ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSES
A. The name of this organization shall be The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology Society (The Society).
B. The Society is an international, interdisciplinary organization whose aim is to significantly advance the empirical nosology of psychopathology and disseminate these advances to scientists and clinicians. This includes supporting efforts to improve and extend the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) system.
ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES
A. There shall be three (3) categories of membership in the Society: Fellow, Member, and Student Affiliate.
B. The minimum qualification for election to the category of Fellow shall be determined by membership committee.
C. The minimum qualifications for election to the category of Member shall be determined by the membership committee. Membership committee also reviews membership applications and approves Member status.
D. Applicants will become Members of the Society in good standing upon acceptance of their application by the Membership Committee and on payment of all currently applicable dues and fees. Members of the Society are expected to follow Society standards of conduct. The Society standards of conduct are articulated in a document separate from the Bylaws per se and are developed and maintained by the membership committee. Concerns regarding member conduct are brought before the membership committee. At the discretion of the membership committee, flagrant violations of the standards of conduct can be brought to the attention of the Executive Committee.
E. Students who do not meet criteria to be a Member of the Society can apply to be a Student Affiliate. The minimum qualifications for election to the category of Student Affiliate shall be an interest in empirical nosology of psychopathology and enrollment in a post-graduate program of study within an academic institution.
F. Fellow, Members, and Student Affiliates of the Society in good standing shall be entitled to attend and to participate in the meetings of the Society; to receive publications and news of the Society; and to serve on the committees of the Society(participation of Student Affiliates is limited to committees that accept Student Affiliates). Fellows and Members in good standing vote in regular and any special elections or on referenda, and are eligible to hold office.
ARTICLE III: OFFICERS
A. The Officers of the Society shall be the President, the President-elect, the immediate Past President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and chairs of standing committees. They shall constitute the Executive Committee of the Society, shall be the only elected representatives of the Society, and all are entitled to vote on matters brought before the Committee. All Officers must be Fellows or Members of the Society. All terms of office shall begin at the time determined by Executive Committee.
B. The President shall be the Fellow or Member who has just completed a term as President-elect. The President shall succeed to office by declaration at the close of the year after election as President-elect and shall serve for one (1) year. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society, shall be the Chair of the Executive Committee, and shall perform all other usual and customary duties of a presiding officer. No Member of the Society may run for the presidency of the Society while serving as president or past president.
C. The President-elect shall be the Fellow or Member who has been elected by the membership. The duration of service is one year while the previous President-elect is completing their year of service as President. If the President fails to serve their term for any reason, the President-elect shall succeed to the unexpired remainder thereof and continue to serve through their own scheduled term.
D. The Past President of the Society shall be the Fellow or Member who is the most recently retired President of the Society. The Past President shall serve a one-year term as a member of the Executive Committee. In the case of death, incapacity, or resignation of the Past President, such vacancy shall remain through the balance of the year in which it occurs.
E. The Secretary shall be a Fellow or Member elected for a term of three (3) years. During that term, the Secretary shall be a member of, and serve as the secretary of the Executive Committee; shall safeguard all records of the Society; shall keep the minutes of the meetings of Society and of the Executive Committee; shall issue calls and notices of meetings; shall keep and maintain a book of the extant policies of the Society based upon actions of the Executive Committee; and shall perform all other usual and customary duties of a secretary.
F. The Treasurer shall be a Fellow or Member elected for a term of three (3) years. During that term, the Treasurer shall be a member of the Executive Committee; shall oversee custody of all funds and property of the Society; shall direct disbursements as provided under the terms of these Bylaws; shall oversee the preparation of an annual budget for consideration and adoption by the Executive Committee; shall make an annual financial report to the Society; and in general shall perform the usual and customary duties of a Treasurer.
G. Chairs of other standing committees shall be Fellows or Members elected for a term of three (3) years. The only exception is Executive Chair of the Workgroups Committees, who is elected through a process described in Article XI of these Bylaws. Each chair will perform all usual and customary duties of a presiding officer and a secretary of the corresponding committee.
H. Other offices can be created by the decision of the Executive Committee of the Society. Duration of their service will be decided by the Executive Committee during formation of the office. These officers do not serve on the Executive Committee, unless they also hold office of the President, the President-elect, the immediate Past President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, or chair of a standing committee.
