By-Laws of the Commission on
Applied and Clinical
Sociology
Copyright ã 2009
by
Commission on Applied
and Clinical Sociology
Executive Office:
Phone: 860-429-6422 Fax: 860-429-5907
E-Mail: eleanor.lyon@uconn.edu
Web: www.sociologycommission.org
COMMISSION ON APPLIED AND
CLINICAL SOCIOLOGY
By-laws (Approved 1995; Revised 2008; 2009)
I.0
NAME
1.1 The name of this organization shall be the
Commission on Applied and Clinical Sociology.
2.0
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES
2.1. The purpose of this organization shall be to
enable sociologists to make significant contributions to society, through the
development, promotion, and support of quality education and practice in
applied sociology, clinical sociology, public sociology and sociological
practice.
2.2. The Commission on Applied and Clinical
Sociology shall further the professional work of applied, clinical and public sociologists
by means of the following objectives:
a)
Maintaining
a Commission-sponsored accreditation of applied sociology, clinical sociology, public
sociology and sociological practice programs (see BA Standards and Accreditation
Self Study Guidelines, MA Standards and Accreditation Self Study Guidelines,
Accreditation Policies and Procedures, Accreditation Review Process Guidelines).
b)
Maintaining
a Commission-sponsored registry of graduates of programs accredited by the
Commission.
c)
Creating
links between program accreditation and state sponsored professional
registries, certification, and licensure.
d)
Providing
a clearinghouse for dissemination of program models and resources to
departments interested in developing applied, clinical and public sociology
programs.
e)
Representing
to government, non-profit agencies, employers and other institutions and
interested parties the objectives of applied, clinical and public sociology.
f)
Maintaining
channels of communication between the Commission and other professional
associations.
2.3. The Commission shall be operated as a
non-profit organization under Section 501(c)6 of the Internal Revenue Service
code. Any funds which may come into its
possession shall be used exclusively for scientific, educational, professional,
and advocacy purposes in relation to the practice of applied, clinical and
public sociology.
3.0
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
3.1 Purpose: The purpose of the Board of Directors shall
be to direct the functioning of the Commission.
3.2
Composition:
a)
The
Board of Directors shall consist of sixteen (16) members representing both
applied and clinical sociology:
i.
Fifteen
(15) regular members of whom at least three (3) but not more than six (6) shall
be from accredited programs.
ii.
One (1)
ex-officio member with vote appointed by the Association for Applied and
Clinical Sociology from among its Board Members.
b)
Terms of
Office
i.
Regular
Board of Directors members shall serve three-year terms. Terms shall be staggered so five (5) members
are elected each year.
ii.
Ex-Officio
members shall serve a one-year term which may be renewed at the pleasure of the
appointing organization.
c)
Limitation
of Terms. No individual shall serve more
than three (3) consecutive terms on the Board of Directors.
3.3 Authority. The Board of Directors shall have authority
to make decisions regarding the Commission and to commit the Commission to
action.
3.4 Termination of
Members of the Board of Directors
a)
A member
may be removed by the Commission upon missing two (2) consecutive regularly
scheduled Board of Directors meetings.
The Executive Committee of the Board may grant an exemption to this
policy through recognizing an excused absence from a meeting for cause.
b)
Any
member who has been removed from the Board of Directors shall have the right to
a hearing before the Board upon written request directed to the Secretary. The request for a hearing shall be submitted
in a timely manner for review and processing.
The Board shall conduct this hearing at its next regularly scheduled
meeting. The Board then votes on the
appeal with decision based on a simple majority vote.
4.0 OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
4.1 Number and Types
of Officers. There shall be four (4)
officers of the Commission, as follows:
Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary.
4.2 Method of
Selection and Term of Office.
a)
Officers
shall be nominated by the Nominations Committee.
b)
Officers
shall be elected by majority vote of the Board of Directors.
c)
Officers
shall serve a two-year term.
d)
Officers
may be re-elected.
e)
No
Officer shall serve more than four (4) consecutive terms.
4.3 Eligibility for
Office. All members of the Board of
Directors are eligible to hold office.
4.4 Duties of Chair:
a) Preside at all general, special, and executive
committee meetings.
b) Expedite the business of the Commission.
c) Ensure that the organization’s legal
compliance is maintained in regard to the continued incorporation of the
organization, IRS status 501 (c) 6, and reports as required.
d) Chair the Executive Committee.
e) Appoint all standing and special committees
and task forces of the Commission with the approval of the Board.
f) Appoint a representative to the Board of the Association
of Applied and Clinical Sociology to a one (1) year term with approval of the
Board.
g) Serve as ex-officio member of all committees
and sub-committees of the Commission.
h) Serve as contact person for the organization.
i)
Ensure
that the Commission webpage, hosting service, and domain name are kept current.
j)
Ensure
that the student registry is kept current and posted on the webpage in a timely
manner.
k) Ensure that all marketing materials, such as
the Commission brochure, are current and disseminated to board members and
other interested parties.
l)
Ensure
that Commission documents are reviewed, at minimum, every 5 years by means of
an appointed Ad Hoc Committee. Relevant documents include the following:
i.
