NORTH CENTRAL SECTION POLICIES

As Established by the Executive Board

1. Section Dues Schedule

(Revised June, 2000)

Beginning January 1, 2001, North Central Section annual dues shall be as follows:

2. Section Affiliate Membership

(Revised June, 2002)

NCITE shall promote membership in ITE, which is accompanied by Section Member designation in NCITE.

Upon receipt of an application to become a Section Affiliate, the Board and Membership Committee shall make the applicant aware of the benefits of ITE membership. If after receiving this information the applicant isn’t eligible for ITE membership or their preference is to be a Section Affiliate, the Board shall consider and act on their application. This policy is established based on past practice of this Section, the practice of other Sections and direction from ITE to not exclude applicants who want to be involved at varying levels.

3. Section Meeting Reservations

(Revised March, 1999)

A member or affiliate that makes a reservation for a Section meeting and does not attend must pay for the meal if the person taking the reservations is not notified a sufficient time in advance (by the posted registration deadline). The Executive Board may, at its discretion, waive this policy for cause on a case-by-case basis. The Section Directors and Treasurer shall administer this policy on a monthly basis and report to the executive board as required.

4. Speaker and Dignitary Dinner Expense at Section Meeting

(Revised June, 2002)

The cost of a meal for a speaker at regular Section meetings may be paid out of the Section treasury as a Section expense. Directors are encouraged to recover the cost of the speaker’s meal by including it in the cost charged for the meeting. The cost of registration for the Section’s Annual Meeting for the District 4 Chair, shall be paid out of the Section treasury as a Section expense.

5. Reduced Meal Prices at Section Meetings for Students

(Revised January, 1995)

Student members of the Section or one of its Student Chapters who attend a Section meeting will not have to pay the full cost for the meal they select. The cost to the student, at regular meetings, will be five dollars ($5.00). For the Section Annual Meeting, the cost to the student will be five dollars ($5.00) less than the regular price for the meeting. In all cases, the balance of the students cost will be paid for from the Section treasury. This policy does not apply to graduate or part-time students if they are employed as a professional or technician more than twenty hours per week during the school year.

6. Standing Committees

(Revised March, 2013)

Following is a list of standing NCITE Committees. Additional committees can be created as authorized by the Executive Board.

A. Communications

Upon vacancy the Section President shall appoint a Communications Chair.  The Communications Chair shall oversee the following:

Newsletter

This Chairperson shall recruit and recommend to the executive board for approval a newsletter editor(s). The Section Newsletter is to be published electronically four times per year, approximately every three months.

Advertising and Job Postings

The costs and practices regarding the placement of product advertising, professional services cards, and job postings in the Newsletter and on the Website shall be set by the Executive Board and reviewed annually, with the goal of said advertising revenue covering all of the costs of publishing the Newsletter and Website.  Paid advertisers and public agencies within the Section shall be entitled to one free job posting per year.  The Communications Chair shall review all advertising policies annually and make recommendations to the Executive Board.

Member Email List

The NCITE general membership email list ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) is a moderated mail list. Only members of the current Executive Board and the Communications Chair may post messages to this list.

The email list should only be used for official NCITE business. Primarily it should be used to inform members of upcoming events and other general news regarding NCITE. It shall never be used for advertisements or other such information that could be considered “junk mail”. The Communications Chair shall monitor the use of this list, such that the use is limited to items that are beneficial to the general membership.

B. Membership

Upon vacancy the Section President shall appoint a Membership Chair who shall provide information to the Board on membership matters. The Membership Chair shall take action on all Section and District membership matters not requiring action by the President or the Executive Board.

C. Other Committees

The Section President shall appoint a Committee Chair for each of the following Committees as vacancies arise.

1. Career Guidance/Student Activities
2. Professional Development
3. Pedestrian & Traffic Safety
4. Planning Methods & Applications
5. Intersection Traffic Control
6. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
7. Geometric Design

In addition to the Committees, the Section President shall appoint a Chair for the following group as vacancies arise.

1. Traffic Operations and Maintenance Discussion Group

The Section President shall appoint an NCITE liaison to the following committee as vacancies arise.

1. Minnesota Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MCUTCD)

7. NCITE Awards

(Revised June, 2002)

A. Scholarships

The Chair of the Student Activities Committee shall annually make recommendations to the Executive Board about whom to award Section scholarships. The Board shall award four (4) scholarships annually for a minimum of $300 each. The four scholarships shall be awarded on the basis of academic performance, career goals, ITE involvement, and related accomplishments or experience. Efforts should be made to award scholarships as follows. One Scholarship shall be awarded to a student in each of the following categories: one graduate student and one undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota; one student at North Dakota State University; and one student at South Dakota State University.

B. Student Paper

The Chair of the Student Activities Committee shall annually recommend to the Executive Board a name for the Student Paper Award. The Board shall award one (1) Student Paper Award of a minimum of $300.

