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Gender Issues & Worklife Balance

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I. NAME OF ORGANIZATION

The name of this organization shall be the Gender Issues and Worklife Balance Section of the American Accounting Association.

II. OBJECTIVES

The Gender Issues and Worklife Balance Section of the American Accounting Association has the overall objective of facilitating interaction among Association members regarding gender issues and worklife balance as they relate to accounting practice, research, and education.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

  1. Promoting knowledge and encouraging research in gender issues and worklife balance by identifying areas in need of research, facilitating the exchange of ideas and findings, and providing opportunities for exposure of research results.
  2. Fostering opportunities to enrich women's professional lives so they may reach their full potential as scholars and practitioners; facilitating increased participation of women in professional conferences, committees, and editorial boards of publications.
  3. Providing a forum in which Association men and women can discuss the impact of women's increased participation in the workforce, and encouraging interdisciplinary exchanges between accountants and members of other learned groups.
  4. Promoting equitable treatment of women and men in business and academia, and promoting classroom knowledge and sensitivity to gender issues and worklife balance.
  5. Increasing the awareness of the policies that assist professional women and men in successfully combining career and family.
  6. Determining and exploring those areas in which accountants' unique financial expertise can improve the economic and social well-being of women and men in contemporary society.

In order to meet its objectives, the Gender Issues and Worklife Balance Section will sponsor the following activities, consistent with American Accounting Association policy:

  1. Session(s) and appropriate programs at the annual and regional meetings of the Association.
  2. Publication of a newsletter to disseminate information regarding members' research, forthcoming Association programs, accounting conferences of interests, topics for potential research, and other relevant issues.
  3. Provide assistance to members for preparation of research, educational materials and programs, employment information, and other activities as needed.

III. MEMBERSHIP

  1. All persons who pay the annual dues levied by the Gender Issues and Worklife Balance Section, subject to the rules of the American Accounting Association, shall be members of the Section.
  2. All members of the section are eligible to vote, hold office, and participate in all activities of the Section, and are entitled to all of its other privileges.

IV. DUES AND FEES

  1. Annual dues and all changes therein shall be recommended to the membership by the Executive Committee, within the limits imposed by the American Accounting Association, for approval by the membership at the annual meeting.
  2. Fees may be charged to participating individuals for publications, special activities, and meetings (excluding regular sessions at national and regional American Accounting Association meetings). The fees charged are set by the President subject to guidelines established by the Executive Committee.

V. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee of the Section shall consist of the Immediate Past President, Current President, President-Elect, Vice-President of Research, Vice-President of Practice, Secretary-Treasurer, Membership Coordinator, Coordinator of Regional Activities, and the Newsletter Editor. The Executive Committee shall act as an advisory committee for the President in coordinating overall Section activities.  Specifically, the Executive Committee shall aid the President in:

  1. formulating short- and long-run programs for the Section and presenting these programs to the membership;
  2. approving the annual budget of the Section;
  3. establishing and staffing standing and ad hoc committees as needed by the Section;
  4. insuring communication and coordination among regional and national Section activities;
  5. appointing Section offices if they are vacated between elections;
  6. reporting to the Section membership, at least annually, on major actions and activities; and,
  7. carrying out other activities specified by the Section Bylaws.

VI. ELECTED OFFICERS

The elected officers of the Section shall consist of the President, President-Elect, Vice-President of Research, Vice-President of Practice, and Secretary-Treasurer.

A.   The President shall serve a one-year term.  The duties of the president shall be:

  1. to direct the affairs of the Section and carry out the programs approved by the Section membership.
  2. to preside at the annual and other meetings.
  3. to represent the Section on the Council of the American Accounting Association and in other forums as appropriate.
  4. to charge and appoint committees and task forces.
  5. to authorize expenditures of Section funds in accordance with the budget adopted by the Section Executive Committee.
  6. to cooperate with the President of the American Accounting Association relative to Sectional activities at the annual meeting.
  7. in consultation with the President-Elect, to appoint the Membership Coordinator and the Newsletter Editor.
  8. to appoint the Coordinator of Regional Activities and to work with the Coordinator of Regional Activities and the American Accounting Association Regional Vice-Presidents to encourage Section involvement at the regional meetings.

B.   The President-Elect shall serve a one-year term and upon completion of this term, shall become the President of the Section.  The duties of the President-Elect shall be:

1.  to assume the duties of the President in the event the President is unable to serve.

2.  to perform duties assigned by the President and Executive Committee.

3.  to make recommendations for activities and programs to the membership at the annual meeting of the Section.

4. to attend AAA Council Meetings.

C.   The Vice-President of Research shall serve a one-year term (and is eligible for re-election).  The duties of the Vice-President of Research shall be:

1. to perform those duties assigned by the President and Executive Committee

2. to direct relevant research activities, including:

1. to liaison among Section members regarding their research.

2. to promote research of the section.

3. to establish networks between section members, the AAA, and organizations outside of the AAA pursuing similar accountability, economic, and social issues.

