Society for Disability Studies Bylaws
Bylaws for the Society of Disability Studies September 14, 2024
I. ORGANIZATION
A. Name and Legal Basis
The Society for Disability Studies is a nonprofit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Oregon governing nonprofit scientific and educational corporations.
B. Purpose
The Society for Disability Studies (SDS) is a nonprofit organization that promotes the exploration of disability through research, artistic production, and teaching. Disability studies encourages perspectives that place disability in social, cultural, and political contexts. Through its work the Society seeks to augment understanding of disability in all cultures and historical periods, to promote greater awareness of the experiences of disabled people, and to contribute to social change.
II. MEMBERSHIP
A. Composition
Any person sharing the interests of the Society may become a member upon payment of annual dues as prescribed pursuant to these Bylaws.
B. Membership Dues
A dues structure will be set by the Directors based on the annual income of individuals who apply for membership.
C. Power and Responsibilities of the Membership
The highest authority for deciding the policies and managing the affairs of the Society lies with the membership of the Society. It elects the Directors who serve as their representatives and may appeal the actions of the Board of Directors or any officer of the Society.
III. MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERSHIP
A. Accessibility of Meetings
All business of the Society will be conducted in a manner that provides reasonable accommodations for the needs of individuals with disabilities. The Society will endeavor to make its communications and physical environments accessible to people with disabilities.
B. Annual Meetings
Annual Meetings of the Society shall be held at a time and place to be determined by the Directors. The chief purpose of Annual Meetings is the exchange of information through the presentation of papers and discussions, but the Society shall also transact such other business as may be necessary.
C. General Meetings
A General Business Meeting shall be scheduled annually. The time and place of this meeting shall be announced at least four weeks in advance. All members not delinquent in their annual dues shall be entitled to vote in the General Business Meeting. No minimum quorum shall be necessary to convene the meeting.
IV. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
A. Composition
The membership of the Board of Directors shall consist of between nine and thirteen Directors and such non-voting exofficio Board members as deemed advisable by the Directors.
B. Directors
- Selection and Terms of Directors
a. The Society shall seek to reflect diversity with respect to disabled/nondisabled people, people with a range of disabilities, academic disciplines, occupation, gender, age, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and educational levels among its Directors.
b. Directors shall be elected by a plurality vote of the members of the Society who vote from among a slate of candidates submitted by the Nominating Committee, and approved by the Board of Directors. Elections shall be completed in July of each year. Directors shall serve three-year terms commencing at the beginning of September following their election. The membership shall elect approximately one-third of the Directors each year. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent the election of Directors to succeed themselves. No member of the Board of Directors shall be a salaried employee of the Society. Any Director having served for two consecutive full terms or for a continuous period of seven years must wait at least one year before running for re-election to the Board.
3. Vacancies among Directors
Vacancies among Directors shall be filled by appointment made by a two-thirds majority vote of the remaining Directors. Each person so appointed to fill a vacancy shall remain a Director until the completion of the unexpired portion of that term. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent the election of appointed Directors to succeed themselves.
4. Responsibilities of the Directors
The Directors shall exercise general supervision over affairs of the Society, and manage its finances. The Directors are responsible for appointing an Executive Officer to assist in the conduct of the business of the Society. The Directors are responsible for determining the number and nature of Committees, and for the election of Chairpersons or Co-chairpersons to chair these Committees, as provided below in Article VI. The Directors shall determine which issues brought to its attention require action by the membership.
5. Action by Written Consent
If and when two-thirds of the Directors shall severally or collectively consent in writing, including by email, to any action to be taken by the Society, such action shall be valid as though it had been authorized at a meeting of the Board of Directors.
C. Ex-officio Board Members
1. Selection and Terms of Ex-officio Board Members
Any individual who serves as Chairperson of the Board or Clerk/Treasurer during his or her last year as a Director shall be appointed Ex-officio Board Member and shall be granted one year membership on the Board of Directors, commencing with the completion of his or her term as a Director.
2. Vacancies among Ex-officio Board Members
Vacancies among Ex-officio Board Members shall not be filled.
