guidelines for aca special interest groups

An Interest Group may be activated by approval of the ACA Council.  To form a Group, interested participants must submit to the ACA Council a petition, which includes:

(a)  The name of the Group and a statement of its area of interest. 

(b)  A proposed set of rules and regulations under which the group will operate. Selection of officers, a description of likely activities, program planning responsibilities, etc., should be covered.  These rules must be consistent with the ACA Constitution, Bylaws, and Operating Rules.

(c)  A proposed dues structure, if any, and the purposes for which the dues will be used.  The Group’s Treasurer will do collection, accounting, and dispersal of dues required by the Group.

(d)  Signatures of at least 30 current or intending members of the ACA.  Members of ACA Interest Groups must be or become members of the ACA.

(e)  For Council approval to become effective, enough intending members must become current ACA members such that within 90 days after Council's affirmative action the total number of petitioning active members is at least 30.

An Interest Group, in addition to any other activity described in the petition for formation, shall organize at least one half-day session every year at an ACA meeting.  The ACA Program Chairman will make assignment of meeting rooms and time blocks for these sessions.  Within the time blocks, however, the format may be any that is considered appropriate by the Group.  Abstracts for the sessions must appear in the program and abstract booklet and must conform to the standard regulations made by the ACA Program Chairman with respect to format, deadlines, etc.  These sessions will be interspersed with the general plenary sessions.

If any Interest Group does not organize at least one half-day session annually, then the Interest Group will be deemed terminated by the Council.  ACA Headquarters will notify current SIG officers and members. Any appeal (e.g., because of mitigating circumstances) from this automatic termination must be addressed first to the ACA Council.

ACA INTERACTIONS

An annual report of the SIG should be submitted to the Council 1 month before the annual meeting.  A representative of the SIG should meet with the Council at the annual meeting.  A report of scientific highlights of the year should be submitted to the Council by December 1, for review and enclosure in the February issue of the ACA newsletter.

Such resources of the ACA as AIP services, newsletter, etc., shall be available to the Group.

As an ACA Interest Group, the Group will be subjected to the ACA Constitution, Bylaws and Operating Rules.

Proposed changes in the Group’s rules, dues, etc., must be approved by the ACA Council.