Article I. Name
Arab American Studies Association By-Laws
The name of this organization shall be the Arab American Studies Association (AASA).
Article II. Objectives
Section 1: Mission
The Arab American Studies Association shall be a private organization of scholars and other persons interested in the study of Arab American history, ethnicity, culture, literature, art and music, politics, religion, sociology and other aspects of Arab American experience.
To this end, the AASA shall:
- Facilitate communication among scholars through meetings;
- Promote cooperation among members of the Association and persons or organizations concerned with Arab American Studies;
- Stimulate academic research in Arab American Studies.
- Explore intersections and comparative approaches among Arab American, Arab, and diasporic Arab experiences.
Section 2: Restrictions
The organization shall conduct its internal affairs in such a way as to affirmatively promote equal opportunity and to not discriminate against anyone because of race, religion, sex, color, national origin, age, sexual orientation, ability, or marital status.
Article III. Membership
Section 1: Membership Rights
Membership in the Association consists of the following categories: (1) Regular Members; (2) Student Members; 3) Institutional Members; and (4) Lifetime Members. All members in good standing will have one vote in the election of the President and shall be eligible for elective or appointive office in the Association, subject only to the regulations set forth in these bylaws. All members in good standing shall receive the regular publications of the Association.
Section 2: Dues
Dues shall be determined by the Members at the annual business meeting and shall be paid to the Treasurer. Dues will run from January until December. Unpaid dues will result in the cessation of all membership benefits until such a time when dues are remitted and the member is in good standing. Suggested minimum dues are: (1) Regular Members ($50); Student Members ($20); (3) Institutional Members ($500); and (4) Lifetime Members ($500).
Section 3: Regular Members
All are eligible for membership in AASA if they have a professional interest in Arab American Studies, which is defined as a serious concern in the subject in accordance with the standards generally accepted in the profession, whether or not the interest is a source of their livelihood.
Section 4: Institutional Members
Any institution such as a library, museum, scholarly or educational institution may be an Institutional Member.
Section 5: Student Members
Any student currently enrolled in an accredited institution of higher education may join as a Student Member and thus be eligible for the reduced student member fee.
Article IV. Meetings
Section 1: Annual Meetings
The Association shall normally hold an annual meeting in conjunction with the annual conference of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) on the day set aside for affiliated associations. This meeting shall consist of a business session and a planned program of presentations and discussions. The agenda of the meeting will be planned by the Board of Directors and announced on the listserv or by email.
Section 2: Special Meetings
The Association shall normally hold a special conference for its members every three years. In addition, special meetings shall be called at any time upon the request of the President, two- thirds of the Board of Directors or at the request of no less than one-quarter of the members.
Section 3: Notice of Meetings
Annual and special meetings will be announced on the listserv or by email to each member not less than 15 days before the meeting. Members without email access may request that notice be mailed to them. Notice of special meetings shall state the purpose(s) and program of the meeting.
Section 4: Quorum
At all duly called meetings of the members, the presence of one-fifth of the members shall be necessary and sufficient to constitute a quorum. The vote of the majority of the members present shall be the act of the members.
Article V. Board of Directors
Section 1: Composition of the Board
The Board of Directors shall consist of the President, the immediate Past-President or the President-Elect, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Web Coordinator, and two or more members-at-large, and sometimes the Secretary-Elect, the Treasurer-Elect, and/or the Web Coordinator-Elect.
Section 2: Role of Officers
All members of the Board of Directors are active officers. One person may not hold more than one position on the Board at the same time. Each member of the Board has one vote in elections and decisions.
Section 3: Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held at MESA.
Section 4: Quorum
At all meetings of the Board the presence of two-thirds of the Directors shall be necessary and sufficient to constitute a quorum. The act of the majority of the Directors present and voting shall be the act of the Board.
Section 5: Annual Budget
The President and the Treasurer shall work together to draft an annual budget, to be approved by the Board at the Annual Meeting. Any expense which was not originally specified in the budget, or which exceeds the proposed budget amounts by more than 10%, must be submitted to the Board for approval.
Article VI. Elections
Section 1: Timing
Elections for the Board of Directors and for the President-Elect shall be held in the late summer and early fall and completed before the yearly Board meeting held in alternating years at either MESA or ASA.
Section 2: The Nominating Committee
The names of candidates will be put forward by the nominating committee, which will identify and obtain consent and a firm commitment from each candidate prior to the election. There should be at least two candidates for the office of President. The Secretary will coordinate election procedures with the Nominating Committee and will give committee members a list of present members, present and past officers and a copy of the by-laws.
Section 3: Eligibility of Candidates
Only currently paid-up members of AASA are eligible to run for an AASA office. No candidate’s name should be submitted until the Secretary has confirmed the candidate’s eligibility.
