CONSTITUTION OF THE Association for Iranian Studies

Article I. Name

This Society shall be known as Association for Iranian Studies, Inc.

Article II. Objectives

The purposes of this Society is
— to encourage the study of Iranian culture and society, including the history, languages, literatures, the arts, as well as Iran’s contemporary social, economic, and political situation;
— to provide unrestricted opportunities in its publications and forums for the presentation of scientific findings on Iran from all perspectives;
— to work to safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression for its members and other scholars in Iranian studies.

Article III. Membership

1. Categories of Membership. There shall be four categories of members: Regular Members, Student Members, Honorary Members, and Institutional Members.

a. Regular Members. Regular Membership shall be open to persons who have demonstrated a commitment to the advancement of Iranian studies through scholarly research, teaching, doctoral work in the field, or through other appropriate accomplishments. Applicants shall be admitted to regular membership by approval of the Executive Committee.

b. Student Members. The Executive Council may admit as Student Members registered graduate and undergraduate students interested in Iranian studies who meet such qualifications as may be established by the Council.

c. Honorary Members. Honorary Membership shall be limited to outstanding, internationally recognized scholars who have made major contributions to the field of Iranian studies. Honorary Membership may be proposed at the Council meeting by a voting member of the Council and shall be bestowed by the vote of a two-thirds majority of voting members of the Council. Each Honorary Member shall retain that status until his or her resignation or death. Honorary Members shall be entitled to all rights of Members, but shall not pay dues. There shall be no more than five Honorary Members at any one time.

d. Institutional Members. The Executive Committee may elect as Institutional Members institutions interested in the study of Iran and who meet such qualifications as may be established by the Council.

2. Privileges of Members. All members shall be entitled to attend the public meetings of the Society. Each member, other than the second Family Member, shall be entitled to a copy of each number of the Society’s publication(s) issued during his or her membership. Only Regular Members, Honorary Members, and Student Members in good standing shall be eligible to vote and to serve on committees and to be officers and to serve on the Council.

3. Dues. Members will be required to pay such membership dues as may be set by the Council from time to time.

Article IV. Programs

The programs of the Society shall consist of:

— sponsorship of conferences on Iranian studies;
— publication of a journal;
— publication of a newsletter on the Society’s activities; and

  1. encouragement, sponsorship, and publication of research on all facets of Iranian culture and society.

Article V. The Council

1. The Council shall be the governing body of the Society and have general charge and supervision of its business and interests in accordance with this Constitution. The Council shall meet once a year before the annual business meeting, and more often at the discretion of Council members or of the Executive Director. A majority of members shall constitute a quorum and a majority vote of the members in attendance shall decide.

2. Members of the Council. The Council shall consist of twelve voting persons: the President, the President-Elect, the immediate past President, the Executive Director, ex officio, six regular members, and two student members.

3. Terms of Office. Regular members of the Council shall be elected for three-year terms, staggered so that one-third of the regular members are elected every year. Student members shall be elected for two-year terms, also staggered. Council members shall serve no more than two consecutive terms, but may be re-elected after a period of no less than three years.

4. Vacancies. The Council shall fill any vacancy in its membership by a majority vote of the remaining Council members. The new member shall serve the remainder of the vacating member’s term.

5. Other Duties of the Council. The Council may call special meetings of the Society. It may establish other offices, boards and committees, define their tasks and powers and fix their terms and methods of appointment, as the business of the Society may require.

Article VI. Officers

1. The highest authority for deciding the policies and managing the affairs of the Society is the membership of the Society.

2. Officers of the Society. The Officers of the Society shall be a President, a President-Elect, an Executive Director, a Treasurer and the Editor(s) of the Society’s publications, all of whom, with the exception of the President and the President-Elect, shall be appointed by the Council for three-year terms. One person may not hold more than one of the aforesaid offices at the same time except those of Executive Director and Treasurer.

3. Additional Officers. At any meeting, the Council may appoint by resolution such additional officers and such agents and employees, and determine their terms of office and compensation if any, as it may deem advisable. The Council may delegate to any officer or committee to appoint such subordinate officers or agents and to determine their terms of office and compensattion if any. Such additional officers will not be members of the Council unless so specified by the Council.

All individuals serving on any committees or boards or other units of the Society must be members in good standing at the time of their election or appointment.

4. Removal of Officers. Any officer may be removed at any time, with or without cause and with or without notice, by a majority of the body electing him or her.

