CONSTITUTION and BY-LAWS of the INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE SCHOOLS of NORTH CAROLINA
(Proposed Revisions to Constitution Adopted 16 April 2023)
Article One: Name and Authority
1.1 The name of this organization shall be “International Baccalaureate Schools of North Carolina,” hereinafter referred to as “IBSNC.”
1.2 IBSNC shall be chartered and shall be operated according to and pursuant to the laws and regulations of the state of North Carolina as they pertain to the following:
a) Laws and regulations governing Not-for-Profit Organizations.
b) Laws and regulations governing public education institutions as defined and
categorized by the NC State Board of Education and Department of Public
Instruction and Title 16, NC Administrative Code.
c) The various and several regulations governing member schools established by their
respective Local Education Agencies (LEAs), administered by their respective
Boards of Education.
1.3 IBSNC shall serve as an official, united voice for member schools in dealings with the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) concerning its purpose and objectives and with other IB-designated subregional groups.
Article Two: Purpose and Objectives
2.1 The primary purpose of IBSNC is to support IB Programme implementation through networking, advocacy, scholarships, professional development, and grants in order to increase awareness, understanding, and recognition of the value of IB Programmes in creating a better, more peaceful world.
2.2 In order to facilitate the achievement of its primary purpose (2.1), IBSNC adopts the following ongoing objectives:
2.2.1: To establish and maintain ongoing communications and official relations relative to the IB in North Carolina’s public and private schools with the NC General Assembly, North Carolina colleges and universities, the NC Department of Public Instruction, and the various NC LEAs.
2.2.2: To facilitate continuing programme development, curriculum improvement, and programme implementation.
2.2.3: To pool resources, ideas, support activities, and political influence to secure the best possible advantages for member schools and their students.
2.2.4: To design, facilitate, and/or implement continuous, high-quality, relevant staff development activities and in-service training for teachers and any other professionals engaged in delivering the IB curriculum to the students of all member schools.
2.2.5: To serve as a centralized communication clearing house for all IB-related policies, concerns, needs, ideas, and other programme components.
2.2.6: To serve as a collective voice and liaison with IBO.
2.2.7: To serve as a professional support community for member schools’ personnel.
2.2.8: To recruit, nurture, and maintain growth of the IB programme in prospective member schools throughout the state of North Carolina.
2.2.9: To sponsor active meetings, exchange of ideas, relevant activities and events for all member schools’ professional staffs and student participants.
2.2.10: To promote the IB programmes and lend support to the publicity efforts of member schools in doing the same.
2.2.11: To foster and encourage college/university recognition and acceptance of the work of students enrolled in the IB programme.
2.2.12: To lend active and enthusiastic support to the IBO in its pursuit of academic excellence and internationalism on both local and international levels.
Article Three: Membership
Membership in IBSNC shall be open to dues-paying schools and education organizations in three classes of membership:
3.1 Active membership: Open to schools that are authorized to offer any of the IB curriculum programmes (Diploma, Career-related, Middle Years, or Primary Years) and are currently doing so.
3.2 Prospective membership: Open to candidate schools that are in the process of pursuing IBO authorization and/or affiliation, including any of the authorized programmes.
3.3 Associate membership: Open to schools and education agencies or organizations with interests in IBSNC’s activities and individuals with a vested interest in the promotion of IB in the state of North Carolina in conjunction with IBSNC.
Article Four: Organizational Structure
4.1 IBSNC shall include a General Council, consisting of the IB Programme Coordinator of each school holding active membership status; one Local Educational Agency (LEA) supervisor from each LEA with one or more schools holding active IBSNC membership status; the AP/IB coordinator from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI); and the duly-elected general officers of IBSNC, who comprise the IBSNC Executive Council (See Article 5). A representative from IBA (International Baccalaureate of Americas) shall be invited to serve as a non-voting member.
4.2 When a member school’s IB Programme Coordinator is elected to serve in the capacity of one of the members of the Executive Council (see Article 5), the member school may appoint a teacher or other professional educator involved in the delivery of the IB curriculum to participate in the General Council meetings during the member school’s representative term of office as its allotted General Council representative.
4.3 As new schools join IBSNC as active members, their IB Programme Coordinators shall automatically be seated as members of the General Council.
4.4 Each active member school with a representative present shall have one vote on any and all matters determined by the General Council.
4.5 Each vote requires a quorum. A quorum shall be constituted of one-half of the active member schools.
4.6 The members of the IBSNC Executive Council shall be bound and authorized to carry out the directives of the General Council. In the absence of specific instructions, the members of the IBSNC Executive Council shall be empowered to act on behalf of IBSNC and the General Council insofar as execution of their duties is required.
4.7 IBSNC shall operate as a 501c(3) not-for-profit organization in its legal charter status within the state of North Carolina.
