UIRA bylaws guide the association's officers and board. The bylaws were most recently updated in 2023.

Open the UIRA Bylaws in PDF format. 

Article I: Name

The name of this association is the University of Iowa Retirees Association (UIRA).

Article II: Purpose

The purpose of the UIRA is to maintain a continued connection to the University of Iowa and to support the interests and welfare of retired University of Iowa faculty and staff members.

Article III: Members

Section 1: Membership

UIRA represents staff and faculty who are at least 55 years old and have retired from the University of Iowa. Such faculty and staff and their spouses or significant others are eligible to be members of the UIRA. Associate membership (non-voting, non-office holding) is open to those who have present or previous ties to the university.

Section 2: Provisional Membership

Provisional membership is offered to all eligible faculty and staff immediately after retirement until the next September 1. Thereafter the retiree will elect, or not, to continue membership by paying dues.

Section 3: Termination of Membership

Membership is terminated by non-payment of dues.

Article IV: Association Calendar

The annual calendar of the association will begin October 1 and end on September 30 of the following calendar year. The year will be referred to as the fiscal year. Terms of office, the annual meeting of the association, the budget, any dues, and annual expenditures and revenues will begin and end according to the fiscal year.

Article V: The Board of Directors

Section 1: General Responsibilities

The Board of Directors, referred to henceforth as the board, shall promote the purposes of the association and shall act for the membership, as necessary, between the association's meetings. The board shall administer the property and funds of the association, as authorized by law and the direction of the membership.

Section 2: Composition

The board shall consist of five elected officers—president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer, and past president, six elected directors-at-large, and The Gray Hawk editor. The UIRA webmaster and the Emeritus Faculty Council representative serve as non-voting members of the board.

Section 3: Election and Terms of Office

The officers and directors-at-large shall be elected by a majority of the voting members of the association in attendance at its annual meeting from a list of nominees for each office provided by the Nominating Committee. Additional names of nominees for each office shall be accepted from the floor preceding the vote. Each year the President-elect shall succeed to the presidency; and a new president-elect, and two directors-at-large shall be elected. The election of the treasurer and secretary shall occur at three-year intervals. The six directors-at-large shall serve staggered three-year terms. No elected director-at-large may serve more than two consecutive terms. The president will recommend for board approval a nominee for The Gray Hawk editor, who shall serve a three-year term, which can be renewed. The editor of The Gray Hawk, the association newsletter, shall be a voting member of the board.

Section 4: Duties

a. The president, or designees, shall represent the association in carrying out the actions and directives of the membership, including chairing the monthly meetings of the board. The president may select an individual for the President’s Award to be given at the annual meeting. No president shall serve more than one term unless at least five years have elapsed between terms.

b. The immediate past president chairs the Program Committee. The past president shall serve on the Nominating Committee and organize the annual UIRA business meeting in June.

c. In the absence of the president, the president-elect shall perform the duties of the president, as well as such other duties as the president or the board requests.

d. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the annual meeting of the association, and the minutes of the meetings of its board.

e. The treasurer shall keep and maintain the financial records of the association; expend UIRA funds as authorized by the board or membership of the association; and make an annual financial report for the association at the time of the annual meeting and at such other times as the board shall indicate. The treasurer shall also inform the members of the board of any circumstances in which the financial health of the association is threatened.  The treasurer shall coordinate with the Administrative Services Coordinator (ASC) to maintain financial accounting records.

f. The editor of The Gray Hawk shall be responsible for the preparation, publication, and circulation of The Gray Hawk with support of the ASC. The editor may serve on one or more of the association committees. The editor may also prepare and disseminate news releases, publicity, and information about the association to its members, to the community at large, and to the media.

g. The UIRA webmaster, who serves in a non-voting capacity, is appointed by the board. The webmaster shall work with the ASC to update all materials on the UIRA website and modify the site as directed by the board.

Section 5: Vacancies

Vacancies occurring between annual meetings shall be filled by the board upon the recommendation of the president, with such appointees serving until the expiration of the term being filled. If two or more years remain in the term, it shall count as one full term served by the director. If less than two years remain, the time served shall not count as a term.

Section 6: Meetings

The board shall meet as frequently as circumstances deem desirable. Meetings may be called by the president or by any other three members of the board.

Section 7: Quorum

A simple majority of the directors with voting privilege shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. A simple majority of directors present and voting shall determine the outcome of any actions, except for Revision of the Bylaws, as defined in Article IX.

