BY-LAWS

Article I. Name

The name of the corporation is the Montana Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. It may hereafter be referred to in these bylaws as the Association.

Article II. Principal Office

Section 1. The principal office of the Association a nonprofit corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Montana shall be the Financial Aid Office Lodge 218 University of Montana Missoula MT 59812.

Section 2. The Association may have such other office or offices at such suitable place or places within the State of Montana as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors of the Corporation hereafter known as the Executive Board.

Article III. Purpose

The purpose of which the Corporation is organized, subject to the limitations of Article XII, hereof, is to:

Promote the professional preparation, effectiveness and association of:

1. Administrators and counselors of student financial aid institutions of secondary education, postsecondary education, government agencies, foundations, and private and community organizations, and
2. Administrators of student loan programs in lending institutions, and other administrators of student financial aid programs, and
3. Others in institutions of secondary education, post-secondary education, government agencies, foundations, and private and community organizations concerned with the support and administration of student financial aid.
4. Serve as a state forum and act as a focus for the expression of views on matters relating to the development, funding and delivery of student financial aid.
5. Promote and encourage programs which provide for educational opportunities and development of individuals.
6. Assist educational institutions, foundations, government agencies and private and community organizations to promote and develop effective programs of student financial aid.
7. Effectively serve the interests and needs of students, institutions, government agencies, associates, and other related organizations through coordination of plans and programs pertinent to student financial aid.
8. Facilitate communication between educational institutions and sponsors of student aid funds.
9. Promote such systematic studies, cooperative experiments, conferences and other related activities as may be desirable or necessary to fulfill the purposes of the corporation.

Article IV. Membership

Section 1: There shall be three (3) classes of members of the Association: Institutional members, Associate members and Honorary members.
Institutional membership in the Association shall be open to institutions of postsecondary education located in the State of Montana having an interest in promoting the administration of student financial aid which meet the following criteria:

1. The Institutions of postsecondary education must maintain a regular faculty and curriculum, have a regularly enrolled body of students in attendance at the place where its education activities are regularly carried on and which administers financial assistance to its students through any state or federal student financial aid program(s).
2. The institutions of postsecondary education must employ a full time professional person(s) whose primary responsibility is the administration of federal or state financial aid programs.
3. A system of institutions of postsecondary education (or a single institution with multiple campuses which maintains a central administrative office) shall not qualify as an institutional member of the Association although each of the institutions comprising such system (or each campus of a single institution) shall be eligible for institutional membership.
4. Associate membership in the Association shall be open to other individuals and organizations which are not institutional members of the Association and which are found to have purposes parallel with those of the Association and desire to participate in its (non-voting) activities and are approved for this status by the Executive Board or by a two-thirds majority of the legal votes cast by the individual active members present and voting at any meeting of the Association.
5. Honorary membership in the Association shall be open to those individuals who have provided noteworthy service to the Association who are so elected by the Executive Board or recommendation of an institutional member of by two-thirds majority of the legal votes cast by the institutional members present and voting at any meeting of the Association. They shall enjoy permanent invitations to attend Association meetings and to maintain interest in Association affairs and shall be excused from all Association fees and dues.

Section 2: Each institutional member in good standing shall be entitled to the number of individual active members as indicated in Article X Section 3 of the Bylaws and shall designate individual(s) by name at the time annual dues are paid or at any other time authorized by the Executive Board. Active members must be individuals actively and directly engaged in Student Financial Aid Programs within that institution or organization.

1. Individuals designated as active members shall be entitled to hold office in the Association, serve on committees, attend meetings of the Association and to participate fully in the affairs of the Association. Association and honorary members in good standing shall be entitled to attend all meetings of the Association, serve on committees and to participate fully in the activities of the Association but, with the exception of the Associate Member Delegate, shall not be entitled to vote as a member or hold office in the Association. Other individuals may be invited to serve the Association on committees and in other capacities.
2. Each institutional member shall be entitled to one voting representative who may be an active individual member representing the institution at any meeting. No vote by proxy will be allowed.

