Articles and Bylaws

ARTICLES AND BYLAWS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY (AACN)
(Amended August 2020)

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology

ARTICLE I

The name of this corporation is: the “American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology”

ARTICLE II

The general purpose and plan of operation of this corporation are:

To provide an outlet for expression of professional opinions for the benefit and advancement of the clinical neuropsychological sciences.

To outline the scope of clinical neuropsychological practice and to encourage the recognition of this scope of practice amongst the profession and in graduate schools of psychology.

To encourage interest amongst graduates in psychology to enter this field of specialty.

To establish a high plane of competence and promote clinical value in the literature of clinical neuropsychology, emphasizing the integration of science and practice.

To provide supplemental financial and personnel support for the activities of the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology.

ARTICLE III

This corporation is not organized for profit and no part of the net earnings of the corporation shall inure to the benefit of any private individual or member. In the event of the liquidation or dissolution of the corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law, no members shall be entitled to any distribution or division of its remaining property or its proceeds, and the balance of all money and other property received by the corporation from any source, after the payment of all debts and obligations of the corporation, shall be used or distributed, subject to the order of the District Court of the County of Hennepin and State of Minnesota as provided by law, exclusively for the purposes within those set forth in Article II of this Certificate and within the attainment of Section 501 (c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 and its regulations as the same now exist or as they may be hereafter amended from time to time.

ARTICLE IV

The duration of this corporation shall be perpetual.

ARTICLE V

The location of the registered office of this corporation is 2221 University Avenue S.E., City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, 55414.

ARTICLE VI

This corporation shall have no capital stock.

ARTICLE VII

The management of the corporation shall be vested in a Board of Directors. The number of directors shall be fixed by the Bylaws of the corporation and may be altered by amending the Bylaws, but shall never be less than three. The terms of office of the directors shall be fixed by the Bylaws of the corporation and may be altered by amending the Bylaws.

ARTICLE VIII

The conditions and terms of and the qualifications for membership in the corporation shall be provided for in the Bylaws. The Bylaws may provide for various classes of members, which classes of members shall have such rights and preferences as are set forth in Bylaws.

ARTICLE IX

Members of the corporation shall have no personal liability for corporate obligations.

ARTICLE X

Any action that the Board of Directors could take at a duly called meeting of the Board, may be taken by a written action signed by two-thirds of the Directors, except that as to those matters requiring member approval, the written action must be signed by all of the Directors. Each Director may sign a separate counterpart of the written action, but all Directors will be notified in writing of the text of the proposed action before voting takes place. Email transmissions or other electronic polling results are considered valid written expressions of votes; records of electronic voting are maintained by the Secretary.

ARTICLE XI

The Bylaws of the Corporation may be amended by the members, in the manner set forth in the Bylaws.

ARTICLE XII

These Articles may be amended upon approval of a proposed amendment by the directors and by two-thirds of the voting membership participating in an electronic vote for which proper notice has been given.

ARTICLE XIII

In the Articles and Bylaws, Certificate of Membership, and in public relations, the word “Academy” may be used in lieu of “Corporation.”

BYLAWS

American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology

ARTICLE I – OBJECTIVES

The mission of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology is to advance the profession of Clinical Neuropsychology through its advocacy of outstanding educational and public policy initiatives.

The American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology aims to achieve its missions through its dedication to the following purposes:

To promote board certification by the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN) as the standard for competence in the practice of Clinical Neuropsychology.

Support for those principles, policies and practices that seek the attainment of the best in clinical neuropsychological patient care.

The pursuit of excellence in psychological education, especially as it concerns the clinical neuropsychological sciences.

The pursuit of high standards in the practice of clinical neuropsychology and support of the credentialing activities of the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology.

Support for the quest of scientific knowledge by support for research in neuropsychology and related fields.

The communication of scientific and scholarly information through continuing education, scientific meetings, and publications.

Provision for communication with other groups and representation for clinical neuropsychological opinion to best achieve and preserve the purposes of the Academy.

ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP

Section 1 – Classes of Membership

Membership in the Academy shall consist of four classes: Active, Senior, Affiliate, and Student. There shall be no restriction regarding the number of members in any category.

Active Members may be elected from among psychologists who have been certified in clinical neuropsychology by the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN) in affiliation with the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP).

Senior Members may be elected from among Active members who have been Academy members for at least five (5) years, are age 65 or older or disabled, and are fully retired from the active practice of clinical neuropsychology. They will continue to be listed in the membership directory of the academy, but be designated as “Senior” members, and they will be entitled to receive any newsletters distributed to academy members. Senior members will have no financial obligations to the Academy, but will continue to receive access to any journal regularly available through Academy membership. Senior members may not acknowledge “Accepting Referrals” in the AACN member directory. Inactive members who are retired, and who otherwise meet criteria for Senior membership status, may elect to switch to Senior status, if approved by the Board.

Non-Certified Affiliates are individuals who are intellectually interested in the purposes of the Academy and wish to participate in its non-voting activities.

Student Members are comprised of individuals engaged in formal training programs who are intellectually interested in the purposes of the Academy and wish to participate in its non-voting activities. Student members must indicate on their application for membership the training program in which they are actively enrolled, and membership may be subject to confirmation of active enrollment.

Non-Certified Affiliates and Student Members are required to represent their membership status accurately in any oral or written statements in order to avoid any possible misunderstanding that they are Active or Senior members in the Academy, as defined above.

Inactive members are previously Active members who have elected not to pay Academy dues or the ABPP practice assessment. Inactive members have no voting rights. Inactive members must pay non-member fees at conventions and other AACN offerings.

Section 2 – Procedure for Application to Membership

All individuals who receive the diploma in Clinical Neuropsychology from the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology will automatically be granted initial membership in the Academy, for the year in which the diploma was granted. Thereafter, membership must be maintained through appropriate payment of fees and participation in activities of the Academy.

Section 3 – Voting and Holding Office in the Academy

The only classes of membership entitled to vote on any matter during an official Academy vote shall be Active and Senior members. The only class of membership entitled to hold an elected office in the Academy shall be Active.

Section 4 – Fees, Dues, and Assessments

The dues, assessments, and other fees for each class of membership shall be established annually by the Board of Directors.

Annual dues shall be established on the basis of the calendar year. The dues for a year shall be considered delinquent if not paid by January 15^thof the current year. Assessments and fees shall be payable at the time or times that the Board of Directors shall determine.

No dues, assessments, or other fees shall be payable by Senior members for membership.

Section 5 – Termination/Suspension of Membership or Privileges

A member whose required dues, assessments, or other fees for a calendar year are not paid by January 15^thof that year shall be considered “delinquent.” With appropriate notice, membership benefits and services will be suspended at that time.

The membership in the Academy of a delinquent member whose delinquent dues, fees, and assessments for a year are not paid in full by December 31 shall be transitioned to “inactive” status.

Non-payment of the ABPP annual attestation fee will cause AACN membership to lapse.

ARTICLE III – MEETINGS AND VOTE OF MEMBERS

Section 1 – Annual Meeting of the Academy

An annual meeting of the Academy shall be held each year at the place or places and on the date or dates designated by the Board of Directors. The primary purpose of the annual meeting shall be to provide educational courses and forums for the presentation of scientific and professional papers and posters. There shall be not less than one (1) business session at each annual meeting of the Academy for the purpose of updating the membership about Academy business.

Section 2 – Additional Meetings of the Academy

Additional scientific or other meetings of the Academy may be called by the Board of Directors for the times and places it may designate.

Section 3 – Notice

Notice of each annual meeting of the Academy shall be given to all Academy members not less than 90 days prior to the date on which the meeting is to begin. Notice of additional meetings of the Academy shall be provided at least 30 days prior to the date on which the meeting is to begin.

Section 4 – Order of Business

The order of business at the business session at the Annual Meeting of the Academy typically consists of the following:

A report of the President regarding the financial condition of the academy;
Announcement of significant initiatives;
Voting on matters that require full academy participation (Note: general membership voting may occur in other venues as well);
A report of the ABCN president; and,
Other business matters as necessary.

