Revised May 2002
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, Immediate Past President,
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 not 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 six categories of membership: Fellows, Regular 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, sponsored by two members of
the Society, and approved by the Membership Committee and Council.
SECTION
7. Student members shall be persons
enrolled full time in a college or university program at the graduate or
undergraduate level and must have two strong letters of support from faculty
familiar with their research stating that the student has demonstrated a
commitment to behavioral neuroscience as documented by several publications
and/or meeting presentations. 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 on a yearly basis that they are still
enrolled as candidates for a post-baccalaureate degree.
SECTION
8. 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
9. 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
10. Regular Founding Members or
Fellows are eligible for Emeritus membership after they officially retire from
their profession as a scientist, clinician, or therapist. Dues will be waived for those who qualify for this membership
category.
SECTION
11. 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
12. 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
13. 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
14. Members may not vote by proxy.
SECTION
15. 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 Immediate Past President and 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, the Immediate Past 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
one 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 Immediate Past President
will serve for a one year term beginning at the end of his/her term as President
of the Society and will serve as Past President for a one year term beginning at
the end of his/her term as Immediate Past President. The Immediate Past President and the Past President shall
serve as members
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 two 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, Immediate 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.