ACRED Charter

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s
Alumni Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity Charter

The Alumni Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (“UNC”) by action at a meeting held on September 23, 2016 approved this Charter for the Alumni Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity.

Article I – Organization
There is hereby created an unincorporated association to be known as the Alumni Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (“ACRED”). This group works in conjunction with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s University Development Office.

Article II – Mission
The Alumni Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity is dedicated to serving Carolina’s multi-cultural communities by engaging diverse alumni in the life of the university and forging deeper and lasting relationships between UNC and its diverse constituents.

Article III- Purpose and Function
ACRED was formed in 1999 during the Carolina First Capital Campaign as the Minority Alumni Committee. The committee is designed to create stronger partnerships between the University and its diverse alumni population, including its African/African American, Asian/Asian American, Latina/o and American Indian alumni. By engaging these important alumni constituencies, the committee is generating new leadership roles and funding opportunities critical to UNC’s mission to serve as a leader in higher education.

Article IV – Membership
1. Members: ACRED shall consist of no more than 80 members.

2. Qualifications: There shall be but one primary qualification for membership in ACRED – a willingness to help ACRED fulfill its mission of partnering with UNC and its diverse alumni population. In addition, members will be expected to attend one (1) to two (2) meetings per year, associate with one subcommittee, attend special fundraising and \ambassadors of ACRED and UNC, make UNC a priority for their personal philanthropy and provide annual financial support.

3. Nomination: Nominations may be made by current and former ACRED members, University development staff, UNC administrators and current and former members of the Board of Trustees. New members may be recommended through the nomination form on the ACRED website or through any other method accepted by the University Development Office. Nominations will generally be accepted September through November of each year.

4. Selection: Members shall be appointed at the discretion of the Vice-Chancellor of University Development or the senior advancement staff in the University Development Office.

5. Terms: Newly selected members may take office any time after they have been duly appointed. All members shall be divided into three (3) classes, as nearly equal in numbers as may be, to serve in the first instance until the end of the third year after the year they are selected. Years shall be defined as calendar years and run from January 1 to December 31. Members shall be selected to serve for terms of three (3) years. Each member is eligible to serve two (2) three-year terms. Any member who has served two (2) three-year terms shall be ineligible for re-appointment for a period of one year.

6. Resignations: Members may resign at any time by giving written notice of such resignation.

7. Removal: Any member proposed to be removed shall be entitled to at least two (2) weeks written notice of any meeting by the Vice-Chancellor for University Advancement. At which time, such removal is to be voted upon by the ACRED membership. The individual shall be entitled to appear before and be heard by ACRED if desired.

8. Advisory Members: After completing two (2) terms of service, former members may be invited to remain engaged with ACRED by assuming advisory status. Advisory members may attend ACRED meetings and offer guidance, but do not have voting privileges.

Article V – Officers
1. Officers and Executive Committee: There shall be a Chair and a Vice-Chair of ACRED. Each subcommittee will have a Chair and a vice-chair or two (2) Co-Chairs. The Chairs shall serve a two (2) year term. The Chair and Vice-Chair along with the chair, vice-chair and/or co-chairs of the subcommittees shall together constitute the Executive Committee.

• Chair: The Chair of ACRED shall preside at all meetings of ACRED and shall perform all other such duties as are incident to his or her office or may properly be required of him or her by ACRED. He or she shall also serve, ex-officio, as a member of all committees.
• Vice-Chair: The Vice-Chair of ACRED shall have such responsibilities as determined by the Chair and shall serve in the absence of the Chair of ACRED.
• Subcommittee Chairs and Vice Chairs: The Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the ACRED subcommittees shall be responsible for leading and motivating their subcommittees and serving as active members of the ACRED Executive Committee.

2. Election: Prior to the first meeting of every other calendar year, the Executive Committee shall present a slate of candidates for each office to be filled. Other candidates may be nominated from the active membership rolls. The officers of ACRED shall be elected by the ACRED membership during its first meeting of each calendar year (by such process as it may determine) by a simple majority vote of its membership.

3. Term: Such officers shall serve for two (2) years beginning the first of the calendar year post-election. If an officer is in the final year of a three (3) year term, the term shall be extended by one year to allow the officer to serve in the leadership position for a total of two (2) years.

4. Removal and Vacancies: Article IV, section 6 above shall also apply to officers. In the event of the death, resignation, retirement, removal or disqualification of an officer during his or her elected term of office, a temporary successor may be appointed by the Executive Committee and the University Development Office senior administration to serve until the next regular meeting or any special meeting called for that purpose. The successor may then be nominated for his or her own term of service in accordance with Article IV, section 5 or another active member may be nominated to serve. In the event of the Chair’s resignation or removal, the ACRED Vice-Chair shall serve as temporary Chair until the group can nominate and vote on a replacement.