Governance

GPMFC Bylaws

Date Approved By Council: September 23, 2021

Date Approved by GPMFC Member: August 9, 2022

Preamble

In the following text, "Topical Group" shall signify the APS Topical Group on Precision  Measurement and Fundamental Constants; "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; and "Regular Meeting" shall signify the principal meeting held once a year by the Topical Group. 

Article I - Name 

This Topical Group of the American Physical Society shall be called the Topical Group  on Precision Measurement and Fundamental Constants (GPMFC). 

Article II - Objective 

The objective of the Topical Group is to serve as a focus for research related to  investigating and testing the fundamental laws of physics and their underlying  connections, determining fundamental constants, and developing and improving basic  measurement standards, with special emphasis on the high precision experiments that are characteristic of such research. The Group shall hold periodic topical conferences to advance this objective. 

Article III - Enabling Constitutional Provision 

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

Article IV - Membership 

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

Article V - Executive Committee 

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

  2. Composition: The Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Topical Group; the most recent Past Chair; six Members-at-Large, elected to staggered three-year terms; and, two Student Representatives elected to  staggered two-year terms. 

  3. Executive Committee Meetings: The Executive Committee shall meet during the Regular Meeting of the Topical Group. Additional meetings may be organized as needed. Any member of the Executive Committee unable to attend a meeting  may name a nonvoting alternate representative who is a member of the Topical  Group in good standing, subject to the approval of the Chair. A majority of the  voting members, including at least two Officers, shall constitute a quorum. 

Article VI - Officers 

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

  2. Duties of the Chair: The Chair has overall responsibility for the operations of the Topical Group and shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee and Business Sessions of the Topical Group at which the Chair’s 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 these 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 these 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 Topical Group including minutes of Executive Committee meetings and Business Sessions, Topical Group activities, and membership lists. The  Secretary/Treasurer shall notify the Executive Committee of matters requiring the  decision of said Committee and, in collaboration with the Chair, 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 Society Corporate Secretary within two 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 keep the Council informed of the activities and needs  of the Topical Group through communication with the Topical Group’s Assigned  Councilor. The Secretary/Treasurer shall have responsibility for all funds in the custody of or placed at the disposal of the Topical Group and, with the  concurrence of the Chair, shall authorize disbursements from such funds for  expenses in a manner that is consistent with the general policies of the Society  and the Topical Group. 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 Topical Group. 

Article VII - Election and Tenure of the Officers and  Executive Committee Members 

  1. Qualifications: Officers, Members-at-Large, and Student Representatives of the Executive Committee must be members of the Topical Group. 

  2. Ballot: The Vice Chair, Secretary/Treasurer, Members-at-Large, and Student Representatives of the Executive Committee shall be elected by mail and/or electronic ballot as hereinafter provided. 

  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 during the final year of the term of the current Secretary/Treasurer, and for open positions of Members-at-Large and Student  Representatives of the Executive Committee. The Nominating Committee shall  consult with the Chair before approving the nomination of any candidate for a  consecutive term. The Nominating Committee shall notify the Secretary/Treasurer of the results not later than sixteen weeks before the  Regular Meeting, except under extraordinary circumstances. The Secretary/Treasurer shall inform the Topical Group members of the nominations  made and shall invite these members to suggest candidates for the various  offices and Executive Committee positions. If as many as five percent of the total  Topical Group 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 Topical  Group membership by mail and/or electronic ballot, stating a closing date at least  three weeks prior to the Regular Meeting. In the case where the Secretary/Treasurer is a candidate for a consecutive term, the election shall be  administered by a process determined by the Executive Committee. Ballots shall  be returned to and tallied by the Secretary/Treasurer or the Secretary/Treasurer’s  assigned 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 Society Corporate Secretary at least two weeks prior to the  Regular Meeting and shall publish the results in the following issue of the newsletter of the Topical Group.

  1. Official Year: The official year shall extend from October 1 to September 30. 

  2. 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 the term of office as Chair. 

  3. Terms of Office: The terms of office of the Officers, Members-at-Large, and Student Representatives of the Executive Committee shall commence at the beginning of the Official Year after their election. The Secretary/Treasurer shall  serve for a term of three years and may not serve more than two consecutive  terms. The tenure of a Member-at-Large of the Executive Committee shall be  three years and shall terminate in the event the Member-at-Large assumes a  post as an elected Officer of the Topical Group, and the unexpired portion of the  term shall be filled as hereinafter provided for a vacancy. The tenure of a  Student Representative of the Executive Committee shall be two years and shall  be filled to completion regardless of whether studies are completed during the  term of service. 