Section 4: Voting Procedures
The election shall be by an electronic or secret ballot mailed to the members. The Secretary will receive the returned ballots and tabulate the results. The President will write letters to the unsuccessful candidates to thank them for running and will congratulate the winners. Results will be announced on the AASA webpage and at the annual meeting.
Section 5: In the Event of a Tie
In the event of a tie during a presidential election, the chair of the Nominating Committee will approach both candidates and explain that there has been a tie. If both candidates are still interested in serving, then the Board, in conjunction with the candidates, can determine whether it would be more appropriate for the candidates to serve one split term (one year each) or to serve back-to-back full (two year) terms. In the event of a tie for a member-at-large seat, both candidates will be asked to serve, with the number of voting board members being increased by one.
Section 6: Replacement of Board Members
In the event that an officer steps down before her/his term has ended, replacement of that board member, until the next election cycle, will be at the Board’s discretion.
Section 7: Appointment of Officers
Once the members have voted for the Board of Directors, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Web Coordinator shall be appointed by majority vote of the Board of Directors at the Board of Directors meeting.
Section 8: Taking Office
Newly elected officers shall take office at the close of the annual business meeting.
Article VII. Responsibilities of Officers
President
- Serve as one of the Board members for one year as President-Elect, followed by two years as President, followed by one year as Past President.
- Manage and supervise the affairs and property of the Association.
- Attend annual member’s meeting and Board of Directors meeting.
- Coordinate all standing committees of the Association.
- Serve on all committees ex officio.
- Plan agenda and select speaker for AASA annual meeting, in consultation with the Board.
- Convene and plan agenda of Board meeting held during the annual meeting.
- With Board, make interim appointments to fill vacancies in offices until elections are held.
- Work with Secretary to facilitate membership promotion.
- Raise funds.
- Submit an annual budget to the Board of Directors, prepared in conjunction with the Treasurer.
Treasurer
- Serve as one of the Board members for one year as Treasurer-Elect, followed by two years as Treasurer.
- Attend annual member’s meeting and Board of Directors meeting.
- Prepare annual financial report.
- Manage all finances of organization, maintain AASA bank account; pay AASA bills; receive, record, and deposit members’ dues.
- Perform other duties as may from time to time be assigned to him or her by the Board or the President.
- Submit annual budget to the Board of Directors, prepared in conjunction with the President.
Secretary
- Serve as one of the Board members for one year as Secretary-Elect, followed by two years as Secretary.
- Attend annual member’s meeting and Board of Directors meeting and provide reports of both meeting proceedings to board members.
- Send out renewal notices in January and reminder notices in April. Send invoices to institutional members annually.
- Maintain the membership list, making address and email changes with periodical updates.
- Handle routine correspondence, especially membership questions and financial questions.
- Handle outreach, advertising, and mailing list for periodicals.
- Distribute back issues to new members who join mid-year as soon as their dues have been received.
Web Coordinator
- Serve as one of the Board members for one year as Web Coordinator-Elect, followed by two years as Web Coordinator.
- Attend annual member’s meeting and Board of Directors meeting.
- Maintain and enhance Association’s website and presence on social media.
- Publish content on Association’s website and updates on social media.
- Organize electronic communication for the Board members.
President-Elect
- Serve as one of the Board members for one year as President-Elect, followed by two years as President, followed one year as Past President.
- Represent the organization when President is unavailable.
- Serve as President in the eventuality that the President does not complete her/his term of office and succeed the President at the end of her/his term.
- Attend Board meetings and participate in Board decisions.
Members-at-Large
- Serve as one of the Board members for a two-year term.
- Attend Board meetings and participate in Board decisions.
- Responsible, in conjunction with the President, President-Elect, Past President, Secretary, and Treasurer for major financial decisions, policy decisions, and changes in by-laws.
- Assist the President with outreach activities, membership recruitment and fund-raising.
Past President
- Serve as one of the Board members for one year following her/his term in office as President.
- Attend Board meetings and participate in Board decisions.
- Responsible, in conjunction with the President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer for major financial decisions, policy decisions, and changes in by-laws.
- Assist the President with outreach activities, membership recruitment and fund-raising.
Article VIII. Amendment of the By-Laws
Amendment to these by-laws or any of them may be proposed (1) by the Board of Directors (2) or by petitions signed by twenty-five percent of the members in good standing. Proposed Amendments shall be submitted to all current members by email. After allowing sixty days for returns and comments, amendments shall be considered adopted if approved by a majority of those returning mailed or electronic ballots. Amendments shall become effective immediately upon adoption.
Article IX. Dissolution and Disposition of Corporate Assets
Upon the dissolution of the organization and after the payment or the provision for payment of all the liabilities of the organization, the Board shall dispose of all the assets of the organization exclusively for the purposes of the organization. Any assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by a court of competent jurisdiction in the county in which the principal office of the organization is then located.
