International Indian Statistical Association (IISA) By Laws - PDF
-- Revised Jan 2020 --
Article 1 - Membership
- 1.1
An individual or organization who is interested in the objectives of the International Indian Statistical Association (IISA), hereinafter referred to as the Association may apply for membership. The membership is granted upon the approval of the Executive Board, hereinafter referred to as the Board, and on payment of membership dues set by the Executive Board.
- 1.2
There are four types of membership:
- Regular Member paying annually
- Life Member paying only one-time
- Student Member paying annually
- Institution Member paying annually
- 1.3
The membership coverage is determined by the calendar year. A new member can join in at any time point of the calendar year. For the new membership at some point after the mid-year, the payment should be on the quarter basis for that year plus for the next year. For the new membership at any point before the mid-year, the payment should be for the entire year and not including the payment for the next year.
- 1.4
Privileges of membership in the Association shall automatically be suspended on July 1 if a member has failed to pay dues within the first six months of the calendar year. If the defaulting member has presented a satisfactory explanation for the default, an extension of time may be granted by the membership and outreach committee. The membership shall be automatically terminated on December 31 if the dues for the current year have not been paid.
- 1.5
An active membership renewal reminder process should be in operation having the first reminder at the beginning of November and the second reminder at the beginning of February.
Article 2 - Finance
- 2.1
The Board shall have the responsibility of determining the schedule of membership dues. Any new schedule of dues and rates shall be effective at the beginning of the next calendar year.
- 2.2
The fiscal year shall be the calendar year.
- 2.3
All funds of the Association shall be deposited with the Treasurers who shall make disbursement there from under the regulations of the Board.
- 2.4
The Treasurers shall make a financial report to the Board within two months after the end of each fiscal year. The financial report shall be audited by a registered CPA. The audit report and the Treasurer's report shall be published in the next available newsletter immediately following the audit.
- 2.5
The Association shall not be responsible for the debts or expenditures of any of its members or Chapters unless such debts or expenditures are authorized by the Executive Board.
- 2.6
In the event of dissolution of the Association, the Board of Trustees shall, after paying or making provision for payment and discharge of all liabilities of the Association, distribute all of the assets of the Association to nonprofit charitable, scientific or educational organization(s) having activities similar to those of the Association.
Article 3 - Executive Board & Offices
The Executive Board (EB) shall determine the policies and oversee the affairs of the Association. The minutes of the Executive Board meetings shall be made available to the Board of Trustees for information. The Executive Board consists of both elected and appointed positions. The EB members are the official voting members of the IISA. Elected and appointed positions are specified below:
Elected Positions
- President
- President-elect
- Past President
- Executive Director
Appointed Positions
- Secretary
- Treasurer(s)
- Program Chair
- Program Chair-elect, once appointed
- Newsletter Editor
- President of Regional (e.g., India) Chapter
- 3.1
President:
The President is the chief administrative officer of the section and is responsible for the conduct of all business of the organization. The President presides at general body meetings, Executive Board meetings, Executive Committee meetings, and fill all committee vacancies in consultation with the President-Elect and Executive Board. The President also is the organizational chair for the IISA annual conference for his/her term year. The term of the President is 1 year; however, the total appointment for the individual elected to the President-elect position is 3 years with Year 1 as the President-elect and Year 3 as the Past President.
The President upon leaving office either at the end or in the middle of his/her term shall not be eligible for seeking an elective office for the next term following the 3-year term ending with being a Past President. (S)he can however run for office in any future term beyond the immediate next term of his/her role as Past-President.
- 3.2
President-Elect
The President-elect assists the President with administrative duties and may assume the responsibilities of the President, when necessary. The term of office is 1 year however, the total appointment for the individual elected to the President-elect position is 3 years with Year 1 as the President-elect, Year 2 as President, and Year 3 as the Past President.
The President-Elect shall act as the President in the event that the President is absent or unable to serve for at least 60 days.
- 3.3
Past President
The primary purpose of Past President is to maintain continuity of progress and decisions and continued communication within the EB, and act as a mentor the President, as needed. The term of office is 1 year however, the total appointment for the individual elected to the President-elect position is 3 years with Year 1 as the President-elect, Year 2 as President, and Year 3 as the Past President.
