By-Laws for “Teaching of Psychology”
Section 15 of the Canadian Psychological Association (June, 1991)
I. NAME
1. The organization shall be called the Section on Teaching of Psychology, hereinafter referred to as “the Section”.
II. PURPOSE
1. Sections are the primary agents through which the particular and special needs of members of the Canadian Psychological Association (hereinafter referred to as “CPA”) are met and interests are served. The purpose of this Section is to promote the development of Teaching of Psychology as a special interest area in psychology.
2. In pursuance of this purpose, the Section is expected to:
a. provide information to members about current activities, events, research and practice developments in the area;
b. organize sessions at the annual CPA Convention that are of interest to members;
c. represent the interests of the Section within CPA through initiating such activities as position papers, policy statements, and special meetings; and make representations, on behalf of its members, to external organizations or agencies with the approval of the Executive Committee of the CPA Board of Directors; and
d. have as its prime objective the encouragement and facilitation of improved teaching quality in Canadian undergraduate and graduate Psychology programs.
3. The Section shall have access to the Board of Directors through the Executive Committee for consideration of issues of concern to the Section involving matters relevant to the relationship of the Section to the Association as a whole or component parts thereof, or concerning agencies or activities external to the Association. These may in turn be referred to the Board for consideration and action.
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NOTE: CPA By-Laws and CPA Policies require that some items are mandatory in Section By-Laws.
III FORMATION
1. The section is an agent of the CPA and operates in accord with By-Law VII of the Association.
2. Approval to establish the Section within the Association is granted by the CPA Board of Directors in accord with CPA By-Law VBL2.
3. The Section may be dissolved by the CPA Board of Directors in accord with By-Law VII.3.
IV. MEMBERSHIP
1. Full membership in the section is open to all Fellows, Members, and Student, Foreign and Special Affiliates of CPA.
2. Associate membership in the Section is open to those who do not meet the requirements for full membership, i.e., who are not CPA members, but who nevertheless declare an intention to pursue the stated purposes of the Section.
3. Members of the Section who are full members of CPA may exercise full voting rights, and may nominate, vote and hold office. Each member and affiliate is entitled to one vote. Affiliate members of CPA who are members of the Section and Associate members of the Section may enjoy full privileges of membership except for holding office.
4. Any member of CPA shall be admitted to full membership in the Section upon application to CPA or to the Section and upon stated commitment to the purposes of the Section and upon payment of the annual dues.
5. The Section shall establish annual dues. Membership fees adequate to carry out the purposes of the Section shall be established by a majority vote of members present and voting at the Annual General Meeting. Differential dues may be set for Full members, Student members, and Associate members.
6. Any member may resign from membership in the Section by giving written notice to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Section. Membership dues are not refundable following resignation.
7. Any member of CPA whose fees are six months in arrears shall be deemed to have resigned from CPA and therefore is no longer eligible to be a member of the Section. Members whose Section membership fees are six months in arrears shall be deemed to have resigned from the Section, and are therefore not permitted to vote, to make nominations, or to hold office in the Section.
8. Any member suspended from the CPA under its By-Law XI shall be deemed to be suspended from the Section.
9. Members whose conduct is considered by the Executive Committee of the Section to be contrary to the stated purposes of the Section shall be asked by the Executive Committee to explain or justify their actions. If the members are unwilling or unable to do so, they shall be asked by the Executive Committee to resign from the Section. If they do not resign, the Executive Committee shall give notice of motion, to be considered at the next general meeting, requesting their expulsion from the Section. A copy of this motion shall be communicated to the member concerned in time for that person to make a written response. If a response is made, it shall be circulated with the notice of motion. The members concerned shall be given an opportunity to explain their positions at the meeting at which the motion requesting their expulsion is considered. Approval of such a motion shall require a two-thirds majority of votes cast.
V. OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
1. There should be at least three elected officers, among them being, the Chairperson, Chairperson-Elect, the Past-Chairperson. The term for each elected office is one year (or two years) ending at the close of the Annual General Meeting. A Secretary-Treasurer shall either be elected or appointed annually (or bi-annually) by the Chairperson. These four officers comprise the Executive Committee of the Section. Sections may also choose to have a member-at-large and a student representative. The management of the Section shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee.
