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Constitution of the Association for Computers and the Humanities

I. Name
II. Purpose
III. Membership
IV. Management of the Association

A. The Officers of the Association
B. The Executive Council

V. Conferences
VI. Meetings

A. General Business Meetings
B. Executive Council Meetings

VII. Amendments
VIII. Dissolution

Bylaws

I. Membership and Dues

A. The Membership of the Association
B. Privileges of Membership
C. Payment of Dues
D. Removal and Resignation of Members

II. Elections
III. Vacancies
IV. Standing Committees
V. Special Interest Groups
VI. Council Representatives from Related Professional Associations
VII. Regional Affiliated Associations for Computers and the Humanities
VIII. Fiscal Year
IX. Rules of Order

Constitution of the Association for Computers and the Humanities

Approved December 1978; as amended November 1979, 1983, June 1987, December 1992, December 2002.

I. Name

The name of this organization shall be The Association for Computers and the Humanities.

The purpose of the Association shall be to encourage by suitable means the appropriate uses of computers and related technologies in the study of humanistic subjects. The Association shall further this goal by sponsoring regular conferences on computers and the humanities, and by otherwise facilitating contacts and discussion among scholars interested in the goal of the Association. The Association for Computers and the Humanities is formed exclusively for educational and research purposes.

III. Membership

Membership shall be open upon payment of the currently stipulated dues to all persons interested in furthering the purpose of the Association. Classes of membership shall be established in the Bylaws.

IV. Management of the Association

A. The Officers of the Association shall be:

The Immediate Past President, whose term of office shall be one year, coinciding with the first year of the President's first term.
The President, who shall be elected by the general membership and whose term of office shall be two years, beginning on or about February 1st, after which he or she shall be eligible for re-election. Following the expiration of his or her last term, he or she shall succeed to the position of Immediate Past President. The President, as the chief executive officer of the Association, shall:
Preside at the General Business Meetings of the Association and of the Executive Council;
Be an ex-officio member of all committees of the Association.
The Vice-President, who shall be elected by the general membership, and whose term of office shall be two years, beginning on or about February 1st, after which she or he shall be eligible for re-election. The Vice-President shall perform those of the President's duties as shall, from time to time, be delegated to her or him by the President.
The Executive Secretary, who shall be responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Association. He or she shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Executive Council. It shall be the responsibility of the Executive Secretary to carry out policies established by the Executive Council and perform such duties as are assigned by it.
The Treasurer, who shall be appointed and serve at the pleasure of the Executive Council. She or he shall:
Maintain accurate and timely records of all income and expenditures of the Association;
Be responsible for the safekeeping of all documents relating to the fiscal affairs of the Association;
Reserve all dues and subscriptions to the Association and keep the funds of the Association safely deposited in a chartered bank approved by the Executive Council;
On authorization of the Executive Council, draw checks against deposited funds. For checks in excess of amounts to be determined by the Executive Council, the signature of a second officer designated by the Executive Council shall be required;
Prepare, with the advice of the Executive Secretary, the annual budget for the approval of the Executive Council;
Report at the annual meeting of the Executive Council, or as it shall require, on the collection and disbursements of the Association.
Deliver copies of his or her financial records of ACH transactions to the Executive Secretary for archiving, at least once a year, usually at the annual general meeting.

B. The Executive Council

The affairs and business of the Association shall be managed and controlled, subject to the provisions of the Bylaws, by an Executive Council consisting of:
The Immediate Past President, the President, and the Vice-President, ex officiis; these officers shall be with vote.
The Executive Secretary and the Treasurer, ex officiis; these officers shall be with vote.
Twelve Members at large shall serve terms of four years, with one quarter of their number retiring each year. Members at large shall be eligible for immediate re-election.
One editor from each of any ACH-sponsored publications as ex officii members with vote.
Invited liaison members from allied organizations, and others invited by the Executive Council, without vote.
The Executive Council shall be the basic policy making organ of the Association. The function and duties of the Executive Council shall be:
To appoint the Executive Secretary and Treasurer;
To approve the budget submitted by the Treasurer and to set the dues and other financial conditions of membership;
To determine the place and time of the annual meeting co-sponsored by the Association;
To establish and terminate Standing Committees and Special Interest Groups;
To accept reports as required from such committees as it shall appoint;
To maintain liaison with other professional associations in related fields;
To elect representatives to appropriate federations and councils;
To establish, subject to the approval of a majority of the membership, appropriate Bylaws;
To transact all such other business which furthers the purpose of the Association and which is not subject to the approval of the General Business Meeting of the Association.

V. Conferences

A. An annual conference shall be held at least once every year at times and places determined by the Executive Council.

B. The program for the annual conference shall be established by a Program Committee appointed by the Executive Council. C. The Association may co-sponsor, at the discretion of the Executive Council, similar conferences with other organizations.