Section 5 – Quorum

At any annual or business session of the Academy, a quorum shall consist of not less than thirty (30) voting members, except as required by the further provisions in these Bylaws.

Section 6 – Vote

If a quorum is present, a majority vote of the voting members present shall be required to constitute an action by the voting members on any matter, unless otherwise provided by applicable law, the Articles of Incorporation, or these Bylaws. There shall be no voting by proxy or mail ballot by the members of the Academy at the annual meeting or special meetings. Outside the annual meeting or special meetings, members may vote via electronic balloting. Any issue that involves electronic voting will be communicated either electronically or by mail to members at least 30 days prior to the conclusion and tabulation of voting on that issue. Voting may be conducted using email or other electronic means designed for the purpose of voting (e.g., web-based voting programs).

Section 7 – Standing Rules

The Standing Rules of the Academy are contained in the document attached to these Bylaws in effect on the effective date of the adoption of the Bylaws. The Standing Rules of the Academy may be amended or revised from time to time as provided therein, but may not be inconsistent with the Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Academy.

Section 8 – Parliamentary Authority and Rules of Order

The deliberations of the Academy, its Board of Directors, and all committees shall be governed by the rules contained in the then current edition of Roberts Rules of Order Revised, in all cases in which they are not inconsistent with the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Standing Rules, customary practices, and procedures of the Academy.

ARTICLE IV – BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1 – Authority

The Board of Directors shall manage all the business and affairs of the Academy. The Board of Directors shall have all powers and responsibilities conferred upon the Board of Directors of a nonprofit corporation by Chapter 317A of Minnesota Statutes, as now or hereafter amended, except as those powers or responsibilities may be limited by the Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws. The Board of Directors shall have the final responsibility and authority for all actions and policies that are recommended or adopted by any and all standing and ad hoc committees, sections, representatives to professional and governmental organizations, agents, and employees; and no action or policy shall be the action or policy of the Academy unless and until it is adopted, ratified, or approved by the Board of Directors.

Section 2 – The Board of Directors

Shall consist of at least fifteen Active members.

Section 3 – Members of the Board

Shall be elected to a term of five years by ballot of the voting members of the Academy. Terms of office shall be arranged so that no more than one fifth of the positions of the Board is subject to election each year. No more than two successive terms shall be permitted any individual. A term of office shall commence at the conclusion of the mid-winter Board of Directors meeting following the member’s election.

Section 4 – Nominations

Of members of the Board shall be carried out by a Nominations Committee as specified in Article V, Section 11.

Section 5 – In Case of Death or Resignation

From the Board before the expiration of a member’s term, the Board shall choose a successor for the unfilled portion of the term from the active membership of the Academy. Any Board Member may be removed from the Board of Directors, with cause, by a three-fourths vote of the entire Board.

Section 6 – Meetings

The Board of Directors shall meet no less than twice yearly, with at least one of those meetings to take place during the annual meeting of the Academy. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the President or at the written request of a majority of members of the Board addressed to the Secretary at no less than thirty (30) calendar days’ notice.

Section 7- Notice

Notice of each meeting of the Board of Directors shall be given by the Executive Director not less than fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the date on which the meeting is scheduled to be held. The matters to be discussed and voted upon at any duly called meeting of the Board of Directors shall not be limited to those set forth in the notice of the meeting.

Section 8 – Quorum

A majority of voting members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. For example, if the Board of Directors is composed of 15 members, then 8 would be needed to constitute a quorum; if the Board of Directors is composed of 16 members, then 9 members would be needed.

Section 9 – Order of Business

Call to order
Welcome new members of the Board of Directors
Reading and approval of minutes of preceding meeting (if not previously completed).
Reports of officers
Reports of committees, task forces, and other entities.
Unfinished business
New business
Adjournment

Section 10 – Manner of Acting

A majority vote of the Board of Directors members present and voting at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors, unless the vote of a larger number is required by applicable law, the Articles of incorporation, or these Bylaws.

