Archived Bylaws

[As revised November 2011]

ARTICLE I - COMPOSITION OF COUNCIL

The percentage X, first referred to in Article IV, Section 3 of the Constitution, shall be three. When a Division membership falls below that required to support the current number of Councilors, the following rules shall apply. When the ratio of a Division membership to the total APS membership falls below NX% (with N greater than 1) on 31 December, the Division shall lose the Councilor(s) whose term(s) next expires, when that term ends. When a Division membership ratio drops below 0.7X% for four consecutive years, or when a Forum membership ratio drops below 1.4X% for four consecutive years, the Division or Forum, as the case may be, shall lose its Councilor(s) on 31 December of the fourth year.

ARTICLE II - EXECUTIVE BOARD FUNCTIONS

In addition to the functions specified in Article VI, Section 1 of the Constitution, the functions of the Executive Board shall include the following:

  1. Initiate and monitor planning for the future operations of the Society.
  2. Propose guidelines for fiscal operating policy. Oversee revenue generation and expenses, and examine the financial impact of current and proposed operations of the Society.
  3. Monitor relations between the Society and the American Institute of Physics, the member societies of the American Institute of Physics, and other scientific and engineering societies. Advise the President on Society representatives to the Governing Board of the American Institute of Physics. Such representatives shall normally serve for three years and shall review topics of mutual interest to the Council and to the Governing Board.
  4. Maintain oversight of the public affairs activities of the Society, including the conduct of studies that have been approved by Council.
  5. Maintain oversight of the activities of the Forums.
  6. Take actions necessary for the conduct of current operations of the Society, under unforeseen circumstances, in the interim between Council meetings, provided such actions are not in conflict with the powers specifically reserved for Council in Article IV, Section 2 of the Constitution.

ARTICLE III - STANDING COMMITTEES
  1. OPERATING COMMITTEES
    1. Committee on Committees. - The membership of the Committee on Committees shall consist of nine Councilors elected by Council to staggered three-year terms, and the Chair of the Nominating Committee. The President-Elect shall appoint the Vice Chairperson from among these nine members, who shall serve as Chair in the subsequent year of service. Nominees for membership on the Committee on Committees shall include all Councilors in their second year of service. Members shall serve for three years, which may include one year beyond their terms as Councilors. This committee shall look to the functioning of Society committees and to policies pertaining thereto and shall make recommendations thereon to the Council. It shall have the responsibility for nominating elected members of the Publications Oversight Committee and the Audit Committee. It shall also advise the President concerning suitable candidates for service on all Bylaw committees appointed by the President-Elect and shall assist the President-Elect in determining the willingness of candidates to serve. Effort shall be made to achieve significant representation of Council members on every constitutional and standing committee of the Society. This Committee shall meet at least once annually. The Committee on Committees shall submit to the Executive Officer the names of candidates for each elected position no less than five weeks before the Elections Meeting of the Council. In general, the number of nominees for each elected position shall exceed the number of available positions.
    2. Publications Oversight Committee. - The membership of the Publications Oversight Committee shall consist of the Editor-in-Chief, the Executive Officer, the Treasurer/Publisher, four members elected by Council to staggered four-year terms and four members appointed by the President-Elect to staggered four year terms. The President-Elect shall appoint a Chairperson from among these eight members. The Committee shall propose guidelines for the operating philosophy of publications and shall oversee general editorial policy. It shall meet at least twice each year and shall make recommendations to Council regarding the research publications of the Society.
    3. Audit Committee. - The membership of the Audit Committee shall consist of four members of the Council, who are not members of the Executive Board or are not otherwise directly involved in the business management of the Society, elected by Council to staggered four-year terms which may extend two years beyond their term on Council. The member in his or her third year of service shall ordinarily chair the committee. Following each fiscal year, the Committee shall review the audit with the Society's auditors and submit a written report to the Executive Board and to the Council, which shall include recommendations on fiscal management issues. In addition, the Committee will also review the Society's Business Continuity Plan and assure that it is up-to-date.
