July 1994, Revised Month of Vote 2010
ARTICLE I. NAME
The name of the group shall be the Research Committee on Clinical Sociology. The Research Committee, founded in 1982, is part of the International Sociological Association.
ARTICLE II. PURPOSE
The aims of the Research Committee shall be to:
- Advance knowledge in all areas of clinical sociology throughout the world.
- Provide a common meeting ground for clinical sociologists and others interested in clinical sociological knowledge.
- Encourage international cooperation in clinical sociology research.
- Promote training and educational opportunities to further the development of clinical sociology.
- Develop bonds with other disciplines and other specializations in sociology.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
A. General:
Membership in the Research Committee shall be open to all sociologists, students of sociology, social scientists and allied professionals who share an interest in the purposes of the group. All members of the Research Committee shall also be individual members in good standing of the International Sociological Association.
B. Types of membership:
The Executive Board determines the various types of membership in accordance with the statutes of the International Sociological Association.
C. Voting rights:
Each member shall have one vote at meetings, elections and other proceedings of the organization.
D. Postal and/or Electronic Discussion and Voting:
The president of the Research Committee may initiate postal and/or electronic discussion of matters which arise between regular meetings and may, if she or he deems the issue an appropriate one, hold a postal and/or electronic vote which leads to a decision. This decision is subject to any provisions that are in place for regular meetings about numbers participating and majorities.
All dues, fees and subscription rates shall be established by the Executive Board. All rates must take into account the economic diversity of the membership of the Research Committee. Members are expected to pay dues in a timely manner. Members who do not pay their ISA or RC46 dues will be dropped from membership one month after the date either dues were to be paid. Board members who do not pay their ISA or RC 46 dues on time may, at the determination of the Executive Committee, be immediately dropped from membership.
F. Representation:
No member of the Research Committee shall use the fact of membership, such as listing in the membership directory, as an indication of special competence of any kind.
ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS
The officers of the organization shall be a President, one or more Vice Presidents and a Secretary-Treasurer. The officers constitute the members of the Executive Committee of the Research Committee’s Executive Board (see article V). The officers shall be elected every four years at the World Congress or, if the Board finds that there are extenuating circumstances, in the two months prior to or after the World Congress.
1. The President:
a. The President shall preside at all Executive Board and membership meetings of the organization, chair Executive Committee functions and perform all duties assigned to her/him by the Executive Board.
b. The President with the concurrence of the Executive Committee shall solicit and/or appoint Research Committee members to serve on various task forces and committees as deemed necessary to the functioning of the Research Committee.
c. The President or her/his representative shall be the Research Committee’s representative at all meetings of the International Sociological Association’s Research Council and the Assembly of Councils. If the President is unable to be the representative, the President shall appoint the representative. The representative is expected to be an officer or, if that is not possible, a member of the Executive Board.
d. The President or her/his representative shall oversee the permanent records of the Research Committee.
e. The President or her/his representative shall oversee the development and distribution of the Research Committee’s newsletter.
f. The President or her/his representative shall oversee the development of the program for the World Congress and for all other meetings of the Research Committee.
2. The Vice-President:
a. A Vice-President(s) shall assume the duties of the President in her/his absence and aid the President as she/he determines.
b. A Vice-President shall assume all duties assigned to her/him by the Executive Board.
c. A Vice-President may serve as an Alternate Delegate to the International Sociological Association Research Council and the Assembly of Councils.
3. The Secretary-Treasurer:
a. The Secretary-Treasurer shall oversee the funds of the Research Committee and their expenditures at the instruction of the Executive Board and make a report at least every two years about the financial condition of the Research Committee.
b. The Secretary-Treasurer shall communicate the news of membership meetings to the membership.
c. The Secretary-Treasurer may serve as the Alternate Delegate to the International Sociological Association Research Council and the Assembly of Councils.
The President’s term of office will be four years. The President cannot succeed herself/himself in that office. The terms of other officers will be for four years. An officer, other than the President, has the possibility of succeeding herself/himself in that office for no more than one additional full term. Each person proposed for an office, including a returning officer, must be elected to that office.
