By-Laws of the Section on Sociological Practice and Public Sociology

(Amended in the summer of 2008; Special thanks to the good work of Kathryn Goldman Schuyler. Previous version amended 1999, with a major contribution from Harry Perlstadt)

ARTICLE I:  PURPOSE 

The purpose of the Section on Sociological Practice and Public Sociology is to provide a forum for sociologists working in diverse applied settings, e.g., industry, government, higher education, voluntary associations or as solo practitioners; and to increase understanding of the relationship between sociological practice and sociological knowledge.  

ARTICLE  II:  MEMBERS 

Section 1. The members of the Section are regular, associate, or student members of ASA who have selected the Sociology Practice Section on their ASA membership form and paid the appropriate dues.  All members may vote on all matters brought before the entire Section, but associate members may not hold office.  Members who fail to pay their dues shall be dropped from the rolls.

ARTICLE  III:  COUNCIL

Section 1. The council is vested with the power to carry out all necessary operations for the Section, acting as the representative of the Section's membership.  The Council shall establish policy for the Section and approve plans for Section activities developed by its officers and standing committees.  Council shall approve the nominations slate, section awards, and budget.  Council may hold votes by mail, e-mail, and conference call.

Section 2. The Council shall consist of the Officers, and nine elected members.  The chairs of standing committees and the Newsletter editor shall be ex officio members with vote.   The Section Chair shall preside at the Council meeting.

Section 3. The nine elected members shall each serve a term of three years.  Periods of service shall be staggered so that three Council seats are vacated each year.  All Council members shall be voting members of the American Sociological Association and members of the Section at the time of their nomination.  Elected Council members shall not succeed themselves in office.

Section 4. The Newsletter Editor(s) shall be appointed by the Section Chair for a period of one year, and may be reappointed for one succeeding term at the discretion of the following Section Chair.

ARTICLE IV:  OFFICERS 

Section l.  The Section officers shall be a Chair, a Chair-elect, a Secretary-Treasurer, and the Immediate Past-Chair, all of whom shall be voting members of the American Sociological Association and members of the Section.  The Chair-elect will automatically become Chair in the year following his/her tenure of office as Chair-elect at the end of the annual business ASA meeting.  The Chair-elect, Chair, and Immediate Past Chair shall serve for a period of one year, and the Secretary-Treasurer for a period of two years.  Officers may not succeed themselves in office. 

Section 2. The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Council and the annual business meeting, shall represent the Section at Meeting of Section Officers, make committee appointments as required, establish ad hoc committees, shall be responsible for the overall organization of Section Day, and the overall fiscal management of the operating budget, as approved by the Council.

Section 3. The Chair-elect shall be responsible for the Section Day reception, chair the Program committee and assume the duties of the Chair in his/her absence.

Section 4. The Immediate past Chair shall submit to the ASA Executive Office the section's approved budget, an annual report of the past year's activities, and the name and affiliation of the winner(s) of the section awards and the award citation, and shall chair the Nominations committee.

Section 5. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep minutes of business and Council meetings, prepare a budget to be reviewed by the Budget Committee and approved by the Section Council, and shall authorize expenditures from the Section's operating budget with due documentation. 

ARTICLE V:  STANDING COMMITTEES 

Section 1. Standing committees shall be Nominations, Program, Awards, Communications, and Budget.  The Chairs of standing committees shall be voting members of the American Sociological Association and members of the Section.   Chairs of standing committees not elsewhere specified in these bylaws shall be appointed annually by the Section Chair, and may be reappointed for one succeeding term at the discretion of the following Section Chair. 

Section 2. The Nominations committee shall be chaired by the Immediate Past Chair and consist of two to four additional members appointed by the Section Chair at the annual business meeting.   It shall prepare and present a slate naming two eligible candidates for each elective office to the Council for approval, who shall be voted on by the voting members of the Section by mail ballot.  The committee chair is responsible for notifying all candidates of the section's election results upon receipt of that information from the ASA Executive Office.

Section 3. The Program committee shall be chaired by the Section Chair-elect, and consist of at least three other members appointed by the Section Chair.  This committee shall establish the theme, review submissions, and otherwise develop the annual program for section day sessions at the ASA annual meeting. 

