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Charter

Charter of the Section on Nonparametric Statistics

(Revised January 2018)

Article I. Name

The name of this organization is the Section on Nonparametric Statistics of the American Statistical Association (hereafter called the Association).

Article II. Objectives

The objective of this section is to serve as a focal point for Association members with interests in statistical methods which make broad assumptions about the underlying population or model structure.  This would include, but is not limited to, the areas of distribution free statistics, rank based statistics, robust methods, resampling methods, permutation based methods, nonparametric regression and density estimation, and goodness-of-fit methods.

The primary objectives of the Section are to:

  1. Foster understanding and proper use of nonparametric statistical methods in statistics, in other scientific fields, in the media, and among the general public.
  2. Encourage the teaching of nonparametric statistical methods.
  3. Encourage research in nonparametric statistical methods and provide a focus within the Association for it.
  4. Build cooperative relationships on behalf of the Association with other professional organizations that have interests in nonparametric statistical methods.
Specific activities of the Section shall include, but not be limited to:
  1. Organizing sessions on nonparametric statistical methods at meetings of the Association.
  2. Cosponsoring and publicizing meetings or sessions of meetings devoted to nonparametric statistics.
  3. Sponsoring non-journal publications on nonparametric statistical methods.
  4. Establishing and maintaining liaison and cooperation with other scientific and professional organizations.
  5. Establishing and maintaining liaison and cooperation with other sections of the Association.
  6. Aiding the general development of nonparametric statistical methods, statistics, and the Association.
  7. Serving as a resource for public and private groups or agencies with interests in the field of nonparametric statistical methods.

Article III. Membership

Any full member of the Association may become a member of the Section by paying dues to the Section. The membership year for each member of the Section shall coincide with that member's membership year in the Association.

Article IV. Officers

The officers of the Section shall be the Chair, the Chair-Elect, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Program Chair, the Program Chair-Elect, and the Publications Officer. The term of office for these officers shall be one year except for the Publications Officer whose term of office shall be three years. The Section Chair-Elect and the Program Chair-Elect shall automatically succeed the Section Chair and the Program Chair, respectively, at the annual change of officers. The Treasurer shall automatically succeed the Secretary at the annual change of officers. All officers must be members of both the Association and the Section. All terms of office begin with the calendar year.

The Section shall be represented on the Association's Council of Sections (hereafter referred to as the Council) by one or more Representatives. The number of Representatives and their terms shall be as specified by the Charter of the Council of Sections.

Article V. Executive Committee

The Executive Committee of the Section shall consist of the Section officers, the Immediate Past Section Chair, and the Representative(s) to the Council as specified in Article IV. Except as specifically noted elsewhere in this Charter, the Executive Committee has complete management responsibility for the affairs of the Section. The quorum for the Executive Committee is a majority of its members, and its chair is the Section Chair.

Article VI. Nomination and Election

The Section Chair-Elect shall serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee. Two additional members of the Section, appointed by the Section Chair-Elect, shall serve on this committee. On or before the Association's general deadline for nominations, the Section Nominating Committee shall submit to the Secretary of the Association and the Section Chair the names of at least two candidates for each position to be filled. No officer or representative to the Council shall be eligible for immediate reelection to the same office.

In addition, any Section member nominated by a petition signed by at least 25 current members of the Section shall also appear on the annual ballot provided the procedures specified in the Association's Constitution have been followed.

Voting shall be by mail or online ballot, as part of the Association’s annual election of officers.

If the office of Section Chair becomes vacant, the Section Chair-Elect shall become the Section Chair, the term extending through the following year. The Section Chair shall designate persons to fill vacancies in other offices or to serve as alternates on the Executive Committee, except that a person to fill a vacancy for Program Chair-Elect shall be designated by the Section Chair-Elect.

Article VII. Meetings

The Annual Business Meeting of the Section shall be held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Association and shall be announced in advance, preferably in the printed program of the Annual Meeting. Business may also be conducted by mail.

An Executive Committee Meeting shall be held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Association and shall be announced to members of the Executive Committee in advance. Newly elected officers are invited to this meeting which should always be held in advance of the Section Business Meeting.

The Section may create By-Laws concerning creation of standing committees, functions of the Section or governance of the Section. By-Laws must not contradict any provision in the Section charter. They may be proposed by the Executive Committee or by petition signed by 15 members of the Section. Changes to the By-Laws are effective when approved by a majority vote of Section members attending the Annual Business Meeting.

Between business meetings, the management of the affairs of the Section shall be in the hands of the Executive Committee, subject to such standing rules as the business meeting shall from time to time provide.

Article VIII. Committees

From time to time the Chair may appoint committees to consider specific technical issues, to organize conferences, or for other purposes related to Section objectives. Such appointments require annual renewal. The Chair of such a committee must be a member of both the Section and the Association.

Article IX. Dues

The schedule of dues for the Section shall be set each year by the Executive Committee.

Article X. Amendments

Amendments to this charter may be proposed by the Executive Committee or by a petition signed by at least 25 members of the Section provided the procedures specified in the Association's Constitution have been followed. A proposed amendment shall be submitted to the Section's members for ratification. The ratification vote by the Section's members can be conducted in conjunction with the Association's annual election of officers. If approved by a majority of Section members voting, changes to the charter take effect immediately