Updating FIAP’s Bylaws

In accordance with the APS requirement, the present Executive Committee of FIAP has formulated a revised version of the FIAP Bylaws, which was approved by the Governing Board of the APS.  Those revised Bylaws are shown below, and reflect a streamlining of how we do business at the March Meeting every year.   A ballot will be going out to all members, along with the ballot of candidates up for election this year to the Executive Committee.  We will ask all members to cast their votes for members of the Executive Board, along with their approval or rejection to the wording on the revised Bylaws, within the next month.  Please look over the Bylaws, and send any commentary or questions to the current Chair, Mark Bernius, at: nuclearzone9@gmail.com, regarding this Bylaws change / update.

Forum on Industrial and Applied Physics Bylaws

ARTICLE I – NAME
This organization within the American Physical Society, hereafter referred to as the Society, shall be called the Forum on Industrial and Applied Physics, hereafter referred to as the FIAP.

ARTICLE II – OBJECTIVE
The objective shall be to enhance the Society's ability to meet the needs of the industrial and applied physics community, and help the Society take advantage of the evolving opportunities in the practice and application of physics.

ARTICLE III – ENABLING CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION
The FIAP is established by the authority vested in the Council by Article VIII of the Constitution of the Society. Said article as it may be subsequently revised or amended, is hereby incorporated in these bylaws by reference.

ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP
1. The members of the FIAP shall consist of members of the American Physical Society who have made application to the Secretary-Treasurer of the FIAP, or who have otherwise indicated in accordance with procedures established by Council and the Bylaws of the FIAP, their desire to join the FIAP. The membership shall be maintained from year to year by the payment of designated dues or other method established by Council, provided continuing membership in the Society is maintained in good standing. Any member of the FIAP may resign upon notice to the Secretary-Treasurer.

2. The privilege of voting in elections of the FIAP shall be limited to members of the Society whose application for membership in the FIAP has been received at least thirty days prior to the date the voter ballots are posted on the web for the electronic election.

ARTICLE V – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
1. Governance. The FIAP shall be governed by an Executive Committee, which shall establish the policies and have responsibility for the affairs of the FIAP.

2. Composition. The voting members of the FIAP Executive Committee shall consist of the immediate Past Chair, Chair, Chair-Elect, Vice-Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, six Members-at-Large, the Editor of the FIAP Newsletter, and the FIAP Councilor, if any, elected in the manner specified in Article VII of these Bylaws. In addition, the Chair of the Committee on Applications of Physics shall serve as an ex officio member of the FIAP Executive Committee.

3. Executive Committee Meetings. The Executive Committee shall meet at least once a year. A majority of the voting members, including at least two Officers, shall constitute a quorum. One meeting shall be called the Annual Meeting and shall be held at the site of the APS March Meeting. A second meeting may be held optionally in the fall or winter. Any member of the Executive Committee unable to attend a meeting may name a nonvoting alternate to represent him or her, subject to the approval of the Chair. The Chair of the FIAP shall preside over the Executive Committee meetings.

4. When grants-in-aid from outside sources or voluntary contributions from FIAP members are desired for the support of specific FIAP projects, the Executive Committee shall submit an intention to solicit such funds to Council, in accordance with APS Bylaws, Article V, Section 4, which is hereby incorporated in these Bylaws by reference.

ARTICLE VI – OFFICERS, FORUM COUNCILOR, AND MEMBERS AT LARGE
1. Officers. The Officers of the FIAP shall be a Chair, a Chair-Elect, a Vice-Chair, and a Secretary-Treasurer, all of whom must be members of the FIAP for at least one year prior to nomination.

2. Duties of the Chair. The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee, and shall be responsible for implementation of the policies of the FIAP as established by the Executive Committee. The Chair shall prepare agendas for meetings of the Executive Committee, and shall prepare a yearly report of the activities of the FIAP, to be made available to the Council of the APS and members of the FIAP. The Chair shall serve as the head of the Nominating Committee. The Chair shall appoint the FIAP Election Coordinator from the Members at Large. In addition, the Chair shall perform other functions as appropriate or as provided in the Bylaws.