    4. Investment Committee. - The membership of the Investment Committee shall consist of the Treasurer/Publisher, the Executive Officer, the Vice-President, and three other members appointed by the President-Elect to staggered three-year terms. The Treasurer shall serve as Chairperson. The Committee shall meet at least twice each year to review the financial and investment policies of the Society and shall make recommendations to the Executive Board and to the Council concerning these policies.
    5. Committee on Constitution and Bylaws. - The membership of the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws shall consist of six members appointed by the President-Elect to staggered three-year terms. The President-Elect shall appoint the Chairperson from among the members. The Committee shall be responsible for recommending to Council actions concerning the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society and of its Divisions, Topical Groups, Forums, and Sections.
    6. Committee on Fellowship. - The membership of the Committee on Fellowship shall consist of the Vice-President and three members appointed by the President-Elect to staggered three-year terms. The Vice-President shall serve as Chairperson. The Committee shall meet from time to time with the Division, Topical Group, and Forum representatives to discuss criteria for advancement to Fellowship and to ensure their equitable application. It shall solicit nominations and review the qualifications of candidates for Fellowship. It shall also consider appeals of rejection of candidates for advancement to Fellowship.
    7. Committee on Membership. - The membership of the Committee on Membership shall consist of the Executive Officer and nine members appointed by the President-Elect to staggered three-year terms. The President-Elect shall appoint the Chairperson from among these nine members. The Committee shall suggest to Council means for improving the relationship between the Society and its members, member services the Society provides, and other membership activities as delegated to it by the Council.
    8. Committee on Meetings. - The membership of the Committee on Meetings shall consist of the Executive Officer, the Treasurer/Publisher, and six members appointed by the President-Elect to staggered three-year terms. The President-Elect shall appoint the Chairperson from among these six members. The Committee shall propose guidelines and rules for the organization and operation of all meetings of the Society and its units and shall provide oversight for meetings-related publications, including the Bulletin of the American Physical Society. The Committee shall recommend procedures for Society sponsorship of other meetings.
    9. Senior Personnel Committee. - The membership of the Senior Personnel Committee shall consist of the most recent Past-President, the President, the President-Elect, and the Vice-President. The President-Elect shall serve as Chairperson. The Committee shall establish personnel policies, review the salaries of senior employees, and set the salaries for the senior officers of the Society.
    10. Prize and Award Advisory Committee. The membership of the Prize and Award Advisory Committee shall consist of six Councilors, appointed by the President-Elect to staggered three-year terms, which may include one year of service beyond their term as Councilor. The President-Elect shall appoint the Chairperson from among these six members. The Committee shall review all proposals for new prizes and awards and make recommendations to the Executive Board and Council. It shall review all existing Society prizes and awards at least once every five years to insure they are properly funded and that the subject area of each prize and award remains relevant. The Committee shall also ensure that prize and award selection committee members represent the broadest possible context of the prize or award subject area and consider any other administrative issues related to prizes and awards.
    11. Budget Committee: The membership of the Budget Committee shall consist of the President-Elect and four members of the Council appointed by the President to staggered two-year terms.   The President-Elect shall serve as Chairperson.   The Committee shall meet with the Operating Officers during the initial budget planning process to establish overall goals and objectives for the next fiscal year and again as the budget is in the final stages of preparation.  The Committee shall provide the Treasurer/Publisher with strategic guidance and with critical consideration of fundamental budget assumptions.