Article Five: The IBSNC Executive Council and Its Duties
The IBSNC Executive Council shall be made up of the following elected positions:
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
5.1 The office of President may be filled by the IB Programme Coordinator of any active member school or by the LEA supervisor from an LEA with one or more schools holding active IBSNC membership status. The office of the President includes the following duties:
5.1.1: To serve as the official representative of IBSNC and the General Council.
5.1.2: To speak with the authority of IBSNC and the General Council and to bind IBSNC and/or the General Council to action of position pursuant to final authorization of the General Council.
5.1.3: To serve as the Chief Executive Officer of IBSNC and the General Council, primarily responsible for carrying out the General Council’s agenda and directives.
5.1.4: To preside at all meetings and functions of IBSNC and the General Council or delegate responsibility for the same.
5.1.5: To execute sole authority in appointing committees and committee chairs for the accomplishment of IBSNC objectives.
5.1.6: To serve as an ex-officio member of all IBSNC committees, task forces, and other appointed groups.
5.1.7: To prepare and deliver a comprehensive report on his/her activities and the state of IBSNC to the General Council at each regular meeting.
5.1.8: To serve entirely at the pleasure of the General Council and thus may be removed by a vote of two-thirds of the General Council’s membership in a secret-ballot vote called for that purpose.
5.1.9: To organize the agenda and logistics for all regular and called meetings and to assume responsibility for facilitating the meeting process, including notification of the membership through the Secretary.
OFFICE OF PRESIDENT-ELECT
5.2 The office of President-Elect may be filled by any professional educator as outlined in Section 5.1. The office of President-Elect includes the following duties:
5.2.1: To fulfill any and all duties of the President in case of the President’s illness. incapacitation, absence, or other cause which prevents the President’s exercise of duty.
5.2.2: To serve as an ex-officio member of all committees, task forces, and other appointed groups.
5.2.3: To serve as IBSNC’s official new schools support officer, disseminating information and materials and providing for the needs of schools seeking affiliate or active status with IBO, IBA, and IBSNC.
5.2.4: To succeed to the office of President upon completion of term as President-Elect.
5.2.5: To supervise the election process of Executive Council members.
OFFICE OF THE IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
5.3 The office of the Immediate Past President includes the following duties:
5.3.1: To serve as first assistant to the President in representing the positions and interests of IBSNC to the IB, the NC General Assembly, the State Board of Education, NC Department of Public Instruction staff, other governing bodies, and to colleges and universities.
5.3.2: To assume automatically the duties of the President-Elect on an interim basis when the President-Elect either becomes President or is otherwise incapacitated during his/her term of office; to serve in this capacity until the next meeting of the General Council when a new President-Elect is elected (See Article Six).
5.3.3 To assist and/or facilitate the process for IBSNC Constitutional review and revision by members of the General Council and/or Executive Council.
OFFICE OF SECRETARY
5.4: The office of Secretary may be filled by any professional educator as outlined in Section 5.1. The office of Secretary includes the following duties:
5.4.1: To serve as recorder of minutes for all general and called meetings of IBSNC, the General Council, and the Executive Council.
5.4.2: To handle all incoming and outgoing correspondence for IBSNC, the General Council, and the Executive Council during his/her term of office.
5.4.3: To keep a safe file of all correspondence, minutes, and other official documents generated by or dispatched to or from IBSNC, the General Council, and the Executive Council.
5.4.4: To collect and organize all historic documents, photographs, materials, and other resources which remain property of IBSNC.
5.4.5: To present IBSNC’s materials on the IBSNC website for the perusal and information of member schools’ personnel.
5.4.6: To maintain complete IBSNC archives during the term of office.
5.4.7: To perform other duties in keeping with the general expectations of the office of Secretary as directed by the General Council, Executive Council, or the President.
OFFICE OF TREASURER
5.5 The office of Treasurer may be filled by any professional educator as outlined in
Section 5.1. The office of Treasurer includes the following duties:
5.5.1: To handle all financial transactions of IBSNC and the General Council.
5.5.2: To maintain accurate and updated financial records.
5.5.3: To prepare and present a full financial statement to the General Council at each general meeting, and interim financial reports to the Executive Council as needed.
5.5.4: To act in collections and disbursements according to the directives of the General Council and in keeping with those elements of general expectations for the office of Treasurer.
5.5.5; To maintain separate and dedicated financial accounts in a bank of the General Council’s choosing.
OFFICE OF PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME MANAGER
5.7 The office of Primary Years Programme Manager may be filled by any professional educator as outlined in Section 5.1. The office of PYP Manager includes the following duties:
5.7.1: To organize collaborative opportunities for other PYP members of IBSNC.
OFFICE OF MIDDLE YEARS PROGRAMME MANAGER
5.8 The office of Middle Years Programme Manager may be filled by any professional educator as outlined in Section 5.1 The office of MYP Manager includes the following duties:
5.8.1: To organize collaborative opportunities for other MYP members of IBSNC.
