APS Chapters Governance

Guidelines

To be in good standing, and be eligible for support, APS Chapters agree to the following governance structure.

  1. Name

    1. The name of each chapter shall be the American Physical Society (APS) Chapter at [name of organization].

    2. No more than one Chapter may be established within any organization (university, national laboratory, etc.)

  2. Membership

    1. For a chapter to be active, the membership shall consist of at least 5 graduate students and early career scientists1 who are members in good standing of the APS and attending/doing research/employed at [name of organization].

    2. Non-APS members are not eligible to hold a position as a Chapter Officer or to receive chapter grants or awards.

  3. Officers

    1. Each chapter shall have at least three officers2, elected annually, and must include a Chair, a Vice Chair, and a Secretary/Treasurer, all of whom must be members of the chapter and members of the APS.

    2. The term of each office shall be one year.

    3. The Vice Chair shall become the Chair following their term of office as Vice Chair.

    4. One of the officers must be designated as the contact person for the chapter.

    5. Chapters must have written guidance on how duties will be fulfilled in the event that an officer is unable to perform their duties.3

  4. Duties of Officers

    1. Chair - Set agendas and preside over chapter meetings, in collaboration with the other officers.

    2. Vice Chair - Assist the Chair in carrying out chapter activities, and carry out duties of the Chair when the Chair is absent.

    3. Secretary/Treasurer - Keep chapter records (meeting minutes, election of officers, finances, events, etc.) and submit the chapter’s annual report.

  5. Faculty/Staff Advisor

    1. Each chapter must have a non-voting faculty/staff advisor who is a member of the APS.

    2. The faculty/staff advisor must maintain regular contact with Chapter Officers.

  6. Reports

    1. Chapters shall report all election results to the APS Chapters Program Manager..

    2. Chapters shall report any changes to Faculty/Staff Advisors to the APS Chapters Program Manager.

    3. Chapters must submit an annual report to the APS Chapters Program Manager.

  7. Code of Conduct

    1. Anyone participating in a chapter meeting must agree to abide by the APS Code of Conduct.4

  8. Amendments

    1. APS, in consultation with the APS Chapters advisory committee, may periodically make changes to APS Chapter Governance guidelines.

    2. Chapters must agree to APS Chapters Governance guidelines as a part of their annual report.

1Early Career Scientist shall signify an individual who has received their final degree within the previous five years.

2Other officers may include Past-Chair, Outreach Committee Leader, etc.

3Example text: An elected Chapter Officer can be removed from office by a two thirds vote of the membership, if they fail to perform their duties.

4We encourage Chapters to review APS Guidelines on Ethics as a way to further encourage ethical practices of all members of the community.