  2. PUBLIC AFFAIRS/OUTREACH COMMITTEES
    1. Panel on Public Affairs. - The membership of the Panel on Public Affairs (POPA) shall consist of a Chairperson, Chairperson-Elect, Vice-Chairperson, immediate Past Chairperson, the Vice President, the Chair of the Physics Policy Committee, the Congressional Fellow(s) in the second year following the year of service, and fourteen members elected by Council to staggered three-year terms. In addition, the Forum on Physics and Society shall elect one person every three years to serve on POPA for a three-year term. The Vice-Chairperson shall be elected by Council and shall serve in that office for one year, then as Chairperson-Elect for one year, then as Chairperson for one year, and then as most recent Past-Chairperson for one year. There shall be a Steering Committee consisting of the Chairperson, the Chairperson-Elect, the Vice-Chairperson, the Vice-President, the Chair of the Physics Policy Committee, and at least two additional members selected from among and by the members of POPA. POPA shall be responsible for making recommendations to the President, the Executive Board and the Council on public affairs activities of the Society designated by the Executive Board or Council. POPA may initiate new public affairs activities for the Society and may recommend new programs to the Council. POPA shall keep minutes and distribute them to the members of the Panel and to the Council.
    2. Committee on International Freedom of Scientists. - The membership of the Committee on International Freedom of Scientists shall consist of nine members appointed by the President-Elect to staggered three-year terms. The President-Elect shall appoint the Chairperson from among the members. This Committee shall be responsible for monitoring concerns regarding human rights for scientists throughout the world. It shall apprise the President, the Executive Board and Council of problems encountered by scientists in the pursuit of their scientific interests or in effecting satisfactory communication with other scientists and may recommend to the President, the Executive Board and Council appropriate courses of action designed to alleviate such problems.
    3. Committee on Education. - The membership of the Committee on Education shall consist of twelve members. Nine members will be appointed by the President-Elect to staggered three-year terms while the Chair, Past-Chair and Chair-Elect from the Forum on Education shall serve as statutory members of the Committee. The President-Elect shall appoint the Chairperson from among the members. The Committee shall be responsible for activities in the area of physics education designated to it by the Executive Board or the Council. It shall report periodically to the President, the Executive Board and the Council on physics education. It may suggest and supervise studies and programs to improve the cooperation between the educational community and other parts of the physics community.
    4. Committee on Careers and Professional Development.-- The membership of the Committee on Careers and Professional Development shall consist of nine members appointed by the President-Elect to staggered three-year terms. The President-Elect shall appoint the Chairperson from among the members. The Committee shall be responsible for coordinating affairs within the Society concerned with career and professional development in physics and advising the Society on courses of action.
    5. Committee on Status of Women in Physics. - The membership of the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics shall consist of nine members appointed by the President-Elect to staggered three-year terms. The President-Elect shall appoint the Chair from among the members. This Committee shall address the production, retention, and career development of women physicists and shall gather and maintain data on women in physics in support of these objectives. It may recommend and supervise studies and programs relevant to this charge. It shall report annually to Council.
    6. Committee on Minorities. - The membership of the Committee on Minorities in Physics shall consist of nine members appointed by the President-Elect to staggered three-year terms. The President-Elect shall appoint the Chair from among the members. This Committee shall address the production, retention, and career development of minority physicists and shall gather and maintain data on minorities in physics in support of these objectives. It may recommend and supervise studies and programs relevant to this charge. It shall report annually to the Council.
    7. Physics Policy Committee. - The membership of the Physics Policy Committee (PPC) shall consist of a Chair appointed by the President-Elect to a renewable one-year term, twelve members, appointed by the President-Elect to staggered three-year terms, the President-Elect, the Congressional Fellows(s) in the first year following the year of service, and the Chair of the Panel on Public Affairs (POPA). The PPC shall address those science policy issues that affect the development of physics, the health of the institutions in which physics is practiced, the resources available to physics, and the balanced use of these resources for the nation's scientific and technological needs. The Committee shall make recommendations to the President, the Executive Board, and the Council on these science policy issues. Recommendations from the PPC on public statements shall be considered and transmitted to Council by the Steering Committee of POPA. The PPC shall keep minutes and distribute them to the members of the PPC and the Council.
    8. Committee on International Scientific Affairs. - The membership of the Committee on International Scientific Affairs (CISA) shall consist of nine persons. Six members will be appointed by the President-Elect to staggered three-year terms, while the Chair, Past-Chair and Chair Elect of the Forum on International Physics (FIP) shall serve as statutory members of CISA.. The President-Elect shall appoint the Chairperson of CISA from among the members of the Committee. CISA will monitor the international science scene and the balance between new APS initiatives and ongoing activities in this arena. Guided by the Objectives of the Society as stated in Article II of the APS Constitution, CISA will encourage APS efforts to strengthen interaction among researchers and institutions in different regions of the world and to further extend worldwide access of physicists to scientific information and its exchange. To this end, CISA will advise and assist the APS Director of International Scientific Affairs, the Executive Board and Council, and provide documentation and recommendations for action, consulting with other relevant committees as appropriate.
    9. Historic Sites Committee. The committee shall consist of five members, appointed by the President-elect to staggered 3-year terms. The Chair of the committee shall be appointed by the President-elect from among the members. The committee shall select sites where individuals or institutions have made outstanding contributions to the physics enterprise.  These sites will be included in the American Physical Society Register of Historic Sites.  The committee shall approve the wording on the plaques that are presented for display at selected sites and work with representatives from the sites to arrange for suitable presentation ceremonies. A maximum of four sites can be selected by the committee in any calendar year. The Chair of the committee shall maintain the Ledger that is the official record of the Register of Historic Sites, and shall report from time to time to the Executive Board on the committee's activities.
    10. Committee on Informing the Public. The membership of the Committee on Informing the Public shall consist of nine members appointed by the President-Elect to staggered three-year terms. The President-Elect shall appoint the Chair from among the members. The committee will provide oversight of the Society's public outreach and media relations activities while also seeking mechanisms to encourage or facilitate public outreach by APS members. Committee members will also suggest future activities, approaches, and outreach opportunities, as well as possible external funding sources. The committee will recommend to the APS Board the allocation of financial resources among membership and APS initiated activities at least once a year.
  3. AD HOC MEMBERS
    1. Ad Hoc Members. - The President may appoint ad hoc, non-voting members to any Society Committee upon the request of the Chairperson of that Committee.
ARTICLE IV- PRIZES AND AWARDS
  1. Definitions. - Prizes shall be awarded by the Society to recognize and reward outstanding research accomplishments and should carry a substantial minimum stipend. Awards may recognize a broader range of achievement (not excluding notable physics research) and may be restricted to a specific category or class of physicists. An Award should normally carry a more modest stipend than a Prize.
  2. Approvals. - The Council shall approve the criteria for all Prizes and Awards awarded by the Society. Individual recipients of Prizes and Awards shall be approved by the Executive Board.
  3. Prize and Award Selection Committees. - The Selection Committees to choose the recipients of Society Prizes shall be appointed by the President after consulting the Division(s), Forum(s), or Topical Group(s) most closely associated with the field of the prize. The Selection Committees to choose the recipients of Awards shall be appointed by the President upon recommendation from an appropriate unit of the Society.