3. Responsibilities of Ex-officio Board Members
Ex-officio Board Members shall be non-voting members of the Board of Directors and shall participate in all non-voting activities of the Board. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent an Ex-officio Board Member from changing her or his status to Director if appointed as stipulated in Section IV.B.3. above.
D. Meetings of the Board
The Board of Directors shall meet at least once a year prior to the General Business Meeting. It shall receive reports of all Officers and Committee Chairpersons. The Directors shall adopt a budget and appropriate money and give their recommendations upon all questions to be presented to the membership. The Chairperson of the Board of Directors shall announce the time and place of the meeting at least four weeks in advance. The meeting shall be conducted under Roberts Rules of Order current at the time of the meeting. A majority of the Directors will constitute a quorum.
V. OFFICERS
A. Composition
1. The Officers of the Society shall consist of a President, a President-Elect, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.
a. The President shall be appointed by the Executive Board for a term of Office of three (3) years, serving the first year as President-Elect. The President shall be the presiding officer of the Society and Chairperson of the Executive Board. The President shall exercise all the duties and responsibilities commonly associated with this office. Acting with the advice and consent of the Executive Board, the President shall appoint necessary committees and define their duties and appoint representatives of the Society to other societies or agencies.
b. The President-Elect shall assist the President and succeed to the presidency at the expiration of the President’s term of office or fill a vacancy in the office of President occurring during the term of office of the President-Elect.
c. The Secretary will be appointed by the Executive Board for a term of three (3) years, with an option for a further one- or two-year term with the approval of the Executive Board, and shall serve as Secretary to the Executive Board. The secretary shall perform the duties and have the responsibilities customarily associated with that office, including being responsible for the maintenance of proper records, which shall be open to inspection by the Executive Board. The secretary will additionally be responsible for all non-journal communications with the membership, although the responsibility for maintaining the Society’s website may be delegated to a member of the Executive Board.
d. The Treasurer will be appointed by the Executive Board for a term of three (3) years, with an option for a further one- or two-year term with the approval of the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall serve as Treasurer to the Executive Board and be responsible for the maintenance of proper financing, which shall be open to inspection by the Executive Board. The Treasurer works directly with the President to prepare the annual budget of the Society.
e. The Editor(s) of the Society’s journal, Disability Studies Quarterly, will be appointed by the Executive Board for a term of four (4) years‚ observing that an Editor is responsible for three volumes of the journal in addition to a transition year with incoming and succeeding editors‚ with an option for a further one- or two-year term with the approval of the Executive Board. The Editor is responsible for the editorial office of the journal. Coeditors may be appointed at the discretion of the Executive Board. The Editor serves as an ex officio member of the Executive Board and may participate in deliberations but does not have a formal vote.
f. The Board shall have the right, by a two-thirds vote, to remove any member of the Executive Board it deems to have failed to perform the duties of the office.
g. The term of office of all members of the Executive Board and all officers shall commence on September 1st of the year of their election and terminate on August 31st of their third year. The Editor’s term will begin on January 1 of the year prior to the year in which the Editor’s first issue shall appear.
h. Graduate Student Representatives will be appointed by the Executive Board for a term of two (2) years, with an option for a further one-year term with the approval of the Executive Board. The Graduate Student Representative shall represent SDS student interests by attending board meetings as a full voting member; organize the annual SDS Student-Faculty Workshops each year at the SDS conference; and oversee student outreach for the section.
B. Vacancies
Vacancies among Officers shall be filled by a two-thirds majority vote of the Directors. Interim terms shall terminate with the election of new Officers.
C. Responsibilities of Officers
1. There shall be an Executive Committee consisting of the Officers of the Society, including the President, the President-Elect, the Treasurer, and the Secretary. This Executive Committee shall make general operating decisions for the Society between meetings of the Board. The Executive Committee shall determine which specific issues brought to its attention require the action of the Directors.
2. The Chairperson of the Board shall be considered the President of the Society for Disability Studies and preside at the General Business Meetings and at all meetings of the Board of Directors. Except as otherwise provided by the Directors, the Chairperson of the Board shall see that the business of the Society is faithfully transacted. The Executive Officer of the Society shall report to the Chairperson of the Board.
