Running for CCA Office: A Primer

CCA/CTA/NEA has many ways in which members can become involved, all the way from the local (chapter) level to statewide and nationwide office. Each chapter has its own opportunities and guidelines, so contact your chapter President or District Representative for more information. You can find information and guidelines on running for CTA office here; details on NEA elected positions can be found in the NEA Bylaws and Constitution.

 

CCA Officers

CCA Officers consist of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.  Each officer serves a two-year term, which commences on June 1 and terminates on May 31.

CCA Board of Directors

In addition to District Representatives, the CCA Board of Directors is comprised of four At-Large Directors: Women’s At-Large Director, Part-Time Faculty At-Large Director (Northern Region), Part-Time Faculty At-Large Director (Southern Region) and Racial/Ethnic Minority At-Large Director. There are also three non-voting Board members who are elected at CTA State Council: the CTA District J Higher Education Director, the CTA/ABC/PAC Director, and the NEA Higher Education Director. Currently, there are 21 members of the CCA Board of Directors.

Election and Terms of Office

The CCA Elections Manual contains complete information and guidelines; the CCA Bylaws can also help guide you. The following represents a thumbnail sketch of elections procedures.

Any member of CCA/CTA/NEA in good standing may run for elective office, subject to the following restrictions and requirements:

• District Directors must be CCA/CTA/NEA dues paying faculty members in a college within the Directorial District or constituency they are to represent, and must be available for CCA Board meetings and other directorial duties

• The Racial/Ethnic Minority Director must be a member of a racial/ethnic minority group as defined by CTA/NEA specifications (African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, or Hispanic)

• The Women’s Director shall be a woman

• The Part-Time Faculty Directors shall be part-time faculty members of a college within the respective region (Northern California and Southern California).

There are no restrictions upon who may run for election as a CCA Officer. Election of Officers and Directors are held during the Spring CCA Council meeting.

Election of Officers and Directors are held during the Spring CCA Council meeting. An official announcement of elections, stating for which offices will occur are available, is made at the CCA Fall Council, on the CCA web site, and by letter to Chapter Presidents, the CCA Board of Directors, and CTA Community College State Council members. The first day to submit the Declaration of Candidacy form is mid-January, and the deadline for submitting the Declaration of Candidacy form is early April. 

Officers are limited to two complete consecutive two-year terms.  The President and Vice President are elected in odd-numbered years, while the Secretary and Treasurer are elected in even-numbered years.

By the same token, one-half of the geographical District Directors run for election in odd-numbered years, while the remainder run in even-numbered years. The Women’s At-Large Director and both Part-time Faculty Directors are elected in odd years, and the Racial/Ethnic Minority At-Large Director is elected in even years. Board members are limited to three consecutive two-year terms, commencing on June 1 and terminating on May 31 of the appropriate year.  Candidates can only run for one office at a time.