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Research Committees

Statutes

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

The Statutes were adopted by the membership in 2007; they were subsequently amended in 2011 and in 2012.

  1. Research Committee 04 on Sociology of Education (hereafter RC04) has been established in accordance with article 4 of the statutes of the International Sociological Association (hereafter ISA). Its general objectives are to promote high quality research on Sociology of Education and the international exchange of scientific information in this field.

ACTIVITIES

  1. To bring these objectives to realization, RC04 will carry out the following activities:
    1. Organize sessions at the ISA’s World Congress and Forum.
    2. Publish a Newsletter at least twice annually that is sent to all members in good standing, to keep them informed of on-going and planned activities.
    3. Maintain an RC04 website to facilitate more frequent communication with members.
    4. Organize and sponsor at least one mid-term conference in addition to the ISA Forum, if feasible, to be held between two consecutive World Congresses, where education researchers come together to exchange information and collaborate.

MEMBERSHIP

  1. Any social scientist or institution can be a member of the RC04 provided. Members shall either be regular members of affiliated members:
    1. Regular members shall be individuals or institutions in good standing (dues are current within the ISA)
    2. Affiliated members shall be individuals or institutions interested in the activities of RC04, who are not members of ISA (dues are current within the ISA)
  2. All regular and affiliated members of RC04 shall be entitled to vote as individual members in the discussions about organizational matters at the General Meetings according to the principle “one member, one vote.” That also means that one institution also has one vote.
  3. All regular and affiliated members of RC04 shall be entitled to 
    1. participate in the scientific activities of the Research Committee
    2. receive the Newsletter issued by RC04 free of charge and access and to participate in the RC04 website.
  4. All regular and affiliated members of RC04 shall be obliged to
    1. uphold the present Statutes of RC04 and to adhere to the stipulations of the present Statutes
    2. conscientiously fulfil the tasks entrusted to them by the General Meeting or other bodies of RC04
    3. pay their fee for the respective period (i.e. 4 years). This fee shall be fixed by the Board of the Research Committee at each General Meeting for both individual members and organizations. The respective amounts to be paid shall be specified in the By-Laws to the present Statutes.

BOARD

  1. The Board shall consist of a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 members, who will designate a President, a Secretary-Treasurer, Regional Vice-Presidents and an Immediate Past President (who usually is the individual whose term as president ended at the conclusion of the most recent ISA World Congress) among themselves. The board shall contain no more than three members from the same country, and an effort shall be made to ensure a fair regional, national, and gender representation.
    1. Board members must be regular members of ISA and of RC04 in good standing (dues are current) throughout their term of office.
    2. Replacement of Board Members
      1. Temporary vacancies in the Board between consecutive ISA World Congresses may be filled by appointment by the President, in accordance with ISA Statute 4.5
      2. The places of any Board member not in good standing with either the ISA or RC04 may be declared temporarily vacant by the President, at the President’s discretion, and the vacancy filled according to paragraph (a).
      3. One or more of the Board members, identified and approved by the Board will assume the responsibilities of the President in the case of the death, incapacitation, resignation, or other inability of the President to carry out the responsibilities of the office.
      4. With the approval of Board, the President will appoint a replacement for the Secretary/Treasurer or a Regional Vice-President in the event of the death, incapacitation, resignation, or other inability of the Secretary/Treasurer or Regional Vice-President to carry out the responsibilities of their office. 
    3. Terms of Office for Board Members
      1. The term of office of the Board is four years, which is from the end of one World Congress to the end of the next.
      2. Members of the Board are term limited to no more than two consecutive terms in the same office for the President and the Regional Vice-Presidents and to no more than three consecutive terms in the same office for the Secretary/Treasurer.