I. In the case of death, incapacity, or resignation of an officer the Executive Committee shall appoint as a replacement the individual who was the first eligible runner-up in the most recent election for that office to serve the remainder of the term. Should there be no eligible runner-up who is able or willing to serve, the Executive Committee will appoint another Fellow or Member in good standing who is willing and able to serve the remainder of the term. The exceptions to this procedure are the President, Past President, members of the Research and Publications Board, and Executive Chair of Workgroups Committee, as vacancies in these roles are addressed through different procedures described elsewhere in these Bylaws.
ARTICLE IV: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
A. In addition to the duties of the individual officers, the duties of the Executive Committee as a governing body shall include:
1. Exercising general supervision over the affairs of the Society and the transaction of the necessary business of the Society, provided only that the actions of the Executive Committee shall not conflict with these Bylaws or with the recorded votes of the membership;
2. Establishing policies for the conduct of its own affairs and for the affairs of Society, provided that such policies are not in conflict with any of the terms of these Bylaws or any recorded votes of the membership;
3. Approving or rejecting the President’s appointment of members of standing committees, ad hoc committees, task forces, Society representatives or liaisons;
4. Overseeing and facilitating the work of the Society’s Committees, if required;
5. Reporting its activities to membership of the Society, and recommending matters for consideration by the members;
6. Appointing replacement officers if required, as described elsewhere in these Bylaws;
7. Adopting a final budget after appropriate review and recommending or approving the disbursement of the Society’s funds and of amendments to the approved budget in accordance to rules described elsewhere in these Bylaws.
B. Exception to these duties are research and publication activities associated with the Society. These activities are managed solely by the Research and Publications Board, which is appointed as an independent body to ensure it is not influenced by financial, social, or political interests of the Society. The Executive Committee has no authority over the decisions, policies, or membership of the Research and Publications Board.
C. The Executive Committee shall meet at times and dates to be determined by the Executive Committee. Additional meetings may be called by the President with the concurrence of a majority of the Executive Committee. Meetings via phone conference, web conference, or other medium as determined by the Executive Committee may take the place of in-person meetings.
D. A member of the Executive Committee may be removed from office and from their seat on the Executive Committee before the expiration of a scheduled term by an affirmative two-thirds (2/3) vote of the other members of the Executive Committee. Such removal can only be effected upon one or more of the following grounds: (1) a finding of dereliction in the performance of the duties of office; or (2) conviction of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude and the exhausting of any appeals therefrom.
E. Any member of the Society may place a matter of business before the Executive Committee by submitting it to the Secretary in writing, at least a week before the date of an Executive Committee meeting. A majority of the voting members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum, following due notice of the meeting. Each member of the Executive Committee present at a meeting and entitled to vote shall have one such vote. A simple majority of Executive Committee members is sufficient for a motion to pass, except as otherwise noted in these Bylaws. The Executive Committee has the authority to decide upon the means to meet and the means to cast votes, to include in-person, electronic, telephone, or other media it deems appropriate.
ARTICLE V: MEETINGS
A. The Society shall sponsor an array of scientific and professional presentations designed to promote collegial and scholarly interchange. These presentations, in the form of a conference, shall be offered at the time and place of the Executive Committee’s choosing and may be coordinated through a Conference Committee.
B. The Executive Committee may hold an annual Open Membership Meeting at a time and place and format to be determined by the Executive Committee. The purpose of such Membership Meeting shall be to provide a report on Executive Committee actions to the membership and to exchange views by and between the membership and the Executive Committee about matters of mutual concern. Any member of the Society shall have the right of submitting a matter for the agenda of an Open Membership Meeting by directing the matter to the Secretary at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the scheduled meeting time.
C. Other meetings of the Society may be called upon a majority vote of the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE VI: NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
A. Administration of Nominations and Elections is responsibility of the Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible for implementing the principles and the policies adopted by the Executive Committee that govern the holding of the elections of the Society, and for recruiting qualified candidates to run for positions on the Executive Committee.
B. Annually, the Secretary shall review the composition of the Executive Committee to determine available positions and to develop recommendations for slates of candidates that would: 1) ensure breadth of representation in the composition of the Executive Committee and 2) ensure a diverse field of candidates. The Secretary will submit the recommended slates to the Executive Committee for approval.
C. The Secretary shall distribute a nominating ballot to all Fellows and Members annually. The nominations ballot shall be accompanied by a statement notifying the Fellows and Members about the Society’s eligibility criteria for standing for election. Those criteria may include:
1. Candidates for office must be Fellow or Member in good standing.
2. No Fellow or Member may be an incumbent of more than one elective office.
3. A Fellow or Member may only hold the same elective office for two successive terms except the office of president as stipulated in Article III Section B.
