Our Commitment

The Vocational Evaluation and Career Assessment Professionals (VECAP) organization is committed to advance and improve the fields of vocational evaluation and career assessment and represents the needs of the professionals who provide those services. Its scope of services will encompass individuals who need assistance with vocational development and/or career decision making. Its membership will be open to all professionals who provide vocational evaluation, assessment, and career services and others interested in these services.

The members and Executive Council establish these By-Laws to enable us to carry out the mission of the organization. The Executive Council is the organizing body of the organization. It shall be the leadership group which is a broad representative group of the total organizational membership. Members of the Executive Council should have the good of the entire organization in mind and not be representative of only one point of view. Executive Council members should endeavor to be bridge-builders between different points of view rather than being advocates for one point of view.

Responsibilities shall be divided among the organization members and committees established in the By-Laws. Each committee shall address a specific area of the organization. Each committee coordinator shall report to the Executive Council of its achievements and needs.

The Executive Council shall, in accordance with these Bylaws, be the policy-recommending body for all matters of the organization. The Executive Council carries out its purpose through involvement and commitment to the organization and by taking leadership positions among the various disciplines that practice vocational evaluation, assessment, and career services. Council members will foster the development and application of ethical standards and the best practices for the field. They will expand awareness and visibility of vocational evaluation, assessment and career services that will meet the demands created by new legislation, populations and service settings. They will be involved in public policy development at the national, state and local levels.

ARTICLE 1
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Vocational Evaluation and Career Assessment Professionals, Inc. (VECAP)
Section 2. The organization shall conform to the rules and regulations as set forth by the Bylaws of the Vocational Evaluation and Career Assessment Professionals, Inc.

ARTICLE II
Purpose
The purpose of the organization is to improve and advance the field of vocational evaluation and career assessment services.

ARTICLE III
Membership

Section 1. Any individual shall be eligible for membership, provided that such individual is engaged in or is interested in vocational evaluation or career services. An application for membership shall be submitted to the Home Office. An individual shall be declared a member of the organization upon payment of the annual dues.

Section 2. There shall be only one type of membership: individual, of which there shall be three classes:
a. Professional members shall be those individuals actively engaged in the practice of some aspect of vocational evaluation or career services. This shall include those individuals who are immediate supervisors, teachers, or researchers in the fields of vocational evaluation or career services.

b. Associate members shall be those individuals interested in vocational evaluation or career services, but who are not actively engaged in the practice thereof.

c. Student members shall be those individuals enrolled full-time (9 hours per semester or equivalent for undergraduate study, 6 hours or equivalent per semester for graduate study) in recognized educational programs preparing them for practice in the fields of vocational evaluation or career services.

Section 3. The fiscal year shall be from January 1 to December 31, and the annual dues for professional, associate and student members shall be established by the Executive Council.

Section 4. Any member desiring to resign from the organization shall submit his resignation in writing to the Secretary of the organization who shall present it to the Executive Council for action.

Section 5. Membership in the organization may be revoked for failure to pay the annual dues or for engaging in practices in violation of the organization’s Code of Ethics.

The Executive Council shall consider all cases wherein membership may be revoked and, in cases where violations of the Code of Ethics are charged, shall notify in writing the member so charged 90 days prior to the final decision by the Executive Council. Said member shall have the opportunity to answer the charges either in person or in writing within 90 days following notification of the charges. Said member shall be notified in writing of the Executive Council’s decision within 14 days of said decision.

ARTICLE IV
Officers
Section 1. The officers of the organization shall be a President, a President-elect, an immediate Past-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and five Coordinators. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed by these Bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the organization.

Section 2. The nomination and election of officers shall be conducted annually. All officers shall be elected by vote of the general membership of the organization. Candidates receiving the largest number of votes cast for those officers shall be elected. The nominations and election shall be conducted by the provisions prescribed by these Bylaws and such other provisions as may be adopted by the Executive Council.

