SCIAFA Constitution and Bylaws

The Constitution and Bylaws of the Student Caucus of the International Association of the Fantastic in the Arts

Passed Unanimously March 24, 2000

ARTICLE I – NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION

The organization is called the Student Caucus (hereafter SC) of the International Association of the Fantastic in the Arts (hereafter IAFA).

ARTICLE II – MISSION STATEMENT

The purpose of the SCIAFA is to foster and promote growth, scholarship, and fellowship among the student members of the IAFA and to address the needs of students working in the field of the Fantastic, by establishing mentoring and other programs, through coordinating efforts with the main body of the IAFA.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP IN THE ORGANIZATION

Membership is open to all interested persons currently pursuing studies leading to a degree. Members must also be members of the IAFA; however, student members of IAFA are not required to join the SC. IAFA student members who wish to become caucus members complete membership forms and submit them to the chair.

There are no dues requirements for membership.

ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS

Elections are held annually in August, via the SC e-mail list. Anyone who cannot vote by e-mail should notify the chair in order to make alternate arrangements. The outgoing chair conducts the election. The outgoing chair ensures that a sufficient period is allowed for nominations and counting of ballots.

If at any time the chair becomes unable to serve, the deputy chair assumes the position and calls a special election. If both the chair and the deputy chair are unable to serve, the Board of Directors of the IAFA will oversee a special election.

1. Chair of SC and Student Representative to the IAFA Executive Board
   1. Position is elected by simple majority vote of the SC membership.
   2. Term of Office is one year from September 1–August 31. (See Amendment 2)
   3. Primary responsibility is to represent the interests of the SC to the IAFA Executive Board.
   4. Chair will attend, as a voting member, all IAFA board meetings that fall during the term year.
   5. Additional responsibilities: overseeing SC activities, including but not limited to schedule of SC events at annual IAFA conference, maintenance of SC website, maintenance of e-mail list, liaison with IAFA Newsletter editor, production of promotional pieces, and regular contact with SC membership.The Chair shall delegate responsibility as s/he finds appropriate and/or necessary. (See also Amendment 1)
2. Deputy Chair of SC and Associate Student representative
   1. Position is elected by simple majority vote of the SC membership.
   2. Term of Office is one year from September 1–August 31. (See Amendment 2)
   3. Primary function is to support the Chair.

ARTICLE V – MEETINGS

The SC meets once a year at the annual conference of the IAFA. This meeting may take the form of a special session, business meeting, or informal gathering at which both officers and a simple majority of the members have affirmed an ability to attend.

The Chair presides at the meeting. If the Chair is unable to attend, the Deputy Chair shall preside.

ARTICLE VI – CHANGES TO THESE BYLAWS

Changes to these bylaws may be proposed by any member of the SC. Proposed changes should be submitted in writing to the Chair of the SC. The Chair will submit proposed changes to the general membership at the annual meeting of the SC. A simple majority vote of those members present is required for acceptance of changes. At least fifty percent of the membership must be present for the vote to take place.

Amendments:

One and Two adopted 27 March 2002

One: Mentor Proposal

In order to help student scholars find their way around ICFA, discover the natural friendliness of the conference as quickly as possible, and encourage them to leave ICFA with fond memories of the supporting organization, SCIAFA recommends that IAFA institute and facilitate a mentor program for student attendees of ICFA.

The mentor program would put established, non-student members of IAFA in contact with student members who have expressed an interest in such a relationship before the conference starts.

The mentors would be drawn from a pool of volunteers only. Volunteers would be solicited through a letter sent out with acceptances of paper proposals. The letter is described in full detail below. The same letter would welcome any student members to become mentees.

IAFA and SCIAFA would co-sponsor a designated space at the Conference Opening Reception where mentors and mentees could meet. Attendance at this meeting is the primary task to be filled by both mentor and mentee.

The SCIAFA representative to the Board will be primarily responsible for the maintenance of this program.

The letter to be sent out with acceptances for paper proposals will briefly describe the reason IAFA has instituted the program and provide contact information and a deadline for registration in the program. A special point should be made in the letter to remind registrants they will be expected to meet their partners at the mentor/mentee forum detailed above. The letter would also ask registrants about their scholarly interests in order, as far as possible, to match mentors and mentees accordingly. A space in the letter would ask for e-mail addresses from those applicants comfortable supplying them.

All completed applications would be sent to the current SCIAFA representative.

The applications must be received by the SCIAFA representative at least one month prior to the beginning of the next ICFA.

Two: Term Changes

In order better to align the term of the SCIAFA representative with those of the broader IAFA body and provide better continuity for the caucus both in its administration and its representation to the board, we herein resolve:

1. The term of the SCIAFA representative will be extended from one year to two.
2. The term of the SCIAFA representative will run from the first day in May following the representative’s election through the last day of April, two years later. For example, the representative elected following the passing of this amendment will serve a term beginning May 1, 2002 and abdicate the position on April 30, 2004.
3. Elections for the incoming representative will be run by the current representative. These elections will be held in and must be concluded before the end of April. Guidelines for the elections spelled out in the SCIAFA by-laws are otherwise unchanged by this amendment.
4. No person may serve back-to-back terms as the SCIAFA representative. This does not preclude the representative from running for and/or winning the position of assistant representative, or vice-versa. Nor does this preclude past representatives from running for and/or winning the position in elections that do not take place in the second year of the representative’s term.
5. The assistant chair position will remain a one year position, but that one year will run concurrent with the newly-established full representative term.