Section 11 – Written Action

Any action that the Board of Directors could take at a duly called meeting of the Board, may be taken by a written action signed by two-thirds of the Board of Directors, except that as to those matters requiring member approval, the written action must be signed by all of the Board Members. Each Board Member may sign a separate counterpart of the written action, but all Board Members will be notified in writing of the proposed action before voting takes place.

Section 12 – Teleconference

Any action that the Board of Directors could take at a duly called meeting of the Board may be taken during a teleconference of the Board members. A quorum of voting members must participate in the teleconference in order to transact business. A notice of two business days is required to all Board of Directors members in order to schedule a teleconference of the Board for the purpose of transacting Academy business.

Section 13 – Transaction of Business via Email

The default mode of communication between the Board of Directors and the Academy membership shall be through email.

Any action that the Board of Directors could take at a duly called meeting of the Board may be taken via email among the Board members. A quorum of members must participate in voting in order to transact business. The procedure for transaction of business via email is listed below.

The president determines that an issue warrants an electronic (email) vote. S/he is the only member of the BOD who can initiate an email vote.

The president then asks a BOD member to offer a motion.

The president calls a discussion period. This lasts for no less than 48 hours (must be business days); Robert’s rules of order are utilized.

After the discussion period, the president calls for a vote. The vote is open for 48 hours, or until every member votes.

An emergency voting procedure may be called in circumstances that warrant a more rapid board decision. This should be used rarely.

ARTICLE V – OFFICERS

Section 1 – The Officers

Of the Board shall consist of the President, President-Elect, Treasurer, Treasurer-Elect, and Secretary. Each office must be occupied by a different individual. Each of the officers named above shall be a member of the Board of Directors of the Academy. Officers of the Board shall be elected by the Board of Directors at the annual meeting or by electronic vote during odd-numbered years. If there is at any time of such election an even number of board members, such that voting could result in a tie, the immediate past president will also cast a vote.

Section 2 – The President, President-Elect, Treasurer, Treasurer-Elect, Secretary and Editor(s)

President: Assumes the office at the end of the two-year term as President-Elect. The term of the President is two years.

President-Elect: Shall be elected from among members of the Board to serve a period of two years.

Secretary: Shall be elected from among members of the Board to serve a period of two years.

Treasurer: Assumes the office at the end of the two-year term as Treasurer-Elect. The term of the Treasurer is two years.

Treasurer-Elect: Shall be elected from among members of the Board to serve a period of two years.

Officers of the Board may not serve more than two successive terms in the same office.

Editors of AACN’s Official Journal(s): Journal editors are appointed by the Publisher, but the Academy will advise the Publisher on potential candidates for the editorial positions of The Clinical Neuropsychologist, Child Neuropsychology, and any future official journals as and when required.

Section 3 – Removal or Resignation From Office

Any Officer may be removed from his/her office, with cause, by a three-fourths vote of the entire Board. If there is a vacancy among the Officers by reason of death, sickness, resignation, removal, or otherwise, that vacancy shall be filled for the remaining portion of the term by appointment from the current Board of Directors.

Section 4 – The President

Shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and of the Academy membership. The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation and see that all directions of the Board are carried out; shall, with the approval of the Board, appoint members of all committees other than the Executive Committee, of which he or she shall be a voting member; shall direct the preparation and submission to the annual meeting of the Board a report of the Board’s business, activities, and affairs during the year; shall have other duties as may from time to time be prescribed by the Board.

Section 5 – The President–Elect

Shall perform the duties and have the powers of the President during the absence or disability of the President, and shall be called the Acting President. He or she shall have other duties as may from time to time be prescribed by the Board.

Section 6 – The Treasurer

Shall keep or cause to be kept records of all the financial affairs of the Corporation. He or she shall deposit all receipts of the Corporation to its accounts and have the power to sign checks on the Corporation’s accounts; shall render from time to time and upon demand by the Board or the President reports of all matters within his or her jurisdiction.

