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Case Western Reserve University
Academic Integrity Board 
Operating Bylaws
Updated January 2022
 

Article I – Name

  1. The name of the organization will be the Academic Integrity Board (AIB), hereafter referred to as the Board.
     

Article II – Scope

  1. These Bylaws will deal with the Board’s undergraduate members and co-advisors.  The faculty Board members’ activities are outside of this document’s scope.  References to “Board members” in the document refer exclusively to undergraduate Board members.
     

Article III – Membership

  1. The Board will be composed of the following individuals:

    1. No more than 30 undergraduate Board members

    2. No more than 30 Faculty Board members

    3. Two University advisors:

      1. An advisor from University Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards

      2. An advisor from Office of Undergraduate Studies

  2. The Executive Board, which serves as the Board’s leadership, will be composed of the Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, chair(s) from each committee, and the co-advisors.

  3. Board members will be in two categories: active and inactive.  Inactive members do not vote or take part in the business of the Board, while active members do.  Inactive membership is intended for students who are temporarily separated from the University on good terms for activities like Study Abroad, an internship/co-op, or a leave of absence.  Board members should inform the Chair of their inactive status prior to the semester when they will be away.

  4. The Board cannot vote without quorum unless there is a motion for a white ballot (See Article VIII, Section 7).  The Board’s quorum will consist of one half of all active members plus one. The Chair is not included in the determination of whether quorum has been reached.  Inactive members and those prevented from participating in Board meetings per Article IX will not be included in the quorum count. In case of an odd number of active members, quorum will be rounded up to the next whole number.

  5. To resign from the Board, the Board Member must speak with the Executive Chair and Advisor(s) and complete the resignation form.

  6. Members must abide by the Attendance Policy, which states that members are required to attend 75% of General Body Meetings, and other mandatory functions. Absences will be excused with notification to the Secretary within 24 hours notice. If a member fails to meet this standard, they must meet with the Executive Chair and Secretary. If a member fails to meet the standard for a second semester, they must meet with advisors to discuss their membership.  

  7. Members who are unable to meet the 75% attendance standard of general body meetings will attend executive committee meetings until their attendance requirement is met.

  8. Members must sign-up for at least one hearing per month. If their schedule does not allow them to serve, the Advisor(s) and Executive Chair must be notified. 

  9. Members must table a minimum of 4 hours per academic year (approximately 2 hours per semester). If their schedule does not allow them to table, then the Executive Chair and/or Secretary must be notified.
     

Article IV – Terms of Office and Elections

  1. Board members are appointed for the duration of their time as undergraduates at Case Western Reserve University, contingent upon satisfactory behavior as defined per Articles VI and X.  

  2. New Board members will join the Board at the next general body meeting following their acceptance to the Board and will be included in quorum with all voting rights.

  3. Elections will be conducted annually in spring semester for the Executive Board positions (Chair, Secretary, Treasurer) and committee chair positions.

    1. The election will be split into two rounds: one for the Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer and another for the committee chair positions.

    2. Two weeks prior to the election, the Chair will begin accepting letters of intent from candidates for the Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer positions.  Letters should be submitted electronically.

    3. One week prior to the election, the Chair will publish all letters he or she has received to the entire Board.

    4. Elections will be held for each position separately.  In the first round, the Chair, Secretary, then Treasurer will be elected. In the second round, the Integrity Week, Faculty Outreach, then Student Relations committee chairs will be elected.  If a candidate loses an election, he or she may run for another position in that round.  If there are no candidates for a particular position, nominations may be made from the floor.

    5. Each candidate will receive time to speak to the entire Board.  After each speech, the Board may ask the candidate questions.

      1. Three minutes will be given for speeches.

    6. After all of the candidates for a position have spoken, the Board will confidentially discuss the candidates.  The candidates will not be present during this discussion.  At the conclusion of this discussion, voting will be held.

    7. Voting will be conducted by anonymous, written ballot.  All eligible Board members may vote, regardless of their candidacy.  Counting the ballots will be the responsibility of the current chair of the Board, who will announce the results to the Board.

    8. If no one in an election achieves a majority vote, run-off voting – where the candidate with the least amount of votes from the preceding round of voting is eliminated – will be held until someone wins a majority vote.

  4. New officers will assume their positions at the last General Body meeting of the academic year prior to their new term.

  5. Should the position of Chair be vacated any time during the academic year, the Secretary will assume the position of Chair.  Mid-term elections will be held to fill the Secretary’s vacancy.

  6. A mid-term election will be held for Secretary if this position is vacated.

  7. A mid-term election will be held for Treasurer if this position is vacated.

A mid-term election’s format will parallel the annual election format with the exception that the election period begins when the Board is informed of a vacancy on the Executive Board.

 

Article V-New Member Selection

  1.  Updated applications will be made available online within four weeks of the start of the semester.

  2. Applications are to be turned in at the deadlines selected by the current Student Relations chair.

  3. Interviews of new member candidates will begin with group interviews that include all current Board members who are present.

