Governance

Bylaws

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Approved By Council: November 2005

Article I - Name

This Division of the American Physical Society shall be known as the Division of Nuclear Physics.

Article II - Objective

The objective of the Division shall be to assist the advancement, dissemination, and application of knowledge of nuclear physics. Nuclear physics is the study of the properties and interactions of nuclei and their constituents. It extends to interdisciplinary studies of nuclear phenomena in the cosmos and to the use of nuclear properties to probe fundamental forces. It includes also the development of accelerators, instrumentation, and new technologies in support of these studies.

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 that 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 henceforth referred to as the Past Chair, The Division Councillor, and six Members-at-Large elected to staggered two-year terms.

3. Executive Committee Meetings: The Executive Committee shall meet at least twice each year. One meeting shall be held during the Regular Meeting of the Division, and the other at a time spaced appropriately between Regular Meetings. Any member of the Executive Committee unable to attend a meeting shall have the privilege of naming an alternate, subject to the approval of the Chair, to represent him or her at the meeting, with vote. A majority of the voting members, including at least two Officers, shall constitute a quorum.

Article VI - Officers and Division Councillor(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 call all meetings of the Executive Committee and shall preside at all those meetings at which his or her attendance is possible. The Chair shall appoint any committees, other than the Executive Committee, which are necessary to conduct the affairs of the Division, and shall be an ex officio member of each such committee except the Nominating Committee.

3. Duties of the Chair-Elect: The Chair-Elect may act for the Chair at his or her request and shall act for the Chair in the event that the latter is unable to perform his or her duties. The Chair-Elect shall serve as Chair of the Program Committee.

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.

5. Duties of the Secretary-Treasurer: The Secretary-Treasurer shall send out necessary notices and announcements to the members of the Executive Committee and to members of the Division. He or she shall notify all members of meetings of the Division at least nine weeks prior to the date of each meeting, and shall assist the Program Committee with arrangements for the meeting and for publication of the proceedings. The Secretary-Treasurer shall prepare minutes of each meeting of the Executive Committee, including the minutes of any Business Session of the Regular Meeting of the Division and of each Program Committee meeting, and submit these minutes to each member of the Committee, and to the Executive Officer of the Society, within four weeks after the meeting.

   The Secretary-Treasurer shall have responsibility for all funds in the custody, or placed at the disposal of the Division, and shall make disbursements from such funds in a manner that is consistent with the general policies of the Society and the Division. He or she shall present a financial report at each meeting of the Executive Committee and, when requested by the Chair, at the annual Business Meeting of the Division.

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

6. Duties of the Division Councillor: The Division Councillor shall serve as liaison between the Council of the Society and the Executive Committee of the Division. Following each Council meeting, the Division Councillor shall 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 Councillor

1. Qualifications: Officers, Division Councillor, and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee must be members of the Division for at least two years prior to nomination.

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

3. Nomination and Election of the Vice-Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, and Executive Committee Members: Each year a Vice-Chair and a Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected for one year terms and three at-large members shall be elected for two-year terms on the Executive Committee. The immediate past Vice-Chair shall become Chair-Elect, the immediate past Chair-Elect shall become Chair for a one-year term, and the immediate past Chair shall remain a member of the Executive Committee for an additional year.

   Not later than twenty weeks before each Regular Meeting of the Division, the Secretary-Treasurer shall invite all members of the Division to suggest candidates for officers and members of the Executive Committee for the following year. Any qualified member proposed as a candidate by not less than two percent of the total Division membership shall be deemed to have been nominated.

   Not later than sixteen weeks before each Regular Meeting, the Nominating Committee shall submit to the Secretary-Treasurer nominations of at least one candidate for each office, and at least two candidates for each at-large position to be filled on the Executive Committee.

   The Secretary-Treasurer of the Division shall distribute election ballots to all members of the Division either electronically or by mail not later than twelve weeks before the Regular Meeting. Each member shall cast not more than one vote for each office and post of the Executive Committee to be filled, and shall return electronic or sealed paper ballots to the Secretary-Treasurer within a specified period following distribution of not less than four weeks. The Secretary-Treasurer shall oversee the counting of the votes and submit the tally to the Chair of the Division. Election shall be determined by plurality of those voting. In the event of 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.

   Not later than one week before the Regular Meeting, the Secretary-Treasurer shall report to the Executive Officer of the Society the results of the election, and shall publish these results in a manner designated for official announcements.

4. Nomination and Election of a Division Councillor: During the final year of the term of the Division Councillor, the Executive Committee shall nominate at least two candidates for the open position. The Secretary-Treasurer shall inform the Division members of the pending election and shall invite nominations for candidates. If as many as two percent of the total Division membership suggests the same person, that person shall be deemed to have been nominated. The Secretary-Treasurer shall poll the Division by mail ballot, stating a closing date at least three weeks before September 1. Ballots shall be returned to and counted by the Secretary-Treasurer or his or her designate. The Secretary-Treasurer shall communicate the results of the election to the Chair and to the Executive Officer before September 1 of the year prior to that in which the new Councillor assumes office and shall publish the results in a manner designated for official announcements.

5. Official Year: The official year of the Division shall extend from the close of the meeting at which terms of new officers begin, to the close of the next such meeting.

6. 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.