Section 7 – The Treasurer-Elect

Shall perform the duties and have the powers of the Treasurer during the absence or disability of the Treasurer. He or she shall have other duties as may from time to time be prescribed by the Board.

Section 8 – The Secretary

Shall keep or cause to be kept minutes and records of all Board proceedings, of all votes of the members.

Section 9– Any Editor (or co-editors)-in-chief shall be responsible to the board according to current operating procedures of the Academy.

Section 10 – The Board of Directors

Shall have authority to appoint from time to time an Executive Director who need not be a member of the Academy. If any Executive Director be appointed, the Board may delegate to him or her any or all of the duties conferred upon the Treasurer and Secretary by these bylaws, or such other duties as the Board may determine. The Executive Director may be compensated for services in an amount established from time to time by resolution of the Board and shall furnish a bond to the Corporation in an amount and with terms established by the Board. Being an employee of the Board, the Executive Director shall not be a member of the Board and shall not have the privilege of vote. The Executive Director may, however, participate in discussion concerning the business before the Board at the discretion of the President. The Corporation shall have the authority to hire administrative support staff as necessary.

Section 11 – Nominations

The Board’s conceptualization of diversity includes a number of human factors which have empirical and/or theoretical support for exerting influence on neuropsychological assessment and neurorehabilitation. These factors include but are not limited to ethnic/cultural identity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability status, religion, immigration status, level and quality of education, and language status. In order to cultivate a culture of inclusion that represents diverse talents, persons elected on the diversity slate should have adequate clinical, professional, educational and/or personal experience or interest in service to diverse populations.

Prior to each election, the Board of Directors, acting on the recommendations of the Nominations Committee, shall nominate Active members of the Academy for each vacancy that occurs on the Board of Directors. Academy members shall be notified of the names of all nominees at least sixty days prior to the election.

Nominations will be based on a slate system. The slate system is based on competencies deemed desirable for membership on the AACN Board. Each year, the Nominations Committee (with input from the current AACN Board) will determine (based on current Board composition and competencies of departing members) the slates to be filled in the annual election. The available slates will be announced to the membership and the Nominations Committee will recruit at least two Active AACN members to run on each available slate. Active AACN members who wish to run for the BoD may self-select, and/or self-nominate to the Nominations Committee as appropriate for one of the open slates. The membership will cast separate ballots for each open slate and the candidate with the most votes within each slate will win the slated seat. A diversity slate should specifically be offered when appropriate to maintain diversity or to include representation from individuals with expertise in diversity within the AACN Board of Directors. The slate system will be implemented so that there is always at least one member of the BoD representing the diversity slate.

Examples of slates include (but are not limited to) the list below:

Diversity
Finance
Pediatrics
Education/Training
Forensics
Independent Practice
Hospital-based Practice

In the event of death or withdrawal from candidacy of any of these nominees, the Board of Directors, acting on the recommendations of the Nominations Committee, shall designate a substitute nominee at any time before the election and shall announce that designation before the election.

ARTICLE VI – MISCELLANEOUS

Section 1 – Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Academy shall be from January 1 to December 31.

Section 2 – Journals

The Board of Directors may choose to own or affiliate with a journal with the goal of furthering the purposes of the Academy. At this time (2013), the Academy’s official journal is The Clinical Neuropsychologist (Psychology Press, The Taylor and Francis Group, London UK). The official journal of the AACN Pediatric Subspecialty Interest Group (PED-SIG) is Child Neuropsychology.

Section 3 – Notice and Waiver of Notice

Notice is deemed given by an Active member of the Academy or to a Board Member or an Officer of the Academy when it is in writing and mailed or delivered to the Academy or the Board Member or Officer at the principal executive office of the Academy. In all other cases, notice is deemed given to a person when it is communicated to the person orally in person or by telephone, or is in writing, mailed, sent by electronic mail, or delivered to the person at the person’s last known physical or electronic address. Notice by physical mail is given when it is deposited in the United States mail with sufficient postage affixed. Whenever any notice is required to be given by law, the Articles of Incorporation, or these Bylaws, a waiver of the notice may be executed in writing by the person or persons entitled to the notice, whether before, during, or after the time stated therein, and the waiver shall constitute the equivalent of receiving the notice.