VI. Meetings

A. General Business Meetings

A General Business Meeting of the Association shall be held in conjunction with each annual conference sponsored under the auspices of the Association. Thirty members in good standing shall constitute a legal quorum.
Other business Meetings may be ordered by the Executive Council and called by the President. At these, fifteen members shall constitute a legal quorum.
Written notice stating the place, day and hour of the meeting, and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called shall be given not less than twenty-one days nor more than sixty days before the date of the meeting (except as otherwise required by law), by or at the direction of the President or the Executive Secretary, or the persons calling the meeting, to each member entitled to vote. A notice shall be deemed duly given to a member when it is either delivered in person, electronically mailed, or mailed, postage-prepaid, to the address of such member as it appears in the records of the ACH.
The vote of a majority of the members entitled to vote that are present in person or by proxy at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be necessary and sufficient for the adoption of any matter voted upon by the members, unless a greater vote of the members is required by law or by the Executive Council.

B. Executive Council Meetings

A regular Meeting of the Executive Council shall be held each year, on a date and at a location determined by the Council.
Additional meetings may be convened by the President on his or her own initiative or on notice signed by seven members of the Council.
A quorum shall consist of any seven members in addition to any two of the officers. If a quorum of the Executive Council is present and wishes to conduct official business, but the President and the Vice-President are unavailable, the Executive Secretary may preside. If the Executive Secretary is also unavailable, the Executive Council may elect a chairman pro tem to preside.
At any meeting of the Executive Council, other persons may be invited, at the discretion of the Council, to participate in Council meetings without vote.
Written notice stating the place, day and hour of the meeting, and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called shall be given not less than twenty-one days nor more than sixty days before the date of the meeting (except as otherwise required by law), by or at the direction of the President or the Executive Secretary, or the persons calling the meeting, to each member of the Executive Council. A notice shall be deemed duly given to a member when it is either delivered in person, electronically mailed, or mailed, postage-prepaid, to the address of such member as it appears in the records of the ACH. No public notice shall be required.

VII. Amendments

The Constitution or the Bylaws may be amended as follows:

Either the Executive Council or the General Business Meeting may approve an amendment by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast. Then a ballot shall be sent to the entire membership and forty-five days allowed for return. The distribution and counting of the ballots shall be conducted as for elections. The ratification shall require a two-thirds majority of the votes cast.

VIII. Dissolution

Upon dissolution of the Association, the Executive Council shall, after paying or making provisions for payment of all the liabilities of the Association, dispose of all the assets of the Association exclusively for the purpose of the Association in such manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes or shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under section 501 (c) (3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law), as the Executive Council shall determine. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the country in which the principal office of the Association is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

Bylaws of the Association for Computers and the Humanities

Approved August 1979, Amended 1983, 1987, 1992, 2002, 2009

I. Membership and Dues

A. The Membership of the Association shall consist of:

Regular Members. Any person may become a Member of the Association on the payment of an annual fee fixed by the Executive Council; he or she shall be eligible for holding office and shall have a voice in the affairs of the Association.
Joint Members. Domestic partners may become joint members of the Association upon payment of one and a half times the dues for Regular Membership, and with entitlement to only one copy of whatever publications Regular Members receive.
Student Members. Any full-time student may become a Student Member upon payment of one half the dues for Regular Members, renewable for a total of three years. An unemployed member shall be construed as having student status.
Life Members. Any person may become a Life Member upon paying either fifteen times the dues for Regular Members, payable in advance, or by paying four installments, at four year intervals, of four times the current dues for Regular Members at the times of payment.
Honorary Members. Honorary Membership may be conferred on any person, for life, upon the recommendation of the Executive Council, approved by a majority vote of the Association at any General Business Meeting thereof. Such Honorary Members shall, without payment of any fee whatever, enjoy all the rights and privileges of a Regular Member except that of voting or holding office in the Association.

B. Privileges of Membership

Each Regular Member, Student Member, Life Member, and Honorary Member in good standing in the Association shall receive, as part of the privileges of membership, a subscription to any publications of the Association.
All classes of membership, except as otherwise specified, shall be entitled to reduced prices on such publications as the Association may arrange, to reduced registration fees at the annual meeting, and to other benefits as may be negotiated by the Executive Council.

C. Payment of Dues

Honorary Members and Life Members shall not be required to pay annual dues.
The annual dues payment for Regular Members shall not be less than fifteen dollars.
The annual dues for members shall be payable on the first of January for the calendar year then commencing. A notice of dues payment shall be included with the ballot sent to each member as described in the Bylaws, Section II.B.

D. Removal and Resignation of Members

The privileges of the Association shall be withdrawn from any member whose annual dues are six months overdue.
Any member of any class may withdraw from the Association by notifying the Executive Secretary.

