The Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics by-laws


SASE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization organized under US law domiciled in Timonium, Maryland.

ARTICLE I – NAME

The name of the corporation is The Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics [hereinafter referred to as SASE, “the corporation,” or “the organization”].

ARTICLE II – PURPOSES AND GUIDING PHILOSOPHY

The Corporation is organized, and shall be operated, exclusively for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes as may qualify it for tax exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. SASE is a multidisciplinary organization, dedicated to developing social science theory, research, education, and practice in the intersections of many disciplines, including sociology, psychology, philosophy, political science, history, anthropology, management, law, and economics. A governance structure should reflect and support SASE’s mission, history, and vision of the future. It should enable, not encumber, and should include, not exclude. It should provide a foundation for responsible action, accountability, and adaptability.

SASE shall maintain and support the journal Socio-Economic Review.

ARTICLE III – PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES

No part of the net earnings of the corporation shall be used for the benefit of, or be distributable to the members, director, or officers of the Corporation, except that the corporation shall have the authority to pay reasonable compensation for services actually rendered to or for the Corporation. No substantial part of the activities of the Corporation shall consist of carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Corporation shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publication or distribution of statements), any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to, any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these revised By-laws or of the Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation, the Corporation shall not engage in or carry on any activities not permitted to be engaged in or carried on by a corporation described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provision of a future Federal income tax law) and exempt from taxation under Section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provision of any future income tax law).

ARTICLE IV – OFFICES

The Corporation shall maintain such presence in Timonium, Maryland as is necessary to meet the legal requirements for non-profit status, and may maintain additional offices at other places as the Executive Council chooses to designate.

ARTICLE V – MEMBERSHIP

  1. Membership. The membership of the organization shall consist of the persons who have signed the Articles of Incorporation and other persons who have paid the annual dues as determined by the Executive Council at its annual meeting.
  2. Classes. There shall be one class of members, all having equal voting powers.

ARTICLE VI – GOVERNANCE

SASE shall be governed by its Officers, an Executive Council, an Executive Committee, and a paid Executive Director. In addition, there shall be annually renewed committees, whose members are totally or partially renewed every year. The President may also name such ad-hoc committees as are necessary to carry out the business of the organization.

