Governance

OVC SETAC Constitution

Article I: Name

The name of this organization shall be the Ohio Valley Regional Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (OVC SETAC).

Article II: Purpose

  1. This Chapter shall be an independent non- profit scientific and professional organization. serving the Tri-State area of OH, IN and KY. OVC is affiliated with the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, a worldwide professional society established to provide a forum for individuals and institutions engaged in the study, analysis and solution of environmental problems, management and regulation of natural resources, education and research and development. SETAC is an open democratic organization dealing with environmental sciences. SETAC operates in a broad social context, reflecting the needs of the environment and people and their interactions. Application of sound science plays a key role in this process.
  2. OVC supports the mission and purpose of SETAC as stated in the SETAC Constitution.
  3. Specific objectives of OVC are:
    1. To promote research, education, training and development of the environmental sciences, through student grants and scientific programs.
    2. To encourage interactions among environmental scientists and dissemination of information on issues relating to environmental toxicology and chemistry.
    3. To sponsor scientific and educational programs and provide a forum for communication among professionals in government, business, academia and other segments of the environmental science community involved in the use, protection and management of the environment; the protection and welfare of the general public; and the development of new knowledge in environmental toxicology and chemistry.

Article III: Membership and Voting

The membership of the Chapter shall consist of: Active, Emeritus, Student and Sustaining/Affiliate Members. All Chapter Members, with the exclusion of Sustaining/Affiliate members, constitute the voting Membership of the Chapter and only Active members may hold office, with the exception that Student members may hold office as a voting member of the Board of Directors. Any person who is a Member of the Chapter is encouraged to be a Member of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, but such membership is not a prerequisite for membership in the chapter. However, only individual Members of the Chapter who are also Members in good standing of SETAC can hold office in the Chapter.

  1. Active Members are qualified professionals who share the stated purpose of the Chapter and who have education, research or applied experience in environmental toxicology and chemistry.
  2. Student Members must share the stated purpose of the Chapter and are engaged in an academic curriculum pertaining to the stated purpose of the Chapter.
  3. Emeritus Members are those qualified Chapter Members selected by the voting members of the Chapter and so honored in recognition of their contribution to environmental toxicology and chemistry and the Chapter.
  4. Sustaining /Affiliate Membership. Sustaining membership is open to any for-profit or not-for-profit organization, institution, foundation or individual. Only individuals, and not-for-profit organizations, institutions, or foundations can be Affiliate Members. Sustaining /Affiliate Members must share the stated purpose of the Chapter. Sustaining /Affiliate Members may not hold office or vote in the Chapter.
  5. Membership to all of the above membership classes requires the payment of dues as determined by the Chapter.
  6. Any person who is a member of the Chapter is encouraged to be an active member or student member of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, but such membership is not a prerequisite for membership in the Chapter.

Article IV: Management and Elections

  1. The affairs of the Chapter shall be managed by the membership through Board of Directors in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws.
  2. The Board of Directors shall consist of at least eight (8) voting members and no more than twelve (12) members.
  3. The Board of Directors shall be comprised as follows: President, President-elect Secretary/Treasurer, Immediate Past President, three (3) to seven (7) Board Members-at-large and one (I) Student Member. All members of the Board of Directors must be members in good standing of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. The President of the Chapter will serve as Chair of the Board of Directors. Other members may be appointed as Nonvoting Members of the Board of Directors (such as the chapter historian) at the discretion of the voting board members.
  4. The officers shall be four (4): President, President-elect, Secretary/Treasurer and Immediate Past President.
  5. The Members-at-large on the Board of Directors shall serve for a three (3) year term to be staggered. Members-at-Large may serve no more than two consecutive terms. The student member of the Board of Directors will hold office for a 1-year term and may serve no more than two consecutive terms.
  6. The Board of Directors shall he elected from the Chapter membership by the Chapter membership. Nomination for the Board of Directors shall be solicited from the voting membership. Candidates for the Board of Directors will be nominated by the Nomination Committee or by membership proxy.
  7. The President Elect and Secretaro/Treasure shall be elected from the Chapter membership by the Chapter membership. The President Elect shall be elected for a single term of one (1) year at the conclusion of which the President Elect shall serve as President for one (1) year and then as Immediate Past President will serve for (1) year following their term as President. The Secretary/Treasure shall be elected for a term of three (3) years.
  8. If, during term of office, a vacancy occurs in any office except that of President or President Elect, the Board of Directors shall appoint a successor to serve the remainder of the term. Should the post of President become vacant for any reason the President Elect shall serve the remainder of that term as acting President and shall then succeed to the Presidency. The president Elect shall be an elected position at all times. The Board of Directors will determine the method of voting used for elections, which may include email ballot or paper mail-in ballot.
  9. The Board of Directors shall determine the frequency, dates and locations of the Chapter meetings.