Section 3: Any institution of postsecondary education, system of institutions of postsecondary education or individual active member may appeal in writing to the Executive Board on an individual basis and for just cause for determination of membership status and voting eligibility in the Association.

Section 4: Any member or organization member of the Association may be dropped from membership by action of the Executive Board for non-payment of dues or for other just causes after being afforded the opportunity to be heard.

Article V. Executive Board

Section 1: The responsibility for the general conduct of the affairs of the Association between meetings of the membership shall be vested in the Executive Board except for modifying the substance of official action taken by the membership of the Association. The Executive Board in the management of business property and assets of the Association shall be vested with all powers possessed by the Association itself including the power to appoint and remunerate agents and employees in so far as such delegation of authority is not inconsistent with or repugnant to the laws of Montana or any other laws, the Article of Incorporation of the Association or these By-Laws.

Section 2: The Executive Board shall consist of the following:

1. President, President-Elect, Vice President/Secretary, Immediate Past President, Treasurer and two (2) Executive Members-at-Large. All members of the Executive Board must be active members of the Association at the time of nomination and throughout their term in office. The Executive Board is authorized to establish an office and to employ an Executive Secretary to whom the Executive Board may assign duties and functions as it deems necessary.
2. Decisions within the Executive Board shall be made by simple majority vote of the members present and voting.

Article VI. Officers

Section 1: The officers of the Association shall be a President, President-Elect, Vice President/Secretary, Immediate Past President, Treasurer, Associate Member Delegate, two (2) Executive Members-at-Large and non-voting Treasurer-Elect.

Section 2: All officers of the Association, except for the President and Immediate Past President, shall be elected by a majority vote cast for their respective offices.

Section 3: All officers shall hold office from the adjournment of an annual meeting in which they are elected until adjournment of an annual meeting in which their successors are elected.

Section 4: The Vice President/Secretary and the Treasurer shall be elected to serve a two (2) year term with election of these offices being held in alternating years. The Associate Member Delegate shall be elected to serve a two (2) year term the same year as the Secretary/Treasurer is elected. The Treasurer-Elect shall be elected to serve a three (3) year term (1 year as Treasurer-Elect, and 2 years as Treasurer). Elections for Treasurer-Elect would be held in even years after the first year of service by the current Treasurer.

Section 5: The two (2) Executive Members-at-Large shall be elected to serve a two (2) year term with election of these offices being held in alternating years.

Section 6: In the event of a vacancy of the President, the President-Elect shall assume the duties of President, without prejudice to his/her eligibility to serve the normal term of President to which he/she was elected. All other vacancies shall be filled, as they occur, by the Executive Board for the balance of the un-expired term.

Section 7: No two (2) or more offices of the Association may be held concurrently by the same person.

Section 8: With exception of the President, who cannot serve more than one consecutive term, an elected officer may be a candidate to succeed himself/herself in office.

Section 9: None of the elected officers or the immediate Past-President of the Association shall receive any compensation for their services as such to the Association. Any necessary travel expenses of any individual active member to represent the Association may be paid from Association funds by approval of the Executive Board.

Article VII. Duties of Officers

Section 1: The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association at which he/she is present, shall serve as chairman of the Executive Board and shall perform such other duties as pertain to that office. He/she shall be an ex-officio member of all commissions and committees of the Association and the Executive Board. He/she may assign and delegate duties as he/she considers best but he/she shall be responsible for all activities within the Association and shall submit an annual report to the Association. He/she shall assume this office after completion of one term as President-Elect and shall serve for a one (1) year term.

Section 2: The President -Elect shall serve as principal assistant to the President as needed; especially he/she shall be in charge of planning the program and coordinating the arrangements for the next annual meeting. He/she shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast for this office and shall serve one (1) term as President. If he/she should become President prematurely because of a vacancy in that office, his/her normal term would not be affected.

Section 3: Officer Duties: The Vice President/Secretary shall supervise any special projects referred to him/her by the Association, coordinate the Association’s activities with those of other groups or individuals in financial aid research or training and collect and disseminate information concerning training projects of common interests. He/she shall keep the minutes of any meeting held by the Association or Executive Board and shall be custodian of the secretarial records of the Association. He/she shall keep the minutes of all meetings and shall maintain a cumulative index of his/her proceedings. He/she shall be responsible for the mailing of meeting notices and other such communication as provided for in the By-Laws and Policies and Procedures and for the performance of other duties as are appropriate to the office or as prescribed by the Executive Board.