2. Nominations for vacant positions on the executive may be made up to the time of the annual election, either by e-mail to the current or past Chairperson or designated Chief Returning Office, or in person at the annual Section meeting, as determined by the Section. Voting for these positions may also take place prior to the SBM by mail, e-mail, or secure Web-form ballot. If electronic voting is used, the election shall be ratified by the members present and voting at the Section Business Meeting. Should the Section wish, the actual voting for electoral officers can be done at the Section Business Meeting.
3. The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson shall be, and the Secretary-Treasurer may be, elected by the majority vote of members present and voting at the Annual General Meeting.
4. The Chairperson shall:
a. Provide the overall supervision and administration of the affairs of the Section and ensure that all policies and actions approved by the general membership or by the Executive Committee are properly implemented.
b. Preside at general meetings of the Section and chair meetings of the Executive Committee.
c. Represent the Section on the CPA Committee on Sections, to the CPA Board of Directors, and to external bodies. (CPA By-Law VTI.7. states: The Section shall elect or appoint a representative to sit on the Committee on Sections of the Association and shall regulate through the Section By-Law the method of appointment or election and the terms of office.)
d. Provide an annual report to the members and to the CPA.
5. The Vice-Chairperson is available to carry out duties assigned by the chairperson or requested by the Executive Committee or the general membership.
6. The Secretary-Treasurer shall:
- Issue notices and agendas, and prepare, maintain, and distribute the minutes of general meetings and of the Executive Committee.
- Work with the CPA Head Office to maintain an up-to-date list of members, including a record of the dues paid by members in order to establish those in good standing. Membership dues shall be collected by the CPA Head Office at the time of the annual membership subscription to the Association. The CPA Head Office disburses the dues collected to the Section along with a roster of the names and addresses of Section members. A fee for processing Section dues and memberships is set by the CPA Board of Directors in consultation with the Committee on Sections and with sufficient notice given to allow for the Section to plan a budget.
- Be responsible for the care and custody of the funds and other assets of the Section and for making payments for all approved expenses.
- Maintain books of the accounts which shall be made available for inspection at any reasonable time on request.
- Annually, at least four weeks before the Annual Meeting of the Association, submit an Annual Report, which includes a financial statement, to the Board of Directors of the Association. The financial statement shall include a budget for the ensuing year which shall be subject to approval by the Board of Directors.
- Carry out other duties as may be assigned by the Chairperson.
7. The signing officers of the Section shall be the Chairperson and the Secretary-Treasurer.
8. Officers shall remain in office until their successors are elected or appointed, unless they resign, or are removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the body that elected or appointed them. Proper notice must be given of a motion to remove a person from office and the individual concerned shall be given an opportunity to speak before such a motion is put to a vote.
9. Vacancies that occur on the Executive Committee shall be filled by appointment by the Executive Committee.
VI. GENERAL MEETING
1. The general membership shall retain all powers of the Section except the management duties delegated in Section By-Law V to the Executive Committee of the Section.
2. An Annual General Meeting shall be held at the time and in the location of the annual convention of the CPA.
3. The Executive Committee of the Section may call a special general meeting by giving at least 30 days notice of the time and place of the meeting and of the specific agenda items to be considered.
4. A quorum for the transaction of business at all general meetings shall be seven full members. (The guideline for a quorum is twice the number of the Executive Committee plus one.)
5. The meetings of the general membership shall be conducted in accordance with the latest edition of Procedures for Meetings and Organizations, by M.K. Kerr and H.W. King, Carswell Legal Publications, Toronto.
VII. COMMITTEES
1. The Executive Committee may appoint standing or other committees as it deems desirable to facilitate the achievement of the purposes of the Section. (Standing committees that Sections may wish to establish include Convention Programme Committee, Newsletter Committee, Public Information Committee, Scientific Affairs Committee and Professional Affairs Committee.)
2. Terms of reference of standing committees shall be prepared by the Executive Committee of the Section and put before the membership for approval at a general meeting. Ad hoc committees may be established by approval of a motion at a general meeting or at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Section.
VIII. AMENDMENTS
1. These By-Laws may be amended by approval of a motion by a two-thirds majority of votes cast at the Annual General Meeting of the Section, provided that at least thirty days notice is given for such a motion, and that the amendments receive subsequent approval by the Board of CPA.