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Bylaws of the Association Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the American Association of Clinical Anatomists (the Association). Section 2. The purpose of this Association shall be to advance the science and art of clinical anatomy and promote the personnel and resources associated with its practice, to encourage research and publication in the discipline, and to maintain high curricular and professional standards in the teaching of anatomy. Clinical anatomy is defined as anatomy in all of its aspects - gross, histologic, developmental, neurologic, and specimen care and preservation - as applied to clinical practice and education; the application of anatomic principles to the solution of clinical problems; and/or the application of clinical observations to expand anatomical knowledge and education. Section 1. Categories, Classes and Status. There are two categories of membership in the Association: Full and Special. There shall be four classes of Full Membership: Regular, Senior, Honored and Affiliate; and three classes of Special Membership: Founding, Honorary and Associate. The status of Full Members shall be Active, Inactive or Discontinued. Section 2. The Council, with the approval of the membership
at the Annual Business Meeting, shall have the power to establish other
classes of membership, change the rights and privileges for each class,
and set the amount of the dues. Subsection A. Regular Members. Regular membership in the Association shall be open to all individuals of good professional standing who have an active interest in clinical anatomy. Subsection B. Senior Members. Senior membership shall be open to those who have been Regular Members for at least five years and have reached age sixty-five. They shall have all the privileges and responsibilities of Regular Members. Senior Members who are no longer employed full time are not required to pay dues, but are required to pay the subscription fee at the member's rate if they wish to continue receiving the journal. Subsection C. Honored Members. One individual per year shall be selected by the Council and honored at the Annual Scientific Meeting. The individual so honored will be one who has made outstanding contributions to clinical anatomy. Honored Members shall also receive Honorary membership in the Association. Subsection D. Affiliate Members. Members in good standing of the British Association of Clinical Anatomists who wish to affiliate with the American Association of Clinical Anatomists can do so annually upon payment of dues equal to the Regular Member's rate minus the annual member's subscription fee for the official journal. Affiliate Members shall have all the rights, privileges and responsibilities of Regular Members but will not receive the official journal as part of their Association membership. Section 4. Special Memberships. Subsection A. Founding Members shall be those elected before December 31, 1983. Subsection B. Honorary membership shall be awarded to all Honored Members and to other individuals, selected by the Council and approved by the membership at the Annual Business Meeting, who have made outstanding contributions to clinical anatomy. Recipients of this lifetime award are not required to pay dues and shall be granted all the privileges of Regular Members in good standing. Subsection C. Associate membership shall be open to all health sciences students, Residents and Fellows in training, and to graduate students in the basic medical sciences. Associate members will receive the official journal. They may serve on committees and receive limited member benefits but they are not eligible to vote or hold elected office. In the Fall membership approval period following three years of Associate membership, the credentials of each member will be reviewed by the Membership Committee to determine if he or she is eligible for approval as a Regular Member. Associate Members will pay a nominal fee for dues. Section 5. Membership Status. Subsection A. Active or Member in Good Standing. Unless otherwise specified in the Bylaws, all members in good standing are considered to be Active and shall have the right to vote, hold office, serve on committees, and receive all member privileges. To be in good standing and Active, a member must pay his or her dues for the current year prior to the start of the Annual Scientific Meeting and have no other outstanding financial obligations to the Association. Subsection B. Inactive. Active members who do not pay their dues by the conclusion of the Annual Scientific Meeting become Inactive. Inactive members do not receive the official journal but they remain eligible to vote, hold office, and serve on committees. Inactive members can reinstate their Active status by making a dues payment prior to the end of the fiscal year in which they became Inactive. Subsection C. Discontinued. On January 1st, all Inactive members who are in arrears will have their membership status changed indefinitely to Discontinued. Discontinued members will be listed in the Association's website Directory but have no other privileges of membership. Discontinued members will have their standing, privileges and Active membership status reinstated upon receipt of a dues payment for the current fiscal year plus the cost of a half-year's subscription, at the member's rate, to the official journal. Section 6. Expulsion. In extraordinary circumstances, a majority of the Council may vote to send an expulsion notice to a member whose conduct appears to be contrary to the best interests of the Association. The member shall be given written notice of the pending expulsion vote and offered the opportunity to present in writing or in person his or her case at the next meeting of the Council when a final vote will occur. A two-thirds vote of the Council