Article I - Formation, Name, and Location
The University of New Mexico Board of Regents has established within a Memorandum of Understanding, the recognition of an affiliated organization. The name of the organization is “The University of New Mexico Parent & Family Association”, hereafter called the “Association.” Its principal office shall be located within the Dean of Students Office at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Article II - Statement of Purpose
The Association is an organization whose purpose is to support and promote the interests of parents and family members of students of the University of New Mexico (UNM).
Article III - Mission
The mission of the Association is to:
Promote student success and academic excellence via
- Support - for parents as they embrace the transition of their children into university life and adulthood and to assist parents to play a supportive role in student education.
- Communication - to help ensure that parents have timely and accurate information about UNM through facilitating two-way communication.
- Connection - by Providing a forum for networking with other UNM parents and to the university's vast array of services.
- Outreach & Engagement - for parents and families who live both locally and afar to engage in the university's mission and goals.
- Spirit - that provides parents with meaningful, energizing, and enjoyable opportunities to become a vital part of the UNM Community.
Article IV - Membership
Members - All parents and/or guardians of current and former students of the University of New Mexico are considered non-voting members.
Officers - Shall consist of a Chairperson & Vice Chairperson who are also voting members of the Association as outlined in Article VI.
Board Members - Shall consist of voting members of the Association as outlined in Article V.
Ex-officio members - The following persons shall serve as non-voting ex-officio members in an advisory capacity and may participate at all regular meetings and functions of the Association. Ex-officio members are not required to be the parent or legal guardian of a current or former student of the University of New Mexico.
Dean of Students or staff designate
Additional members at large as needed: Examples include but are not limited to Student Affairs designate, Enrollment Management designate, University Communications and Marketing designee, faculty representatives, etc.
Liaison(s) - The following persons from the Dean of Students staff shall serve as liaisons between the University and the Association as non-voting members to coordinate all efforts of Officers and Board Members. Duties will include:
- Secretary: note-taking, coordinating meetings, executing events, and other duties as designated by Board Members.
- Treasurer: Present up-to-date account overview information as provided by the UNM Foundation.
Article V - Board Members
Section 5.1 Number of Board Members: Board Members of the Association shall consist of up to 12 voting members including the Officers. Except as provided herein, the roles and qualifications of these Board Members shall be determined by the Board in its policies.
Section 5.2 Duties & Responsibilities: Board Members will serve the Association by maintaining active participation in meetings, either in person or via phone, and respond in a timely manner to business conducted via email. Additional responsibilities will include voting, designates for events/recruitment, fundraising, communication, advisor to the ASAR & Board of Regents, and scholarship review. These responsibilities will be determined by forming committees, Article X.
Section 5.3 Terms of Office: Board Members shall serve a term of at least two (2) years with no more than six (6) years and may continue until their child graduates from or is no longer enrolled at the university. If a Board Member's student graduates before their term ends, members can serve out the rest of their term but will not be eligible for reelection.
Section 5.4 Quorum: A simple majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The act of a majority of the voting members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board.
Section 5.5 Vacancies: Any vacancy occurring in Board Members may be filled by the affirmative vote of the majority of members. Officers elected to fill the vacancy shall be elected for the unexpired term of his/her predecessor in office.
Section 5.6 Removal/Termination of Membership: Board Members may remove any other Board Member or Officer for cause by a majority vote of all Members then in office, at any regular or special Association meeting. Regular meeting attendance and participation by Board Members is vital to the Association's mission and is required. Absence of two (2) consecutive meetings will be reviewed by Board Members and, if deemed appropriate, Board Members may be removed.
This action shall be preceded by the following: 1) no less than five (5) current Board Members must draft a letter or email specifying the cause of proposed removal, 2) this letter or email shall be sent to the Member(s) potentially removed by registered mail no less than ten (10) days prior to a regular or special meeting where action will be taken, 3) the agenda must provide for Member(s) in question to state their defense.
Article VI - Chairperson & Vice Chairperson
Section 6.1 Chairperson, hereafter called “Chair”: Shall be responsible to call and preside at board meetings of the Association. The Chair shall represent or can call upon any Board Member to represent the Association at open meetings of the Board of Regents or any other meeting. The Chair shall serve as the spokesperson for the organization, representing the PFA when necessary. Events include but not limited to include Convocation (beginning of fall semester), Family Weekend (fall semester), Student Success, Teaching and Research Committee (SSTAR) (monthly), and Board of Regents (BOR) (state of the UNMPFA). The Chair shall nominate standing committees with the approval of the Association Board. The Chair shall prepare an annual State of the Association report, to be approved by the Association Board, present at the Association annual membership business meeting, and forward to the president of the university. The Chair shall lead a strategic planning meeting each year to plan for the upcoming year. The Chair shall perform all duties incident of the Office of President and have such powers and duties as assigned by the Board.
