Revised Feb 2009
ARTICLE I
GENERAL
SECTION 1. The International Behavioral Neuroscience
Society (henceforth known as the Society) shall be an international not for
profit, incorporated collegial association of scientists, clinicians, teachers,
and therapists with background and/or interest in the field of behavioral
neuroscience. The Society shall be based at the Division of Life Sciences, The
University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas. Additional offices may
be added as necessary (i.e., European office). The powers of the members and all
matters concerning the conduct and regulation of the affairs of the Society
shall be subject to the provisions set forth by these Bylaws.
SECTION 2. The Council (Article III) may adopt a seal
and/or logo for the Society in such forms as it deems appropriate.
ARTICLE II
PURPOSES
SECTION 1. The Society shall promote and encourage
education and research with respect to Behavioral Neuroscience.
SECTION 2. The Society shall collaborate with existing
public and private organizations to promote and encourage education and research
in Behavioral Neuroscience and will participate and assist in the coordination
of efforts or formulation of research and clinical programs.
SECTION 3. The Society will receive, use, hold and apply
funds, gifts, bequests and endowments or the proceeds thereof to any of the
purposes described herein.
SECTION 4. Upon the dissolution of the Society, the Council
shall, after paying or making provisions for the payment of all of the
liabilities of the Society, dispose of all of the assets of the Society
exclusively for the purpose of the Society in such manner, or to such
organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for
educational, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt
organization or organizations under Section (501) (c) (3) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States
Internal Revenue Law) as the Council shall determine.
ARTICLE III
COUNCIL
SECTION 1. The Society shall be coordinated by a Council
that shall serve to define and carry out the mission of the Society. The duties
of the Council will include: determine policy; recommend Bylaw changes to the
membership; disseminate information; recruit members and participants; promote
Behavioral Neuroscience research. In the event that any ballot of the membership
results in a tie vote, Council will have the authority to break the tie by vote.
Given that a quorum is present, a simple majority vote of Council is necessary
for any measure to pass.
SECTION 2. The Council of the Society shall consist of six
Officers: President, President-Elect, Past President, Secretary, and Treasurer;
and 10 Regular Members of the Council: 1 from Africa, 1 from Australasia, 1 from
Canada, 2 from Europe, 1 from Japan, 1 from Latin America, and 3 from the USA.
In addition, a representative of the Student members shall be appointed annually
to the Council. This individual shall be nominated by a caucus of the Student
members and approved by the Nominations Committee. For a student to become the
Student Representative to Council, the student must attend the Society meeting
at which s/he is nominated.
SECTION 3. All Councilors other than the representative of
Student members shall be elected via ballots. It is suggested, but not a strict
rule, that these ballots should be mailed to the membership no later than 6
weeks prior to the annual meeting. The maximum number of votes obtained by
candidates nominated will constitute election to the position of Councilor.
Council members shall serve without compensation.
SECTION 4. The officers of the Society shall hold the same
office within the Council and shall have been elected to office as described in
Article V, of these Bylaws.
SECTION 5. Councilors must be active members in good
standing (requirement defined as having been a member of the Society for at
least one year and having attended at least one IBNS meeting) at the time of
their nomination, election and during their term of office.
SECTION 6. Councilors, other than the initial councilors,
shall each serve a three year term beginning at the close of the annual meeting
in which their election was announced. Among the councilors elected at the
formative meeting of the Society, three will be randomly selected for a three
year term, three for a two year term, and the remaining for a one year term,
with the constraint that the two councilors representing Eurasia as well as the
three representing the U.S. be assigned different terms. This initial process
will establish staggered terms for the Councilors, such that three Councilors,
each representing a different geographical location, shall be elected annually.
SECTION 7. Councilors may succeed themselves without
interruption.
SECTION 8. Vacancies in the Council that may occur for any
reason shall be filled by a successor appointed by a majority of the Council.
Such an appointee shall serve until the next regular election by the Membership
when a successor shall be elected to fill such office for any remaining term
which may exist.
