Landmark Conference Constitution
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PREAMBLE: On November 29, 2005 a group of like minded Chief Executive Officers of Colleges, Universities and a Military Academy, located in the middle Atlantic region of the United States, met and formed an organization to engage in athletic competition and other collaborative activities, while holding paramount the centrality of the academic mission at each institution.
CONTENTS
ARTICLE I NAME
ARTICLE II PURPOSE
ARTICLE III OBJECTIVES
ARTICLE IV MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 Membership Eligibility
Section 2 Founding Members
Section 3 Primary Membership
Section 4 Eligibility of New Members
Section 5 Membership Dues
Section 6 Notification of Conference Withdrawal
Section 7 Termination of Membership
ARTICLE V STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION
Section 1 Executive Board (the Chief Executive Officers)
Section 2 Executive Board Officers
Section 3 Athletics Administrator's Committee
Section 4 Standing Committees
ARTICLE VI REPRESENTATION AND
VOTING
Section 1 Institutional Representation
Section 2 Quorum and Voting
ARTICLE VII BYLAWS
Section 1 Bylaws
Section 2 Eligibility Rules
ARTICLE VIII AMENDMENTS
ARTICLE I NAME
The name of this organization is the Landmark Conference.
ARTICLE II PURPOSE
The purpose of this organization is to conduct intercollegiate
athletics programs in a way that recognizes, as paramount, the
centrality of the academic mission at each member institution while
insuring that all of the organizations activities are under the
direct authority and supervision of the Chief Executive Officers.
ARTICLE III OBJECTIVES
Section 1 Recognize that the Chief Executive Officers are responsible for and have authority over all conference activities.
Section 2 Acknowledge that intercollegiate athletics is integral to the educational mission at each institution in the conference.
Section 3 Embrace and support the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III philosophy.
Section 4 Conduct athletics programs equitably.
Section 5 Provide equal opportunities for all student-athletes.
Section 6 Support ethnic, cultural and gender diversity among student-athletes, coaches and staff members.
Section 7 Look primarily within the conference for standards of competitive excellence and judge success and failure largely by intra-conference results
Section 8 Admit student-athletes, who are representative of their class, on the basis of academic promise and personal qualities as well as athletic ability.
Section 9 Encourage broad based participation in intercollegiate athletics.
Section 10 Provide adequate facilities and qualified personnel to insure a safe, healthy and satisfying competitive environment.
Section 11 Facilitate the development of student-athletes within the conference and on the national level when and where appropriate.
ARTICLE IV MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 Membership
Eligibility----Membership is limited to private and
Federal Colleges and Universities of high academic quality that are
empowered to grant the baccalaureate degree, are fully accredited
by the Middle States Conference of Colleges and Secondary Schools,
are classified Division III by the NCAA, and agree to accept and
observe the Constitution, Bylaws, Amendments and Policies of the
conference.
Section 2 Founding Members----The
founding members of the conference are Drew University, Goucher
College, Juniata College, Moravian College, Susquehanna University,
The Catholic University of America, The University of Scranton and
the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
Section 3 Primary Membership----No Landmark Conference member shall be a core member of another conference; affiliate membership is acceptable for sports where the Landmark Conference does not sponsor a championship with an NCAA automatic bid. If the Executive Board sanctions a championship for a sport that supports an automatic bid, all Landmark Conference members will be required to withdraw from their affiliate conference and participate in Landmark Conference regular and championship play.
Section 4 Eligibility of New Members----New members may be admitted following submission of a written application and required materials, as defined in the Bylaws, and an affirmative vote by three-fourths of the entire Executive Board.
Section 5 Membership Dues----Member Institutions must pay conference dues, which shall be established by the Executive Board and submitted on an annual basis.
Section 6 Notification of Conference Withdrawal----Any member may resign its membership at any time by written notice delivered to the Secretary of the Conference at the annual Executive Board Meeting (normally held in February), of the year prior, to departure, but no later than March 1st of the academic year, in the year prior to departure (giving the Landmark Conference 18 months notice). Failure to give proper required notice of withdrawal (18 months) will result in a monetary fine equal to two years of conference dues. Withdrawal of membership with proper (18 month) notice will result in a monetary fine equal to one year of Conference dues
Section 7 Termination of
Membership----Membership privilege may be suspended or
terminated or other penalties imposed by three-fourths affirmative
vote of all Executive Board members provided that notice of intent
to invoke such disciplinary action is made in writing to the
affected member and all other members at least thirty (30) days
prior to the date that the action is proposed to be taken. Grounds
for disciplinary action shall include, without limitation, failure
to pay dues or fines, failure to comply with conference scheduling
requirements, any action or inaction which constitutes a violation
of the conference's Constitution, Bylaws or Policies or any action
or inaction which reflects poorly upon the reputation and integrity
of the conference.
ARTICLE V ORGANIZATION
Section 1 Executive Board (Chief Executive Officers)
A.
Membership
(1) The Executive Board shall be comprised of the
Chief Executive Officers of each of the member institutions or any
acting or temporary Chief Executive Officer of a member
institution.
B.
Duties
(1) The Executive Board shall review and approve all
changes to the Constitution and Bylaws.
(2) The Executive Board shall review and approve applications for membership.
(3) The Executive Board shall have full responsibility for and authority over, the finances, programs, policies, personnel, operations, administration and management of conference affairs.