Section 6.1.a Term: The chair will serve a regular Board Member a two-year term. If a Chair's student graduates before their term ends, the Chair can serve out the rest of their term but will not be eligible for reelection.
Section 6.2 Vice-Chairperson, hereafter called “Vice-Chair”: Shall serve as the Chair-Elect for the Association. In the event that the Chair is unavailable the Vice-Chair shall represent the Association at open meetings of the Board of Regents or any other meeting.
Section 6.2.a Term: The Vice-Chair will serve a regular Board Member two-year term. If a Vice Chair's student graduates before their term ends, the Vice-Chair can serve out the rest of their term but will not be eligible for reelection.
Section 6.3 Board Member Designee: In the event that the Chair or Vice-Chair is unable to attend open meetings of the Board of Regents or any other meeting, the Chair can call upon any Board Member to represent the Association as a Board Member Designee.
Article - VII Nominations and Elections
Section 7.1 Nominations: Any regular member of the Association may be nominated for election to become a Board Member. Any current Board Member may be nominated for Chair and Vice-Chair. Any nominator can nominate themselves or someone else. No nomination shall be made without the consent of the nominee. Each nominee will complete The Declaration of Intent upon acceptance of the nomination.
Section 7.2 Elections: The Liaison(s) shall present a slate of candidates for Chair, Vice-Chair, and nominees for potential vacant Board positions to the existing voting body as outlined in Article IV. The Board Members will vote “For” or “Against” the slated candidate. The Chair, Vice-Chair, and Board Members shall be elected by a simple majority of the existing Board Members and begin their term at the beginning of the fiscal year.
Section 7.3 Suggested Timeline: The Association will use the following timeline for officer selection. February - Nominations will be solicited from Board Members and general membership in accordance Article VII Section 7.1.
March - The Board will vote to select incoming officers and board members.
April - June - Incoming Chair & Vice Chair will work with outgoing officers to transition into new roles.
Article VIII - Meetings
Section 8.1 The Board shall meet at least four (4) times per academic year, including a meeting to be held within two months following the start of a new semester. Additional Board meetings can be called as needed by any Board Member provided they have the agreement of two (2) additional Board Members and with a minimum of two (2) weeks' notice.
Section 8.2 The Association shall conduct a meeting of the general membership annually. The meeting date and agenda will be determined at the discretion of the current board and may be held in conjunction with a previously scheduled Association event.
Section 8.3 Notice of Meetings: Written notice of the general membership and other regular meetings of Members shall state the date, time, and place of the meetings and may be sent electronically by the Liaison(s) no less than 7 days before the meeting to each member's provided email address.
Article IX - Committees
Section 9.1 Establishment and Operation of Committees: Board Members shall establish such committees and task forces as advisable to assist in fulfilling the mission of the Association without compromising any Board Member's authority and in keeping with the policies established by the Board.
Section 9.2 Standing Committees: Standing committees of Board Members shall be determined by the needs of the Association and can include, but aren’t limited to Event Planning, Volunteer Development (Recruitment and Membership), Bylaws, Scholarship, Legislative, and Communication. These committees shall operate in accordance with the roles and policies established by the Board. The Chair shall nominate standing committees with the approval of the Association Board.
Article X - Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Association shall extend from July 1 through June 30.
Article XI - Rules of Order
The rules of order in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the conduct of all meetings of the Association except where they may be in conflict with these Bylaws or other policies adopted by the Officers.
Article XII - Amendments
Proposed amendments to these established Bylaws may be made at a regular meeting by a two-thirds vote of all Officers then in office, provided that notice of the proposed amendment(s), together with a copy thereof, shall be distributed to each person at least fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting at which the amendment is to be considered. Any proposed amendment(s) beyond grammar and punctuation shall become effective upon approval by the UNM Board of Regents.
Article XIII - Dissolution
In the event of the dissolution of the Association, for whatever cause, its assets will be distributed to the University of New Mexico Foundation for UNM Student Scholarships.
Article XIV - Miscellaneous
No part of the activities of this organization shall be devoted to participation in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
Notwithstanding anything herein, all activities and policies of the Association shall conform to University of New Mexico Policies as approved by the Board of Regents.
The undersigned members of the Executive Committee of the UNM Parent & Family Association certify that these Bylaws of the UNM Parent & Family Association were adopted by the Voting Members at their regularly held meeting on September 16, 2021.
Revised 9/2021