Section 4 – Indemnification

To the full extent permitted by any applicable law, any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Academy shall be indemnified by the Academy against any and all liability and reasonable expense incurred by reason for the person being or having been a director, officer, employee or agent of the Academy, or by reason for any action taken or not taken in the course and scope of the person’s service as such director, officer, employee or agent of the Academy, in the event that such person was, or is a party, or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, wherever brought, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, other than an action by or in the right of the corporation. Such person shall be entitled to reimbursement by the Academy of reasonable expenses in advance of the final disposition of a proceeding in accordance with, and to the full extent permitted by, any applicable law.

The rights of indemnification provided in this section shall not limit, but shall be in addition to, any other rights to which such director, officer, employee or agent may otherwise be entitled by contract, law or statute, or otherwise; and in the event of such person’s death, such rights shall extended to such person’s heirs, legal representatives, or successors. The foregoing rights shall be available whether or not such person continues to be a director, officer, employee or agent at the time of incurring or becoming subject to such liability and expenses, and whether or not the claim asserted against such person is based upon matters which antedate the adoption of this section.

The Academy, its directors and officers shall be fully protected in making any determination under this section, or in making or refusing to make any payment under this section, in reliance upon the advice of counsel.

The Academy may, to the full extent permitted by applicable law, purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a member of the Board of Directors, an officer or employee of this corporation or a member of a committee of this corporation, against any liability asserted against such person in any such capacity.

If any provision of this section shall for any reason be determined to be invalid, the remaining provisions hereof shall not be affected but shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 5 – Governing Law

These Bylaws and the policies of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, and any disputes involving the Academy’s Bylaws and policies, shall be construed according to, and governed by, the laws of the State of Minnesota.

ARTICLE VII – AMENDMENTS

These Bylaws may be amended, altered or repealed at any meeting, annual or special, by the vote of at least two-thirds of the voting members present and voting, provided that a petition for the proposed amendment: 1) has been submitted in writing to the Board of Directors, signed by at least one hundred (100) members with voting rights or 10 percent (10%) of the members with voting rights, whichever is less; or, 2) has been approved by the Board of Directors. Notice of any proposed amendment shall be mailed or e-mailed to each voting member at least one (1) month prior to the meeting at which it will be acted upon. A special vote by mail or electronic ballot may substitute for a meeting provided the same requirements are met.

These Bylaws shall be subject to a complete review and re-approval at least every ten years.

Standing Rules of the AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY

I. CREATION OF STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE ACADEMY

Standing committees of the Academy may be created or disbanded by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. These standing committees provide the ongoing functions vital to the Academy on a long-term basis.

The scope of responsibility of each standing committee shall be established by the President on the advice of the Board of Directors.

The Chair of a standing committee shall serve a term of three years, subject to the approval of the current President. Chairs, except for the Nominations Committee, may serve a customary limit of six years of services (two 3-year terms) unless extended by recommendation of the President and Board approval. The Chair of a committee must be board certified by ABCN (Active or Senior member). A committee can have one Co-Chair from any AACN Membership category. If both individuals are Active and/or Senior Members, one individual can be listed as the Chair and the other as the Co-Chair or both can be listed as Co-Chairs depending on their agreed preference.

Members of the Nominating Committee shall include three past living presidents of the Academy who are no longer serving on the Board of Directors. The Chair of the Nominating Committee shall be the immediate past president. If three past presidents of the Academy are not available for service, other previous Directors of Directors may be appointed to existing vacancies by the President with approval of the Board. A standing Board member (typically the President) will serve as a liaison to the Nominating Committee.