7. Terms of Office: The terms 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. 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 the Division Councillor shall begin at the beginning of the calendar year following his or her election. Divisional Councillor shall serve for a term of four years and may not serve more than two consecutive terms unless otherwise specified by Council.

8. Vacancies in Offices: If a vacancy occurs in the office of the Chair, the Chair-Elect shall succeed and complete the term and shall serve as the 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, 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.

   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 to staggered two-year terms and one member appointed by the Council for a one-year term. The Chair shall ascertain through the Executive Officer the identity of this member. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of candidates for the positions of Vice-Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee according to Article VII.3 of these Bylaws.

2. Program Committee: The Program Committee shall consist of the Chair, the Chair-Elect, the Vice-Chair, the Secretary-Treasurer, the Past-Chair, and a minimum of ten at-large members appointed by the Chair upon recommendation of the Chair-Elect, to staggered two-year terms. The Officer who will serve as Chair-Elect at the beginning of the meeting shall serve as Chair of the Program Committee to organize that meeting. Terms of Program Committee members shall begin two months prior to the beginning of the term of the incoming chair.

   The Program Committee shall have the responsibility of assisting the Executive Officer or his or her designee in arranging the meetings of the Society. This activity shall include the scheduling of contributed papers within the area of interest of the Division, as well as the arranging, in cooperation with the Executive Officer or designate, of symposia and sessions of invited papers sponsored by the Division.

   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 and, in collaboration with the Executive Committee, shall be responsible for the arrangement of the programs of such meetings.

3. Fellowship Committee: The Fellowship Committee shall consist of the Past-Chair and four other members appointed by the Chair, upon recommendation of the Executive Committee, to staggered two-year terms. The Past-Chair shall serve as Chair of the Fellowship Committee. The 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. Bonner Prize Committee: The Committee shall consist of at least four members of the Division, nominated by the Executive Committee and appointed by the APS President to staggered two-year terms. One of the newly appointed members shall be designated to serve as Vice-Chair of the Committee, and this member shall Chair the Committee the following year. It is customary for the Prize Winner to serve for one year as an additional member of this Committee.

5. Dissertation Award Committee: The Dissertation Award Committee shall be chaired by the Chair of the Division. The membership of the Committee shall also include the Past-Chair of the Division and two additional members appointed by the Chair of the Division in consultation with the Executive Committee to staggered two-year terms.

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 period in which he or she assumes office, unless otherwise specified in the Bylaws establishing the appointed committee.

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.

8. Bethe Prize Committee: The Committee shall consist of at least four members, two from the Division of Astrophysics and two from the Division of Nuclear Physics. The members of the Division of Nuclear Physics shall be nominated by the Executive Committee and appointed by the APS President to staggered two-year terms. In alternate years, the Division’s newly appointed member shall be designated to serve as Vice Chair of the Committee, and this member shall Chair the Committee the following year. It is customary for a Prize Winner to serve for one year as an additional member of this Committee.

9. The National Nuclear Physics Summer School Steering Committee: For the period that the agency grant shall exist to support this activity the Committee shall consist of eight members of the Division, four experimentalists and four theorists, appointed by the Chair of the Division in consultation with the Executive Committee to staggered four-year terms. The holder of the grant, which supports the operation of the summer school, shall be a ninth member of the Committee. The terms of the new appointees will begin in August.

10. Distinguished Service Award Committee: The Committee shall consist of the Division’s Chair, Chair-Elect, Vice Chair, Past Chair and Secretary-Treasurer, serving at the time that the call for nominations is made. The Chair of the Division shall serve as Chair of the Committee.

Article IX - Meetings

1. Regular Meeting: A meeting of the Division to be known as the Regular Meeting shall be held each year 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 jointly with a Meeting of the Society.

2. Annual Business Session: Each year the Division shall hold a Business Session that shall be part of the Regular Meeting. This Business Session shall be devoted to the reports of officers and committees, election results, items of interest to Division members, and to the transaction of business affairs. No scientific program shall be presented simultaneously with the Business Session. A majority vote of those Division members present at the Business Session shall be sufficient for approval of actions. The Secretary-Treasurer shall notify the Division members of the agenda for the Business Session no later than three weeks prior to that session.

3. Other Meetings: Meetings of the Division, other than the Regular Meeting, may be scheduled by the Executive Committee, subject to coordination with the Executive Officer of the Society. Special conferences may be sponsored in whole or in part by the Division, subject to the rules and regulations specified in the Society 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 Secretary-Treasurer 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 the regulations of the Council.

Article X - Dues

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

Article XI - Official Announcements

Official announcements shall be made in appropriate publications of the American Physical Society, such as in the APS News, in the Division Newsletter, and in such other publications as the Executive Committee may direct.

Article XII - Procedure for Amendment of Bylaws

Proposal of an Amendment to these bylaws may be made by the Council of the Society, by the Executive Committee, or by a petition to the Chair signed by not less than ten percent of the members of the Division. If the proposed amendment originated within the Division, it must be approved by Council before further action can be taken. Following Council approval, the Secretary-Treasurer shall distribute copies of the proposed amendment 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. The Secretary-Treasurer shall incorporate a vote of the Division membership on the Amendment in the next regular election. Adoption of the Amendment shall require the affirmative votes of not less than two-thirds of the members voting.