Article V: Duties

  1. The duties of the President, President Elect, Secretary /Treasurer are those customarily performed by such officers, unless otherwise directed by the Board of Directors. Immediate Past- President serves to help provide continuity in leadership and function of the chapter.
  2. The President and President Elect will serve as members of the Regional Chapters Committee of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. The president will submit an annual report to the Chair of the regional Chapters Committee as prescribed by the SETAC Standard Operating Procedures.
  3. The President shall either serve as Program Chair for the annual Chapter meeting or appoint such chair.
  4. The duties of the Board of Directors shall be:
    1. To manage the business, functions, programs, and activities of the Chapter.
    2. To annually establish the dues for Active Members, Emeritus Members, Student Members and Sustaining /Affiliate Members.
    3. To establish policy and take such as seems desirable and appropriate to promote the purpose of the Chapter.
    4. To examine the eligibility of applicants for membership and convey its findings to the Chapter.
    5. To appoint such committees as necessary.

Article VI: Quorum

At least five (5) voting members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum. Twenty (20) percent of the voting membership of the Chapter shall constitute a quorum of members.

Article VII: Amendments

An amendment to the Constitution and By-laws may he proposed in wilting by the Board of Directors or the voting membership of the Chapter. Amendments are ratified when approved by a simple majority of the membership of the Chapter and the Board of Directors of SETAC. Method of voting will be determined by the Board of Directors and may include email ballot, paper mail-in ballot or in-person ballot at the annual business meeting.

Article VIII: Relationship with the Society of Environmental ‘Toxicology and Chemistry

The Chapter is an independent, nonprofit scientific and professional organization which is affiliated with the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry shall have no legal, contractual, or financial responsibility of any kind for the affairs of the Chapter. The Chapter will obtain the consent of the Board of Directors of the Society before the Chapter publishes technical information or otherwise publicly issues any statement upon a policy matter which purports to represent the opinion of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. The Chapter acknowledges that the Society may restrict, limit, or prohibit the use of its name by the chapter in certain publications, meetings or similar activities involving communication with the public. The Chapter also will not conduct any meetings or conferences which conflict with the National Annual Meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

Article IX: Procedures

Procedures and other items not specified in this Constitution or in the By-laws or by action of the Board of Directors shall be in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order Revised.

Article X: Dissolution

Dissolution of the chapter, for any cause, shall follow the same procedure as Constitutional Amendments and must be in accordance with the applicable regulations of the 1956 U.S. Internal Revenue Code, Section 506 or any amendments thereto. All funds and other assets of the Chapter, including any rights to funds, present or future, contingent or actual, shall he irrevocable, assigned and transferred to any successor organization which has among its principle purposes the encouragement, development and dissemination of knowledge in the environment sciences, and has qualified as an exempt organization, under Section 501 of the 1956 Internal Revenue Code. Such activities or any amendments thereto need not be the only purpose of the successor Organization. The selection of the successor organization must be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board of Directors of the Chapter and a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board of Directors of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and named in the Board of Directors minutes and its articles of dissolution, but need not to be named in the motion of the petition for dissolution.

SETAC North America Constitution and By-Laws

Visit the SETAC website to view the SETAC North America constitution and by-laws.

© Ohio Valley Chapter of SETAC