Oakton College Adjunct Faculty Bylaws

This document contains the Bylaws for the AFA. The Constitution was replaced by the Illinois Education Association Constitution. This document guides affiliation, governance, The Executive Committee and Board as well as vacancies, replacements and general operation of the union local.  

BYLAWS

Adopted January 6, 2025

Adjunct Faculty Association, IEA-NEA

Oakton College

These bylaws supersede all prior bylaws and constitutions.  The AFA is a member of the Illinois Education Association (IEA) and as such does not require a separate constitution.

Table of Contents

Article I – Name and Objective

Section 1 – Name

Section 2 – Objective/Goal

Article II – Membership, Dues, Affiliation, and Non-Discrimination

Section 1 – Membership

Section 2 – Dues

Section 3 – Affiliation

Section 4 – Privileges

Section 5 – Censure and Discipline

Section 6 – Non-Discrimination

Article III – Governance

Section 1 – Executive Officers

Section 2 – Executive Committee 

Section 3 – Board of Directors (referred to as the Board) 

Section 4 – AFA Committees

Article IV – Executive Officers

Section 1 – Duties 

Section 2 – Terms

Section 3 – Vacancies

Section 4 – Recall/Resignation

Article V- IEA-NEA Representative Assemblies Representatives and Alternates

Article VI – Meeting of the Membership and Parliamentary Authority

Section 1 –  Regular

Section 2 –  Special Meetings

Section 3 –  Quorum

Section 4 – Parliamentary Authority 

Article VII – Treasurer’s Report

Article VIII – Elections and Voting

Section 1 – Elections Committee

Section 2 – Election Procedures

Section 3 – Election Challenges

Section 4 – Executive Committee Voting Procedures

Section 5 – Board of Directors Voting Procedures

Section 6 – Membership Voting Procedures

Article IX – Notice 

Article X – Arbitration and Grievance Appeal

Article XI – Savings Clause

Article XII – Amending Procedures

 

Article I – Name and Objective/Goal

Section 1 – Name

The name of this organization is the Adjunct Faculty Association, IEA-NEA of Oakton College (AFA-OC), hereafter known as the Association, an affiliate of the Illinois Education Association (IEA) and the National Education Association (NEA).

 

Section 2 – Objective/Goal

The AFA-OC, is a not-for-profit association organized under N.B. 1530 of the laws of the

State of Illinois.  It operates and functions as a professional association of college

teachers, employed by Oakton College (Community College District No. 535

of Illinois), and is authorized by its certification to engage in any and all activities that

promote the educational process and the welfare of its members.

 

The objective of the AFA-OC is to advance public education in Community College District Number 535 and the State of Illinois by supporting and advancing the educational needs of its students by promoting, representing and promoting the welfare of the adjunct faculty, and striving for a harmonious working relationship with the Administration, the full-time faculty, and the Board of Trustees of Oakton College.

 

Article II – Membership, Dues, Affiliation, and Non-Discrimination

 

Section 1 – Membership

Membership shall be open to all part-time faculty meeting the criteria outlined in the current contract who are employed by Oakton College District 535 (hereafter referred to as OC).

 

Membership continues year to year on an automatic renewal basis. A continuing member terminates membership upon signed written notice to the local president or the IEA president. Electronic notice is not sufficient.

 

Section 2 – Dues

 

In addition to IEA dues paid by all adjunct faculty, Members also pay local dues which are determined by the Membership.  Local dues are approved by the Membership upon proposal by the Executive Board. Members may request the amount and details of Association dues by contacting the Executive Board of the AFA.

 

Adjunct faculty who hold membership in another IEA-affiliated local will be considered members of AFA-OC with the payment of local dues.

 

The IEA-NEA dues will be transmitted to the IEA-NEA pursuant to IEA-NEA policies. 

 

Section 3 – Affiliation

This organization will be affiliated with, and comply with the Bylaws of the Illinois Education Association and the Constitution and Bylaws of the National Education Association.  If there are any conflicts or inconsistencies between these bylaws and the bylaws or constitutions of the IEA or NEA, the state or national documents will govern.