  1. Duties of the Board

    1. Shall provide advice to the President and Secretary/Treasurer and approve all proposed RC04 policies, rule changes, financial expenditures, proposed conferences and their themes, and other activities proposed by the President, Secretary/Treasurer, or a Board Member.
    2. The Board is responsible for the publication of at least two issues of the RC04 Newsletter per year.
    3. All actions of the board require at least six assenting votes (a simple majority).
    4. The President
      1. Assumes overall responsibility for the function of RC04 and assumes major responsibility for the RC04 Program for the World Congress and the Forum.
      2. Or her/his representative shall be the Research Committee's representative at all meetings of the International Sociological Association's Research Council and the Assembly of Councils. If the President is unable to be the representative, the President shall appoint the representative, usually the Secretary/Treasurer. The representative is expected to be a member of the RC04 Board.
      3. Shall organize and chair the General Meeting of RC04 held at the World Congress and the Forum.
      4. In consultation with the RC04 Board, identify the theme for at least one mid-term conference and takes responsibility for the organization of mid-term conferences. The President may delegate the responsibility for the organization of regional, mid-term conferences to a regional Vice-President.
      5. In collaboration with the Secretary/Treasurer prepare the application for the RC’s activity grant from ISA, the report on the use of the grant, and the activity reports requested by the ISA
      6. With the concurrence of the Executive Committee shall solicit and/or appoint Research Committee members to serve on various task forces and committees as deemed necessary to the functioning of the Research Committee.
      7. Or her/his representative shall oversee the permanent records of the Research Committee and in review the final draft of each Newsletter prepared by the Secretary/Treasurer prior to its distribution to the membership.
    5. The Secretary/Treasurer
      1. Shall assist the President in organizing the General Meetings and the meetings of the Board of RC04.
      2. Shall assist the President in organizing the work of the Board and observe the fulfilment of its decisions.
      3. Shall collect dues from affiliated members and other incomes from activities of RC04 and maintain financial records and funds, as well as an up-to-date membership list. The Secretary/Treasurer requests regular updates of membership information from the ISA Secretariat and the transfer from the ISA of the dues collected from regular members, at appropriate intervals. The Secretary/Treasurer keeps an institutional memory of RC32 history and procedures.
      4. Must live in a country without currency controls and restrictions and currency must be convertible and shall maintain the checking account and all financial documents of RC04.
      5. Shall prepare and present the financial report to the Board to be accepted by the General Meeting
      6. Shall act on behalf of RC04 in all the financial relations between RC04 and the ISA.
      7. Shall maintain the membership records of the RC and be in communication with the ISA Secretariat with respect to membership issues and RC dues collected by ISA.
      8. Shall serve as the editor of the RC04 Newsletter and the RC04 website, although another individual may be appointed to serve as the webmaster in charge of the technical aspects of the website.
    6. The Regional Vice-Presidents
      1. Must reside in the region each represents. The regions are Europe, Asia, Russia, Africa, North America, Latin America, and Australasia (Oceania).
      2. Serve as a session organizer/chair for sessions at the World Congress and the Forum
        When feasible, Regional Vice-Presidents should propose and organize mid-term conferences in their own region or seek regional colleagues to organize such conferences. Approval of such mid-term conferences will require the approval of the RC04 board.
      3. Actively recruit new members to RC04 in their own geographic region.
      4. Disseminate information about the activities of RC04 to sociological association in their region, including to national sociological associations and locate colleagues in their region who could organize sessions and otherwise participate in the World Congress, the Forum, and regional mid-term conferences.
    7. The Immediate Past President
      1. Is usually the President whose term ended at the conclusion of the most recent
        ISA World Congress). However, the Board may designate another individual in the event of the incapacitation of the Immediate Past President.
      2. Is entitled to all of the rights and responsibilities of a Regional Vice-President.

 

  1. Board Elections:

Elections to the board will be held every four years, by mail ballot within the ten weeks preceding the ISA World Congresses or at the business meeting during the World Congress. No member of the board can serve more than two contiguous terms, unless s/he serves extra terms as President or Secretary/Treasurer.
Before the elections, the outgoing Board will designate an Election Committee consisting of at least two members in good standing, who are not candidates in the election. The Election Committee oversees the correct application of the procedures of the nomination and election.

  1. Nomination Procedure
    1. To ensure participation of all regular and affiliated members, nomination shall be done by mail. To this end, the Secretary/Treasurer shall prepare a form to be sent to all regular and affiliated members at least 20 weeks prior to the election day together with a list of all regular members of RC04.
    2. All regular and affiliated members of RC04 shall be entitled to nominate candidates for the Board. (Only the position of Immediate Past-President is not subject to nomination or election by the membership.) Nominated candidates shall be regular members of RC04. They shall confirm their preparedness to accept the respective position on the board in case they are elected and to remain a regular member in good standing for the duration of their mandate, and shall return the nomination form to the Secretary/Treasurer, together with brief curriculum vitae.
    3. The Secretary/Treasurer shall prepare a ballot listing all nominated candidates along with the respective positions on the Board. In case of several nominations for the same position, the nominated candidates shall be listed in alphabetical order. The ballot shall be sent to all regular and affiliated members of RC04 by mail at least ten weeks before the day of the election.
    4. Regular and affiliated members shall send their ballot by mail or email to the designated member of the Election Committee. Ballots received later than two weeks before the beginning of the World Congress shall not be counted by the Election Committee.

BUSINESS MEETING ASSEMBLY

  1. A Business Meeting Assembly is held at least every four years, preferably at the ISA World Congress. It is preferable that a Business Meeting will also be held at the Forum. The meeting is chaired by the President of the RC04. Votes can only be cast by RC04 members and affiliates in good standing who are present at the meeting. The duties of the Assembly are:
    1. to evaluate and approve the four year report
    2. to discharge the outgoing Board of its responsibilities, including the financial statement (to be done only at the World Congress).
    3. to inaugurate the incoming Board (only at the World Congress)
    4. to discuss and carry motions on any other point that may arise
    5. decisions in a Business Meeting Assembly are taken by simple majority.

FUNDS

  1. Financial Matters:
    1. The RC will administer its own funds. Decisions regarding expenditures are made by the Board, or by the Secretary/Treasurer on its behalf, with the approval of the Board.
    2. A statement of financial affairs will be published in the Newsletter every four years. At the World Congress the outgoing Board must be discharged of its financial responsibilities by the Business Meeting Assembly.
  2. The funds of the RC04 consist of:
    1. membership fees from individual members
    2. revenues from conferences and other activities
    3. ISA subventions
    4. donations, grants and other means

FINAL REGULATION

  1. Changes in and amendments to these statutes must be proposed in writing by at least five RC04 members in good standing, and must be approved by two-thirds of the votes in mail ballot, e-mail ballot, or during the Business Meeting Assembly.

BY-LAWS

  1. Fees:
    a. The membership fees are US $ 30 regular four-year membership; US $ 10 reduced four-year membership, for members from low-income countries, students and members in special needs.
    b. The conference fees are set by decision of the Board or conference coordinator in consultation with the President..