Constitution of the Early Slavic Studies Association (ESSA), an affiliate of the Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES)
Article I: NAME
The name of the Association shall be the Early Slavic Studies Association (hereinafter referred to as “the Association”; abbreviated as “ESSA”)
Article II: Purpose
The Association is a scholarly, non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of the study of early and early-modern Slavic territories.
To this aim, ESSA seeks to
a) encourage scholarship and research
b) advance effective teaching at all levels of education
c) promote publication and the dissemination of knowledge through the organization of meetings and conferences
d) foster closer communication and facilitate the exchange of ideas
Article III: Members
Section 1
Membership in the Association shall be open to individuals having a professional scholarly interest in any aspect of early or early-modern Slavic regions. Members who fulfill the requirements in Article III, section 2 and have paid their annual dues are regular members and are eligible to vote.
Section 2
Each applicant for voting membership should fulfill at least one of the following two criteria:
1) Possession of an academic degree (at a minimum, BA or equivalent)
2) Academic affiliation
Section 3
Student members shall be those who at the time of joining are involved in the active pursuit of undergraduate or graduate degrees. Graduate student members are eligible to vote but pay lower dues. Undergraduate students can become associate members and pay lower dues, but do not have the right to vote. Undergraduate associate memberships and graduate student memberships are limited to the period of verifiable student status.
Article IV: Meetings and Conferences
Section 1
As an affiliate of ASEEES, ESSA shall hold an annual business meeting of the Association in each calendar year at the ASEEES Annual Conference.
Section 2
The annual business meeting shall be for the purposes of conducting the election of officers (as specified in Article VI), receiving reports of officers and committees and for any other business that properly shall arise. The agenda for the annual business meeting shall be proposed by the President (or in his/her absence, the Vice-President) at the meeting along with any new business deemed appropriate by the attendees.
Section 3
Special meetings of the Association may be called by the Executive Council (for example, should ESSA sponsor a conference and hold a meeting during that event). The time, place and purpose of the meeting shall be announced to the members at least thirty (30) days in advance. Business indicated in the call for the meeting shall be transacted, along with any new business deemed appropriate by the attendees.
Section 4
The members present at the business meeting of the Association at the annual ASEEES conference shall be deemed to constitute a quorum with full powers to make decisions regarding the organization.
Section 5
The Association will organize or help to sponsor in some regard regularly scheduled conferences.
The Association will organize a panel proposal each year to take place at the ASEEES national conference.
Article V: Officers of the Association
The Officers of the Association are President, Vice-President and President Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Editor of the ESSA Newsletter. These constitute the Executive Council of the Association. The President acts as chair of the council.
Section 1: Election and Terms of Officers
Members elect the Officers of the Association at the annual business meeting of the Association. Officers are elected for two-year terms. Officers must be members in good standing at the time they are elected or become members upon election and remain in good standing throughout their tenure as officers.
All officers are appointed for two-year terms.
The positions of president and vice president are not eligible for renewal. Other officers’ terms may only be renewed by a vote of the annual business meeting.
Section 2: Duties of the Executive Council
The Executive Council is charged with fulfilling the decisions made by the membership at the annual meeting.
The Association’s business shall be formally transacted by correspondence (including electronic correspondence) between the Executive Council and the members of the Association.
The Executive Council is charged with fulfilling the decisions made by the membership during the year should there be a vote on policy or action.
The Executive Council may make decisions necessary for the execution of the association’s decisions, but decisions must be validated by a majority vote among the officers.
The Executive Council must approve by majority vote the expenditure of funds greater than $100 except for the prize monies, which are set by the annual meeting.
All actions taken by the executive council will be duly reported to the Association.
Section 3: Duties of Each Officer
The president shall provide general leadership and supervision of the Association, shall preside at its meetings, and shall charge and discharge, between annual business meetings any committees deemed necessary by the Executive Committee that were not constituted and given a charge by a vote at the annual business meeting. The president shall appoint the chair and members of committees if any are needed.
The Vice-President shall act for the President in his or her absence and shall consult with, and act together with, the President to fulfill the charges given by the annual meeting.
The Secretary shall record all annual business meeting proceedings by producing minutes to be provided to the Executive Committee and to the general membership of the Association, issue notices, and shall be responsible for communication with the membership.
The Treasurer shall maintain membership records, receive, disburse, and keep records of annual dues, as well as all funds under the direction of the Executive Council, and shall make a financial report at the annual business meeting. All records will be open for inspection by members of the Association.
The Newsletter Editor will produce a bi-annual newsletter, will send out emails to remind the membership to provide contributions for the newsletter, and will work with the other officers to advance the activities of the Association. The Newsletter will go out to any interested parties regardless of membership, in order to ensure ongoing outreach of the Association.
Article VI: Budgets and Fees
Section 1: Treasurer’s Report
The Treasurer shall be required to present a report of the budget for the preceding year for the approval of the membership at the Association’s annual business meeting.
If the membership do not approve the treasurer’s report, the other four officers shall request records of all financial transactions from the treasurer and report their findings back to the membership.
Section 2: Membership Dues
Membership dues are assessed at a specified annual rate determined by the membership at the annual business meeting. The fee is announced at the annual meeting and included in the minutes to all members.
Article VII: Committees
Section 1: Prize Committee
The ESSA Prize Committee is a permanent committee of three members in good standing who are elected during the business meeting. The Prize Committee is charged with selecting and awarding prize(s) per year as determined by the annual business meeting The award for each of the above named prizes will be determined or validated by the membership at the annual business meeting in the previous year.
The chair of the Prize Committee is responsible for providing the committee with its charge each year, disbursing to committee members any texts to be reviewed, convening the conversation on awards, and writing an announcement for each prize to give as a report to the annual business meeting. The chair is also responsible for informing the ESSA officers of the names of each recipient and amounts of the prizes one month in advance of the annual business meeting.
Section 2: Nominating Committee
The ESSA Nominating Committee will consist of three members in good standing who are elected each year at the annual business meeting. They are charged with finding, verifying the willingness of, and nominating before the annual business membership, individuals to potentially fulfill any vacant positions in any one year.
Section 3: Special Committees
Whenever deemed necessary, the annual business meeting or the Executive Council, will appoint committees with a specific mandate (hereinafter referred to as “special committees”). Each special committee shall consist of at least three members in good standing. The special committees and their membership shall be determined by the President with the advice and consent of the Executive Council.
Section 4
The mandate and final resolutions of all special committees are subject to approval by the membership at the Association’s annual business meeting.
Article VIII: Publications
The Association shall publish a bi-annual Newsletter, distributed in electronic or print form to all members of the Association.
ESSA may wish to join with other organizations for the purpose of publishing selected works, or to pursue publication of articles or other scholarly works at the discretion of the Executive Council with the participation of the membership.
Article IX: Affiliations
Section 1
Affiliations with scholarly organizations may be pursued if so voted by the Executive Council.
Section 2
Upon authorization of the Executive Council, and subject to the approval of the membership, the Association may affiliate or cooperate with and participate in other organizations concerned with the study of Slavic, post-Soviet, and post-Soviet bloc regions.
Article X: Amendments
This constitution can be amended by a majority vote of the Executive Council, subject to subsequent ratification by two-thirds of those members present at the next annual business meeting of the Association.
Article XI: Dissolution
In the event of dissolution of the Association, any assets remaining after paying or making provision for the payment of all liabilities of the Association shall be disposed of exclusively for the purpose of the Association to such organization(s) organized and operated exclusively for scientific or educational purposes, subject to the approval of the membership at the last business meeting of the Association.