The Bylaws of the Association of Chinese Political Studies (USA)

THE BYLAWS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF CHINESE POLITICAL STUDIES (USA)
The Bylaws of the Association of Chinese Political Studies were approved by the vote of members on June 11, 2004 with amendments most recently approved by members present at the general membership business meeting on September 21, 2012.

I. Mission:

The Association of Chinese Political Studies (ACPS) is a non-profit, non-political organization for scholarly and professional activities. It is registered as such in the State of Kansas, United States. The mission of ACPS is to promote Chinese political studies among the academic communities in the United States and the rest of the world. The ACPS is affiliated with the American Political Science Association and the International Studies Association.

II. Main Activities:

The ACPS holds annual meetings in which the participants present the results of their scholarly research on Chinese politics and society. It also sponsors panels for the annual meetings of the American Political Science Association and international conferences with partner institutions. The ACPS publishes scholarly books, newsletters, and a refereed academic journal called the Journal of Chinese Political Science. It also collaborates with other academic organizations to sponsor a variety of scholarly activities.

III. Organization:

Board of Directors: The Board of Directors is the decision making body of the organization. It consists of seven members, including the president who is also the chair of the board, the president-elect, the treasurer, and four other directors. Besides performing their specific duties, the directors also advise the president in his/her management of the organization and interpret the Bylaws of ACPS. The directors are all volunteers and shall receive no financial compensation for their services.

Those members present at an ACPS annual meeting elect the directors through a single majority vote. Any regular member of the ACPS can nominate an individual as a candidate for director. Self-nominations are also acceptable. The directors can be reelected. Any board director may be dismissed by 2/3 votes of participants at the next annual meeting.

President: The president serves a non-consecutive two-year term. The president is responsible for the general well being of ACPS and supervises the routine operations of the organization, including fund raising. One of the major responsibilities of the president is to organize the ACPS annual meeting as well as other conferences and workshops.
 

President-Elect: The president-elect shall assist the president in managing the operation of the ACPS The president-elect automatically becomes the president at the end of the current president’s term or in the event that the president resigns before the end of his/her tenure. In the event that the president-elect resigns, the president can call for an election at the next annual meeting.

Treasurer: The treasurer is appointed by the president among the Board of Directors with the approval of the board. The treasurer helps the president in his/her handling of ACPS financial matters. The treasurer is required to report the financial situation of the organization to participants at the annual meetings or to the Board of Directors upon request.

Journal of Chinese Political Science: The Board of Directors shall appoint during the annual meeting of the Association, the editor of the Journal of Chinese Political Science (JCPS) for a renewable 4-year term. The Board of Directors can dismiss the editors for gross misconduct or incompetence with a 2/3rd vote of the entire board. If a vacancy occurs during the editor's term, the associate editor shall become the editor, and a new associate editor shall be appointed. Under no circumstances shall the JCPS become independent of the ACPS.

Newsletter: The President shall appoint an editor who will periodically publish a Newsletter to convey ACPS news and membership information.

IV. Membership

Regular: Any scholars and students of Chinese politics regardless of sex, religion, ethnicity, color, or sexual orientation are eligible for ACPS membership. Regular members pay annual dues as determined by the Board of Directors. Privileges for regular members include complimentary access to the electronic version of Journal of Chinese Political Science and possible support to attend ACPS meetings. Only regular members have the right to vote and to run for positions in the ACPS governing body. A regular member has the right to ask for a financial report and the explanation of ACPS expenses.

Institutional: Any academic institution with a focus on Chinese political studies can become an institutional member subject to the approval of the Board of Directors

IV. Amendment:

Amendments of the bylaws can be proposed by regular members and must be approved by 2/3 votes of regular members present at the ACPS annual meetings.