OFFICE OF DIPLOMA PROGRAMME MANAGER
5.9 The office of Diploma Programme Manager may be filled by any professional educator as outlined in Section 5.1. The office of DP Manager includes the following duties:
5.9.1: To organize collaborative opportunities for other DP members of IBSNC.
OFFICE OF CAREER PROGRAMME MANAGER
5.10 The office of Career Programme Manager may be filled by any professional educator as outlined in Section 5.1. The office of CP Manager includes the following duties:
5.10.1: To organize collaborative opportunities for other CP members of IBSNC.
Article Six: Elections, Terms of Office, Filling of Vacancies
6.1 Effective in 2010, all terms of office are for two school years, beginning 1 July and ending 30 June.
6.2 IB Programme Coordinators and LEA supervisors who serve on the General Council in no other capacity than that of school or LEA representative are replaced by their successors as determined by the member school’s internal hiring and appointment procedures.
6.3 All Executive Council members, with the exception of the Immediate Past President and President, are elected at the annual spring meeting of IBSNC during even-numbered years.
6.4 Candidates for Executive Council offices are required to submit letters of interest and resumes to the President-Elect (or President, if the President-Elect position is vacant) by 01 January of each year for consideration in the ensuing spring election. The Secretary shall send out said letters to all member schools for perusal and consideration prior to the spring meeting and election. Each candidate shall have the opportunity to address the General Council of IBSNC assembled at the spring meeting prior to balloting. The election shall be held by secret balloting at the spring meeting upon the supervision of the President-Elect (or President, in the absence of the President-Elect).
6.5 The President-Elect automatically succeeds to the office of President upon completion of term of office or upon resignation or removal of the President. All other offices, upon becoming vacant during the term of office, shall be filled by appointment of the Executive Council, with such appointment stipulated to fill out the unexpired term only and with new elections deciding the new officer(s) at the spring meeting. (The one exception: The office of Immediate Past President, upon becoming vacant during the term of office, shall remain vacant until the next election.)
Article Seven: Meetings
7.1 The General Council shall meet twice yearly in regular session: once in the spring, and once in the fall.
7.2 The dates, times, and places of each meeting shall be set by the President and approved by the Executive Council at each year’s final meeting for the upcoming school year.
7.3 The Executive Council or the General Council may be called into a special meeting by the President or any five members of the General Council upon written notice of not less than seven calendar days to all Council members. The agenda for such called meetings must be included in the written notice and cannot be deviated from at the called meeting.
7.4 Procedures in meetings of IBSNC and the General Council shall be considered under the general provisions of accepted parliamentary procedures, but the Executive Council and IBSNC are not strictly bound by them in terms of procedural dispute. Objections and complaints on procedural grounds remain the sole responsibility of the Executive Council members in attendance, who have total authority to resolve them at their own discretion.
7.5 The Executive Council shall meet at least four times each year at regular intervals, with the dates set by the President and approved by Executive Council members.
Article Eight: Committees
8.1 Wynn Cherry Memorial Scholarship Committee. Led by members of the Executive Council or their designees, awards scholarships based on student applications. The committee will determine the timeline for the award, communicate with IBSNC member schools offering the DP and CP regarding the scholarship, and select students to receive awards based on the application rubric.
8.2 IBSNC Member Grants. Led by members of the Executive Council or their designees, will oversee the grant application process each year, including the timeline for grants, award amount, number of grants awarded each semester, and selection of grant recipients based on the application rubric.
8.3 The President shall appoint such other committees as he/she sees fit and/or as directed by the Executive Council and General Council.
Article Nine: Finances
9.1 Each member school shall pay annual dues as determined by the General Council to maintain membership and the privileges thereunto.
9.2 The Treasurer shall have the authority to collect and disburse funds in the name of IBSNC as directed by the Executive Council and General Council.
9.3 The full financial resources shall be at the disposal of the Executive Council, who shall have final, total, and complete authority for all financial decisions concerning disposition of IBSNC finances.
Article Ten: Amendments
10.1 All proposed amendments to the IBSNC Constitution and/or its attendant By-Laws must be presented in writing to the General Council 30 days prior to the annual spring meeting.
10.2 This IBSNC Constitution and its attendant By-Laws may be amended by two-thirds majority vote of the General Council at any spring meeting.
Article Eleven: Dissolution
Upon three-fourths majority vote of the General Council, IBSNC shall be dissolved, and its assets distributed equally to the member schools according to the direction of the General Council as its last act.
By-Laws of IBSNC
1. The fiscal and operating year of IBSNC shall begin on July 1st each year and shall end on June 30th of each year.
2. Membership in any of the active classes of membership is open to schools offering a program authorized or recognized by IBO.