    1. Following the group interview, each candidate will undergo a 2-on-1 interview where two board members interview one candidate.

  4.  If applicants are unable to attend the scheduled interview time, a make-up interview will be scheduled within 2 weeks of the original interview date. At least two members will be present to interview the candidates, and quorum will be required to discuss and vote on these new member candidates. 

  5. Each candidate will be discussed individually and Board members may vote yea, nay, or abstain per Article VIII no.  3 and 4.

  6. Applicants must meet the following criteria to be extended an interview: must have completed a full semester at the University prior to applying, be a full-time student, must be in good academic standing for the University. Applicants who have been found responsible for an academic integrity violation must meet with the co-advisors before the deadline of the application. 

  7.  Prospective undergraduate student members of the Academic Integrity Board are approved by the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) by the passage of an Approval Bill as follows:

    1. A representative of the Academic Integrity Board shall present legislation and a report of demographic trends to the USG Academic Affairs Committee prior to its consideration in the General Assembly.

    2. The Academic Affairs Committee shall vote, by a simple majority, to endorse any such legislation.

    3. The Vice President of Academic Affairs shall present the legislation to the General Assembly for approval by a simple majority vote.

    4. The general assembly shall reserve the right to provide feedback on the demographic trends of the Academic Integrity Board. 


Article VI – Duties and Responsibilities

  1. The duties of the Chair will be:

    1. To preside over all Board meetings

    2. To set and publish the agenda for all Board meetings

    3. To convene all General Body, Executive Board, and additional discretional meetings

    4. To represent the Board to outside organizations

    5. To enforce Articles X and XI fairly and without prejudice

  2. The duties of the Secretary will be:

    1. To maintain accurate attendance records and take minutes at all meetings

      1. Enforce the attendance policy in Article III, paragraph 6

    2. To assume the duties of the Chair in the event of absence

    3. To become Chair in the event of a vacancy

    4. To attend all Executive Board meetings

    5. To maintain an accurate roster of the Board

    6. To maintain accurate email lists (student and faculty)

    7. To enforce Articles X and XI fairly and without prejudice

  3. The duties of the Treasurer will be:

    1. To maintain accurate budget records (e.g. reimbursements, invoices, contracts, etc.)

    2. To assume the duties of the Secretary in the event of absence

    3. To attend all Executive Board meetings

    4. To prepare a budget and seek approval from the Advisors at the beginning of each academic year

    5. To fulfill the role of Integrity Week Committee Co-Chair

    6.  To enforce Articles X and XI fairly and without prejudice

  4. The duties of each committee chair/co-chair will be:

    1. To attend all Executive Board meetings

    2. To ensure their committee fulfill the role of their committee as defined in Article VI

    3. To provide support to other Executive Board members as needed

  5. The duties of each Board member will be:

    1. To attend General Body and committee meetings per the Attendance Policy in Article III, paragraph 6. 

    2. To actively participate in Board programs, activities, and retreats

    3. To notify the Secretary 24 hours in advance should he or she be unable to attend a scheduled Board event

    4. To make a good-faith effort to participate in hearings as necessary

    5. To carry out duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Executive Board or his or her committee

  6. The duties of the Advisors will be:

    1. To provide counsel to the Executive Board

    2. To oversee the implementation of Article V and IX

    3. To interface between University administrators and the Board

    4. To interface between University faculty and the Board

    5. To serve as a liaison to the Faculty Board members

  7. Members of the Board are expected to uphold the policies of Case Western Reserve University as outlined in the Undergraduate Student Handbook.  In the event that a Board member violates a policy of the University, the Executive Board shall respond as described in Article IX.

  8. Board members are expected to uphold all Case Western Reserve University policies regarding academic integrity.  Should a Board member violate an academic integrity policy of the University, the Executive Board shall respond as described in Article IX.

 

Article VII – Board Committees

  1. The duties of the Faculty Outreach committee will be:

    1. To serve as liaison between the Board and university faculty

    2. To encourage cohesion between the student and faculty members of the Board

    3. To organize the Board’s annual New Faculty Luncheon

    4. To submit a committee budget to the Treasurer by September 30th

    5. To submit all invoices to the Treasurer

    6. To support other committees as necessary

    7. To work with the Student Relations committee in recruiting involvement in the SAGES program

  2. The duties of the Integrity Week committee will be:

    1. To organize the Board’s annual Integrity Week event. I-Week events should encourage discussion and raise awareness of issues relating to academic integrity. Examples include but are not limited to: a keynote speaker, a student-faculty panel discussion, etc.

    2. To solicit funds from various other entities in the form of co-sponsorships

    3. To submit a committee budget to the Treasurer by September 30th

    4. To submit all invoices to the Treasurer

    5. To support other committees as necessary

  3. The duties of the Student Relations committee will be:

    1. To serve as liaison between the Board and the student body

    2. To organize and facilitate recruitment 

    3. To oversee and facilitate activities including but not limited to: Orientation, Welcome Days, SAGES Program, programs promoting the Board, etc. 