3. The President-elect of the Board shall assist the Chairperson and perform other tasks, as the Board shall direct, and serve in the role of Vice-Chairperson. The ViceChairperson shall preside over meetings in the absence of the Chairperson.
4. The Treasurer shall provide oversight of the receipt, custody, and disbursement of the Society’s funds, and oversight of the maintenance of the Society’s accounts. The Treasurer shall report the Society’s financial condition at the General Business Meeting. The Treasurer shall also perform other duties as assigned by the Directors.
5. The Secretary shall have custody of the Minutes of the meetings of the Board and of the Society, and shall report all actions of the Board at the General Business Meeting. The Secretary shall perform other duties as assigned by the Directors.
6. The President-Elect shall be a person expected to succeed the incumbent President at the conclusion of that President’s term. The President-Elect shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee.
VI. COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
A. Composition
There will be four Standing Committees as follows: the Accessibility and Arrangements Committee, the Publications and Communications Committee, the the Nomination and Elections Committee, and the Events and Conference Committee. The Accessibility and Arrangements Committee is comprised of one member each of the other standing committees. In addition, the Directors shall be responsible for determining the number and nature of any ad hoc Committees necessary to the Society. Ad hoc Committees may be added, deleted, or altered as needed, without amendment to these Bylaws, by a two-thirds majority vote of the Directors.
B. Selection and Terms of Committee Chairpersons and Members
1. Selection and Terms of Committee Chairpersons
Committee Chairpersons shall be elected by the Directors at the first meeting of the Board after the annual election. Chairpersons shall be elected by a majority of the Directors. Committee Chairpersons shall serve a one-year term commencing with their election and terminating with the election of new Chairpersons. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent the election of Committee Chairpersons to succeed themselves, or to prevent the election of Committee Co-chairpersons or Assistant Chairpersons.
2. Vacancies
Vacancies among Committee Chairpersons shall be filled by a two-thirds majority vote of the Directors as provided above in Article VI, Section B.I. Interim terms shall terminate with the election of new Chairpersons.
3. Selection and Terms of Committee Members
Appointment of Committee members shall be the sole responsibility of the Committee Chairperson, and Committee members shall serve at the Committee Chairperson’s discretion. Any member of the Society may serve as a Committee member, and Committee Chairpersons shall seek to encourage Committee participation by members of the Society who are not Board members, as well as members of the Society who are Board members. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent the appointment of Committee members to succeed themselves or to prevent the appointment of Committee members to more than one Committee.
C. Responsibilities of the Committee Chairpersons
The Committee Chairpersons shall preside at all Committee meetings. The Committee Chairperson of each Committee shall propose a budget to support committee activities in consultation with the Clerk/Treasurer and report periodically to the Chairperson of the Board on committee activities. All Committee Chairpersons must submit a written report to the Board of Directors two weeks prior to the Annual Meeting. Except as may otherwise be provided by the Directors, the Committee Chairperson shall see that the business of the Committee is faithfully transacted.
D. Responsibilities of the Committees
1. Accessibility and Arrangements Committee
The Accessibility and Arrangements Committee shall seek to make all meetings and all publications associated with the Society totally accessible to all Society members. This shall include, but not be restricted to, the physical accessibility of all meeting rooms, the availability of sign interpreters, upon request and when feasible, for all meetings at which persons with hearing impairments will be participants, and the availability of non-visually formatted materials, upon request and when feasible, for all publications of the Society.
2. Publications and Communications Committee
The Publications and Communications Committee shall have the responsibility for developing all Society scholarly publications, and for suggesting, for consideration by the Board of Directors, the charge, if any, for these publications. The Publications and Communications Committee shall direct all social media efforts on the part of the Society
3. Nominations and Elections Committee
The Nominations and Elections Committee shall solicit candidates for the Board of Directors from the membership of the Society. It is the responsibility of the Nominations and Elections Committee to develop the slate of candidates on which the membership votes. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall conduct elections in accord with Section IV.B.2. above. In addition, the Nominations and Elections Committee shall direct the development of awards, the composition of award granting committees, and the provision of awards.
4. Events and Conference Committee
The Events and Conference Committee shall organize the Society’s conference, including the development of a suitable and accessible format, the call for papers, and the finalization of the program on behalf of the Society, and in concurrence with decisions by the Directors, for the Annual Meeting that occurs during their Committee term. The Events and Conference Committee shall also have the responsibility for arranging events outside of the Annual Meeting, including online opportunities for the membership.
