Amendments were advertised April 2014 (see blog entry ) and affirmed as of March 31, 2015 in accordance with the GSCIS amendments procedure.
Here is the amended charter of the GSCIS.
Charter of the Global South Caucus of the International Studies Association, Amended 2012; amended 2015
PREAMBLE:
The Caucus encourages scholarship and research on Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Developing Eurasia.
ARTICLE I: NAME AND AFFILIATION
The name of this organization shall be: Global South Caucus for International Studies (GSCIS).
The Global South Caucus for International Studies shall be a “component unit” of the International Studies Association. GSCIS shall serve as an advocate and liaison to the ISA for the purposes listed below.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSES
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
Any member of the ISA who agrees with the purposes of the Global South Caucus may become a member upon payment of dues. Members are entitled to attend annual meetings, vote, nominate candidates for and hold office within the Caucus, receive newsletters and other publications produced by the caucus, and participate in all activities sponsored by the caucus.
ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS
1. The officers of the Global South Caucus for International Studies shall be as follows: Chair, a Vice Chair who will also serve as the Program Chair, a Secretary/Communications Manager, a Treasurer and a Newsletter Editor.
2. The term of office for the Chair and Vice Chair shall be two (2) years, unless the Executive Committee votes, under extraordinary circumstances, to extend these terms for no more than two additional years.
3. The term of office of the Secretary and the Treasurer shall be two (2) years. These two officers may stand for re-election to one other term, with the concurrence of the Executive Committee.
4. The term of office of the Newsletter Editor shall be two (2) years. This officer may stand for re-election to one other term, with the concurrence of the Executive Committee.
Executive Committee
5a. The Executive Committee shall consist of all current officers (as in Article IV.1), the immediate past chair of GSCIS serving ex-officio, and five (5) at-large members representing the following areas:
i) Latin America and the Caribbean; ii) South and Southeast Asia and the Pacific; iii) Africa; iv) Middle East/North Africa; v) developing Eurasia and/or North-South. The designation ‘North-South” refers to scholars working on issues linking North America and Europe with the global south.
5b. In so far as is possible, the Caucus shall endeavor to rotate the at-large membership among the various sub-regions of the broader regions of the global south.
6. At-large members shall serve a non-renewable term of two (2) years unless the Executive Committee votes, under extraordinary circumstances, to extend these terms for no more than two additional years. However, three at-large members will initially serve a one-year term (renewable for another year by election), in order to allow for rotating terms and the maintenance of institutional memory.
7. The duties of the officers and Committee shall be:
a) Chair: To serve as spokesperson for the Global South Caucus; to make arrangements for and preside at the annual meeting; to serve as liaison between the Caucus and the ISA; to propose initiatives that will further the goals of the Caucus; to select members of and chair the nominating committee; to propose other special committees and tasks. (Special committee members will serve for one year, renewable in exceptional circumstances).
b) Vice-Chair: To assist the Chair in carrying out the duties above. In addition, the Vice Chair is responsible for organizing, with input from the Chair, caucus representation on the annual ISA Convention Program. The Vice Chair can serve as Chair in the absence of the Chair.
c) Secretary/Communications Manager: To maintain accurate records of meetings and relevant correspondence; to promote, in cooperation with the Chair, Vice Chair, and Newsletter Editor, the activities of the caucus via all appropriate media channels.
d) Treasurer: to handle the financial affairs of the organization under the direction of the Chair.
e) Newsletter Editor: to produce a newsletter, normally three times a year.
d) Executive Committee: To propose, debate and vote on initiatives in support of the Caucus’s mission; to assist with arrangements for the annual meeting; to set membership dues; to compose and fill vacancies on any committees constituted by the Caucus; to perform other tasks that the membership, assembled at the annual meeting, recommends or that the Committee itself initiates.
ARTICLE V: ANNUAL MEETING
The annual (business) meeting shall coincide with the annual meeting of the International Studies Association, This meeting shall conduct the ordinary business of the GSCIS.
ARTICLE VI: NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENTS
Proposals to amend this charter may be submitted in writing by any member to the Executive Committee which shall, in turn, vote on the proposal. If a simple majority of the Executive Committee approves the amendments, they shall then be submitted to the membership by email (or any other appropriate method). Proposals will be adopted if approved by 2/3rds of the members present at the next annual business meeting.
Amendments duly circulated and approved as of March 31, 2015.
Here is the amended charter of the GSCIS.
Charter of the Global South Caucus of the International Studies Association, Amended 2012; amended 2015
PREAMBLE:
The Caucus encourages scholarship and research on Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Developing Eurasia.
ARTICLE I: NAME AND AFFILIATION
The name of this organization shall be: Global South Caucus for International Studies (GSCIS).
The Global South Caucus for International Studies shall be a “component unit” of the International Studies Association. GSCIS shall serve as an advocate and liaison to the ISA for the purposes listed below.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSES
1)
provide a channel for networking and the sharing of research, information
and ideas among scholars and practitioners of/in the various regions of the
south;
2)
promote the ISA
as a forum for the dissemination of cross-regional global south research;
3)
encourage south scholars: to participate in relevant ways in the
association’s conferences and other activities, and to publish in ISA
journals;
4)
promote the recruitment of members from areas and institutions across the
global south;
5)
encourage graduate students to work on south issues and regions, and to
engage in professional development activities intended to improve the
employment opportunities and advancement in the profession of south-oriented
scholars;
6)
work with existing ISA
sections and committees to achieve these goals.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
Any member of the ISA who agrees with the purposes of the Global South Caucus may become a member upon payment of dues. Members are entitled to attend annual meetings, vote, nominate candidates for and hold office within the Caucus, receive newsletters and other publications produced by the caucus, and participate in all activities sponsored by the caucus.
ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS
1. The officers of the Global South Caucus for International Studies shall be as follows: Chair, a Vice Chair who will also serve as the Program Chair, a Secretary/Communications Manager, a Treasurer and a Newsletter Editor.
2. The term of office for the Chair and Vice Chair shall be two (2) years, unless the Executive Committee votes, under extraordinary circumstances, to extend these terms for no more than two additional years.
3. The term of office of the Secretary and the Treasurer shall be two (2) years. These two officers may stand for re-election to one other term, with the concurrence of the Executive Committee.
4. The term of office of the Newsletter Editor shall be two (2) years. This officer may stand for re-election to one other term, with the concurrence of the Executive Committee.
Executive Committee
5a. The Executive Committee shall consist of all current officers (as in Article IV.1), the immediate past chair of GSCIS serving ex-officio, and five (5) at-large members representing the following areas:
i) Latin America and the Caribbean; ii) South and Southeast Asia and the Pacific; iii) Africa; iv) Middle East/North Africa; v) developing Eurasia and/or North-South. The designation ‘North-South” refers to scholars working on issues linking North America and Europe with the global south.
5b. In so far as is possible, the Caucus shall endeavor to rotate the at-large membership among the various sub-regions of the broader regions of the global south.
6. At-large members shall serve a non-renewable term of two (2) years unless the Executive Committee votes, under extraordinary circumstances, to extend these terms for no more than two additional years. However, three at-large members will initially serve a one-year term (renewable for another year by election), in order to allow for rotating terms and the maintenance of institutional memory.
7. The duties of the officers and Committee shall be:
a) Chair: To serve as spokesperson for the Global South Caucus; to make arrangements for and preside at the annual meeting; to serve as liaison between the Caucus and the ISA; to propose initiatives that will further the goals of the Caucus; to select members of and chair the nominating committee; to propose other special committees and tasks. (Special committee members will serve for one year, renewable in exceptional circumstances).
b) Vice-Chair: To assist the Chair in carrying out the duties above. In addition, the Vice Chair is responsible for organizing, with input from the Chair, caucus representation on the annual ISA Convention Program. The Vice Chair can serve as Chair in the absence of the Chair.
c) Secretary/Communications Manager: To maintain accurate records of meetings and relevant correspondence; to promote, in cooperation with the Chair, Vice Chair, and Newsletter Editor, the activities of the caucus via all appropriate media channels.
d) Treasurer: to handle the financial affairs of the organization under the direction of the Chair.
e) Newsletter Editor: to produce a newsletter, normally three times a year.
d) Executive Committee: To propose, debate and vote on initiatives in support of the Caucus’s mission; to assist with arrangements for the annual meeting; to set membership dues; to compose and fill vacancies on any committees constituted by the Caucus; to perform other tasks that the membership, assembled at the annual meeting, recommends or that the Committee itself initiates.
8. All terms of office normally
end at the annual ISA Convention
at which the Caucus will also hold its annual business meeting. A
meeting of the Executive Committee shall precede the annual meeting.
9.
Voting rights: The Chair, Vice Chair,
and members of the Executive Committee shall have the right to vote. The Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor
and Immediate Past Chair sit on the Committee ex officio with vote. Heads of
special committees may attend meetings of the Executive Committee but without
the right to vote.
10.
Quorum and decisions: Five (5) members of the Committee, including the Chair
(if absent, the Vice Chair presiding) shall constitute a quorum at Committee
meetings. Committee meetings may be held electronically. Committee decisions
shall be adopted by a simple majority.
11. Vacancies occurring between elections in all elected offices, except the
office of the Chair, shall be filled by action of the Executive Committee, and
only for the completion of the term of the retiring officer. In the event of a
vacancy in the office of Chair, the Vice Chair shall become chair. ARTICLE V: ANNUAL MEETING
The annual (business) meeting shall coincide with the annual meeting of the International Studies Association, This meeting shall conduct the ordinary business of the GSCIS.
ARTICLE VI: NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
The Executive Committee serves
as the nominating committee for committees other than itself. For membership of
the Executive Committee, a nominating committee composed of three to
five members of the Global South Caucus chosen by the Chair shall nominate
candidates. Self-nominations are encouraged. The
Chair and Vice Chair may also submit their own nominations to the committee.
The Vice Chair is eligible to
serve as Chair as is any member who is deemed to have played a sufficiently
active role in the caucus.
Candidates nominated should meet the required criteria of
geographic and disciplinary diversity. The committee should take into account
the contributions of nominees to the Caucus and the ISA.
Bios of prospective candidates shall be e-mailed to members
before the annual election (which normally coincides with the annual business
meeting) or before any by-election. Ballots
shall be returned by e-mail within a specified period of time. New officers
shall normally be presented to the
membership at the annual meeting.
In extraordinary circumstances, elections may take place no more than thirty
(30) days after the annual meeting. In such a case, the terms of members of the
EXCOM will expire with new elections rather than at the annual meeting. ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENTS
Proposals to amend this charter may be submitted in writing by any member to the Executive Committee which shall, in turn, vote on the proposal. If a simple majority of the Executive Committee approves the amendments, they shall then be submitted to the membership by email (or any other appropriate method). Proposals will be adopted if approved by 2/3rds of the members present at the next annual business meeting.
Amendments duly circulated and approved as of March 31, 2015.
