Constitution and By-Laws
The SSAWW Bylaws and Constitution
Drafted, 1999, Approved, 2000
Approved Revisions by the Advisory Board, July 2025
Bylaws and Constitution Revision Committee: Stephanie Palmer, Jennier Putzi, Claudia Stokes, Kim Hester Williams, and Sandra Zagarell
Constitution
Article I: Name and Object
Section 1:
The name of this society shall be the Society for the Study of American Women Writers, (hereafter “the Society”).
Section 2:
The mission of the Society shall be the promotion of the study of American women writers through the encouragement of research, teaching, publication, and the strengthening of relations among persons and institutions in this country and abroad devoted to such studies, and the broadening of knowledge among the general public about American women writers. The Society is committed to diversity — of race, ethnicity, gender, class, dis/ability, sexuality, region, and era — in the study of American women writers, as well as of scholars participating in the Society. The SSAWW is committed to respect for and respectful treatment of all persons.
Article II: Officers
Section 1:
The officers shall be the President; Vice President, Organizational Matters; Vice President, Communications; Vice President, Programming; and Vice President, Finances and Membership. The immediate past President shall serve in an ex officio capacity. Together, these officers constitute the Executive Committee.
Section 2:
The President shall chair the Conference Committee and shall supervise all Society committees. The President shall preside at regular meetings of the Executive Committee and attend regular meetings of the Advisory Board and, every January, shall provide the membership an annual report on the Society. It shall be the President’s duty to formulate policies and projects for presentation to the Board and to fulfill the chartered obligations and purposes of the Society. In filling this and any other Society responsibility, the President may call upon for assistance other members of the Executive Committee, the Advisory Board, and such ad hoc committees as the President may wish to appoint.
Section 3:
The Vice President, Organizational Matters shall chair the Conference Program Committee and shall liaise with all affiliate author groups, regional SSAWW study groups, the SSAWW Graduate Student Caucus, and the International Committee, as well as with national organizations such as the American Literature Association, the College Language Association, and the Modern Language Association. They shall assist the President in the planning of the conference.
Section 4:
The Vice President, Communications shall take minutes at Executive Committee meetings and annual Society business meetings; manage the website; manage social media outlets; manage the listserv; work on the backend of the membership software along with the Vice President, Finances and Membership; and help set up the conference registration. With the advice of the Officers and the Advisory Board, the Vice President, Communications shall also oversee other communications projects that the Society undertakes.
Section 5:
The Vice President, Finances and Membership shall maintain the membership of the Society; have fiduciary responsibility for the Society’s funds, including the transfer of signatory authority between successive Executive Committees; provide regular reports on finances to the President, Executive Committee, Advisory Board, and others as required; solicit and collect membership dues; work with the Vice President, Communications to oversee conference registration; oversee the Society’s accounts and expenses; distribute the Society’s funds as required for routine expenses, conference costs, and other expenses as approved by the President and/or the Advisory Board. The Vice President, Finances and Membership shall also work with a Society member who resides in Michigan to submit the annual application for the Society’s non-profit status in that state and shall submit the necessary materials to the IRS to maintain the Society’s 501(c)(3) status.
Section 6:
The Vice President, Programming shall oversee and develop programming aside from the conference; this may include book talks, panel discussions, reading groups, and writing groups, among other events. The Vice President, Programming shall also manage the SSAWW Awards (Karen Dandurand Lifetime Achievement Award, Book Award, Edition Award, Digital Edition Award), which are announced at the SSAWW conference.
Section 7:
In response to concern that an officer may not be adequately fulfilling their duties, either the Advisory Board or the Executive Committee may initiate an inquiry, which should last no longer than 45 days. No fewer than two-thirds of the Advisory Board must approve any motion to remove the officer in question. If an officer is removed, the Advisory Board, in consultation with the Executive Committee, shall appoint an appropriate replacement.
Section 8:
Legacy is the journal of record of the Society.