  1. Officers. The officers of SASE are the President, the Treasurer, the President-Elect, the Past-President, and the Chair of the Annual Meeting Local Arrangements Committee. Each shall serve for one year, except for the Chairs of the Annual Meeting Local Arrangements Committees, who shall serve from the time of appointment to the conclusion of the Meeting for which they are responsible. The President Search is conducted by a three-person group: the Past President, who chairs the Search, the President Elect, and one person from the Executive Council selected by the President. The Search Group after consulting the Executive Committee shall nominate as many as two candidates annually for the position of President-Elect, who shall be chosen by a majority of the members voting by ballot. The Executive Director is responsible for tallying the votes for President-Elect, notifying the winning candidate, and reporting the results to the Executive Council. Starting at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting, the President-Elect serves one year in that capacity and automatically succeeds to the office of President upon completion of their term as President-Elect, or when the office of President is vacant. A President-Elect who completes an unexpired term of the President (when the President, due to unforeseen circumstances, can no longer serve) shall also serve as President for the following year. The outgoing President automatically serves for one year as Past-President. The members of the Annual Meeting Program Committee and the Annual Meeting Local Arrangements Committee shall be appointed by the President. The terms of all officers commence at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting
  2. Executive Committee. The members of the Executive Committee include the President, the President-Elect, the Past-President, the Executive Director and the Treasurer. The Executive Committee shall carry out the strategic leadership of SASE.
  3. Executive Council. The Executive Council consists of 24 members elected at-large by ballot of the membership upon nomination by the Nominations Committee. The President is ex-officio member of the Executive Council and chairs its deliberations. The Executive Director is an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Council. The Chairs of the Annual Meeting Local Arrangement Committees shall also be ex-officio, non-voting members of the Executive Council from the time of their appointment to the conclusion of the Meeting for which they are responsible. The President-Elect and Treasurer are ex-officio, non-voting members of the Executive Council. The Network Organizers’ Forum delegates one, non-voting member to the Executive Council. Elected members of the Executive Council serve for three years. One-third of the Council shall be elected each year. Vacancies for unexpired terms on the Council shall be added to the regularly contested seats at the next election. The slate of nominees for the Executive Council shall have, if possible, as many as twice the number of names as vacant positions, and shall provide an opportunity for write-in votes. The candidates with the most votes shall be elected to the Council; of those elected, the candidates with the fewest votes shall fill the unexpired term(s). In case of equal votes consequential to the final outcome, the Executive Director, in the presence of two witnesses, breaks the tie by coin toss. The Executive Director is responsible for tallying the votes for all offices, notifying the winning candidates, and reporting the results to the Executive Council. The Executive Director shall retain all ballots for a period of one year following the election, and shall make all ballots, tallies, and other election documents available for inspection by any member at reasonable times. New members of the Council take office at the conclusion of its annual meeting, except for those filling unexpired terms, who shall take office immediately.
    The Executive Council meets during SASE’s Annual Meeting. All decisions of the Council are by majority vote of a quorum, which consists of a majority of the elected members of the Council. Proxy voting is not permitted. At the call of the President, the Executive Council may also meet at other times by telephone or alternative electronic means. Except as provided for in these by-laws, the Executive Council shall determine its own rules of procedure. The Executive Director shall serve as secretary of the annual Executive Council meetings, record the minutes, and present them to the Executive Council within 90 days of the conclusion of the Annual Meeting. Approval of the minutes shall be the first agenda item at the next annual meeting of the Executive Council.
    The Executive Council is the official policymaking and ratification body of SASE. The Council shall review and approve the minutes, financial report, and annual budget submitted by the Treasurer, as well as proposed changes in governance policies and practices including amendments to the by-laws; select the Executive Director under the proposal of the President and President-Elect; and establish a schedule of membership dues and Meeting registration fees. The dates for the membership dues are under the responsibility of the Executive Director
  4. The Treasurer. The Treasurer is elected by the general membership and serves for a two-year term that can be renewed once. The Treasurer shall have signature authority over SASE financial accounts, along with the Executive Director.
  5. Executive Director. The Executive Director is selected by the Executive Council upon recommendation by the President and President-Elect. The Executive Director is expected to carry out the policies defined by the Executive Council. The Executive Director is initially hired for a specified probationary period, after which the term of office of the Executive Director is three years, renewable at the discretion of the Executive Council. The Executive Director’s performance shall be reviewed periodically by the Executive Committee deliberating in the absence of the Executive Director. They decide on the annual salary paid to the Executive Director. The rules applied to the salary annual review are submitted to the Executive Council. The Executive Director may be employed on a part-time basis. Non-budgeted expenditures over $2,000US require approval by the President and the Treasurer and over $5,000US after consultation with the Executive Committee. As finances permit, the Executive Director may contract for services such as accounting, publishing, printing and mailing, and may hire clerical support as necessary. In the case of unsatisfactory performance, changes in institutional support, or changes in life circumstances, the Executive Director may terminate the appointment, or be terminated by the Executive Council. Six months’ notice is normally given for all terminations. The Executive Director’s duties include:
    • Working with officers, members, and committees
    • Carrying out the day-to-day operation of SASE
    • Conducting elections
    • Communicating with the membership, including timely production and distribution of newsletters, ballots, Annual Meeting announcements, and preliminary and final programs for the Annual Meeting
    • Developing membership enhancement strategies
    • Collecting annual membership and Meeting dues
    • Maintaining accurate membership and financial records
    • Working with the President, the President-Elect, the Annual Meeting Program Committee, and the Annual Meeting Local Arrangements Committee to plan and administer Annual Meetings, including facilities arrangements and scheduling
    • Monitoring the financial status of SASE, managing the budget in a responsible manner
    • Arranging and contracting for an external review of SASE’s financial records at least once every three years
    • Maintaining SASE’s historical records
    • Serving as secretary to the Executive Council and recording the minutes of its meetings
    • Determining dates for membership dues
  1. Annual Meeting Program Committee. There shall be a Program Committee responsible for each Annual Meeting, appointed and chaired by the President. The Program Committee, under the direction of the President, shall be responsible for organizing the program of the Annual Meeting in cooperation with the Executive Director. The Program Committee shall include one representative from the Annual Meeting Local Arrangements Committee.
  2. Award Committees. Award Committees are established by the Executive Council and their members are annually appointed by the President.
  3. Early Career Workshop Committee. This Committee is responsible for the organization of the Early Career Workshop taking place annually. The President shall appoint the chair of the Early Workshop Committee. Other members are appointed by the chair in consultation with the President.
  4. Membership and Diversity Committee. This Committee reports and advises on membership trends and diversity concerns. The President shall appoint annually the chair and members of this Committee.
  5. Nominations Committee. The President under consultation of the Executive Committee shall determine the size, and appoint annually the members and chair of this Committee. Nominations committee announces an open call for nominations whereby members can nominate other members or themselves. The Nominations committee will select from these names to compose the final ballot. The Committee will strive to maximize the diversity of the ballot (and subsequently, of the Executive Council) by considering various factors (such as, but not limited to, gender, academic discipline, geographic area of the candidates’ appointment, or background). The Nominations Committee may also suggest members for the other committees the President appoints.  
  6. Research Networks. SASE is organized into Research Networks, which are established by the Executive Council on the proposal of the President. Research Networks shall be re-certified by the Executive Council every three years. Each Network is chaired by Network Organizers appointed by the President after consultation with the Executive Committee. Research Networks shall integrate and promote research, communication, and Annual Meeting organization and participation among like-minded members of SASE.
  7. Networks Oversight Committee. This Committee reports to and advises the Executive Council and the Executive Committee on network trends, the establishment of new networks and the disestablishment of existing networks. The President shall appoint annually three members of this Committee including its chair. Network Organizers cannot be members of this Committee.
  8.  Network Organizers’ Forum. The members of the Forum are all Network Organizers. The Forum elects its chair by majority vote of all its members. It delegates one non-voting member for a three year term to the Executive Council by vote where each network will have one vote.  