Section 4: The immediate Past President shall serve as advisor to the President and other officers. This officer will also serve as MASFAA Historian. This officer is responsible for gathering and organizing all historical information. This would include ensuring that any historical information in electronic format is accurate and up-to-date.

Section 5: The Treasurer shall be responsible for receiving and disbursing all monies of the Association under policies approved by the Board. He/she shall keep an accurate list of the members of the Association, maintain membership records and annual membership reports and report change in the membership list to the Executive Board. He/she shall be ready whenever required to turn over to the Executive Board all monies, accounts, record books, papers, vouchers, and other records pertaining to the office, and shall turn the same over to his/her elected successor. He/she shall submit an annual financial report to the Association. He/she shall be under such bond as determined by the Executive Board. He/she shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast for the office at the annual meeting.

Section 6: The Associate Member Delegate shall serve as a voting Board member representing the interests of the associate membership. This delegate serves as the communications link from the Association to the associate members and participates fully in the functions of the Executive Board. He/she shall solicit sponsorships from the associate members for the Association. He/she shall perform such duties as are assigned by the President and or Executive Board.

Section 7: There will be two (2) Executive Members-at-Large who shall perform such duties as are assigned to them by the President and/or Executive Board.

Section 8: The Treasurer-Elect shall: Learn the duties of the Treasurer during his/her year as Treasurer-Elect in order to actively assume Treasurer position. Serve a one-year term as Treasurer-Elect and a two-year term as Treasurer for a total of three years; Should a seated Treasurer leave office, the Treasurer-elect would assume the duties of the Treasurer, not to exceed three years total. Perform duties as assigned by the President, Executive Board, or Treasurer. Attends board meetings. Reconcile all accounts to monthly statements

Article VIII. Committees

Section 1: Standing or ad hoc committees of the Association may be appointed or dissolved by the President as deemed necessary for the work of the Association subject to the approval of the Executive Board.

Section 2: There shall be a Nominations Committee chaired by the Immediate Past President consisting of at least three members, appointed by the President, whose duty it shall be to select nominees for the several elected offices and to report to the Association at the annual meeting at which time opportunities shall be given for additional nominations.

Section 3: The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.

Article IX. Meetings

Section 1: Meetings of the Association shall be held on such dates and in such locations as the Executive Board shall determine. Notice of such meetings shall be circulated to all members of the Association at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date established. The President has the authority to call an emergency meeting.

The presence, in person, of 25% of the institutional members of the Association shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
At least one meeting of the Association shall be held each year, and shall be designated the annual meeting. The agenda of the annual meeting shall include the election of officers, presentation of reports and action on any proposed amendments to the Bylaws.
In case of emergency, the Executive Board shall have the authority to advance, postpone, or omit an annual meeting: in such case the time between two (2) consecutive annual meetings of the Association shall be counted as one (1) year of administration.
The Executive Board may set a registration fee for the annual or other meetings, to be paid by each individual active member and associate in attendance at the meeting.

Section 2: There shall be at one (1) meeting of the Executive Board. Meeting of the Executive Board shall be held at the call of the President or by petition of three (3) or more members of the Executive Board. A majority of the membership of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum. Minutes of meetings of the Executive Board shall be distributed to all members of the Association when appropriate and/or necessary.

Section 3: If any meeting of the Association be adjourned to another time and place no notice as to such adjourned meeting need be given other than announcement at the meeting at which such adjournment is taken.

Article X. Finance

Section 1: The membership year of the Association shall be on a calendar year basis from January 1st to December 31st.

Section 2: Income shall be derived from membership dues and such other sources as the Executive Board may approve.

