INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND RESEARCH (iNEER)

VISION AND OPERATING PROCEDURE

A. Preamble

The worldwide engineering education community is faced with many challenges. To address them, an increasing number of engineering schools in industrialized and emerging economies are upgrading their undergraduate and post-graduate education systems. Issues of concern include the need for a curriculum that is more connected with industrial practice, infused with information technology and distance learning, hands-on experience for undergraduates, global perspectives, and an emphasis on interpersonal and communications skills.

The need to open more opportunities to women and minorities is also driving the change in engineering and related disciplines such as computer science. Teaching tools and methods to enhance teaching and learning must be informed by advances in education research and technology-based education.

Today, a high quality engineering education experience must be an inclusive one, in which the education process is integrated with research, and enabled by new technology-based teaching and learning techniques. Broad in preparation, graduates must be ready to work anywhere in our global village, or branch into new careers using engineering education as a spring-board.

To make progress, nations are recognizing the crucial and urgent role of international cooperation in science and technology.

Focused on collaboration in education and research, iNEER has been formed with a mission to address the challenges in engineering education and research in a radically new way. iNEER is aimed at using recent advances in information and communications technologies to foster the creation of collaborative networks and partnerships in the engineering education and research communities worldwide. Its goals are to foster new trans-national interaction as well as linkage of ongoing, already funded domestic research and education programs.

The iNEER community is a coordinated network, united by a desire to share ideas and information, and leverage individual resources, thereby helping to arrive at effective new solutions.

Committed to work with members from both industrialized and developing nations, iNEER represents a new approach in global networking, partnership and resource leveraging. Recent lessons in corporate streamlining and restructuring have guided the formation of a lean, multidimensional iNEER.

B. Name

The name of this organization shall be the International Network for Engineering Education and Research (iNEER), Inc., designated hereinafter as iNEER or the Network. It is a non-profit organization registered in the State of Maryland, USA.

C. Mission and Objectives

C.1 To develop a global network of educators and researchers to help advance education and research around the world.

C.2 To achieve mutual progress through international exchanges and linkages, formation of cooperative partnerships, and information sharing to enhance the education experience for students.

C.3 To engender novel ways of enhancing the undergraduate and post-graduate experiences of students by nourishing personal as well as institutional connections among educators and students around the world.

D. Status

D.1 iNEER shall be an independent, non-profit, networking “virtual” professional organization set up with Mission and Objectives as stated in C.1 – C.3. It (a) sponsors and facilitates the organization of high quality partnership engineering conferences, workshops and retreats; (b) facilitates the development of new mechanisms and programs that promote international cooperation; (c) develops and maintains a directory and repository of information for international cooperation in research and education; (d) assembles and disseminates updated information on relevant topics; and (e) engages in other activities commensurate with its Mission and Objectives as stated in C.1 – C.3.

D.3 iNEER shall dedicate itself to helping to create a worldwide cadre of engineering educators and researchers who are committed to enriching the education experience for engineering students.

D.4 Exploiting the capabilities for communication afforded by the Internet, iNEER shall be an organization where every member has access and input directly to its programs. Adaptability, flexibility, prompt decision-making and feedback shall be the standard of its operation.

D.5 Through its well-recognized logo, goodwill, and help with program development and monitoring, iNEER shall help sponsor, develop, and implement, on an annual basis if possible, the International Conference on Engineering Education (ICEE), and shall seek to provide quality control and continuity, and inter-ICEE follow-up.

D.6 iNEER shall insure high quality of its publications through a peer review process.

D.7 To the extent allowed by its resources, iNEER shall promote fresh ideas and new models for international cooperation, including the publication of books and proceedings, development of regional workshops and retreats. From time to time, it also shall call for new proposals to host the ICEE or other conferences, workshops, and retreats. The Network also shall help develop collaborative initiatives emanating from these meetings.

D.8 iNEER shall disseminate information relating to international cooperation through its website and e-mails.

E. Membership

E.1 iNEER shall welcome to join free of charge individual educators who support the iNEER Mission and Objectives, and are interested in working collaboratively with other members.

E.2 Membership is by invitation and is open to individuals from government, industry or academic institutions of all regions of the world, irrespective of their status of industrial development.

E.3 iNEER membership may be obtained by self-nomination or second-party nomination by sending an e-mail to the Secretary-General at ineer@ineer.org; nominations by existing members shall be especially welcome.

E.4 Membership in iNEER shall be extended by the Secretariat on behalf of the iNEER Board to individuals without regard to national origin or creed; the business of iNEER, however, is limited to accomplishing the iNEER Mission and Objectives.

E.5 Membership shall be a privilege, not an entitlement, and shall be terminated upon request by members themselves, or when a member engages in practices that are contrary or counter-productive to achieving the objectives of iNEER.

F. iNEER Board

F.1 Membership in the iNEER Board shall be by invitation and shall consist of individuals and representatives of institutions that contribute cash or in-kind sponsorship consistent with the iNEER Mission and Objectives. Additional members are invited from the International Steering Committee (ISC) of the International Conference on Engineering Education (ICEE) to serve two-year terms which may be renewed also by invitation.

F.2 The Chair and Secretary-General of iNEER Board also shall serve as the Chair and Secretary-General of ICEE-ISC.

F.3 The iNEER Board shall plan and implement the Mission and Objectives of iNEER through the iNEER General Secretariat.