Section 3. President-Elect and Secretary shall be elected to service for one year or until their successors are elected. Their terms of office shall begin on January 1 of the year immediately following their election and continue for one year until December 31. The term for Treasurer will begin on January 1 of the year immediately following election and continue for two years until December 31.

Section 4. The Coordinators for Communication, Education, Advocacy, Member Services and Standards shall be elected to serve two years or until their successors are elected, and their terms of office shall begin on January 1 of the year immediately following their election and continue for two years until December 31. The terms of office will be arranged so that not all coordinators are elected in any one year.

Section 5. No member shall hold more than one office at a time, and no member shall serve more than three consecutive terms in the same office.

ARTICLE V
Meetings
Section 1. There shall be an annual meeting of the Organization.

Section 2. The annual meeting shall be held to conduct the business of the Organization.

Section 3. Special meetings may be called by the president or by the Executive Council and shall be called upon the written request of 25% members of the Organization. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the call. Except in cases of emergency, at least 30 days notice shall be given.

ARTICLE VI
Executive Council
Section 1. The officers of the Organization shall constitute the Executive Council.

Section 2. The Executive Council shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Organization between its business meetings, shall fix the hour and place of special meetings, shall make recommendations to the Organization, and shall perform such other duties as are specified in these Bylaws. The Executive Council shall be subject to the orders of the Organization, and none of its acts shall conflict with action taken by the Organization.

Section 3. Unless otherwise ordered by the Executive Council, the regular meetings of the Executive Council shall be held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Organization. Special meetings of the Executive Council can be called by the President and shall be called upon the written request of five members of the Executive Council. Special meetings may be conducted by telephone conference and voting may be conducted by mail.

Section 4. The Executive Council shall have the authority by majority vote of its own members to fill such vacancies as may occur on the Executive Council between elections, except for the offices of President and President-elect. Officers so elected shall serve only until the next regular election.

Section 5. Should the Presidency become vacant, the President-elect shall assume the Presidency and complete the remainder of that term and the President-elect’s own natural term. A vacancy in the President-elect’s office shall be filled at the next regular election. Should both the President’s and the President-elect’s offices become vacant at the same time, the Executive Council shall have the authority by majority vote of its own members to elect a President Pro-tempore until the next regular election.

ARTICLE VII
Governance
Section 1. Each member (a) has full voting privileges; (b) shall act in the name of the Organization; (c) shall serve as a part of the law-making and policy-making body of the Organization; (d) shall vote to adopt rules of procedure for the conduct of the meetings of the Organization; (e) shall read all reports of the officers and committees of the Organization; (f) shall vote to adopt resolutions; (g) vote to adopt amendments to these Bylaws; and, (h) shall have the authority to take such other actions as are required to carry out the provision of these Bylaws. A mail ballot of the membership may be used to determine the above issues.

Section 2. Each member shall have one vote on any matter before the Organization.

Section 3. Voting shall be by voice, by mail, by e-mail, or by other special rules adopted by the Organization. Voting will be decided by a simple majority, 51% of votes cast; a minimum of 10% of the total Vocational Evaluation and Career Assessment Professionals, Inc. membership must vote on any action.

ARTICLE VIII
Standing Committees
Section 1. A Membership Committee shall be the responsibility of the Member Services Coordinator. It shall be the duty of this committee to plan, organize and direct the recruitment of members of the Organization.

Section 2. A Program Committee shall be the responsibility of the Education Coordinator. It shall be the duty of this committee to plan, organize and direct the bi-annual Issues Forum.

Section 3. A Nominations and Elections Committee shall be the responsibility of the immediate past President. It shall be the responsibility of this committee to conduct the call for nominations and the election of officers for each office which shall become vacant.

Section 4. An Ethics Committee shall be the responsibility of the Standards Coordinator. It shall be the duty of this committee to make recommendations to the Executive Council regarding the Organization’s Code of Ethics.

