Overview
The College Music Society is governed by its Board of Directors which includes thirteen directors elected by the membership of the organization. The thirteen directors are elected to specific offices and include a President, President-Elect or Immediate Past President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and eight Board Members representing the disciplines of composition, ethnomusicology/world music, music education, music in general studies, music theory, musicology, and performance, as well as an at-large member that represents areas not included in the preceding list. As stated in the Bylaws, the Board of Directors serves as trustee, construes the Bylaws, and determines the policies of the Society. Responsibility for the management and actions of the Society is vested in the Board of Directors.
Membership of the Board of Directors
The composition of the Board of Directors is defined in Article VI of the Bylaws:
2. Composition. The Board of Directors shall consist of members who have made notable contributions to the purposes of the Society. There shall be no more than thirteen members of the Board of Directors, including the five officers of the Society, who are members of the Board ex-officio with full voting rights).
Membership of the Board of Directors is further defined in Article IV, Section 7 of the Bylaws:
The areas of composition, ethnomusicology/world music, music education, music in general studies, music theory, musicology, and performance will be represented on the Board of Directors....
Responsibilities of the Board of Directors
The responsibilities of the Board of Directors are described in Article VI of the Bylaws:
1. Functions. The Board of Directors shall determine the general policies of the Society and shall carry out its general purposes. The Board of Directors shall manage the property and financial affairs of the Society with power to accept gifts made to the Society, construe the Bylaws, and provide for publications.
Subcommittees of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors organizes and conducts the work of The College Music Society through appoint of subcommittees of the Board, as well as standing and ad hoc committees and task forces. All committees are appointed to assist the Board of Directors in meeting its responsibilities. All committees serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors and are ultimately responsible to it.
The Bylaws of The College Music Society provide for the appointment of committees:
Bylaws, Article VIII, Section 1- Members of committees shall be appointed by the President with the concurrence of the Board of Directors. Committees may be established, appointed, or dissolved either by the Board of Directors or by the President with the concurrence of the Board of Directors.
To insure care for the operations of the organization, the Board of Directors delegates certain functions to its operating subcommittees. Current operating committees are the Executive Committee, Finance Committee, Membership Committee, and Committee on New and Emerging Technologies.
Frequency, Timing, and Expenses for Meetings
Section 4 of Article VI of the Bylaws states that:
The Board of Directors shall meet at least once annually, ...
Meetings are scheduled around the annual national conference. Other meetings may be called as may be useful or required. Dates and times are announced as far in advance as possible.
For meetings of the Board of Directors, The College Music Society covers transportation, lodging, and meal expenses.
Procedures, Quorum, and Voting
The procedures, quorum, and voting practices of the Board of Directors are described in Article VI of the Bylaws:
3. Procedure. At meetings of the Board of Directors procedures in voting and otherwise shall be such as the Board of Directors itself prescribes. A quorum of the Board of Directors shall be eight. No absentee or proxy voting shall be permitted at meetings of the Board of Directors.
Agenda
The agenda for meetings of the Board of Directors, prepared by the President, provides an annual review of the work of the entire organization. The Board of Directors reviews, in varying degrees of detail, (1) the mission of the Society; (2) the condition and needs of the music teaching community in post-secondary education; (3) the services and activities of the Society; (4) the Society's engagement with the larger music, arts, and education communities; (5) the Society's support infrastructure, including (a) staff, (b) facilities and equipment, (c) internal operations, (d) promotion, publicity, and membership development, (e) electronic communications infrastructure, (f) governance, and (g) fiscal matters. These items are considered through annual reports of the officers (president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer), Board Members, committee chairs, Regional Chapter presidents, and from the Executive Director.
Dissolution
In case of dissolution of The College Music Society, the Board of Directors is responsible for the disposition of assets. Article XI of the Bylaws which states:
In case of dissolution of the Society, the Board of Directors shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all the liabilities of the corporation, dispose of all of the assets of the corporation pursuant to those provisions consistent with the law regarding the distribution of assets of a nonprofit corporation upon dissolution.