Invitation
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Code of Ethics
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Societies and Associations

Section Officers

• In Vitro Animal Cell Sciences
• Plant Biotechnology

Commitees

Branches

• History Society
• Northeast Branch

1. Any person, commercial company, or organization interested in supporting the mission of the SOCIETY upon application and payment of Sustaining Member dues may be a Sustaining Member of the SOCIETY.
   
2. Each Sustaining Member shall be entitled to designate an individual to serve as Regular Member, with all the rights and privileges of a Regular Member.
   
3. If a Sustaining Member pays for 10 or more Regular Memberships for their employees, they can request a special fee reduction for each Member equivalent to the cost of one SOCIETY journal. However, these Regular Memberships shall not receive personal copies of the SOCIETY journals.

1. Membership in the SOCIETY will be revoked for non payment of dues in arrears for two consecutive years. Reinstatement requires re-application and payment of dues for the current year.
   
2. Membership in the SOCIETY may be revoked for cause if a Member brings disrepute to the SOCIETY, or has engaged in misconduct prejudicial to the interest of the SOCIETY. Misconduct includes serious failures to comply with the Code of Ethics. The Board of Directors shall have authority to revoke membership following accepted standards of due process to protect the individual. This process requires that the accused member shall have received at least thirty days written notice of the charges and time and place of a hearing by the Board of Directors and be given an appropriate opportunity to be heard. Following the hearing, a two thirds vote of the entire Board of Directors is required to revoke membership.

1. Each activity (Committee, Publications, Business Office, etc.) shall submit a proposed budget for its activity to the Treasurer according to the procedure and time limit defined by the Board of Directors.
   
2. The Annual Budget of the SOCIETY, prepared by the Treasurer after advice from the Finance Committee and then in consultation with the Business Office, shall be submitted to the Board of Directors for their approval

1. No Member of the SOCIETY may authorize, commit, or otherwise financially obligate the SOCIETY except as authorized by the Board of Directors.
   
2. The Treasurer of the SOCIETY shall have the care and custody of all funds, securities, books of account, and financial records of the SOCIETY, and he/she shall cause all funds of the SOCIETY to be deposited with such depositories as the Board of Directors from time to time may determine. He/she shall have power to endorse for deposit to the credit of the SOCIETY or for the collection of all notes, checks, drafts, and other commercial paper payable to it. He/she shall be responsible for keeping accurate books of the accounts relating to the funds and financial affairs of the SOCIETY, and shall render an accurate account of such funds and affairs whenever so required by the Board of Directors.
   
3. The Treasurer may delegate one or more of the functions outlined in (2) above to the SOCIETY's Business Office or to such other persons as he/she may designate; however, responsibility lies solely with the Treasurer.
   
4. The financial records shall receive an appropriate financial review or be audited annually by a registered accounting firm. Each year the Finance Committee will recommend to the Board of Directors which type of review of the financial records is required.
   
5. The Treasurer Chairs the Finance Committee and uses this Committee in an advisory capacity.

1. The governing body of the SOCIETY is the Board of Directors.
   
2. The permanent membership of the Board of Directors is as described in the Constitution (Article V, A, 2). These include the officers of the SOCIETY, elected Chairs of certain Standing Committees, and Members-at-Large.
   
3. Members-at-Large, who serve a four year term of office, shall begin their terms at the same time as the Officers (Constitution, Article IV, C). Chairs of Standing Committees, who serve on the Board of Directors, are listed in the Constitution (Article V, A, 2). The Chairs of Standing Committees shall begin their terms at the same time as the Officers (Constitution, Article IV, C) and serve a two year term of office.
   
4. If the President is absent, the President-Elect shall preside. If both are absent, the Vice President shall preside.
   
5. The terms of office shall commence at the Board Meeting which occurs the day prior to the Annual Meeting or if no Annual Meeting occurs in that year then at the Board Meeting scheduled for June of that year. The terms of office shall continue for two years or until a successor shall have been duly chosen.
   
6. The Board of Directors shall be the legal representative of the SOCIETY and shall meet at least three times each year. A majority of the Board constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business except in the case of amending the Bylaws (see Constitution, Article XI,G). Each member of the Board of Directors shall be notified in writing by the President at least 14 days prior to the meeting stating time, place, and agenda. The Board of Directors shall have, hold, and administer all the property, funds, and affairs of the SOCIETY in trust for its uses, in conformity with the Constitution and Bylaws, and with the Act of Incorporation of the SOCIETY under the Statutes of the State of Maryland.
   
7. The Chairs of ad hoc Committees, Branches, and such other Members of the SOCIETY as the Board of Directors may invite from time to time to their meetings, shall have the privileges of the floor but not the right to make or second a motion or to vote.
   