    4. To encourage cohesion within the Board with programs such as retreats

    5. To submit a committee budget to the Treasurer by September 30th

    6. To submit all invoices to the Treasurer

    7. To support other committees as necessary

Article VIII – Voting

  1. The Board must vote on any issue concerning the entire Board.  Exceptions to Article VIII must be documented in the Bylaws or amendments.  Unless otherwise noted in the Bylaws or in its amendments, all references to “voting” in the Bylaws and in its amendments follow Article VIII guidelines.

  2. No vote will be held without a motion and a second. The Chair must ask for dissent before a vote.  All Board members except for the Chair may motion for a vote, second a motion for a vote, or motion for dissent.

  3. Only undergraduate Board members eligible for the quorum count will receive one vote in all Board matters.  The only exception to this is the Chair.  The Chair will only vote in the event of a tie.

  4. Any voting member of the Board may vote yea, nay, or abstain from voting.  Abstentions are counted into the total number of votes.

  5. No member may vote by proxy for another member.  There will be no absentee voting.

  6. A simple majority vote of those members present will be the standard to pass a motion with the exceptions as defined in Article IX and Article X.

  7. A motion for a white ballot is an acceptable voting method. A white ballot may be motioned for in the case that voting is required and quorum is not met. A white ballot requires a “yea” vote of 100% of present members at a meeting in order for a motion to be passed. A motion for a white ballot can be negated if one present member asks that the vote be done with quorum.

 

Article IX– Removal of Officers

  1. Any Board member may make a motion of no confidence in any of the Executive Board’s officers if they feel that their performance is substandard as defined by Article VI.  The no confidence motion must be accompanied by the motion’s reasons, presented in writing.

  2. If a motion of no confidence is presented, one of the university advisors will call for a second.  If the motion is seconded, the Board will be given time to examine the written reasons.  A recess or additional meeting may be used to consider the motion if a majority of the Board deems such a measure to be appropriate.

  3. The officer in question will be allowed to respond to the reasons presented.  After his or her response, the Board will be allowed to deliberate and to question the officer.  Discussion may only be ended by a majority vote of the Board.  A Board member must move to end discussion, and receive a second, before the vote to end discussion can be held.

  4. After the discussions are concluded, the vote of no confidence will be held by an anonymous, written ballot.  Votes will be given to a university advisor, who will count them and announce the results.  The vote is public and may be seen by any Board member who requests it.

  5. If the vote of no confidence achieves a three-fourths majority of the Board’s eligible voting members, the officer in question will be required to step down from his or her Executive Board position.

 

Article X – Censure of a Member

  1. The Executive Board will be vested with the power to sanction regular Board members if the Board member violates the conditions of Article VI.

  2. The Executive Board will have the power to:

    1. Prevent a Board member from participating in hearings

    2. Prevent a Board member from participating in Board meetings

    3. Classify a Board member as inactive for a set period of time

    4. Remove a Board member from the Board

  3. In order to sanction Board members, both advisors must agree with the course of actions proposed by the Executive Board.

  4. Sanctioned Board members have the option to appeal the Executive Board’s course of action to the entire Board.  By doing so, the accused Board member waives his or her right to judicial confidentiality.  In this case, the entire Board must approve a suggested course of action by a three-fourths majority vote of the Board’s eligible voting members.

  5. The Advisors must both agree with the course of action of the entire Board if a Board member appeals to the entire Board.  If the advisors disagree with the Board’s course of action, then the Board must reconsider their course of action and hold subsequent votes until the Board and the Board advisors agree on the course of action.

 

Article XI – Procedures for Extraordinary Circumstances

  1. Should a Board member be involved in extraordinary circumstances, involving a substantial crisis of integrity, that are outside Article VI’s scope, the Executive Board may deal with such a circumstance in accordance with Article X.

  2. Should an Executive Board member be involved in extraordinary circumstances, involving a substantial crisis of integrity, that are outside Article VI’s scope, the Executive Board member is subject to removal per Article IX.

 

Article XII – Amendments

  1. Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed by any Board member.

  2. Amendments must be proposed at least one week prior to a general Board meeting.  A proposed amendment will be distributed electronically for review at least one week prior to the Board meeting where it will be considered.

  3. Amendments must be approved by a majority of quorum vote of the Board.

  4. Amendments should be attached to the original Bylaws document and marked with the approval date.

  5. If an amendment changes the Bylaws or and existing Bylaws amendment, then the original unaltered Bylaws provisions and the new amendment will be attached to the Bylaws and marked with the approval date.  The Bylaws and amendments will be updated and republished to reflect the new amendment.

 

Article XIII – Bylaws Approval

  1. The Bylaws will become effective immediately upon approval by three-fourths of the Board’s eligible voting members.