The Past President also convenes the Nomination Committee for the election slate and helps the Secretary to conduct the election of the next officers.
The Past President upon leaving office either at the end or in the middle of his/her term shall not be eligible for seeking an elective office for the next term. (S)he can however run for office in any future term beyond the immediate next term of his/her role as Past-President.
- 3.4
Treasurer(s)
The Treasurer and the co-Treasurer, henceforth being referred to as Treasurers, help in conducting IISA business with respect to its financial matters. The general responsibilities of the Treasurers involve the collection, maintenance, and dissemination of financial information (including annual budget and reconciliation) pertinent to organizational activities with the assistance of the President. The term of a Treasurer is 3 years.
The Treasurers shall oversee the receipt and disbursement of all funds of the Association, ensure that proper accounts of all financial transactions are kept, and make an annual financial report to the Executive Board and to the membership. The Treasurers shall be responsible for filing the annual Tax returns for the Association and maintaining the “Non-profit Tax-exempt status of the organization”.
- 3.5
Secretary
The Secretary is the President's organizational support person in the conduct of IISA business. The general responsibilities of the Secretary involve the collection, maintenance, and dissemination of business pertinent to IISA activities with the assistance of the President as requested. The term of the Secretary is 3 years.
The Secretary shall serve as recording secretary of the Executive Board and general body meetings, send notices and announcements to the members, and shall prepare an annual report on activities of the Association for submission to the membership through the newsletter.
- 3.6
Executive Director (New)
The Executive Director will be the strategic leader with knowledge about IISA history and operations, who will help maintain continuity in the operations aspect of IISA at the highest level. His/Her high level responsibilities include:
- Broader Oversight
- Financial Oversight
- Committee and Membership engagement
- India Chapter Engagement
- Organization Historian
The term of the Executive Director is 3 years. Initially the Executive Director could be appointed for 2 years to initiate and institutionalize the new role, and after 2 years, this will be an elected position, for 3 years.
The Executive Director shall ensure that the IISA is executing on its policies, strategic plans, and initiatives to achieve its performance at the highest level. The Executive Director shall work closely with the President overseeing the organizational health, growth and development.
The President and the Executive Director will work together with the various Chapter Presidents.
- 3.7
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees shall be the custodian of the Association with the power to institute and defend any action for its continued wellbeing. The Trustees shall have the traditional fiduciary role on behalf of the association and, when needed, shall provide strategic guidance to the Executive Board in the management of the Association. The Board of Trustees shall include three members of the Association in good standing and shall be chaired by the member with the longest tenure.
- 3.8
Newsletter Editor
The Newsletter Editor is an appointed role for 3 years. The newsletter editor will be responsible for publishing the IISA newsletter in a regular basis, ideally on a quarterly basis. The editor, in collaboration with the Secretary, also helps the Executive Board in delivering relevant communications to the IISA membership.
- 3.9
Director of Professional Statisticians
The Director of New Professional Statisticians shall advise the Executive Board on matters related to new professional statisticians and students who are members of the Association. The Editorial Representative shall advise the Board on policies related to publications of the Association.
The Director of the Professional Statisticians is an appointed role for 3 years.
- 3.10
Nomination Committee
A Nominating Committee, appointed by the President in consultation with the Past President, shall submit to the Executive Board two nominations for President-Elect and two nominations for a Trustee position. Upon receiving the nominations from the Nominating Committee, the Secretary, on behalf of the President, shall call for additional nominations to be submitted by the membership within a specified date and supported by at least 10 members. The names received shall be added to the Nominating Committee list to make up the final list for election. The Secretary shall conduct the elections by a secured mechanism using this final list. The candidate for a position receiving the majority votes will be the winner for that position. A coin toss, shall be used to break the ties.
- 3.11
Appointments for Officers
The Secretary, Treasurers, Director of New Professional Statisticians, and Editorial representative shall be appointed by the President, in consultation with the Past President and wherever possible the President-Elect.
