Adopted unanimously during the Society's Business meeting on November 14, 2003, Chicago State University, Chicago, Illinois.

Note: Several clauses, below, were "changed" to reflect decisions that passed unanimously by the Society during its Business Meeting on Nov. 10, 2006, National Louis University, Chicago, Illinois.  Some such changes that were voted upon during the Society's Business meeting include changing the name of the Society, adding an elected office to the Officer's Board, adding an e-journal to the Society's publications, and the establishment of certain professional affiliations.  It was further decided through email communication among elected officers on the Officers Board during the month of November, 2006 (unanimously in the affirmative) , to add a newsletter, THE ROUNDTABLE, wherein to publish papers presented during the Society's APA-Central sessions each year, and possibly other Society-related news and events of interest to its membership. Editor of such newsletter serves as an elected officer for a two year term. Finally, to clarify policy regarding who is and is not eligible to vote, a line was added that only full members at the $65 membership level are eligible to vote during Business meetings. Such changes to the Constitution are not final, but pending final approval during the Society's next annual Business Meeting (2007). They were made here only to conform to decisions voted upon by Society during its 2006 Business meeting, and communicated back and forth and decided upon through email during Nov. of 2006. Such tentative changes  are underlined in red, below.

NAME: Society for the Philosophical Study of Education. (SPSE) (Previously "Midwest Philosophy of Education Society" MPES)

TAX STATUS: The Society is a non-profit organization with Tax EIN Number 74-3104927.

PURPOSE:

• To hold annual meetings where members are offered the opportunity to present scholarly papers.

• To encourage scholarship in the field of Philosophy of Education.

• To discuss curricular, methodological, and institutional issues in the field.

• To support graduate education in the field through the annual Graduate Student Competition.

• To offer educators at large a forum for the philosophical analysis of educational issues.

AFFILIATION: Society is an affiliate of the American Philosophical Association-Central Division; NCATE through the Council of Social Foundations; and the American Council of Learned Societies.

MEMBERSHIP:

Any education faculty, whether in K-12 or university environments; university student; or other education-related professionals or independent scholars with an interest in education are eligible to become full members of the Society.

DUES:

Dues are established during the annual Business meeting of the Society. Presently full membership dues are $65.00 annually, which include annual conference fees. Currently enrolled university students may attend the annual conference at a nominal fee of $10.00, which does not include voting privileges or other benefits of full membership. Other fees, such as, Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDU) registration fees, are established during the Business meeting, or in the event they are not so established at that time, by the Officers Board.

OFFICERS:

OFFICERS' BOARD:

Officers include 1. President; 2. Vice President; 3. Treasurer; 4. Secretary; 5. Webmaster; 5. Editor, Journal for the Philosophical Study of Education; and 6. Editor, THE ROUNDTABLE (Society's newsletter).

DUTIES:

President: Appoint committees; preside over meetings; supervise, maintain and preside over the academic, financial, and social well being of the Society.

Vice President: Replace President in his or her absence; assist the Officers Board in managing the affairs of the Society.

Treasurer: Keep accurate financial records; maintain a bank account; issue checks that cover Society expenses, as directed by the President. Both President and Treasurer have access to Society's bank account, although Treasurer can sign checks that have been pre-approved by Officers Board.

Secretary: Maintain historical records; communicate with individuals and institutions on behalf of the Society; maintain accurate minutes of Business and other Society meetings; keep accurate record of Membership lists.

Webmaster: Maintain the Society's web site, as directed by the President.

Editor of the Journal for the Philosophical Study of Education: Editor-in-chief of the Journal.

Editor of THE ROUNDTABLE: Editor-in-chief of Society's newsletter.

ELIGIBILITY: Full membership in the Society.

TERM OF OFFICE: Officers are elected by the membership to a two-year term.

ELECTION PROCESS: Officers are elected during the Business meeting of the second year in office. Only full members at the $65 membership level are eligible to vote  or run for Office during business meetings. Nominations are accepted by the Nominations Committee, and from the floor. Elections are conducted anonymously. Those receiving the highest number of votes for each office are elected to that office.

PROCESS: The Society has adopted Robert's Rules of Order as its procedural guide.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Board of Directors is an honorary body consisting of all past Presidents of the Society who maintain active membership in the Society.

DUTIES:

Board of Directors acts in a consulting capacity to the Officers' Board.

PUBLICATIONS: The Society has three publications: Proceedings (Proceedings of the Society for the Philosophical Study of Education, intended mainly for the publication of papers presented during the Society's annual Fall conferences); an Electronic (on-line) double-blind reviewed journal (Journal for the Philosophical Study of Education-JPSE, intended for the publication of scholarly papers from members and non-members alike, presently based at Knox College, and published on a rolling basis); and a peer-reviewed "newsletter" (THE ROUNDTABLE, intended mainly for the publication of papers and presentations made during the Society's annual American Philosophical Association-Central sessions, and other news items of interest to Society's membership). Editor of the Proceedings is appointed by the President of the Society (see below). The editors of  JPSE and Roundtable are members of the Officers Board elected to two-year terms. All three editors are designated as "editors-in-chief" with the authority to select their own editorial boards for their respective publications.

STANDING COMMITTEES:

Membership: All members of standing committees must be members in good standing.

1. Editorial Committee, SPSE Proceedings, chaired by Proceedings editor-in-chief.

Editor-in-chief of SPSE Proceedings: Appointed by Society's President. The publication of papers in the Society's Proceedings is preceded by a peer-reviewed process, which means that  even after they were presented, papers must be submitted for further review to an editorial committee established by the Editor-in-chief of the Proceedings. Committee uses Roberts Rules of Order. Committee establishes written criteria for editorial review, and makes a recommendation through majority vote to the Officers Board of which papers are eligible for publication in the Proceedings.

Membership: Chair selects committee members.

Functions: Supervise SPSE Proceedings, propose new publications, contact publisher.

2. Membership Committee

Chair: To be chaired by SPSE Secretary, unless otherwise decided upon by SPSE President.

Membership: Any member in good standing may join

Functions: Update membership lists, recruit new members, and take attendance at annual conferences.

3. Program Committee

Chair: Appointed by the SPSE President

Membership: Chair in turn selects committee members

Functions: Establish criteria for the selection of papers submitted for presentation at the annual SPSE conference; and read and review papers submitted for presentation.

4. Arrangements Committee

Chair: Appointed by SPSE President

Membership: Chair in turn selects committee members, preferably those who work at, or reside near, the location where the annual conference is going to take place

Functions: Make arrangements for the smooth and unproblematic functioning of the annual conference, including setting up or providing information regarding lunch and dinner arrangements, hotel accommodations, transportation, audio-visual equipment for presentations, and room reservations for paper presentations.

AMENDMENT PROCESS: The Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority of members present at the annual Business meeting; or in such other way that constitutes a two-thirds majority of members of the Society at the time of the amendment vote, assuming each member voting has been properly notified prior to taking a vote of intended changes to the Constitution.