SPSSI Bylaws
Adopted 2005

ARTICLE I:  OFFICES AND PURPOSES

Section 1.1. Name. The name of the Corporation is the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, a nonprofit organization incorporated in the State of Michigan. (Hereafter, the Corporation is referred to as the Society)

Section 1.2. Location. The principal office of the Society is in the District of Columbia.

Section 1.3. The purposes of the Society are:

 Educational and scientific research in the public interest. In furtherance of these purposes, it shall engage in activities to instruct the public on subjects useful to the individual and beneficial to the community (1) by obtaining, and disseminating to the public factual data regarding social change and other social processes through the promotion and encouragement of psychological research on significant theoretical and practical questions of social life and (2) by promoting and encouraging the application of the findings of such psychological research to the problems of society.

Section 1.4. Restrictions. All policies and activities of the corporation shall be consistent with:

(1.4.1) Applicable federal, state, and local antitrust, trade regulation, or other legal   requirements; and 

(1.4.2) Applicable tax exempt requirements, including the requirements that the Society not be organized for profit and that no part of its earning inure to the benefit of any private individual.

ARTICLE II: MEMBERS

Section 2.1.  Membership Categories. The Society shall have four categories of membership: Full Members, Affiliate Members, Graduate Student Members, and Undergraduate Student Members. 

(2.1.1) Full Members. Ordinarily, eligibility for full membership shall require a postgraduate degree in a field related to the interests of the Society, from a recognized institution.

(2.1.1.1) Full Members who belong to the American Psychological Association and those who do not shall be equal in rights except that the elected Representatives of the Society on the Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association shall be Members of the Association and shall be chosen by and only by the Members of the Society who are also Members of the Association. Members affiliated with the American Psychological Association shall be designated in accordance with the By-Laws of the American Psychological Association.  Such Members shall be individuals who are also Members or Fellows of the American Psychological Association and who are elected as Members of that Association in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 of Article II of the By-Laws for the American Psychological Association: 
“The minimum requirement for acceptance to Member status shall be the receipt of the doctoral degree based in part upon a psychological dissertation or the doctoral degree based on other evidence of proficiency in psychological scholarship from a program primarily psychological in content. The doctoral degree must have been conferred by a graduate or professional school that is regionally accredited or that has achieved such accreditation within five years of the year the doctoral degree was granted or that is one of equivalent standing outside the United States.”

 (2.1.2) Affiliate Members. Affiliate membership status is available to those who do not hold a postgraduate degree in a discipline related to the interests of the Society and are not eligible for student membership under 2.1.3 & 2.1.4.

(2.1.3) Graduate Student Members. Graduate student membership is available to matriculating students in postgraduate program in a discipline related in some way to the purposes of the organization.

(2.1.4) Undergraduate Student Members.  Undergraduate student membership is available to matriculating students in undergraduate program in disciplines related in some way to the purposes of the organization.

Section 2.2. Qualifications. Qualifications of applicants for membership shall be screened by the administrative staff, and new members' names shall be reported annually to the Council of the Society.

(2.2.1) All applicants for membership must complete the application for membership and submit it to the administrative staff of the Society at its principal office in Washington, DC. 

Section 2.3. Rights. All Full Members and Graduate Student Members shall have the right to vote. All Full Members shall have the right to hold office, and to secure fair consideration for governance appointment in the Society.

Section 2.4. Life Member Status. Full Members who have reached the age of sixty-five years and having been Members of the Society for at least twenty years may request Life Member status.  Life Members shall be exempt from paying dues and shall retain all other rights and privileges of Members of the Society.
 
Section 2.5. Sustaining Member Status. Full Members under 65 may obtain Sustaining Member status if they make a one-time dues payment. The amount of this payment will be set by Council.  Sustaining Members shall thereafter be exempt from paying dues and shall retain all other rights and privileges of Members of the Society.

ARTICLE III: COUNCIL

Section 3.1.  Council. The governing board of the Society shall be a Council, which has authority and responsibility for the supervision, control, and direction of the Society.

Section 3.2. Composition. The Council shall consist of no fewer than 17 voting members: The President, Past President, President-Elect, the Secretary-Treasurer, one graduate student representative and at least twelve other members of the Society elected by the Society for terms of three years.  All officers of the Society, including the members of the Council shall be Members of the Society, and shall serve until the election and acceptance of their successors. 

(3.2.1) The President of the Society shall be Chair ex-officio of the Council with vote; the President-Elect of the Society shall be Vice-Chair of the Council with vote.  The Secretary-Treasurer of the Society shall be Secretary of the Council with vote.

(3.2.2) The Society’s Executive Director shall be an ex-officio member of Council without vote.

(3.2.3) One Representative of Division 9 to the APA Council of Representatives shall be an ex-officio member of the Council with vote.

(3.2.4) The Secretary-Treasurer shall act as Parliamentarian at Council meetings.  In the absence of the Secretary-Treasurer, Council may appoint a parliamentarian.

Section 3.3. Meetings. Meetings of the Council may be held at any time on the call of a majority of the members of the Executive Committee, and shall ordinarily be held twice a year.  A quorum at any meeting shall consist of a majority of the entire membership of the Council. Decisions shall be made by a simple majority of Council members present at a meeting. 

