Amended by a vote of the membership: November, 1999; December, 2007

Article I

Name and purpose

1.    The name of this organization shall be the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology, a section of the Society of Clinical Psychology (Division 12) of the American Psychological Association (hereinafter the Section, the Division, and the APA respectively).

2.    The purpose of this Section shall be to advance scientific inquiry and to foster the systematic application of the principles of behavioral and social processes derived from empirical research in the practice of clinical psychology as a means of furthering knowledge and human welfare.

Article II

Membership

1.    The membership of the Section shall consist of three classes: Divisional Member, Member-at-Large, and Student Member.

2.    To qualify for the status of Member-at-Large, an individual shall have an interest in the purpose of the Section. A Member-at-Large shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges of the Section, except that a Member-at-Large shall not hold the position of the Section's Representative to the Board of Directors of Division 12, nor shall s/he vote on Division issues.

3.    To qualify for the status of Divisional Member, an individual shall be a member of the Division and have an interest in the purpose of the Section. A Divisional Member shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges of membership in the Section and the Division.

4.    To qualify for the status of Student Member, an individual shall be a student with an interest in the purpose of the Section, who is currently enrolled in a degree program. Student Members are entitled to reduced dues.  Student Members shall be entitled to attend and participate in the meetings of the Section and to receive its publications and communications.  Student Members may not vote in the Section except for Student Representatives or hold office in the Section except as Student Representative.

5.    A Member-at-Large who becomes a member of the Division shall automatically become a Divisional Member of the Section.

6.    If a Member-at-Large of the Section represents himself or herself as a member of the Division he/she shall be expelled from membership in the Section.

7.    Application for membership shall be made to and monitored by the Secretary-Treasurer of the Section, who may devise a special form for this purpose.  The applicant shall indicate whether he/she is a member of the Division, and whether s/he is a student currently enrolled in a degree program.  All membership applications are subject to review and final approval by the Executive Board.

8. Any member who wishes to resign his/her membership in the Section shall indicate his/her intention in writing to the Secretary-Treasurer. Any member who is in arrears of effective dues for a period of one year shall be presumed to have resigned from the Section.   

Article III

Officers

1.    The officers of the Section shall be a President, President-Elect, Past-President, Secretary-Treasurer, and Representative to the Board of Directors of the Society of Clinical Psychology.  The term of office of the President, President-Elect, and Past-President shall be one year and run from January 1 to December 31.  The term of the Secretary-Treasurer and the Representative to the Board of Directors of the Division shall be three years.  They shall take office on the January 1 following their election and shall remain in office until their successors are seated.

2.    The President shall be the individual who has just completed his/her term as President-Elect. He/She shall perform such duties as are customarily incident to his/her office and shall, in addition, have overall responsibility for the Section's contributions to the annual APA meeting.

3.    The President-Elect shall assist the President in his or her duties and serve nominally as the Chair of the Program Committee, which is to be appointed by the President.

4.    The immediate past President shall serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee, which is to be appointed by the President.

5.    The Section's Representative to the Board of Directors of the Division must be a member of the Division. S/he shall perform the duties specified in Article V of the bylaws of the Division, shall serve on the Section's Executive Board, shall submit a report on Section activities at each Division Board meeting, and shall submit a report following each Division 12 Board meeting to the Section’s Executive Board and newsletter editor.

6. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep the records of the Section, conduct the official correspondence of the Section, and have custody of all funds of the Section.  S/he shall have authority to sign checks on behalf of the Section for the disbursement of funds authorized in the budget.  S/he shall keep a full record of all money received and all money disbursed and shall report thereon at the annual meeting of the Section and shall at all reasonable times exhibit his/her books of accounts to any member of the Section.  S/he shall be responsible for fulfilling the Section's responsibilities to the Division, as outlined in article VI of the bylaws of the Division.

Article IV

Executive Board

1.    Board membership.  The Executive Board of the Section shall consist of the Officers, two At-Large Board members and two Student Representatives.  All members of the Executive Board must be members of the Section.

2.    At-Large Board members.  The term of office of At-Large Board members shall be 2 years, except in the case of the first election, in which the term of the candidate receiving the second most votes will be 1 year to stagger the terms of the two members.

