Standing Rules

Standing Rules relate to the details of the administration of the organization. Bylaws contain the basic rules of the organization. They are adopted to supplement and interpret the bylaws. (National PTA)

These Standing Rules are reviewed and updated periodically and approved at the BSUAOP Board level.

Name

Naming conventions of the organization shall be decided through a vote of the membership when Bylaws are reviewed.

Purpose

The purpose of the organization should align with the National Association of Educational Office Professionals and can change to match the business needs and changes in higher education when Bylaws are reviewed.

Affiliation

The Association historically affiliates with the National Association of Educational Office Professionals (NAEOP) and pays for organizational membership each year. Membership is required to participate in all aspects of NAEOP. The board may choose to pay for AOP board members' personal membership to allow for national affiliation voting opportunities and participation in Advisory and other council business.

The current AOP president shall be the official delegate to the NAEOP Annual Conference. All conference and travel fees for the president and president-elect will be paid for by the Association. In the event the current president or president-elect is unable to attend, the Board may put forth and vote on replacements.

Membership

The membership year for the Association is July 1 through June 30 of each year, consistent with the university fiscal year. There are three standard types of membership for the organization.

Active: Active membership is open to both classified and professional staff upon payment of dues. This membership gives all participation and voting rights to the members.
Associate: Associate membership is open to faculty and is in line with direction from NAEOP concerning faculty participation. This membership gives all participation rights except those of holding office and voting.
Lifetime Associate: Lifetime associate membership is presented to Active members upon their retirement. They will be listed as Lifetime Associate Members, will have the same rights as Associate members, and will not be required to pay dues.

Dues

Dues will be collected for current members to align with the membership year. Those not renewing their membership will be removed from the membership list at the end of July.

Membership may be activated at any time of year with payment of dues.

Dues may also be collected for an upcoming year from new members during signature events held in spring that may be considered to be valid for the remainder of the membership year and the upcoming membership year based on a vote of the board.

New board members must pay dues for the membership year(s) in which they are voted in by the end of July, or they may be removed from office.

Special Membership Vote

With a vote of the board, classified, professional, or faculty members may be given Lifetime Associate Membership status with exceptional service to the Association who may not meet the standard Lifetime Associate qualification.

Withdrawal of Employment

Any member type, except Lifetime Associate Member, who terminates employment, as opposed to retiring, at the university will automatically end membership with the Association. If employment is reinstated within the membership year, the person will be reinstated as a member, and no new dues for that membership year will be required.

Officers

Officers of the Association may be referred to in two groups: Board refers to all board members voted into office; Executive Board refers to the president, vice president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer. The president may call a special meeting of the Executive Board or full Board.

Duties of Officers

Board members shall abide by the duties outlined in the Bylaws. All board members shall report to the president and the board with respect to their assigned duties. All duties shall be reported on at monthly and annual meetings as appropriate to the assignment.

Nominations and Elections

The Immediate Past President, as chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee, will abide by the Rules of Elections stated in the Bylaws. It is suggested that one committee member be a Membership Representative or Chair to assist in determining eligibility of voters.

Nominations and elections will be completed in a timely manner in order to 1) allow for registration and reservations to be made for the national conference and 2) allow for those board members attending to receive approval from their supervisor. This may change each year, so guidance from NAEOP’s conference specifications should be consulted.

Once nominations and elections are complete, all documentation shall be moved to the shared AOP drive into the Nominations and Elections folder as a historical record.

Nominations can be advertised campus-wide and accepted by any campus employee. Election ballots are sent only to Active members for voting, not Lifetime or Associate members.

If a non-member is voted into a board position, they have until the end of July to pay dues and become an active member. If they are not an Active member at that time, they will be removed from the board.

Election ballots shall collect names so that voting rights can be established with their submission. Each board position on the ballot should also include a Write-in space. Each position should include a brief description and how many years the position entails.

Once the election is complete and the board is announced, the new board will be added to the website to include years on or close to the 1st of July. Example of years: President Bronco Bobby 2024/2025, Member Representative Bronco John 2024/2026. This clarifies time in the office and assists when positions are vacated and are refilled.

The president, in consultation with the board, may appoint a qualified member of the Association to complete the term of office if an officer does not comply with the attendance requirement or vacates the position for any reason. Names may be put forward by the board, discussed and voted on.

Committees and Appointments

All committee chairs and representatives to special committees that are not an elected position may be appointed by the president and approved by the board, unless the appointment is part of a board member's assigned duty. See the Bylaws for Committees and Appointments for further specifications.

All appointees and officers shall provide a report at each meeting concerning their assigned duty as indicated. Examples: the Treasurer will provide a budget report at each meeting to include an end of year report, chair of Bosses Breakfast will provide reports and updates and a summary report through the event and an end of year report.

