The Education Section of the American Fisheries Society

Governance

Governance

  1. Bylaws
  2. Procedural Manual (pdf)
  3. Meeting Minutes

 

BYLAWS

Article I. Name

The name of this organization shall be the EDUCATION SECTION of the American Fisheries Society as provided for by the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society.

Article II. Goals of the Section

The EDUCATION SECTION is an association of persons whose goals are to:

  1. Improve the quality of college and university education for fisheries scientists,
  2. Promote exchange of post-secondary education information, techniques, and materials among educators and among educational institutions; and
  3. Foster improved communication and information exchange among fishery educators, employers, fisheries specialists, students, and the public.

Article III. Membership

Membership in the EDUCATION SECTION shall be open to all members in good standing of the American Fisheries Society. Each SECTION member is entitled to one vote on all matters requiring the approval of the membership. Members of the Student Subsection shall be recognized as SECTION members.

Article IV. Officers

The officers of the SECTION shall be President, President-Elect, and the Secretary-Treasurer.

  1. All officers shall be elected for a term of two years, or until a successor is duly elected.
  2. Officers shall serve without salary or other compensation for their services. Expenses may be defrayed from funds available to the SECTION when authorized by the Executive Committee (see Article VIII).
  3. No officer shall hold the same office for consecutive terms.
  4. Candidates for office shall be nominated by a nominating committee appointed by the President. Officers shall be elected at the annual meeting or by mail or electronic ballot received by members at least 30 days prior to that meeting. Officers shall be elected by a majority of the returned ballots.
  5. In the event of a vacated position, the Executive Committee shall appoint a qualified replacement for the unexpired term.

Article V. Duties of Officers

  1. President shall:
  2. Serve as Chair of the Executive Committee
  3. Preside at the business meetings of the SECTION, appoint all committees, and serve as an Ex Officio member thereof.
  4. Appoint a webmaster to maintain and update the SECTION web site and assist with electronic voting and communication to the membership.
  5. Represent the SECTION and perform other duties and functions as authorized and necessary.
  6. President-Elect shall:
  7. Perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President and shall appoint a newsletter editor.
  8. Serve as Program Committee Chair.
  9. Serve as Best Student Paper and Poster Chair
  10. Advance to the office of President at the end of the term.
  11. Secretary-Treasurer shall:
  12. Maintain a current list of the membership, receive all funds, pay all bills, keep an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements, and present a semi-annual report to the membership.
  13. Submit a report to the Executive Director of the Society within 30 days after the annual meeting of the SECTION is held and at other times as requested by the Governing Board of the Society.

Article VI. Committees

Committees and their Chairs, except as listed in ARTICLE VIII of these Bylaws, shall be appointed and charged by the President. Except for Standing Committees, these committees shall cease to function upon the discharge of the duties for which they were appointed or with the end of the term of the appointing officer.

Standing Committees help the President and the Executive Committee conduct SECTION affairs, and the Chairs should report their committee’s activities, findings, and recommendations at annual SECTION meetings and interim meetings of the Executive Committee.

The SECTION has established the following Standing Committees:

  1. Newsletter

The Newsletter Editor is appointed annually by the President-Elect and may be reappointed for an indefinite number of terms. The Newsletter Editors responsibilities include solicitation of information, production of the newsletter according to policy and schedule established by the Executive Committee, and distribution of newsletters to the membership.

  1. Nominating

The Nominating Committee prepares a slate of candidates for the SECTION Offices and Division Representatives, conducts the annual election, and reports the results to the President. This committee is chaired by the immediate Past-President.

  1. Membership

The function of the Membership Committee is to maintain and increase SECTION membership by actively identifying and contacting potential members.

  1. Excellence in Fisheries Education Award

This committee publicly recognizes excellence in organized teaching and advising in fisheries science or management, including college level, extension, and continuing education. The committee is responsible for soliciting nominations, selecting an award recipient, and publicly recognizing the recipient’s accomplishments. The Award is presented once per year, provided that at least one acceptable nomination is reviewed by the committee.