F.4 For each major conference or workshop iNEER supports, the Chair of the iNEER Board, and other members of the iNEER Board as appropriate, shall execute an agreement with the head of the institution that is the host of the event, authorizing the use of the iNEER and related names and logos with the associated goodwill, as well as agreeing to provide, upon reasonable request, and to the extent allowed by available resources, help in specific conference-related activities such as planning, publicity, and general information dissemination. The agreement shall stipulate services rendered by iNEER in return for a share of conference revenue.

F.5 An individual designated by an institution that is a host of a major iNEER event, and that fulfills the terms of the agreement with iNEER concerning the hosting of the event, shall serve on the iNEER Board for a term of two years, which may be renewed also by invitation.

G. International Steering Committee of ICEE (ICEE-ISC)

G.1 Promoting the interest of and to the benefit of the iNEER community members, the iNEER Board shall form and manage the International Steering Committee of the International Conference on Engineering Education, known as ICEE-ISC.

G.2 Based on their interests and participation, active iNEER members shall be invited to serve on the ICEE-ISC for a term of two years that may be renewed for additional two-year terms, such invitational membership shall be a privilege and not a right.

G.3 The Chair and Secretary-General of iNEER shall serve as the Chair and Secretary-General of ICEE-ISC. All iNEER Board members shall serve concurrently as members of ICEE-ISC.

G.4 The main functions of the ICEE-ISC shall be (1) to interface and work with the local ICEE organizing committees in planning and implementing the ICEE conferences; and (2) to generate and review new proposals for future ICEE conferences.

G.5 The iNEER/ICEE-ISC Secretariat shall be responsible for managing the membership of ICEE-ISC consistent with these By-Laws, ensuring that ICEE-ISC has a diverse geographical representation, with broad participation by women and young educators, as well as senior administrators.

H. New Conferences, Workshops and Retreats

H.1 Decisions on new iNEER partnership workshops and retreats shall be made by the iNEER Board; decisions on new ICEE sites shall be made jointly by the iNEER Board and ICEE-ISC.

H.2 New ICEE proposals shall be evaluated by members of the iNEER Board and the ICEE-ISC, taking into consideration the proposed program including available infrastructure, likelihood of attracting and generating strong participation by the iNEER community, experience of the proposed applicants, history of participation in past ICEEs, the need for geographical diversification of conference sites, and other relevant considerations.

H.3 Members of iNEER Board and ICEE-ISC shall be encouraged to propose new ICEEs and other workshops and retreats, to chair these conferences and workshops, and to become members of the local organizing committees for individual ICEEs.

H.4 Members of the iNEER Board and ICEE-ISC shall be encouraged to work with the local organizing international steering and organizing committees in proposing and chairing technical sessions and partnership workshops.

I. iNEER Sponsors

I.1 iNEER Sponsors shall be institutions or individuals that provide annual sponsorship fees or in-kind donation to support the programs of iNEER consistent with its Mission and Objectives.

I.2 Sponsors may terminate sponsorship for the following year by informing the Secretary-General in writing by June 1.

I.3 The name of any sponsor that has not paid its sponsorship fee by January 1 shall be omitted from the List of Sponsors.

J. iNEER and ICEE-ISC Secretariat

J.1 The iNEER General Secretariat shall be the point of contact of iNEER for: (1) iNEER members; (2) the iNEER Sponsors; (3) iNEER Board; (4) the ICEE-ISC; (5) the General Chair and local organizing committee of each ICEE; and (6) other professional societies and committees.

J.2 To the extent allowed by available resources, the Secretary-General shall be responsible for implementing the policies of iNEER under the direction of the iNEER Board, including: executing agreements and contracts on behalf of iNEER; interfacing with, managing, cultivating, engaging and expanding the iNEER membership community; managing the iNEER website; editing and managing the iNEER publications; proposal review for new ICEE; program development for ICEE, and generating volunteers from iNEER members for conference organization; managing and expanding the iNEER community database; publicizing and monitoring of abstract and paper submission processes; managing contacts with authors and members; developing and managing other conferences, workshops and retreats; and publishing books and reports commensurate with its mission and objectives.

K. Operation of the iNEER Secretariat

K.1 The Secretary-General shall be responsible for the operation of the iNEER Secretariat, to ensure efficiency and effectiveness, and shall be responsible for managing the budget in order to maximize benefits to iNEER. As called for by workload and technology requirements, he shall have authority to hire technical and office assistance as needed. Commensurate with accomplishing the goals of iNEER, he shall be authorized to expend iNEER funds for the payment of such assistance, as well as associated travels, meals and entertainment, office expenses and costs of maintaining an office, scholarship support for students, and other related expenses.

K.2 The Secretariat headquarters shall be divided between the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Newark, New Jersey, or any other institution as shall be decided by mutual agreement by the iNEER Board and the institution, and a location more accessible from the residence of the Secretary-General in the State of Maryland, USA.

K.3 The Secretariat shall submit a financial report to the iNEER Board on an annual basis.

K.4 The Secretary-General shall be responsible for the agenda and minutes of all meetings of iNEER Board and ICEE-ISC.

L. iNEER Board and ICEE-ISC Meetings and Business Decisions

L.1 iNEER and ICEE-ISC recognize the wide geographic spread of its membership and, therefore, utilize e-mails to conduct its business as much as possible, including the adoption of resolutions.

L.2 Members shall respond to e-mails from the Secretariat as expeditiously as possible. In case of decisions or resolutions that must be made through e-mails, the absence of a response within 10 working days shall be taken by the Secretariat as a “yes” vote or an indication of “no objection.”

L.3 When business meetings are held, an informal parliamentary process shall be adopted and the presence three (3) members shall constitute a quorum.