HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE BY-LAWS
Complete set can be accessed here:
Article I: Name, Nature, and Purpose
Section 1: As set out in the Articles of Incorporation, the name of this organization shall be the Society for the Study of Muslim Ethics (SSME).
Section 2: The SSME shall be a nonprofit, nonpolitical, and nonsectarian charitable and educational organization incorporated as such under the laws of the State of Minnesota and federal tax authorities of the United States of America (EIN: 61-1601271).
Section 3: The specific arenas in which the Corporation shall operate, as set out in the Articles of Incorporation, are as follows: The SSME shall be dedicated to advancing intellectual inquiry in Muslim ethics, including the relation of Muslim ethics to other ethical traditions and to social, political, and economic problems. The Society shall support academic work in both philosophical and applied ethics, historical as well as contemporary issues. The Society shall also promote the teaching of Muslim ethics in colleges, universities, and theological schools; improve understanding of Muslim ethics in the broader society through publications and other educational activities; and provide a community of discourse and debate for those engaged professionally in the study of Muslim ethics.
Article II: Membership
Section 1: Eligibility
Persons eligible for membership shall include (1) college, university, or seminary teachers of Muslim ethics; (2) persons teaching in similar institutions in other fields who are concerned with the relation of Muslim ethics to their subject matter; (3) persons whose full-time professional work in religious, government, social institutions or elsewhere is related to the purposes of the Society. Candidates for membership must have at least one of the following: a Ph.D. or equivalent degree, scholarly publications in religious ethics, or a full-time teaching position in ethics or related fields in an accredited institution of higher learning.
Graduate students in ethics or related fields may become members of the Society upon matriculation into a graduate program. This status ordinarily may be retained for not more than ten years for doctoral students and not more than five years for other graduate students.
Membership is open to all persons who fulfill the criteria above regardless of their race, sex, age, nationality, ethnicity, religious convictions, sexual orientation, or physical condition.
Article III: Board of Directors
Section 1: Officers
The Officers of the Society shall be the individuals serving coterminously as a Director of the Corporation while also holding any
The Officers of the Society shall be the individuals serving coterminously as a Director of the Corporation while also holding any of the four Officers’ posts: President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, and Past-President (if necessary). No individual shall serve in more than one Officer’s post at any time.
The President shall serve for a term of two years commencing with the final day of the Annual Meeting. The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Society and shall represent it in all public forums. The President shall have the authority, in consultation with the Board of Directors, to execute on behalf of the Society contracts and other legal documents that she or he reasonably deems necessary to further the successful occurrence of the Annual Meeting and any other regular or special meetings of the Society or its committees. The President shall preside at the Annual Meeting and at the meetings of the Board of Directors, and shall be a member ex officio of all standing and ad hoc committees. The President shall receive, together with the Board, reports from the standing and ad hoc committees, and shall have and exercise such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Board. The President shall present an annual report on the work of the Society to the full membership.
The Vice President shall be elected by the members of the Corporation and serve for a term of two years commencing on the final day of the Annual Meeting. The Vice President shall chair the Program Committee and in this capacity coordinate the planning and execution of the Annual Meeting and all activities associated with it, including but not limited to the selection of meeting sites, the production of the Annual Meeting Program, and the provision of materials and facilities needed at the Annual Meeting. In the event of the removal, resignation, incapacity, or death of the President, the Vice President shall serve as President of the Society for the remainder of the term.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve for a term of two years commencing on the final day of the Annual Meeting. The Secretary-Treasurer shall have responsibility for preparing the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors, keeping a roster of all members, inviting and processing members’ attendance and/or participation at the Annual Meeting, and overseeing members’ election of Directors.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall give or cause to be given notices of all such meetings, shall authenticate records of the Society, and shall see that records and reports are properly kept and filed by the Society. The Secretary-Treasurer shall also be the Society’s chief financial officer, keep full and accurate records of its financial affairs and ensure that the Corporation files any reports as might be required by the Internal Revenue Service and other government agencies. The Secretary-Treasurer shall deposit money, drafts, and checks in the name of and to the credit of the Corporation in the banks and depositories designated by the Board of Directors; endorse for deposit notes, checks, and drafts received by the Corporation as ordered by the Board, making proper vouchers for the deposit; disburse corporate funds and issue checks and drafts in the name of the Corporation, as ordered by the Board; and upon request, provide the President and the Board an account of transactions by the Secretary-Treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation. The Secretary-Treasurer shall render to the President and Board of Directors an annual account of all transactions and a report on the financial condition of the Society. A summary of this report shall be included in the President’s annual report on the state of the Society to the full membership.
On an ad hoc basis, the outgoing President may serve a term of one year following their service as President. The Board will vote on this matter at the conclusion of the President’s term. In such cases, while their term ends on the final day of the Annual Meeting, the outgoing
President will serve in an advisory capacity without voting rights.
Section 2: Board of Directors
The Board of Directors shall consist of the three Officers (four if outgoing President is serving in advisory capacity) and five (5) Members-at-Large. One Member-at-Large position shall be reserved for a graduate student in order to ensure student representation on the Board; this member shall have voice but no vote. The Directors serving in Members-at-Large seats shall serve for a term of two years commencing on the final day of the Annual Meeting. The Directors-at-Large seats shall be filled by election effected by the Corporation’s
members.