ARTICLE V - FINANCES

  1. Bank Accounts and Documents. - The funds of the Society shall be deposited in the name of the Society in the banks, trust companies, or other financial institutions designated by the Executive Board. Checks and other documents and papers shall be signed or endorsed on behalf of the Society by such officer, officers, or other person designated by the Executive Board.
  2. Securities. - Securities for investments owned by the Society or held in trust by it shall be deposited in the name of the Society with the banks, trust companies, or other financial institutions designated as custodians by the Executive Board.
  3. Bonding. - The Executive Officer and the Treasurer/Publisher shall give the Society bond in the amount required by the Council, at the expense of the Society, for the faithful performance of the duties of their office and for delivery, upon demand by the Council, of all records, money, and other property belonging to the Society that have been in their custody.
  4. Grants-in-Aid. - A Division, Topical Group, Forum, Section, or Committee seeking grants-in-aid or contracts for the support of specific proposals of more than $10,000 shall submit such proposals to the Executive Officer for approval. The Executive Officer may, at his or her discretion, submit the proposal to the Executive Board for its approval.

ARTICLE VI - POLICY ON TENURE OF OFFICERS

  1. Appointment and Tenure of Officers. - The Executive Officer, the Treasurer/Publisher, and the Editor-in-Chief shall be elected by the Council to renewable five-year terms. A review of an incumbent Executive Officer, Treasurer/Publisher, or Editor-in-Chief shall be carried out by the Review Committee within the penultimate year of the term of office or sooner if so desired by Council. Council shall retain the power to replace an incumbent officer at any time following a review.
  2. Review Committee. - The Review Committee shall consist of the members of the Executive Board except the Executive Officer, the Treasurer/Publisher, and the Editor-in-Chief. The most recent Past-President shall be the Chairperson of the Review Committee. The Review Committee shall be responsible for reviewing the performance of the Executive Officer, the Treasurer/Publisher, and the Editor-in-Chief, and it shall report its findings to the Council.

ARTICLE VII - NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

  1. Requests for Nominations. - In addition to the nominating procedure described in the Constitution, the Nominating Committee shall request annually each Division, Topical Group, Forum, and Section to suggest nominations for the various officers and committees of the Society. The Nominating Committee may also request self-nominations from interested members by announcements in a Society publication or by other means. The Chairperson of the Nominating Committee shall inform the Committee on Committees of relevant suggestions for committee membership received from these requests.
  2. Information. - The Nominating Committee shall provide each candidate for elective office with a description of the duties of the office and an indication of the time required to fulfill the duties of office and shall require a statement of willingness to serve. To aid in the nominating procedure, the Nominating Committee may request pertinent information from the candidates including a statement of goals.
  3. Positions for Which Nominations Are Required. - The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of at least two candidates for (1) Vice-President, (2) Chairperson-Elect of the Nominating Committee, (3) General Councilors, (4) vacancies in the membership of the Nominating Committee, (5) Vice Chairperson of the Panel on Public Affairs, and (6) International Councilor. The Nominating Committee shall also prepare a slate of candidates for vacancies in the membership of the Panel on Public Affairs, and this slate shall include at least one and one-half as many candidates as the number of vacancies. The Nominating Committee is encouraged to suggest candidates for other committees to the Committee on Committees. The Committee on Committees shall prepare a slate of candidates for vacancies in the membership of the Publications Oversight Committee and the Audit Committee for election by Council, and it shall advise the President concerning suitable candidates for Bylaw committees appointed by the President. The Committee on Committees is encouraged to suggest candidates for the Nominating Committee, Panel on Public Affairs, and Chairperson-Elect of the Panel on Public Affairs to the Nominating Committee. In general, the number of nominees shall exceed the number of available vacancies. The President-Elect shall appoint the Chairpersons of all other committees unless otherwise specified in the Constitution and Bylaws after consultation with the retiring Chairperson of the committee in question and with the Committee on Committees.
  4. Representation. - Effort shall be made to achieve a wide representation in nominations with respect to the distribution of the membership of the Society among the various fields of physics, among geographical areas, among academic, governmental, and industrial organizations, and by age, minority status, and sex. Effort shall be made to achieve significant representation of Council members on every constitutional and standing committee of the Society.
  5. Council Elections Procedures. - One of the two Council Meetings specified in Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution shall be designated the Elections Meeting and shall be held at a date determined by Council between the 15th of October and the 15th of December. Prior to the Elections Meeting of the Council, the Executive Officer shall distribute the reports of the Nominating Committee and the Committee on Committees concerning nominations required by the Constitution and Bylaws for each position filled by Council election, including a short vita of each candidate. Nominations by a Councilor from the floor for any elective position of Council shall be permitted if seconded by a Councilor, and, if the Councilor making the nomination has previously ascertained the willingness of the candidate to run and has provided Council members with a vita of the candidate no later than the beginning of the Elections Meeting of the Council. The names of nominees, together with the source of each nomination, shall be distributed or posted in advance of each vote to every member of Council attending the Elections Meeting.
  6. Nominations for Executive Officer, Treasurer/Publisher, or Editor-in-Chief. - Nomination to fill a vacancy in the offices of Executive Officer, Treasurer/Publisher, or Editor-in-Chief shall be solicited from the entire membership of the Society by announcements in publications of the Society and the American Institute of Physics. The Review Committee, defined in Article VI, Section 2 of these Bylaws, shall select one or more candidates and shall present their names to Council for election according to Article IV, Section 2b of the Constitution.

