CONSTITUTION OF THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF DISCOURSE AND WRITING 

(version June 3, 2008) 

1. Name 

The name of this Association is the Canadian Association for the Study of Discourse and Writing (CASDW)/ Association canadienne de rédactologie (the Association), also known as CASDW and/or ACR.

2. Official languages 

The official languages of the Association are English and French.

3. Purpose of the Association 

The purpose of the Association is to promote research into and teaching of a broad range of academic, technical, scientific, public, and professional discourses.

4. Membership 

A “member in good standing” is any individual or institutional representative who promotes the aims and purpose of the Association and whose due payments are current. All members have the right to vote (institutions cast a single vote).

4a. Individual membership is open to any person interested in promoting the aims and purpose of the Association. Membership takes effect as soon as dues are received by the Association.

Membership dues for individuals include a subscription or full access to the Association’s peer-reviewed journal and access to all other members-only privileges and benefits.

4b. Institutional membership is open to libraries, businesses, educational institutions or units, and other organizations interested in promoting the aims and purpose of the Association. Dues for institutional members include a subscription or full access to the Association’s peer-reviewed journal and access to all other members-only privileges and benefits.

5. Association officers 

The executive officers of the Association are the president(s), the vice-president(s), the secretary, the treasurer, the editor(s) of the Association’s publications, and a communications officer.

6. Terms of office and succession 

The term for all executive officers is two years. The vice-president succeeds to the presidency at the expiration of the president’s term of office. Neither the president nor the vice-president normally serves more than one consecutive term.

7. Executive committee 

The executive committee comprises the executive officers (see section 5). The Association may also elect up to three members-at-large to serve two-year terms. The

members-at-large do not normally serve more than one consecutive term.

8. Responsibilities of the executive committee 

The executive committee conducts the affairs of the Association and in so doing, assumes the following duties and responsibilities:

 Set and levy dues as necessary to finance the Association

 Make expenditures as necessary to operate the Association

 Appoint committees (standing or ad hoc) as necessary for furthering the Association’s purpose and aims (see section 3)

 Plan and coordinate Association conferences and other events that further the Association’s purpose and aims

 

 Be responsible for the agenda of the Annual General Meeting of the Association

 Enable communication among Association members

 Promote and disseminate the research and scholarship of Association members

 Promote the Association’s purposes and accomplishments to the larger public

 

 Decide all questions affecting the interpretation of the Association’s constitution

 Carry out any other duties and tasks that benefit the Association and its members

8a. Treasurer 

The treasurer has the following duties and responsibilities:

 Maintain the membership rolls

 Collect membership fees

 Disburse funds for the Association’s use

 Maintain the Association’s financial records

 

 Present a year-end financial report to members at the annual meeting

 Perform other duties pertaining to the Association’s finances as needed

 

8b. Secretary 

The secretary has the following duties and responsibilities:

 Maintain records and archives of the Association

 Record and distribute the minutes of the Annual General Meeting

 Distribute notices of motions and resolutions to the membership

 Coordinate and carry out all voting procedures

 Advise the executive with respect to Association procedures and practices

 

8c. Publication Editor(s) 

The publication editor(s) have the following responsibilities

 Prepare the contents of, and appropriately disseminate, Association publications in either print or electronic form

 

 

 Appoint an assistant editor representing the official language other than that of the editor

 Appoint an editorial board and a peer review board

 

8d. Communications officer 

The communications officer has the following responsibilities:

 Maintain and regularly update the Association’s web site

 Maintain the Association’s e-mail distribution list and/or online discussion forum(s)

 Maintain and update the addresses and web sites of all relevant contacts

 Exchange information with other associations of interest

 Appropriately publicize the Association’s publications, conferences, and other events

 

9. Standing committees 

There are normally two standing committees: the Events Program committee and the Nominating committee.

9a. The Events Program committee consists of the vice-president(s) as chair(s) and two persons elected from the membership for a renewable one-year term or a two-year term.

9a(i). The Events Program committee is responsible for organizing the Association’s annual conference and/or any special events that fulfill the purpose and aims of the Association.

9a(ii). The Events Program committee has the right to name additional members as it sees fit for the following purposes:

 Applying for external funding

 Making local arrangements

 Ensuring compliance with HSSFC processes, procedures, and timelines

 Disseminating timely and complete information about the conference/event

 Fulfilling any and all other duties associated with preparing the annual conference and/or special events.

 

9b. The Nominating committee consists of the immediate past-president as chair and two persons elected from the membership for a renewable one-year term or a two-year term. The Nominating committee calls for nominations for any upcoming elected positions and prepares a slate of nominees for the AGM.

9c. Standing committee terms of office 

The elected members of the two regular standing committees normally serve one two-year term and do not serve more than once in succession.

10. Annual General Meeting 

The Annual General Meeting of the Association normally takes place before or after the annual HSSFC Congress and is chaired by the Association president or another executive officer. A quorum at this meeting consists of those present at the meeting. Conduct of this meeting, and of all other meetings of committees of the Association, is governed by Robert’s Rules of Order.

11. Elections 

Before or at the Annual General Meeting, the chair of the nominating committee informs all members of the slate of candidates proposed by the nominating committee. At the Annual General Meeting, further nominations may be made from the floor. If more than one candidate is nominated for a position, an election by secret ballot takes place at the meeting. Terms of office for all candidates elected at an AGM begin and end at the conclusion of the appropriate AGM.

12. Removal from office 

Persons named to an office or to a committee by the executive committee may be removed by the executive committee at any time. Persons holding an elective office may be removed from office at any time, following the same procedure that is used for amendments to the constitution.

13. Vacancies 

If a vacancy arises in an elected position, the executive committee must name a member to serve for the remainder of the term, at which time the position shall be filled according to normal election procedures.

14. Motions, resolutions, and voting processes 

14a. Motions are propositions calling for actions by an officer of the Association, the executive committee, or the Association in general. Motions may be moved by the executive committee or by any member in good standing and must be seconded by a member in good standing to be discussed. Motions are carried by a majority vote.

14b. Resolutions express the opinion of a group of members. Resolutions may be introduced at the annual meeting or via the Association’s official electronic forum. Resolutions are carried by a majority vote. If a resolution is carried, any member in good standing may then move that the resolution be considered a motion, in which case it is treated as in section 14a.

14c. Voting processes. 

An officer or any member in good standing may propose a motion or resolution either at the Annual General Meeting or through the Association’s official electronic forum. If the Association executive deems that voting can or should take place before or after the AGM, such a vote must be conducted by ballots distributed to all members in good standing. Any vote must be conducted within a reasonable timeframe, and the method

used must protect voters’ privacy and security.

15. Amendments to the Association’s constitution 

Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by the executive committee or by any member in good standing. Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the Association’s secretary before the Annual General Meeting.

Normally, members discuss and then vote on amendments at the AGM. However, if the membership expresses a wish for further discussion, voting on amendments may take place after the AGM according to the processes described in section 14c. In such cases, the secretary announces and conducts the vote as soon as a reasonable discussion period has expired.

Proposed amendments must receive the support of at least two-thirds of the votes cast. At that point, the amendments come immediately into effect, and the constitution is revised accordingly.