of the eligible voting members present shall be necessary for the election. They shall hold office from the adjournment of the annual meeting at which they are elected until the adjournment of the next annual meeting.

Section III

The President shall assume office a year after being voted in as president elect. They will be the president-elect while completing their term in their current executive officer role. The President who completes a full term in office may not be re‐elected immediately to that office. They may be re‐elected after the expiration of one calendar year.

Section IV

If a vacancy occurs in an office it shall be filled by the Executive Committee until the next regular election.

Section V

A. It shall be the duty of the President to assume full responsibility for all the general activities of the Association, to conduct all necessary correspondence with the members in regards to meetings of the Association, and with the assistance of the Executive Committee, to arrange the programs. In case the office of the President becomes vacant, the order of succession shall be the usual one.

B. The Secretary shall keep an accurate list of the members of the Association and shall be responsible for keeping the minutes of the meetings of the Executive Committee and the minutes of all meetings of the Association and distribute the latter to the members. The Secretary shall send reports and proceedings of the meeting to the chairman of the AACRAO Committee on Regional Association and will assist the Treasurer in conducting the annual meeting membership registration. The Secretary will provide information to SACRAO and AACRAO (when requested) concerning activities of GACRAO, and will provide information to the website editor (when requested) for inclusion on the GACRAO website. The Secretary will also be responsible for maintaining the GACRAO archives. The secretary will also maintain a list of members and electronic mailing list and will coordinate the evaluation processes at the annual meeting. 

C. The Treasurer shall collect the membership dues, registration fees, other miscellaneous revenues, pay the bills as authorized by the President, and shall make an annual report at the annual meeting of the Association. The Treasurer shall assist the Secretary in conducting the annual meeting's membership registration. The Treasurer shall be elected to a two‐year term of office. 

D. The Immediate Past‐President shall serve in an advisory capacity and shall be a member of the Executive Committee and will serve as a member of the Professional Access and Equity Committee. The Immediate Past President will chair the Committee on Honorary Membership and Awards and the Nominations and Elections Committee.

E. The Conference Chair will take full responsibility for the planning, coordination, and execution of the annual conference. They will be responsible for all facets of the conference. They will lead a conference committee to be chosen after the announcement of the date and location of the conference. 

The four members-at-large will be assigned responsibilities as follows:

F. The Member-at-Large I (Conference Support) will support the efforts of the Conference Chair and participate in the conference committee. In addition, they will lead local arrangements and hospitality initiatives for the conference. 

G. The Member‐At‐Large II (Institution & Corporate Partnerships) will coordinate with corporate sponsors to determine appropriate sponsorship levels and engagement opportunities at the annual conference in line with the mission of GACRAO. This committee member will also secure signage as needed for various sponsorship levels. In addition, this member will lead membership efforts and will coordinate with the secretary and treasurer to ensure membership renewal processes are set and running properly. This member will oversee registration at the annual conference. 

H. The Member‐At‐Large III (Professional Access & Equity) responsible for developing sessions and workshops relating to access and equity issues year-round for our membership. This member will chair a committee that works to ensure that underrepresented populations have the opportunity to enhance their professional development through organizational participation.

I. The Member‐At‐Large IV (Professional and Membership Development) will arrange and conduct the First Year Professionals’ Orientations at the annual meeting and coordinate the Mid‐Year Workshop. In addition, they will look for opportunities and resources for professional development to be shared year-round with the membership.

Article V: Amendments

The constitution may be amended at any annual meeting of the Association by a majority vote of the members present and voting, provided the substance of the proposed constitution changes have been sent to the membership at least thirty (30) days prior to the annual meeting.