ARTICLE VIII - DIVISION, TOPICAL GROUP, FORUM, AND SECTION CONCERNS

  1. Division, Topical Group, Forum and Section Finances. - Funds collected by the Society for Division, Topical Group, Forum, and Section membership dues, funds appropriated by the Council in lieu of dues, and funds collected by the Divisions, Topical Groups, Forums, and Sections shall be kept by the Society in internal accounts in the name of each such unit. The Society shall deduct from the accounts the itemized expenses incurred by the Society for services requested by these units and for services rendered them as approved by Council. The Secretary-Treasurer or a designate of a Division, Topical Group, Forum, or Section may authorize the disbursement of funds by the Treasurer/Publisher of the Society for expenses consistent with the general policies of that unit. Financial records shall be kept on an annual basis consistent with the fiscal policies of the Society. Statements of receipts and disbursements for a Division, Topical Group, Forum, and Section shall be submitted at least quarterly by the Treasurer/Publisher of the Society to the appropriate Secretary-Treasurers. Divisions, Topical Groups, Forums, and Sections may generate income from and incur expenses for activities, such as meetings, that are consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws and the fiscal policies of the Society. Petty cash accounts may be maintained by the Secretary-Treasurers of Divisions, Topical Groups, Forums, and Sections with the authorization of the Treasurer/Publisher of the Society.
  2. Membership in a Division, Topical Group, Forum, or Section. - Any members of the Society may join a Division, Topical Group, Forum, or Section by making application to the Executive Officer and by payment of applicable dues. The Executive Officer shall provide an annual list of members to each Division, Topical Group, Forum, or Section Secretary-Treasurer and shall make available up-to-date lists upon request.
  3. Revision of Division, Topical Group, Forum or Section Bylaws. - A Division, Topical Group, Forum, or Section shall submit proposals for the revision of their Bylaws to the Council for its approval, subject to review by the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws.
  4. Nomination and Election of Division and Forum Councilors. - During the final year of the term of a Division or Forum Councilor, the Division or Forum Executive Committee shall nominate at least two candidates for the open position. The election ballot shall contain these names and those of other candidates nominated by petition of the membership of the Division or Forum numbering at least five percent of the total number of members determined on 30 June of the year preceding the election. The Secretary-Treasurer shall poll the Division or Forum by mail or electronic ballot. Election shall be by plurality of those voting. If there is a tie, the Executive Committee shall decide the election, with the Chairperson voting only in the case of a tie among the other Executive Committee members. The Secretary-Treasurer shall communicate the results of the election to the Executive Officer before 1 January of the year in which the new Councilor assumes office.

ARTICLE IX- FELLOWSHIP

  1. Nomination for Fellowship. - For the election of a Member to Fellowship, a nomination form signed by two members of the Society and citing the principal contributions of the candidate to physics shall be sent to the Executive Officer. Such contributions may consist of advances in knowledge through original research and publication or of significant and innovative contributions in the applications of physics to science and technology. They may also consist of significant contributions to the teaching of physics or service and participation in the activities of the Society.
  2. Review of Qualifications for Candidates for Fellowship. - The Executive Officer shall refer the nominations to either the Fellowship Committee of the Society or to the Fellowship Committee of the appropriate Division, Topical Group, or Forum for review.
  3. Division, Topical Group, and Forum Fellowship Committees. - Each Division, Topical Group, and Forum shall establish a Fellowship Committee which shall review the qualifications of candidates for Fellowship and shall report its recommendations to the Division, Topical Group and Forum Executive Committees and to the Executive Officer of the Society.
  4. Society Fellowship Committee. -The Fellowship Committee of the Society shall solicit nominations, shall review the recommendations of the Division, Topical Group, and Forum Fellowship Committees, and shall review the qualifications of all candidates for election to Fellowship. The Fellowship Committee shall submit annually to the Executive Officer a list of nominees recommended for such election. The number of recommended nominees in each year shall not exceed one-half percent of the then current membership of the Society. Recommended nominees will be presented to Council at the Elections Meeting, and a majority vote of the Councilors present shall suffice for election.
  5. Appeal of a Rejection. - If a nomination for advancement to Fellowship is rejected by a Division, Topical Group, or Forum, the sponsors of the candidate may appeal the decision directly to the Fellowship Committee of the Society by written request to the Executive Officer.
  6. Statute of Limitation for Nomination. - A nominee for Fellowship who has not been approved after review by two consecutive Fellowship Committees shall be dropped from the list of nominees. The sponsors of the Member shall be notified by the Executive Officer that the Member will not be elected to Fellowship based on that nomination, but that the name of the Member may be resubmitted at a later time for nomination to Fellowship.