Article VI: Meetings of the Association

Section 1: Annual Meetings

The annual meeting of the association shall be held no later than the end of June of each year on a date and at a time specified by the board. The following board members shall prepare reports at the time of the meeting: president (report on the state of the association); past president (report on the year’s programming); treasurer (report on the financial condition of the association); and membership chair (report on current membership figures). These reports shall be published on the UIRA website. Officers for the forthcoming year shall be elected at the annual meeting.

Section 2: Special Meetings

The Board shall also schedule such additional meetings as deemed desirable for the good of the organization. Special meetings shall also be called upon written request of no fewer than fifteen members of the association.

Section 3: Notice

Written notice to the membership of meetings for the conduct of business shall be given at least 10 days prior to such meeting.

Article VII: Committees

Section 1: General

The committees of the association shall consist of such committees as hereafter designated in these bylaws and other committees as are appointed by the president with the approval of the board. Committee members must be members of UIRA.

Section 2: Appointment and Terms of Office

For those chairpersons and members of committees whose terms of office are expiring, new appointments shall be made as needed by the president with the approval of the board. The committee member shall hold office until a successor has been duly appointed or until the committee member resigns or otherwise is unable to hold office.

Section 3: Vacancies

A vacancy in any committee, because of death, resignation, removal, or otherwise, may be filled by the president, subject to approval by the board. The appointee shall serve for the remainder of the term, as defined.

Section 4: Program Committee

The Program Committee shall consist of the past president, who chairs the committee, and as many as five persons from the voting membership, representative of the various constituencies in the association. Program committee members are recruited by the past president, and shall serve one-year terms, which can be renewed. Their appointments shall be approved by the board. The program committee shall:

a. Plan and arrange programs throughout the association year.

b. Perform other duties from time to time as assigned by the president or by the board.

Section 5: Membership Committee

The chairperson of the Membership Committee is a director-at-large and shall be selected by the president with the approval of the board. Other members of the committee include the editor of The Gray Hawk and other members of the board and association as they deem necessary, appointed with the approval of the board. The membership chair shall serve a one-year term, which can be renewed; and additional members shall serve one-year, renewable terms. The Membership Committee shall (with the aid of the ASC):

a. Maintain an up-to-date list of members.

b. Recruit new members and promote the renewal of membership in the association.

c. Perform other duties from time to time as assigned by the president or by the board.

Section 6. Budget Committee

The Budget Committee shall consist of the president-elect as its chairperson, the treasurer of the association and at least two other members appointed by the president with the approval of the board. The Budget Committee shall:

a. Prepare a budget for the annual operations of the association for approval by the board.

b. In general, as may be needed, prepare the budget required for the conduct of other specific events that may be requested by the president or by the board.

Section 7: Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee shall consist of five voting members of the association, at least two of whom are not on the board. The past-president shall serve as a member of the Nominating Committee. The chairperson and the other members of the committee shall be chosen by the president subject to approval by the board and shall serve for the one term preceding the annual election. The Nominating Committee shall propose a slate of officers for the annual election to be presented to the membership of the association at least 30 days prior to the annual meeting.

Section 8: Awards Committee

The Awards Committee shall consist of at least three voting members of the association. The chairperson and the committee members shall be appointed by the president, subject to board approval, and shall serve for a one-year renewable term preceding the annual meeting. The Awards Committee shall select the Outstanding Volunteer Service awards for university and for community services and shall arrange for the engraving and mounting of awardee nameplates for the UIRA service award plaques located in the Iowa Memorial Union. Awardees are announced at the annual meeting.

Article VIII: Conduct of Meetings

a. Robert’s Rules of Order (Newly Revised) shall govern the conduct of all meetings, except in those instances in which they conflict with the Bylaws of the association.

b. Electronic voting by the board on emergency matters is permitted. All electronic votes shall be sent to both the president and the president-elect, and the results then shared with all board members. Documentation that such a vote took place, and the results thereof, shall be ratified and then documented in the minutes of the next regularly scheduled meeting of the board.

Article IX: Revision of the Bylaws

These Bylaws may be amended, altered, or replaced, and new Bylaws may be adopted by the board at any regular or special meetings at which a quorum is present by a vote of two-thirds of the directors present, provided not less than 10 days advance written notice of the proposed changes is given to all directors. Notice of approved revision(s) shall be published in the next issue of The Gray Hawk.

Bylaws first adopted on October 19, 1995
First Revised February 19, 1997
Second Revision October 1999
Third Revision January 2004
Fourth Revision May 2005
Fifth Revision June 2010
Sixth Revision May 2011
Seventh Revision December 2019
Eighth Revision June 2023