CHARTER OF THE SECTION ON STATISTICS IN EPIDEMIOLOGY
(Established 1992)
Article 1. NAME
The name of this organization
is the Section on Statistics in Epidemiology of the American
Statistical Association (hereafter called the Association).
Article
II. OBJECTIVES
The aims of the Section on
Statistics in Epidemiology are to promote sound statistical
practice in epidemiology, develop statistical methods
appropriate to epidemiologic research, and advance substantive
issues in public health.
- Primary aims of this
Section are:
- To establish a forum
where statisticians and others can focus attention on
areas that need research in methodological developments
and practice.
- To promote
interdisciplinary communication and cooperation, not only
among statisticians working within epidemiology but also
between statisticians working in epidemiology and other
scientists, physicians, and managers in finding solutions
to public health problems.
- To encourage
statisticians to take leadership roles in research, both
on substantive problems in public health and on
statistical problems related to epidemiology.
- In pursuit of these primary
aims the Section on Statistics in Epidemiology shares with
other Sections an interest in:
- The impact of state and
federal policy on issues of public health.
- Standards for design,
evaluation, and reporting of observational studies.
- Basic quantitative and
qualitative research in epidemiology.
- Publication of research
developments and results.
- Continuing education
programs (including but not limited to statistics) for
statisticians, physicians, and researchers woring in these
areas.
Article III. FUNCTIONS To support
the aims specified in Article II of this Charter the Section
on Statistics in Epidemiology Shall perform any or all of the
following functions, together with such others as are
appropriate:
- Assist in the advancement
and promotion of both sound statistical practice in
epidemiology and the discussion of substantive issues in
public health that can promote research in methodology and
practice.
- Establish and maintain
liaison and cooperation with other scientific and
professional organizations.
- Plan appropriate sessions,
at meetings of the Association, on the use of statistics in
epidemiology.
- Cooperate in the planning
of technical sessions at statistics conferences concerned
with surveillance, standards of design, observational
studies, and mathematical modeling.
- Establish and maintain
liaison and cooperation with other Sections of the
Association.
- Cooperate with government,
academia, business, and industry in resolving important
statistical issues involving epidemiology.
- Participate in the
development of the quantitative aspects of public policy
concerning issues of public health, identification and
prevention of disease, and of early or unnecessary
mortality.
- Produce separate
publications, either as monographs or periodical bulletins,
as needed.
- Assist in the development
of curricula and training programs for statisticians
planning to consult with epidemiologists and others engaged
in epidemiologic research.
- Provide continuing
education for members of the Section through workshops and
sessions at national and regional meetings.
- Serve as a resource for
public and private groups or agencies with interests in the
field of epidemiology.
- Conduct and participate in
other programs consistent with the objectives stated in
Article II, in cooperation with other segments of the
Association where appropriate.
- Aid, by whatever special
ways are appropriate, the general development of statistics
and the Association.
Article IV. MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the Section shall include all full members of
the Association who pay dues to the Section.
The membership year for each member of the Section shall
coincide with that member's membership year in the
Association.
Article V. OFFICERS
The officers of the Section shall consist of the Chair,
Chair-Elect, Program Chair, Program Chair-Elect,
Secretary/Treasurer, and Publications Officer. The Section
shall have one or more Representatives on the Associations
Council of Sections, the number to be determined by the
Charter of the Council of Sections. The officers and the
Representatives to the Council of Sections shall be members of
the Section.
The Chair is the chief officer of the Section and is a
member of the Executive Committee. The Chair shall preside at
all meetings of the Section and of the Executive Committee.
The Chair, with the approval of the Executive Committee, may
designate committees or individuals to carry out functions of
the Section. The Chair shall coordinate the work of the
officers and committees of the Section and shall prepare an
annual report, for publication in a news bulletin, on the
activities of the Section. The Chair shall review the regular
financial reports provided by the Association's central
office.
The Chair-Elect shall serve as a member of the Executive
Committee and preside over meetings of the Section and the
Executive Committee in the absence of the Chair. In
consultation with the Chair, the Chair-Elect shall prepare the
budget of the Section for the year in which the Chair-Elect is
Chair.
The Program Chair shall be responsible for developing and
coordinating the Section's sessions and other program events
at national and regional meetings of the Association. The
Program Chair serves as a member of the Executive Committee
and also as a member of the Association's Program Committee.
The Program Chair-Elect shall serve as a member of the
Executive Committee and assist the Program Chair.
The Secretary/Treasurer shall serve as a member of the
Executive Committee. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be
responsible for the minutes of all meetings of the Section and
the Executive Committee. The Secretary/Treasurer shall also
assist the Chair-Elect in preparing the annual budget and
shall monitor the Section's dues collections and expenditures
and prepare an annual report on the financial condition of the
Section.
The Publications Officer shall serve as a member of the
Executive Committee and also as the Section's representative
on Association committees concerned with Section publication
matters. The Publications Officer shall coordinate activities
within the Section related to publications sponsored by the
Section. The Publications Officer shall solicit the views of
the Section's members concerning the content and operation of
the Association's journals and shall bring those views to the
attention of the Editors. When requested by the Editors, the
Publication Officer shall assist in soliciting, reading, and
editing articles on Epidemiology and related topics for
publication in the Association's journals. The
Publications Officer serves as the section webmaster.
The Representatives to the Council of Sections shall serve
as members of the Executive Committee and shall represent the
interests of the Section and its members on matters that come
before the Council of Sections.
Terms of all officers shall be one year, except for the
Secretary/Treasurer and the Publications Officer, whose terms
shall be three years and two years, respectively. The terms of
Representatives to the Council of Sections shall be as
prescribed in the Charter of the Council of Sections.
