1. Why does CWPA need a constitution?     All non-profit professional organizations need constitutions (or similar founding documents). A constitution defines the structure and major characteristics of an organization; it also prescribes how the organization functions.  To obtain its non-profit tax status, CWPA had to have such a document. To maintain that status, it must have a working constitution.  Further, a constitution is an invaluable set of rules for operation. CWPA members can use the organization’s constitution to hold the officers and board members accountable for their actions. If something is in the constitution, the officers and board members must make certain that it gets done.

2. Why does CWPA need a new constitution?     CWPA had changed in ways our old constitution never anticipated; this new document should provide guidance for the board and the membership about the way the organization sustains itself. We need a new constitution to articulate the fundamental purpose of our organization; to provide principled guidance for the future development of our organization; and to describe the essential features and activities of our organization. 

3. What was the process for revising this constitution?     Under the leadership of Keith Rhodes (CWPA Secretary), a committee of CWPA members revised the constitution in the fall of 2009. The other members of the committee were Linda Adler-Kassner (President), Joe Janangelo (Past President), Duane Roen (Vice President), and Susanmarie Harrington (former Executive Board member).  As the committee members worked, they studied other constitutions and guidance provided by such sources as Robert’s Rules of Order.  The committee engaged in many rounds of revisions to craft a constitution that accurately describes what CWPA is and does.

4. What was the vote by the Executive Board to approve the revised constitution?     In late November 2009, the CWPA Executive Board voted unanimously (12-0) to approve the revised constitution. The vote indicates that the Executive Board members understand the need to update an anachronistic document to better match the current mission of the organization. 

5. Who can vote on the constitution?     Every person who is a member of CWPA as of January 10, 2010 will be able to vote on the constitution. The vote will be held along with voting on the officers of the organization. You may check on the expiration date of your membership by returning to the CWPA home page and checking your profile. You will want to ensure that the e-mail address in your profile is accurate, since voting will be conducted by sending secure voting tokens to members by e-mail (with an option to receive a paper ballot via regular mail if requested). If you believe that you were a member as of January 10, 2010 but by January 18, 2010 have not received an e-mail inviting you to vote, contact Keith Rhodes, Secretary of CWPA, at rhodekei@gvsu.edu.

6. What are the biggest specific changes?

• The mission statement has been revised to become more inclusive.
• The president may designate others to take on responsibilities as needed.
• We clarify when the Vice President becomes President and how elections shall take place should the office of the Vice President become vacant.
• We explain that potential Board members shall be arranged into races and then elected by receiving the plurality of valid votes cast in their respective races. We also added institutional size to the range of institutional types that Executive Board members should represent.
• We offer more specific descriptions of Meetings, Membership, and Petitions and Proposals.
• The section on Voting permits online notices and votes.
• We list all current standing committees, but we leave their definitions for bylaws that will be easier for the Executive Board to amend as needed.
• We revise the funding structure for the journal to allow for gradual adjustment of funding levels in case of rapid changes in membership levels.

7. What is not changing?

• We are not proposing changing our members' benefits or voting rights 
• We are not asking to changing of governance structure or the responsibilities or scope of duties performed by our Board members, officers, secretary, treasurer, or journal editors(s).

8. When will the constitution go into effect if voted in?     Technically, it will go into effect at midnight one week after the designated closing date of the electronic election, provided that it has secured a majority of the votes cast. The CWPA President will formally announce the results on the CWPA website and publicize them on WPA-L.

9. What happens next if the membership does not approve the new constitution?     If this constitution is not ratified by a majority of members voting in the election, the CWPA Executive Board will open an electronic forum for members to contribute their concerns with the document. The CWPA Ad Hoc Constitution Revision Committee (Keith Rhodes, Chair; Linda Adler-Kassner; Susanmarie Harrington; Joe Janangelo; and Duane Roen, members) will review members' concerns and revise the document. It will then return to the CWPA Executive Board for a discussion. The Executive Board will vote on whether to put the revised constitution to the membership for a vote, and a new vote will take place. Until a new constitution is approved, the existing constitution will remain in force.

10. What about the bylaws?     Under the existing documents, it is entirely unclear how the existing constitution and bylaws relate to each other, and which governs in case of conflict. Under the new constitution, bylaws are subordinate to and controlled by the constitution. Bylaws will cover specific matters as to which the organization may need to change its procedures flexibly. For instance, under current plans the bylaws will define the make up and operation of standing committees and the specific procedures for online voting. Changes in committee work and in technology are nearly certain, and it makes little sense to put all corresponding changes in procedures to a vote of the entire membership. Bylaws will also set procedures for the Executive Board's own meetings. Bylaw changes will need the approval of a supermajority of the Executive Board, as set out in the constitution. In some sense, the bylaws will serve as institutional memory, helping the Executive Board to keep track of its best practices when its membership changes. The former bylaws of the organization will be replaced in part by provisions that are now part of the revised constitution, and other parts may then be replaced by such new bylaws as the Executive Board may pass under its constitutional authority.

11. How has online communication been taken into consideration?     Given the various means by which CWPA now transacts its business—through electronic mail, via the wpacouncil.org web site, and at the annual conference—online communication has been taken into consideration throughout the revised constitution. This consideration is evident in two primary areas. First, it can be seen in references to means by which members may communicate with the Executive Board, by which the Executive Board may communicate among its members, and by which votes can be cast by members. Second, consideration of online communication can be seen in reference to resources that are available to CWPA members via the CWPA official web site. The constitution also permits the Executive Board to set further procedures for online transactions.

12. My question has not been answered here. Who can help answer my question?     Please submit your question to Keith Rhodes, Secretary of the CWPA, at rhodekei@gvsu.edu. An officer of the CWPA will respond to your question, and the question and answer may be added to this FAQ. Please allow one week for a reply, though we may be able to answer your question more promptly.