Governance

Bylaws

DATE APPROVED BY COUNCIL: November 9, 2018
DATE RATIFIED BY FIP MEMBERSHIP: July 8, 2019

Preamble

In the following text, "Society" shall signify the American Physical Society. "Council" and "Board" shall signify the Council of Representatives and Board of Directors of the Society.

Article I - Name

This organization within the American Physical Society shall be called the Forum on International Physics, hereafter referred to as the FIP.

Article II - Objective

The objective of FIP shall be the advancement and diffusion of the knowledge of physics by fostering communication and mutual understanding among physicists of all countries.

Article III - Enabling Constitutional Provision

The FIP is established by the authority vested in the Council in Article VIII of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society, and associated Policies & Procedures. Said documents as they may be subsequently revised or amended, are hereby incorporated in these bylaws by reference.

Article IV - Membership

1. The membership of the FIP shall consist of members of the American Physical Society who have indicated in accordance with procedures established by the Board & Council their desire to join the FIP. The membership shall be maintained from year to year by the payment of designated dues or other method established by the Board, provided continuing membership in the Society is maintained in good standing. Any member of the FIP may resign upon notice to the Secretary/Treasurer.

2. The privilege of voting in elections of the FIP shall be limited to members of the Society whose application for membership in the FIP has been received at least thirty days prior to the date the voter ballots are distributed.

Article V - Executive Committee

1. Governance. The FIP shall be governed by an Executive Committee, which shall establish the policies and have general responsibility for affairs of the FIP.

2. Composition. The FIP Executive Committee shall consist of the immediate Past Chair, Chair, Chair-Elect, Vice Chair, Secretary/Treasurer, six Members-at-Large, the Editor of the FIP Newsletter, and the FIP Councilor elected in the manner specified in Article VII of these Bylaws. All current APS International Councilors shall be ex officio members of the FIP Executive Committee.

3. Executive Committee Meetings. The Executive Committee shall meet at least once a year. A majority of the Executive Committee members, including at least two officers, shall constitute a quorum.

Article VI - Officers and Forum Councillor

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

2. Duties of the Chair. The Chair shall have overall responsibility for the affairs of the FIP, shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee, and shall be responsible for implementation of the policies of the FIP as established by the Executive Committee. The Chair shall, with the Secretary-Treasurer, prepare agendas for meetings of the Executive Committee, and shall prepare a yearly report of the activities of the FIP, to be made available to the members of the FIP. In addition, the Chair shall perform other functions as appropriate or as provided in the Bylaws.

3. Duties of the Chair-Elect. The Chair-Elect shall assume the duties of the Chair whenever the Chair is unable to perform them and other functions as appropriate or as provided in the Bylaws.

4. Duties of the Vice Chair. The Vice Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair-Elect whenever the Chair-Elect is unable to perform them, and other functions as appropriate or as provided by in the Bylaws.

5. Duties of the Secretary/Treasurer. The Secretary/Treasurer shall maintain the records of the FIP, inform the Council of the needs of the FIP in coordination with the Council Representative, prepare and distribute minutes of the FIP Executive Committee meetings within four weeks after each meeting, arrange for mailing, receiving, and counting the annual election ballots from the membership, and inform the Society Corporate Secretary, the FIP Executive Committee, candidates, and FIP membership of the election results. The Secretary/Treasurer shall also have responsibility for all funds in the custody of the or placed at the disposal of the FIP, and shall, with approval of the Chair, authorize disbursements from such funds for FIP expenses. The Secretary/Treasurer shall present a financial report at each meeting of the Executive Committee. In addition, the Secretary/Treasurer shall perform other functions as appropriate or as provided in the Bylaws.

6. Duties of the FIP Councilor. The FIP Councilor shall serve as a liaison between the Council of the Society and the Executive Committee of the FIP and shall bring proposals and issues of concern to the FIP to the attention of the Chair and the Secretary/Treasurer regarding actions that affect the status and operations of the FIP. Reports shall be made to the entire Executive Committee during regularly scheduled meetings. In addition, the FIP Councilor shall perform other functions as appropriate or as provided in the Bylaws.

7. CISA. The FIP Chair-Elect, Chair, and the Past Chair shall serve as statutory members of the Committee on International Scientific Affairs (CISA).