SECTION 9. Special meetings of the Council may be held at
any time or place upon the call of the President or of any three Council
members. Regular meetings shall be held annually immediately preceding the
meeting of the Society. Written notice of meeting must be duly conveyed to each
Councilor not less than seven days before such meetings. Meetings may be held at
anytime and place without notice if all Councilors are present or if those not
present shall, in writing, before or after the meeting waive notice thereof.
SECTION 10. A majority of the Council shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business.
SECTION 11. An action required or permitted to be taken at
any meeting of the Council or of any committee thereof may be taken without a
meeting if a majority of the members of the Council or committee consent thereto
in writing or by conference telephone call confirmed by written minutes
submitted to the Society's Secretary following written notice of the proposed
action to all members of the Council or committee. All written consents and any
dissenting views shall be filed with the minutes of the Council or committee as
the case may be.
ARTICLE IV
MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1. The founding Membership of the Society shall
consist of those individuals who registered for the first meeting and/or
submitted their curriculum vitae for consideration. All those individuals who
participated and attended the meeting and those who submitted curriculum vitae
but were unable to attend will become members officially after they receive an
invoice and pay the annual dues. Their continued membership will not require
evaluation by the Membership Committee unless their membership has been
terminated as described in Section 8 of Article IV. All future members must be
elected to membership as prescribed below.
SECTION 2. There shall be seven categories of membership:
Fellows, Regular Members, Postdoctoral Members, Student Members, Affiliate
Members, Sustaining Members, and Emeritus Members.
SECTION 3. Fellows of IBNS are individuals who have made
substantial contributions to the Society and to the field of behavioral
neuroscience. Initially, Charter Fellows shall be recommended by an Ad hoc
committee from those applicants who have made substantial contributions to the
field of behavioral neuroscience. Thereafter, all existing Fellows in the
Society will be invited annually to nominate IBNS members for consideration as
Fellows of the Society. Any Fellow can activate the nomination process for a
prospective candidate by sending a nomination letter to the Fellows/Honorific
Awards Committee. The Committee will then contact the Fellow nominee to inform
him/her of the nomination and to request a curriculum vita. From these
materials (nomination letter and curriculum vita for each candidate) the Fellows
Honorific Awards Committee will review and recommend candidates for Fellow
status to Council for final approval and election. The Committee can request
more letters at their discretion.
SECTION 4. Regular Members shall be scientists, clinicians,
and therapists who are actively engaged in research or practice of Behavioral
Neuroscience. The applicant should have publications considered significant to
their specialty in refereed journals in the field of Behavioral Neuroscience.
SECTION 5. Regular members shall be eligible to hold office
in the Society and may vote for election of officers and on all matters brought
before the general membership.
SECTION 6. Regular membership shall be gained by submission
of a membership application and approved by the Membership Committee and
Council.
SECTION 8. Student members shall be persons
enrolled full time in a college or university program at the graduate or
undergraduate level Applicants for Student membership must be approved by the
Membership Committee and Council. Student members shall be voting members of the
Society but may not stand for office in the Society. Student members will be
required to verify their student status on a yearly basis, for example, by
providing an electronic or hard copy of a letter from their supervisor or Dean.
SECTION 9. All individuals interested in
the Society's objectives but who do not meet the requirements for another
membership category may apply for Affiliate membership. Affiliate members shall
be non-voting members of the Society, and may not stand for office in the
Society. Applicants for Affiliate membership must submit a membership
application, be sponsored by two Regular members of the Society, and be approved
by the Membership Committee and Council.
SECTION 10. Individuals and organizations that support the
Society's objectives shall be eligible for consideration as Sustaining Members.
Such organizations may be invited on an annual basis, by vote of the Finance
Committee and with approval of the President, to become Sustaining members of
the Society. Sustaining members shall not vote and are ineligible to stand for
office. A list of Sustaining members of the Society shall be published yearly.
SECTION 11. Regular Founding Members, Fellows, or Regular
Members in good standing for five years prior to retirement are eligible for
Emeritus membership after they officially retire from their profession. Dues
will be waived for those who qualify for this membership category.
