Bylaws

Bylaws

Section A: Section of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences

Article I: Name

The name of the organization shall be INFORMS Health Applications Society of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). Herein it will be referred to as "The Society."

Article II: Purpose

The major purposes for the Society shall be:

  1. To provide a continuing focus within INFORMS on the topic of health applications, with the aim of identifying current and potential problems and contributions to their solutions.
  2. To lead in the development, dissemination and implementation of knowledge and of basic and applied research technologies on health applications.
  3. To support efforts to extend, unify and integrate related branches of knowledge and practice.
  4. To support the interchange of information and encourage discussion and interaction among individuals having interest in the field of health applications, by providing the opportunity for these individuals to meet to exchange information, ideas, experiences and techniques.
  5. To stimulate the type of cross-fertilization which can best be accomplished within the framework of a professional organization.
  6. To promote high professional standards and integrity in all work done in the field.
  7. To encourage the education of students and the continuing education of practitioners in this field of knowledge.
  8. To promote and improve teaching of health care application courses in management sciences and operations research by faculty trained in the discipline.

Article III - Membership

Any member of the Institute may become a Society member by paying the Society dues. The Board may set different rates for members. Individuals who are not members of the Institute may become Society members by paying a Society membership fee slightly higher than that paid by members of the Institute. The increased fee will be at least $10 or 50% more than the Society dues for Institute members, whichever increment is greater. Society membership and participation shall be free from discrimination on any basis, with equal rights, duties and privileges, with the following exceptions:


Only Society members who are also members of the Institute may vote in Society elections, serve as officers, or serve as voting Board members. 


Every Society member shall have the privilege of nominating a Society member for the elected positions of the Society.


Article IV - Officers

The officers of the organization and their duties shall be the following:

  1. Chair (President): Shall be the chief administrative officer of the Society and shall be responsible for the general supervision, direction and control of the business affairs of the Society. The Chair shall preside at meetings and represent the Society in external affairs. The Chair shall approve any expenditures of the Society's funds. In addition, the Chair shall be responsible for maintaining communication with the Society's representative on the INFORMS Board and for participating in the Nominating Assembly for the representative to the INFORMS Board. The Chair (or their designate) shall coordinate any competitions or awards that the Society sponsors. The Chair is responsible for providing a copy of these bylaws to the next Chair.
  2. Chair-Elect (Vice President/President-Elect): Shall in the absence, or disability, of the Chair perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Chair. The Chair-Elect shall recommend and organize invited speakers for Sessions in National or International meetings of the Society. The Chair -Elect shall replace the Chair at the completion of the term of the Chair.
  3. Secretary: Shall take the minutes of the meetings and shall be responsible for such matters as correspondence and notification of meetings. The Secretary shall maintain contact with INFORMS liaison and shall file an annual report describing the Society's activities. The Secretary shall designate or directly prepare the newsletter and/or electronic discussion groups. 
  4. Treasurer: Shall be responsible for the administration and disbursement of the Society funds as directed by the Society Board, prepare and distribute reports of the financial condition of the Society, help prepare the annual budget of the Society for submission to the Institute, make arrangements for the orderly transfer of all the Society’s records succeeding Treasurer, and perform other duties usual to the office of an organization’s Treasurer.
  5. Communications and Outreach Coordinator: Shall interface with potential members   to promote the Society. Will work closely with the President-Elect in creating the Society's track at INFORMS conferences. Will seek out innovative research being conducted by the Society's members and other relevant research for the members and share it via electronic means.

Article V - Board

  1.  The Board shall be the governing body of the Society and shall guide the officers in the administration of the Society’s business. The Board shall consist of the elected officers indicated in Bylaw IV, the most recent Past President, and (up to) three elected voting Board Members representing to the extent practicable the varied interests of the Society members. Those serving on the Board without holding an officer position are referred to as the Council Members
  2. A quorum (assuming six additional voting members on the Board) shall require the presence of more than half of the voting members of the Board, including at least two (2) of the officers. The Board may act by majority vote of the members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present or (b) without a meeting if each Board member signs a consent in the form of a record (including a facsimile transmission or electronic mail) describing the action to be taken and delivers it to the Secretary or another member of the Board.  
  3. Board vacancies that occur between elections shall be filled as follows:
  4. In the case of vacancy in the office of President: The Vice President becomes President and may serve out the term of the departed president followed by the full term for which the Vice President was originally elected. The Secretary assumes responsibilities as Acting Vice President and Secretary until the next regularly scheduled election, at which point a Vice President should be elected. The Acting Vice President may stand for election as Vice President.
  5. In the case of vacancy in the office of Vice President: The Secretary assumes responsibilities as Acting Vice President and Secretary until the next regularly scheduled election, at which point a Vice President should be elected. The Acting Vice President may stand for election as Vice President.
  6. In the case of a vacancy in the offices of Secretary or Treasurer: The Board appoints an Acting Secretary or Acting Treasurer by majority vote. That Acting Secretary or Treasurer may serve out the term of the departing officer, and may stand for election to that position at the next regularly scheduled election.
  7. Vacancies in the offices of a voting Board member will remain open until the next regularly scheduled election, at which time the election should include candidate(s) to complete the term of the vacant position.

