Governance

Bylaws

Approved By Council, November 14, 2015

In the following text, "Society" shall signify the American Physical Society, "Council" and “Board” shall signify the Council of Representatives and the Board of Directors of the Society, respectively; "CEO" shall signify the Chief Executive Officer of the Society, and “Regular Meeting" shall signify either of the two principal meetings held each year by the Forum.

Article I - Name

This Forum of The American Physical Society shall be called the "Forum on Outreach and Engaging the Public." (FOEP)

Article II - Objective

The objective of the Forum is to advance physics outreach and public engagement activities, and to disseminate knowledge of, and strategies for, effective outreach and public engagement ideas and programs in order to spread a passion for physics to the general public. The Forum will provide members of the Society with an opportunity to strengthen the connection between the public and physics.

Article III - Enabling Constitutional Provisions

Article VIII of the Constitution and Bylaws, and the associated Policies and Procedures of the Society, as said Article, and Policies and Procedures, may be subsequently revised or amended, are hereby incorporated in these Bylaws by reference.

Article IV - Membership

The members of the Forum shall consist of Members of the Society who have indicated in accordance with procedures established by Council their desire to join the Forum and who meet any other requirements established by Society Policies and Procedures.

Article V - Executive Committee

1. Governance: The Forum on Outreach and Engaging the Public shall be governed by an Executive Committee, which shall have general charge of the affairs of the Forum.

2. Composition: The voting members of the Executive Committee shall be the five officers of the Forum, four At-Large-Members, one of whom shall be an undergraduate or graduate student, and a Forum Councilor, if any. The non-voting members of the Executive Committee shall be the Chair of the APS Committee on Informing the Public, the Editor of the Forum Newsletter, the Forum Web Master, and a member from the AAPT Executive Board appointed by the President of the AAPT. All members of the Executive Committee (voting and non-voting) shall be members of the Forum. The Executive Committee may, with the concurrence of the Council, establish partnerships with other professional organizations. All members of the Executive Committee (voting and non-voting) must be members of the Forum.

3. Executive Committee Meetings:

   1. The Executive Committee shall meet at least once each year at a meeting called by the Chair of the Forum.

   2. If at least four voting members of the Executive Committee submit a request in writing to the Chair to convoke a meeting, the Chair must do so within sixty days.

   3. A quorum shall consist of six voting members of the Executive Committee, two of whom shall be Officers.

   4. The Chair may conduct Forum business and hold a vote of the Executive Committee by mail, electronic mail, phone, or other means on issues that require attention in the time between meetings.

Article VI - Officers

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

2. Duties of the Chair: The Chair shall have overall responsibility for the operation of the Forum and shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee at which his or her attendance is possible. The Chair shall prepare the agenda of Executive Committee meetings and shall perform such other functions as may be provided in these Bylaws. After consultation with the Executive Committee, the Chair shall make all appointments necessary to conduct the affairs of the Forum. The Chair shall prepare a yearly report of the activities of the Forum to be presented at an Executive Committee Meeting and to be made available to the Corporate Secretary and members of the Forum. In the absence of a Forum Councilor, the Chair shall serve as liaison between the Society Council of Representatives and the Executive Committee of the Forum.

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 serve as Chair of the Program Committee.

4. Duties of the Vice-Chair: The Vice-Chair shall act in the place of the Chair-Elect if the latter is unable to perform his or her duties. The Vice-Chair shall serve as Chair of the Fellowship Committee. If he or she declines to serve, the Chair of the Forum shall have the power to appoint a replacement.

5. Duty of the Past Chair: The Past Chair shall serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee. If he or she is unable to serve, the Chair of the Forum shall have the power to appoint a replacement.

6. Duties of the Secretary-Treasurer:

   1. The Secretary-Treasurer shall maintain and preserve the records of the Forum. The Secretary-Treasurer shall prepare minutes of Executive Committee meetings and shall submit these minutes to each member of the Executive Committee within six weeks after each meeting and post these on the web. The Secretary-Treasurer shall supervise the Forum elections in accord with Article VII of these Bylaws. The Secretary-Treasurer shall approve and coordinate communications with Members of the Forum via electronic mail or the Forum Newsletter and Website,

   2. The Secretary-Treasurer shall have responsibility for all funds in the custody of, or placed at the disposal of, the Forum, and shall, in consultation with the Chair, authorize disbursements from such funds. The Secretary-Treasurer shall notify the Executive Committee of budgetary and financial matters requiring the decision of said Committee. The Secretary-Treasurer shall present a financial report and a proposed budget annually at a meeting of the Executive Committee.