No officer shall be eligible for immediate re-election to
the same office. A Representative to the Council of Sections
is eligible for immediate re-election only if not previously
elected for a full term.
The Chair-Elect and the Program Chair-Elect shall
automatically succeed the Chair and Program Chair,
respectively, at the annual change of officers, which shall
occur on January 1.
Article VI. VACANCIES IN OFFICE
If the office of Chair becomes vacant, the Chair-Elect
shall become the Chair, the term extending through the
following year. The same principle of succession shall apply
if the office of Program Chair becomes vacant. Vacancies in
other offices and among representatives shall be filled by
appointment of the Chair with approval of the Executive
Committee.
Article VII. NOMINATION AND ELECTION
Each year the Committee on Nominations shall submit to the
Secretary of the Association and the Section Chair at least
two nominations for each position to be filled. The
Association's general deadline for submission of nominations
shall apply. Balloting shall be carried out as part of the
Association's annual mail ballot for electing the Association
and Section officers.
Additional nominations may be made by submitting a
petition, signed by at least 25 members of the Section, to the
Section Chair and the Secretary of the Association. Such a
petition must be submitted within +5 days after the mailing
date of the publication announcing the names of the candidates
submitted by the Committee on Nominations.
Article VIII. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers and
Representative(s) of the Section, the immediate Past Chair,
and the immediate Past Program Chair.
The Executive Committee shall manage the affairs of the
Section. Actions taken by the Committee during the year and
plans for future activities will be presented at the annual
business meeting of the Section for discussion.
Article IX. OTHER COMMITTEES
- Types.
Other Committees of the Section shall consist of Standing
Committees provide by this Charter, and such Standing or
Current Committees as the Chair may establish. Current
Committees may be established to serve a particular need or
interest of the Section.
- Membership.The
term of membership on Standing and Current Committees, if
not otherwise specified in this Charter, shall be three
years. Initial terms shall be set by the Chair for one, two,
or three years so that, as nearly as possible, one-third of
the members shall be appointed every year. No member may
serve on a committee for more than six consecutive years
without specific approval by the Executive Committee, except
for ex officio members. Members of committees shall serve
until their successors are appointed or elected.
Unless otherwise specified in this
Charter, each committee shall be governed by a chair appointed
by the Chair of the Section. All members of Standing
Committees, as well as the chairs of Current Committees, shall
be members of the Section.
- Normal Time of
Appointment. In
order that new members of Standing and Current Committees
may begin work promptly, the Chair-Elect shall normally
designate these members. If possible, the designations shall
be made at least two months prior to time when the new
committee member take office.
- Standing Committees.
The Standing Committees provide by this Charter are as
follows:
- Committee on Nominations. The Committee on
Nominations shall consist of the immediate Past Chair of
the Section, who serves as Chair of the Committee, and
three other members, one appointed each year by the chair
of the Committee. The Committee shall submit nominations
for officers as provided in this Charter. Members of the
Committee are not eligible for nomination by the
Committee.
- Committee to Nominate Fellows. The Committee to
Nominate Fellows shall consist of three members. Each year
the Committee shall identify members of the Section who
would be suitable nominees for the honor of Fellow of the
American Statistical Association (as described in the
By-Laws of the Association) and shall coordinate
preparation and submission of the nominations.
- Charter Committee. Not more than three years
after the adoption of this Charter, the Chair shall
appoint a Charter Committee for the purpose of reviewing
the Charter of the Section. If necessary, the Charter
Committee shall prepare a revision to be submitted to the
Section not more than five years after the adoption of
this Charter, in accordance with this Charter. In the
event that the Committee undertakes a major revision of
the Charter, the Executive Committee may extend the life
of the current Charter one year at a time.
Each Committee must submit an
annual report to the Executive Committee.
- Current Committees.
The life of a
Current Committee may not exceed five years without a review
of its need by the Executive Committee. Any committee that
is to continue for more than one year must have a change
approved by the Executive Committee. Each committee must
submit an annual report to the Executive Committee.
Current Committees established in
accordance with this article may be dissolved at any time by a
majority vote of the Executive Committee.
Article X. PUBLICATIONS
Publication of non-journal periodicals, reports,
proceedings, or other publications may be authorized by vote
of the Executive Committee.
Editors for Section publications shall be members of the
Section and shall be appointed by the Chair with the approval
of the Executive Committee.
Article XI. MEETINGS
The annual business meeting of the Section shall be held in
connection with the annual meeting of the Association and
shall be announced in advance, preferably in the printed
program for that meeting. The officers may also conduct
business with members of the Section by mail.
The Executive Committee shall meet at the annual meeting of
the Association. It may also hold additional meetings at times
and places designated by the Chair or by vote of two-thirds of
the Executive Committee. Between meetings the Executive
Committee may conduct business by mail, telephone, or other
electronic means.
Article XII. AMENDMENTS
- Proposal.
Amendments to this Charter may be proposed to the Executive
Committee or by a petition signed by at least 25 members of
the Section. An amendment originating by petition shall be
referred to the Executive Committee, which shall vote on its
recommendation regarding ratification. Periodic revisions
shall be referred to the Executive Committee, which may
recommend ratification in whole or in parts. The Executive
Committee may also decide upon the final wording of a
proposed amendment, as long as such wording is consistent
with the original intent of the petition.
- Ratification.
All proposed amendments shall be submitted to the members of
the Section for mail vote at the time of the next annual
election of officers. If approved by a majority of the
members voting, the amendment shall take effect immediately.
A copy of the amendment shall be filed with the Secretary of
the Association.