(3.3.1) Electronic Meetings. Upon the recommendation of a majority of the members of the Executive Committee, additional meetings may be held via teleconferencing and/or telephone. A quorum at any such meeting shall consist of a majority of the entire membership of the Council. Decisions shall be made by a simple majority of Council members participating at a meeting.

(3.3.2) Attendance. A Council member who misses more than two regular meetings without notification or more than three meetings with notification shall be considered to have resigned after the president reviews and makes a recommendation to council about the Council member’s status.  If the Council member is removed, the seat will be filled by appointment.
  
Section 3.4.  Election.  Election to the Council shall be by means of a preferential voting system in accordance with the procedures provided in the Society’s Administrative Handbook.  Four new members of Council shall be elected each year.
  
(3.4.1) Vacancies. In the case of vacancies occurring between elections, the President shall appoint an interim member of Council in the manner prescribed in the Society’s Administrative Handbook.
  
(3.4.2) Re-election. Council members shall be ineligible for re-election after one term but may become eligible again after one year has elapsed following the term.
 
Section 3.5. Functions. Council shall have the power to appoint the Secretary-Treasurer and Historian and to approve or disapprove the actions of all committees and to designate the duties of administrative staff.  In general, the Council shall perform such duties as are incident to their office, and such acts as may properly be required by vote of the Members of the Society at any duly constituted meeting.

ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS

Section 4.1. Annual Membership Meeting. The annual meeting of the Members of the Society shall be held at a time and place to be set by the Council. The Business Meeting of the Members of the Society shall be held during that meeting.

Section 4.2. Special meetings. Special meetings of the Members of the Society shall be held any time upon the call of the Council or upon the call of one hundred Members of the Society.

Section 4.3. Notice. The Council must give Society Members reasonable notice of all annual and special meetings. The notice must include a description of the business to be discussed.

Section 4.4. Voting. A quorum at any annual or special meeting of the Members of the Society shall consist of not less than twenty-five of the Members in good standing.  A majority of Members where a quorum is present is necessary to make a decision except where some other number is required by law or these by-laws. Proxy voting is not permitted. Voting via e-mail or regular mail is not permitted.

ARTICLE V: OFFICERS

Section 5.1. Officers.  The officers of the Society shall be:  (a) President; (b) Past President; (c) President-Elect; (d) Secretary-Treasurer. 

Section 5.2. Qualifications.  The officers must be Full Members of the Society. No officer may hold more than one office at the same time.

Section 5.3. Terms. The President, Past President, and President-Elect shall serve for a term of one year.  The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve for a term of three years.

Section 5.4. Election. Elections for the presidency shall be held annually by the Society in the manner prescribed in the Society’s Administrative Handbook.

Section 5.5. Duties. The officers perform those duties that are usual to their positions and assigned to them by the Council.     

(5.5.1) It shall be the duty of the President-Elect to serve as Vice-Chair of the Council, and to assume and perform in the case of the death or incapacity of the President all the duties of the President, continuing in office through his or her own term.
 
(5.5.2) The Secretary-Treasurer, in conjunction with the administrative staff, is responsible    for all records of the Society and supervises the financial activities of the Society.  The Secretary-Treasurer shall also prepare a budget each fiscal year for review and approval by the Council.

ARTICLE VI: COMMITTEES

Section 6.1. Committees. The committees of the Society shall consist of such standing committees as may be provided for by these By-Laws and such special committees as may be established by vote of the members or the Council at any duly constituted meeting.

(6.1.1) Appointments. Appointments to all committees except the Executive Committee shall be made annually by the President.

Section 6.2. Rules. The Council may establish rules for committees’ operation that are consistent with these By-laws for the policies, procedures, and programs of the Society.

Section 6.3. Executive Committee. The Executive Committee consists of the President, Past President, President-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, and one Council member elected by Council at its annual meeting for a one-year term.  It shall take all necessary actions not expressly delegated or forbidden by these By-Laws in order to conduct the business of the Society between meetings of the Council of the Society.  Its duties include employment actions regarding administrative staff.
 
(6.3.1) Vacancies If a vacancy occurs on the Executive Committee it is filled by the President until the next meeting of council at the time of the meeting, the vacancy shall be filled by vote of the members of the Council at the meeting.

Section 6.4. Standing Committees.  The Chairs or Co-chairs of Standing Committees shall be appointed by the President unless otherwise designated. Either the Chair or Co-Chair of a Standing Committee must be a member of the current Council.
 
(6.4.1) Audit and Finance Committee.  The Audit and Finance Committee chaired by the Secretary-Treasurer shall oversee the annual audits and the organization’s investments, revenues and expenditures. The Committee shall report annually to Council on the results of these audits and any other information relevant to the finances of the organization. It is the responsibility of this Committee to insure that the organization maintain its finances in a manner consistent with appropriate statutes for a nonprofit organization.

(6.4.2) Membership Committee The Membership Committee shall be responsible for the development and strengthening of the organization’s membership base. As part of this, the committee shall review applications for membership that do not clearly qualify applicants. The Committee shall report their decision to Council regarding the applications so referred. 
 
(6.4.3) Nominating and Elections Committee. The Nominating and Elections Committee shall be chaired by the Past–President. It shall be the duty of the this Committee to coordinate the process of obtaining nominations for SPSSI elected officers and members of council and to conduct and supervise the elections of the Society in the manner prescribed in the Society’s Administrative Handbook.

(6.4.4) Policy Committee. The Policy Committee shall be responsible for facilitating the policy mission of organization.

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