- 3.12
Vacancies in Elected Positions
If the office of President becomes vacant, the President-Elect shall become President for the remainder of the term and will continue as President for the next (as scheduled) term.
If the office of President-Elect becomes vacant, the next election will be held for President and President-Elect and Trustee positions. The nomination committee will then submit nominations for all the three positions.
If a vacancy occurs in the office of either Past President or a Trustee, the office shall remain vacant for the remainder of the term.
Article 4 - Chapters
The Board may establish geographically delimited Regional Chapters subject to the condition that a new Region have at least 25 members. A Chapter shall be governed by its By-Laws approved by the Board. Chapter By-Laws shall be consistent with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Association.
Each Chapter shall have a President, President Elect/Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer. The President of a chapter shall become a member of the Executive Board.
Article 5 - Committees
- 5.1
The committees of the Association shall be the Executive Board, Standing Committees provided by the By-Laws and Current Committees as may be established by the President in consultation with the Executive Board.
- 5.2
The Standing Committees shall be the Program Committee, the Nominating Committee, the Awards Committee, the Membership and Outreach Committee, the Newsletter Committee, the Book Series Publication Committee, and New Professional Statisticians Committee.
- 5.2.1
The Program Committee shall consist of 3 members and shall be chaired by the designated Program Chair. It shall be responsible for planning, coordinating and arranging scientific meetings organized by or sponsored by the Association.
- 5.2.2
The Nominating Committee shall consist of 3 members and shall make nominations for elected office.
- 5.2.3
The Awards Committee shall consist of at least 3 members, one of them should be a past award winner. The Committee shall recommend the names of awardees to the President for any type of awards to be approved by the Board. All award nominees must be an active individual member for the preceding 3 years or a Life member. Special efforts should be made in nominating the deserving candidates globally including the India Chapter for the IISA awards including
- Young Statistical Scientist Award,
- Student Paper Competition Award,
- Lifetime Achievement Award,
- IISA Service Award.
- 5.2.4
The Publication Committee shall consist of Executive Board-appointed editors of the Series on Statistics and Data Science and the editors of any other publications of the Association including the newsletter. The Executive Board will make its best effort to seek interests from general membership for nominating the editors.
The President shall designate one member of this Committee to be the Editorial Representative. The Committee shall generally oversee the publication policy of the Association and make recommendation to the Board concerning the editorial policy of the Association. The job descriptions and the terms of appointment of the editors of the Series on Statistics and Data Science will be specified in the IISA publication policy. The transparent termination criteria of an editor will also be included in the IISA publication policy.
- 5.2.5
The Membership and Outreach Committee shall consist of energetic committed members who are willing to take on such responsibilities globally including the India Chapter. The outcome of their efforts should be reported regularly in the IISA Newsletter.
- 5.2.6
The Fundraising Committee for the Specific or General IISA Goals, shall consist of devoted members willing to lead the association globally including the India Chapter. The outcome of their efforts should be reported regularly in the IISA Newsletter.
- 5.2.7
The New Professional Statisticians Committee shall investigate the special needs for the growth and development for the young professionals and finding the avenues to serve their needs effectively and to mentoring them to network with the pertinent IISA members.
Article 6 - Membership Status for Officers
All individuals, elected or appointed to serve the IISA organization as an officer or a committee member, must maintain their active individual membership status during the time of serving in these roles.
Article 7 - Awards
The Association may recognize members by different types of awards for their outstanding contributions in probability, statistics, biostatistics, data science, computational, medical, social, agriculture, environmental, business, psychology, political science, economics, education, industrial, official, other existing and newly emerged areas of statistics.
Only a person who has been an Individual Member of the Association for the prior three years or a Life-member shall be eligible for such an award.
Article 8 - Amendments
Amendments to the By-Laws may be proposed by the Executive Board or by a petition signed by five percent of the Association's Individual Members and sent to the Executive Board. The proposed amendments shall be sent to membership at least thirty days before the meeting called for the said purpose or for a mail ballot. A proposed amendment shall require for its adoption a favorable vote of a majority of the Members voting.