Illinois ACE Women’s Network

Preamble

The organization was re-established in 2025 at the behest of Southern Illinois University- Carbondale requesting that Illinois activate the state-wide network.

Name: The name of this organization shall be ACE Women’s Network-Illinois (ILAWN) (WHEMN) as prescribed on January 24, 2025.

Mission: The mission of AWN-Illinois is to identify, develop, advance, link, and support women in higher education.

Goals:

1. Promote and support women's leadership in higher education, particularly in Illinois.
2. Facilitate networking of women leaders in higher education with each other and with organizations and networks that have shared goals.
3. Develop collaborative partnerships with other institutions, organizations, associations, foundations, and businesses to help achieve the mission of ILAWN.
4. Enhance the visibility of women administrators on Illinois campuses.
5. Assist in career development of professional women and women students in higher education, with particular emphasis on minority women.
6. Identify potential women leaders and provide mentoring.
7. Recognize achievement of women administrators through appropriate awards.

Administrative Institution: The administrative home of ILAWN will be accomplished through Co-Chair positions whose term will be for two years, any college/university in the state of Illinois has a vested interest in the mission and goals of ILAWN. A co-chairmanship provides a succession plan to ensure continuity in the leadership.

Financial Structure: Financial support for carrying out the mission and goals of ILAWN derives from individual membership, institutional membership, affiliate membership, solicited sponsorship and registration fees for an annual leadership conference for women in IL higher Education institutions. Fee structure is as follows:

1. Individual Membership: $50
2. Student Membership: $20
3. Affiliate Membership: $60
4. Honorary Membership: Free
5. Institutional Membership: See the Chart

General Membership: General membership is women faculty, staff, and administrators employed for a higher education institution in the state of Illinois who completed an application form and paid the annual membership fee. General membership must be renewed each year at a rate set by the Executive Committee.

Student Membership: Individual membership includes undergraduate, graduate and professional school students enrolled in the institution of Higher Education ($20).

Affiliate Membership: Affiliate members include women who have graduated from higher education institutions and support similar missions to higher education and promote the professional growth and development of women. May include nonprofit or state agencies.

Honorary Membership: Honorary membership is women leaders in higher education and other outstanding women leaders chosen by the Executive Committee.

Institutional Membership: Institutional members support the work of Illinois ACE Women’s Network (see the chart below).

Executive Committee

The business and affairs of the organization shall be governed and controlled by the Executive Committee.

Executive Committee: The Executive Committee will include the Chair, the Chair-Elect, Past-Chair (Ex officio) the Treasurer, Secretary, the Public Relations and media Coordinator, fund development and sponsors and Student Representative. The term of office for each member of the Executive Committee will be two years.

Chair: The Chair is the key leader of AWN-IL and serves a two-year term while her institution is the administrative home of ILAWN. She chairs the Executive Committee and serves as the principal liaison among the Institutional Representatives, the American Council on Education –Women’s Network and the presidential sponsor. The Chair is responsible for providing leadership for the Executive Committee and Institutional Representatives. She should identify and nominate women for awards, senior administrative positions and women ready for college presidencies and other senior-level positions. The Chair should disseminate information throughout the state regarding professional development activities and programs initiated by ILAWN. The Chair should encourage all women in all institutions of higher education in Illinois to become involved and actively support ILAWN and its goals. The Chair must also submit a year-end report to AWN by June 1 eachyear.

Chair-Elect: The Chair-Elect serves a two-year term in preparation for her institution to become the administrative home of ILAWN, during which time she will become the ILAWN Chair. She assists the Chair and serves as the Program Chair. She should coordinate with the Executive Committee to plan the annual spring leadership conference, and/or collaborative workshops or seminars that might arise.

Secretary: The Secretary shall disseminate meeting notes and other announcements to IR or Executive Board Members in their absence. She should be willing to assist the Public Relations and Social Media Coordinator and Institutional Representatives in promoting the goals of ILAWN.

Treasurer: The Treasurer/Recorder shall serve ILAWN by keeping accurate written records of financial and business transactions. She should prepare reports for the Executive Committee to review and distribute to the membership.

Public Relations and Social Media Coordinator: The Public Relations Coordinator shall serve ILAWN by publicly promoting the organization and its activities. She should initiate contact with Institutional Representatives (IR)and other organizations to advance the goals of ILAWN through publicity about conferences, workshops, and other activities. She is also responsible for maintaining a communications network among the IR’s and women in higher education. She should enhance the visibility of ILAWN through list serves, message boards, organizational web site, as well as other forms of mass communications.

Sponsorship and Development: The Sponsorship and Development Coordinator shall serve ILAWN by publicly seeking sponsors to support the network’s programming, awards and scholarships.

Student Representative: The Student Representative should develop collaborative partnerships among the Institutional Representatives and aspire to positions/roles in higher education. The Student Representative should serve as a liaison between other students and IRs and other senior-level women in administrative positions in higher education.

