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BYLAWS of the [Approved February 25, 1978. Amended January, 2001] Article I - Name and Objectives Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Safety and Health of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Section 2. The scope of this Division shall be the broad field of the relation of chemical engineering to the safety and health of persons and to the protection of property. Section 3. The objectives of the Division shall be: a. To further the application of chemical engineering to the broad field of safety and health and to further the application of the field of safety and health to chemical engineering. b. To recommend to the Council of AIChE positions or policies relating to safety and health. c. To provide and to collaborate in suitable programs on safety and health topics of current interest, in cooperation with the National Program Committee. d. To provide a communication medium for chemical engineers and other individuals to exchange non-confidential information concerning all facets of safety and health. e. To promote the publication of papers in the field that are of interest to chemical engineers. f. To coordinate the Institute’s activities with other societies active in the broad field of the safety and health of persons and the protection of property. g. To act as a source of information for chemical engineers who are not actively engaged in the safety and health field and to alert them to the importance of a concern for safety and health, including protection of property; to the need for a consideration of safety and health in the design and operation of process plants; and to the opportunities in research and in the design of equipment and processes to solve safety and health problems. h. To address the problems of safety and health and of the protection of property in the manufacture, processing, distribution, and use of chemicals. i. To encourage chemical engineering educators to place suitable emphasis on the field of safety and health of persons and the protection of property. Section 4. The Division shall be under the supervision and control of the Council of AIChE. Divisional programming activities shall be carried out in cooperation with the National Program Committee of AIChE. The Division shall not have the authority to act for or in the name of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers or to incur any financial obligations in the name of AIChE. Article II - Membership Section 1. Members of the Division shall be members of AIChE who have paid the annual Division dues. (See Article VI, Section 1.) Non-members of AIChE may join the Division for one year with the approval of the Executive Committee of the Division. By the end of the year, they must have been accepted for some grade of membership in AIChE in order to continue as members of the Division. Article III - Organization Section 1. The activities of the Division shall be directed by an Executive Committee of twelve or more members consisting of the current four officers, the immediate past Chair, six persons elected as Directors from the membership of the Division, and a liaison representative appointed by the Council of AIChE and serving as an ex-officio member with voting privileges. More members may be added only in accordance with Section 7 of this Article. Section 2. The officers of the Division shall be a Chair, a First Vice-Chair, a Second Vice-Chair, and a Secretary-Treasurer, all of whom shall hold membership in the Division and shall be Fellows, members, or Associate Members of AIChE. The term of office in each case shall be one year. Nominations for the offices shall come from the Nominating Committee (See Article V, Section 3.) The Chair of the Division shall not be eligible for reelection to a Division office. The First Vice-Chair is normally the sole nominee for the office of Chair. The Second Vice-Chair is normally the sole nominee for the office of First Vice-Chair. Any member may be nominated as Second Vice-Chair. The Secretary-Treasurer may be reelected. Section 3. Directors of the Executive Committee shall be elected for a term of three years each, two to be elected each year. A person who has served as a Director is eligible for election as an officer, but is not eligible for service as a Director within a period of five years after serving as Director. Section 4. The First Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair in the latter’s absence or inability to serve. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the Chair, the First Vice-Chair shall serve as the chief executive officer of the Division until the next annual election. If a vacancy occurs in any other position on the Executive Committee, the Executive Committee shall appoint a replacement from the Committee, if the vacancy is an officer, or from the membership, if the vacancy is a director, to fill the unexpired term. Section 5. The First and Second Vice Chairs shall be responsible for the programming activities of the Division. The First Vice-Chair shall be responsible for programs which are presented during the year in which he or she folds office. The Second Vice-Chair shall be responsible for initiating programs which are to be presented the following year. Section 6. The Secretary-Treasurer shall: a. Keep the records of the proceedings of the Division. b. Handle the general correspondence of the Division and shall, at the direction of the Chair, issue notices of all meetings. c. Handle and record the collection and disbursement of funds, as authorized by the Executive Committee of the Division. d. Prepare a proposed budget for the upcoming year. e. Prepare and mail ballots. f. Submit, at the end of each year, a financial report to the Executive Committee and to the Secretary of the AIChE. Section 7. The Division may be divided into Sections by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee, subject to approval of the Council of AIChE. Addition of new Sections will each add one new member (the new Section’s Chair) to the Executive Committee. Section 8. Such committees as may be required shall be appointed by the Chair, with the approval of the Executive Committee. The services of any such committee or its members may be terminated at any time by the Chair, with the approval of the Executive Committee. Section 9. Committees which are appointed to prepare for specific meetings or other events shall continue to perform their functions, if satisfactorily handled, until the meetings or events designated have actually occurred. The term of service of such committees may, therefore, continue after the retirement of the Division Chair who made the original appointments. Article IV - Meetings Section 1. There shall be at least one meeting of the Division called each year, held during a National or Annual Meeting of the Institute. Section 2. The Secretary-Treasurer shall send members a notice of all meetings of the Division at least three weeks in advance of such meetings. Section 3. A quorum for meetings of the Division shall consist of five percent of the membership. Except where otherwise stated in these Bylaws, all actions at the meeting of the Division shall be decided by a majority of those voting. Section 4. The order of business for meetings of the Division shall be determined by the presiding officer (See Article IV, Section 7) and shall include the reading of the Minutes of the previous meeting, reports of committees, and new business. Section 5. The Executive Committee shall meet at least once, and