The Executive Board selects the officers for the Research Committee from its own ranks in accordance with the guidelines in Article V. Vacancies shall be filled at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
E. Termination of officers
There may be times when an elected officer has, for an extended period of time, not fulfilled the duties of that office. The Executive Board has the obligation to establish rules and procedures for the termination of an Officer and has the right to terminate an Officer. If the officer does not pay either the ISA or RC46 dues on time, the Executive Board has the right to immediately remove this person from the office.
ARTICLE V. EXECUTIVE BOARD
The Executive Board shall transact the general business of the Research Committee and establish the necessary policies to do so. The Board shall have such powers and duties as are not otherwise provided for in these Statutes. The officers of the Research Committee shall constitute the Executive Committee of the Board.
Duties include but are not limited to attendance at all meetings of the Executive Board and membership meetings of the Research Committee; demonstrated activity on behalf of the Research Committee which includes undertaking a major responsibility; demonstrated activity on behalf of clinical sociology and meeting all the requirements specified under duties of Regional Representatives.
The Executive Board shall meet at all of the major conferences of the Research Committee and at other times and places that it may decide. Whenever possible, the Executive Board shall try to reach decisions by consensus. When consensus cannot be achieved, a simple majority of those voting shall prevail. In the case of equal votes, the President of the Research Committee shall have the deciding vote. Twenty percent (20%) of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum. Proxy voting is acceptable as long as a vote is written and directly submitted to a member of the Executive Committee. At the initiation of the President of the Research Committee, voting may be conducted using postal or electronic means in addition to the in-person meetings that are held at all major conferences.
D. Selection of Executive Board members:
The Executive Committee serves as a nominations committee for new board members. Research Committee members may suggest themselves or others as candidates or the Executive Committee may solicit nominees. There is no fixed limit as to the number of Executive Board members. Executive Board members shall be proposed as vacancies arise and as needs of the Research Committee dictate. Eligibility for the Executive Board, besides current membership in the International Sociological Association and the Research Committee, includes demonstrated activity on behalf of the Research Committee and clinical sociology, and a willingness to attend Executive Board meetings and Research Committee functions. It also includes willingness to participate in the work of the Executive Board. Executive Board members are expected to represent the diversity of the membership in terms of geography, gender and area of specialization. The Board shall contain no more than three members from any one country. Former presidents of the Research Committee have the right to be on the Executive Board if they wish to do so. The Executive Board is expected to include at least some members who have not served during the previous full term.
The election of Executive Board members shall take place every four years at the World Congress or, if there are extenuating circumstances, within two months before or after the World Congress. The membership will be given information about proposed Executive Board members.
There is no maximum number of terms that a member may serve on the Executive Board. Each Board member must have a specified term. If a Board member’s term is coming to an end and the Board thinks the Board Member should be returned to the Board, the Board Member still must stand for election.
There may be times when an elected Board Member has for an extended period of time not fulfilled the duties of Board membership. The Executive Board has the obligation to establish rules and procedures for the termination of Board membership and has the right to terminate Board membership. If the Board member does not pay either the ISA or RC46 dues on time, the Executive Committee has the right to immediately remove this person from the Board.
ARTICLE VI. REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
ARTICLE VII. MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
The Research Committee shall have a membership meeting in conjunction with each Research Committee conference. Notification of this meeting shall be made to all members in a timely manner. Proxy voting is acceptable as long as a vote is written and directly submitted to a member of the Executive Committee. At the initiation of the President of the Research Committee, voting may be conducted using postal or electronic means in addition to the in-person meetings that are held at all major conferences
ARTICLE VIII. AMENDMENTS
Amendments to these Statutes can be proposed by any member of the Research Committee. Such proposals shall be considered by the Executive Board and submitted to the membership for approval if they are presented in the form of a petition signed by at least ten members of the Research Committee from at least three different countries or if they have the approval of the Executive Committee. A majority vote of the members is required to amend the Statutes.
ARTICLE IX. MISCELLANEOUS
In the event of dissolution, all the remaining assets and property of the Research Committee shall, after necessary expenses thereof are paid, be distributed to the International Sociological Association.
clinical-sociology.org 