SECTION 12. Membership applications shall be reviewed by a
standing committee as described in Article VI, and approved by the Council
before being submitted to the general membership.
SECTION 13. Any membership can be terminated by the Council
for conduct which in the sole judgment of the Council is injurious to the
interests and welfare of the Society, for failure to actively participate in the
work of the Society, or for failure to pay dues two years in succession.
Terminations other than those associated with a failure to pay dues shall
require a two/thirds vote of the Ethics Committee, a two/thirds vote of the
Membership Committee, and two/thirds vote of the Council, after the member in
question is afforded an opportunity to appear before the Ethics Committee, the
Membership Committee and the Council and appeal for continuance of membership.
The right of any member to vote and all rights, title and interest, both legal
and equitable, of a member in the Society shall cease on termination of his/her
membership.
SECTION 14. Annual meeting of the members of the Society
shall be held at an hour and place to be fixed by the Council. Written notice of
the meeting shall be sent to all members of the Society not less than 30 days
before the meeting. This meeting shall be conducted according to Roberts Rules
of Order. At the initial meeting of the members, the officers and Councilors of
the Society will be elected and such other business as may properly come before
the meeting shall be transacted by the membership. The agenda for the annual
meeting shall be determined by the Council.
SECTION 15. Members may not vote by proxy.
SECTION 16. At any meeting of the members, properly called
and noticed as required herein the number of persons appearing for said meeting
shall constitute the quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the
meeting. Affirmative action of the membership on all matters shall consist of a
majority of the members voting.
ARTICLE V
OFFICERS
SECTION 1. The elected Officers of the Society shall
consist of a President, a President-Elect, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, all of
whom must be active members in good standing (requirement defined as having been
a member of the Society for at least one year and having attended at least one
IBNS meeting) at the time of their nomination, election and during the terms of
their offices. These officers, plus the Past President shall act as an executive
committee to conduct business and to help carry out the mission of the Society.
Officers (other than the President and the Past President) shall be elected by
the general membership via mail ballot sent to the membership no later than 6
weeks prior to the annual meeting. The maximum number of votes obtained by
candidates nominated for office shall constitute election to said office. Newly
elected officers shall be announced at the annual business meeting, and shall
take office at the conclusion of the annual meeting of the Society.
SECTION 2. All officers shall serve without compensation.
Expenses may be reimbursed on a case-by-case basis.
SECTION 3. The President will serve for a two year term.
Subject to the directions of the Council, he/she shall have and exercise direct
charge of and general supervision over the Society and such other duties as from
time to time may be assigned to him/her by the Council. The President shall
preside at all meetings of the Society and of the Council.
SECTION 4. The President-Elect shall succeed to the office
of President upon completion by the President of his/her term in office or upon
any earlier vacancy in the office of the President. At the request of the
President, the President-Elect may from time to time perform any or all duties
of the President.
SECTION 5. The Past President will serve for a one year
term beginning at the end of his/her term as President of the Society. The Past
President shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee and of the Council
of the Society, and shall perform other duties as requested by the President and
affirmed by Council.
SECTION 6. The Secretary and Treasurer will serve for
approximately three years except for the first election where the treasurer will
serve for a one year period in order to establish staggered terms for these two
offices. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Council and
of the membership of the Society, shall see that all notices are duly given
according to the provisions of law and these Bylaws, shall keep the membership
records of the Society, and shall be custodian of all contracts assignments and
other legal documents and records. The Treasurer shall be responsible for
overseeing the finances of the Central Office, shall render to the President and
to the Council, whenever requested, an account of the financial condition of the
Society, and shall in any event report to the Council and membership.
ARTICLE VI
COMMITTEES
SECTION 1. Committees may be designated by the Council, by
resolution, to function on behalf of the Council in a manner provided in the
aforementioned resolution or resolutions or as prescribed in these Bylaws.
Committees constituted by any other means shall not be recognized as
representing the Society.