at this meeting is required to expel the member. The expelled member shall have the right of appeal to the membership at the next Annual Business Meeting. A two-thirds vote of the members present at the Annual Business Meeting is required to reinstate the individual's membership. Section 7. Membership Directory. The Association's website Directory shall display the membership status and class of each member. On the first day of each quarter, the Treasurer shall update the Directory and, to the best of his or her knowledge, certify to the Council that the membership status of each member is accurately recorded. Section 8. Dues Notices. The Association Secretary shall in November of each year send, in a form deemed appropriate by the Council, a Call for Membership Dues to the membership. Article III- Election of Members Section 1. Application Documents. Membership in the Association requires that candidates to complete an Application for AACA Membership form and transmit a current copy of their Curriculum Vitae or Resume to the Chair of the Membership Committee. In addition the Chair must receive two letters of recommendation written on behalf of the candidate one of which must be from a Full Member in good standing Subsection A. The Membership Committee, with the approval of the Council, shall have the power to request additional documentation, add or amend specific qualification criteria, and revise the membership application form. Section 2. Application Periods. The Membership Committee reviews applications twice a year. All application materials must be received before February 1st for consideration in the Winter approval period and before September 1st for consideration in the Fall approval period. Section 3. Review and Approval Process. A list of applicants provisionally approved by the Membership Committee will be posted for a month on the Association's website on March 1st in the Winter and October 1st in Fall. During each posting month, members of the Association may write his or her objections to the Chair of the Membership Committee. The Membership Committee shall meet within a week of the end of each posting month to review and ratify the list of applicants that will be sent to the President for Council approval. Section 4. Notification and Activation. The Association Secretary will notify each individual that he or she has been approved for membership by the Association. Membership shall become effective upon receipt of dues. Subsection A. Applicants approved in the Winter will be notified in April and shall be billed for the current year. Subsection B. Applicants approved in the Fall will be notified in November or December and shall be billed for the following calendar year. Section 1. The Association is governed by the members through an elected Council. The Council's Executive Committee shall make decisions and take actions on behalf of the Council between Council meetings. Section 2. The fiscal year of the Association shall be on a calendar year basis (January 1 to December 31). Section 3. The Association's activities shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, as revised. In case of a conflict between Robert's Rules of Order and these Bylaws, the Bylaws take precedence. Section 1. The Officers of the Association shall be the President, President-Elect, Association Secretary, Program Secretary, Treasurer, and the immediate Past President. There are no specific qualifications or professional credentials required for nomination to any office beyond being a Full Member in good standing. The nomination and election process for all Officers is described in Article VII. A current more detailed description for each officer position, approved by the Council, shall be maintained on the Association's website. Section 2. President. The President is the highest-ranking elected officer of the Association and is directly accountable to the members. The President chairs the Council, Executive Committee and Annual Business Meeting. The President shall serve a term of two years and shall not succeed himself or herself. Section 3. Past President. In those years when a new President-Elect is elected, the current President assumes the office of Past President at the close of the Annual Business Meeting. A vacancy in the office of the Past President shall be filled by a former Past President approved by a majority of the Council. Section 4. President-Elect. The President-Elect functions as a direct aid to the President carrying out tasks that complement the work of the Association. The President-Elect shall assume the office of President when the President's term of office expires. The President-Elect shall chair the Membership Committee, function as the Association's President in the absence of the President and, in the event of a vacancy, shall succeed and assume the office of the President. A President-Elect who prematurely assumes the office of President shall serve out the full Presidential term to which he/she was originally elected. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President-Elect, the Past President shall perform the duties of the President-Elect until a new President-Elect is appointed by a two-thirds vote of the Council. Section 5. Association Secretary. The Association Secretary maintains all the official non-financial records, oversees the recording of proceedings of meetings of the Association and the Council, and is responsible for the Associations correspondence. The Association Secretary shall be elected for terms of three years. Section 6. Program Secretary. The Program Secretary is responsible for all aspects of the Annual Scientific Meeting. He or she shall receive abstracts, assign and categorize papers approved for presentation, arrange for and supervise the printing of the program, appoint local-host organizing committees subject to approval by the Council, appoint Chairpersons to preside over scientific sessions, and make purchases and employ assistance as authorized in the budget. The Program Secretary shall be elected for terms of three years. Section 7. Treasurer. The Treasurer chairs the Financial Affairs Committee and oversees the financial records of the Association, including those of the official journal, according to standard accounting practices, and, whether performed personally or through the Association's administrative office, is responsible for safeguarding the Association's funds. The Treasurer shall receive quarterly reports from all individuals and Committees that manage funds and/or keep Association accounts.He or she presents periodic reports on the financial status of the Association to the Council and a full report to the membership at the Annual Business Meeting. The Treasurer shall be elected for terms of three years. Section 8. Vacancies in the office of Association Secretary, Program Secretary and Treasurer shall be filled by Presidential appointment and approved by a majority of the Council. Section 1. The Council shall be the principal governing body of the Association. The Council shall consist of the Officers and nine Councilors. The Editor-in-Chief of the official journal, CLINICAL ANATOMY is an ex officio non-voting member of the Council. Section 2. Quorum. A quorum shall consist of one more than half the current number of voting Council members and must include at least two officers. Neither the presence nor absence of a non-voting ex officio member of the Council is counted when calculating a quorum. Section 3. The term of office for each Councilor shall be three years with three Councilor positions being annually subject to election. Councilors may serve two consecutive terms in the same councilor category only when they were appointed to the first term. Members may serve as a Councilor for an unlimited number of non-consecutive terms. The nomination and election process for Councilors is described in Article VII. Section 4. Types of Councilor. There shall be six Councilors-at-Large and, to insure the representation of the Association's diverse membership on the governing Council, there shall be three Special-Councilors. Each year there shall be two Councilors-at-Large and one Special-Councilor elected. Subsection A. Councilors-at-Large. There are no specific qualifications or professional credentials to be eligible for nomination beyond being an Active Full Member. No additional specifications, limitations or prohibitions shall be placed on who may be nominated by either the Council or the Nominations Committee. Subsection B. Special Councilors. In addition to being an Active Full Member, nominees for the Special-Councilor positions must meet specific eligibility requirements. The Clinical Councilor position is open to individuals who are actively engaged in patient care as part of his or her professional duties. The Allied Health Councilor position is open to individuals who are practitioners in an allied health field or whose primary teaching responsibility involves allied health students. The Anatomical Services Councilor position is open to individuals who are primarily engaged in activities associated with the acquisition, and preparation of the anatomical resources used in teaching and research. One Special Councilor will be elected each year. Section 5. Vacancies. The President is empowered to appoint individuals to fill all vacant Councilor positions. Individuals appointed to fill vacancies in Special Councilor positions must meet eligibility requirements specified in Article VI, Section 4, Subsection B. Presidential appointments must be approved by a majority of the Council. Article VII - Nominations and Elections Section 1. Nominations by Committee. The Nominating Committee shall submit to the Association Secretary before January 1st a list of candidates for each position subject to election in the next year. The names of these individuals, and other such supportive materials deemed appropriate by the Nominating Committee and Association Secretary, shall be posted to the Association's website on or before February 1st. Section 2. Nomination by Petition. During the month of February, members may petition for additional candidates to be added to the ballot. Such nomination petitions may consist of either a single document or separate letters. To qualify for nomination by petition, each candidate must be an Active Full Member and have the support of at least 15 Full Members in good standing. All petitions and/or letters of nomination plus a letter from the nominee indicating his or her willingness to be a candidate must be received by the Association Secretary before midnight Eastern Time (GMT minus 5 hours) of March 1st. When additional valid nominations have been received from the membership, the Association Secretary shall post a revised list of the candidates for each position subject to election and other such supportive materials to the Association's website by March 15th. Section 3. Elections. On April 1, a secured, electronic ballot shall be activated on the Associations website, along with instructions for electronic voting. All ballots must be electronically submitted to the website or received in the post by the Association Secretary on or before midnight Eastern Time (GMT minus 5 hours) on April 30 to be counted. Results will be posted on the Association's website by June 1st. A plurality of the votes cast is needed for election. In the event of a tie, the election shall be decided prior to June 1st by a majority vote of the current number of Council members. Section 4. Eligibility to Vote. All Active Full Members as of April 1st of each year are eligible to vote. Section 5. The Association Secretary shall supervise the elections process, the counting of the ballots and, with