5. Duties of the Officers
a. The President. The President shall be a member of all committees ex officio, and shall serve as Chair of the Council. The President shall preside at the Annual General Meetings of the Society, the Council, and the Executive Committee. He or she shall have general supervision of the affairs and property of the society and over its several officers, and shall represent the Society in the public arena. He or she shall generally do and perform all acts incident to the office of President, and shall have such additional powers and duties as may from time to time be assigned to him or her by the Council. When authorized by the Council, the President may sign and execute, in the name of the Society, deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts or other instruments authorized by the Council, except in cases where the signing and execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Council or by this Constitution to some other officer or agent of the Society. When authorized by the Council, the President shall play a key role in the planning and execution of any stand-alone Society conferences and shall be in charge of fund-raising for the Society and of writing and submitting grant proposals to granting agencies and foundations, except in cases where such tasks shall be expressly delegated by the Council to some other officer or agent of the Society.

The President begins his or her term one year after being elected President-Elect, and he or she takes office following the Annual General Meeting.

b. The President-Elect. The President-Elect, at the request of the President, or in the President’s absence or disability, shall perform all the duties of the President subject to all the restrictions upon the President. When authorized by the Council, the President-Elect may also sign and execute, in the name of the Society, deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts or other instruments authorized by the Council, except in cases where the signing and execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Council or by this Constitution to some other office or agent of the Society. The President-Elect shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the Council or the President. The President-Elect serves for one year as the President-Elect, beginning after the Annual General Meeting which follows his or her election.

c. The Executive Director. The Executive Director shall be in charge of the day-to-day business of the Society. He or she shall have charge of the central office of the Society. Except as otherwise provided, the Executive Director shall, with the approval of the Executive Committee, appoint all committees of the Society. The Executive Director shall advise and assist all appointive committees in their work. The Executive Director shall present a report on the state of the Society at each Annual General Meeting.

d. The Treasurer. The Treasurer shall review and approve the arrangements for the receipt, custody and disbursement of the Society’s funds, and for the keeping of the Society’s accounts. The Treasurer shall arrange for the annual audit, and present the auditor’s report to the Council. The Treasurer shall report the Society’s financial condition to the membership at the Annual General Meeting and shall provide at that meeting a list of all contributions received during the year. The Treasurer shall review the Society’s investment policy to the Council and shall seek to advance the interests of the Society by adding to its financial resources. The Treasurer shall present to the Council a written report on the Society’s finances no less than twice a year.

e. The Editor (s). The Editor(s) of the Society shall edit and publish its periodical(s) with the advice and assistance of an Editorial Board. The Editor(s) shall report to the membership on the Society’s publications at the Annual General Meeting. The Editor(s) shall present a written report on the publication schedule of the Society’s journal to the Council at least twice a year.

Article VII. The Executive Committee

1. Composition. The Executive Committee of the Society shall consist of the President, the President-Elect, the Executive Director, the Treasurer, and the Editor(s).

2. Duties. Within the limits prescribed, by the Council, the Executive Committee may exercise the powers of the Council (except that of appointing Council members and officers and approving budgets) when the Council or Annual General Meeting is not in session. The Committee shall convene at the discretion of the Executive Director, and he or she shall report the Committee’s actions to the Council in a timely fashion. The Executive Committee shall meet, physically or electronically, at least once between Annual General Meetings.

Article VIII. Elections

Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall be constituted of two members appointed bv the Council and two members selected by the membership at the Annual General Meeting. The Nominating Committee shall formulate a slate of candidates itself, but may also take nominations from the floor. Ample time shall be given to the membership to communicate with the nominating committee as it formulates its slate. The members of the nominating committee may communicate bv any appropriate means. Each year the Nominating Committee shall decide upon four nominees for two places on the Council, two nominees for President-Elect, and two nominees for one student place on the Council. The Executive Director or a person or persons appointed for this purpose by the Executive Committee shall conduct the ballot by mail. Ballots shall be sent out in sufficient time so that they may be returned by a deadline before the Annual General Meeting. A plurality of votes cast shall be required for election. Only the ballots of members in good standing shall be counted.

Article IX. Conference Participation

Individuals presenting papers to conferences sponsored by the Society must officially register at such conferences prior to making their presentations.

Article X. Resolutions

1. All resolutions shall be referred to the Council for its recommendations before submission to the vote of the membership.

2. Any petition supported by at least one-tenth of the Society’s membership shall be put to the vote of the membership.

Article XI. Audits

There shall be an annual audit of the Society’s accounts that shall be presented to the Council.

Article XII. Amendments

Amendments to the Constitution shall be proposed by the Council and adopted by a two-thirds majority of the membership voting on any proposed amendments. Any group of members of the Society, comprising no less than one-tenth of the membership, may propose amendments to the Constitution. Such proposed amendments shall be referred to the Council for consideration, and by it shall be put to the vote of me membership, with such recommendations as the Council may see fit to make.