CHARTER OF THE BIOMETRICS SECTION
Revised 2000
(Reviewed and Approved 2007)
Article I. NAME
The name of this organization is the Biometrics Section of the American Statistical
Association (hereafter called the Association).
Article II. SCOPE AND PURPOSE
The objective of the Biometrics Section is to serve Association members with
special interests in:
- The development and application of biostatistical and biomathematical methods.
- The formulation of biomathematical models, whether deterministic or stochastic,
to describe and explain underlying mechanisms and modes of action of fundamental
processes.
- The interpretation of quantitative data in the biological sciences, including
agriculture, biology, health, medicine, and related fields.
The Biometrics Section will represent these interests within the American Statistical
Association and cooperate with groups outside the Association, most notably
with the North American region of the Biometric Society, the Statistics Section
of the American Public Health Association, and Section U of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science, in effectively furthering common purposes. In
addition, it embraces and will strive to promote the objectives of the parent
Association as they apply to its special sphere of interest.
Article III. FUNCTIONS
To support the interests specified in Article II, the Biometrics Section shall
perform any or all of the following functions, together with such others as
are appropriate to its scope:
- Assist in the advancement of knowledge in the biological sciences, including
agriculture, biology, health, medicine, and related fields, by fostering wider
and more effective use of statistical techniques.
- Plan and support, in cooperation with the Association, appropriate sessions
and continuing education activities at annual or regional meetings of the
Association.
- Plan and support, either under Section auspices alone, or in cooperation
with organizations interested in biological sciences, joint sessions or meetings
on statistics in these sciences, special seminars, workshops, or continuing
education activities.
- Produce separate publications, (e.g., proceedings, monographs, or periodic
bulletins), as may be needed, with the approval of the Association. Maintain
a Web site that publicizes Section activities and promotes communication.
- Stimulate the preparation of articles and books dealing with biological
statistics for publication under Association auspices.
- Establish and maintain liaison and cooperation with other scientific and
professional organizations and other Sections of the Association.
- Aid, by whatever special ways appropriate within the Section, the general
development of statistics and of the Association.
Article IV. ORGANIZATION
- Membership. Membership in the Biometrics Section shall include all members
of the Association who have paid Biometrics Section dues, as collected and
recorded by the central office of the Association. The Section may establish
differential dues, for example, regular and student dues. The right to vote
and to hold office in the Section shall be limited to members of the Section.
- Officers. Elected officers shall consist of the Chair, the Chair-Elect,
the Secretary/Treasurer, and the Section's Representative(s) on the Council
of Sections of the Association. Appointed officers shall consist of the Program
Chair(s), the Program Chair (s)-Elect, the Publications Officer, and the Continuing
Education Committee Chair. The officers, elected and appointed, together with
the most recent Past Chair, as well as the Chair-Elect-Elect, shall constitute
the Executive Committee of the Section.
- Terms of Office. The term of office for the Chair shall be for three years,
one as Chair-Elect, one as Chair, and one as immediate Past-Chair, to begin
on January 1 following election. In addition, the Chair Elect-Elect chairs
the Nominating Committee and makes other appointments as specified in Article
IV, Section 5(c). Terms of office for Program Chair(s) and Program Chair(s)-Elect
correspond to the planning period and time of the specific professional meeting.
The term for the Secretary/Treasurer and Publications Officer shall be two
years and begin on January 1. The term of the Continuing Education Chair shall
be at most three years with the length agreed to by the person appointed.
The term of office and time of taking office for the Section's Representative(s)
on the Council of Sections are as provided by the Charter of that Council.
No Chair completing a full term shall be eligible for immediate re-election
to the office of Chair-Elect. The Secretary/Treasurer and Section Representatives
on the Council of Sections are ineligible for immediate re-election to the
same office after serving one full term. All appointed officers may serve
consecutive terms.
- Vacancy in Office. In case of a vacancy in the office of Chair, the Chair-Elect
shall become Chair. In case of vacancy in the office of Chair-Elect, Secretary/Treasurer,
or Section Representative on the Council of Sections, the vacancy shall be
filled as promptly as possible by the Executive Committee of the Section,
a majority vote being required. The individual so chosen shall serve for the
remainder of the current term, with the Chair-Elect becoming Chair in the
succeeding year. Names of officers thus newly selected shall be announced
in the next issue of a news bulletin.
- Duties of Officers and of the Executive Committee.
- Chair. As the chief officer of the Section, the Chair
shall:
- In connection with the annual business meeting of the Section
membership:
- Set the time of the meeting in consultation with the Association
so as to avoid conflict with any session sponsored by the Section
and with any general sessions.
- Draw up the agenda for the meeting.
- Make sure that the time and place of the meeting are included in
the Preliminary Program printed in a news bulletin and that a written
notice of such meeting is a part of any general mailing to members
made by the central office of the Association.
- Preside at the meeting.
- Establish and appoint any committees necessary to transact the business
of the Section.
- Appoint a substitute to perform the duties of the Secretary/Treasurer
or Section Representative on the Council when the incumbent is temporarily
unable to perform them.
- Organize and preside at Executive Committee meetings.
- Keep the Executive Committee and the membership informed of Section
developments.
- Establish, with the help of the Executive Committee, the schedule of
Section dues, and announce any new schedule through publication in a news
bulletin.
- Transmit to the Section's depository in the office of the Association
copies of any items of permanent importance to the Section.
- Transmit to the incoming Chair all records and correspondence of continuing
interest to the Section or copies thereof.
- Chair-Elect. The Chair-Elect shall assume temporarily the duties of the
Chair in case the Chair is unable to perform them.