Article III: Advisory Board and Executive Committee
Section 1:
There shall be an Advisory Board, constituted as follows: The Society Officers, as detailed in Article II; the immediate past President, who shall serve a three-year term; one representative from among the Legacy editors; one representative of the Recovery Hub for American Women Writers; at least two but no more than four graduate student members, appointed by the President and serving a three-year term; at least eight additional members appointed by the President and serving staggered three-year terms. In consultation with the Advisory Board, the President shall name four alternate Board members.
Section 2:
The Advisory Board shall oversee the general interests of the Society and provide advice, feedback, and support to the Executive Committee officers.
Section 3:
In the first meeting in the three-year cycle, the Advisory Board shall elect a Chair. This Chair shall liaise with members of the Executive Committee and facilitate regular communication between both bodies.
Section 4:
The Chair shall call meetings of the Advisory Board at least twice a year, with the agendas circulated no later than ten days in advance. Business may include the appointment of members to committees; the approval of the budget; the consideration of reports and recommendations from the officers and committees; the discussion of policies and instructions for the elected officers; and the transaction of other such business as may come before it. The Advisory Board shall report on its deliberations and actions through appropriate channels like the Society’s listserv and website.
Section 5:
For regular Society business, the Advisory Board shall require a quorum of 50% of Board members to pass resolutions and proposals. A simple majority of those present is required for resolutions and proposals to pass.
Section 6:
Barring exceptional circumstances, Advisory Board members who do not attend three or more consecutive meetings shall be removed and replaced.
Section 7:
The Executive Committee in the conduct of the Society’s business shall, as necessary, solicit the general direction of the Advisory Board.
Section 8:
Upon the request of the Program Committee Chair, at least three members of the Advisory Board shall serve on the Program Committee for the annual Conference.
If Advisory Board members are unable to continue to serve for the remainder of their term, the President will appoint one of the Board’s alternates in their stead. Two of these alternates will be former members of the Advisory Board or Executive Committee. Two will be SSAWW members who have not yet served on the Board. If called upon, alternate board members will serve a three-year term following their appointment.
Article IV: Members
Section 1:
Membership in the Society shall be open to:
Any person interested in the study of American women writers, upon payment of membership dues;
Any cultural or educational non-profit organization interested in the study of American women writers, upon approval by the Advisory Board and payment of institutional dues; and
Any honorary members of the Society. Honorary members shall be elected by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting members of the Advisory Board and shall be exempt from the payment of dues.
Section 2:
Only individual members in good standing shall have the right to vote or hold office in the Society.
Article V: Affiliated Societies
Section 1:
Any society committed to the study of American women writers may be admitted to the status of Affiliated Society by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting members of the Advisory Board.
Section 2:
Affiliated societies’ association with the Society may be terminated for sufficient reason by a vote of two-thirds of the voting members of the Advisory Board or by request of the Affiliated Society.
Article VI: Various
Section 1:
The Advisory Board shall adopt Bylaws consistent with the provisions of the Constitution, upon any matter of concern to the Society.
Section 2:
The Advisory Board shall adopt such regulations and rules as may be necessary to give full force and effect to the Constitution and Bylaws and to determine their procedures.
Section 3:
Amendments to this document may be proposed by the Executive Committee or by petitions carrying the signature of at least twenty-five members of the Society in good standing. Such proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to the President of the Society at least thirty days prior to the next meeting of the Advisory Board. At this meeting, the amendments shall be submitted to a vote, a favorable vote of two-thirds of the voting members of the Advisory Board being required for approval. Proxy votes shall be handled in the manner specified in the Bylaws, Article IV, Section 4. Amendments approved by the Advisory Board shall be submitted to the members of the Society within three months of the Advisory Board’s approval. Ratification shall require a favorable vote of the majority of the members voting.
Article VII: Dissolution
Section 1:
The Society may be dissolved upon recommendation of a two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee and approval by vote of two-thirds of the Society’s members.
