Division 13 Bylaws
1. The name of this organization shall be the Society of Consulting Psychology Division 13 (hereinafter referred to as the “Society”), whereas the Society is also Division 13 of the American Psychological Association.
2. The purpose of this Society shall be:
a. Encouraging high standards of psychological consultation;
b. Stimulating the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and consulting experience;
c. Promoting scientific research on psychological problems, especially in the area of consulting psychology;
d. Supporting the advancement of consulting psychology as a science, as a profession, and as a means of promoting human well-being;
e. Fostering supportive and cooperative relations with the American Psychological Association (APA) and with allied associations;
f. Facilitating professional fellowship among psychologists.
g. Encouraging its members to uphold the provisions of the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, which have been adopted as the ethical code of the Society.
1. The Society shall consist of four classes of membership: Fellow, Member, Associate Member and Affiliate.
2. Application Procedures
a. The Fellowship and Membership committees will use procedures and forms as approved by the Executive Board.
b. Each applicant for membership in the Society must complete the application forms approved by the Society’s Executive Board. Whatever inquiries are deemed appropriate to determine an applicant’s suitability for membership shall be made by the Society’s Membership Committee.
c. Applications for membership shall be acted upon by the Executive Board.
3. Fellows – Criteria
Fellows of the Society shall have met the standards set forth for Fellow status in the APA Bylaws. The minimum standards for the Fellow status shall be:
a. a doctoral degree based in part upon a psychological dissertation conferred by a graduate school of recognized standing;
b. prior status as a Member of this Society for at least one year, except in those instances wherein the Executive Board chooses to recommend the direct election to Fellow status of an outstanding individual who is already a Fellow of APA;
c. active engagement at the time of nomination in the practice of consulting psychology;
d. five years of acceptable professional experience in consulting psychology subsequent to the granting of the doctoral degree; and
e. evidence of unusual and outstanding contribution or performance in the field of consulting psychology.
4. Members – Criteria
The minimum standards for Member status in this Society shall be:
a. A doctoral degree in psychology, and
b. full membership in good standing in the American Psychological Association (APA) or the American Psychological Society (APS) or the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) or the Society of Psychologists In Management (SPIM) or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), and
c. A major professional interest in psychological consultation
5. Associates – Criteria
The minimum standards for Associate Member status shall be: a major interest in psychological consultation with a Master’s degree in Psychology or a Doctorate degree in a closely related field. Associate Members may not hold office in the Society. Associate Members may achieve voting privileges only after five years of associate status in the Society but shall be entitled to all other rights and privileges of the Society not specifically denied them in these Bylaws.
6. Affiliates - Criteria
In addition to the regular membership classes there shall be a class of Affiliates. Affiliate members may consist of:
a. Student Affiliates who are accepted in Student Affiliate status within APA and who have an interest in the affairs of the Society.
b. Professional Affiliates who are not members of APA or APS or SIOP or SPIM or CPA but who are engaged in professional activities closely related to those of interest to the Society.
c. Foreign Affiliates who are recognized as Foreign Affiliates by APA and whose interests and activities are related to those of the Society.
Persons recognized as Affiliates of the Society but who are not members of APA or APS or SIOP, or SPIM, or CPA may not represent themselves as members of APA or APS or SIOP, or SPIM, or CPA respectively, or as having any status other than Affiliate.
Affiliates shall have such rights and privileges as may be granted by the Executive Board of the Society, including subscriptions to the Society’s publications. Affiliates shall not have the privilege of holding office in the Society or of voting in Society matters. Affiliates may be charged dues as set by the Executive Board of the Society.
7. Any Member or Affiliate of the Society may be removed from the Society for cause by a vote of two thirds of the entire Executive Board. Action such as unethical practices, unprofessional behavior, or conduct reflecting unfavorably upon the Society or the field of consulting psychology is to be considered sufficient cause for expulsion from the Society.
8. On all matters calling for action by the membership of the Society, each Member, Fellow, and Associate with voting privilege shall have one vote.
9. Any Member who has reached the age of sixty-five years and who has been a Member of the Society of Consulting Psychology for at least twenty-five years shall be exempt from further payment of dues, upon request for such status. Such member shall retain all other rights and privileges of the Society.
1. The officers of the Society shall be the President, the President-elect, and the immediate Past President, the Treasurer, the Secretary, the four Domain Leaders and the Divisional Representative(s) to the APA Council of Representatives. They will serve as the Executive Board of the Society. All officers of the Society shall be Members of the Society.