Committee members are assigned and approved by the Committee Chair and forwarded to the AACN President for final approval. If the President has a concern with the selection (e.g., conflict of interest, over-extension of responsibilities in AACN), this would be discussed with the Committee Chair and if necessary, the Executive Committee and/or Board of Directors to make a final decision. Members of standing committees shall serve for a customary limit of six years (three 2-year terms) unless extended by recommendation of the President, subject to Board approval. Terms of Membership shall be staggered so that normally no more than one-third of the committee members have terms ending in the same year. Committee terms may be extended by becoming a Chair/Co-Chair of that committee in a manner consistent with the customary term limits of a Chair position.

The Student and Trainee Affairs Committee Chair/Co-Chair will notify the President of any change to a leadership position within the STAC but not of other student or trainee members. Any year a student or trainee serves as a committee member will not count toward the 6-year term limit if the student or trainee later becomes an Active or Senior member. Students and trainees in Chair and Co-Chair roles are subject to the term limits as set forth in the bylaws but other student and trainee STAC members are not.

II. STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE ACADEMY

Awards: Monitors all AACN awards and collaborates with other committees administering awards. The committee is responsible for direct administration of the Distinguished Neuropsychologist Award, Leadership Awards, Outstanding Mentorship Award, and coordination and overseeing logistics of other awards including poster awards.

Board Certification Promotion (BCP): Engenders awareness of the ABCN board certification process within upcoming and current neuropsychologists; promotes the benefits of board certification within professional neuropsychology and instills motivation to follow through with the board certification process.

BOD Orientation: Develops and implements orientation training activities for all newly elected Directors of Directors and student representatives to the BOD; facilitates integration of newly elected Board members into standing and ad hoc committees.

BRAIN (Be Ready for ABPP in Neuropsychology): Develops and maintains mechanisms (e.g., online discussion forum, website, study materials, study groups) to support neuropsychologists who are pursuing ABCN Diplomate status.

Bylaws: Reviews, revises and updates Academy Bylaws and maintains them in a condition that accurately reflects the needs, goals, and services of the Academy.

Conflict of Interest: Establishes policies of the Academy with respect to conflicts of interest, reviews member allegations that involve conflicts of interest, makes recommendations for enforcement of conflict of interest policies, and maintains records of actions taken regarding conflicts of interest.

Conference Management: Develops and recommends policies for structure, format and operation of annual conference; recommends meeting sites to Board of Directors; coordinates planning with Academy staff. Collaborates with other committees around conference programming and operations.

Disruptive Technology: Aims to advance education and practice models to prepare neuropsychologists to embrace engineering, coding, and biotech, and to re-imagine assessment and intervention to consider ubiquitous technologies, big data, and other innovations with the potential to disrupt current models.

Early Career: Early career is defined as any AACN member who is within 10 years of completion of a two-year neuropsychology post-doctoral fellowship. Aims to advance the goals and needs of early career professionals. Identifies ways in which AACN may improve its service, increase access to career resources and potential professional service experience, career opportunities, and recognize the unique professional needs of individuals within this career group.

Education Develops and maintains an effective educational program for the annual conference of the Academy.

Electronic Communications: Monitors and helps to manage electronic communication forums by Academy members.

Executive Committee: Facilitates decision making between board meetings or in urgent and crisis circumstances. The Secretary and President compile, research, and maintain the written archives of the Academy.

Nominations: Nominates a slate of Board of Directors members consistent with Academy Bylaws for election as allowed by the voting members of the Academy.

Practice and Public Policy (PPP): Monitors and addresses issues related to the professional practice of neuropsychology, including models of practice; billing/coding/reimbursement for neuropsychological services; scope of practice issues; and federal and state legislative and regulatory concerns. The committee keeps the board advised of relevant issues and makes recommendations regarding possible courses of action, including advocacy. Additionally, the committee chair works in concert with the AACN representative to the Inter Organizational Practice Committee for issues related to broader discipline.

Public and Professional Information (PPIC): Recommends and develops procedures and policies for the Academy to maintain public relations activities. Develops processes and content whereby consumers of neuropsychological services (e.g., individuals, colleagues, medical, educational, governmental providers) can access state-of-the-art information regarding clinical neuropsychology.

