Bylaws

Adopted April 4, 2018

Feministas Unidas Inc. Bylaws . Adopted April 4, 2018 (pdf document)

Article 1 - NAME OF THE ASSOCIATION

The name of this association shall be: FEMINISTAS UNIDAS INC., is a non-profit Coalition of Feminist Scholars in Spanish, Spanish-American, Luso-Brazilian, Afro-Latin American, and U.S. Hispanic Studies.

Article 2 - OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this coalition are: To create and sustain a national network of feminist scholars in the fields of Spanish, Spanish-American, Luso-Brazilian, Afro-Latin American, and U.S. Hispanic Studies who join to strengthen the intellectual environment in which they work by means of: exchange of ideas and information; cooperative research projects; organization of conferences; preparation and presentation of papers and panels; gathering and dissemination of bibliographical data; interchange of classroom materials and methodologies; assistance with publication; career counseling and mentoring; contacts with feminist scholars in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America; and other appropriate joint intellectual endeavors.

Article 3 - MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

  1. Membership. The membership of this coalition is open to all those with a professional interest in its objectives, employed or unemployed, of all academic ranks, including graduate students, creative writers, and those who are otherwise engaged in the fields related to Spanish, Spanish-American, Luso- Brazilian, Afro-Latin American, and U.S. Hispanic literatures, languages, and cultures.
  2. Dues. The national annual membership fee shall be assessed according to rank and paid by calendar year January 1- December 31. Members who have not paid dues within six months of the start of the calendar year shall be put on inactive status. The monies from the collection of national dues shall be used to carry out the projects of the coalition, including the publication of a Newsletter and the arrangements for the annual meetings.

Article 4 - STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION OF THE COALITION

FEMINISTAS UNIDAS Inc. shall be organized on a national level by means of an Executive Committee consisting of a President, a Vice-president, a Treasurer, and a Secretary-Newsletter editor. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for initiating action to be carried out by the national membership as well as for implementing decisions taken by the national membership.

Article 5 - ELECTION OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The President, Vice-president, Treasurer, and Secretary-Newsletter editor shall be elected for a two- year term by the general membership. A ballot for this purpose shall be distributed electronically, either with the Newsletter or separate from it, by April 30 in the year before term of office is to begin. If an office is unfilled at any time, elections may be held following a schedule determined by the Executive Committee.

Nominations for these offices shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary-Newsletter editor at the time of the Annual Meeting or electronically before 1 February of the year in which elections are to be held. Nominations from the floor at the Annual Meeting are accepted, as are self-nominations. A simple majority of votes shall detemine the winner. In case of a tie vote, or if no one receives a simple majority, ballots shall continue to be taken until a winner emerges.

The term of office shall begin on January 1 and run through December 31. The Vice-president will automatically assume the position of President following the two-year term of office. The Secretary-Newsletter editor and Treasurer may be reelected to their offices. The out-going President may become a candidate for an office other than president immediately following her term.

Article 6 - DUTIES OF THE MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

  1. The President shall preside at the Annual Meeting and shall call meetings of the Executive Committee; shall have the authority to appoint ad hoc committees to carry out specific projects or resolve specific problems; shall delegate the work of the membership body and the Executive Committee. The President shall see that elections are called and carried out according to the provisions of these By-Laws.
  2. The Vice-president shall act as president in the absence of the President; shall carry out directive tasks assigned by the President and/or Executive Committee; shall become the President in the year following the two- year term as Vice-president.
  3. The Secretary-Newsletter editor shall keep the minutes of the Annual Meeting of the coalition and of any Executive Committee meetings called; shall be in charge of arrangements for the Annual Meeting; shall be in charge of any correspondence of the coalition and the Executive Committee.
  4. The Treasurer shall collect the dues, keep the accounts, and maintain the membership roster; shall contact all members of the Executive Committee (President, Vice-President, Secretary-Newsletter Editor) as well as the Editor of Ámbitos Feministas, and the webpage master/mistress, to get clearance prior to paying the bills; shall be responsible for recruitment and informinig of the activities of the coalition.

Article 7 - DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITEE

  1. Carry out projects decided on by national membership.
  2. Initiate action related to all activities dealing with the objectives of the coalition.
  3. Recruit new members and keep the membership roster current.
  4. Collect dues and keep the financial records of the coalition.
  5. Publish the Newsletter of the coalition.
  6. Keep the correspondence of the coalition.
  7. Seek out and maintain means of cooperating with other feminist organizations, including the Women's Caucus of the Modem Language Association, the Commission of the Status of Women in the Profession of MLA, etc.
  8. Seek out and maintain formal associated status with professional organizations such as the MLA, M/MLA, etc.
  9. Seek grants and other funding for the projects of the coalition.
  10. Webpage: If the decision to create another webpage arises, it shall be approved by members of the Executive Committee (President, Vice-President, Secretary-Newsletter Editor) as well as the Editor of Ámbitos Feministas, and the webpage master/mistress; shall entail a subcommittee which shall seek at least two different quotes; the quote shall be approved by all of the above members prior to the execution of labor; payments shall be made in installments as the page is built; the last payment shall be made once the page is fully operational.

Article 8 - MEETINGS

  1. Annual Meeting. FEMINISTAS UNIDAS INC. shall meet once a year at the same time and in the same place as the annual meeting of the Modem Language Association. Meetings of the Executive Committee may be called at any time.
  2. The coalition has the right to convene a Conference separate from the Annual Meeting at MLA, but not in lieu of the Annual Meeting.

Article 9 -VOTING PROCEDURES

  1. Voting on issues brought before the members at the Annual Meeting shall be by voice or show of hands. A simple majority is sufficient to carry.
  2. Voting on issues brought before the Executive Committee shall be by voice or show of hands. A simple majority is sufficient to carry.
  3. If a vote should be necessary other than at the time of the Annual Meeting, it shall be the responsibility of the Secretary-Newsletter editor to distribute and collect the ballots.

Article 10 - PROCEDURES FOR AMENDING THE BY-LAWS

Motions to amend the by-laws must be sent to the Executive Committee two months before the Annual Meeting. The Executive Committee shall send copies of the proposed changes to the members at least one month before the Annual Meeting. The motions to amend the by-laws shall be discussed and voted on at the Annual Meeting and go into effect immediately upon adoption. A majority vote shall be required to adopt the proposed amendments.

Article 11 - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

When necessary to expedite the business of the meeting of FEMINISTAS UNIDAS INC., the President shall invoke Robert's Rules of Order as the parliamentary procedure to be followed by members.

FemUn Bylaws (pdf)