CONSTITUTION
OF THE
INTERNATIONAL
STUDIES ASSOCIATION
ARTICLE I.
NAME
This association shall be known as the International Studies
Association.
ARTICLE II.
PURPOSE
1. The Purpose of the Association is to serve the needs and
enhance the capacities of scholars, practitioners, and others without regard to
nationality--having a professional interest in expanding, disseminating, and
applying knowledge of interrelations among nations and peoples.
2. To achieve these ends, the Association shall actively
pursue cooperative relationships with other appropriate organizations around
the world.
3. The Association is educational and non-partisan. It will
not support or oppose political parties or candidates. It may take positions on
issues only if they are immediately and directly concerned with the purpose
stated above and only within the limits that must be observed to maintain tax
exemption under the revenue laws of the country in which the headquarters are
located.
ARTICLE III.
MEMBERSHIP
1. Any person sharing the purposes of the Association and
paying dues set by the Governing Council may be a member. The Association is
committed to fostering independent, responsible scholarly inquiry by all of its
members.
2. Members shall be entitled to:
a. receive copies of the specified official publications of
the Association;
b. attend, participate in, and vote in the Annual Meeting of
members;
c. participate in mail ballots arranged by the Association;
d. participate in other activities sponsored by the
Association.
3. At the discretion of the Governing Council, ISA will approve joint activity with cooperating organizations or institutions. Such approval should be with scholarly and professional organizations who purposes are similar to those of the ISA and where cooperation is likely to lead to meaningful, reciprocal, and ongoing activities between the respective organizations.
ARTICLE IV.
COMPONENT UNITS
1. Groups of members organized to promote purposes
identified in Article II, Section 1, may be recognized as component units of
the Association on such conditions as the Governing Council may fix. Regional
divisions, urban chapters, and sections organized to promote study and research
on specific problems are among the units that may be recognized.
a. In addition to the regions in existence at the time this
amendment is adopted, other regional sub-units may be established upon petition
of fifty or more members to the Governing Council via the Executive Director.
The Governing Council will specify that portion of the Association membership
dues to be credited to the regions.
b. Sections may be established upon petition of fifty or
more members to the Governing Council via the Executive Director. The petition
will include a statement of purpose, organization and activities. Sections may
establish dues. The Executive Office will disburse funds to the activities of
Sections. A section will be automatically dissolved after five years unless it
reapplies for sectional status within the Association.
2. All component units will present yearly reports to the
Governing Council who will then make them available to the membership of the
Association.
ARTICLE V.
THE GOVERNMENT
1. The government of the Association shall consist of a
President, three Vice Presidents, a President-Elect, the immediate
Past-President, three Vice Presidents-Elect, a Treasurer, a Governing Council,
an Executive Committee, an Annual Meeting of Members, and members voting by mail
[electronic or postal] ballot.
2. The officers of the Association shall be a President,
three Vice Presidents, a President-Elect, the immediate Past-President, the
Treasurer, and the Executive Director.
ARTICLE VI.
THE GOVERNING COUNCIL
1. The Governing Council shall consist of the following:
a. The President, three Vice Presidents, the immediate
Past-President, the Executive Director, the President-Elect, three Vice
Presidents-Elect, the Treasurer, the Chair(s) of the annual meeting program
committee and an Editor of each of the Association's journals;
b. The head of each component unit of ISA;
c. Six at-large representatives elected by members resident
outside the recognized regions of the Association by processes to be determined
by the Governing Council.
All of the above shall have voting status.
2. In cases of disputed elections, the Governing Council
shall be the judge of its own membership.
3. The President shall convene at least one meeting of the
Governing Council in conjunction with each annual convention of the Association
and, with the approval of the Executive Committee, he/she may convene
extraordinary meetings. He/she shall convene an extraordinary meeting if
one-third or more of the members of the Governing Council request it. Except
for meetings called during the period of the annual convention, members of the
Governing Council shall be given at least one week's notice of their time and
place.
4. The Governing Council may establish its own rules of
procedure. In absence of contrary decision by the Governing Council, Robert's
Rules of Order shall prevail.
