Constitution & Bylaws

Article I - Name

The name of this organization shall be Oakland Community College Association of Retired Personnel (OCCARP).

Article II - Purpose

The purpose of this Association shall be to assist its members by providing (1) fellowship; (2) assistance with retirement issues; (3) opportunities for enrichment through the resources of Oakland Community College (OCC); and (4) cooperation with organizations of retired persons on all levels. In addition, the Association shall assist OCC to make use of the experience within the association membership.

Article III - Membership/Dues

Section 1 Membership in this Association shall be open to dues-paying retirees of OCC.
Section 2 The amount of annual dues shall be set by the Board with approval of the membership.

Article IV - The Board

Section 1 The Board shall consist of ten members, nine elected from the membership of the association plus the chief college human resources officer or his/her designee. The nine elected members shall represent the following retiree groups: 1 from the faculty 1 from the classified 1 from the operating engineers, public safety or maintenance 1 from the administration or management staff 5 from the membership-at-large
Section 2 If no person is nominated from any retiree group, the nominating committee shall select a person from any other representative group.
Section 3 The term of office shall be for two years.
Section 4 The duties of the Board shall be to direct the programs and to formulate the general policies concerning the business of the Association; to elect the officers of the Board; to approve the proposed budget; to fill by appointment all vacancies occurring between elections; to approve coordinators; and to perform such duties as designated by the membership.

Article V - Officers of the Board

Section 1 The officers of the Board shall be a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, a secretary, a treasurer, a membership coordinator and program coordinators.
Section 2 The Board chairperson acts as spokesperson, representative and leader for the Board and the Association; conducts Board and Association meetings; coordinates Board-officer responsibilities; provides guidance and direction for the Board; and works with OCC and the Association membership in the achievement of Association goals and objectives.
Section 3 The vice-chairperson serves as assistant to the chair and assumes duties of the chair should he/she be unable to serve.
Section 4 The secretary keeps an accurate record of Board and Association meetings; corresponds with the membership and serves as a clearinghouse for Association news and information.
Section 5 The treasurer maintains financial records of the Association and reports regularly to the Board and the membership on the Association’s financial standing and collects dues and other monies as appropriate.
Section 6 The membership coordinator maintains up-to-date records on all Association members and conducts membership recruitment. Works with human resources in updating and maintaining the membership handbook.
Section 7 The program coordinators shall support the Board in the identification of membership needs and shall coordinate the development of appropriate program planning.

Article VI - Election

Section 1 A nominating committee composed of three to five members appointed by the Board shall present a slate of candidates for Board membership to the Association membership. Previous consent of the proposed candidates shall be obtained. The newly elected Board shall assume responsibility October 1.
Section 2 The Board officers shall be elected from the Board membership at the first meeting of the newly elected Board. The newly elected officers assume responsibilities November 1.
Section 3 All officers of the Board shall serve for one year.
Section 4 Should it become necessary to resign, the Board member shall send a letter to the Board chairperson, indicating the resignation effective date. If a member is absent from three (3) consecutive, regularly scheduled Board meetings without notifying the chairperson, a registered letter will be sent, notifying the member that his/her board membership is canceled, and a new person will be appointed to fill the unexpired term.

Article VII - Meetings

Section 1 The regular meetings of the Association shall be at least annually. The Board shall set the date, the time and place of the meeting. The Board shall notify the membership at least 30 days prior to any meeting called for election or any vote affecting the Association.
Section 2 The Board shall establish its regular meeting times for the year at the first meeting of the newly constituted Board.

Article VIII - Quorum

To conduct official business, a majority of the members of the Board constitute a quorum for Board business. The Association members in attendance shall be considered a quorum when it meets for business. In a mail ballot, the number of responses received by the due date shall constitute a quorum.

Article IX - Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the conduct of business in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are consistent with these Bylaws.

Article X - Amendments

The Bylaws of this Association may be amended by the majority of those Association members responding/voting by ballot. The OCC Chancellor reserves the right to dissolve the Association effective upon notice to the Board of Trustees. In the event of such notification, the retirees’ Association may continue to exist without any resources from the Board of Trustees.