4. Incumbent members of the Executive Committee are eligible to accept nominations for another term in the same position, or for another position on the Executive Committee during their last year of service or after resignation from their existing office. A letter of resignation must be sent to the President with a copy to the Secretary.
D. The nominations ballot shall be distributed to each member of the Society in a timely fashion via means to be determined by the Executive Committee. Ballots must be returned by a deadline established by the Executive Committee. Such count shall be conducted the Secretary or by persons delegated that responsibility by the Secretary.
E. The name of any Fellow or Member who is eligible and who is willing to stand for election, and to serve the term of office if elected, shall be placed on the ballot for the appropriate office by the Secretary based on self-nominations, nominations by members of the Society, or by the Secretary.
F. It shall be a further responsibility of the Secretary to ensure that all persons who have been nominated to stand for election and whose names are to appear on the ballot are eligible, willing to serve, familiar with the duties of the proposed office, and appropriately qualified.
G. When the Secretary is a candidate in an election, the Past President or Past President’s designee assumes the responsibility for administering that election to avoid conflict of interest.
H. The Secretary shall have responsibility for:
1. Overseeing the nominations process and ensuring it is consistent with the established policies of the Society and Executive Committee;
2. Notifying the Executive Committee and candidates of the approved slate of nominees;
3. Overseeing the elections process and ensuring it is consistent with the established policies of the Society and Executive Committee, including the development of the election ballot, the distribution of the ballot via media approved by the Executive Committee, establishing deadlines, and counting of the ballots;
4. Notifying the Executive Committee and candidates of the election results, and, if requested, providing an exact tally;
5. Announcing the election results to the membership;
I. In the case of a protest brought by a Fellow or Member about the conduct of the nominations process or an election, the Secretary will review the issue and to make recommendations to the Executive Committee in response to the protest. Such recommendations from the Secretary to the Executive Committee shall be limited to 1) confirmation of the results of the disputed nomination process or election, or 2) a proposal that a new election for the disputed office be held. In the making of its recommendation, the Secretary shall provide the Executive Committee with their rationale. In formulating a final disposition of the protested nominations procedure or election, a majority vote by the Executive Committee shall be final.
J. Should the protest against the process of nominations or elections contain allegations of improper conduct on the part of the Secretary, then the President shall appoint an ad hoc Committee on Election Disputes. The ad hoc Committee on Election Disputes will make a recommendation to the Executive Committee on the disposition of the allegations. In formulating the final disposition of the allegations of improper conduct, a vote by the Executive Committee shall be final.
ARTICLE VII: REFERENDA AND AMENDMENTS
A. A referendum on any matter consistent with the stated goals and missions of The Society may be forwarded to the Executive Committee by a petition signed by 20% or more of the voting members of the Society. Alternatively, the Executive Committee can propose a referendum by simple majority of the committee.
B. Any referendum or amendment pertaining to activities of research or publication has to be approved by the Research and Publications Board before further consideration. No voting can take place on issues pertaining to research or publication without this approval submitted to the Executive Committee by the Research and Publications Board in writing.
C. The Executive Committee shall delegate to the Secretary the responsibility for certifying that the petition that accompanies the subject referendum is in order and that its signatures are valid.
D. Upon certification by the Secretary, the Executive Committee shall direct the holding of a vote on the matter via a ballot format to be determined by the Executive Committee. The Secretary shall be responsible for distributing the ballot and voting instructions to each voting member within ninety (90) days of the certification that the referendum is in order. Ballots must be returned by a deadline established by the Executive Committee. An affirmative vote by a majority of members voting shall be required to sustain the matter contained in the referendum.
E. Any amendment to Bylaws requires a referendum and must follow procedures outlined in this section.
ARTICLE VIII: FINANCES
A. Membership dues shall be set by the Executive Committee each year and will be collected and disbursed by the Treasurer.
B. Additional or special membership dues may be levied by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. Once established by the Executive Committee, an assessment shall remain in force each subsequent year unless modified by the Executive Committee. A request for such change may be initiated by any member of the Executive Committee, as can a request to reduce membership dues.
C. The Executive Committee shall adopt, for the following calendar year, a budget of anticipated income and expenditures. The Executive Committee, on the recommendation of the Treasurer, will establish policies for the management of the Society’s finances and investments.
D. Disbursements of the funds of the Society shall be made as follows:
1. The Executive Committee shall authorize disbursements within the amount of the approved budget for any and all purposes that are not inconsistent with the policies or Bylaws of the Society.
