Governance

In the following text, "Society" shall signify the American Physical Society, "Council" and "Executive Board" shall signify the Council and the Executive Board of the Society, respectively; "Executive-Officer" shall signify that Officer of the Society; and "Regular Meeting" shall signify the principal meeting held once a year by the Division.

Article I - Name

This Division of the American Physical Society shall be called the Division of Computational Physics.

Article II - Objective

The objective of the Division shall be the advancement and dissemination of knowledge regarding the use of computers in physics research and education. We shall include, among other areas, their application to experiments, theory, and education as well as the application of physics to the development of computer technology. The Division shall provide to its members, and to all members of the Society, an opportunity for coordination and a forum for discussion and communication. In addition, the Division shall: promote research and development in computational physics; enhance prestige and professional standing of its members; encourage scholarly publication; and promote international cooperation in these activities.

Article III - Enabling Constitutional Provision

Article VIII of the Constitution of the Society, as said Article may be subsequently revised or amended, is hereby incorporated in these Bylaws by reference.

Article IV - Membership

The members of the Division shall consist of members of the Society who have indicated, in accordance with procedures established by Council, their desire to join the Division and who retain membership from year to year by the payment of designated dues or by other method established by Council.

Article V - Executive Committee

1. Governance: The Division shall be governed by an Executive Committee, which shall have general charge of the affairs of the Division.

2. Composition: The Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Division, the most recent Past Chair, the Division Councilor, if any, and six Members-at-Large elected to staggered three-year terms.

3. Executive Committee Meetings: The Executive Committee shall meet at least once a year at a regular APS Meeting that has a high number of DCOMP participants. The Chair of the Division calls the meeting and presides over it. Participation may be in person or by electronic means. A Quorum is established with the presence of at least Two Officers and Four more Voting Members. Any member of the Executive Committee unable to attend may appoint in writing a Voting Alternate.

4. Executive Committee Actions: Actions of the Executive Committee are taken by majority vote of a quorum. Voting during the Executive Committee meeting shall be carried out in person or by electronic communication. In between Executive Committee meetings voting shall be carried out by e-mail or other electronic means.

Article VI - Officers and Division Councilor(s)

1. Officers: The Officers of the Division shall be a Chair, a Chair-Elect, a Vice-Chair, and a Secretary-Treasurer.

2. Duties of the Chair: The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee and Business Sessions of the Division at which his or her attendance is possible.

3. Duties of the Chair-Elect: The Chair-Elect shall act in place of the Chair if the latter is unable to perform his or her duties. The Chair-Elect shall perform such other functions as may be explicitly provided in the Bylaws.

4. Duties of the Vice-Chair: The Vice-Chair shall act in place of the Chair-Elect if the latter is unable to perform his or her duties. The Vice-Chair shall perform such other functions as may be explicitly provided in the Bylaws.

5. Duties of the Secretary-Treasurer: The Secretary-Treasurer shall maintain the records of the Division including minutes of Executive Committee meetings and Business Sessions, Division activities, and membership lists. The Secretary-Treasurer shall notify the Executive Committee of matters requiring the decision of said Committee and shall prepare the agenda of Executive Committee meetings and Business Sessions. The Secretary-Treasurer shall prepare minutes of Executive Committee meetings and Business Sessions and shall submit these minutes to each member of the Executive Committee and to the Executive Officer within four weeks after each meeting. Following elections, such minutes are to include the results of the election and a roster of the current Executive Committee membership. The Secretary-Treasurer shall ensure that the newsletter, Physics Computing News, is produced and distributed in a timely fashion.

   The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep the Council and Executive Officer of the Society informed of the activities and needs of the Division.

   The Secretary-Treasurer shall have responsibility for all funds in the custody of or placed at the disposal of the Division and shall authorize disbursements from such funds for expenses in a manner that is consistent with the general policies of the Society and the Division. Financial records shall be kept on an annual basis consistent with the fiscal policies of the Society. The Secretary-Treasurer shall present a financial report at each meeting of the Executive Committee and at the annual Business Session of the Division.

6. Duties of the Division Councilor: The Division Councilorshall serve as liaison between the Council of the Society and the Executive Committee of the Division. Following each Council meeting, the Division Councilorshall report to the Chair and the Secretary-Treasurer regarding Council actions that affect the status and operations of the Division. Reports shall be made to the entire Executive Committee during their regularly scheduled meetings.

Article VII - Election and Tenure of The Officers, Executive Committee Members, and Division Councilor

1. Qualifications: Officers, Division Councilor, and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee must be members of the Division at nomination.

2. Ballot: The Vice-Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, Division Councilor, and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee shall be elected by ballot.

3. Nomination and Election of the Vice-Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, and Executive Committee Members: Each year the Nominating Committee shall nominate at least two candidates for the office of Vice-Chair, for Secretary-Treasurer and for Division Councilor during the final year of their terms, and for open positions of Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee. The Nominating Committee shall notify the Secretary-Treasurer of the results not later than eighteen weeks before the Regular Meeting, except under extraordinary circumstances. Members of the Division shall be encouraged to suggest candidates for the various offices and Executive Committee positions and communicate those suggestions to the Secretary-Treasurer not later than eighteen weeks before the Regular Meeting, except under extraordinary circumstances. If as many as five percent of the total Division membership determined on 31 December of the year preceding the election suggests the same person for the same office, that person shall be deemed to have been nominated.

