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Research Committees

Statutes

Revised in 2006 and in 2012.

I. PURPOSE

The RCHS was established by the International Sociological Association (ISA) in order to develop international contacts among scholars engaged in studying the history of sociology, to promote research in this field, and to encourage the international dissemination of such research. To this end the RCHS organizes international conference sessions and publishes a Newsletter which is circulated to all members.

II. MEMBERSHIP

  1. Membership in the RCHS is open to all scholars who have demonstrated their interest in the area through teaching and/or research activities.
  2. Members shall either be regular members or affiliated members.
    1. Regular members shall be individuals or institutions in good standing within the ISA.
    2. Affiliated members shall be individuals or institutions interested in the activities of RCHS, who are not members of the ISA.
  3. All regular and affiliated members of RCHS shall be entitled to vote as individual members in the discussions about organisational matters at the General Meetings according to the principle "one member, one vote" that means that one institution also has one vote.
  4. All regular and affiliated members of RCHS shall be entitled to
    1. participate in the scientific activities of the Research Committee.
    2. receive the newsletter issued by RCHS free of charge.
  5. All regular and affiliated members of RCHS shall be obliged to
    1. uphold the present Statutes of RCHS and to adhere to the stipulations of the present Statutes.
    2. conscientiously fulfill the tasks entrusted to them by the General Meeting or other bodies of RCHS.
    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 organisations. The respective amounts to be paid shall be specified in the By-Laws to the present Statutes.

III. MEETINGS

  1. The RCHS will organize conference sessions on the occasion of the quadrennial World Congress of Sociology, and one or more other conferences in the intervals between World Congresses.
  2. A Business Meeting Assembly is held at least every four years, preferably at the ISA World Congress. The meeting is chaired by the President or by one Vice-President of the RCHS. Votes can only be cast by regular and affiliated RCHS members in good standing who are present at the Meeting. The duties of the Assembly are:
  • to evaluate and approve the four-year-report.
  • to free the outgoing Board from its liabilities, including the financial statement.
  • to discuss and carry motions on any other point that may arise.

Decisions in a Business Meeting Assembly are taken by simple majority.

IV. STEERING BOARD

  1. A Steering Board, consisting of a President, two Vice-Presidents, a Secretary, and 10 members, shall be the executive organ of the RCHS.
  2. The Secretary/Treasurer shall
    1. organise the General Meetings and the meetings of the Board of RCHS in co-operation with the President.
    2. assist the President in organising the work of the Board and observe the fulfillment of its decisions.
    3. collect the membership fees and other incomes.
    4. keep financial documentation.
    5. prepare the financial report to the Board to be accepted by the General Meeting.
    6. realise the financial relations between RCHS and the ISA.
    7. provide a newsletter or equivalent to the membership at least twice annually.
  3. Each member of the Board must at all times be:
    1. a member in good standing of the ISA in accordance with the ISA Statutes, and
    2. a member in good standing of RCHS.

V. NOMINATION PROCEDURE

  1. To ensure participation of all regular and affiliated members, nomination shall be done by email. To this end, the Secretary shall prepare a form to be sent to all regular and affiliated members at least twenty weeks before the election day together with a list of all regular members of RCHS.
  2. All regular and affiliated members of RCHS shall be entitled to nominate candidates for the Board. Nominated candidates shall be regular members of RCHS. 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, together with brief curriculum vitae.
  3. The Secretary 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 RCHS by email at least ten weeks before the election day.
  4. Regular and affiliated members shall send their ballot by email to the designated electoral officer(s). Ballots received later than two weeks before the beginning of the World Congress shall not be counted.
  5. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes cast will be deemed elected to each office.
  6. The term of office shall be 4 years. The President and the Vice-Presidents shall not be eligible for re-election to the same office for the immediately succeeding term. The other members of the Steering Board may continue in office for a second term, if nominated and re-elected. After two consecutive terms of service, they are eligible to continue to serve in the Board only in the office of President and Vice-President. After a term without service in office, members are again eligible for election to any office.
  7. 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.
  8. The places of any Board member not in good standing with either the ISA or RCHS may be declared temporarily vacant by the President, at the President’s discretion, and the vacancy filled according to paragraph (V.7.).
  9. Should the President fail to carry out his/her presidential responsibilities or allow his/her membership to lapse, the Vice-President who received the highest votes at the last election shall succeed if s/he is willing; if not, the other Vice-President shall succeed if willing. If neither is willing, one of the Board members, identified by the Board, will assume the responsibilities of the office of the President.
  10. Where vacancies are filled as in (V.9.) above, those filling them shall be deemed, for the purpose of clause (V.6.) above, to have served a full term if their service started more than two years before the next World Congress, but not to have served a term at all if their service started two years or less before that.

VI. REPRESENTATION ON THE ISA RESEARCH COUNCIL

The President of the RCHS shall be its delegate to the Research Council, with the Secretary or, if s/he is not available, any other member of the Board as alternate.

VII. REVISION OF THE STATUTES

  1. Proposals for the revision of these Statutes may be submitted to the membership upon petition of twenty members to the President, or a resolution of the Steering Board.
  2. Revision requires approval by a majority (51%) of the whole membership in an email ballot or by at least 15 members present at a quorate quadrennial meeting.