the Council's approval, implement a voting procedure for members who notify the Association Secretary that they are unable to access the Association's website. Section 6. Newly elected Officers and Councilors will assume their office at the close of the Annual Business Meeting following the election. Section 1. The Executive Committee is a committee of the Council, consisting of all the Association's Officers, and shall make decisions and take actions on behalf of the Council in between Council meetings. The President shall call and preside at meetings of the Executive Committee. A quorum shall be one more than half the current number of Officers. Section 2. Standing Committees.The Standing Committees of the Association shall be:Membership, Nominating, Program, Journal, Bylaws, Financial Affairs, Educational Affairs, Career Development and Anatomical Services. Section 3. The Membership Committee reviews all applications for membership and makes recommendations in writing to the Council and membership for action at the Annual Business Meeting. It shall consist of the President-Elect, who serves as the chair, the Past President, and additional members appointed by the President and approved by the Council. Section 4. The Nominating Committee is responsible for identifying and placing into nomination suitable candidates for election as Officers and Councilors. It shall consist of five members. The President shall appoint three members, with the approval of the Council, and designate one nominee as the Committee's Chair. Two members shall be nominated and elected by the membership at the Annual Business Meeting. Both appointed and elected members will serve for one election cycle. Section 5. Program Committees. Each Annual Scientific Meeting has its own Program Committee comprised of five or more members appointed by the Program Secretary and approved by the Council. The Program Secretary, who serves as chair; the President; a Full Member of the Association selected from the local-host organizing committee; and the Chairs of the Educational Affairs, Career Development and Anatomical Services Committees are ex officio voting members on each Committee. The Meeting Manager is an ex officio non-voting member on each Committee. The Committee is responsible for all decisions regarding the Call for Abstracts, topic categories, symposia, plate-form and poster sessions; reviewing and evaluating of abstracts and other scientific presentations; and overseeing the meeting's budget. The term of service for all appointed members shall be for the duration of the committee's activities. Subsection A. Meeting Manager. The Program Secretary shall appoint, with the approval of the Council, an Active Member as the Meeting Manager. He or she will advise and assist the Program Committee in budget preparation and oversight, analysis of facilities and site resources, and make site visits in the absence of the Program Secretary. Section 6. The Journal Committee shall be responsible for management of the journal and shall conduct negotiations as necessary with its editors and publisher. It shall consist of four members: the President-Elect, who serves as the chair, two members appointed by the President and approved by the Council, and the Editor-in-Chief of the official journal, CLINICAL ANATOMY, who serves ex officio (non-voting). Section 7. The Bylaws Committee shall make recommendations to the Council on amendments to the Bylaws. It shall consist of five members. The President shall appoint three members with the approval of the Council. Two additional members shall be nominated and elected by the membership at the Annual Business Meeting. The President shall designate one of the five members as the Committee's Chair. Section 8. The Financial Affairs Committee oversees the establishment and management of an endowment fund, makes recommendations to the Council for maximizing financial resources, and reviews annually the Association's financial records. The Committee shall report quarterly to the Treasurer on all Association accounts and funds under its control. It shall consist of four members: two members nominated by the President and approved by the Council, one member nominated and elected by the membership at the Annual Business Meeting, and the Treasurer who serves ex officio as the non-voting chair. Section 9. The Educational Affairs Committee shall consist of five members and shall generate documents, monitor national and international curricular changes, promote the teaching of clinical anatomy, and develop educational initiatives that will benefit the Association's members, the medical community and the general public. It shall plan and implement the Educational Affairs Symposium and organize a meeting of the Educational Affairs Special Interest Group (SIG) at the Annual Scientific Meeting. The President shall appoint three members, and two members shall be nominated and elected by the membership at the annual SIG meeting. Section 10. The Career Development Committee shall consist of five members and shall serve as a repository of information on postgraduate training in the anatomical sciences and support the professional development of individuals pursuing a career in clinical anatomy. It shall organize a meeting of the Career Development Special Interest Group at the Annual Scientific Meeting. The President shall appoint three members, and two members shall be nominated and elected by the membership at the annual SIG meeting. Section 11. The Anatomical Services Committee shall consist of five members and shall promote the activities of members who administer institutional willed body donor programs, sit on state boards and committees, and prepare cadaveric materials for education and research. It shall organize a meeting of the Anatomical Services Special Interest Group at the Annual Scientific Meeting. The