3. Duties of the Chair-Elect. The Chair-Elect shall serve as chair of the FIAP Fellowship Committee, shall assume the duties of the Chair, whenever the Chair is unable to perform them, and carry out other functions as appropriate or as provided in the Bylaws.

4. Duties of the Vice Chair. The Vice Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair-Elect whenever the Chair-Elect is unable to perform them. The Vice-Chair shall serve as Chair of the Program Committee and serve on the Nominating Committee and perform other functions as appropriate or as provided in the Bylaws.

5. Duties of the Secretary-Treasurer. The Secretary-Treasurer shall maintain the records of the FIAP; inform the Council and the Executive Officer of the needs of the FIAP; submit an annual financial report to the FIAP Executive Committee; prepare and distribute minutes of FIAP Executive Committee meetings within four weeks after each meeting. The Secretary-Treasurer shall also have responsibility for all funds in the custody of or placed at the disposal of the FIAP, and shall authorize disbursements from such funds for FIAP expenses. The Secretary-Treasurer shall present a financial report at each meeting of the Executive Committee. In addition the Secretary-Treasurer shall perform other functions as appropriate or as provided in the Bylaws.

6. Duties of the FIAP Councilor. The FIAP Councilor shall serve as liaison between the Council of the Society and the Executive Committee of the FIAP, and shall bring proposals and issues of concern to FIAP to the attention of Council. Following each Council meeting, the FIAP Councilor shall report to the Chair and the Secretary-Treasurer regarding Council actions, if any, that affect the status and operations of the FIAP. Reports shall be made to the entire Executive Committee during regularly scheduled meetings. In addition the FIAP Councilor shall perform other functions as appropriate or as provided in the Bylaws.

7. Duties of the Members at Large. The Members at Large (MALs) are appointed to FIAP committees by the FIAP Chair, where they carry out responsibilities as assigned by the committee chair. MALs help to organize FIAP focus sessions at APS meetings, and are expected to attend the FIAP Executive committee meeting, the FIAP business meeting, the FIAP fellowship dinner, the CSWP/FIAP networking breakfast, or other FIAP functions at the March or April meetings. One MAL will be appointed by the Chair to serve as the FIAP Election Coordinator. The Election Coordinator will oversee the annual election of new officers and MALs by the FIAP membership, and inform the APS Executive Officer, the FIAP Executive Committee, candidates, and FIAP membership of the election results.

ARTICLE VII – ELECTION AND TENURE OF THE OFFICERS, FIAP COUNCILOR AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
1. Qualifications. Officers, FIAP Councilor, and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee must be members of the FIAP for at least one year prior to nomination. Elections shall be held annually by electronic election through the APS website as hereinafter provided, or as required by the APS.

Nomination and election of the Vice-Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, FIAP Councilor and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee. Each year the Nominating Committee shall select at least two candidates for the office of Vice-Chair, two candidates for each opening for Member-At-Large, and at least two candidates for FIAP Councilor during the final year of the term of the current Councilor.

The Nominating Committee shall also nominate two candidates for the office of Secretary-Treasurer during the final year of the term of the current Secretary-Treasurer, unless that Secretary-Treasurer wishes to serve a second three-year term in which case he/she may run unopposed. After two complete terms, a Secretary-Treasurer may be elected to subsequent terms but may not run unopposed.

2. Nominations and Balloting. Nominations shall also be solicited from FIAP members via the FIAP newsletter, and/or other means. Election ballots will be posted on the APS website by 1 September and the election is to be complete before 1 October. Election shall be by plurality of those voting. The Chair shall not cast any ballot for any position except in the case of a tie.

3. Terms of Office. The Vice-Chair shall be elected by the membership to a one year term, shall then become Chair-Elect for one year, Chair for one year, and a final year on the Executive Committee as Past Chair. The six Members-at-Large shall serve staggered three year terms, with two Members-at-Large elected each year. The terms of office of the Officers and Members-at-Large shall begin at the close of old business during the Annual Meeting of the FIAP following their election. The FIAP Councilor shall serve a four-year term, beginning on January 1 of the year following his or her election.