5. The Governing Council shall:
a. approve or modify the President's recommendations of four
members of the Executive Committee from its voting and ex-officio membership;
b. elect the Editor of all journals of the Association on
the joint recommendation of the President and the Executive Committee; the
elections shall be for a term of not more than five years and an editor cannot
serve two consecutive terms;
c. decide questions pertaining to the selection and the term
of service of the editor of any official publication in addition to all
journals of the Association;
d. elect the Executive Director on the joint recommendation
of the President and the Executive Committee;
e. recognize component units of the Association, and
terminate such recognition;
f. adopt an annual budget, set dues, and authorize
expenditures;
g. determine what compensation, if any, is to be paid to the
Executive Director and other officers;
h. select the site of the Annual Convention or specifically
delegate authority to do so;
i. approve rules for the conduct of the Annual Meeting of
Members, for the holding of elections, and for the submission of proposed amendments
and resolutions to members;
j. adopt resolutions and undertake or approve activities
designed to promote the purposes of the Association;
k. establish and terminate standing committees.
6. The Governing Council, for adequate cause, may remove any
officer of the Association. In the case of the President, it shall act only on
the basis of a two-thirds recommendation of the members of the Executive
Committee. In the case of the editors of all journals of the Association and
the Executive Director, it shall act only on the basis of a joint
recommendation from the President and the Executive Committee who together must
comprise two-thirds of the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE VII.
THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
1. The Executive Committee shall consist of the President,
the Vice Presidents, the President-Elect, the immediate Past-President, the
Treasurer, the Executive Director and four members selected by the Governing
Council from its own membership, reflecting the diversity of perspectives of
the Association. Elected members representing the Governing Council shall serve
for one year and shall be eligible for re-election.
2. The Executive Committee shall meet at the call of the
President. He/she is obliged to call a meeting upon the request of one-third or
more of the members of the committee.
3. The Executive Committee shall:
a. assist and advise the president as he/she requests;
b. review, at the request of any two members of the
Executive Committee, the performance of duties of any officer of the
Association, the Editors of any of the Association's publications, appointed
committee Chairpersons, or the Executive Director for the purpose of
determining whether they should be asked to alter their performance or be
dismissed. Any Officer, Editor, Committee Chairperson, or the Executive
Director shall be given the opportunity to respond in person to any allegations
of inadequate performance, but shall not participate in the final deliberation
or vote on the disposition of the case. By agreement of two-thirds of its
members who are present, the Executive Committee may request modification in
performance, issue a reprimand, or issue a citation or the appropriate
recognition for outstanding performance of duties to the individual(s)
reviewed. By a two-thirds vote of those eligible, the Executive Committee can
recommend to the Governing Council that any officer of the Association, Editor,
Committee Chair or the Executive Director be dismissed;
c. undertake assignments growing out of resolutions duly adopted
by governing agencies of the Association.
ARTICLE VIII.
THE PRESIDENT
1. The President shall serve for a term of one year. He/she
shall assume office at the close of the convention in which the Annual Meeting
of Members takes place. He/she shall relinquish the position at the close of
the subsequent convention in which the Annual Meeting of Members takes place.
2. The President shall:
a. convene and preside over meetings of the Executive
Committee, the Governing Council, and the Annual Meeting of Members;
b. arrange for the preparation of an agenda for meetings of
the Governing Council and for the Annual Meeting of Members;
c. recommend a budget to the Governing Council;
d. arrange to inform the Governing Council and the Annual
Meeting of Members of the Association's financial condition;
e. oversee with the Treasurer the handling of the
Association's funds;
f. oversee the work of the Executive Office;
g. recommend jointly with the Executive Committee the
election, or for adequate cause the removal, of the Editor of all journals of
the Association and the Executive Director of the Association;
h. appoint the chair and members of the committee to
nominate the Vice Presidents-Elect and the President-Elect;
i. propose programs and policies designed to advance the
best interests of the Association.
ARTICLE IX.
THE PRESIDENT-ELECT
1. If more than one person is duly nominated for the office
of President-Elect, election shall be by mail [electronic or postal] ballot of
the members of the Association. Otherwise election shall be by vote of the
Annual Meeting of Members.
2. The President-Elect shall automatically succeed to the
Presidency at the close of the Annual Meeting of Members next after his
election.
3. If the President should die, resign, or be unable to
perform his/her duties, the President-Elect, if available, shall become the
president for the remainder of the term.
4. Upon election as President-Elect, the President-Elect
shall appoint a program chairperson and members of the standing and ad hoc
committees for his/her term of office as President.
ARTICLE X.
THE VICE PRESIDENTS
1. Three Vice Presidents shall be elected for one-year terms
coinciding with the term of the president. If more than three persons are duly nominated,
election shall be by mail [electronic or postal] ballot. Otherwise election
shall be by vote of the Annual Meeting of Members. Terms of office shall begin
at the close of the Annual Meeting next after the election.