Guidelines for Special Committees

The official newsletter of the Association shall be named The Keynoter. The newsletter shall be published, generally as a PDF file, a minimum of two (2) and up to four (4) times per year. The newsletter shall consist of the president's message, budget and committee reports, advertisement of upcoming events, PSP qualifications and information and current information pertaining to NAEOP. Other articles and information can be included at the discretion of the editor and board.

The newsletter shall be emailed to all members of AOP, including Albertsons Library ScholarWorks, scholarworks@boisestate.edu, where it will be made as an open access pdf, and Special Collections and Archives, archives@boisestate.edu, to be placed in the AOP collection as a historic record of the organization.

Scholarships

Scholarship application criteria consists of being an active member for one full year from date of membership, commitment to support of the organization through attendance at meetings, and participation as an officer or an active part of various committees.

Scholarship applications will be overseen by the Vice President, and final approval will be through a board vote and will take into account the funds available above operation and needs of the organization, including participation with NAEOP. Available scholarship funds will be based on remaining funds after an average cost expenditure of signature events sponsored by AOP is determined on a yearly basis, along with attendance at the national conference and all operating expenses. Funding availability will be reviewed periodically throughout the year.

Scholarships should not exceed $200 per year per person unless special circumstances are approved by the board.

Awards

Awards consist of the Office Professional of the Year and the Administrator of the Year. These are given during the Bosses Breakfast and are advertised, and nominations are accepted by the Awards committee during summer and early fall. The committee, as part of the Bosses Breakfast planning, will review nominations and choose the winner of each award. A plaque will be purchased with the name, award title, and year for each award through Western Trophy (current as of 2024). The year date on the plaque should be the membership year, such as 2024/2025.

Meetings

Monthly Meetings

The Association will hold monthly meetings set by the president to conduct the business of the organization. Email or other types of communication may be used to conduct business as needed outside of the monthly meetings.

It is expected that all board members will attend all meetings within the guidelines set forth in the Bylaws. Excused absences include work needs, sick leave, or emergencies. Proxies should be used when absent to allow for a quorum to be established and any voting needs to proceed.

Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of the Association shall occur at the end of the membership year. Officers and Committee Chairs shall present a verbal report to the membership at the Annual Meeting and prepare a written report to be added to the last minutes of the membership year. The reports should encompass the workings and accomplishments of the Association for the year and represent all activities. A copy will be deposited with Albertsons Library Special Collections & Archives.

Special Meetings

Special meetings may be called according to the Bylaws. Special meetings can pertain to current or unexpected business or special committees.

Order of Business

The president and board have the authority to arrange meeting business to best suit needs. Suggested inclusions for business are listed in the Bylaws. Requirements for meetings shall at minimum include: establishing quorum, minutes approval, budget report, committee reports, and action items.

Conducting Business

The president, in agreement with the board, may choose the method by which they would like to conduct meetings. If choosing specifics for meetings, it is up to the president to assist all board members in learning and adhering to those specifics.

Establishing a Quorum

Monthly meetings require a simple majority of the board to establish a quorum. A simple majority of the membership consists of those voting or present at a meeting in which they have a vote.

Expenses/Reimbursements

All expenses of the Association must be approved by the Board.
All expenses must be documented with either a receipt or invoice for payment and reported on by the Treasurer at monthly meetings. Receipts and invoices should be added to the appropriate shared drive folder to maintain historical information.
A plaque for the outgoing President may be ordered by the President Elect following Boise State Purchasing guidelines, and coded to BSUAOP. The President Elect may present the plaque at the Annual Meeting to the outgoing President upon the fulfillment of their presidency.
A local account will be maintained with Boise State University for purposes of maintaining the budget, depositing income, and paying expenses.
All travel expenses, purchases, and expended funds approved by the Board or special committee may be paid by the individual and reimbursed through the AOP Treasurer with appropriate receipts according to University policy.

Annual Events

A Professional Development Day shall be held each year that is open to campus and community participation.
A Holiday Auction shall be held late fall each year that is open to the campus community.
A Bosses Breakfast shall be held each year that is open to the campus community.

Bylaws Revision

In the event the BSUAOP Bylaws need revision, the President will require a vote of approval from the Board to begin the process. Once draft revisions are presented, the board will vote to accept the draft revisions and if approved, the draft revisions will be sent to the membership for comment and vote.

Record Retention

A Shared Drive is maintained by the organization titled Association of Office Professionals. All documentation should be kept within this shared drive so that historical information is passed from year to year. If any documentation is kept in a personal drive it should be transferred over into the appropriate folder and subfolder year as soon as possible.
Some items should be sent to Special Collections and Archives to be maintained as a historical record of a Boise State organization.

Email

The organization has its own email. Most all business for the organization should be done through this email: aop@boisestate.edu.
At the beginning of each fiscal year the email access should be updated.
Pertinent emails should be reviewed by the appropriate person and moved into the appropriate label folder.