8. The Board of Directors shall have the power to hold hearings that may lead to revocation of office of any elected official of the SOCIETY (Officer of the SOCIETY, Member-at-Large, or Chair of a Standing Committee) following accepted standards of due process to protect the individual.
   Written and signed charges may be brought by any member of the Board of Directors on his/her own initiative or after receiving a written petition citing serious failures to comply with the SOCIETY's Code of Ethics, and signed by ten members in good standing of the SOCIETY. This process requires that the accused elected official shall have received at least thirty days written notice of the charges and time and place of a hearing by the Board of Directors and be given an appropriate opportunity to be heard. Following the hearing, a two thirds vote of the entire Board of Directors is required to dismiss the elected official from office and begin the process of replacing that official (see Bylaws 4, F). The Board of Directors also has the power to conclude (by two-thirds vote) that the offenses are serious enough to result in revocation of membership (see Bylaws 1, G).

1. There shall be Standing Committees of the SOCIETY charged to assist the Board of Directors in the management of the SOCIETY. The Standing Committees shall be the Nominating Committee, Membership Committee, Program Committee, Publications Committee, Education Committee, Constitution and Bylaws Committee, Public Policy Committee, Finance Committee, Development Committee, Awards Committee, Laboratory Materials and Bio-safety Committee, and Long Range Planning Committee.
   The Chairs of all Standing Committees, with the exception of the Program Committee, the Laboratory Materials and Bio-safety Committee and those committees which are chaired by Officers, are elected to two year terms of office by a majority of the Regular and Emeritus Members voting. The terms of office shall commence at the same time as the terms of office for Officers of the Board (Bylaws, Section 3,B,5). Committee composition is developed by the SOCIETY President, in conjunction with the Committee Chair on behalf of the Board of Directors, except where Committee composition is specified elsewhere in these Bylaws and/or the SOCIETY's Constitution.

   a.	The Nominating Committee shall be composed of the immediate Past President who will serve as Chair, the chairs of the Sections, and, if desired, two additional at large members appointed by the Chair. The Nominating Committee shall make two or more nominations for each office, after announcing, in the SOCIETY's Newsletter, a call for applications to become a nominee for one of the elected positions. In this application, respondents are requested to supply a brief career resume, including a list of any previous service to the SOCIETY, and a statement of the applicant's platform. From this panel of applicants, plus any additional individuals requested to apply by the Nominating Committee, the Nominating Committee makes its selections of at least two nominees for each position and secures written willingness of the prospective applicants to serve as nominees, for President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, Chairs of all elected Standing Committees, as well as for the two Member-at-Large positions up for election in that year (for four year terms). In alternating elections the nominees for President-Elect will be 1) members of the Plant Biotechnology Section or 2) members of the In Vitro Animal Cell Sciences Section. The Nominating Committee must submit the final slate of nominees for all positions to the Board of Directors at or before the fall meeting of the Board occurring in the year of an election. The Board must ratify the slate of nominees no later than at the fall meeting. If the Nominating Committee fails to present a full and balanced slate of candidates by the fall Board of Directors meeting, the President, at his or her discretion, can select an ad hoc committee to finalize the slate. The ad hoc committee must submit the final full and balanced slate to the Board within twenty (20) days of receiving commissioning.
   b.	The Program Committee: The Chairs of the Committees for the next two Annual Scientific Programs are appointed by the Board of Directors. One serves as Chair of the first Annual Scientific Program while the second serves as Vice-Chair. Every subsequent year, a new Vice-Chair is appointed and, simultaneously, the Chair for the previous Program is rotated off the Committee after the Annual Scientific Meeting and the former Vice-Chair rotates into the position of Program Committee Chair. The newly appointed Vice-Chair takes office at the beginning of the Annual Meeting prior to which he/she will function as Vice-Chair. The Committee shall consist of a Chair and Vice-Chair, one representative from each Section of the SOCIETY, and three or more other Members. Subject to instructions from the Board of Directors, the Program Committee shall maintain general supervision of the scientific programs presented at the Annual Meeting of the SOCIETY.
   c.	The Publications Committee shall consist of an elected Chair plus the Treasurer, the Editors-in-Chief of all SOCIETY journals, and other publications, one Associate Editor of each journal, one Member-at-Large from the Board of Directors, and one or more Regular Members. This committee is responsible for journal management, including electronic publications and coordination with the SOCIETY's Business Office.
   d.	The Membership Committee chaired by the Secretary, has the responsibility for recommending programs, the intent of which will be to increase the satisfaction and the size of the SOCIETY's membership.
   e.	The Education Committee shall consist of an elected Chair plus appointed members. It is charged with furthering the educational goals and activities of the SOCIETY.
   f.	The Constitution and Bylaws Committee shall consist of an elected Chair plus appointed members. Its responsibility is to periodically review the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY and recommend changes as necessary to the Board of Directors for SOCIETY action. The Chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee with the consent of the Board of Directors shall be authorized to consult an attorney to secure information and advice regarding legal requirements of the SOCIETY providing that the cost incurred is within the Committee's budget.
   g.	The Long Range Planning Committee is chaired by the President-Elect with committee members appointed by the President during his/her first month in office.
   h.	The Public Policy Committee shall consist of an elected Chair plus appointed members. This Committee shall recommend to the Board of Directors actions designed to assist the general public to obtain a better understanding of In Vitro Biology and its research process and progress. When appropriate, the Committee will prepare officers of SIVB prior to their meeting with Members of Congress and other governmental officials for the purpose of giving advice on funding priorities and other matters relevant to In Vitro Biology.
   i.	The Laboratory Materials and Bio-safety Committee shall consist of a Chair appointed by the President plus appointed members. This Committee is charged with providing a mechanism to promote laboratory standards and bio safety in in vitro biology and biotechnology in facilities in academe, government and private industry. To accomplish these goals, the Committee shall provide a forum for publicizing bio-safety information via sponsorship of Roundtables at SIVB annual meeting and/or other venues; keep SIVB Board of Directors apprized of changes in Federal and state government regulations; and develop recommendations in this area for consideration by the Board of Directors. The committee shall include members from academe, government and private industry.
   j.	The Awards Committee shall consist of an elected Chair plus additional committee members, appointed by the Chair so that the Committee, as a whole, is broadly representative of the various Sections of the SOCIETY. The Committee shall recommend to the Board of Directors nominations for all of the SOCIETY's awards. After ratification by the Board of Directors, awards shall be announced in the SOCIETY's Newsletter and, when appropriate, awards presented during the SOCIETY's Annual Meeting.
   k.	The Development Committee is chaired by the SOCIETY's Vice President. The sole mission of this committee is to assist the Vice President in performing his/her fund raising duties.
   l.	The Finance Committee, chaired by the Treasurer, functions as advisory to the Treasurer.

