The Bylaws of the Association of Chinese Political Studies (USA)
The Bylaws of the Association of Chinese Political Studies printed below 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 October 10, 2008.
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 Kentucky, 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. ACPS is affiliated with the American Political Science Association and the International Studies Association.
The organization was established in the United States in 1986 by a group of scholars and students of political science and international relations who originally came from The People’s Republic of China. It was known then as Chinese Scholars of Political Science and International Studies, Inc. In 1995, the organization changed its name to the Association for Chinese Political Studies to encourage non-ethnic Chinese to become members.
II. Main Activities:
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. ACPS publishes scholarly books, newsletters, and a refereed academic journal – 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 receive no financial compensation for their services.
The directors are elected through a single majority vote at the ACPS annual meeting by those members present. Nominations for the directors can be done by any regular member of ACPS. 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 annual meetings.
President-Elect: The president-elect is elected by members present at the ACPS annual meeting through a simple majority vote. The president-elect automatically becomes the president at the end of the current president’s term, or in the event that the president resigns during 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 the financial part of the organization. The treasurer is required to report the financial situation of the organization to participants at the annual meetings, or at any other time.
Journal of Chinese Political Science: The editors of the Journal of Chinese Political Science (JCPS) shall be appointed by the Board of Directors for a renewable 3-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, ethnicity and color are eligible for ACPS membership. Regular members pay the annual dues, the amount of which is determined by the Board of Directors. Privileges for regular members include access to the electronic version of Journal of Chinese Political Science and possible financial support to attend ACPS annual 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 the financial report and the explanations for certain expenses.
Associate: Scholars and students, who do not pay annual dues, can become associate members. Associate members only have access to ACPS Newsletters and will be included in the ACPS listserv.
Institutional: Any academic institution with a focus on Chinese political studies can become an institutional member.
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.