2. It shall be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings, to act as Chair of the Executive Board of the Society, to exercise supervision over the affairs of the Society with the approval of the Executive Board, to be an ex-officio member of all committees, and to perform such other duties as are incident to the office or as may properly be required by vote of the Executive Board. The President shall serve for a one-year term, which begins at the close of the Midwinter board meeting.
3. The President-elect who serves for a one-year term shall automatically become President at the close of the Midwinter board meeting. It shall be the responsibility of the President-elect to serve as a member of the Executive Board, to perform such other duties as may properly be required by vote of the Executive Board or delegated by the President and to perform the duties of the President in the event of the absence or incapacity of the latter. He or she shall also serve as a member of the Finance Committee.
4. The President who serves for a one-year term shall automatically become immediate Past President at the close of the Midwinter board meeting, as the new President assumes office.
5. The Treasurer shall serve for a term of three years beginning at the close of the Midwinter board meeting at which the election is announced. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to have custody of all Society funds, to make disbursements authorized by the Executive Board, to see to the proper investment of Society funds as directed by the Executive Board, and to exercise fiscal responsibility and control of all funds-generating activities of the Society. The Treasurer shall maintain accurate and up-to-date records of the funds of the Society, and shall report them in writing to the membership at the annual meeting and in other Society publications.
6. The Treasurer shall serve as a member of the Executive Board and see to the development of an annual budget for the Society, to be presented to the incoming meeting of the Executive Board each August. The Executive Board shall determine which of the fiscal functions of the Treasurer shall be delegated in whole or in part to the APA Central Office. The outgoing Treasurer shall assist the incoming Treasurer for the first two months of the latter’s term of office, and shall specifically help the incoming Treasurer in reporting to the membership. The Treasurer shall appoint a Finance Committee, reporting to the Treasurer, which shall provide counsel, advice and such services as may be required by the Treasurer.
7. The Secretary shall serve for a term of three years beginning at the close of the Midwinter board meeting at which the election is announced. The duties of the Secretary shall encompass both correspondence and record keeping. The Secretary shall issue calls, notices and agendas of meetings and of other necessary business, and shall engage in such other correspondence as shall be directed by the Executive Board. The Secretary shall maintain accurate and up-to-date minutes of the actions of the Society, its Executive Board, and shall report them in writing to the membership both at the annual meeting and other Society publications.
8. The Secretary shall be responsible for the publication to the membership of any proposed amendments to the Bylaws, as specified in Article IX - Amendments, and upon adoption of such amendments, shall see to the distribution of the amended Bylaws to the membership. The Secretary shall serve as a member of the Executive Board and as a member of the Archives Committee.
9. The Society Representative(s) to the APA Council of Representatives shall be elected to a term of three years. The Representative(s) shall fulfill the duties outlined in the APA Bylaws and shall also serve as a member of the Executive Board of the Society. If the Society Representative(s) shall be absent from a meeting of the APA Council, the President shall appoint an alternate as permitted by the APA. The alternate must be an APA member or fellow.
10. Replacement of positions vacated by an Executive Board member being elected as President (or another position on the Board) can be accomplished in several ways: (a) Leave the position vacant until the next election cycle, should the time left in the term be no longer than three months; (b) Fill the position for the remainder of the term of office by selecting from the pool of other candidates in the last election in order of those who received the next most votes, then the next most, etc., or (c) Fill the position on an interim basis by appointment until the next election cycle. To maintain consistency with the Society’s nominations and elections bylaws, the Nominations and Elections Committee shall, in consultation with the President, select which of the above three alternatives best serves the Society for Consulting Psychology and forward a suggestion for replacement for Executive
Board approval.
11. There shall be term limits on all elected and appointed positions such that any individual may be elected to only two consecutive terms in the same role. An individual may serve in an unlimited number of other elected and appointed roles as long as the terms for each position are limited to no more than two consecutive terms. Persons serving more than two non-consecutive terms in one position, although allowable, should only be done if other alternatives for the Society are not available or if it is in the best interest of the Society for such person to serve again.
1. There shall be an Executive Board of the Society. Voting members of the Executive Board shall be the President, President-elect, immediate Past-President, Treasurer, Secretary, the Society’s Representative(s) on the Council of Representatives of the APA, and four elected Domain Leaders.