  4. 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. 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 Committee 

  1. Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee shall consist of three individuals: a member of the Executive Committee appointed by the Chair, with the concurrence of the Executive Committee, for a one-year term who shall serve  as Chair of the Nominating Committee; one member of the Topical Group who is  not a member of the Executive Committee, to be appointed by the Chair of the  Nominating Committee with the concurrence of the Chair for a one-year term; and, a member appointed by the APS. The Chair shall ascertain through the  Society Corporate Secretary the identity of this member. The Nominating  Committee shall prepare a slate of candidates for the positions of Vice Chair,  Secretary/Treasurer, Members-at-Large, and Student Representatives 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  determined by the Executive Committee of the Topical Group. 

  1. Program Committee: The Program Committee shall consist of the Program Committee Chair, appointed for a one-year term by the GPMFC Chair with the concurrence of the Executive Committee, and any other members of the Topical  Group whose assistance the Program Committee Chair chooses to obtain during  the appointed term. The Program Committee shall have the responsibility of  assisting the Society Director of Meetings, or the Director’s designate, in  arranging the meetings of the Society. This activity shall include the scheduling of  contributed papers within the areas of interest of this Topical Group, as well as  the arranging, in cooperation with the Society Director of Meetings or the  Director’s designate, of symposia and sessions of invited papers sponsored by  the Topical Group for a meeting. For meetings of the Topical Group, including the  Regular Meeting, the Program Committee shall be responsible for the solicitation  and selection of invited and review papers and for the arrangement of the  programs of such meetings. 

  2. Fellowship Committee: The Fellowship Committee shall consist of the Vice Chair and two additional Topical Group members. The Vice Chair shall serve as Chair of the Fellowship Committee and, with the concurrence of the Chair, shall  appoint to one-year terms the other two members of the committee. 

  3. 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 Official Year in which he or she assumes office. 

  4. Ad Hoc Committees: The Chair shall appoint other ad hoc committees as necessary, which shall serve only during the Chair’s term.

Article IX - Meetings 

  1. Regular Meeting: One meeting of the Topical Group, 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 Society  Director of Meetings. Whenever it shall be feasible and not to the disadvantage  of the members of the Topical Group, the Executive Committee should 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 Society Director of Meetings. The registration fee for the Regular Meeting,  when not held jointly with a Meeting of the Society, shall be fixed after  consultation with the Society Director of Meetings. Non-members of the Society  shall pay a surcharge to be set each year equal to the Society membership dues.

  2. Annual Business Session: Each year the Topical Group 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  Topical Group shall be presented simultaneously with the Business Session. The  Secretary/Treasurer shall notify the Topical Group members of the agenda for  the Business Session no later than three weeks prior to the Regular Meeting. 

  3. Other Meetings: Meetings of the Topical Group, other than the Regular Meeting, may be initiated by the Executive Committee or by petition of twenty percent of the members of the Topical Group, subject to coordination with the Society  Director of Meetings. Special conferences may be sponsored in whole or in part  by the Topical Group, subject to the rules and regulations specified in the Society  Constitution and Bylaws and associated Policies and Procedures. 

  4. Papers at Meetings: Programs of meetings of the Topical Group may provide for the inclusion of both invited and contributed papers. When a meeting of the Topical Group 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 Topical Group 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 Society Director of Meetings 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 Policies & Procedures of Council. 

Article X - Dues 

Dues for maintenance of membership in the Topical Group shall be established by  Board. 

Article XI - Newsletter 

The newsletter of the Topical Group shall be managed and edited by the  Secretary/Treasurer, who shall oversee its preparation and distribution. There shall be  at least two issues per year; the frequency and timing of these issues shall be  determined by the Secretary/Treasurer in consultation with the Chair. The Executive  Committee may direct the Secretary/Treasurer to distribute complimentary copies of the  newsletter to specified non-members of the Topical Group. The Editor shall be assisted  in policy decisions by the Chair, as well as by the Executive Committee as a whole. 

Article XII - Official Announcements

Official announcements shall be made in the APS News (subject to the discretion of the  APS News Editor), on the Topical Group website, and in the newsletter of the Topical  Group. 

Article XIII - Procedure of Amendment of Bylaws 

Proposal of an Amendment to these Bylaws may be made by the Council, by the  Society Governance Committee, by the Executive Committee, or by a petition to the  Chair signed by not fewer than ten percent of the members of the Topical Group.  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 Topical Group not less than three weeks before the  Regular Meeting and opportunity shall be given for discussion during the Business  Session. The voting on the proposed Amendment shall then be as follows. Not later  than twelve weeks after said Regular Meeting the Secretary/Treasurer shall again  distribute copies of the proposed Amendment, accompanied by ballot forms. Adoption  of the Amendment shall require a two-thirds vote by those voting.

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