2. The Treasurer is authorized to reallocate unexpended funds from one category of the approved budget to another, provided only that the total approved expenses for the fiscal year are not exceeded.
3. Once a budget has been approved in accordance with Article VIII, Section C of these Bylaws, disbursements of any amounts for items not contained in the approved budget for purposes consistent with the aims of the Society may be subsequently authorized by the Executive Committee, provided only that such expenditures will not require an increase in the extant assessment during the fiscal year in which it shall be made.
E. The fiscal year of the Society shall by determined by the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE IX: COMMITTEES
A. The committees of the Society shall consist of such standing committees as are provided in these Bylaws and of such ad hoc committees or task forces as shall be established by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee. Ad hoc committees and task forces do not have a seat on the Executive Committee. Unless reconstituted for a subsequent year or years, the existence of an ad hoc committee or task force shall terminate at the close of the year in which it has been established.
B. Each standing committee shall have a chair elected by members of the Society for a term of three (3) years. Except as otherwise specified in these Bylaws, committee membership shall include a chair, and other members willing to serve who may be appointed or approved by the Chair. Chairs may be re-elected for a subsequent term as Chair. In the case of a vacancy occurring in a committee Chair due to death, resignation, or incapacity, such vacancy shall temporarily be filled by the Executive Committee until a replacement Chair is elected and for a maximum period of 12 months.
C. In the conduct of committee business, the Chair of the committee shall be responsible for notifying the members of the call for the meeting, for establishing the agenda therefore, and for serving as presiding officer. The Chair shall cast a vote only to resolve a tie. A majority of the voting members of a committee shall constitute a quorum, and unless specified elsewhere in these Bylaws, a majority vote of those committee members present and voting at a committee meeting shall be sufficient to pass a committee motion. No committee may commit Society funds or set Society policy without the approval of the Executive Committee.
D. All members of standing committees or of ad hoc committees or task forces must be Fellows, Members or Student Affiliates in good standing of the Society.
E. Committee members shall be appointed for three (3) years. Members are appointed by the Chair, and these appointments are reported to the Executive Committee in a timely fashion. In the case of a vacancy occurring on a committee due to the death, resignation, or incapacity of a committee member such vacancy shall be filled by the Chair. The exception is the Workgroups committee, which membership procedures are described elsewhere in the Bylaws.
F. The President and committee Chairs shall consider, in making committee appointments, the Society’s commitment to diversity. As an international, interdisciplinary and integrative organization, the Society’s commitment to a diverse governance includes, but is not limited to, representation of countries, professional disciplines, and employment settings. The Society is also committed to recruiting and retaining governance members of diverse genders, races and ethnicities, sexual orientations, and other dimensions of personal identities.
G. Standing committees of The Society shall be:
1. Executive Committee.
2. Membership Committee.
3. Trainee Engagement Committee.
4. Conference Committee.
5. Workgroups Committee.
H. The Executive Committee may also authorize the formation of ad hoc committees and task forces to help accomplish the aims and purposes of the Society. Each ad hoc committee or task force shall have a specific charge to be carried out over a specified period of time and shall be subject to an annual approval of the Executive Committee. The chairs and members of such ad hoc committees or task forces shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee. Should vacancies occur after their creation, these vacancies will be filled by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee. Chairs of ad hoc committees and task forces will not be members of the Executive Committee but will be invited to attend Executive Committee meetings as needed to provide updates and seek input.
I. Meetings and activities of standing committees, task forces, and ad hoc committees must be conducted within the constraints of the authorizations specified in the approved annual budget. Chairs of standing committees, ad hoc committees, and task forces may call meetings and set agendas for their respective committees.
J. In addition to its responsibilities for carrying out those duties specified in these Bylaws, each standing committee, ad hoc committee, and task force shall have the privilege of recommending procedures and policy changes to the Executive Committee.
K. It shall be the responsibility of the chair of each standing committee, ad hoc committee, and task force to submit an annual report, and any other reports as requested by the President, of its operations, its concerns, and any recommendations it might wish to make. Such reports shall be submitted to the Executive Committee through the office of the Secretary of the Society in a timely fashion, as requested by the Secretary. Chairs of committees are also responsible for submitting budget requests to the Treasurer for consideration and inclusion in the preparation of the annual budget.