SECTION 2. Committee members shall be appointed for a
three-year term. The President-Elect shall appoint a co-chair for each
committee. The term of chair and co-chair shall be one year each. After serving
for one year in co-chair position, the co-chair will become chair. Chairs and
co-chairs must be active members in good standing (requirement defined as having
been a member of the Society for at least one year and having attended at least
one IBNS meeting) at the time of their appointment and during their terms as
co-chair and chair. Terms will expire at the annual meeting. Except when
committee composition is prescribed by these Bylaws, the President will make
appointments to committees with the goal of a broad representation of the
membership of the Society on these committees. Members of all committees other
than the Local Organizing Committee must be members of the Society, and one can
become a member of a committee upon joining the Society.
SECTION 3. Minutes of all committee meetings shall be
submitted to the Council for approval.
SECTION 4. The Membership Committee shall review
applications for membership in the Society and make recommendations to Council
regarding the approval of new members to the Society.
SECTION 5. There shall be a Program Committee that will
coordinate with a Local Organizing Committee regarding arrangements for the
annual meeting. The program committee will work with the President in
determining all aspects of the scientific program of the annual meeting. The
Local Organizing Committee can be organized each year once the location of the
next meeting has been determined. The Local Organizing Committee will be
responsible for on-site arrangements for the meeting, including the timely
submission of a budget for the meeting to the Finance and Fund-Raising
Committee.
SECTION 6. The Fellows/Honorific Awards Committee will be
composed of the Past-President, President, President-Elect, along with one or
more outside members chosen by the President from among the current Fellows of
the Society. This Committee shall: (a) review nominations for Fellow status in
the Society and make recommendations to Council regarding these nominations; and
(b) review nominees and recommend to Council awardees for honorific awards given
on behalf of the Society.
SECTION 7. There shall be several additional committees to
support efforts of the Society to meet long term goals and continuous
objectives. The Personnel Committee will be responsible for the effective
operation of the Central Office. Any recommendations for changes shall be
subject to approval of the Council. Additional committees include: Ethics
Committee; Animal Use Committee; Education and Training Committee; Public
Relations Committee; Finance and Fund-Raising Committee; Nomination Committee;
Publications Committee; Task Force on Communications; and Clinical Liaison Task
Force. There will also be an Editor's Council that will be comprised of Society
members currently serving as editors of professional journals. The duties of
these additional committees shall be defined by the Council.
ARTICLE VII
CENTRAL OFFICE
SECTION 1. The Society will support a Central Office. The
Central Office is charged with the financial responsibilities for dues billing
and deposits, IRS filings, and Federal documents. All financial activities of
the Central Office will be supervised by the Treasurer. The general
responsibilities of the Central Office will be to facilitate communications
between the Council and the membership; to provide the day-to-day operation
necessary for an efficient Society.
SECTION 2. There will be an Executive Director, who will be
primarily responsible for directing the operations of the Central Office, and an
Executive Coordinator, who will coordinate all the activities of the Central
Office on a daily basis.
ARTICLE VIII
AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS
SECTION 1. These Bylaws may be amended by a recommendation
of the Council to the membership. The change in Bylaws will become effective
upon an affirmative vote of two/thirds of those voting in a mail ballot of the
membership.
AMENDMENTS
A. The fee structure will be determined by the Council,
will initially be $40.00 per fiscal year for Regular Members and $10.00 per year
for Student Members, and may also be waived by the Council under special
circumstances. This annual dues must be paid in US dollars and to save costs for
foreign members can be paid either at the annual meeting or when paying the
registration and abstract fees. Under compelling and extraordinary
circumstances, the meeting registration fee for a member may be waived by action
of the President on a case-by-case basis.
B. Certain publications from time to time will be
considered for sponsorship of the Society and the publication will display
prominently a statement or acknowledgement to that effect. The Society can, for
example, sponsor a scientific periodical; or the proceedings of a scientific
conference, meeting, or symposium; or a collection of articles; or books.
C. The fiscal year of the Society will be coincident with
the calendar year (January 1- December 31).
D. The Society may choose to join other professional
organizations that would serve to further the aims of the Society. Upon
recommendation of Council to the membership, the entire voting membership of the
Society will be polled regarding such society affiliations, with the decision
being reached by a simple majority of the votes received.