ACETA

The Association of College English Teachers of Alabama (ACETA) is an organization dedicated to the study of and promotion of the English language, literature, and scholarship.   ACETA is made up of individuals from two-year and four-year colleges, including part-time, full-time, and retired faculty and undergraduate and graduate students, and institutions of higher education and general arts and humanities organizations.  In addition to holding its annual convention, ACETA funds the annual Calvert and Woodall Awards for outstanding scholarly and pedagogical essays and distributes the memorial fund which awards excellence in student scholarship through the annual McMillan Award for student literary essays.  ACETA seeks to promote other institutions with similar goals throughout the state of Alabama in its efforts as well.

View the provided video to see highlights of ACETA's annual conference held on February 23-24, 2023.

1. This organization shall be called the Association of College English Teachers of Alabama.
2. The purpose of the Association is to improve the quality of instruction in English at the collegiate level; to encourage research, experimentation, and investigation in the teaching of English; to facilitate professional cooperation of the members; to hold public discussions and programs; to sponsor the publication of desirable articles and reports; and to integrate the efforts of all those concerned with the improvement of instruction in English.
3. Membership is open to all persons interested in the teaching of English in Alabama colleges.
4. The officers of the Association shall consist of a president, a vice president, and an executive secretary.
5. The duties of the president shall be to oversee the Association; to appoint such committees as directed by the Association; to call meetings, and to preside at them.
6. The vice president shall assist the president as the latter requests and take over the duties of president whenever the latter is unable to perform them.
7. The executive secretary shall keep minutes and records and assist the president in such correspondence, as the latter shall deem advisable. In addition, the executive secretary shall solicit and secure funds for the Association, shall deposit and disburse such moneys as the Association shall collect and possess, shall keep a record of receipts and disbursements and render an account of finances at the annual meeting. The executive secretary shall perform other functions as directed by the Steering Committee.
8. There shall be a Steering Committee, consisting of the president, vice president, executive secretary, the immediate past president, four at-large members representing the various constituencies of ACETA (public and private schools, two- and four-year institutions, colleges and universities), an NCTE liaison directing matters between the local affiliate and the parent organization of the National Council of Teachers of English, and an Emerging Scholar representing the exceptional undergraduate or graduate student constituents. The immediate past president will serve ex-officio on the committee for a two-year term. The committee shall be called together at least once a year by the president, and may be consulted by the president, concerning the appointment of committees, the calling of special meetings, and all such other matters.
9. The offices of president, vice president, the at-large members, the NCTE liaison, and the Emerging Scholar representative of the Steering Committee shall be elected every two years by the Association at its annual meeting. The executive secretary will be appointed by the Steering Committee for a term of six years and may be reappointed for a maximum of one additional term.
10. A majority of those present at any regular or called meeting shall be sufficient to elect officers and to decide any immediate problem. (A called meeting is one in which notices are sent out to all member colleges at least two weeks in advance.)
11. The constitution may be changed by a two-thirds vote of those present at any regular or called meeting.
12. There shall be a meeting of the Association at least once a year, at such time as the president and the Steering Committee shall designate, and such other meetings as the Association shall vote or as the president shall decide upon in consultation with the Steering Committee.
13. The executive secretary shall make all disbursements, subject to the review of the president.
14. The association shall meet the requirements to be exempt as an organization described in section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
    1. Section 1 Said organization is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, or scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
    2. Section 2 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 compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in section 1 hereof and in article 2 of the constitution.
    3. Section 3 No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the organization shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.
    4. Section 4 Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b) by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under section 170 (c) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
    5. Section 5 Upon the dissolution of the organization, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by a Court of Competent Jurisdiction 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.

*This is the Revised Constitution passed following the July 23, 2020 meeting. Portions in bold are revisions to the August 21, 2000 Constitution.

Policy on Persons of Color
Mindful and appreciative of the unique and important contributions of persons of color both to the discipline of English and also to the history and culture of the State of Alabama, the Association of College English Teachers of Alabama actively seeks the fullest possible involvement of persons of color in all its endeavors and enterprises.
Approved, Conference at Auburn University, February 17, 1996