ARTICLE X: RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS BOARD
A. The Society shall engage in research, including empirical efforts to refine the HiTOP model, and in publication of resulting findings in a manner that maximizes scientific rigor and is insulated from sociopolitical considerations. To safeguard these aims, the Research and Publications Board will oversee the research and scientific publication efforts that represent the Society. The Research and Publications Board will have the final authority and complete independence from the Executive Committee within its scope of responsibilities, which include but are not limited to:
1. Facilitate and accelerate research on the HiTOP model that cuts across workgroups (e.g., identifying Requests for Applications [RFAs] that can support research on HiTOP and enlisting teams to develop proposals for these RFAs, recruiting first authors to complete invited papers about HiTOP, etc.).
2. Ratify revisions to the official HiTOP model, fulfilling the role of the ‘Executive Committee’ described in the HiTOP Revisions Protocol.
3. Check that scientific manuscripts that seek endorsement by the Society (e.g., using HiTOP in the byline or affiliations or acknowledgements) are accurate, such as in representing the official HiTOP model. Papers that are not approved by the Research and Publications Board may not use “HiTOP” as a corporate by-line author, or affiliations or acknowledgements or imply in any other way that the paper represents views of the Society or a standing group within it.
4. Approve other scientific products that seek recognition as official products of the Society (e.g., HiTOP measures).
B. The Research and Publications Board consists of the Chair and six (6) board members. Members are appointed by the Workgroups Committee for staggered terms of 3 years, so that every year 2 positions are filled. Likewise, the Chair is appointed every 3 years by the Workgroups Committee. Members of the board and the Chair can be re-appointed if they are willing and able to serve another 3-year term. Chair and members of the Research and Publications Board may not serve on the Executive Committee concurrently with their service on the Research and Publications Board.
C. A member of the board or the Chair can be removed before the expiration of a scheduled term by an affirmative two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Workgroups Committee. Such removal can only be affected upon one of the following grounds: (1) a finding of dereliction in the performance of the duties of office or (2) conviction of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude and the exhausting of any appeals therefrom.
D. In the case of a vacancy occurs in the Board due to death, resignation, removal, or incapacity, such vacancy shall be filled by the Workgroups Committee within 90 days.
E. Chair of the Research and Publications Board is the presiding officer and secretary responsible for scheduling regular meetings, setting meeting agenda, and keeping a record of decisions.
F. The Research and Publications Board is responsible for publishing and updating its Standard Operating Procedures manual that shall be made easily accessible.
ARTICLE XI: WORKGROUPS
A. Workgroups may be proposed by Society Fellows or Members in good standing who wish to advance a specific scientific topic related to the HiTOP model or its applications. Workgroups may include students and other participants with relevant expertise who are not members of the Society. At the time of society formation, there are 9 active workgroups: Quantitative Methods, Clinical Translation, Utility, Measures Development, Neurobiological Foundations, Genetics, Revisions, Developmental, and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion).
B. In order to establish a workgroup, a proposal for formal recognition shall be submitted to the Workgroups Committee for approval by a simple majority vote.
C. Each workgroup shall have either a single chair or a chair and co-chair for a 3-year term, elected by the workgroup members who are also members of the Society. Workgroup participants who are not members of the Society will not be able to vote in the election of workgroup chairs but are encouraged to join the Society if they wish to do so. The current chair/co-chair is eligible for re-election without a limit on the number of terms they serve. These elections are administered by the Executive Chair of the Workgroups Committee. The chair/co-chair may join other workgroups but shall not serve as a chair/co-chair of two workgroups at the same time. All decisions about operations of the workgroup are made by its chair(s) and/or members.
D. Each workgroup has one vote in decisions of the Workgroups Committee.
E. The Workgroups Committee elects the Executive Chair to serve as the presiding officer and the secretary of the Committee for a 3-year term. To be elected, the candidate needs to secure a simple majority of votes by the Workgroups Committee members. Current Executive Chair is eligible for re-election without a limit on the number of terms they serve. Election of the Executive Chair is administered by the Secretary of the Society.
F. The Workgroups Committee will also appoint an independent Research and Publications Board as a safeguard to insulate research efforts of the workgroups from sociopolitical interests of the Society. Chair of the Research and Publications Board will serve as a member of the Workgroups Committee and will be entitled to one vote.
G. Workgroup chair(s) shall report at least annually on progress of their workgroup to the Workgroups Committee. The Workgroups Committee re-authorizes each workgroup at the start of each calendar year. The Committee may determine, at any time, by a simple majority of its members that a given workgroup shall be disbanded. A reason for this decision may be that the workgroup has ceased activity within its approved scope. Other reasons for the disbandment may arise.
H. Each workgroup chair(s) shall set a standard for membership in their workgroup and maintain a list of members in their workgroup.