   The Secretary-Treasurer shall poll the Division membership by means approved by the Executive Committee including electronic and or paper ballots, stating a closing date at least three weeks prior to the Regular Meeting. Ballots shall be returned to and counted by the Secretary-Treasurer or his or her designate. Election shall be decided by a plurality of those voting. If there is a tie, the Executive Committee shall decide the election, with the Chair voting only in the case of a tie among the other Executive Committee members. The Secretary-Treasurer shall communicate the results of the election to the Chair and to the Executive Officer at least two weeks prior to the Regular Meeting and shall publish the results in a manner designated for official announcements.

4. Official Year: The official year shall extend from the close of one Regular Meeting to the close of the next Regular Meeting.

5. Vice-Chair, Chair-Elect, and Chair: The member elected as Vice-Chair shall serve in that office for one year, then for one year as Chair-Elect, and then for one year as Chair. The Chair shall not be eligible for the office of Vice-Chair in the year following his or her term of office

6. Terms of Office: The terms of office of the Officers and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee shall begin at the close of the Regular Meeting of the Division following their election. After being elected, the Secretary-Treasurer serves for up to two three years periods. The second three years period needs approval by a majority of the Executive Committee, including unanimous approval by Past Chair, Chair and Chair-Elect. The extension request has to be initiated by the Chair of the Division within the first 14 days of the last year of the initial three years period, and be completed before the first meeting of the Nominating Committee in this year. The tenure of a Member-at-Large of the Executive Committee shall terminate in the event of his or her assumption of a post as an elected Officer of the Division, and the unexpired portion of his or her term shall be filled as hereinafter provided for a vacancy. The term of office of the Division Councilor shall begin at the beginning of the calendar year following his or her election. Divisional Councilor shall serve for a term of four years and may not serve more than two consecutive terms unless otherwise specified by Council.

   The Division Councilor and the Secretary-Treasurer shall each serve an additional year as ex officio non-voting members of the Executive Committee. Their titles shall be Past Councilor and Past Secretary-Treasurer.

7. Vacancies in Offices: If a vacancy occurs in the office of Chair, the Chair-Elect shall succeed and complete the term and shall serve as Chair also in the following year. The Vice-Chair shall serve simultaneously as Chair-Elect during the remainder of the term and shall continue to serve as Chair-Elect in the following term.

   If a vacancy occurs in the office of Chair-Elect otherwise than through advancement to Chair, the Vice-Chair shall become Chair-Elect. In this case, and also if the office of Vice-Chair becomes vacant for other reasons, the office of Vice-Chair shall remain vacant for the remainder of the term. In the next scheduled election, candidates for both Chair-Elect and Vice-Chair shall be nominated.

   If vacancies occur in the offices of both the Chair and the Chair-Elect, the Vice-Chair shall become Chair and shall complete the term. In this case a special election shall be held to fill the offices of Chair-Elect and Vice-Chair following procedures recommended by the Executive Board. The Members so elected shall continue to serve as officers in the normal succession order.

   Vacancies in any other elected office shall be filled (or left unfilled) by the Executive Committee until such time as the vacancy can be filled by regular election procedures.

Article VIII - Appointed Committees

1. Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee shall consist of four members appointed by the Chair of the Division with the advice of the Executive Committee to staggered two-year terms and one member appointed by the Executive Officer for a one-year term. The Chair of the Division shall ascertain through the Executive Officer the identity of this member. The Chair of the Division shall appoint the Chair of this committee from among its members, with the restriction that the member appointed by Council is not eligible for Chair. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of candidates for the positions of Vice-Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, Division Councilor and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee according to Article VII.3 of these Bylaws. The Nominating Committee shall advise the Chair on suitable candidates for Society committees, including relevant Society Prize and Award committees, and on candidates for Society offices. The Nominating Committee shall perform such other duties as described in the Bylaws.

2. Program Committee: The Program Committee shall consist of the Chair, the Chair-Elect, the Vice-Chair, the Secretary-Treasurer, conference organizers, and at least five other members appointed by the Chair of the Division with the advice of the Executive Committee to one year terms. The Chair-Elect shall serve as Chair of the Program Committee. The Program Committee shall have the responsibility of assisting the Executive Officer, or his or her designate, in arranging the technical programs of the meetings of the Society. Its activities shall include the scheduling of contributed papers within the areas of interest of this Division, as well as the arranging, in cooperation with the Executive Officer or his or her designate, of symposia and sessions of invited papers sponsored by the Division for a meeting. For meetings of the Division, including the Regular Meeting, the Program Committee shall be responsible for the solicitation and selection of invited and review papers. In the case of sponsored conferences or other specialty meetings, the Program Committee may delegate its tasks to a Paper Selection Committee chosen by the Chair of the Program Committee.