2. The major strategic objectives of the Society are organized around four domains: Community, Advocacy, Research, and Education. The four domains are the means by which the strategies and objectives of the Executive Board are organized. Each domain shall be headed by an elected Domain Leader, who shall serve as part of the Executive Board of the Society. Domain Leaders shall serve for staggered terms of three years each. Functionally, each of the four Domain Leaders shall be the liaison between the Executive Board and other Society committees, task forces, or other entities assigned to the domain. Domain Leaders shall guide and create synergy among committees, align their goals and processes with the objectives of the domain and Society, and help obtain needed resources to fulfill the mission of the domain. Domain Leaders shall be responsible for nominating the committee chairs within their domain; committee chairs shall be approved by the President, with the advice of the Past-President, President-elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Council Representatives.
3. The Executive Board shall have responsibility for the general supervision of the affairs of the Society, performing the duties and abiding by the limitations specified in these Bylaws.
4. The Society President shall be the presiding officer at all meetings of the Executive Board.
5. The Executive Board shall meet no less than one time annually, and such other times as the will of the Executive Board or other circumstances may dictate. All members of the Executive Board shall be invited to attend these meetings. The chairs of other standing or ad hoc committees may also be invited to attend, but shall not share in the privilege of the vote. A quorum exists if at least 50% of the voting members of the Executive Board are present at the meeting. The act of a majority of the voting members of the Executive Board present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Executive Board, under these Bylaws or Society Operating Procedures.
1. The Officers and Domain Leaders of the Society shall be elected by a plurality of the Members voting. Consonant with the rules established by the APA, the Executive Board shall determine whether the Society shall conduct its nomination and election procedures itself or use the facilities of the Central Office of the APA for any part or all of the procedure.
2. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall be chaired by the Past-President of the Society, who shall form a Committee consisting of at least two other members who are past presidents of the Society. Additional members of this Committee might include the President and President-elect.
3. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall issue to the Members a call for nominations for each position to be filled. This call for nominations shall be sent to all Members. The contact information of the Chair of the Committee (e.g., mailing address and e-mail address) shall be included with this communication. This call for nominations may be sent independently or in conjunction with other official Society of Consulting Psychology communications (e.g., the President’s letter). This call for nominations shall be sent sufficiently early in the year to allow time for balloting and counting of ballots. In the event that the Nominations and Elections Committee decides there are too few nominations resulting from the call for nominations to field a viable slate, they are free to explore other options, such as those suggestions in Section 4 below, to generate additional names to ensure a full slate. Additionally, no candidate can appear on an election slate for more than one office. If they are among the top candidates for more than one position, the Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee shall discuss the choice with the candidate, but the final decision rests with the candidate.
4. In order to promote appropriately diverse representation among the Elected Officers and Domain Leaders of the Society or if the call for nominations produces too few nominations, the Nominations and Elections Committee may place additional names on the final ballot beyond those received in response to the initial call for nominations. Should this be necessary, it is suggested that the Chair solicit input regarding additional names to consider for the slate from the Officers of the Society and SCP Committee Chairs. The members of the Nominations and Elections Committee will then utilize a preferential voting system to develop the final slate. Should the nominations process require the Nominations and Elections Committee to take these additional steps to develop a reasonable slate, voting on the final slate to be presented to the Executive Board will be limited to members of the Nominations and Elections Committee. After conducting due diligence, considering reasons such as unresolved ethical issues, pending disciplinary action, membership not in good standing, personal impairment, etc., the Nominations and Elections Committee may decide not to place a nominated candidate on the ballot. Such an action to remove a name from the ballot must receive approval from the Society President. The Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee shall coordinate the process and be responsible for obtaining from each nominee a statement, either verbal or written, of willingness to accept nomination and to serve if elected. The final slate shall be approved by the Executive Board.
5. If the Society chooses to use the facilities of the Central Office of the APA to conduct the Society’s elections, then the Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee shall certify to APA Central Office a final slate of at least two persons, in alphabetical order, placed in nomination for each position, and shall do so by the date specified by the APA for inclusion in the election ballot issued by the Society.
6. If the Society chooses to use the facilities of the Central Office of the APA to conduct the Society’s elections, then the Society Secretary shall obtain the count of the votes for each candidate from the Central Office of the APA, and these counts shall be referred to the Society Nominations and Election Committee who shall first inform all the candidates who stood for election and then shall announce the election results to the membership of the Society.
1. The primary annual business/membership meeting of the Society shall take place at the annual Midwinter Conference.
2. An optional, second business/membership meeting shall take place at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, at the discretion of the President as approved by the Executive Board. The decision to have this second meeting will be made on an annual basis at least four months prior to the convention, and announced to the membership at least four months prior to the convention. Written notice must be delivered to all voting members not less than five and not more than 60 days before the date of the primary annual business/membership meeting. But if the meeting will involve consideration of the removal of an Executive Board member, a merger, consolidation, dissolution or sale, lease or exchange of assets, then the notice must be delivered not less than 20 nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting.
