BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I - NAME
The name shall be the International Collegium of Rehabilitative Audiology, hereafter known as the Collegium. It shall be a non-profit making organization.

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE
The purpose shall be to provide an international forum for the exchange of research findings, advances in technology, and also new methodologies and procedures in rehabilitative audiology. The range of issues brought to this forum shall be those that are important to all ages including infant, child, adolescent, adult, and older populations.

ARTICLE III - GOVERNANCE
The Executive Council shall be responsible for managing the affairs of the Collegium and will consist of the President, the Vice President, the Secretary-Treasurer, Immediate past-President, and two Members-at-Large. The President will chair the Council.

ARTICLE IV - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 - Types of membership
The membership of the Collegium shall be of two types: (i) Fellow and (ii) Life Fellow.
Section 2 - Eligibility
1. Fellows must have contributed to research in the scientific aspects of, and still be active in, the rehabilitation of individuals with auditory disorders. Nominations must come from two or more fellows. They will provide a full curriculum vitae of the nominee to the Executive Council. Membership is by a unanimous approval of the Executive Council and must be ratified either by the next meeting of the General Assembly of the Collegium or by approval by mail by simple majority of the membership; in the latter situation full curriculum vitas will be circulated to the Fellows.
2. Life Fellows shall be those Fellows who have been active as Fellows for at least five years and have reached the age 65 and who apply to the Council for Life Fellow status. If granted, they shall receive all benefits and privileges of Fellows but the dues shall be waived.
Section 3 - Number of Members
At no time shall the total membership exceed 50. Life fellows are supernumerary. Section 4 - Termination of Membership
1. Fellows who have not paid the annual dues shall be granted 2 years of grace after which, if dues are not paid, they shall be dropped from Fellowship of the Collegium.
2. Fellows may resign from the Collegium at any time by presenting written notification to the President of the Executive Council. Upon receipt of this notification, the resignation becomes effective immediately.
3. Under circumstances when a Fellow ceases to be active in the field, The Executive Council may suspend his/her membership. Such a suspension must be ratified by the General Assembly.
4. When a fellow has not attended two consecutive meetings of the Collegium without having notified the reason for her/his absence to the secretary/treasurer, he/she will be dropped from the Fellowship of the Collegium.

ARTICLE V - DUES
The dues shall be established by a unanimous vote of the Executive Council and ratified by the General Assembly. Members of the Collegium will be notified by mail of the amount of dues to be paid and the deadline for payment.

ARTICLE VI - MEETINGS
Section 1 - Time and Place
Ordinary meetings of the Collegium shall be held once every two years at a place and time determined by the Executive Council and ratified by the General Assembly. The Executive Council may also call for special meetings, provided a postal ballot indicates that at least two thirds of the members approve of such a meeting.
Section 2 - Nature of ordinary meetings
The Executive Council will meet for one half-day. The Collegium will meet for scientific sessions for two days, combined with a General Assembly.
Section 3 - General Assembly
The General Assembly is ruling body of the Collegium. The Executive Council is always answerable to the General Assembly for its decisions. The General Assembly will take place at every ordinary meeting of the Collegium and at such other occasions as may be decided by two thirds of the members in a postal ballot. Meetings of the General Assembly will be presided over by the President of the Collegium and in his/her absence, by the Vice-President. Decisions shall be made on the basis of a simple majority. In the event of a tie vote, the President shall have the casting vote. The General Assembly shall receive reports from the President on the activities of the Collegium, and from the Secretary-Treasurer on its financial situation. These must be approved by a simple majority of the General Assembly. The General Assembly will also be called to ratify election of Fellows of the Collegium and any suspensions from membership. These will be decided on the basis of a simple majority. The General Assembly must ratify the level of dues recommended by the Executive Committee. Such approval will be on the basis of a simple majority. The General Assembly is the forum in which any amendments to the Constitution will be decided. Any amendment to dissolve the Collegium must be approved by at least two thirds of the Fellows of the Collegium. Other amendments, properly circulated, may be decided by a simple majority of the Fellows. The Quorum of a meeting of the General Assembly will be 2/3 of the Fellows present at the meeting.
Section 4 - Financial Responsibility for the Meeting
The financial responsibility for the meetings shall be borne, at least in part, by the host. Some support may be provided by the Collegium. Details shall be worked out in advance by the host and the Secretary-Treasurer. Any support by the Collegium, and the amount involved, shall be recommended by the Secretary-Treasurer, approved by the Executive Council and ratified by the General Assembly.