7. Duties of the Forum Councilor: The Forum Councilor shall serve as liaison between the Society Council of Representatives and the Executive Committee of the Forum and shall keep the Council and the APS Chief Executive Officer informed of the current activities and needs of the Forum. Following each Council meeting, the Forum Councilor shall report to the Chair and the Secretary-Treasurer regarding Council actions that affect the status and operations of the Forum. Reports shall be made to the entire Executive Committee during their regularly scheduled meetings.

Article VII - Nomination, Election, And Tenure Of Officers, Members At-large, And Forum Councilor

1. Qualifications: Officers, Members-at-Large, and the Forum Councilor must be members of the Forum.

2. Nomination Procedures Vice-Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, Members-at Large and Forum Councilor.
   The Nominating Committee is responsible for preparing a slate of candidates for each year’s election. At an appropriate date each year, the Past Chair shall invite, via email or the Forum newsletter, all Forum members to suggest candidates for all positions that will be elected that year, with a due date of June 1. If as many as twenty-five members of the Forum, or 1% of the membership, whichever is larger, suggest the same person for the same office, that person shall be deemed nominated. The Nominating Committee, taking into account suggestions received from members, shall nominate at least two candidates for each open position. In the case of nomination of any candidate for a second term, the Nominating Committee, in consultation with the Chair, will determine if the re-appointment is appropriate. The Nominating Committee shall submit the slate of candidates to the Secretary-Treasurer.

3. Election Procedures: The Secretary-Treasurer shall distribute election ballots to all Members, electronically and/or by mail, each year, setting a closing date no less than four weeks after balloting has commenced. Ballots shall be returned to and counted by the Secretary-Treasurer or his or her designee. In the case of elections when the Secretary-Treasurer is a candidate for a second term, the election shall be administered by a process determined by the Executive Committee. The 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 Executive Committee and to the Corporate Secretary, and shortly thereafter to all candidates.

4. Terms of Office of Executive Committee: The tenure of the members of the Executive Committee shall coincide with the calendar year, beginning January 1 and ending December 31.

   1. Vice-Chair. The Vice-Chair shall be elected by the membership for a one-year term and shall successively become Chair-Elect, Chair and Past Chair in the following years for a total of four years. The Past Chair shall not be eligible for the Vice-Chair office for four years after service as Past Chair.

   2. Secretary-Treasurer. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected by the membership for a term of three years and may not serve more than two consecutive terms.

   3. Forum Councilor. The term of office of a Forum Councilor shall begin at the beginning of the calendar year following his or her election. The Forum Councilor shall serve for a term of four years and may not serve more than two consecutive terms unless otherwise specified by Council.

   4. Members-At-Large. Each Member-At-Large of the Executive Committee shall be elected by the membership for a term of two years and may not serve more than two consecutive terms. The tenure of a Member-At-Large of the Executive Committee shall terminate in the event of his/her assumption of a post as an Officer of the Forum, either through election or appointment, and the unexpired portion of his or her term shall be filled as hereinafter provided for a vacancy.

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

   If a vacancy occurs in the office of Chair-Elect, the Vice-Chair shall become Chair-Elect and shall advance to Chair in the following year. 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. If the Vice-Chair position is vacant before or during the service of the Nominating Committee, the Chair shall appoint a member of the Executive Committee to be Chair of the Fellowship Committee. The offices of both Chair-Elect and Vice-Chair will be filled at the next scheduled election.

   If vacancies occur in the offices of both the Chair and the Chair-Elect, the Vice-Chair shall become Chair and shall continue to serve as Chair in the following year. In this case, the Executive Committee will appoint one of their members to serve the remaining term as Chair-Elect, and the offices of both Chair-Elect and Vice Chair will be filled at the next scheduled election.

   If a vacancy occurs in any other elected position, the Executive Committee may appoint a member of the Forum to fill the position until the next scheduled election or may leave the position vacant. If the vacancy continues beyond the next scheduled election, the position will be filled for a shortened term at the next scheduled election.

   If any member of the Executive Committee is absent from two consecutive Meetings of the Executive Committee without consent of the Chair, that position shall be declared vacant. A member is considered present if he or she attends either in person or electronically.