Section 5. A Bylaws Committee shall be the responsibility of the Standards Coordinator. It shall be the duty of said committee to review and make recommendations to the Executive Council regarding: (a) amendments to the Organization’s Charter and Bylaws; (b) amendments to the chartered units Bylaws; and (c) proposed Bylaws of Organizations seeking charter as VECAP units. Said committee shall also maintain the official copy of the Organization’s charter and Bylaws and a file of all the Unit and Regional Bylaws.

Section 6. A Publications Committee, including the editors of the official publications of the Organization, shall be the responsibility of the Communications Coordinator. This committee shall make nominations to the Executive Council for the appointment to the positions of editor or editors of the Organization’s official publications. Said committee shall make policy recommendations to the Executive Council regarding the official publications of the Organization.

Section 7. A Governmental Affairs Committee shall be the responsibility of the Advocacy Coordinator. Said committee shall develop and disseminate materials to educate governmental officials and legislators about vocational evaluation and career services and the Vocational Evaluation and Career Assessment Professionals Organization.

Section 8. A Multi-Cultural Committee shall be the responsibility of the Advocacy Coordinator. This committee will work to increase writing, research and training in the field related to multi-cultural concerns.

Section 9. Such other Committees shall be appointed by the President, subject to the approval of the Executive Council, as the Organization or the Executive Council shall from time to time deem necessary to carry on the work of the Organization. The President shall be ex-officio a member of all committees except the Nominations and Elections Committee.

ARTICLE IX
Subdivisions
Section 1. Subdivisions of the Organization may be formed. Such subdivisions shall be known as units and shall coincide geographically with the boundaries of the various states, commonwealths, or territories; or shall be known as regions and shall comprise such several states, commonwealths or territories as the Executive Council shall designate. The purpose of such subdivisions shall be to promote greater membership participation in the achievement of the objectives of this Organization.

Section 2. Units or Regions may be formed when a significant number of Organization members living in a given state, commonwealth, or territory, or in several such states, commonwealths or territories, shall file a petition for charter with the President of this Organization. The Executive Council shall grant a charter for such units or regions as may seek charter providing that: (a) all members of said Organization are members of this Organization, and (b) the proposed Bylaws of said Organization shall not be found in conflict with this Organization’s charter or these Bylaws.

Section 3. Chartered subdivisions shall submit to the Executive Council in their annual report to the Executive Council by December 31 any amendment of its Bylaws, names of its officers and membership chairperson, and an annual accounting of its receipts and expenditures to the Executive Council. A charted unit making said report shall be entitled to a per person rebate approved by the Executive Council for each professional and associate member’s dues.

Section 4. Chartered subdivisions shall be autonomous in the conduct of their affairs provided that said subdivision’s Bylaws and activities are not in conflict with this Organization’s charter and these Bylaws.

Section 5. The Executive Council may revoke the charter of a subdivision for failure to comply with these Bylaws.

ARTICLE X
Publications
The official publications of the Organization shall be The Vocational Evaluation and Career Assessment Professionals Journal and the VECAP Newsletter.

ARTICLE XI
Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern this Organization in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Organization’s charter or these Bylaws and any special rules of order the Organization may adopt.

ARTICLE XII
Amending the Bylaws
These Bylaws can be amended by a majority vote of the members provided that the amendment has been submitted to the membership in writing at least 30 days prior to the vote.

Adopted September 21, 1976
Hollywood, FL

Amended September 26, 1978
Salt Lake City, UT

Amended September 18, 1979
Chicago, IL

Amended August 28, 1980
Louisville, KY

Amended August 19, 1984
Atlanta, GA

Amended November 17, 1991
Louisville, KY

Amended December 6, 1992
San Diego, CA

Amended November 1995
Dallas, TX

Amended March 14, 1997
Colorado Springs, CO

Amended January 26, 1998
Colorado Springs, CO

Amended May 1, 2000
Mail Ballot, Colorado Springs, CO

Amended July 2003
Mail Ballot

Amended November 2006
Email Ballot