2. One of the Vice Presidents shall be resident outside the
recognized regions of the Association.
3. The Vice Presidents shall be members of the Executive
Committee and the Governing Council.
4. The responsibilities of the Vice Presidents shall include
oversight and coordination of committees, liaison with sections and regions,
interaction with other appropriate organizations, development of
inter-organizational cooperation, and strengthening connections with
government, foundations, and business. The President, in consultation with the
Vice Presidents, shall determine the specific responsibilities of the Vice
Presidents.
5. If the President should die, resign, or be unable to
perform his/her duties, and if the President-Elect is unavailable to take over
the duties of the office, the immediate Past-President will convene the
Executive Committee to determine which Vice President should complete the term
as President.
6. Three Vice Presidents-Elect shall be elected at the same
time and by the same procedures as the President-Elect. If more than three persons
are being nominated to the office of Vice President-Elect, election shall be by
mail ballot. Otherwise elections shall be confirmed at the annual meeting of
members. Vice Presidents-Elect shall serve in that capacity from the time that
their election has been confirmed at the Annual Meeting or the mail ballot,
until the next annual meeting. At the close of that meeting they shall
automatically succeed to the office of Vice President and serve in that
capacity until the close of the following Annual Meeting.
7. The Vice Presidents-Elect shall be members of the
Governing Council and alternate members of the Executive Committee. Upon
succeeding to the office of Vice President they shall also serve as full
members of the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE XI.
THE TREASURER
1. The Treasurer shall be elected for a three-year term,
with the possibility of re-election.
2. If more than one person is duly nominated for the office
of Treasurer, election shall be by mail [electronic or postal] ballot of the
members of the Association. Otherwise election shall be by vote of the
appropriate Annual Meeting of Members.
3. If the Treasurer should die, resign, or be unable to
perform his/her duties, the President will, with the consent of a majority of
the Governing Council, appoint an Acting Treasurer to serve until a new
Treasurer is elected.
4. The Treasurer shall:
a. oversee, with the President and the Executive Director, the handling of the Association's funds;
b. advise the President and Executive Director on recommending a budget to the Governing Council;
c. review the annual report of the Executive Director to the Governing Council and the Annual Meeting on the Association's financial condition;
d. propose programs and policies to enhance the financial condition of the Association;
e. serve as a member of the Governing Council and the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE XII.
THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE
1. The Executive Office shall consist of an Executive
Director and such staff as he/she shall appoint under the budgetary
authorization of the Governing Council.
2. The Executive Office shall be responsible for the
day-to-day operation of the Association and shall provide support for the
governing agencies of the Association.
3. The Executive Director shall be the chief administrative
officer of the Association. He/she shall be elected by the Governing Council
for a term of not more than five years on the joint recommendation of the
President and the Executive Committee. He/she shall be eligible for reelection.
If a vacancy occurs prior to the end of the anticipated term, the President,
after consulting with the Executive Committee, may appoint an acting Executive
Director to serve until the office is filled.
4. The Executive Director shall:
a. have charge of the Executive Office;
b. assist the President and other officers and agencies of
the Association in the performance of their duties, responding to the requests
and initiating his/her own proposals for their consideration;
c. publish in an official publication of the Association the
minutes of the meetings of the Governing Council and of the Annual Meeting of
Members; propose an annual budget for consideration by the Finance Committee;
draft agendas for the meetings of the Governing Council, the Executive
Committee, and the Annual Meeting;
d. perform such other duties as the President or the
Governing Council may direct.
ARTICLE XIII.
THE ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS
1. The Annual Meeting of Members shall be held at the Annual
Convention. All members shall be entitled to participate and to vote.
2. The Annual Meeting of Members shall have the authority
to:
a. alter the agenda prepared for it;
b. receive and consider reports;
c. discuss any matter relevant to the purposes of the
organization;
d. adopt resolutions consistent with this constitution,
provided that the proposed text has been communicated to the Executive Director
or the President at least twenty-four hours in advance;
e. act upon constitutional amendments initiated in
accordance with Article XV, Section 3;
f. receive nominations made by the Nominating Committee and
by petition.
3. Resolutions adopted by the Annual Meeting of Members
shall stand as an expression of the views of that body. They shall be considered
by the Governing Council and shall constitute formal actions of the Association
if they are also adopted by the Governing Council. If a resolution adopted by
the Annual Meeting of Members obtains the support of at least one-third of
those voting in the Governing Council but fails for adoption, it shall be
referred to the membership in a mail ballot.