C. Past Presidents Award

This award shall be given annually to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to NCITE, ITE and/or through achievements in the transportation/traffic engineering profession. In August the President shall call for nominations for the Past Presidents Award.

The President shall appoint a review committee of no less than three (3) Past Presidents to recommend a winner for this award. The President shall present a plaque to the winner at the Annual Meeting.

D. Young Transportation Professional of the Year Award

This award shall be given annually to an individual who is 35 years old or younger, and who is making outstanding contributions to NCITE, ITE and/or through achievements in the transportation/traffic engineering profession. In August the President shall call for nominations for the Young Transportation Professional of the Year Award.

The President shall appoint a review committee of no less than three (3) Past Presidents to recommend a winner for this award. The President shall present a plaque to the winner at the Annual Meeting.

8. Expenses at the ITE and Midwestern District Annual Meetings

(Revised March, 2012)

Recognizing the benefits to the Section of having its President attend the ITE Annual Meeting and of having its President, Past President, and elected representative to the Midwestern Board attend the Midwestern District Annual Meeting, it is the policy of the North Central Section to offer limited financial assistance as follows.

Upon receipt of a written request, the Treasurer is authorized to pay expenses in the amount requested on behalf of: the Section President and Section Past President or, if either is unable to attend, the Section Vice President to attend the Midwestern District Annual Meeting; the elected Midwestern Board representative to attend the Midwestern District Annual Meeting; and the Section President or Section Past President or Section Vice President to attend the ITE Annual Meeting. The total amount paid shall not exceed $750 for the ITE Annual Meeting and $500 per attendee (up to three attendees) for the Midwestern District Annual Meeting.

It is the intention of this policy that the President, Past President and Vice President make appropriate effort to assure the attendance of one such Board Member at the ITE Annual Meeting and two such Board Members and the elected Midwestern Board representative at the Midwestern District Annual Meeting.  It is also the intention of this policy that an attendee’s employer should make a similar contribution to his/her attendance.

9. Administration of NCITE Distinguished Member, Life Member, and Life Affiliate Designations

(Revised March, 2013)

In 1988, three new NCITE membership classifications were created: Distinguished Member, Section Life Member and Section Life Affiliate. Administration of these membership categories shall be in accordance with this policy, the NCITE and District 4 Charters and Bylaws, and Institute (ITE) Bylaws. See also Sections 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 5.5, and 5.6 of the NCITE Bylaws.

A. Distinguished Member

1. Distinguished Member is an honorary designation available only to members of the Section and it is intended to be the Section equivalent of the Institute's "Honorary Member." Distinguished Members shall be elected by the Executive Board and any Board member may nominate a Section member for election. No member may apply or shall ask to be elected a Distinguished Member. The Board shall annually consider electing Distinguished Members at the first regular Board meeting held after September 1, and shall not vote on extending an invitation(s) prior to that meeting. Members shall not be informed that they are under consideration, and the minutes of Executive Board meetings shall not list the name of any member discussed in this context unless, and until, the Board votes to extend him or her an invitation. The name of any member nominated, but not voted an invitation, shall not be recorded in meeting minutes or announced to the membership. A future Board may not rescind the election of a Distinguished Member, and the term "Past Distinguished Member" shall be used to refer to those who resign from the Section or after death. Past Distinguished Members shall not be counted towards the numerical limitation imposed by Bylaws Section 1.7.
2. The Executive Board shall have wide latitude in its deliberations when electing Distinguished Members. There are no specific requirements other than being a member of the Institute and Section Member (Affiliates are not eligible for this designation), but the Board shall strongly consider the variety and extent of his or her participation in North Central Section activities as well as the member's professional reputation. As a general guideline, candidates should normally be at least fifty (50) years of age and have been a Section member for at least twelve (12) years. Examples of active participation in the Section are as follows:
   • Having served as a Section and District officer
   • Active participation in Section committees
   • Active participation in preparing for and hosting District 4 annual conferences
   • Having volunteered for special projects or tasks
3. As soon as practical after the Board votes to extend an invitation, the President shall issue the written invitation and request a written response. Written acceptance shall constitute election. The names of persons who are elected Distinguished Members shall be announced to the general membership for the first time at the next Annual Meeting, when they will be honored and presented with an engraved plaque in accordance with NCITE Policy paragraph 9. C.(1). The names of newly-elected Distinguished Members may be listed on the Annual Meeting notice mailed in advance.

B. Section Life Member and Life Affiliate

Any Member or Section Affiliate who satisfies the criteria specified in Bylaws Section 5.5 may request, in writing, that the Executive Board designate him or her to be a Life Member or Life Affiliate, respectively. The Board may grant Life membership status at any regular meeting and such action should be announced at the next Section meeting. Persons who received Life membership status at any time during the year shall be recognized and presented a certificate at the Annual Meeting in accordance with NCITE Policy paragraph 9.C.(l).

