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 Business Meeting;
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 whose 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, 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
Business Meeting, 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 Business Meeting, 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
2. The President
shall:
a. convene and
preside over meetings of the Executive Committee, the Governing Council, and
the Annual Business Meeting.
b. arrange for the
preparation of an agenda for meetings of the Governing Council and for the
Annual Business Meeting.
c. recommend a budget
to the Governing Council;
d. arrange to inform
the Governing Council and the Annual Business Meeting 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 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. The
President-Elect shall automatically succeed to the Presidency at the close of
the Annual Business Meeting next after his election.
2. 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.
3. 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.
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.Vice
Presidents-Elect shall serve in that capacity from the time that their election
has been confirmed at the Annual Business 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 Business 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.
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 Business
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 Business Meeting; 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 Business Meeting;
d. perform such other
duties as the President or the Governing Council may direct.
ARTICLE XIII. THE ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING
1. The Annual Business Meeting.shall be held at the Annual Convention. All members shall be entitled
to participate and to vote.
2. The Annual Business Meeting. 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
3. Resolutions
adopted by the Annual Business Meeting. 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
Business Meeting; 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 Convention
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 the Executive Director by 1 November will be given the same publicity within the
organization as accorded the slate of the nominating committee.
7. 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 15 percent return for the result to be valid. If the
percentage return is lower than 15 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 15 percent participation or the new slate is not elected, the
matter will be referred to the Governing Council.
8. If a
new group of officers-elect has not been chose by the date of the Annual Business Meeting, the existing officers will continue in office for three
months.
9. When the President-elect has succeeded to the Presidency in accordance with
Article IX, Section 2, 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 Business Meeting.
10. 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 Business Meeting 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 Business Meeting. The Executive Director shall promptly
announce such proposals to the members. If the Annual Business Meeting 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 by a vote of the membership on November 1, 2009.