 

Section 4 – Privileges

Members will have full membership services and privileges, including voting, holding office, serving on committees and commissions, serving as a delegate to IEA and NEA assemblies, participating in fringe benefits provided by the AFA-OCC and related enterprises, and such other rights and privileges as are conferred through the Association governance. 

 

Section 5 – Censure and Discipline   

In the event a charge is filed against a member calling for the censure, suspension, or expulsion of the member, the Executive Committee shall conduct a due process hearing and rule on the charge.  The decision of the Executive Committee may be appealed to the Representative Assembly and from there to the IEA Review Board.  The local shall deny membership to an individual while that individual is denied membership in the IEA pursuant to NEA Bylaw 2-3e.

Section 6 – Non-Discrimination

Discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy status, marital status, socioeconomic status, military status, national origin, disability, age, or genetic information (including family medical history) is illegal and will not be tolerated.  The Association shall not deny membership or services based on any of these criteria.

 

Article III – Governance

Section 1 – Executive Officers

The officers of the Association shall be the duly elected President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. They shall form the Executive Committee.  

• The election of officers shall be conducted during spring semester. 
• Candidates may run as a slate.

Section 2 – Executive Committee

The Executive Committee consists of Executive Officers. In the event an emergency situation arises and the Board of Directors (see Section 3) cannot meet, the Executive Committee may address the situation and report its decision(s) at the next meeting of the Board .

Section 3 – Board of Directors (referred to as the Board)

The Board of Directors shall include, but shall not be limited to, the Executive Committee (elected officers), all standing committee chairs, members-at-large (for the purpose of ensuring representation from all divisions), and a minority representative. The Executive Committee appoints the members of the Board based on the President’s recommendations.

The Board shall meet monthly (except in July) to conduct the business of the Union.

Section 4 – AFA Committees

1. Committees may be established on a permanent and ad hoc basis by the Executive Committee or the Board. 

 

1. With the consent of the Board of Directors, the President shall appoint members to any  AFA committee and name the chairperson.

 

1. Standing committees shall include but are not limited to the Elections Committee, Membership Committee, Grievance/Member Services, Communications, and Negotiations (when needed).  The Executive Committee shall maintain a list of current standing committees and their membership.  

 

1. Ad hoc committees: The Executive Committee or the Board may create a committee of members in order to address specific issues as needed.  Ad hoc committees shall have a specific remit and report to the Board or Executive Committee on their progress regularly.  Once committees have finished their work, they may submit a proposal to the Board or Executive Committee for approval and implementation.

Article IV – Executive Officers

Section 1 – Duties

•  President.  The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer, with the power and duty to enforce the Association’s bylaws, carry out Association policies in the interim between Board meetings, sign contracts and agreements, represent the Association before the public either personally or through designees, appoint and remove members of all AFA committees, serve as ex-officio member on all AFA committees, cause an annual budget to be constructed and regular audits to occur, and preside over meetings of the Executive Committee, Board and General Membership. The President shall make recommendations of adjunct faculty members to the College administration to serve on college-wide committees and report these recommendations to the Board.  Whenever the college provides compensation for the transaction of AFA-OCC business, the President, with the consent of the Executive Committee, determines the allocation of these funds. The President shall have the power and duty to perform all acts generally associated with the nature of the office which are not inconsistent with the remainder of the Bylaws or the Illinois Education Association Constitution.

• Vice-President.  The Vice-President shall have all the powers and duties of the President in the President’s absence or inability to serve, shall succeed to the Presidency pursuant to the Bylaws, serve as Parliamentarian for all AFA meetings, and shall otherwise have such powers and duties as may be assigned by the President. 

• Secretary.  The Secretary shall maintain official files and shall assist the President with Association correspondence. The Secretary shall keep accurate minutes of each meeting of the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, and the Membership and shall be responsible for notifying members of regular and special meetings.