4. Vacancies in Offices. If a vacancy occurs in the office of Chair, the Chair Elect shall succeed and complete the term and shall serve as Chair also in the following year. The Vice-Chair shall serve simultaneously as Chair-Elect during the remainder of the term and shall continue to serve as Chair-Elect in the following term.

If a vacancy occurs in the office of Chair-Elect otherwise than through advancement to Chair, the Vice-Chair shall become Chair-Elect. In this case, and also if the office of Vice-Chair becomes vacant for other reasons, the office of Vice Chair shall remain vacant for the remainder of the term. In the next scheduled election, candidates for both Chair-Elect and Vice-Chair shall be nominated.

If vacancies occur in the offices of both the Chair and the Chair-Elect, the Vice-Chair shall become Chair and shall complete the term. In this case a special election shall be held to fill the offices of Chair-Elect and Vice-Chair. The members so elected shall continue to serve as officers in the normal succession order.
Vacancies in any other elected office shall be filled (or left unfilled) by the Executive Committee until such time as the vacancy can be filled by regular election procedures.

ARTICLE VIII – APPOINTED COMMITTEES
There shall be four statutory committees of the FIAP, plus any others deemed necessary for the operation of the FIAP in the judgment of the Executive Committee. The statutory committees shall be as follows:

1. The Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall be chaired by the FIAP Chair and in addition shall include the Chair-Elect and two members of FIAP appointed by the FIAP Chair to staggered two year terms, and one member appointed to a one year term by the APS Council. The FIAP Chair shall ascertain through the Executive Officer the identity of this member. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of candidates for the positions of Vice-Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, FIAP Councilor and Members-at-Large, in accordance with Article 7 of these Bylaws. The Nominating Committee shall also advise the Chair on suitable candidates for Society offices and committees, such as selection committees for prizes in industrial and applied physics and the Committee on Applications of Physics.

2. The Program Committee. The Program Committee shall consist of the Chair, the Vice Chair, and the Secretary Treasurer, and other FIAP members appointed as necessary by the FIAP Chair. The Program Committee shall be chaired by the Vice Chair, and shall be responsible for arranging invited and contributed papers and organizing symposia within the area of interest of the FIAP at APS General Meetings.

3. The Fellowship Committee. The Fellowship Committee shall consist of the Chair-Elect, Vice Chair and the members-at-large of the executive committee and it shall be chaired by the Chair-Elect. The Fellowship Committee shall be responsible for reviewing of the qualifications of candidates for fellowship and report its recommendations to the Executive Officer and to the Fellowship Committee of the Society.

4. The Newsletter Committee. The Executive Committee shall elect an Editor for the Newsletter to a renewable three-year term. The Editor may recruit Newsletter Committee members as required from among FIAP members. The Newsletter Committee shall be responsible for collecting and reporting on issues and events in the interests of FIAP members, and producing at least two issues of the Newsletter each year, which will be posted on the APS/FIAP website. The newsletter will have an announcement of the election and a link to the election ballot once per year. The Editor is also responsible for maintaining the content on the FIAP web page.

5. Ad Hoc Committees. The Chair may appoint other ad hoc committees, which shall serve only during his or her term as Chair. The terms of committee members appointed or recommended by an incoming Chair shall commence at the beginning of the year in which he or she assumes office.

ARTICLE IX – AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
Proposals for amendments to these bylaws may be made by the Council, by the Executive Committee, or by petition to the Chair signed by not fewer than ten percent of the members of the FIAP. If a proposed amendment originates within the FIAP, it must be approved by Council before further action can be taken. Following Council approval, the Secretary-Treasurer shall distribute copies of the proposed amendment to all members of the FIAP not less than four weeks before the Annual Meeting, and opportunity for discussion shall be given during the Annual Meeting. Voting on a proposed amendment shall be carried out by electronic ballot in the manner required for amendment to the Constitution of the Society. The adoption of an amendment shall require the affirmative votes of not fewer than two thirds of the members voting. The amendment shall become effective on the first day of January, following the approval by vote of the membership.

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Opinions expressed represent the views of the individual authors and not the American Physical Society or authors’ employers.