3.    Student Representatives.  The term of office of Student Representatives shall be 2 years, except in the case of the first election, in which the term of the candidate receiving the second most votes will be 1 year to stagger the terms of the two members.

4.    Vacancy.  In the case of a vacancy in the Executive Board for any reason, the President shall nominate a replacement from the membership of the Section to serve the remainder of the term, subject to approval by a majority of the remaining members of the Board.

5.    Powers and Duties.  The Executive Board shall exercise general supervision over the management of the property, business, and affairs of the Section, shall be the primary authority on matters of policy and procedure within the Section, and shall exercise all such powers and do such things as it deems consistent with these bylaws and the policies and procedures of the Division to effectuate the purposes of the Section.  All committee chairpersons are immediately responsible to the Executive Board.  The major actions of the Executive Board shall be reported to the membership at the annual meeting.

Article V

Elections

1.    All Officers, the At-Large members, and the Student Representatives shall be elected by a plurality vote from a ballot which shall contain at least two candidates for each position to be filled.  Members-at-Large and Student Members of the Section shall not vote for the Section's Representative to the Division Board of Directors.  Only Student Members shall vote for Student Representatives.

2.    Nominations and elections shall be conducted in accordance with the regulations set forth in Article VI of the bylaws of the Division.   

Article VI

Meetings

1.    The section shall hold an annual business meeting, typically at the time and place of the annual convention of the APA or APS.  A simple majority of members present and voting shall be required to pass a motion at this meeting, unless otherwise provided for in these bylaws.

2.    The section may hold a business meeting at the time and place of the midwinter meeting of the Division.  The Executive Board shall decide each year whether such a business meeting shall be held.

3.    The section shall sponsor or conduct such other scientific and professional events as the Executive Board may deem appropriate.

4.    The Executive Board shall hold meetings, which may be in person, telephonic, or electronic, as needed throughout the year to conduct the business of the Section.  At any such meeting, in the absence of the President, either the President-Elect or past President by mutual agreement shall serve in this role pro tempore.  In the absence of the Secretary-Treasurer, the President shall ask one of the other members present to serve in that role pro tempore.  Most actions of the Executive Board shall be taken by an informal consensus of the Executive Board.  In the event that a consensus cannot be reached such that an action requires a vote, a two-thirds majority of the Executive Board must participate, and a simple majority of those participating shall be required to effect such an action.

Article VII

Committees and Liaisons

1.    The President, with the consent of the Executive Board, shall appoint a Program Committee and a Nominating Committee and such other committees as may be needed to conduct the affairs of the Section. The President shall report on the committees' activities at the annual meeting of the Section.

2.    The President, with the consent of the Executive Board, shall oversee the appointment of an Editor of the Section Newsletter.

3.    The President, with the consent of the Executive Board, shall appoint a Membership Committee.  The Membership Committee shall oversee recruitment of new members into the Section.

4.    The President, with the consent of the Executive Board, may appoint liaisons to appropriate APA Boards and Committees and other organizations.

Article VIII

Electronic Discussion List (Listserv)

1.    The Section has an electronic discussion list or listserv (currently “SSCPnet”).  Any member of the Section may choose to be a member of SSCPnet.

2.    The Executive Board may propose or revise policies regarding the listserv or its use. Any such new or revised policies regarding the listserv or its use shall be subject to approval by a majority of SSCP members voting via electronic ballot, with a minimum of 1-month for return of ballots.  When Section members join the listserv, they shall be provided with the policies regarding the listserv and its use.  Use of the listserv constitutes agreement to abide by these policies.  Any listserv policies or revisions thereto approved by the SSCP membership will be in effect from the time that the members’ approval is announced on the listserv and otherwise.

Article IX

Financial Arrangements

1.    By a majority voting on a ballot, the Section may decide to collect or raise dues from its Divisional Members, Members-at-Large, and Student Members.

2.    The Secretary-Treasurer is hereby authorized to sign checks on behalf of the Section for the disbursement of funds duly authorized in the approved budget. In the event of the incapacity of the Secretary-Treasurer, the Section President is hereby authorized to sign checks on behalf of the Section under the same provisions.  All financial documents, other than checks, shall be signed by the Section President and the Secretary-Treasurer.

3.    In the event of the dissolution of the Section, all unencumbered funds in the Section treasury at that time shall be turned over to the Division.

Article X

Amendments