Article I.  Name of Organization

 

The formal name of the organization is the Biosocial Criminology Association (BCA).  The Association is not affiliated with the American Society of Criminology (ASC) or the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) and therefore operates as an independent organization.

 

Article II.  Purpose

 

A.  To empirically examine the underlying etiology of antisocial behavior, making use of a multidisciplinary approach in order to account for biological, criminological, environmental, evolutionary, psychological, and other influential factors.

 

B.  To support and advance genetically-informed research designed to uncover the extent to which genetic and environmental factors contribute to criminal and antisocial behavior across the life course.

 

C.  To encourage and facilitate multidisciplinary interaction among researchers who examine the causes and consequences of criminal and antisocial behavior.

 

D.  To advance research and teaching that is free from ideological biases in an effort to advance a biosocial knowledgebase driven by empirical evidence.

 

E.  To perform and encourage research aimed at developing and implementing more effective and efficient policies directed at reducing criminal behavior and increasing public safety.

 

Article III.  Membership

 

A.  Membership status for the Association shall be divided into: (1) full membership and (2) student membership.

 

1.  Full membership shall include any non-student member who is in good standing.

 

2.  Student membership shall include any undergraduate or graduate student who is in good standing.

 

B.  To maintain a membership in good standing, an Association member must pay annual dues for the current calendar year.  Only members in good standing will be allowed to participate in annual conferences, official Association events, nominations, and/or voting processes within the Association.

 

C.  Annual membership dues for full members and student members shall be set by the Executive Board of the Association per approval by an Executive Board vote.  Full and student membership dues will be payable annually.

 

D. All membership applications must be completed through the Association’s webpage, by mailing a completed membership application to the Secretary, during the annual conference, or during an Association event. A completed application includes payment for the membership fee.

 

E. Association members who sign up for membership within the calendar year of the inaugural year of the Association’s existence shall have their membership fee waived.

 

F. Membership can be terminated for any member who is in default in the payment of any Association dues or at the discretion of the Executive Board members.  Members can resign from the Association by filing a written resignation with the Secretary but such resignation shall not relieve the member of any accrued dues or other charges that were left unpaid.  All members who lose membership or who resign their membership must reapply in order to reinstate their membership.

 

Article IV.  Executive Board

 

A.  The Executive Board will be comprised of the Association's current President, immediate former President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

 

B.  All Executive Board officers must be members of the Association and in good standing.

 

C.  The Association President will organize and preside over all Executive Board meetings.

 

D.  The Executive Board will arrange annual meetings based on the convenience and availability of all Executive Board officers (i.e., President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer).

 

E.  All Executive Board decisions will be decided on by a majority vote.

 

Article V.  Officers

 

A.  President

 

1.  The President of the Association will preside over each Executive Board meeting.

 

2.  The President, along with approval from the Executive Board, will appoint all committee members and committee chairs.

 

3.  The President will oversee preparations for each annual Association meeting.

 

4.  The President will oversee the preparation and distribution of the Association newsletter.

 

B.  Vice President

 

1.  The Vice President will preside over all Executive Board meetings and annual Association meetings in the absence of the President.

 

2.  The Vice President will be designated to conduct all business and other necessary Association matters if the President position is vacant or the President is unable to hold office.

 

3.  The Vice President will be responsible for preparing and distributing the Association newsletter.

 

4.  The Vice President will oversee the management of the Association website.

 

C.  Secretary

 

1.  The Secretary will be responsible for all membership records.

 

2.  The Secretary will record Executive Board meeting minutes and send a copy to each Executive Board officer.

 

3.  The Secretary will be responsible for sending all Association news to the Vice President for inclusion in the Association newsletter.

 

4.  The Secretary will take overall responsibility for maintaining the Association's website.

 

5.  The Secretary will be responsible for posting all Association news on the Association's website.

 

6.  The Secretary will remain in contact with the Treasurer regarding any issues having to do with the Association's financial balance.  The Secretary is obligated to contact the Treasurer on all other Executive Board officers with any financial issues.

 

D.  Treasurer

 

1.  The Treasurer will be responsible for recording the Association's balance and dept.

 

2.  The Treasurer will be responsible for collecting all annual full and student membership fees.

 

3.  The Treasurer is obligated to contact all Executive Board officers with any financial issues.

 

4.  The Treasurer will help the Secretary maintain the Association's website.

 

Article VI.  Elections

 

A.  The President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer will serve a two-year term.

 

B.  Nominations

 

One year before all elections the Executive Board will appoint four Association members to a Nomination Committee.  The Nomination Committee will receive names of full Association members to hold office for the following two-year term.  After a nomination period has expired, the Nomination Committee will select two Association members (based on counted votes) to be included on one ballot for each Executive Board office.  Nominations can be sent to the Secretary.

 

C.  Qualifications

 

To be eligible for nomination, an individual must be a full Association member.  

 

D.  Term of Office

 

The term of office for all Executive Board officers will be two years.  Executive Board members can serve a maximum of two consecutive two-year terms.  After completion of a second term, a member must wait at least one full term until they can be eligible to run again for the same Executive Board office.

 

E.  Procedure

 

All nominee names will be considered.  The two nominees with the most nominations will be placed on the official Association ballot which will be sent to all full and student Association members by the Executive Board.  The Executive Board will set a deadline for all votes.  After the deadline, members of the Executive Board will count all votes.  The President will notify the Secretary of the election results.  New appointments will be announced in the first Association Newsletter following the election.

 

Article VII.  Committees

 

The Association will support and maintain the following Committees.

 

A.  Nominations committee.

B.  Conference committee.

C.  Newsletter committee.

D.  Awards committee.

 

Article VIII.  Amending the Constitution and Bylaws

 

A.  Any association member may propose an amendment to the current Constitution.  However, all proposed amendments may only be considered under the following conditions:

 

1.  The Association member presents the amendment at an annual Association Meeting;

 

2.  The amendment receives a two-thirds majority vote from all Executive Board officers;

 

3.  The Executive Board convenes to review the current Constitution and make appropriate revisions.

 

B.  A proposed amendment will be approved if it receives a two-thirds vote in favor or the amendment by all Executive Board officers.  Results will be reported after the deadline for all votes has passed.

 

C.  All approved amendments will take effect immediately following the next annual Association meeting.

 

D. Upon approval of amendments, the Secretary will make available to all Association members an updated version of the Constitution that includes the approved amendments.

 

Article IX. Creation and Status of the Association

 

A.  The Association is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

 

B.  No part of the net earnings of the Association shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the Association shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article IX, subsection A hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the Association shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Association shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the Association shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, this corporation shall not, except to an insubstantial degree, engage in any activities or exercise any powers that are not in furtherance of the purposes of this Association.

 

C.  Upon the dissolution of the Association, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by a Court of Competent Jurisdiction of the county in which the Association President is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

 

D.  The names and addresses of the co-founders of the Association are as follows:

 

Eric J. Connolly

Pennsylvania State University, Abington

Sutherland Building

Abington, PA 19001

 

Joseph L. Nedelec

University of Cincinnati

665 Dyer Hall

Cincinnati, OH 45221

 

Joseph A. Schwartz

University of Nebraska at Omaha

Nebraska Hall

Lincoln, NE 68588-0561

 

E.  In witness whereof, we, the co-founders of the Association, subscribed our names this 30th day of March, 2014.

 

__________________________________________

Eric J. Connolly, BCA President

 

__________________________________________

Joseph L. Nedelec, BCA Vice President

 

__________________________________________

Joseph A. Schwartz, BCA Secretary and Treasurer

 

 

(Constitution updated and approved by current Executive Board officers in March, 2014.)