ARTICLE X - MEMBERSHIP

  1. Application for Membership. - Application for membership in the Society shall be made to the Executive Officer. For new members, membership shall commence on the 1st of the month following receipt and processing of the application and dues, in accordance with the procedures set by the society.
  2. Dues. - Membership dues shall be fixed by the Council. The Executive Board shall announce consideration by the Council of a change in the dues in an issue of a Society publication before the vote is taken.
  3. Unpaid Dues. - A member whose dues have not been paid by a date set by the Executive Board shall be sent a notice by the Executive Officer. If no response is received within a reasonable time, the Executive Officer shall remove the member's name from the membership list. A member who has been dropped for nonpayment of dues may be reinstated upon application to the Executive Officer and payment of the current year's dues.
  4. Senior Members. - A member who has retired from gainful employment and who has been a member of the Society not less than ten years may upon request to the Executive Officer be placed upon an Senior Member List. The dues and privileges of Senior Members shall be determined by Council.
  5. Associate Members. - Associate Membership shall be available to college and graduate students, to teachers in high schools and junior colleges, and to such other classes as the Council may determine. Certification that a person belongs to a class entitled to Associate Membership is required. The dues and privileges of Associate Members shall be determined by Council.
  6. Maintenance of Membership. - Membership in the Society shall be maintained by dues.

ARTICLE XI - MEETINGS AND ENDORSED CONFERENCES

  1. The Committee on Meetings shall propose and the Council shall adopt guidelines and rules for the operation of all Meetings of the Society. The participation of Divisions, Topical Groups, Forums, and Sections in Meetings will be governed by these rules.
  2. Division, Topical Group, and Forum Program Committees. - The Chairperson of each Division, Topical Group, and Forum shall appoint a Program Committee for the Division, Topical Group, or Forum. The Program Committee shall work with the office of the Executive Officer in scheduling contributed papers within the areas of interest of the Division, Topical Group, or Forum and in arranging symposia and sessions of invited papers sponsored by the Division, Topical Group, or Forum for Meetings of the Society. Meetings of an individual Division, Topical Group, or Forum may be organized either in collaboration with the office of the Executive Officer or separately by the Division, Topical Group, or Forum concerned.
  3. Endorsed Conferences. - The Society or a Division, Topical Group, Forum, or Section may endorse a conference devoted to the advancement and diffusion of knowledge in a sub-field of physics. Such a conference shall be known as an Endorsed Conference. Endorsed Conferences shall conform to the goals of the Society. They are distinct from Meetings of the Society and its units. Endorsed Conferences may set limitations on attendance and on the presentation of papers. Details of the organization of an Endorsed Conference shall be submitted to the Executive Officer who will ensure the proposed Conference does not conflict in substance and time with planned Meetings of the Society or other units. Endorsement or co-endorsement by the Society shall include suitable announcement of the Endorsed Conference in a Society publication. Publication by the Society of abstracts of technical papers from an Endorsed Conference may be requested by the organizers of the Endorsed Conference; if approved by the Executive Officer, the additional cost of such publication shall be borne by the Endorsed Conference.
  4. Commemorative and Memorial Sessions. - A proposal to hold a commemorative or a memorial session at a Meeting of the Society, a Division, Topical Group, Forum, or Section shall be approved by the Executive Board.
  5. Meeting Registration Fees. - Division, Topical Group, Forum, or Section Secretary-Treasurers, or others responsible for arrangements of Society, Division, Topical Group, Forum, or Section Meetings shall, in cooperation with the Executive Officer, fix the registration fee for such Meetings. In general, non-members of the Society shall pay a surcharge to be set each year roughly equal to the APS membership dues paid by regular members.