(4) The Executive Board shall act upon all actions or recommendations submitted by the Athletics Administrator's Committee.
(5) The Executive Board may create standing, special and ad hoc committees.
(6) The Executive Board shall hire, supervise and evaluate the Commissioner and empower him/her to hire an Assistant Commissioner.
C. Meetings
(1) The Executive Board shall meet in person at least once a year. Normally a winter meeting is scheduled in conjunction with the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities Meeting and, in addition, possibly in the spring at the site of the Annapolis Board Meetings. The meetings typically follow the Athletics Administrator's winter and spring meetings. The Executive Board may also meet at other times, in person or via conference call, as they deem necessary.
(2) Attendance at Executive Board Meetings is limited to Chief Executive Officers or individuals serving in that capacity, invited guests and the Commissioner. Invited guests and the Commissioner are ex officio.
(3) Notice of a meeting and a tentative agenda shall be received by the members of the Executive Board from the Commissioner at least 15 days prior to the meeting.
(4) Each Chief Executive Officer shall have one vote on the Executive Committee. A three-fourths majority of all the Chief Executive Officers is required to pass a motion.
Section 2 Executive Board Officers
A. Membership
(1) There shall be a Chair, a Vice Chair and a Treasurer. The officers serve for a two year term beginning June 1, 2006. Normally the Vice Chair will become Chair and the Treasurer will become Vice Chair. The Executive Board will determine the officers and their future rotation during their annual meeting.
B Duties
(1) The Chair of the Executive Board will oversee the Commissioner on a day to day basis and conduct business on behalf of the entire Executive Board between annual meetings.
(2) The Vice Chair and Treasurer will kept informed of conference activities between Executive Board meetings so as to be kept informed.
(3) In the absence of the Chair, the Vice Chair shall serve in this capacity.
Section 3 Athletics Administrator's Committee
A. Membership
(1) The Athletics Administrator's Committee shall be comprised of a senior male and a senior female athletics administrator from each member institution, one of whom shall be the athletics director.
(2) The Chair of the Athletics Administrator's Committee will be an athletics director who will serve a two year term (with the exception of the first term, which shall be a three year term) on a rotating schedule different than the Executive Board Chair in year and institutions. The initial rotation follows:
June 1, 2006 - May 31, 2009 Moravian
June 1, 2009 - May 31, 2011 Scranton
June 1, 2011 - May 31, 2013 Susquehanna
June 1, 2013 - May 31, 2015 USMMA
June 1, 2015 - May 31, 2017 Catholic
June 1, 2017 - May 31, 2019 Drew
June 1, 2019 - May 31, 2021 Goucher
June 1, 2021 - May 31, 2023 Juniata
B. Duties:
(1) The Athletics Administrator's Committee, in consultation with the Commissioner, is responsible for the overall day to day operations and management of conference policies.
(2) The Athletics Administrator's Committee shall, through the Commissioner, advice the Executive Board on all policy recommendations and assume responsibility for implementing policy adopted by the Executive Board.
(3) The Athletics Administrator's Committee shall annually review the Constitution and Bylaws and recommend changes, if any, to the Executive Board.
(4) The Athletic Administrator's Committee shall annually evaluate the Commissioner and his/her objectives and goals for the following year. The committee will forward the results of this process to the Executive Board, whose Chair shall ultimately evaluation with the Commissioner.
Section 4 Standing Committees
Additional Committees include: Senior Women Administrators; Faculty Athletics Representatives; Athletic Trainers; Sports Information Directors; Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and a Sport's Committee for each conference sport.
Each of these committees shall meet, at least, once a year, keep minutes and have a Chair who works with a liaison from the Athletic Administrator's Committee.
ARTICLE VI----REPRESENTATION AND VOTING
Section 1 Institutional Representation
Each member institution shall have one vote on each committee and may be represented at all meetings of the Executive Board by one person, unless others have been invited as guests. All other committees of the Landmark Conference may have up to two individuals participate in the proceedings.
Section 2 Quorum and Voting
A. Two-thirds of the members of the Executive Board and of the Athletics Administrator's Committee shall constitute a quorum for a meeting. A three-fourths majority of the entire Executive Board is necessary to pass a motion. A majority vote of the membership of all other committees is needed to pass a motion.
B. Robert's Rules of Order (Revised) shall be the parliamentary authority for the conduct of the of all conference committee meetings.
ARTICLE VII BYLAWS
Section 1 Bylaws
The Athletics Administrator's Committee may adopt Bylaws, consistent with the provisions of the Constitution at their Annual Meeting. Bylaws shall be approved by two- thirds of the members of the Administrator's Committee, and by a subsequent three-fourth vote of the Executive Board, provided they have been given written notice 15 days prior to the meeting when the vote is taken.
Section 2 Rules of Eligibility
A. Conference members shall adhere to the regulations as set forth by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
B. Each member shall abide by its institutional policies as well as those of the NCAA and the Landmark Conference
ARTICLE VIII AMMENDMENTS
Section 1 This Constitution may be amended upon the recommendation of two-thirds of the Athletics Administrator's Committee, or their designate, at the annual meeting, and by subsequent approval by a three-fourth majority of the Executive Board providing that the amendment shall have been submitted in writing and received by the members of the Executive Board at least thirty 30 days preceding the meeting.