Institutional Representatives (IR): Shall consist of Institutional Representatives (IR) from each of the two-year and four-year colleges/universities, both private and public. Institutional Representatives (IR) are nominated/invited by the Executive Committee to join the network. In this capacity, the IR serves as the liaison between ILAWN and members at their institution. The IR can share updates, event information and encourage membership. When a vacancy occurs through resignation or retirement, the Chair or Executive Committee will contact the IR’s to seek replacements. The IR is expected to support ILAWN by attending meetings and conferences, by mentoring colleagues and students, and serving as liaison to their constituencies and administrators on their respective campuses. It is important for the IR to communicate the business of ILAWN on a regular basis by establishing a list-serve or some other means of regular contact with their colleagues. The IR should invite opportunities for the exchange of ideas and information between their campus constituencies and ILAWN

Executive Committee Duties

The Executive Committee shall consist of members recommended by a general member or institutional representative. No one school shall have more than 2 voting members on the Executive Committee at any one time. Each Executive Committee member has one vote.

Meetings

The Executive Committee shall meet for general business meetings at least quarterly or as determined by the Executive Committee. Notification of meetings must be given at least one month prior to the meeting.

Attendance

It is expected that members of the Executive Committee will attend regularly scheduled meetings. Any member who consistently misses meetings and cannot participate in the activities of the committee should resign or may be asked by the Executive Committee to withdraw. The corresponding member institution will then be asked to recommend a replacement.

Removal of Members

Requires a 2/3 vote of the Executive Committee, the Executive Committee may request the resignation or removal of any member of the Executive Committee whenever it is in the best interest of the organization.

Quorum

A majority of the members of the Executive Committee present shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Executive Committee.

Officers

The officers of the organization, all of whom shall be members of the Executive Committee and have such powers and duties as the Executive Committee from time to time may prescribe, shall be the:

1. Chair
2. Chair-Elect
3. Treasurer
4. Secretary
5. Past-Chair (Ex-Officio)
6. Public Relations and Social Media Coordinator
7. Technology Coordinator
8. Student Representative

Chair: Powers and Duties. The Chair shall preside over meetings of the Executive Committee and represent the Illinois Network at the National Committee. The Chair shall also appoint standing committee chairs.

Chair-Elect: Powers and Duties. The Chair-Elect shall support the Chair and act as liaison to the Committee Chairs. The Chair-Elect shall also perform duties assigned by the Chair including leading or supporting major initiatives. The Chair-Elect shall assume the role and duties of the Chair at the end of the Chair-Elect term. The Chair-Elect shall perform the duties of the Chair when the Chair is not present or if the Chair is unable to perform the duties of the Chair.

Treasurer: Powers and Duties. The treasurer is a two-year term commitment as may be reelected.

1. Render an account of the financial condition of the organization whenever called upon to do so.
2. Advise the Executive Committee in the preparation of budget proposals.
3. Direct that the books and accounts of the organization follow the standard accounting procedures.
4. For amounts over $500.00, the Treasurer shall seek approval from the Chair or Chair-Elect in the absence of the Chair prior to issuing a check.

Secretary: Powers and Duties. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the Executive Committee and shall perform the duties and functions customarily performed by the of other similar organizations. The Secretary is a two-year term commitment and can be reelected.

Public Relations and Media Coordinator: Powers and Duties. The public relations and media coordinator shall coordinate meetings, interviews and similar activities of the organization’s relationships.

Technology Coordinator: Powers and Duties. The technology coordinator shall handle website management, announcements, and social media for the organization.

Student Representative: Powers and Duties. The student representative acts a liaison between the organization and institutional college women and/or college women organizations seeking involvement in the organization.

Standing Committees

1. Conference and Organization Activities
2. Sponsorships, scholarships and awards
3. Membership

Election of Officers. The officers shall serve as the nominating committee and will present nominations to the Executive Committee. Elections shall be held May or June. The officers shall be elected by the Executive Committee but may not be elected for more than two (2) consecutive terms. The President-Elect, Past-President and Student Representative shall serve one (1) term beginning July 1st and ending June 30th. The President, Treasurer, Secretary, Public Relations and Media Coordinator, and Technology Coordinator shall serve two-year terms beginning July 1st ending June 30th.

Records. The organization shall keep at its registered office in this State or at its principal place of business wherever situated an original or duplicate record of the proceedings of the Executive Committee, and the original or copy to its Bylaws, including all amendments and alterations thereto to date, and a register, giving the names and addresses of the Executive Committee Officers. The organization also shall keep complete and accurate books or records of account.

Right of Inspection. Every member of the Executive Committee shall, upon written demand under oath stating the purpose thereof, have a right to examine, in person or by agent or attorney, during the usual hours for business, for any purpose reasonably related to the interest of such person as a member of the Executive Committee, books and records of account, and records of the proceedings of the Executive Committee, and to make copies of or extracts from such documents.

Execution of Written Instruments. All contracts, deed, mortgages, obligations, documents and instruments, whether they require a seal, may be executed by the President, and/or Chair and attested by the Treasurer or Secretary.