Section 2:
Upon termination and dissolution of this Society, the President, along with the Vice President, Finances and Membership, shall carry out all tasks necessary to concluding the business of the Society, including, but not limited to, placement of Society records and papers in a professionally-maintained archive and notification to the general membership of the Society’s dissolution.
Section 3:
In the event of dissolution, all assets remaining after liabilities have been met shall be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law.
Bylaws
Article 1: Name and Object
Section 1:
The name of this society shall be the Society for the Study of American Women Writers (hereafter “the Society”).
Section 2:
The mission of the Society shall be the promotion of the study of American women writers through the encouragement of research, teaching, publication, and the strengthening of relations among persons and institutions in this country and abroad devoted to such studies, and the broadening of knowledge among the general public about American women writers. The Society is committed to diversity in the study of American women writers–racial, ethnic, gender, class, sexuality, dis/ability, region, and era–as well as of scholars participating in the Society.
Section 3:
The Bylaws of the Society shall at all times be in compliance with the Constitution of the Society.
Section 4:
The purpose for which the Society is organized is exclusively educational, as per section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law.
Section 5:
Notwithstanding any other provision of these bylaws, the Society shall not carry on any activities not permitted for an organization exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law.
Article II: Officers
Section 1:
The President shall be elected in accordance with Article III, of the Bylaws of the Society. The President may run for a second term, in keeping with Society election procedures and during the Society’s regular election cycle.
Section 2:
All Vice Presidents shall be elected in accordance with Article III of the Bylaws of the Society.
If the office of any Vice President shall, through any cause, become vacant, the Executive Committee shall appoint an interim Vice President, if possible from its membership or from the membership of the Advisory Board. They shall be eligible to run for a second term, in keeping with Society election procedures and during the Society’s regular election cycle.
Section 3:
The Officers shall serve without compensation.
Section 4:
At a minimum, the Executive Committee shall meet quarterly.
Article III: Elections
Section 1:
All Society officers shall be elected for three-year terms. Their terms shall begin on January 1 in the year following the triennial conference.
Section 2:
By June 15 in the year of the triennial conference, the Nominating and Elections Committee shall be convened by the Chair of the Advisory Board, who shall chair the committee. The Chair shall appoint to the committee no fewer than two additional Society members, at least one of whom shall be a member of the Advisory Board. The Vice President, Finances and Membership shall assist the committee with elections and communication software.
Section 3: Eligibility and Process
Any member of SSAWW in good standing may be nominated for an office or may nominate themselves. The Nominating and Elections Committee may also solicit candidates for offices. The ballot shall include brief candidate biographies and statements of purpose. Elected officers may normally serve only two consecutive terms.
Section 4: Timeline
By July 15 of the year of the triennial conference, the Chair of the Nominating and Elections Committee shall invite nominations from the membership. All nominees shall submit statements of purpose and brief biographies.
Nominations shall be closed on September 15. Within seven days after the closing, the Chair of the Nominating and Elections Committee shall forward the names and materials of all candidates to the Nominating and Elections Committee.
The Committee shall determine the completeness of candidates’ nomination packages and shall select candidates who reflect a broad range of expertise, institutions, and backgrounds.
No later than three weeks before the triennial conference, the Chair of the Nominating and Elections Committee shall send each SSAWW member a ballot listing candidates for all offices as well as their brief biographies and statements of purpose. SSAWW members shall submit their votes by a week before the conference.
By the first day of the conference, the Nominating and Elections Committee shall meet to determine election results. The Chair of the Nominating and Elections Committee shall notify the membership of the results during the final day of the conference.
Section 5:
In the event that there are no candidates for officer positions, the President, with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee and the Advisory Board, shall appoint officers to those positions from the Society membership.
Article IV: Advisory Board
Section 1:
Every January, the Advisory Board shall elect a Board Chair. The Board Chair is eligible to serve additional terms.