preferably two to four times, each calendar year. Meetings may be called by the Chair or by request of four members of the Executive Committee at such places and times as are advisable. Meetings may be held by physical attendance, teleconference, videoconference, or other suitable means of electronic communication. Executive Committee members shall be notified of all meetings at least three (3) weeks in advance. Voting, including election of officers, may be cast either in person, by mail, or by other suitable means of electronic communication. Section 6. A majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum. Except where otherwise stated in these Bylaws, all actions of the Executive Committee shall be by majority vote. If a tie vote results, the decision shall take the course voted by the presiding officer. Section 7. The Chair of the Division shall preside at all meetings of the Division and of the Executive Committee. In his absence, the First Vice-Chair, the Second Vice-Chair, or the Secretary-Treasurer, in that order, shall preside. Section 8. Any member of the Executive Committee who fails to attend two consecutive meetings of the Committee shall be considered to have tendered his resignation from the Committee. However, such a resignation shall be effective only upon acceptance by the Executive Committee, which shall have taken into account any extenuating circumstances. Article V - Elections Section 1. The Chair, First Vice-Chair, Second Vice Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, and two Directors shall be elected annually by ballot sent to the members of the Division on or about October 1. Election shall be by a majority of those voting. Balloting shall be by such means deemed acceptable by AIChE and the Division, including use of electronic means as authorized by the Chemical Engineering Technology Operating Council. Receipt and tabulation of the votes shall be done by the Member Activities Office of AIChE. In those cases where a letter ballot is requested by a member of the Division, the ballot shall include notice of the date by which it must be received in order to be counted and that date shall be no earlier than four weeks after the mailing of the ballot. Ballots received after this date shall not be counted. The count shall be certified to the Executive Committee in writing by the Member Activities Office. Section 2. Delinquent members shall not be eligible to vote or to hold office. (See Article VII, Section 1.) Section 3. A Nominating Committee shall be formed in April of each year, with the immediate Past Chair of the Division as its Chair, who shall select two additional Division members who are not currently serving in an elected capacity to serve as his or her Committee. This Committee shall formulate a slate of candidates for presentation to the members; this slate shall include one candidate each for the offices of Chair and First Vice-Chair, who shall normally be the past year’s First Vice-Chair and Second Vice-Chair, respectively; one or more candidates for Secretary-Treasurer; and two or more candidates for each of the other offices and directorships. If the past year’s First Vice-Chair and/or Second Vice-Chair were appointed to fill an unexpired term, then an additional candidate may be named for the successive office(s) for which each would otherwise be the sole nominee. If the past year’s First Vice-Chair and/or Second Vice-Chair cannot stand for election, then two or more candidates for the successive office(s) thus left vacant will be named. Nominations may also be made for any office or directorship by petition of the membership, if at least twenty Division members in good standing sign a petition and submit it to the Secretary-Treasurer by September 1. Section 4. No member shall be eligible for election to more than one office at one time. Section 5. The newly-elected officers shall take office on January 1 of each year. Article VI - Dues and Finances Section 1. Annual dues shall be determined by the Executive Committee in accordance with policies of Council. They shall be payable in advance by January 1 to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Division. Those members who continue to be in delinquent on the following January 1 shall be dropped from the rolls of the Division. Section 2. The dues shall be changed in amount only be the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total members of the Executive Committee. This vote may be taken at a regular meeting or by mail. Section 3. The Executive Committee shall make all other regulations regarding payment of dues and shall provide for an annual audit of the Division’s financial accounts. Section 4. The Executive Committee shall review at their last meeting of the year the budget submitted for the upcoming year by the Secretary-Treasurer. This budget shall be subject to revision at the first meeting after the new officers take office. The officers of the Division may make expenditures within the provisions of the approved budget. Additional amounts shall be spent only after specific approval by the Executive Committee. Article VII - General Provisions Section 1. The decision of the Executive Committee shall be final on any question concerning the interpretation of the Bylaws, subject to the jurisdiction of the Council of AIChE. Section 2. In all respects not specifically covered by these Bylaws, the general rules of AIChE governing the conduct of Divisions shall apply with equal force as if included in these Bylaws. Section 3. In the deciding of procedural matters not otherwise covered in these Bylaws, the most recent issue of Robert’s Rules of Order shall prevail. Article VIII - Amendments Section 1. An amendment to these Bylaws may be proposed to the membership of the Division by majority vote of the Executive Committee or by petition of ten percent of the members of the Division to the Executive Committee. Section 2. A proposed amendment and ballot shall be sent to all Division members. Balloting shall be by such means deemed acceptable to AIChE and the Division, including use of electronic means as authorized by the Chemical Engineering technology Operating Council. Receipt and tabulation of the votes shall be done by the Member Activities Office of AIChE. In those cases where a letter ballot is requested by a member of the Division, the ballot shall include notice of the date by which it must be received in order to be counted and that date shall be no earlier than four weeks after the mailing of the ballot. Ballots received after this date shall not be counted. The count shall be certified to the Executive Committee in writing by the Member Activities Office. The Executive Committee shall accept as approved any amendment that receives a two-thirds affirmative vote of those returning ballots. An approved amendment shall then be submitted to the Chemical Technology Operating Council of the Institute and shall become an effective part of the Bylaws of the Division upon its approval.
• Preside at all meetings of the Executive Board;
or, if unable to attend, arrange for the Division Vice Chair to preside.
• Assume responsibility for the programming activities
of the Division.
• In the absence of the Division Chair or First
Vice-Chair, preside at meetings of the Executive Board.
• Prepare and publish Minutes of meetings, with
particular note of required Action Items by Board or AIChE Staff.
• Serve as the Division’s Senior Spokesperson,
with particular emphasis on AIChE and Division relationships.
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