3. The members of the Society holding one-tenth of the votes which may be cast at any meeting shall constitute a quorum. If a quorum is not present, a majority of the members present may adjourn the meeting to another time without further notice.
4. Any action which may be taken at a meeting of the members entitled to vote, may be taken by ballot without a meeting in writing by mail, email, or any other electronic means, provided that the number of members casting votes would constitute a quorum if such action had been taken at a meeting, and provided that notice of the informal action is delivered at least five days prior to the effective date to all of the members entitled to vote.
The act of a majority of the members having voting rights present and voting at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the members, unless the act of a great number is required by law.
1. The standing committees of the Society shall consist of the following: Archives, Awards, Education and Training, Nominations and Elections, Fellows, Membership, Professional Affairs, APA Program, Public Interest, Professional Visibility and Media Relations and Organizational Renewal/Development. Special Committees or appointees shall be established by the Executive Board as needed. Domain Leaders may also chair committees.
2. The standing committees on Awards, Fellows, Membership, Nominations and Elections, and Program shall consist of three or more persons.
3. Ex officio Chairs of the committees shall be: Archives (Secretary), Nominations and Elections (Immediate Past President), and Program (Chair-elect appointed by the President-elect and becomes Chair after one year), with all other Chairs of Committees appointed by the President with the advice of the Executive Board.
4. The Archives Committee shall seek out and keep all current and historical materials pertaining to the Society, especially its Newsletters, Bulletins, and issues of the Consulting Psychology Journal and other important documents. It shall communicate with members of the Society, past and present, in order to secure as complete and as historical a record as possible.
5. The Awards Committee shall be responsible for informing the professional public of the existence of award(s) offered by the Society. The committee shall spell out the requirements for submitting appropriate materials pertaining to these awards, sending them to a minimum of three raters, and, finally, rendering a decision as to the winners and the honorary mentions. The Awards Committee shall be chaired by a Past-President of the Society.
6. The Education and Training Committee shall stay abreast of developing needs, trends, and resources in its area of concern, including post doctoral training and Continuing Education. It shall make recommendations in these matters to the Executive Board and the Society membership. In addition, it shall serve as a liaison to APA committees concerned with education and training to explain the needs of consulting psychology.
7. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall carry out the function described in Article V of these Bylaws. It shall be chaired by the immediate Past President and have at least two other members who are Past Presidents of the Society.
8. The Fellows Committee shall carry out the functions as described in Article II as related to Fellows. All members of the Fellows Committees shall be Fellows of the Society.
9. The Membership Committee shall carry out the functions described in Article II related to Fellow, Member, Associate Member and Affiliates.
10. The Professional Affairs Committee shall work toward facilitating and professionalizing consulting activities and familiarizing other professionals as to the nature and scope of consultation activities. It shall also address itself to the professional role of the consulting psychologist and regulatory matters which might influence the nature and scope of the practice of consulting psychology, including ethics.
11. The APA Program Committee shall make arrangements for the program and annual meeting of the Society in accordance with Article VI and shall coordinate the program with the APA Board of Convention Affairs. An APA Program Committee member will be appointed by each President-elect for a three-year term, during the second year of which the individual shall serve as Chair of the Committee.
12. The Committee for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest (CAPPI) shall keep the Society continuously aware of consulting psychologists’ concerns in the areas of social and ethical responsibility. It shall encourage responsiveness of consulting psychology to social issues pertaining to public interest.
13. The Chair of each committee shall prepare a written report of its activities, and shall see that such is presented to the Executive Board at the Midwinter meeting and be available to the membership at the annual meeting.
1. The minimum annual membership dues for each member shall be the amount specified from time to time by the Society’s Executive Board.
2. Any regular or special assessments other than the annual dues shall be decided by a majority vote of those Members present and voting at an annual meeting or by a majority of those Members voting in a special mail ballot.
1. Amendments to these Bylaws may be offered to the Members for vote if (a) recommended by the Executive Board, (b) recommended by a majority of those present and voting at the Annual Business Meeting of the Society, or (c) if petitioned for by one percent of the Members of the Society.
2. After proposed amendments to these Bylaws have been (a) presented and read at the preceding Annual Meeting, or (b) mailed to the last known post office address of each Member at least two months prior to the final vote, or (c) published on the Web-site or other publications of the Society at least two months prior to the final vote, the Society shall adopt such amendments if a majority of the Members voting on the proposed amendments approve them.
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Amended: August 2010
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Revised: December 2010