Section 2:
The first Advisory Board meeting shall take place in January, with no fewer than one additional meeting in the calendar year. In consultation with the Society President, the Chair of the Advisory Board shall call and run all Advisory Board meetings. These meetings shall be for Board members and Officers only.
Section 3:
In consultation with the Society President, the Chair of the Advisory Board will set the agendas for Advisory Board meetings. Agendas, including the complete texts of all proposals requiring formal action by the Advisory Board, shall be sent to all Advisory Board members at least two weeks in advance of the meeting.
Section 4:
Advisory Board Members unable to attend a business meeting for a valid reason may submit a proxy vote in writing to the President prior to the meeting. The proxy vote shall address itself to a specific resolution, shall be in writing, and shall include the caster’s name. A proxy vote shall not be applied to a resolution introduced subsequent to the proxy. The proxy shall be considered valid if it addresses the sense of the resolution even if that resolution is amended in minor elements. If a question shall arise in this regard, the applicability of the proxy shall be made by the presiding officer of the Society.
Article V: Society Annual Business Meeting
Section 1:
The President shall convene an annual business meeting which shall be open to all
members of the Society. The Society’s officers and the Chair of the Advisory Board shall
report on the Society’s activities during the twelve months prior to the meeting. All
participants may offer feedback, and the meeting shall include general discussion about future activities and directions for the Society. In the year of the SSAWW conference, the business meeting shall be held at the conference. In other years it may be held at the American Literature Association annual conference or virtually. SSAWW membership should be invited to the meeting a month in advance.
Section 2:
Minutes of the meeting shall be published on the Society website.
Article VI: Dues
Section 1:
Individual member and institutional member dues shall cover a twelve-month period. Information about dues shall be posted on the Society’s website. The Vice President, Finances and Membership shall oversee the announcement and collection of dues.
Section 2. The Executive Committee shall establish dues for each of the following membership categories: Regular, Student, Retired, Independent Scholar, and Lifetime Membership. The Executive Committee shall revisit the dues schedule every three years.
Section 3:
The dues schedule may be amended by a majority vote of the Advisory Board.
Article VII: Relationship of Legacy to the Society
Section 1:
One representative from among the Legacy editors shall serve on the Advisory Board of the Society.
Section 2:
The Society shall have no control over content of the journal, Editorial Board appointments, or any other aspect of the day-to-day business of the journal. All aspects of the editing of the journal remain the sole discretion of the journal’s Editors.
Article VIII: Committees
Section 1:
The Executive Committee shall appoint such committees as it deems necessary. In order to advance the activities of the Society, there shall be both standing committees, as designated by the bylaws, and ad hoc committees, as recommended by the Executive Committee. All committees are bodies of the Society and shall function at the discretion of the Executive Committee and with the Executive Committee as the final supervisor of their activities.
Section 2:
In pursuance thereto, the Advisory Board shall define the jurisdiction of each committee, shall determine its budget, and shall decide upon its basic policies and procedures.
Section 3:
Standing committees of SSAWW shall include the Nominating and Elections Committee, the International Committee, the Graduate Student Caucus, the Conference and its two subcommittees, the Program Committee and the Local Arrangements Conference Committee.
Section 4:
All standing and ad hoc committees shall submit a report to the President at least two weeks in advance of the semiannual meeting of the Advisory Board. The President shall distribute such reports to the members of the Advisory Board, and they shall be published or summarized on the Society’s website.
Section 5:
The Executive Committee and Advisory Board shall work to ensure the diversity of all committees, the Society’s Advisory Board, and general membership.
Section 6:
The Society shall have as one of its standing committees the Conference Committee. The Conference Committee shall have as its function the long-range planning of the Society’s triennial conference. The President of the Society shall chair and organize the Conference Committee. The Vice President, Organizational Matters, shall assist the President. The duties of the Conference Committee are detailed in Article IX of the Bylaws.