ARTICLE XII - PAPERS AT MEETINGS

  1. Procedure for Submitting Contributed Papers. - Any member who wishes to present a contributed paper at a Meeting of the Society shall provide a title and an abstract for publication. The abstract shall conform to regulations approved by the Council. Notice of each Meeting at which sessions of contributed papers are to be scheduled shall specify a place to which abstracts must be sent and a deadline date. The Executive Officer shall be under no obligation to schedule any contributed paper that arrives after the close of business on the deadline date at the designated Society office.
  2. Presentation. - The first author of a contributed paper submitted for a Meeting of the Society is expected to present the paper in either an oral or a poster session. An individual may normally present only one technical contributed paper during the regular program of a Meeting. One additional contributed paper on a non-technical topic may also be presented during the regular program at a non-technical session where said session has been explicitly approved as an exempt session by the appropriate program committee and/or program committee chair upon the advice of the Executive Officer of the APS. If an individual wishes to present any additional contributed papers, the individual must specify which paper(s) shall be presented in the regular program, and the rest will be assigned to the supplementary program upon approval of the Executive Officer. The Executive Officer is empowered to schedule these supplementary papers as either oral or poster papers after making a reasonable effort to satisfy an expressed preference of the author(s). If poster presentation space is limited, the Executive Officer may require some or all additional poster papers with the same first author to be presented in a space normally intended to accommodate one such paper.
  3. Contributed Papers by Non-Members. - A member of the Society may submit contributed papers to a Meeting of the Society for which a non-member of the Society is listed as first author.
  4. Time Allotment. - Normally, the time allotted for the presentation of an oral contributed paper shall be ten minutes.

ARTICLE XIII - JOURNALS

Each member of the Society who has paid dues in full may subscribe to the publications of the Society at member subscription rates, which shall be set by the Council.

ARTICLE XIV - ADDITIONAL DUTIES OF APS OFFICERS

The Executive Officer shall prepare the minutes of the Executive Board and Council meetings and shall submit these minutes to each member of Council no later than six weeks after the meeting. If a second meeting is scheduled less than eight weeks later, the Executive Officer shall send the minutes of the first meeting to each Council member at least one week prior to the second meeting.

ARTICLE XV –ELECTRONIC APPROVAL OF COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS

Time sensitive items of some urgency may be brought to the Council electronically for discussion and vote between scheduled meetings. In such cases, the following procedures should be used:

  1. Upon approval of the President, a resolution may be sent to Council members for discussion and action.
  2. Members of the Council should be given 5 days for discussion before any vote is taken.
  3. If 10% or more of the Council members object to conducting a vote on the resolution electronically, the procedure will be suspended and the item placed on the agenda for the next regularly scheduled Council meeting.
  4. If the President deems that the issues raised during the discussion period merit it, he or she may appoint a small committee to revise the resolution in keeping with the discussion.
  5. The resolution, in its original or revised form, will then be sent to the members of Council, who will have 3 working days to vote. The Executive Officer shall use all reasonable means to contact every Council member. For the electronic vote on the resolution to be valid, at least 60% of Council members must vote, and the majority of those voting must approve it.
ARTICLE XVI - APS PUBLIC POLICY STATEMENTS

A.  Introduction

Article IV, Section 2f of the APS Constitution authorizes the APS Council to review public policy statements issued by the Society.  The processes by which statements are drafted and approved are described herein.  The APS recognizes three approval processes:

1).  The Normal process results in a statement to be designated as a Public Policy Statement of the American Physical Society ("APS Statement" or "APS Public Policy Statement".)
2).  The Expedited process results in a statement to be designated as an American Physical Society Executive Board Statement ("APS Executive Board Statement").
3.)  The APS unit process results in a statement to be designated as an American Physical Society Unit Statement ("Unit Statement").

B.  Procedure for Issuing Public Policy Statements

1.  Initiation - Any APS member in good standing, group of members, or APS unit may submit a proposal to POPA for a statement.  POPA will consider those proposals which meet the POPA Guidelines for Submission of APS Statements.  If a decision is made not to proceed with drafting a Statement, POPA will convey its decision to those who submitted the proposal.

 

2.  Statement Drafting - POPA has exclusive responsibility for drafting statements.  The Chair of POPA has the responsibility for ensuring that the statement draft incorporates appropriate APS member expertise.  Members with conflicts of interest should not participate in Statement drafting or approval (see section E below).  PPC input to the draft statement will be solicited as described in Article III, Section b7 of the APS bylaws.
Upon POPA approval, the draft shall be sent to Council members for comment.  The Executive Board will vote on the proposed Statement, taking into consideration comments from Council members.  Should the Executive Board not approve the draft, the Executive Board will provide POPA with a written list of concerns, and POPA may redraft and resubmit the Statement to the Executive Board.  A second disapproval shall terminate the process.  Executive Board approval leads to a Membership review.
3.  Membership Review - Upon Executive Board approval, the APS Executive Officer shall actively solicit comments from the entire Membership.  Members shall have a minimum of 30 days to provide comments.  At the end of the comment period, all comments will be made available to POPA, appropriate APS staff, the Executive Board, and the Council.