ARTICLE XIV.
NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
1. Each President-elect shall select three members for the nominating committee, each to serve for a period of three years (for a total of nine members), after consulting with the Vice-Presidents-elect and taking care that selections contribute to a committee with a variety of perspectives from the organization. The President-elect shall select a convener from the appointed members of the nominating committee for its first meeting at which the committee will elect a chair.
2. Candidates for President shall be chosen with due consideration both to professional distinction and involvement in the International Studies Association .
3. The nominating committee shall propose at least one candidate for each office to be filled by election of the Association.
4. The nominating committee shall begin its deliberations at the annual meeting of the International Studies Association.
5. The nominating committee shall report its recommendations to the Executive Committee not later than its autumn meeting. The nominations shall be made known to the membership in the first newsletter following that Executive Committee meeting.
6.
Any petition for alternative candidates with the documented support of 5
percent or more of the ISA's membership (as of
1 October) that is received by 1
November will be given the same publicity within the organization as accorded
the slate of the nominating committee.
An election by mail or electronic means will be held between November 5
and December 5. If the election is
contested, the winning slate will prevail.
If the election is uncontested, there must be at least a 20 percent
return for the result to be valid. If
the percentage return is lower than 20 percent, a second balloting will take
place between December 10 and January 15.
If the unopposed slate is not elected in the first voting, the
nominating committee will reconvene and present a new slate to be voted on
between January 15 and February 15. If
that election draws less than 20 percent participation or the new slate is not
elected, the matter will be referred to the Governing Council. If, in a second balloting, the original
uncontested slate is not elected or
there is an insufficient level of participation, the matter will be referred to
the Governing Council.
7. If a new group of officers-elect has not been chose by the date of the Annual Meeting, the existing officers will continue in office for three months.
8. When the President-elect has succeeded to the Presidency in accordance with Article IX, Section 3, and is due to serve as president for more than six months, the Nominating Committee may propose a new nominee up to three months in advance of the annual meeting of members.
9. In the event that a candidate becomes unavailable after the nominations have been announced, the Nominating Committee may propose a new nominee until January 15. Procedures for dealing with any vacancy occurring after that date will be decided by the Governing Council.
ARTICLE XV.
STANDING AND AD HOC COMMITTEES
1. The work of the Association may be facilitated by the
creation of standing and ad hoc committees. Standing committees are created for
tasks that are anticipated to require continuous attention for an indefinite
period of time. Ad hoc committees are established for assignments of a one-time
or irregularly occurring nature, but that can be completed within a year.
2. Standing committees are established or terminated by a
majority vote of the Governing Council which shall specify their mission and
membership size. Standing committees are responsible to the Governing Council
and should report to it at least once a year. At the discretion of the
Governing Council these annual reports may be given to the Annual Meeting of
Members and/or submitted in writing for publication. On recommendation of the
President, the Governing Council designates the individuals to serve as chair
and members of a standing committee for terms of two years. The chair of a
standing committee may not serve consecutive terms.
3. Ad hoc committees are appointed for a maximum period of one year by the President who determines their mission and membership. Ad hoc committees report to the President in the manner he/she specifies except for the Nominating Committee which shall perform as stated in Article XIII.
4. The President-elect shall appoint three members of the
Finance Committee for two-year terms.
ARTICLE XVI.
LEGAL AND FINANCIAL PROVISIONS
1. The Association shall seek to maintain tax exemption
under the terms of the internal revenue legislation of the country in which the
Headquarters are located.
2. No officer or agency of the Association shall borrow
money in the name of the Association.
ARTICLE XVII.
AMENDMENTS
1. Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by the
Governing Council or by the membership.
2. Proposed amendments that are approved by a two-thirds
vote of the Governing Council shall be submitted to a mail ballot of the
members of the Association.
3. Any group of thirty-five or more members of the
Association may propose amendments by a signed petition submitted to the
Executive Director not less than sixty days prior to the annual meeting of
members. The Executive Director shall promptly announce such proposals to the
members. If the annual meeting of members endorses a proposed amendment by a
majority vote, it shall be considered by the Governing Council, and if at least
one-third of those voting in the Governing Council approve, the amendment shall
be submitted to the members of the Association in a mail ballot.
4. Amendments supported by a majority of those voting in a
mail ballot shall be declared adopted.
Last Revised: The ISA Constitution was formally amended at the 42nd Annual Convention, Chicago, Illinois, February 20-24, 2001.