AFS Education Section: Governance Info

The name of this organization shall be the EDUCATION SECTION of the American Fisheries Society as provided for by the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society.

Section II. Goals of the Section

Improve the quality of college and university education for fisheries scientists;
Promote exchange of post-secondary education information, techniques, and materials among educators and among educational institutions; and
Foster improved communication and information exchange among fishery educators, employers, fisheries specialists, students, and the public.

Membership in the EDUCATION SECTION shall be open to all members in good standing of the American Fisheries Society. Each SECTION member is entitled to one vote on all matters requiring the approval of the membership.

Section IV. Officers

The officers of the SECTION shall be President, President-Elect, and the Secretary-Treasurer.

All officers shall be elected for a term of two years, or until a successor is duly elected. Officers shall serve without salary or other compensation for their services. Expenses may be defrayed from funds available to the SECTION when authorized by the Executive Committee (see Section VIII).
No officer shall hold the same office for consecutive terms.
Candidates for office shall be nominated by a nominating committee appointed by the President. Officers shall be elected at the annual meeting or by mail ballot received by members at least 30 days prior to that meeting. Officers shall be elected by a majority of the returned mail ballots.
In the event of a vacated position, the Executive Committee shall appoint a qualified replacement for the unexpired term.

President: The President shall serve as a chairman of the Executive Committee and shall preside at the business meetings of the SECTION, appoint all committees, and serve as an Ex Officio member thereof. The President shall represent the SECTION and perform other duties and functions as authorized and necessary.
President-Elect: The President-Elect shall perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President and shall appoint a newsletter editor. The President-Elect shall serve as Program Committee Chair and attend mid-year AFS EXCOM meeting.
Secretary-Treasurer: The Secretary-Treasurer shall maintain a current list of the membership, receive all funds, pay all bills, keep an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements, and present a semi-annual report to the membership. She/he shall submit a report to the Executive Director of the Society within 30 days after the annual meeting of the SECTION is held and at other times as requested by the Executive Committee of the Society. The Secretary-Treasurer shall conduct a biennial employment survey of fisheries graduates.

The Newsletter Editor is appointed annually by the President-Elect and may be reappointed for an indefinite number of terms. The Newsletter Editor's responsibilities will include solicitation of information, production of the newsletter according to policy and schedule established by the Executive Committee, and distribution of newsletters to the membership.

The SECTION shall hold at least one business meeting annually at a time and place designated by the Executive Committee. Special meetings may be called by the President with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers, the immediate Past President, and one representative elected from each of the Divisions of the Society. The Newsletter Editor will serve as a non-voting member. The Executive Committee shall have authority to determine policies and conduct business consistent with the objectives of the SECTION. Meetings of the Executive Committee may be held at the call of the President when a majority of the committee members can meet and conduct business. Business and voting by the Executive Committee may be conducted by mail.

Decisions at business meetings of the SECTION shall be in accordance with the Constitution of the Society. A quorum at business meetings shall be 10 percent of the members of the SECTION.

The Executive Committee may assess those attending a meeting of the SECTION a registration fee as provided by the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society. The annual membership fee shall be determined by the Executive Committee.

The Bylaws of the SECTION may be amended and approved in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society.