Article VII - Election and Tenure of the Officers, FIP Councillor and Executive Committee

1. Qualifications. Officers, FIP Councilor, and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee must be members of the FIP for at least one year prior to nomination. Elections shall be held annually by electronic and/or paper ballot as hereafter provided.

2. Nomination and Election of the Vice Chair, Secretary/Treasurer, FIP Councilor, and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee. Each year the Nominating Committee shall nominate at least two candidates for the office of Vice Chair, at least two candidates for each opening for Member-at-Large, and at least two candidates for FIP Councilor during the final year of the term of the current Councilor.

   The Nominating Committee shall also nominate two candidates for the office of Secretary/Treasurer during the final year of the term of the current Secretary/Treasurer, unless that Secretary/Treasurer wishes to serve a second three-year term in which case he/she may run unopposed. After two complete terms, a Secretary/Treasurer may be elected to subsequent terms but may not run unopposed. The Nominating Committee shall consult with the Chair before nominating any candidate for any consecutive terms.

3. Terms of Office. The Vice Chair shall be elected by the membership to a one-year term, shall then become Chair-Elect for one year, and then Chair for one year. The six Members-at-Large shall serve staggered three-year terms. Two Members-at-Large shall be elected each year. The FIP Councilor shall serve a four-year term.

4. Nominating and Balloting. Nominations shall be solicited from FIP members via the FIP newsletter and/or other means. In the case when the Secretary/Treasurer is a candidate on the ballot for a consecutive term, the election will be administered by a process determined by the Executive Committee, most usually by the Past Chair. Election ballots will be made available electronically or by mail to the membership no later than September 15 and are to be returned to the Secretary/Treasurer or his or her designate. Election shall be by plurality of those voting. The Chair shall not cast any ballot for any position except in the case of a tie. Newly elected officers shall take office on January 1 following the elections.

5. Vacancies in Office. If a vacancy occurs in the office of the 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 the 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 the 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. 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 - Official Year

The official year of the FIP is a calendar year from January 1 through December 31.

Article IX - Appointed Committees

There shall be four statutory committees of the FIP, plus any other deemed necessary for the operation of the FIP in the judgment of the Executive Committee. The statutory committees shall be as follows:

1. The Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall be chaired by the FIP Past Chair and in addition shall include members of the FIP appointed by the FIP Chair to staggered two-year terms, and one member appointed to a one-year term by the Society Chief Executive Officer. The FIP Chair shall ascertain through the Society Chief Executive Offer the identity of this member. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of candidates for the positions of Vice Chair, Secretary/Treasurer, FIP Councilor, and Members-at-Large, in accordance with Article VII of these Bylaws. The Nominating Committee shall also advise the Chair on suitable candidates for Society offices and committees, including the Wheatley Award Selection Committee, the Committee on International Scientific Affairs, and the Committee on International Freedom of Scientists.

2. The Program Committee. The Program Committee shall consist of the Chair, the Chair-Elect, the Vice Chair, the Secretary/Treasurer, and other FIP members appointed as necessary by the FIP Chair. The Program Committee shall be chaired by the Chair-Elect and shall be responsible for arranging invited and contributed papers and organizing symposia within the area of interest of FIP at APS General Meetings.

3. The Fellowship Committee. The Fellowship Committee shall consist of the Chair of the FIP and the Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee and shall be chaired by the Chair of the FIP. The Fellowship Committee shall be responsible for reviewing the qualifications of candidates for fellowship and reporting its recommendations to the FIP for submission via the Society Honors Program to the Fellowship Committee of the Society.

4. The Newsletter Committee. The Executive Committee shall elect an Editor for the Newsletter to a renewable term of three years. The Editor may recruit Newsletter Committee members as required from among FIP members. The Newsletter Committee shall be responsible for collecting and reporting on issues and events in the interests of FIP members and producing two issues of the Newsletter each year. Both issues shall be made available on the FIP website.

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

Article X - Amendment of Bylaws

Proposals for amendments to these bylaws may be made by the Council, by the Society Governance Committee, by the FIP Executive Committee, or by petition to the Chair signed by no less than ten percent of the members of the FIP. However an amendment is initiated, it must be reviewed by the Society Governance Committee and 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 FIP not less than four weeks before the regularly scheduled FIP election. The Secretary/Treasurer shall incorporate a vote on the proposed amendment in the next regularly scheduled unit election. The adoption of an amendment shall require the affirmative vote of no less than two-thirds of the members voting and shall become effective as soon as the official count of the ballots is completed.