Governance

GQMS Bylaws

Topical Group Established by Vote of the Council: April 12, 2023

Bylaws Approved by APS Council: October 18, 2023

PREAMBLE

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; 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 Quantum Materials Synthesis (GQMS).

ARTICLE II – OBJECTIVE

The objective of the Topical Group shall be to foster the development and exchange of information in the science of quantum materials synthesis, including synthesis of bulk single crystals, 2D materials, thin films/heterostructures and nanostructures and the characterization approaches necessary to obtain a quality index for particular quantum materials. The Group shall provide to its members, and to all members of the American Physical Society, an opportunity to disseminate information on quantum materials synthesis challenges, fostering timely communication in the community to collectively tackle these challenges.

ARTICLE III – ENABLING CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION

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 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, four Members-at-Large elected to staggered two-year terms, and one Early Career Member-at-Large elected to a two-year term. The Early Career Member-at-Large shall be a graduate student or early career member, as defined by the APS, at the time of the election.
  3. Executive Committee Meetings.  The Executive Committee shall meet at least once each year. Any member of the Executive Committee unable to attend a meeting may name a nonvoting alternate who is a member of the Topical Group in good standing to represent them, subject to the approval of the Chair. The Chair of the Topical Group shall preside over the Executive Committee meetings. 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 of the Topical Group at which their attendance is possible. The Chair, in collaboration with the Secretary/Treasurer, shall prepare the agenda of Executive Committee meetings.
  3. Duties of the Chair-Elect.  The Chair-Elect shall act in place of the Chair if the latter is unable to perform their 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 their 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, and shall transfer these records to the succeeding Secretary/Treasurer. The Secretary/Treasurer shall prepare minutes of Executive Committee meetings 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. All minutes shall be made available to any member of the Topical Group upon request.

The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep the Council informed of the activities and needs of the Topical Group.

The Secretary/Treasurer shall maintain a copy of the unit bylaws and provide copy to all officers of the Topical Group. The bylaws shall be made available to all members of the Topical Group, and to others as deemed appropriate by the Chair of the Topical Group.

The Secretary/Treasurer shall have responsibility for all funds in the custody of or placed at the disposal of the Topical Group and, with 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.

  1. Duties of the Past Chair.  The Past Chair shall perform such functions as may be explicitly provided in the Bylaws.

ARTICLE VII – ELECTION AND TENURE OF THE OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

  1. Qualifications.  Officers and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee must be members of the Topical Group in good standing.
  2. Ballot.  The Vice Chair, Secretary/Treasurer, and Members-at-Large 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.  The Secretary/Treasurer shall invite the Topical Group members to suggest candidates to the Nominating Committee in writing for the various offices and Executive Committee positions. 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, at least three candidates for open positions of Members-at- Large, and at least two candidates for the Early Career Member-at-Large position. The Nominating Committee shall consult with the Chair before approving the nomination of any candidate for a second consecutive term. 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 Nominating Committee shall notify the Secretary/Treasurer of the results not later than twelve weeks prior to the end of the official year, except under extraordinary circumstances. If as many as five percent of the total Topical Group membership determined on December 31st of the year preceding the election suggests in writing the same person for the same office, that person shall be deemed to have been nominated. The nominee's written acceptance, biographical information, and letters from five percent of members suggesting this nominee must be in the office of the Secretary/Treasurer twelve weeks prior to the end of the official year.

The Secretary/Treasurer shall poll the Topical Group membership by mail and/or electronic ballot not later than six weeks prior to the end of the official year, stating a closing date no less than three weeks later. Ballots shall be returned to and counted by the Secretary/Treasurer or their 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 the Society Corporate Secretary at least two weeks prior to the end of the official year and shall publish the results in a manner designated for official announcements.

  1. Official Year.  The official year shall extend from January 1 to December 31.
  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 their term of office. The Chair shall serve on the Executive Committee for one year after their tenure as Chair has been served.
  3. Terms of Office.  The terms of office of the Officers and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee shall begin on the first day of January following 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 two years. The Early Career Member-at-Large shall also serve a two-year term. No Officer or Member-at-Large shall be eligible for the same office in the same year following their term of office, except for the Secretary/Treasurer.
  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 COMMITTEES

All committee members must be APS and GQMS members, in good standing.

  1. Nominating Committee.  The Nominating Committee shall be chaired by the immediate Past Chair and shall include three members of the GQMS appointed by the Nominating Committee Chair to two-year terms, and one member appointed by the APS for a one-year term. The Chair shall ascertain through the Society Corporate Secretary the identity of the APS-appointed member. Every attempt shall be made to ensure that the Nominating Committee membership is inclusive and is constituted from academia, industry, and government laboratories. 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. 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 should strive to nominate slates of candidates that reflect the diversity of the Topical Group's membership.
  2. Program Committee.   The Program Committee shall be chaired by the Chair-Elect and shall include any other members of the Topical Group whose assistance the Program Committee Chair chooses to obtain during their term, with the concurrence of the GQSM Chair. The Program Committee shall be responsible, in cooperation with the Executive Committee and in concurrence with the Society Director of Meetings, for arranging sessions of Society meetings sponsored by the Topical Group, and from time to time may organize special meetings and workshops.   It shall also have the responsibility of assisting the Society Director of Meetings in arranging meetings of the Society.
  3. Fellowship Committee.  The Fellowship Committee shall include a chair, vice chair, and two members in good standing, all of whom will be appointed by the GQMS Chair.  Committee members shall serve staggered, two-year terms, with the committee vice chair rotating into the chair role in their second year of service. The committee shall review the nominations of candidates for Fellowship and shall report its recommendations to the APS Honors Program Manager.
  4. 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 the Chair assumes office.
  5. Ad Hoc Committees.  The Chair shall appoint other ad hoc committees as necessary, which shall serve only during their term as Chair.
  6. Honors Policies & Procedures.   All APS Society and APS Unit Honors, including prizes, awards, and fellowship, and the selection committees established to determine recipients of these honors are overseen by the Council and governed by a set of honors policies & procedures.  All committee members involved with the selection of recipients for honors should make themselves familiar with and follow the Council-approved policies & procedures, including rules related to limits, canvassing, promotion, reporting, nominations, committee composition, committee onboarding, and conflict of interest.  

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 approval by the Society Director of Meetings and announced in writing to the general membership no later than one year in advance of the meeting. Whenever it shall be feasible and not to the disadvantage of the members of the Topical Group, such meeting shall be held jointly with another meeting of the Society 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 consistent with Board Policy. The Chair, with the consent of the Executive Committee, shall name a meeting organizer at least one year prior to each annual meeting. All contracts must be approved by the Society Director of Meetings.
  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 open to the general membership of the Topical Group and must be announced in writing at least thirty days in advance of the meeting. It 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 consultation 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.
  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 regulations of Council.

ARTICLE X – DUES

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

ARTICLE XI – OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Official announcements shall be made in the APS News , at the discretion of the APS News  Editor, and in such other publications as the Executive Committee may direct.

ARTICLE XII – PROCEDURE OF AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

Proposal of an amendment to these Bylaws may be made by the Council, by the APS 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 initiated, it must be reviewed by the APS Governance Committee and approved by Council before further action can be taken. Voting on the proposed amendment shall be as follows. If a special election is to be held, the Secretary/Treasurer shall initiate a vote of the membership and distribute copies of the proposed amendment, accompanied by ballot forms. If a special election is not held, a vote on the proposed Amendment will be included on the next regularly scheduled unit election. Adoption of the amendment shall require a two-thirds vote by those voting.

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