GROUP FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF DOCTORAL EDUCATION
(As Amended, April 14, 2012)

Article I - Name

The name of the organization shall be the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE).

Article II - Purpose

The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education is a private, non-profit voluntary professional organization. The purposes of the organization are to:

• promote excellence in doctoral education in social work;
• provide opportunities and structures for networking and information exchange among members regarding curriculum development, and all aspects of educational administration and program implementation;
• stimulate the development of more effective and innovative educational strategies and advance the quality of doctoral research;
• support the success and professional development of doctoral students in all their diversity and promote recognition of their achievements and contributions;
• identify and publicize existing or potential funding sources and infrastructure support for doctoral education;
• provide guidance and support to new or developing doctoral programs including international programs;
• represent and promote the interests and concerns of social work/social welfare doctoral programs within academic departments, schools, universities, and in the larger profession;
• collaborate with other social work organizations to support the continuum of social work education and advance the profession with all constituent groups and funding sources.

The organization is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational or scientific purposes within the meaning of section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code.

Article III - Membership

Section 1 - Eligibility

All institutions with established social work/social welfare doctoral programs located in an accredited university or college that offers a master’s of social work or social welfare degree program that has been fully accredited by Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) in the United States, Canadian Association of Social Work Educators (CASWE) in Canada, or a comparable national professional accrediting body in other countries, shall be eligible for membership in GADE. Established programs are those in departments, schools, or colleges social work/social welfare located in universities or colleges accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting body. In addition, legacy members (those holding membership before 2000) shall continue to be eligible for membership.

Section 2 - Type of Membership 

Full members: Institutions with doctoral programs in social work/social welfare that meet eligibility qualifications and which are current in dues are full members.  Each full member institution will have one vote.

Affiliate members:  Universities or colleges developing doctoral programs in social work/social welfare that meet membership qualifications and which are current in dues may become affiliate, non-voting, members of GADE.

Section 3 - Membership Dues

Eligible institutions that have paid annual dues are the active full members of GADE.  Institutions pay dues once regardless of the number of doctoral programs they offer. Affiliate member institutions pay one-half the annual dues.

Article IV   Administration - Steering Committee

Section 1 - Structure

The Steering Committee shall serve as the administrative body of the organization.  The Committee shall consist of ten persons elected by the voting membership of the organization.  All members must be directors of doctoral programs in member schools/colleges at the time of their election to the Steering Committee.  

Section 2 - Election

The election of members to the Steering Committee shall occur at the annual meeting of GADE.  The current Steering Committee shall generate a slate of candidates prior to the meeting.  The Steering Committee will seek diversity in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, perspectives, experiences, program foci and geography among the nominees.

Section 3 - Functions

The Steering Committee shall have the following functions:

• serve as the administrative body of the organization;
• collect membership dues and prepare annual budget and financial reports;
• adopt and adhere to appropriate financial policy for the smooth operation of the fiscal affairs of the organization and the maintenance of the organization's bank account;
• maintain an updated membership roll;
• at the request of membership of the organization or Steering Committee, prepare and draft bylaws for membership approval;
• record and distribute all constitutional changes to doctoral program directors;
• select the host school/program for the annual meeting of the organization (criteria for selection include: interest on the part of the host school/program, institutional membership in GADE for at least two years, and viability consideration regarding geographic location, accessibility and transportation);
• plan jointly with the host school/program the annual meeting, with Vice Chair serving as Program Chair and the host school/program assuming responsibility for registration,
• identification of lodging accommodations, and other on-site conference arrangements;
• notify doctoral program directors of meeting and invite dean/director of the host school/program;
• distribute a newsletter of the organization and other information to doctoral program directors and other individuals and entities, as appropriate;
• promote research on doctoral education; and
• represent the goals and advocate the concerns of GADE with other organizations in the professional, public, and private sectors (e.g., the National Association of Deans and Directors, the National Association of Social Workers, the Council on Social Work Education, and the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, and government agencies) that fund doctoral education and engage in legislative activities which are necessary for the funding of research and doctoral education.

Section 4 - Officers

The officers of the Steering Committee shall consist of the Chair, Chair-elect, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Treasurer-elect and Recording Secretary.  The Chair-elect and Treasurer-elect will serve in -elect status for one year and then serve as Chair or Treasurer for two additional years.

Section 5 - Duties of Officers

The Chair shall officiate at the business meetings of the membership and of the Steering Committee and shall normally represent the organization within the professional and other external organizations with which GADE has a relationship. These include the Leadership forum of CSWE, and the ANSWER Coalition through NASW.  The Chair is responsible for all contracts entered into by GADE with approval from the Steering Committee.  The Chair convenes meetings of the Steering Committee during the year as needed to attend to the needs and business of the organization.