Publications: Develops recommendations for maintenance and expansion of the Academy’s publication interests. The Publications Committee manages the process by which information becomes an official statement or position of the Academy.

Relevance 2050: Encourages and facilitates discussion and adoption of issues concerning diversity involving the Academy.

Special Interest Groups: Various groups created by the BOD to facilitate communication among Academy members on particular areas of practice (e.g., forensics or pediatric subspeciality).

Student and Trainee Affairs: Promotes initiatives and activities to encourage involvement of students and in training members in Academy activities; oversees student-focused events at the Academy’s Annual Conference.

III. CREATION OF AD HOC COMMITTEES OF THE ACADEMY

Ad hoc committees may be appointed as the need arises by the President to carry out a specified task that is not the assigned function of an existing Standing Committee of the Academy. The committee’s charge and date of expected report should be specified by the President. The Chair and members of all ad hoc committees shall be appointed at the discretion of the President with approval of the Board.

Ad hoc committees shall submit to the President reports as deemed appropriate by the President. The Chair of each ad hoc committee shall be responsible for submitting all reports of the committee.

IV. COMMITTEE LONGEVITY

Standing committees will continue to exist indefinitely at the discretion of the Board of Directors. When, in the judgment of the Board of Directors, a Standing Committee is no longer necessary, it may discharge a committee by a majority vote.

Ad hoc committees are discharged automatically: 1) upon the acceptance of their final report by the Board of Directors; or, 2) upon completion of the current President’s term of office. Ad hoc committees may be discharged at any time by the President.

V. SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

The Board of Directors shall have the power to establish Special Interest Groups of the Academy to provide a more formal means for discussion in selected areas of clinical neuropsychological and the basic neuropsychological sciences. Requests for the establishment of a Special Interest Group must be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval. Special Interest Groups are required to follow the AACN Bylaws.

Membership in any Section is open to any member of the Academy interested in the subject addressed by a particular Section. If a Special Interest Group is created by members, the Chair/Co-Chair will be selected by its members and forwarded to the current President for final approval. If a Special Interest Group is created by the Board of Directors, the Chair/Co-Chair will be selected by the Board of Directors. Other Special Interest Group members do not require approval by the President. The Chair of a Special Interest Group must be board certified by ABCN (Active or Senior member). A Special Interest Group can have one Co-Chair from any AACN Membership category. If both individuals are Active and/or Senior Members, one individual can be listed as the Chair and the other as the Co-Chair or both can be listed as Co-Chairs depending on their agreed preference.

VI. REPRESENTATIVES TO CIVIC, PROFESSIONAL, AND GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS FROM THE ACADEMY

Representatives shall be appointed by the President to the organizations approved by the Board of Directors.

A position taken or expressed by a representative shall not be deemed the position of the Academy unless and until it is adopted, ratified, or approved by the Board of Directors.

Representatives shall submit to the Board of Directors an annual report and special reports as deemed appropriate by the representatives or as requested by the President.

VII. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND REPRESENTATIVES

All members of Academy committees and Academy representatives to organizations shall be Academy members.

Non-members of the Academy may, with the specific approval of the President, serve as consultants on committees; however, they shall not vote on matters of administration or policy affecting the Academy. This policy will not apply to the Editorial Board of any affiliated journal.

VIII. ANNUAL AND SPECIAL REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES, AD HOC COMMITTEES, SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS, AND REPRESENTATIVES TO ORGANIZATIONS

Standing committees, ad hoc committees, Special Interest Groups, and representatives to organizations shall submit to the Board of Directors an annual report and special reports at other times as deemed appropriate by the President. The Chair of each committee, Special Interest Group, and the representative to each organization shall be responsible for submitting all reports. All reports shall be in writing.

IX. BYLAWS COMPLIANCE:

The Board of Directors and Bylaws Committee shall ensure that a bylaws compliance program is in place to regularly review compliance with these bylaws.

X. AMENDMENTS AND REVISIONS

These Standing Rules may be amended or revised by the Board of Directors of the Academy. These Standing Rules were last updated in November of 2024.