ARTICLE VII – DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS OF SASE

  1. The President. The President shall be responsible for strategic direction and institution building. The President chairs the Executive Council and the Executive Committee. The President is concerned about goals and activities of SASE and social trends relevant to SASE’s purposes. The President’s initiatives should promote public interest in SASE and internal enthusiasm among SASE members. The President is responsible for the organization of the Annual Meeting that marks the conclusion of their term of office. In all other situations not otherwise enumerated in these by-laws, the President is authorized to act for, and in the best interests of, the organization.
    The President and other officers may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of all the members of the Executive Council, for inability or failure to carry out the duties of office in a reasonable and prudent manner and/or a serious violation of the rules or norms set forth within these by-laws. When the removal of the President is under consideration by the Executive Council, the Past-President shall preside. The Executive Council shall devise in advance the rules and procedures to be followed when considering the removal of an officer of SASE. In case of the removal or disability of both the President and President-Elect, the Past-President shall serve as Acting President until a new President and President-Elect shall be elected by the members or, in the interim, by the Executive Council.
  2. The Past-President. The Past-President serves in an advisory capacity to the President to enhance continuity in strategic direction and institution building. The Past-President serves on the Executive Committee and the Executive Council, and shall chair the annual meeting of the Executive Council in the absence of both the President and the President-Elect. The Past-President shall serve as Acting President if that office becomes vacant and there is no President-Elect to fill it.
  3. The President-Elect. The President-Elect, shall preside over the Executive Council in the absence of the President. The President-Elect shall advise the President on all matters pertaining to the organization. The President-Elect is responsible for identifying the venue and theme of the Annual Meeting that takes place during their term as President.

ARTICLE VIII – FINANCIAL REPORTS AND ANNUAL BUDGET

The Treasurer shall present an annual budget and financial report to the Executive Council at its annual meeting. Prior to the annual meeting the Treasurer shall circulate a preliminary financial report and a proposed annual budget for the next fiscal year to the Executive Committee and the Executive Council. SASE’s fiscal year shall be from January 1st through December 31st. The preliminary financial report shall include an accounting of the income and expenses for the preceding year. Subsequent to the Annual Meeting, the Treasurer shall prepare a final financial report for the fiscal year and a separate report on the income and expenses related to the Annual Meeting. At least once every three years the Executive Director shall arrange and contract for an external review of SASE’s financial condition, and present the results to the Executive Council.

ARTICLE IX – CORPORATE FINANCES

  1. Deposit of Funds. All funds of the corporation not otherwise employed shall be deposited in interest bearing accounts in banks, trust companies, or other investment venues, as determined by the Treasurer in consultation with the President or, if the President is not available, with the President-Elect or Past-President. All checks shall be signed by the Treasurer or Executive Director and shall be subject to review by the President and/or other persons designated by the Executive Committee.
  2. Conflicts of Interest. No member, officer, or employee of SASE shall contract, or participate in contracting, for any goods or services in which that member, officer, or employee has a direct or indirect beneficial interest, unless that interest is revealed to, and approved by, the Executive Council prior to the authorization and implementation of the contract.
  3.  

ARTICLE X – HONORARY FELLOWS

The President, Past-President, and President-Elect serve as electors of honorary fellows. Honorary fellows are ex-officio, non-voting members of the Executive Council.

ARTICLE XI – AMENDMENTS TO BY-LAWS

These by-laws may be amended, on the petition of any member of SASE, officer, or member of the Executive Council, by a majority vote of the Executive Council present and voting at its annual meeting, followed by timely ratification by ballot of two-thirds of the paid-up members of SASE voting on the proposed amendment(s). The full text of proposed amendments, along with appropriate information describing their need and purpose, shall be provided to each member of SASE prior to the ratification election. The Executive Director shall count the ballots and certify the defeat or ratification of all amendments. Amendments to the by-laws ratified by the membership shall take effect immediately upon certification unless a different date is specified by the Executive Council in the language of the amendment or in its enabling clause. The Executive Director shall be responsible for keeping a record of all amendments, incorporating their text into the language of these by-laws, and making available to all officers and members of SASE updated and current versions of the by-laws.

ARTICLE XII – EFFECT OF NEW BY-LAWS

These new by-laws replace and supersede the former by-laws of the organization and the “SASE Governance Model” adopted on 8 July 1999. They shall take effect immediately upon certification of ratification by the Executive Director.

 

Adopted by the Executive Council, 26 June 2019

Ratified by the SASE membership 27 September 2019