II. Elections

At some time before 1 October the Nominating Committee shall transmit to the Executive Secretary nominations of at least double the number of positions that shall become vacant on the Executive Council at the next election. Care shall be taken by the Nominating Committee to see that suitable candidates are selected from persons who are (or are willing to become) ACH members in good standing and represent as wide a variety of disciplines as possible. Nominations of eligible candidates may be made by the membership of the Association, provided that those nominees are determined by the Nominating Committee to be appropriate according to the criteria listed above, and that the nomination is in the hands of the Nominating Committee in sufficient time to be considered prior to the 1 October deadline.[Bylaw changed Nov. 2009]

A. At each annual meeting of the Executive Council it shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of the President or Vice-President and four other members, who shall be current members of the ACH but need not be members of the Executive Council. Each year nominations will be made for Executive Council vacancies; every other year nominations will be made for President and Vice President.

At some time before 1 October the Nominating Committee shall transmit to the Executive Secretary nominations of at least double the number of positions that shall become vacant on the Executive Council at the next election. Care shall be taken by the Nominating Committee to see that suitable candidates are selected from persons who are (or are willing to become) ACH members in good standing and represent as wide a variety of disciplines as possible. Nominations of eligible candidates may also be made by the membership of the Association, provided that each nomination is signed by two members in good standing in the Association, and that the nomination is in the hands of the Nominating Committee in sufficient time to be considered prior to the 1 October deadline.

B. After receiving the list of nominations from the Nominating Committee, the Executive Secretary shall distribute to each voting member, along with any applicable dues notice, a ballot listing all persons nominated to run in the election. Ballots may be distributed and collected electronically (by fax, email, Web, or other means) provided there is a mechanism for preserving the secrecy of the ballot while still ensuring that each member cases only one vote. The ballot must indicate the number of seats that are to be filled ( and therefore the maximum number of persons for whom members may vote). The ballot must also include the address to which it must be returned (unless it is to be submitted interactively, for example through a Web form), and the date (normally January 15th) by which it must be received in order to be counted. All ballots received by the specified deadline shall be opened and tallied by the Executive Secretary, and certified by the President and Vice-President. The results will be transmitted to the Executive Council, Officers, and all candidates for office; any of those people may request a formal recount at the Executive Council meeting. Results of the election will be announced to the Members on or about February 1st. The Executive Secretary will keep the records of voting, including physical or electronic ballots until the completion of the first meeting of the Executive Council after the election.

III. Vacancies

A. In the event of the resignation of any elected member of the Executive Council, save in the third year of his or her term, the resulting vacancy shall be filled by electing one additional member at the normal annual election for the Executive Council. The member who receives the fewest votes of those elected on that occasion shall serve only during the residual term of the resigned member. This procedure shall also be adopted, mutatis mutandis, in the case of multiple vacancies.

B. If the position of Immediate Past President becomes vacant for any reason, it shall not be filled until the President can assume this position.

C. If the position of President becomes vacant, the Vice- President shall assume the office and responsibilities of the President.

D. Any officer in the organization who does not remain a member in good standing may be removed by vote of the Executive Council.

IV. Standing Committees

The Executive Council shall establish standing committees, appoint their members and chairpersons, and accept their reports. These committees shall include:

A. A Program Committee, the members of which shall be appointed at each annual meeting. This Committee shall represent the ACH in the organization of the program for the next annual meeting, as well as other such conferences and meetings as the Executive Council shall determine.

B. A Nominating Committee, as described in section IIA of the Bylaws, above.

V. Special Interest Groups

Members shall be encouraged to form Special Interest Groups. With the approval of the Executive Council, they may hold sessions during the annual meeting, distribute newsletters, and in other ways further their particular concerns within the general framework of the Association.

VI. Council Representatives from Related Professional Associations

The Council may approve having an official liaison to any related learned society or professional association. ACH and the related association would agree upon a person named to be the liaison who would be a member of both organizations to serve as long as both organizations deem it appropriate. The role of the liaison is to encourage a broad exchange of information and to promote exchange sessions and panels at regular meetings of the related association. The related association would be invited to organize a session at each annual meeting. A liaison would attend all ACH Council meetings, but, unless he or she is also a member of the Executive Council, would not vote. The liaison would also attend the board or council meetings of the related associations, unless alternative communication channels are set up within that organization.

VII. Regional Affiliated Associations for Computers and the Humanities

The Association encourages the formation of regional Associations, and is willing to negotiate cooperative agreements and mutually beneficial dues structures. A potential regional ACH may apply to the Executive Council for start-up costs, and may also apply for more formal ties. In either case, the regional ACH will determine its own governance structure and budget. The Council may dissolve its sponsorship for such an organization at any time, so long as it gives six months' notice in writing to the leadership of that organization.

VIII. Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Association shall be the calendar year.

IX. Rules of Order

In all matters not determined by the Constitution or the Bylaws, the proceedings for the Association shall be governed by the latest edition of Roberts' Rules of Order.

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