Section 4. The Communications Committee shall be chaired by the Newsletter Editor and consist of at least three other members.  The Newsletter Editor(s) shall be appointed by the Section Chair for a period of one year, and may be reappointed for succeeding terms at the discretion of the following Section Chair.  This committee shall oversee the Section Newsletter and Homepage.

Section 5. The Awards Committee shall consist of at least four members.  This committee shall publicize and seek nominations for the Section Awards, gather additional information, and recommend individuals for the awards to the Council for approval.

Section 6.  The Budget Committee shall be chaired by the Secretary-Treasurer and consist of the immediate-past Chair, the Chair, the Chair-elect, the Secretary-Treasurer, and the Newsletter Editor.  This committee shall submit a budget for the Section to the Section Council for its approval. 

ARTICLE VI:  MEETINGS

Section 1. The Section may hold a combined Business and Council meeting on Section Day of the ASA meetings.  All meetings shall be open to members of the Section.

Section 2. A quorum for any general motions requiring a vote of the members of the Section shall be 10 percent of the membership or 25 members whichever is less.  A quorum for any motions requiring a vote of the Council shall be 8 from among the elected members, officers, and ex officio members.

ARTICLE VII:  ELECTIONS AND FILLING VACANT OFFICES 

Section 1. The elections of the Section shall be carried out by mail or electronic ballot in conjunction with the general elections of the American Sociological Association. 

Section 2. Vacancies occurring more than ninety days prior to the end of the term of office shall be filled upon nomination of one or more candidates by the Section Chair and approval by a majority of the Council voting by secret ballot. 

Section 3: One year terms for officers and standing committees shall begin at the close of the annual ASA meeting.

ARTICLE VIII:  DUES 

Section 1. Council may establish dues over and above the minimum established by the American Sociological Association.  Such an increase shall be approved by a referendum voted on by all section members.

ARTICLE  IX:   SECTION AWARDS

Section 1. In accordance with the policies of the American Sociological Association, the Section has established the following two awards:

 a) The American Sociological Association Section on Sociological Practice and Public Sociology William Foote Whyte Career Award for up to two individuals who have made notable contributions to sociological practice which can include several of the following elements:  outstanding clinical, applied or public sociological work, exceptional service to the section, publications that advance both the theory and methods of sociological practice or public sociology, or mentoring and training of students for careers in sociological practice or public sociology.

 b) The American Sociological Association Section on Sociological Practice and Public Sociology Student Practitioner Award for up to two graduate students who have made a promising contribution to the field, such as a project or paper in the area of sociological practice or public sociology.  Work can be done in the three years prior to the conferral of the award.  The award includes $200 towards the cost of travel to the annual meeting.

Section 2. These awards shall be made upon recommendation of the Awards Committee and approval by the Council.  Awards shall be presented at the Section's annual Business/Council meeting.

ARTICLE X:  FINANCIAL AND LEGAL COMMITMENTS

Section 1. The section shall not enter into legally binding relationships or make commitments to other groups, or in other ways affect the constituent relationship between the section and ASA without approval of ASA Council or its delegated representatives.

Section 2. The section may apply for external funding for research, training, and/or other projects only with the written approval of the ASA Executive Officer.

Section 3. The section is not permitted to take public policy positions independent of the ASA.  The Section is encouraged to make recommendations to ASA Council or to bring to the attention of the ASA issues for consideration, especially in areas relating to the expertise, competence, or interests of the section.

ARTICLE XI:  MEMBER INITIATIVES AND BY-LAWS AMENDMENTS 

Section 1. Any action of the Section, including changes in these By-Laws may be brought to a vote by the Council, or by a petition of 10% of the Section's members or by 25 members, whichever is less.  Such initiatives must be approved by a majority of those voting through a mail or electronic ballot of the Section's membership. 

ARTICLE XII:  TERMINATION

Section 1.  The section may terminate itself by a vote of the section membership.  The section may be terminated by the ASA Council if the section has less than 300 members and does not demonstrate strong vitality according the criteria listed in the current Section Manual.