• Treasurer.   The Treasurer shall create and maintain the records of membership, keep accurate records of expenses and income, and shall report such records at the Board of Directors meeting and the meetings of the Membership. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the payment of bills, as approved by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer and one other Executive Committee member shall sign all checks in excess of $300, unless otherwise approved by the Board. The Treasurer shall construct an annual budget presented to the Membership for approval and participate in regular audits.  The Treasurer will be responsible for updating and returning membership rosters to IEA, and for transmitting dues to the IEA as per IEA policies.  

Section 2 – Terms

The term of office for Executive Officers will commence on August 1. The term will be three (3) year(s) and until a successor is elected. Officers may succeed themselves.  

 

Section 3 – Vacancies

Vacancies occurring by reason of death, resignation, incapacity or other disqualification shall be filled as follows:

 

1. President. A vacancy in the office of the President, will be filled by the Vice-President for the remainder of the unexpired term.

 

1. Other Officers. If the vacancy occurs in any other office, the President shall appoint a successor for the remainder of the unexpired term, with the consent by majority vote of the Board.

Section 4 – Recall/Resignation

1. Recall. Any officer may be removed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership.  Such a recall election will be conducted by the Elections Committee within twenty (20) school days of receipt of a petition stating the specific grounds of the recall and containing the signatures of thirty (30) percent of the membership. 

 

1. Resignation

Any officer may resign by notice to the Executive Committee (as defined in Article IX) . 

 

Article V- IEA/NEA Representative Assemblies Representatives and Alternates 

The delegate to the IEA and NEA Representative Assemblies is the Association President. The President may choose a designee, if the President is unable to serve as the delegate 

See Article VIII Elections and Voting for determination of additional delegates as needed.

The Representative Assembly delegate(s) shall attend the Representative Assembly meeting, represent the AFA, and report Assembly activities to the Executive Committee, Board and/or membership as necessary. 

Article VI – Meeting of the Membership and Parliamentary Authority

Section 1 – Regular

There shall be regular membership meetings twice a year.  Electronic meetings of the membership may be scheduled in lieu of in-person meetings as determined by the President.  Electronic meetings may include telephone conference, video conference, webinar, or other method of communications, provided all participants are able to be heard by and communicate with all other participants.  Notice requirements, as otherwise required for regular in-person membership meetings, still apply. Quorum requirements for electronic meetings remain in effect.  Those who join the electronic meeting should be counted towards a determination of a quorum.  All participants in the electronic meeting must be able to be heard by and communicate with all other participants.  Minutes must be kept, adding in the additional details of how the electronic meeting was conducted.

 

Section 2 – Special Meetings

Special meetings of the Membership may be called by the President, a majority of the Executive Committee, or a petition by one-third (1/3) of the Membership.  Notice of special meetings shall be given seven (7) calendar days prior to the meeting.

 

Section 3- Quorum

Ten (10) percent of the total Membership is necessary to transact business.

 

Section 4 – Parliamentary Authority

All meetings of this Association will be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

 

Article VII – Treasurer’s Report

Monthly Treasurer’s reports of the organization will be open to inspection by any member upon reasonable request.

Article VIII – Elections and Voting

Section 1 – Elections Committee

1. A. Composition. No person running for office may serve on the Elections Committee for that election.
2. Duties. The Elections Committee shall establish procedures subject to the approval of the Executive Committee for nomination of candidates, dissemination of notices concerning the election and conduct of the election and tabulation of the ballots consistent with procedures established by the IEA Elections Committee.  The Elections Committee shall hear initial election challenges.
3. Vacancies. Should a vacancy occur on the Elections Committee, whether because a member becomes a candidate for office or for any other reason, the vacancy will be filled in the manner of the original appointment.