The Vice Chair shall serve as Co-Chair with the host institution’s Doctoral Program Director(s) of the Annual Meeting of the membership, taking leadership in planning the program, negotiating the contracts, and organizing the activities for the annual meeting of the membership.  The Vice Chair will also conduct an annual audit of the finances of the organization along with another member of the Steering Committee not serving on the Finance Subcommittee.  The Vice Chair may substitute for the Chair when needed.

The Treasurer shall prepare an annual budget for the organization, execute financial transactions for the organization, and monitor and report on the organization’s finances semi-annually. The Treasurer will confer with a certified public accountant on an annual basis to ensure compliance with fiduciary requirements.

The Recording Secretary shall maintain and publish the official list of the organization’s membership and of Steering Committee membership, prepare and keep the minutes of the business meetings of the membership and of the Steering Committee, and conduct elections. The secretary also recruits members from the membership for Steering Committee subcommittees, tracks terms of Steering Committee members and officers, collects the minutes from subcommittee meetings, organizes the annual Steering Committee elections and the election of the Steering Committee officers. The secretary makes minutes of meetings available to membership.

The Chair-elect works closely with the outgoing Chair to learn the roles and responsibilities of the position.

The Treasurer-elect works closely with the outgoing Treasurer to learn the roles and responsibilities of the position.

Section 6 - Election and Term of Officers

The Steering Committee shall elect its officers.  The officers of the committee shall typically serve 2 years and may be re-elected for one additional term.  The Steering Committee elects a Chair-elect and a Treasurer-elect from those eligible to serve in this capacity one year prior to assuming the respective full Chair or Treasurer role for an additional two years.  If a person’s term as an officer extends beyond her/his term on the Steering Committee, the person shall maintain membership on the Committee until the term of office expires.

Section 6.1 - Voting

Each member of the Steering Committee shall have one vote.

Section 6.2 - Term of Office

The members of the Steering Committee shall serve for 3 years, and they may be re-elected for one consecutive term. The terms will be staggered to assure continuity.  If members of the Steering Committee leave the directorships of their doctoral programs prior to completing their term, they may remain on the Steering Committee until the next regularly scheduled election.

Section 7 - Standing Subcommittees

Standing Subcommittees include Awards, Program, Constitution, Finance, and Marketing/Website.  Each subcommittee is chaired by a member of the Steering Committee and includes additional volunteer members.  Each subcommittee may elect a co-chair.  Membership of each subcommittee is posted publicly on an annual basis.

Article V - Meetings

Section 1 - General Membership

Section 1.1 - Regular Meeting

GADE shall hold an annual meeting of its membership each year. The date of the meeting and its agenda shall be determined by the Program Subcommittee in conjunction with the Steering Committee. 

Section 1.2 - Special Meetings

Special meetings of the membership may be called by the Steering Committee upon the request of one-third of the Committee members.

Section 1.3 - Quorum  

One-third of the voting membership shall constitute a quorum, but a smaller number may convene a meeting for discussion of organization business.

Section 1.4 - Voting

Each full voting member institution that is current in GADE dues shall have one vote. Members with more than one program or more than one director of the doctoral program will formally designate their representative on each vote.  Affiliate members have no vote.

Section 2 - Steering Committee

Section 2.1 - Regular Meetings

The Steering Committee shall meet at the annual meetings of GADE and the Council on Social Work Education. Additional meetings may be scheduled.

Section 2.2 - Special Meetings

The Steering Committee may meet at other times as required for organization business.

Section 2.3 - Quorum

One half of the Steering Committee’s membership shall constitute a quorum, but a smaller number may convene a meeting for discussion of organization business.

Article VI - Inurnment of Income

No part of the net earnings of the organization shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, trustees, officers or other private persons except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable expenses for costs incurred in conducting organization business.

Article VII - Legislative or Political Activities

The organization shall not participate in or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.

Article VIII - Operational Limitations

Notwithstanding any other provisions of these articles, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt for Federal Income Tax under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue Law) or (b) by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170 (c) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).

Article IX - Dissolution Clause

Upon the dissolution of the organization, the Steering Committee shall, after paying or making provisions for the payment of all of the liabilities of the organization, dispose of all of the assets of the organization exclusively for the purposes of the organization in such manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the Steering Committee shall determine. Any of such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Circuit Court of the county in which the principal office of the organization is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations as said court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

Article X - Governance

Robert’s Rules of Order, revised, shall govern all meetings. These rules may be suspended and consensus governance applied upon majority vote of the members present at the beginning of any GADE meeting.

Article XI - Amendments

This Constitution may be amended by an approval of two-thirds of the voting members present at the annual business meeting, providing that said amendments have been sent out to all members at least three weeks prior to the meeting or by approval of two thirds of voting members polled by mail or e-mail.