6. Official Year: The official year shall be the calendar year.

Article VIII - Appointed Committees

1. Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee shall consist of the Past Chair, and at least two members appointed by the Forum Chair, in consultation with the Past Chair. All appointed members must be members of the Forum. The APS CEO shall appoint one member to the Nominating Committee. The Past Chair shall serve as the Chair of the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of candidates for election to the Executive Committee in accord with Article VII of these Bylaws. The term of office for members of the Nominating Committee shall be one year.

2. Program Committee: The Program Committee shall consist of the Chair-Elect, up to nine members appointed by the Chair, in consultation with the Chair-Elect. In addition, one member shall be appointed by the Executive Committee of the Forum on Education. The Chair-Elect shall serve as the Chair of the Program Committee. The Program Committee shall be responsible for the solicitation and selection of invited papers for Forum-sponsored sessions at meetings of the Society and for the arrangement of the programs of such meetings. The term of office for members of the Program Committee shall be staggered two-year terms.

3. Fellowship Committee: The Fellowship Committee shall consist of the Vice-Chair and up to five members appointed by the Chair, in consultation with the Vice-Chair, no later than May 1 of each year. All appointed members must be members of the Forum. The Vice-Chair shall serve as Chair of the Fellowship Committee. This Fellowship Committee shall solicit the nomination of candidates for Fellowship, review the qualification of such candidates, and report its recommendation to the Executive Committee for approval before submission is made to the APS Fellowship Committee. The term of office for members of the Fellowship Committee shall be one year.

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

Article IX - Meetings

Regular Meetings: The Meetings of the Forum shall be held at such times and places as shall be ordered by the Executive Committee.

Article X - Programs And Activities

1. The Program Committee shall work with the APS Director of Meetings in arranging Forum-sponsored sessions at meetings of the Society. This activity shall include the scheduling of invited and contributed papers at meetings of the Society and organizing of Forum-sponsored conferences. The programs of the Forum may be developed in consultation with the Committee on Informing the Public, as appropriate.

2. The Chair, with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee, may appoint committees or study groups to conduct studies of subjects of concern to the Forum. The results of such studies may be made available to members of the Society. In the case of release to the general public, this shall be done in consultation with the APS Office of Public Affairs. In either case, the studies will be made available in a manner compatible with such limitations as may be set by the Society Policies and Procedures.

3. The Executive Committee may authorize Forum sponsorship of or participation in special conferences or workshops, subject to the rules and regulations specified in the Society Constitution and Bylaws, and Policies and Procedures and in consultation with the APS Director of Meetings.

Article XI - Dues

1. Dues for maintenance of membership in the Forum, shall be established from time to time by Regulation of the Society Board of Directors.

Article XII - Publications

1. Official Announcements: Official announcements shall be made in an appropriate publication of the Society or in such a manner as the Executive Committee may direct.

2. Newsletter.

3. The Forum shall publish a Newsletter and distribute it electronically to all members of the Forum and the Council. The Newsletter shall carry the Annual Report of the Chair, and shall provide space for articles, letters, and comments from Members of the Forum.

4. The Editor of the Newsletter shall be appointed by majority vote of the Executive Committee for a term of three years. The Executive Committee shall review the performance of the Editor of the Newsletter after completion of year two of his or her three-year term.

5. Web Site:

   1. The Forum shall develop and maintain a web site that shall be the electronic repository of Forum records, Newsletters, and other resources developed by the Executive Committee or Forum members that are in keeping with the Forum Objective.

   2. The Forum Web Master shall be appointed by majority vote of the Executive Committee for a term of three years. The Executive Committee shall review the performance of the Forum Web Master after completion of year-two of his or her three-year term.

Article XIII - Procedure For Amending The Bylaws

Proposals for revisions and amendment of these Bylaws may be made by the Council, by the Executive Committee, by the Governance Committee, or by a petition to the Chair signed by not fewer than ten percent of the members of the Forum. Any revision or amendment must be approved by Council.

Following Council approval, the Secretary-Treasurer shall distribute copies of the proposed Amendment to all members of the Forum accompanied by ballots, by mail and/or electronically, setting a closing date for voting on the Amendment no less than four weeks after distribution of the ballots. Adoption of the Amendment shall require a two-thirds majority of those voting on the Amendment.