ARTICLE VII - OFFICERS AND MEMBERS-AT-LARGE
1. The officers to be elected by the General Assembly of the Collegium shall be the President, Vice-President and Secretary-Treasurer. The Vice-President shall be elected every two years and shall normally succeed to the office of President for a two year term and thence to the office of Immediate Past President for a two year term. He/she shall be eligible for re-election after a lapse of six years.
2. The Secretary-Treasurer will be elected for a four-year term and is eligible for immediate re-election.
3. The two Members-at-Large to the Council shall be elected every two years and are eligible for immediate re-election for a second term.

ARTICLE VIII - ELECTIONS
Should any officer or Member-at-Large be unable to continue in their duties, a postal ballot of the members shall be called to find a replacement.
Section 1 - Procedures
The Nomination Committee appointed by the Executive Council shall, every two years, call to the Collegium for nominations for election for Vice-President and two Members-at-Large, and draw up a slate of nominees. The slate shall include, every fourth year, a nominee or nominees for the office of Secretary-Treasurer. The slate shall be presented to the members at the next General Assembly and election shall occur by majority vote.

ARTICLE IX - DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1 - President
The President shall:
1. Preside at all meetings of the Executive Council, the General Assembly and the Collegium.
2. Be the official representative at other professional meetings.
3. Appoint all standing and Ad Hoc Committees.
Section 2 - Vice-President
The Vice-President shall:
1. Be responsible for the development of the Scientific Programme of the Collegium.
2. Preside, and assume other duties in the absence of the President.
Section 3 - Secretary-Treasurer
The Secretary Treasurer shall:
1. Take minutes of official action taken by the Executive Council as well as topics discussed by the Council and the General Assembly.
2. Take minutes of official actions taken by the General Assembly of the Collegium.
3. Notify members of the Collegium of dues and deadlines for payment. Collect and deposit dues.
4. Make an official report of the financial status of the Collegium to the Executive Council and likewise to the member of the Collegium.
5. Notify the members of the Collegium of the time and place of meetings.
6. Maintain an up-to-date roster of the members of the Collegium.
7. Make disbursements of funds to pay for official costs incurred by the Executive Council or the General Assembly of the Collegium.
Section 4 - The Immediate Past President
The Immediate Past President shall:
1. Attend all meetings of the Executive Council as a voting member and assist in providing continuity in the deliberations of the Council and further development of the Collegium.
2. Assume any special responsibilities requested by the President.
Section 5 - The two Members-at-Large
The two Members-at-Large shall:
1. Attend all meetings of the Executive Coucil as voting members, contribute to its deliberations, and serve in special ways that the President may request.

ARTICLE X - COMMITTEES
Section 1 - Standing Committee
There shall be a Nominations Committee. The composition of this committee shall be determined every two years by the Executive Council. This Committee will prepare the slate of nominees for election.
Section 2 - Ad Hoc Committees
These shall be appointed as required at the discretion of the President and shall report to the Executive Council.

ARTICLE XI - AMENDMENTS
Amendments to these By-laws may be made at any ordinary meeting of the Collegium. The proposed amendments will be mailed to the members at the request of the Executive Council six months prior to their being voted upon by the members of the Collegium at the General Assembly.

ARTICLE XII - WINDING UP OF THE COLLEGIUM
A proposed amendment for dissolution of the organisation must be circulated to all Fellows one year prior to a meeting and approved by at least two thirds of the Fellows of the Collegium. If the amendment is approved, the liquidation of all assets of the Collegium shall be carried out by the Executive Council. Decisions of the liquidators shall be final.

(revised August 1993, H. Bachler, Secretary / Treasurer)