   The Chair of the Division shall appoint a Conference Organizer for each conference or specialty meeting organized under the purview of the Division. The Conference Organizer will make meeting arrangements and will report to the Chair of the Program Committee.

3. Fellowship Committee: The Fellowship Committee shall consist of the immediate Past Chair and four other members appointed by the Chair of the Division with the advice of the Executive Committee to one year terms. The immediate Past Chair of the Division shall serve as Chair of the Fellowship Committee. The Fellowship Committee shall promote the nomination of candidates for Fellowship, shall review the qualifications of such candidates, and shall report its recommendations to the Executive Committee for approval before submission is made to the Executive Officer of the Society.

4. Information Committee: The Information Committee shall consist of three members appointed by the Chair of the Division with the advice of the Executive Committee to staggered three-year terms. The Chair of the Division shall appoint the Chair of this committee from among its members. This committee's activities shall include publicizing the activities of the Division, soliciting articles for Physics News, and serving as the Divisional interface with editors and publications for the popular press and the scientific community. It shall also publish the Division's newsletter, Physics Computing News, and maintain the Division's Web site. The Chair of this committee shall be the editor of the newsletter. If the Chair of this committee is not a member of the Executive Committee, he or she shall serve as an ex officio member of the Executive Committee.

5. International Liaison Committee: The International Liaison Committee shall consist of at least three members appointed by the Chair of the Division with the advice of the Executive Committee to staggered three-year terms. The Chair shall appoint a Chair of this committee from among its members. Among the duties of this committee shall be the development and maintenance of relationships with other national and international physics and computational science societies.

6. Terms of Office of Appointed Committee Members: The terms of committee members appointed or recommended by an incoming Chair shall commence at the beginning of the year in which he or she assumes office.

7. Ad Hoc Committees: The Chair shall appoint other ad hoc committees as necessary, which shall serve only during his or her term as Chair.

Article IX - Meetings

1. Regular Meeting: One meeting of the Division, to be known as the Regular Meeting, shall be held annually at such time and place as shall be ordered by the Executive Committee, subject to coordination with the Executive Officer. Whenever it shall be feasible and not to the disadvantage of the members of the Division, the Executive Committee may order this or any other meeting to be held conjointly with a Meeting of the Society or of another society, conference, or group, so long as such joint meeting does not conflict importantly with the schedule of Meetings of the Society as determined by the Executive Officer. The registration fee for the Regular Meeting, when not held jointly with a Meeting of the Society, shall be fixed after consultation with the Executive Officer. Non-members of the Society shall pay a surcharge equal to membership in the Society for one year.

2. Annual Business Session: Each year the Division shall hold a Business Session which shall be a session of the Regular Meeting. This Business Session shall be devoted exclusively to the reports of officers and committees, election results, and the transaction of business affairs. No scientific program of the Division shall be presented simultaneously with the Business Session. The Secretary-Treasurer shall notify the Division members of the agenda for the Business Session no later than three weeks prior to the Regular Meeting.

3. Other Meetings: Meetings of the Division, other than the Regular Meeting, may be initiated by the Executive Committee or by petition of twenty percent of the members of the Division, subject to approval by the Executive Board. Special conferences may be sponsored in whole or in part by the Division, subject to the rules and regulations specified in the Society's Constitution and Bylaws.

4. Papers at Meetings: Programs of meetings of the Division may provide for the inclusion of both invited and contributed papers. When a meeting of the Division is held in conjunction with a meeting of the Society, the rules of the Society shall apply to submitted papers. When a meeting of the Division is not held in conjunction with a meeting of the Society, the Executive Committee shall prescribe the subject and character of the meeting, which may include limitations on the subject matter of submitted papers. The Chair of the Program Committee shall fix the deadline date for receipt of titles and abstracts in consultation with the Executive Officer and shall designate the place to which they should be sent. The amount of time to be allowed for the presentation of a paper at the Regular Meeting shall be determined by the Program Committee, except as otherwise directed by the Executive Committee. These allotments of time shall be consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society and with the regulations of the Council.

Article X - Dues

Dues for maintenance of membership in the Division shall be established by Council.

Article XI - Newsletter

The Division shall publish a newsletter, Physics Computing News, at least once a year.

Article XII - Official Announcements

Official announcements shall be made in the APS News, in Physics Computing News, and in such other publications as the Executive Committee may direct.

Article XIII - Procedure of Amendment of Bylaws

Proposal of an Amendment to these Bylaws may be made by the Council, by the Executive Committee, or by a petition to the Chair signed by not fewer than ten percent of the members of the Division. If the proposed amendment or new Bylaws originates within the Division, the Council must approve it before further action can be taken. Following Council approval, the Secretary-Treasurer shall distribute copies of the proposed Amendment or new Bylaws to all members of the Division not less than three weeks before the Regular Meeting and opportunity shall be given for discussion during the Business Session. If a special election on the Amendment is not scheduled, the Secretary-Treasurer shall again distribute copies of the proposed Amendment by ballot form as part of the next regularly scheduled election. Adoption of the Amendment shall require a two-thirds vote of those voting.