By-Laws
ii.
Standards
– Baccalaureate Level
iii.
Guidelines
for Completing the Self Study Report – Baccalaureate Level
iv.
Standards
– Masters Level
v.
Guidelines
for Completing the Self Study Report – Masters Level
vi.
Policies
and Procedures Manual – Accreditation
vii.
Review
Process Manual
4.5 Duties of Vice Chair
a)
Serve in
the absence of the Chair.
b)
Serve on
the Executive Committee.
c)
Notify
(in April) accredited program directors that Annual Reports are due in July.
d)
Review
annual reports of accredited programs and report to the Commission. Report
should include recommendation for approval and/or further action.
e)
Communicate
the results of the annual report review to the Program Director and appropriate
administrators.
f)
Assist
chair with other duties as assigned.
4.6 Duties of Secretary
a) Keep
minutes and records of all Annual, Regular, Special, and Executive Committee meetings.
b) Keep
accurate records of membership and attendance.
c) Notify
membership of the Commission of General, Special, and Executive Committee
meetings.
d) Prepare
and send out necessary correspondence.
e) Serve
on the Executive Committee.
f) Provide
Chair with minutes for review before disseminating to Board.
g) Disseminate
minutes to Board within one month of meetings.
h) Maintain a
current board of directors address list (check twice a year) and keep webmaster
informed of changes.
i) Maintain a
current committee list with addresses (check twice a year) and keep webmaster
informed of changes.
j) Maintain a
current list of trained accreditation reviewers with up to date contact
information.
4.7 Duties of Treasurer
a)
Maintain
the financial records of the Commission.
b)
Pay the
appropriate expenses of the Commission as authorized by the Board of Directors
or the Executive Committee.
c)
Ensure
that annual organizational memberships for accredited programs are kept
current.
d)
Serve on
the Executive Committee.
e)
Develop
an annual budget in consultation with the Chair.
f)
File
appropriate financial reports with the Board, the Internal Revenue Service, and
such other agencies as are appropriate.
4.8 Duties of a Board Member
a)
Serve
the term to which she/he was elected and take office at the next meeting
immediately following.
b)
Share
responsibility for formulating the policy and the general direction of the
affairs of the Commission.
c)
Attend
all Board meetings and Commission functions.
d)
Come to
meetings prepared to participate in the issues that come before the Board.
e)
Promote
the work of the Commission and sociological practice.
f)
Recruit
new members to the Commission.
g)
Contribute
personal expertise in regard to sociological practice in matters that pertain
to the accreditation of practice programs in sociology.
h)
Respond
to electronically communicated Board matters in a timely manner.
i)
Carry
out other work, as agreed to, with the Chair or Board.
4.9 Succession.
When an officer resigns his/her office prior to the end of the regular
term, the vacancy shall be filled in the following manner:
a)
For the
office of Chair, the Vice-Chair shall assume the office.
b)
For all
other offices, the Board of Directors shall elect a successor.
4.10 Termination of Officers. Officers may be removed from office for
non-fulfillment of duties by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the full Board of
Directors.
4.11 Executive Committee.
a) Membership. The Officers of the Board shall constitute
the Executive Committee of the Commission.
b) Duties. It shall be the duty of the Executive
Committee to conduct:
i. The
business of the Commission between regular meetings of the Board.
ii. Other business as assigned by the Board.
iii. Other
duties as assigned by these By-Laws
c) Actions.
Decisions of the Executive Committee shall be by a majority of the
Committee.
5.0
MEETINGS.
5.1 Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors shall hold an annual
meeting each year for the purpose of elections, appointments to standing
committees, receiving annual reports, and approving the budget. The annual meeting shall be held in
conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Sociological
Association.
5.2 Regular Meetings.
a)
The
Board of Directors shall hold regular meetings for the purpose of approving the
accreditation of programs, amending the bylaws, and conducting other items of
business.
b)
Regular
meetings shall be called by the Chair or the Executive Committee.
c)
Regular
meetings shall be held at times and places selected by the Executive Committee.
5.3 Notification of annual and regular meetings
shall be given at least thirty (30) days in advance.