Section 2 – Election Procedures 

1. Calendar. The Elections Committee shall establish a local election calendar with nominations and election timelines.  
2. Conduct. All elections will be conducted by open nomination and secret ballot.  Electronic voting is permitted for local election of officers, contract ratification, membership dues increases, and bylaw changes where reasonable notice is given to members at least five (5) days before the vote and information about electronic voting processes.  Voting will remain open for at least five (5) days after the ballot is delivered, provided that the number of votes cast constitutes a quorum. Electronic voting, for this sole purpose, may consist of voting by email or other electronic means. 
3. Nominations. Reasonable notice will be given for nomination to all offices to be filled. Notice will include time, place, and method for submitting nominations
4. Write-In Provisions. A write-in provision is required if the number of declared candidates is less than the number of positions available.
5. Eligibility. All active dues paying members must be afforded the opportunity to run for and vote in any election.
6. Notice. At least fourteen (14) days prior to local elections notice will be given by a method or methods to reasonably assure receipt by the necessary party by written notice including but not limited to personal delivery, on paper, or electronic methods.
7. Consistency. All election procedures will be consistent with Regional, State and Federal requirements.
8. Use of Dues. No dues may be used in support of a candidate for any Local, Regional, State or National office.
9. Offices Governed by this Article.  All local officers including the President, who also serves as the IEA RA and NEA RA representative, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
10. Runoff Elections. In the event that there is no candidate who has received a majority of the votes cast for a particular office, the Elections Committee shall immediately conduct a runoff election between the two candidates who had received the highest number of votes for that office.

Runoff elections will be run in the same manner as the original election.

1. K.  Elections for IEA RA and NEA RA Delegates.  Elections for Delegates to the IEA and NEA Representative Assemblies, as determined by the IEA and NEA, shall be decided by plurality votes, except where a candidate is elected as a delegate by virtue of being elected as the Association President (See Article V).
2. Results of the Election. The results of the election must be published in a timely manner which allows members to obtain the information without unusual effort.

Section 3 – Election Challenges

Any member desiring to challenge the conduct of any election must file a written challenge according to the procedures as follows:

1. Local Level – Initial challenges to all local elections governed by this Article will be filed with the Local Elections Committee. Such challenges must be made no later than 5 calendar days of issuance of the election results.

 

1. Region, State and National Level – Consult the region, state, and national governing documents for additional challenge procedures and timelines, especially for offices which serve as delegates to the IEA and NEA Representative Assemblies.

Section 4  – Executive Committee Voting Procedures

Unless provided herein, the adoption of all resolutions by the Executive Committee shall be by a simple majority of those present.  Votes may be cast electronically by email, text, voice, or by phone.

 

Section 5 – Board of Directors Voting Procedures  

Unless provided herein, the adoption of all resolutions by the Board shall be by a simple majority of those present at the meeting.

 

Section 6 –  Membership Voting Procedures

Unless provided herein, the adoption of all resolutions by the Membership shall be by a simple majority of those voting or present at a meeting.  Proxy voting is not permitted.

 

Article IX – Notice

 

Wherever the word “notice” is used, notice may be given by a method or methods to reasonably assure receipt by the necessary party by written notice including but not limited to personal delivery, on paper, or electronic methods.

 

Article X – Arbitration and Grievance Appeal

 

The Association is committed to fair representation of all persons within the bargaining unit, regardless of Association membership, as required by law.

 

The Executive Committee shall decide whether or not a grievance will be processed to final and binding arbitration. Recommendations should be provided to the Executive Committee from the Member Services/Grievance Chair and/or President. IEA legal can have an impact on this process.  The affected member (or a designated representative if there are several grievants) has a right to address the Executive Committee before the Committee decides whether to take the matter to arbitration.

Article XI – Savings Clause

 

In the event a portion or portions of these Bylaws are found to be inconsistent with state or federal law, such portions to the extent that they violate the law will be deemed deleted and of no force and effect. 

 

Article XII – Amending Procedures

Proposed revisions of these Bylaws must be submitted by the Executive Committee to the full Membership at a regular or special meeting and a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present will rule, provided that all members of the Association have been sent notice of the date and place of the meeting and the proposed revision(s) at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting.

Adopted January 6, 2025

You can download a pdf of the bylaws at this link: