The AEE Accreditation Council

The Association for Experiential Education Accreditation Program is the responsibility of the Accreditation Council (Council).  The Council was established by the AEE Board of Directors, and the Board of Directors has delegated the oversight of and responsibility for the Council to the Chief Executive Officer of AEE (CEO).  The CEO has final overall authority for the Accreditation Program.

Accreditation Council Responsibilities:
The Council is empowered by the CEO to design, monitor, and promote the Accreditation Program for organizations offering adventure-based experiential education programming and services.  The Council must operate in accordance with CEO approved operating procedures.  Specifically, the duties and essential functions of the Council are:

1. set policies for the Accreditation Program for organizations offering adventure-based experiential education programs and services cooperation with the CEO;
2. develop, adopt, maintain, evaluate and revise standards;
3. grant or deny accredited status in accordance with Accreditation Program policies;
4. facilitate the development of educational materials for adventure-based experiential education organizations;
5. establish policies and procedures for the selection, training and evaluation of volunteer personnel to conduct the accreditation process;
6. develop and monitor strategic and marketing plans to guide evaluation and promotion of the Accreditation Program;
7. prepare and provide an annual report to the CEO which includes an assessment of the activities of the past year and projections and recommendations for the next year.

Accreditation Council Membership, Terms and Officers
The Council consists of thirteen (13) voting members approved by the CEO.  Applications are solicited from the general public and the AEE membership.  Nominations are made to the CEO by the current Council.  While individual members of the Council do not represent specific constituent groups, knowledge of technical activities listed in the Manual of Accreditation Standards for Adventure Programs should be represented.  Positions on the Council ideally are filled by individuals with special expertise in various disciplines such as law, medicine, education, social work, counseling, psychology, child development, etc.  The AEE Accreditation Program Manager is a non-voting, ex-officio member of the Council.

Council members are appointed for a term of three years and may serve up to three consecutive terms. Terms begin at the conclusion of the fall Council meeting.  Any vacancy that occurs for whatever reason will be filled in the same manner as regular appointments. Replacement members complete the term of the person they replaced and may serve additional regular terms.

Council members who are unable to perform their duties, for whatever reason, may be removed from the Council by a majority vote of the Council. Replacements will be appointed as specified above.

Officers of the Council are the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined by a majority vote of the Council. The officers are elected by the Council at its fall meeting for a one-year term beginning at the end of the fall meeting.  A vacancy in any office will be covered by other officers until the Council can elect a replacement.

The Chair presides over Council meetings, appoints all temporary or permanent committee members and chairs, serves as an ex-officio member of all committees and serves as the principal spokesperson for the Council.

The Vice Chair, in the event of the absence or inability of the Chair to exercise his/her office becomes Acting Chairperson of the Council, with all the rights, privileges, and powers, as if he/she had been the duly elected chair. The vice chair is also responsible for approving volunteers to serve as Accreditation Program reviewers.

The Secretary, in cooperation with AEE staff, (1) keeps the records of all meetings and actions in appropriate books, (2) keeps and facilitates dissemination of minutes and other documents, as appropriate, (3) gives and serves all notices to members of Council, (4) is the official custodian of the records of the Council, (5) presents to Council and the membership at any meeting(s) any communication addressed to him/her as Secretary of Council, (6) attends to all correspondence of Council and exercises all duties incident to the office of Secretary, (7) performs such other duties as are usual for such an officer and as may be assigned by the Chair or Council, and (9) facilitates the preparation of the annual report of Council, including the review of annual reports of accredited organizations.

The Treasurer, in cooperation with the designated AEE staff, (1) participates in the financial planning of the Accreditation Program within AEE, (2) makes proposals, reviews and comments upon the annual budget for the Accreditation Program, (3) receives quarterly financial reports for the Accreditation Program from AEE Staff, (4) makes a financial report on the Accreditation Program at the meetings of Council or when called upon by the Chair, (5) exercises all duties incident to the office of Treasurer, and (6) has such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed, from time to time, by Council and the Chair.

The officers and Council members are not entitled to receive any salary or compensation for activities related to Council. However, Council members may be reimbursed for expenses for Council related service if approved in advance by the designated AEE staff.
Accreditation Council Committees
There are two standing committees of Council:  (1) the standards committee and (2) the governance committee. 

The purpose of the standards committee is to develop and maintain standards for the evaluation of adventure-based experiential education programs, to monitor current practices and trends in adventure education programming and to oversee the periodic revision of the Manual of Accreditation Standards for Adventure Programs.

The purpose of the governance committee is to develop and maintain Accreditation Program policies and procedures, to evaluate the performance of Council and to develop and/or recruit reputable and qualified individuals to serve on Council.

The Chair, with the approval of the Council, may appoint task committees as the need arises.  Task committee chairs will be Council members.  Other members of task committees may be Council members or persons with expertise who are approved by Council. 
Accreditation Council Meetings
The Council meets as often as it deems necessary to conduct the business of the Council. Meetings may take the form of a face-to-face meeting or any other form to which Council members agree, such as teleconference, videoconference, e-mail or other electronic means.

The Council will meet face-to-face two times each year in conjunction with the annual AEE conference and in the spring and two times each year by teleconference. Other meetings may be called as the need arises and as approved by the CEO.  Meetings are conducted by Roberts Rules of Order.

A quorum of the Council is a majority of the voting members. This quorum can be defined as members who are physically present as well as those who might be in contact via teleconference, videoconference, e-mail or other electronic means.  All votes of the Council are carried by a simple majority of the membership.
Ethics
The Council conducts its business in a manner consistent with the AEE Code of Conduct.
Liability
No member or officer of Council is personally liable for any indebtedness or liability of the Council or AEE. Any and all creditors of Council shall look only to the assets of AEE for payment.  The Council will not incur any debt or expense without the express written approval of the CEO of AEE.

All Council members and designated committees therein, while performing their duties as specified here, are considered officers of AEE and therefore are included in the Director’s and Officer’s Liability Insurance Policy for the Association.