5.4 Agenda.
The Chair and the Secretary shall construct an agenda and distribute it
at least one (1) week prior to the meeting.
5.5 Quorum.
A simple majority of the regular voting members of the Board of
Directors shall constitute a quorum
5.6 Open Meetings. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be
open. The Board may declare a closed
executive session meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board, at a meeting
at which a quorum is present.
5.7 Commission Actions. The decisions of the majority of the Board of
Directors voting at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall constitute the
actions of the Commission.
5.8 Special Meetings.
a)
Special
meetings may be called by the Chair or the Executive Committee.
b)
Special
meetings must be called upon petition by one-fourth (1/4) of the members of the
Board.
c)
Special
meetings may be conducted via any communication media.
d)
A good
faith effort must be made to notify the entire Board of all such meetings.
6.0
FINANCES.
6.1 The fiscal year of the Commission shall be
January 1st through December 31st.
6.2 The Board of Directors shall approve the
budget of the Commission.
6.3 The Board of
Directors shall approve a fee and reimbursement schedule for the Accreditation
Process.
6.4 The Board of
Directors shall authorize the depositing and withdrawal of funds in an
appropriate institution and authorize withdrawals requested by the Chair,
Vice-Chair, or Treasurer. A motion of
the Board of Directors must approve withdrawals over $1,000.
6.5 Financial Review. The Board, at its discretion, may request a
financial review by an outside consultant.
6.6 The Board of Directors shall be responsible
and accountable for the expenditure of its funds.
7.0.
COMMITTEES
7.1 Standing Committee. Nominations Committee.
a)
The
Nominations Committee shall announce vacancies on the Board of Directors and
announce a slate of proposed candidates for the Board. The Nominations
Committee shall also announce vacancies in Offices and propose a slate of
candidates for those positions.
b)
The
Chair of the Commission shall appoint three (3) members to the Nominations
Committee and shall designate its chair with the advice and consent of the
Board of Directors.
c)
Members
of the Nominations committee shall serve a term of one (1) year. Members may be reappointed but cannot serve
for more than two (2) consecutive terms.
7.2 Review
Committees. The Chair of the Commission,
in consultation with the Executive Committee, shall appoint Accreditation
Review Committees as required according to the Accreditation Polices and
Procedures document.
7.3 Ad Hoc
Committees. The Board or Executive
Committee may create ad hoc committees as needed to conduct the work of the
Commission. Such committees are
time-limited entities.
a)
Ad Hoc
Committees may consist of individuals on the Board and other persons who have
skills and knowledge relevant to the function and purpose of the Ad Hoc
Committee.
b)
Chairs
of Ad Hoc Committees shall be members of the Board of Directors.
c)
The
Chair of the Commission, with the approval of the Executive Committee, shall
appoint three (3) members to the Ad Hoc Committee and shall designate its
chair.
7.4
Duties
of Standing Committee and Ad Hoc Committee Chairs.
a)
Keep
records of meetings.
b)
Prepare
periodic reports to the Board on progress of the Committee.
c)
Submit a
written report of the Committee's activities to be received in time for the
annual meeting.
8.0
NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
8.1 The Nominations Committee shall nominate up
to two candidates for each vacancy on the Board and for each vacancy among the
officers. A vacancy exists when a term
of office is completed, or when a member or officer is unable or unwilling to
continue on the Board.
8.2 The Nominations Committee shall notify the
Board of Directors of the nominees for the Board and Officers at least fourteen
(14) days prior to the election.
8.3 Elections shall be held at the annual
meeting.
8.4 Unanticipated
vacancies may be filled by a special election.
9.0
RULES OF ORDER.
This Commission
shall be guided by the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, in so far as
they do not affect, alter, or amend these By-Laws.
10.0
LIABILITY OF BOARD MEMBERS.
Except as otherwise
provided by law, a director of the corporation is not personally liable to the
corporation or its members for all acts or omissions of a volunteer director
incurred in the good faith performance of his or her duties as a director.
11.0 Amendments:
11.1 Vote. The
By-Laws may be amended by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the Board of
Directors.
11.2 Notice.
a)
Proposed
amendments must be submitted by members of the Board of Directors to the
Executive Committee at least one (1) month in advance of the meeting at which
the amendment is to be considered.
b)
Notice
of the proposed amendment must be submitted to each member of the Board at
least fourteen (14) days in advance of the meeting.
11.3 Review of By-Laws. Every five (5) years, the Commission shall
establish an Ad-Hoc committee to review the By-Laws and recommend to the Board
any modifications or changes to the By-Laws.
12.0 Public Information
12.1 The Commission shall prepare an annual report
of its activities.
12.2 The Commission shall issue other reports as
it deems appropriate.