C. General Provisions

1. An engraved plaque shall be presented to those persons elected Distinguished Members, and a framed certificate to those designated Life Members or Life Affiliates, in a ceremony at the next Annual Meeting. The President shall extend a personal invitation to the Annual Meeting to these persons.
2. Section annual dues shall be waived beginning with the year following the year in which the Distinguished Member or Life membership designation is received.
3. The Section Membership Chair shall maintain an up-to-date roster of Distinguished Members, Life Members and Life Affiliates and their mailing preference. All Distinguished Members shall be recognized with a listing in the first section of the NCITE Annual Report, in addition to their regular listing in the alphabetical membership roster. Past Distinguished Members shall only be listed in the first section of the Annual Report.
4. Distinguished Members, Life Members and Life Affiliates shall be entitled to all of the rights and privileges of their respective Section membership classification prior to receiving this designation. They are expected, and should be encouraged, to continue active participation and leadership in Section activities. These individuals will continue to receive all regular Section mailings as long as they continue active participation in NCITE events. In instances where attendance at Section meetings is poor, the Executive Board may direct the Secretary to send those persons a form letter in December, which permits them to go on "inactive" status; in that case, they will no longer receive regular mailings on an annual or ongoing basis.

10. Non-Members on Mailing List

(Revised March, 2013)

Persons who are neither Section members nor Section Affiliates may, upon written request, be placed on the mailing list and receive Section meeting notices and Newsletters by vote of the Executive Board and payment of an annual fee equal to the annual dues for Section Affiliates.

11. Dues Collection (Dec. 1997- Revised Sept. 2011)

(Revised September, 2011)

The Section dues collection policy is as follows:

• Fall – ITE sends next year’s dues notices to all members.
• January – NCITE Treasurer sends current year’s dues notices to all Section Affiliates.
• Spring/Summer – ITE sends reminder notices to members as necessary. NCITE Treasurer sends reminder notices to Section Affiliates as necessary.
• October – One additional current year’s dues reminder will be sent to members and affiliates who have still not paid. Unpaid members are ineligible to vote in Section elections.

12. Annoucements

(Revised March, 2013)

NCITE periodically receives requests from other professional organizations to announce their upcoming conferences or training through email distribution and website postings. 

While NCITE is supportive of these other organizations and their activities NCITE must also be cognizant of the potential over use of its email list particularly in relation to activities not sponsored by NCITE.

A. Criteria for Announcements

To be considered for announcement by NCITE through any of the types described below, the conference, training or other activity not sponsored by NCITE must be of interest to a significant portion of our membership and must also meet one of the following criteria:

1. The conference / training is a special or higher profile meeting for the group (annual, district or national meeting as opposed to a monthly or quarterly meeting)
2. NCITE is sponsoring or participating in the meeting (special language referencing our sponsorship should be used in the announcement)

B. Types of Announcements

NCITE Newsletter (INCITER)

NCITE regularly publishes four quarterly newsletters (INCITER) within a calendar year.  The INCITER is typically published in January, April, July, and October of each year.  NCITE will work to include an “Upcoming Training / Conferences” section within each INCITER.  Activities not sponsored by NCITE may be included per the criteria listed above.

Email Distribution

Due to concerns regarding the overuse of the NCITE email list it has been determined that the email list should not be used to directly notify (as an individual email) NCITE members of activities not sponsored by NCITE

However as a benefit to our membership the Professional Development Committee will work to send out quarterly emails listing “Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities”.  These emails should be sent out at approximately the midpoint between publications of the INCITER.  Activities not sponsored by NCITE may be included per the criteria listed above.

Website Posting

NCITE will work to maintain and keep up to date an “Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities” on the website.  Activities not sponsored by NCITE may be posted on the website per the criteria listed above.

13. Document Retention

(Revised December, 2010)

This policy outlines NCITE’s practice on how long and by which method to retain documents generated by the organization.  The policy recognizes that the organization does not produce correspondence significant enough for permanent retention and that it is not logistically practical for the organization to maintain permanent paper records.  This policy was developed to meet as closely as practical the guidelines published by the National Council of Nonprofit Association, 2004. 

Types of Documents

NCITE’s two basic methods for retaining documents are:

Hard Copy. Documents to be retained in hard copy form should be compiled on a calendar year basis and placed in a single three-ring binder clearly labeled with the year and the information included.  This binder should be stored with the rest of the NCITE archives for the duration noted.  Documents to be retained for a specific duration should be marked with a “destruction date” and sorted accordingly with the rest of the NCITE archives.

Electronic.  Documents to be retained in electronic form should be saved in a commonly used format (PDF, Microsoft Word, etc.), and organized in a logical “directory tree” format by calendar year.  Each year, the new electronic documents should be combined with all previous years documents and saved to electronic media (CD, DVD, etc.)  Two copies of the storage media should be produced:  One copy should be given to the incoming Vice-President and one copy to the incoming Secretary.

Retention Durations