Section 3: The institutional members shall pay annual dues based on the unduplicated number of students enrolled full-time and part-time at their institution for the preceding twelve (12) month period from July 1st to June 30th inclusive or as otherwise determined by the Executive Board as follows:

• Enrollment under 999, annual dues $55;
• Enrollment 1000 to 2999, annual dues $85;
• Enrollment 3000 to 4999, annual dues $115;
• Enrollment 5000 to 7499, annual dues $145;
• Enrollment 7500 and over, annual dues $175;
  Fee increase was approved via a membership vote on 4/21/17 during the Business Meeting at the annual MASFAA conference.

Section 4: There shall be annual membership dues of $80 for each individual or organization who will participate as an Associate.

Section 5: Payment of annual dues is to be made within 60 days after the beginning of the membership year. Any member who is in arrears in the payment of annual dues shall be considered not in good standing. Any active member not in good standing shall not be entitled to vote or hold office in the Association.

Section 6: The books of the Association shall be audited at a minimum at the conclusion of each Secretary/Treasurer’s term in office in a manner prescribed by the Executive Board.

Article XI. Acknowledgements/Awards

Section 1: Retirement Gift/Honorary Membership - A gift may be given to a member retiring who has been active in MASFAA, RMASFAA and/or NASFAA. Gifts may also be given to a MASFAA member who is not retiring, but leaving the financial aid profession. The amount spent on the gift would be decided by the Executive Board and would be dependent on the member’s level of activity with MASFAA, RMASFAA, and/or NASFAA. Both gifts and honorary membership may be given retroactively. The honorary membership would be given only to retiring members. As an honorary member, the individual would not be required to pay membership dues but would receive mailing and would be eligible to attend conferences at the MASFAA membership fee. The individual would not be a voting member and could not hold any office.

Section 2: Years of Service Award - Acknowledgements will be given to members who have served 10 years in MASFAA and acknowledgements will continue at 5 year increments.

Section 3: Special Service Award - An award may be given to a member for a significant contribution to MASFAA, RMASFAA, and/or RMASFAA. This is an annual award. However, if an appropriate recipient for any given year is not identified, an award is not given that year. Although the Executive Board will present this award, nominations may come from the general membership.

Section 4: Financial Aid Professional of the Year - An award to recognize a professional who has contributed to the financial aid profession in Montana in ways that often go unnoticed but without their contribution our profession and service to our students would be severely impacted. Nominations will be solicited from the membership. The Financial Aid Professional of the Year will receive a plaque and the possibility to receive up to a $1000 professional development grant.

Section 5: Mick Hanson Professional Development Scholarship: When funds are available, this $500 scholarship will be awarded to a mentee or mentor who has been accepted into the RMASFAA Leadership Pipeline. Recipients of the scholarship are required to be a MASFAA and a RMASFAA member. This scholarship will be used to help offset costs related to the RMASFAA Fall Conference (conference fee, lodging, and travel expenses). Selection of the recipient will reside with the MASFAA Executive Board.
All members, both institutional and associate, are eligible for these awards. Awards would be given at the annual conference.

Article XII. Parliamentary Authority

Section 1: The rules contained in the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Articles of Incorporation, these By-Laws, and any special rules of order the Association may adopt.

Article XIII. Amendment of Bylaws

Section 1: Proposals to amend the By-Laws may be initiated by the Executive Board or duly constituted committee of the Association or an institutional member of the Association. Such proposals must be in writing and, if initiated by an institutional member, they shall be signed by at least three (3) Board members. Copies of proposed amendments shall be distributed to all members of the Association.

Section 2: The By-Laws may be amended at any meeting of the Association by two-thirds majority of the legal votes cast by the institutional members present and voting, provided that written notice of the proposed amendment has been sent to members at least thirty (30) days in advance of the meeting. An amendment not thus proposed in advance may be adopted by a four-fifths majority of the legal votes cast by the active members present and voting.

Section 3: Any portion of the By-Laws of the Association may be suspended by a two-thirds vote of those institutional members present at the meeting of the Association.

Revised proposed 5/20/08 Transitional Board Meeting.

Revised By-Laws Approved on 5/11/2009 by 2/3 majority e-mail vote.

Revised By-Laws Approved on 4/16/2010 by a 2/3 majority vote at Business Meeting