2. The President shall appoint ad hoc committees as may be necessary to aid in the management of the SOCIETY. All committee appointments shall be made for a term coincident with that of the President unless otherwise provided in the Constitution or Bylaws.
3. The Chairs of all Standing and ad hoc Committees of the SOCIETY shall report, in writing, to the Board of Directors at least 75 days prior to the time of the Annual Meeting. The Committee Reports shall be submitted to the Board of Directors liaison for that Committee.

NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

The candidates who receive the highest number of votes in each contested office, shall be declared elected. In case of a tie vote, majority of the Board of Directors shall decide between the candidates who are tied. A candidate for Honorary Membership shall be declared elected if affirmed by four fifths of the votes cast.

F.

If a member is elected to a Society office and is also elected as Chair of a Section, and if the member does not feel it is feasible to fulfill both roles simultaneously, the Section will determine a replacement to fill the position of Chair by appointing the runner-up candidate for Section Chair from the preceding election. Neither the President or President-Elect of the Society shall simultaneously serve in the capacity of Chair of a Section.

1. Once each year there shall be a general meeting of the SOCIETY for the transaction of business. This meeting shall be known as the Annual Business Meeting. Special meetings may be called at the discretion of the Board of Directors. In the event of very grave emergency, the Board of Directors may suspend such an annual meeting and the SOCIETY will transact the necessary business by mail or electronically.

1. A scientific program will be held as dictated by the Board of Directors but typically annually at the same time and place as the Annual Business Meeting. Subject to instructions from the Board of Directors, the Program Committee shall maintain general supervision of the scientific program of the Meeting.
   
2. The time and place of the Meeting shall be decided upon by the Board of Directors. The program of the scientific portion of the meeting shall be arranged by, and be subject to, the approval of the Program Committee.
   
3. Concomitant with the designation of the city in which a Scientific Meeting will be held, the President, with the advice and consent of the Board of Directors, may appoint a Chair of a Local Committee. A Local Committee Chair can function as liaison with the Program Committee and the Business Office.
   
4. The accepted abstracts for the Meeting shall be printed in one of the SOCIETY's journals.
   
5. Members of the SOCIETY are eligible to submit two abstracts of papers to be presented from the platform.
   
6. Abstracts considered unsuitable for the Program by a majority of the Program Committee shall be rejected. The decision of the Program Committee shall be final. The Chair of the Program Committee shall notify, without delay, all authors of the disposition of their abstracts on the Program.
   
7. The SOCIETY is not responsible for statements and opinions advanced by individuals in papers of discussions at its meetings.
   
8. Any paper, although announced in the final Program, may be excluded at any time prior to delivery by order of the President of the SOCIETY.

1. The rules contained in the Rules of Order, by Henry M. Robert, shall determine the parliamentary practice of the SOCIETY on all cases to which they apply, and when they are not inconsistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY.
   
2. The Secretary or a Member of the SOCIETY may be appointed by the President to serve as Parliamentarian at all meetings of the Board of Directors and at the Annual Business Meeting.

The foregoing right of indemnification shall be in addition to, and not exclusive of, all other rights to which such Board of Directors member, officer, editor of publications, or employee of the SOCIETY may be entitled.