If POPA determines that member comments justify modification or rejection of the draft statement, POPA will transmit its recommendation to the Executive Board in the form of a POPA-approved redraft or a letter that the statement process should be terminated.  POPA, with the help of the APS Executive Officer and staff, will provide the Executive Board with a verbal synopsis of member comments and the impact of those comments on the statement.

The Executive Board shall determine if Member comments have been adequately addressed and if the statement is ready for Council approval.  Two denials by the Executive Board subsequent to membership review terminates the process.  At no time may the Executive Board edit or redraft the statement.

4.  Council Approval - POPA will present the verbal synopsis described in B-3 to the Council.  The synopsis and subsequent discussion will be reflected in the minutes of the Council meeting.  If the Council approves the statement, it is deemed ready for publication.

If the Council does not approve the statement, it shall be sent back to POPA with a written list of concerns.  POPA may edit the draft and return it to the Executive Board and the Council, or terminate the statement process.

A second denial by the Council normally terminates the process.  At no time may Council edit or redraft the statement.

6.  Publication - The APS Executive Officer shall publish and distribute duly approved statements, at a minimum informing APS unit officers and announcing the statement in the APS News and/or the APS website.

7.  Archiving - Statements of the American Physical Society are subject to review on the 5th anniversary of issuance or renewal, or earlier at the discretion of POPA or the Council.  POPA will provide a recommendation to the Council, and the Council will vote to either renew or archive the Statement.

C.  Procedure for Issuing Executive Board Statements

In accordance with Article 6, section d of the APS Constitution, the Executive Board or the Presidential Line (President, President Elect, Vice President, and the Immediate Past President) may determine that it is in the interest of the American Physical Society to issue a public policy statement in an expedited manner.  Expedited statements shall be designated as Executive Board Statements.

1.  Drafting -   The Executive Board or Presidential Line shall draft the statement.

2.  POPA Review - The POPA Steering Committee shall review the draft statement and solicit comments from the PPC and the APS Office of Public Affairs.  The POPA steering committee may edit the draft before forwarding it to the Executive Board for final approval.

3.  Executive Board Approval - The Executive Board shall review the draft statement and any comments from the PPC and Office of Public Affairs.  Additional edits to the draft require POPA steering committee approval.  Upon final Executive Board approval, the Executive Board Statement is distributed by the APS Executive Officer and passed to POPA to determine if the Normal Procedure (outlined in ARTICLE XVI, Section B) should be initiated to turn the statement into an APS Public Policy Statement.

4.  Publication - The APS Executive Officer shall publish and distribute the Executive Board Statement, at a minimum informing APS unit officers and announcing the statement in the APS News and/or APS website.

5.  Sunset - Executive Board Statements will be archived after one year and are not renewable.  An Executive Board Statement may become an APS Public Policy Statement if the Normal Procedure (outlined in ARTICLE XVI, Paragraph B) is followed.

D.  Procedure for Issuing Unit Statement

1.  Guidelines - Units will establish guidelines for issuing their own policy statements ("Unit Statements").  Units will take into consideration the impact of the statement on the Society and the physics community and evaluate whether or not it is within the area of expertise of the unit's members.  Unit Statements must not conflict with statements of other units or the APS as a whole.  Unit Statements will clearly denote that the statement does not necessarily represent the position of the APS as a whole.

2.  Process - Units will establish their own process for drafting, approving, publishing and periodically reviewing and archiving their unit's statements.  At a minimum, this process will require the unit to solicit comments from unit members and input from the PPC and the Office of Public Affairs, and to consider possible conflicts with other APS unit statements.  Units must have a process incorporated into their bylaws before they may issue statements.

3.  Concurrence - The Unit Statement, along with a plan for publicizing the Unit Statement and summaries of comments from unit members, the PPC, and the Office of Public Affairs, will be sent to the POPA steering committee for comments and to the Executive Board for review.  Concurrence is required from the Executive Board prior to publication of any Unit Statement.

E.  Conflict of Interest
Conflict of interest is defined as "any financial or other interest which conflicts with the service of the individual because it (1) could significantly impair the individual's objectivity or (2) could create an unfair competitive advantage for any person or organization." 1  Anyone, particularly POPA and Council members, who can reasonably be perceived to have a conflict of interest, shall recuse themselves from all aspects of the Statement process, including drafting, commentary, and voting.  The President of the APS shall be the final arbiter of potential conflicts of interest.

 

1.  National Academies of Science, Policy on Committee Composition and Balance and Conflict of Interest for Committees,  used in the Development of Reports (May 12, 2003).