  1. Skinner Award

This committee administers the John E. Skinner Awards by soliciting applications and selecting outstanding students for receipt of travel awards to the annual meeting.

  1. Student Papers/Posters Awards

The purpose of this committee is to encourage participation and award excellence through the evaluation of student platform presentations (papers) and posters at the annual meeting. The committee judges both papers and posters presented by students and selects the best in each category for receipt of monetary awards.

  1. Program

The Program Committee is responsible for organization of the SECTION’s contribution to the program at the annual meeting. This may be in the form of a technical session, symposium, panel discussion, posters, or other participation typically focusing on student-mentor interactions.

Article VII. Meetings

The SECTION shall hold at least one business meeting annually at a time and place designated by the Executive Committee. Special meetings may be called by the President with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee.

Article VIII. Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers, the immediate Past-President, the President of the Student Sub section, and one representative elected from each of the Divisions of the Society (nine members total). The Newsletter Editor will serve as a non-voting member. The Executive Committee shall have authority to determine policies and conduct business consistent with the objectives of the SECTION. The Executive Committee is authorized to approve individual funding requests up to $2,500 without a vote of the membership. Meetings of the Executive Committee may be held at the call of the President when a majority of the committee members can meet and conduct business.

A quorum is required for transactions of official business at an Executive Committee meeting. A quorum for an Executive Committee meeting shall consist of five of the nine members. Executive Committee members can appoint a proxy. Each member of the Executive Committee shall have one vote on Executive Committee decisions. In the event of a tie, the President�s vote shall be the deciding vote. Business and voting by the Executive Committee may be conducted by mail or electronic media.

Article IX. Voting and Quorum

A quorum at business meetings shall be 10 percent of the members of the SECTION. Business and voting may be conducted via mail or electronic media if approved by the Executive Committee. Unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws or the Constitution of the Society, business shall be conducted according to the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order. Decisions at meetings are by simple majority of Active Members voting, except 2/3 majorities are required in special cases such as amending the Bylaws and suspending a Rule. Other less frequently used voting requirements are described in Robert’s Rules of Order.

Article X. Dues and Fees

The Executive Committee may assess those attending a meeting of the SECTION a registration fee as provided by the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society. Annual membership dues shall be determined by the Executive Committee.

Article XI. Amendment of Bylaws

  1. The Bylaws are the defining document for the Unit and take precedence over all other rules and procedures of the Unit. The Bylaws cannot be suspended and cannot be changed without prior notice to member.
  2. The Bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 majority of Active Members choosing to vote, provided that the proposed amendment(s) are circulated in writing to the membership at least 30 days prior to voting.
  3. In accordance with the Society Constitution, an adopted amendment shall be reviewed by the Society’s Constitutional Consultant for conformity with the Constitution, Rules and Procedures of the Society. The Constitutional Consultant presents the adopted amendment to the Society Governing Board for approval.
  4. Amendments take effect when the Unit receives written notice of their approval by the Governing Board from the Executive Director.
  5. Rules are the next highest level of documentation of Unit operations. They are generally established to facilitate the conduct of Unit business, and to describe duties and responsibilities of officers and committees. They may be suspended or amended as follows.
  6. The Rules may be suspended during an Executive Committee meeting until the next annual or special Unit meeting by a 2/3 majority of the Executive Committee.
  7. The Rules may be suspended for the duration of a meeting by a 2/3 majority of Active Members voting at an annual or special Unit meeting.
  8. The Rules may be amended by a simple majority of Active Members voting at an annual or special Unit meeting.
  9. Procedures are the lowest level of documentation of Unit operations. They are generally established to provide continuity in the conduct of Unit business. The Procedures may be suspended or amended by a simple majority vote of the Executive Committee.

 

Modifications approved by Education Section membership by unanimous vote on 17 August 2014 in Quebec City, Canada.

Approved by AFS Management Committee on 16 September 2014

Approved by Doug Austen, Executive Director on 2 October 2014