Article VI - Election and Tenure of Officers

  1.  The terms of the Vice Chair and Chair shall be one year. All other Board Members shall serve consecutive two-year terms. Each officer and Council Member will be elected by ballot in the Fall of each year. The elected Board Member must receive a majority of the votes cast by members. Their terms of office shall begin on the first day of January. Board Members may be nominated for re-election.
  2. Nominations. The nominating committee, appointed by the Chair, shall nominate at least one candidate for each office. Members may suggest additional nominations to the nominating committee. All nominees must be members of the Society and INFORMS at time of their assuming office.  
  3. Voting.
    1.  The Chair shall appoint a Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee, composed of a chair and at least two additional Society members, will issue a call for nominees and thereafter shall prepare an election slate for each office to be filled.
    2. Additional nominations for any office may be made by a petition signed by at least six Society members.
    3. The Chair shall forward official ballots to the Society membership. Ballots shall be issued by one of the following media:
      1. electronic mail ballot
      2. web-based ballot
      3. a combination of letter mail and electronic mail or web- based ballot
      4. other appropriate media.
      5. Nominees for office shall be listed alphabetically on the ballot (and so noted) with no indication as to those nominated by the Nominating Committee and those nominated by petition.
      6. The Chair shall appoint tellers to receive and tally ballots. Tellers may not be Society officers or candidates for office. The winning candidate for each position shall be the candidate receiving the largest number of votes.  The winning candidate for each position shall be the candidate receiving the largest number of votes. Ties shall be resolved by lot. 
      7.  All elected officers begin their terms on January 1st immediately following their election 


Article VIII - Responsibilities to INFORMS

  1. All Society activities must be consistent with the provisions of the Institute Constitution and Bylaws and with the dignity of a professional association and the nonprofit status of the Institute. A subdivision may be disbanded (a) on grounds of professional or financial irresponsibility, (b) if it becomes inactive, or (c) if its membership falls below the minimum number required, according to INFORMS Policies and Procedures. A subdivision’s assets ultimately belong to the Institute and shall revert to the Institute in the event that the subdivision is disbanded or otherwise ceases to be a subdivision of the Institute. 
  2. The Society shall not maintain any bank account separate from accounts owned by INFORMS.
  3. The Society shall file an activity report annually with the Institute Business Office describing Society activities during the past January 1 through December 31. It shall be filed no later than January 31. 
  4. The Society shall notify the Institute Vice President of Sections and Societies on the results of the elections immediately following the elections. 
  5. The Society shall also provide information or file reports throughout the year as reasonably requested by the Institute Board of Directors or officers of the Institute.
  6. Neither the Institute nor the Institute Board of Directors, by granting a charter to the Society, assumes any liability or responsibility for any obligations of any kind incurred by the Society unless prior written approval is obtained. The Institute Board alone has the authority to commit the Institute or any of its subdivisions to a contract. Review and approval of contracts are delegated to the Executive Director.

 

Article IX - Amendments

  1. Proposed amendments to these bylaws that are consistent with those of the Institute, may be initiated either by action of the Society Board or by a petition to the President signed by 10% of the membership or 15 members of the Society, whichever is larger. The Secretary shall distribute copies of the proposed change to all members of the Society by electronic mail or written form not less than three weeks before the annual membership meeting. An open discussion of the proposed amendment to the bylaws shall be carried out at the following membership meeting of the Society.
  2. Following the open discussion with the membership the Secretary shall send the proposed bylaw changes to the Institute Vice President of Sections and Societies for review by the Institute. Not more than two months after the discussion of the proposed amendment, the Secretary shall distribute to all members copies of the proposed amendment along with mail ballot, defined as written or electronic transmission. No ballot shall be counted unless marked by a Society member to indicate their choice, returned to the official tellers bearing the voter’s name, and received by the tellers no later than a date to be specified upon the ballot form – a date not earlier than two weeks from the date of distributing the ballot forms to the Society membership. 
  3. The adoption of the proposed amendment shall require an affirmative vote by at least two-thirds of the members voting, as tallied by tellers appointed by the President. The tellers shall report the tally to the President within one week of the date specified for receipt of the ballots. The result of the balloting shall be announced to the membership by the Secretary.
  4. If approved by the Society membership, the proposed amendment to the Bylaws shall become effective upon approval by the Institute.

 Article X - Meetings

  1. The Society shall hold at least one (1) business meeting and at least one (1) professional meeting each year. All meetings are to be open to the entire membership of the Society. If a Society chooses some or all of its meetings may be opened to other interested people as well. 
  2. The Board or its designated committees shall schedule the meetings of the Society. Business meetings and Board meetings shall be scheduled by the Board in accordance with the Bylaws and procedures specified by the Board. 
  3. The members of the Society may call a special meeting of the membership upon signed petition to the Secretary of at least 25% of the Society membership.
  4. Robert’s Rules of Order shall guide all Board and Society membership meetings except in those cases where they are inconsistent with these Bylaws.