President shall appoint three members, and two members shall be nominated and elected by the membership at the annual SIG meeting. Section 12. Membership, Appointments and Vacancies. Subsection A. The President, and with approval of the Council, can create and appoint members to ad hoc committees for the duration of his/her term of office. Unless otherwise stipulated, the President selects appointee members to all Standing Committees and designates who will Chair each Committee. Subsection B. Unless otherwise stipulated, terms of appointments shall be for two years ending at the close of an Annual Business Meeting at which the President-Elect is installed as the new President. It is the responsibility of the new President to appoint members of the committees that will serve during his/her term of office. Subsection C. Members may be appointed to serve on multiple committees. Appointed members cannot serve, not counting ex officio membership, on more than three committees simultaneously or be appointed to serve more than three consecutive terms on any one committee unless approved by a two-thirds vote of the Council. Subsection D. Beyond the qualifications stipulated in Article II, Section 5, there shall be no additional restrictions or limitations placed on the nomination and election of members to serve on any Standing Committee. Subsection E. The President is empowered to appoint individuals, with the approval of the Council, to fill vacancies in elected member positions on Standing Committees that occur between Annual Business Meetings. Section 13. The quorum for all Standing Committees, unless otherwise stipulated in the Bylaws, shall be one more than half the current number of members. Section 1. Annual Scientific Meeting of the Association shall be held at such time and place as may be selected by the majority vote of Council and stated in the Notice of Meeting posted to the membership after the close of the Annual Business Meeting. The Annual Scientific Meeting, shall also include an installation ceremony for newly elected Officers and Councilors and the presentation of the Honored Member award. Section 2. Annual Business Meeting of the Association shall be held at such time and place as may be selected by the Council and stated in the Notice of Meeting posted to the membership. The Annual Business Meeting will be held in conjunction with the Association's Annual Scientific Meeting and shall provide for activities required in the Bylaws and the transaction of such business as may properly be brought before the membership. Section 3. Notice of Meetings The Association Secretary shall give notice of all Association meetings stating the place, day, and hour of the meeting and, in case of a Special Meeting, the purpose for which the meeting is called. Such notice of special meetings shall be not less than thirty days before the date of the meeting. Section 4. Quorum. A quorum for transaction of business shall be not less than 10% of the total membership in good standing. Section 5. Voting and Representation. Each Full Member in good standing present shall be entitled to one vote at all Association meetings. Section 1. Amendments of the Bylaws may be proposed by the Bylaws Committee with the approval of a majority of the Council or by a petition, sent to the Association Secretary, bearing the signatures of at least 5% of the total members in good standing. Section 2. Notice of proposed amendments together with such supportive materials as deemed appropriate by the Council, shall be posted to the Association's website, as part of the regular election cycle, on or before February 1st. On April 1, a secured, electronic ballot shall be activated on the Association's website, along with instructions for electronic voting. All ballots must be electronically submitted to the website or received in the post by the Association Secretary on or before midnight Eastern Time (GMT minus 5 hours) on April 30 to be counted. The Association Secretary shall post the results on the Association's website by June 1st. Section 3. Eligibility to Vote. All Active Full Members as of April 1st of each year are eligible to vote. Section 4. Out-of-Cycle Amendments. In the event of an urgent or special recommendation from the Bylaws Committee, the Council, by a two-thirds vote, may authorize posting a proposed amendment to the members at any time. Notice of proposed amendments shall be posted on the Association's website for a 30-day period prior to balloting. At the end of the posting period, a secured electronic ballot shall be activated on the Associations website, along with instructions for electronic voting. All Active Full Members on the date the proposed amendment ballot is posted are eligible to vote. All ballots must be electronically submitted to the website or received in the post by the Association's Secretary within 30 days of the opening of balloting. The results shall be posted on the Association's website within 30 days of the close of balloting. Section 5. The Association Secretary shall supervise the balloting process, the counting of the ballots and, with the Council's approval, implement a voting procedure for members who notify the Association Secretary that they are unable to access the Association's website. Section 6. All amendments of the Bylaws require an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members who submit valid ballots. Section 1. Dissolution of the Association. In the event of the dissolution of the Association, the Council shall give all its assets to one or more nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations. If the Council cannot decide, the decision shall be made by the applicable Court in the state in which the Association is incorporated.
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Copyright 2002,
American Association of Clinical Anatomists |