- Chair-Elect-Elect. The individual who is elected for the office of Chair
serves as Chair-Elect-Elect following the election and until the beginning
of the next calendar year when the individual becomes Chair-Elect. The Chair-Elect-Elect
shall:
- Chair and appoint a Nominations Committee.
- Appoint the Program Chair for the annual meeting of the Association
held in the year the Chair-Elect-Elect serves as Chair.
- Appoint Program Chair(s) for other meetings in which the Section participates
held in the year the Chair-Elect-Elect serves as Chair.
- Appoint the Publications Officer in even years.
- Secretary/Treasurer. The Secretary/Treasurer shall:
- Keep the minutes of the business and Executive Committee meeting(s)
and transmit copies to the members of the Executive Committee and submit
these to the Association after approval by the Executive Committee.
- Transmit copies of resolutions of the Section to appropriate persons
and groups.
- Assist in Section budget preparation, submit it to the Association,
and monitor financial reports prepared by the Association.
- Report the financial status of the Section to the membership at the
time of the annual meeting.
- Perform other duties of record keeping and correspondence as requested
by the Chair.
- Transmit to the incoming Secretary/Treasurer all records, ledgers, and
correspondence of continuing importance to the Section, or copies thereof.
- Section Representative(s) on the Council of Sections. The Representative(s)
on the Council of Sections shall:
- Attend all meetings of the Council of Sections of the Association.
- Report to the membership at the time of the annual meeting of the Section
on important developments of the Council meetings and bring up for discussion
important issues currently before, that body, requesting formal expression
of opinion by the membership if needed.
- Bring before the Council matters of interest to the Section when so
requested by the Executive Committee or by vote of the members, and transmit
to the Council the views of the Executive Committee and of the members
on issues before the Council.
- Perform all other duties of Representatives as stated in the Charter
of the Council of Sections.
- Publications Officer. The Publications Officer shall:
- Prepare and coordinate news articles about Section activities to be
placed in AmStat News, on the Section's Web page, and elsewhere as appropriate.
- Coordinate activities related to proceedings and publications sponsored
by the Section.
- Program Chair(s). The Program Chair(s) shall:
- Arrange and coordinate invited and contributed paper sessions sponsored
or co-sponsored by the Section at the Annual Meeting of the Association,
Biometrics Society (ENAR) Spring meeting, or other appropriate meetings.
- Attend meeting(s) of Program Chair(s) that are held for planning meeting
programs.
- Continuing Education Chair. The Continuing Education Chair shall:
- Appoint other members to the Continuing Education Committee as necessary.
- Arrange and coordinate continuing education activities sponsored or
co-sponsored by the Section at the annual meeting of the Association or
other appropriate meetings.
- Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chair,
Chair-Elect, Chair-Elect-Elect, Secretary/Treasurer, Publications Officer,
appointed Program Chairs, Representative(s) to the Council of Sections, Continuing
Education Chair, and the most recent Past Chair. The Executive Committee shall:
- Fill vacancies in the offices of Chair-Elect, Secretary/Treasurer or
Representative, as indicated in Article IV, Section 4.
- Conduct any business of the Section requiring action at Executive Committee
meetings or during the period between annual meetings and not otherwise
provided for. For this purpose, meetings or consultation of the Executive
Committee by mail or other means may be called for by the Chair or by
any Committee member. Actions taken are to be reported to the membership
in a news bulletin or at the annual meeting or both. A member serving
on the Executive Committee in more than one capacity shall have only one
vote.
- Prepare a Section budget.
- Nominations Committee. The Nominations Committee, chaired by the Chair-Elect-Elect,
shall make nominations for the elected officers of the Section.
The nominations shall be reported to the Chair of the Section and to the Association
prior to the date prescribed by the Association.
- Methods of Nomination and Election. The Section shall submit to the Association
at least two nominations for each position to be filled. The nominations are
to be included in the Association's annual mail ballot for the election of
officers. All balloting procedures for Section officers shall conform to those
used in balloting for Association officers.
- Other Committees. Such other committees as are deemed necessary to carry
out the work of the Section may also be established. "Establishment" of a
committee shall include the prescribing of its functions and the method of
appointment of its members. Such committees shall continue in existence at
the discretion of the Executive Committee except as may be otherwise provided
at the time of establishment.
- Meetings. Except as provided in Article IV, Section 10, Section business
is to be conducted by the members in attendance at the annual meeting of the
Association. The annual business meeting of the Section shall be held in connection
with the annual meeting of the Association, and shall be announced in the
printed program of that meeting. A quorum shall consist of those members present.
The Executive Committee will also meet at the annual meeting.
- Conduct of Business Between Annual Meetings. The Chair may, when necessary,
call a meeting of the Executive Committee at any of the regional meetings
sponsored by the Section or hold meetings by conference call. The Chair and
the Executive Committee shall manage the business of the Section during the
rest of the year.
Article V. AMENDMENTS
- Proposal. Amendments to this Charter may be proposed by the Executive Committee
of the Section or by petition to the Executive Committee bearing the signature
of at least 25 members. An amendment originating by petition shall be referred
to the Executive Committee, who shall make a recommendation on approval as
a whole or in parts to the membership. The Executive committee may also decide
upon the final wording of a proposed amendment, as long as such wording is
consistent with the original intent of the petition.
- Ratification. All proposed amendments shall be submitted to the members
of the Section for mail vote at the time of the annual election of officers.
If approved by a majority of those members voting, the amendments shall take
effect immediately or at such other times as specified in the amendments.
A copy of the amendment shall be filed with the Association.