CHARTER OF THE INTERNATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES SECTION
Article I. Name
This section shall be known as the “International Security Studies Section” of the International Studies Association.
Article II. Purpose
Within the context of international studies, the ISSS seeks to encourage the study of strategies and policies for utilizing, organizing, and controlling military forces; the study of the behavior of military forces; and the study of the effects of such behavior on other institutions and systems.
Article III. Membership
1. Every ISA member who signifies a desire to belong and meets whatever additional requirements may be established by the Section or its Council may be enrolled as a member of ISSS.
2. In addition to privileges as ISA members, ISSS members will be entitled to whatever privileges may be established by the Section or its Council. These additional privileges will include the right to vote for Council members by a mail ballot, to vote on amendments to the ISSS Charter, and to attend Council meetings as observers.
Article IV. ISSS Governing Council
1. The governing body of the ISSS shall be the section Governing Council.
2. The Council shall be increased to 12 members by 1999 to include the chair and other officers. Membership to the Council shall be for three-year terms, staggered so that four members will be elected each year.
3. The Council will meet annually during ISA conventions and at such other times as the chair may designate. All ISSS members have the right to attend and speak at Council meetings, but not to vote.
4. The Council shall elect its own chair, vice-chair, and secretary-treasurer, who will be the officers of the Section and will serve two-year terms in those posts. The Council will appoint standing and ad hoc committees for the Section including a nominating committee, and it will name representative or liaison officers, as appropriate, for the ISA Assembly, and the various standing committees of the Association. Non-members of the Council may serve on any of its committees.
5. At least one member of the Governing Council must be from outside North America and at least one member should be a graduate student who has not formally been awarded the degree for which she/he is a candidate at the time of election.
Article V. Chair
1. The Chair will remain a member of the Council ex-officio should his/her term as chair extend beyond his/her term as an elected member of the Council.
2. The Chair will preside over Council meetings, and may call such special Council meetings as she/he deems appropriate.
Article VI. Nominations and Elections
1. A nominating committee, chosen by the Council, will present a list of candidates for election to vacant positions on the Council in time for a mail ballot election to occur prior to the Annual ISA Convention, enabling the newly elected members to take part in the subsequent Council meetings.
2. The chair will propose members of the next nominating committee to the Council. They should include at least one former chair, at least one Council member, and at least one non-Council member.
3. The nominating committee will be instructed to prepare a broadly representative slate of nominees, including the various relevant academic disciplines, specialists on different parts of the world, from a variety of types of institutions, including a diversity of methodologies, age levels, and geographic locations.
4. The Nominating Committee will, if possible, offer at least two candidates for each vacancy.
5. Any written nomination received by the Chair from ten or more ISSS members at least 135 days before the ISA annual meeting shall also be placed on the ballot.
6. The nominating committee shall mail ballots at least 120 days prior to the ISA annual meeting.
7. Ballots must be received by the Chair or his/her designated representative no later than 95 days prior to the annual ISA meeting in order to be valid.
Article VII. Meetings
1. There will be a business meeting of the ISSS at the annual ISA conference, and such other ISSS programs and meetings as the ISSS Council may determine.
2. The Chair or his/her designated representative will preside over all business meetings and programs of ISSS.
Article VIII. Administration
1. The Chair of the ISSS shall be responsible for the administration of the Section’s affairs, subject to the rules and regulations of the ISA and the Section.
2. The Section may solicit funds from external sources, but may use the names of, or commit, the ISA only after consultation and agreement with its officers.
3. The ISSS Council may also establish supplementary dues for members of the Section, subject to limitations set by the ISA.
Article IX. Amendments
1. Amendments to the ISSS Charter may be proposed by the ISSS Council, to be submitted to the total ISSS membership by a mail ballot; such proposed amendments will be adopted if endorsed by a two-thirds majority of members who return ballots within six weeks of the mailing date.
2. Amendments to the Charter may be submitted by any member, and if approved by a majority of ISSS members present and voting at the annual business meeting of the Section, shall be submitted to the total ISSS membership by mail ballot. If endorsed by a two-thirds majority of members who return ballots within six weeks of the mailing date, such amendments will be adopted.
Article X. Effectuation
1. This Charter took effect upon approval of a majority vote of those present and voting at the International Security Studies Section (then SOMS) business meeting at the ISA 1971 annual conference and approval of ISA Governing Council, as amended at the Annual Meeting September 1988, at the ISSS business meeting at the April 1996 annual conference and by 1996 membership ballot.
