Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology Section
Statement of Organization and Procedures
Approved by unanimous vote of >50 members of the section
at the section Business Meeting held April 21, 2009
ARTICLE I. Name
The name of this organization is the Gastrointestinal
AND Liver PHYSIOLOGY Section
of the AMERICAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY.
ARTICLE II. Purposes
The purpose of the Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology
(GI/Liver) Section of the
American Physiological Society (APS) is to promote and enhance excellence in
research and training in gastrointestinal and liver physiology in order to
advance and integrate our understanding of these systems from the molecular
to the organ level. To achieve this, the GI/Liver Section will:
·
Provide a forum for dissemination of novel discoveries in
gastrointestinal and liver biology through programming of scientific
meetings.
·
Enhance interaction among gastrointestinal and liver
biologists.
·
Foster interdisciplinary and integrative approaches among
gastrointestinal and liver physiologists and other scientific disciplines at
the Experimental Biology meeting.
·
Recognize excellence in gastrointestinal and liver physiology
from the trainee through senior investigator levels.
ARTICLE III. Membership
GI/Liver Section membership is open to any member of the APS (student,
affiliate, regular, emeritus, corresponding, or honorary). Section
membership is conferred by designating the GI/Liver Section as a primary or
secondary affiliation through the APS Membership Services Department. All
primary and secondary members of the section have equal voting rights and
can serve as officers of the section.
ARTICLE IV. Officers
Section 1. Steering Committee
The responsibility for management and supervision of the affairs of the
Section is vested in a Steering Committee. Membership and duties of the
Steering Committee are described below. A quorum for conducting official
business for the Section is at least half of the Steering Committee. The
Steering Committee meets in person at the annual APS spring meeting, and as
needed by other means.
Section 2. Steering Committee Members and Their
Duties
Section Chair
The Section Chair calls and
oversees meetings of the Steering Committee and may appoint sub-committees
that are necessary for the proper conduct of the affairs of the Section. The
Section Chair provides leadership and direction to the Section and the
Steering Committee, including the execution of existing Sectional programs,
and the development of new programs and fundraising. The Section Chair works
with the Secretary-Treasurer to coordinate all elections for Councilor and
Chair-elect positions. The Section Chair, with input from the Steering
Committee, appoints the Section representative to the Committee on
Committees, the Chair of the SPC, the Liaison with Industry member, and the
Section Trainee member of the Steering Committee. The Section Chair, with
input from the Steering Committee, assigns responsibilities to Councilors
for the conduct of Section business. The Section Chair serves as the Section
Advisory Committee Representative.
Councilors
One elected Councilor serves as
the Secretary-Treasurer (ST). The ST maintains fiscal records, keeps
minutes of the Steering Committee and Business meetings, and prepares at
least two Section newsletters per year. ST assists the Chair in fundraising
activities with the corporate sector to generate funds for the Section’s
restricted account. ST is also responsible for financial stewardship to
assure continuity of Section programs. ST works with APS staff to obtain and
review budget statements, and to assure accuracy of APS records and the APS
Website as it relates to the GI/Liver Section.
One elected Councilor serves as
the Awards Coordinator (AC). The AC recruits nominees for the
Davenport and other named awards, and coordinates abstract driven awards for
trainees. Responsibilities include gathering votes for award winners from
the Steering Committee and working with APS staff to prepare award
certificates and award checks for the winners.
One elected Councilor serves as the Banquet Coordinator (BC).
Responsibilities include selecting a venue for the yearly banquet, business
meeting and symposium during the annual EB meeting. The BC advertises the
event, works with APS staff on ticket sales and signs contracts for venues
on behalf of the Section (if this is not performed by APS staff). Before
committing to any banquet venue, the BC must (1) define the budget for the
event with the Secretary-Treasurer and Chair, and (2) communicate
information about the banquet location and food selection to all Steering
Committee members for their consideration.
One or more additional elected Councilors may serve other capacities, as
needed, on the Steering Committee.
Committee on Committees
Representative
This appointed member seeks to
increase representation of the GI/Liver section on the committees that run
the APS, and serves as the section representative to the Committee on
Committees.
Section Program
Committee (SPC) Chair
The appointed SPC Chair recruits
and chairs a committee composed of some members of the Section Steering
Committee, one or more young investigators who are working in exciting new
areas of research, the editor of the American Journal of Physiology: GI
and Liver Physiology, and an SPC Chair-elect. The SPC Chair is charged
with developing the Section's scientific program for the Experimental
Biology meeting, and revising abstract descriptors to assure optimal
relevance to program goals. The SPC Chair interacts with the APS Joint
Program Committee to ensure minimal redundancy with respect to other Section
programming activities and develops joint programs which integrate more than
one APS Section. The SPC Chair also provides direction to the SPC in the
development of joint programming between the Section and other scientific
societies. The SPC Chair also serves as the Section Representative to the
Joint Program Committee of the APS.
Liaison with Industry Member
This appointed member is usually
employed by an industry with interests in GI and Liver research. This member
seeks to further the joint interests of industry and the GI/Liver section,
and this member serves as the section representative to the Liaison with
Industry Committee.
Trainee Member
The appointed Trainee member
seeks to provide opportunities to further the careers and interests of
trainee members of the GI/Liver section, and serves as the section
representative to the Trainee Advisory Committee.
Editor of the American
Journal of Physiology: GI and Liver Physiology
The editor serves as a full
voting member of the GI/Liver Section Steering Committee, and works with the
committee to integrate the Journal with Section interests.
Section 3. Nomination for Membership on the Steering Committee
The Chair of the Section appoints a Steering Committee member to serve as
Chair of the Nominating Committee. Responsibilities include recruiting two
other Section (but non-Steering Committee) members to complete the
Nominating Committee. Nominations for elected members on the Steering
Committee are solicited from the Section membership in response to a request
by the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee prepares a slate of
candidates for the ballot after obtaining assurance that those individuals
who appear on the ballot will serve if elected. Election will be by on-line
voting run by the APS staff. Ideally, the Chair should have previously
served on the Steering Committee prior to leading the section. Election will
be by on-line voting run by the APS staff.
Section 4. Election of Officers and
Terms of Office
The Chair-elect and Councilor positions shall be filled by elections
among the full membership of the GI/Liver section. The terms of office are
normally three years for both elected and appointed positions.
Unless otherwise required by the APS, terms of office of all members of
the Steering Committee begin and end at the close of the annual APS Spring
meeting. Newly elected officers are invited to the Steering Committee
meeting that precedes the start of their term (e.g. those that start in 2009
will be invited to the Steering Committee meeting at EB in 2009).
ARTICLE V. Dues
Membership dues will not be
assessed.
ARTICLE VI. Awards
Awards are made as financial and other
circumstances permit. Awards recognize members of the Section and the APS
who have made substantial contributions to the field of gastrointestinal and
liver research. Trainee travel awards are made when appropriate. Nominations
for awards are accepted when called for by instructions published in a
Section newsletter or sent via email. Awards are presented at the annual APS
Spring meeting.
ARTICLE VII. Amendments and Quorum of the Membership
Section 1. Amendments
Amendments to these procedures are proposed in
writing to the Steering Committee at least two months prior to the annual
business meeting of the membership, which will normally occur at the Section
banquet during the annual APS Spring meeting. The proposal is then sent to
all Section members prior to the annual business meeting of the membership,
and all members are invited to attend the meeting. Amendment requires the
approval of two-thirds of a quorum.
Section 2. Quorum
The
quorum for all membership business meetings is no less than 20 members of
the Section.
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