Section 7:
The Nominating and Elections Committee shall be chaired by the Chair of the Advisory Board and shall consist of at least two additional Society members, at least one of whom shall be a member of the Advisory Board. The Nominating and Elections Committee shall follow the timeline and process outlined in Article III of the Bylaws.
Section 8:
The Society shall have as one of its standing committees the International Committee. The International Committee shall promote and coordinate study and research about American women writers and act as liaison between the Society for the Study of American Women Writers and associations in other countries devoted to the study of American women writers. If possible, the committee should sponsor and organize a regular international conference on American women writers. The President shall nominate, and the Advisory Board shall approve, an individual to serve as chair of the International Committee. At least one member of the committee shall be an individual located outside the United States; no committee member shall serve for more than six years. Geographical diversity of committee members shall be a priority.
Section 9:
Whenever any vacancy shall occur in the membership of a standing committee, the Executive Committee may, at its discretion, designate any member of the Society in good standing to serve as a member of the committee in question.
Section 10:
Ex Officio members may be appointed to the standing committees by the Executive Committee with the approval of the Advisory Board to advise and assist the committee in question.
Section 11:
With the approval of the Advisory Board, the Executive Committee may create ad hoc committees as needed to carry out the work of the Society. The functions of such a committee shall be specified when the committee is designated, and the committee shall dissolve upon the completion of the task assigned. The chair and members of such a committee shall be named by the Executive Committee with the approval of the Advisory Board for maximum three-year terms. The Executive Committee may, at its discretion, fill any vacancy in the membership of an ad hoc committee to serve as a committee member until the completion of the committee’s tasks or term.
Article IX: Conferences
Section 1:
The President and the Vice President, Organizational Matters, with the approval of the Advisory Board, shall call a Society conference every three years at a location and venue they deem appropriate. Geographical rotation shall be considered in the selection of the conference site.
Section 2:
The Conference Committee shall determine the conference theme, and the President shall announce this theme a year before the conference. The conference theme and call for papers shall also be posted on the Society website.
Section 3:
The Conference Committee, chaired by the Society President, shall oversee the planning and organization of the Conference. The Conference Committee shall handle all logistics and organizational matters related to the triennial conference, which include but are not limited to the following: soliciting conference submissions; arranging staffing for registration and check-in; arranging keynote speakers; organizing meals and refreshments; liaising with the conference venue staff; and determining a budget for AV and other expenses.
Section 4:
The Conference Committee shall have two subcommittees, the Program Committee and the Local Arrangements Committee. These two committees shall be appointed by the Conference Committee.
The Program Committee shall review conference submissions; assemble and organize panels from submissions; oversee the design and printing of the conference program; and order gifts for awardees. The Vice President, Organizational Matters shall chair the Program Committee. The Program Committee shall consist of no fewer than six members, at least half of whom shall derive from the Advisory Board. Following an open call for self-nominations and suggestions, the President shall appoint the other members of the Program Committee to assist the Chair in their duties.
The Local Arrangements Committee shall include residents of the conference location and shall consist of no fewer than two Society members. The Local Arrangements Committee shall oversee the planning of local excursions, the selection of area restaurants, and the coordination with local speakers or artists.
Section 5:
The Program Committee may determine its own policies regarding requests for sessions from standing or ad hoc committees. One slot shall be reserved for the Society business meeting session. If they desire, Affiliated Societies shall be allowed to sponsor at least one panel.
Article X: Amendment of the Bylaws
Section 1:
These bylaws may be altered, amended, or repealed at any business meeting of the Advisory Board by a resolution adopted by two-thirds of the voting members, provided that such changes have been circulated to the Advisory Board members at least thirty days prior to the vote. Committee members unable to attend an Advisory Board meeting for a valid reason may submit a proxy vote in writing to the appropriate chair prior to the meeting in accordance with Article IV, Section 4, of these bylaws.