5. The responsibilities of the above seven Standing Committees may be expanded by a majority decision of the Directors.sx
E. In the event that other Committees are added by vote of the Directors, these new Committees and the new Committee Chairpersons shall be governed by Article VI, Sections B. and C. above.
VII. AMENDMENT AND REPEAL
A. Except for Article VII, Section B, and Article IX, these Bylaws may be altered, amended, or repealed at any Board meeting with approval of a two-thirds majority of the Directors provided the proposed change was submitted to all Board members four weeks in advance of the meeting at which the vote was taken. These Bylaws may also be altered, amended, or repealed by the written consent of a two-thirds majority of the Directors.
B. Amendments to Article IX and this paragraph may only be made by unanimous vote of the entire membership of the Board of Directors, or by an eighty percent vote of the entire membership of the Board of Directors at two consecutive Annual Meetings.
VIII. Publications
A. Publications associated with the Society
1. The Society may, with approval of the Board, pursue the publication of a journal, blog, volume, etc., wherein the Society serves as the guarantor of the financial and editorial responsibilities associated with the publication.
2. The Society oversees the publication of Disability Studies Quarterly (DSQ), appoints its editor or editors, and arranges for its publication through an established publisher. The President serves as guarantor of the contracts signed in support of DSQ’s publication, including MOUs with the editor or editors and with the publisher. The President serves as the liaison to the DSQ editors. The President is officially the Editors’ first point of contact for all concerns related to editorial issues. The DSQ editors should provide the President with quarterly reports for the SDS Executive Committee, including an annual report to coincide with the annual membership meeting and other reports as requested.
IX. FINANCES
A. Responsibility
The Directors are responsible for maintaining adequate finances for the Society’s operation, and for that purpose are authorized to fix membership dues and Annual Meeting registration fees.
B. Dues
Bylaws of the Society for Disability Studies September 14, 2024 9 Membership dues, in the amount determined by the Directors, shall cover membership for one year, the dates of which shall be established by the Directors. The Board shall send a renewal notice to each member no later than one month before the end of the membership year.
C. Financial Records and Reports
The Directors, acting through the Clerk/Treasurer, are responsible for the receipt, custody, and disbursement of the Society’s funds, and for keeping the Society’s accounts. The Directors, through the Clerk/Treasurer, shall report the Society’s financial condition at each annual General Business Meeting.
X. DISSOLUTION
The Society for Disability Studies may be dissolved by (1) a unanimous vote of the membership of the Board; and (2) a plurality vote of the members of the Society who vote. Upon dissolution or liquidation of the Society for Disability Studies, any funds or assets will be distributed (1) by the Board to another nonprofit corporation organized and operated exclusively for promoting the development of social scientific knowledge concerning disabled persons in society and which has established its exempt status under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code; or (2) by the trustees of Willamette University to a nonprofit agency meeting the criteria stated above and which has established its tax exempt status.
Dated: (original dated July 23, 1987) These Bylaws were adopted by the Board of Directors by unanimous vote at its meeting on (original dated July 22, 1987) (original signed by Irving K Zola Chairperson of the Board (original signed by Stephen C. Hey Clerk/Treasurer (Amended by a two-thirds majority of Directors on January 31, 1992. Written consent was given for Bylaw changes/additions dated November 30, 1991, by Directors Barbara Altman, Adrienne Asch, Sharon Barnartt, Stephen C. Hey, Mitchell P. LaPlante, Elaine Makas, David Pfeiffer, Jessica Scheer, Katherine D. Seelman, and Kim Smith. These signed consent forms are on file. Amended by a two-thirds majority of Directors at an inperson meeting in Philadelphia, PA on June 2, 2010. Further amended by a unanimous vote of the Directors at an in-person meeting in Denver, CO on June 20, 2012. Further amended by unanimous vote of the Directors with consent in writing, following the Board meeting on April 22, 2016. Additional amendments were made by two-thirds majority of the Directors with consent in writing on June 14, 2024 and finalized on September 13, 2024.)