4. to encourage and prepare grant and funding proposals.

D.   The Vice-President of Practice shall serve a one-year term (and is eligible for re-election). The duties of the office shall be:

  1. to perform those duties assigned by the President and Executive Committee.
  2. to make recommendations to the membership at the annual meeting and through the Newsletter concerning current, past, and future gender issues and worklife balance issues affecting accounting practice.
  3. to serve as a liaison between the Section and members of the professional community including the communication of research results with implications for practice to the professional community.

E.   The Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected for a two-year term and is eligible for re-election but cannot serve more than two consecutive terms.  The duties of the Secretary-Treasurer shall be:

  1. to supervise the keeping of the records of Section meetings, activities, and procedures.
  2. to work with the Executive Director of the American Accounting Association relative to the collection and disbursement of Sectional funds.
  3. to provide assistance and guidance for the dissemination of information to members (such as through newsletters or bulletins).
  4. to prepare an annual report of the financial status of the Section.

F.   No Section officer shall receive compensation, honoraria, professional fees, stipends, etc. for the performance of Section duties.  Officers may be reimbursed from Section funds for expenses incurred in connection with the performance of their duties under guidelines established by the Executive Committee.

VII. ELECTION OF OFFICERS

  1. A Nominating Committee shall consist of the Current President, the President-Elect, the Vice-Presidents, and the two most immediate past Presidents of the Section. The Nominating Committee shall solicit nominations from the membership and prepare a slate of nominees for the positions of President-Elect, Vice-Presidents and Secretary-Treasurer. The slate shall be presented to the membership approximately sixty days prior to the annual meeting.  The final slate of officers shall include those individuals nominated by the Nominating Committee and those nominated by petition of ten or more members of the Section, and shall be presented approximately thirty days prior to the annual meeting.
  2. Any member in attendance at the annual meeting may nominate a candidate for Vice-President, President -Elect or Secretary-Treasurer from the floor.  All nominees must be members in good standing of the Section and must indicate a willingness to serve the Section.
  3. Election of the officers shall be by majority vote of those members attending the annual meeting of the Section and voting.  These officers shall take office immediately following the conclusion of the meeting at which they were elected.

VIII. APPOINTED OFFICERS

The appointed officers of the Section shall consist of the Coordinator of Regional Activities, the Membership Coordinator, and the Newsletter Editor.

  1. The Coordinator of Regional Activities shall be appointed by the President-Elect for a one-year term and is eligible for re-appointment.  The duties of the Coordinator of Regional Activities shall be:
    1. to annually appoint regional coordinators for the Section activities within each region of the American Accounting Association.
    2. to work with the regional coordinators to encourage and promote sessions at regional meetings of the American Accounting Association, as well as at other programs and activities, designed to further the stated objectives of the Gender Issues in Accounting Section.
  2. The Membership Coordinator shall be appointed by the President for a one-year term and is eligible for re-appointment.  The duties of the Membership Coordinator shall be:
    1. to annually appoint regional membership coordinators for the Section within each region of the American Accounting Association;
    2. to work with the regional membership coordinators to encourage Section membership within each region;
    3. to maintain membership listings of the Section; and,
    4. to work with the Executive Director of the American Accounting Association regarding all aspects of Section membership.
  3. The Newsletter Editor shall be appointed by the President for a one-year term and is eligible for re-appointment. The duty of the Newsletter Editor shall be to edit and publish a Section Newsletter on a timely (normally twice each year unless exceptional circumstances warrant additional issues) basis.
  4. No Section coordinator shall receive compensation, honoraria, professional fees, stipends, etc. for the performance of Section duties. Coordinators may be reimbursed from Section funds for expenses incurred in connection with the performance of their duties under guidelines established by the Executive Committee.

IX. MEETINGS

The Section shall hold an annual meeting in conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Accounting Association.  All matters coming before the Section membership at the meeting shall be decided by a majority vote of those members present and voting.
 
X. EXPENDITURES

Procedures for the expenditure of funds shall be established and monitored by the Executive Committee.  Expenditures may not be made or debts incurred in the name of the Section in an amount which exceeds the unencumbered funds available to the Section during the current year.

XI. AMENDMENTS

Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed by the officers of the Section or by a petition of not less than 10 members of the Section or by a motion at the annual meeting approved by a majority of those present.  Amendments proposed by the officers or by petition shall be distributed in writing to the membership 60 days prior to the annual meeting.  The material so distributed shall contain both the old bylaws and the proposed change(s) along the rationale for the proposed change(s).  Amendments proposed by the officers or by petition shall be voted on at the next annual meeting following their distribution to the membership.  Amendments proposed by motion at the annual meeting shall be presented for vote at the next annual meeting or, at the discretion of the President, by mail ballot.  Amendments to the Bylaws must be approved by two-thirds majority of the members voting.

XII.  AWARDS

1          Best Paper Award

A Best Paper Award will be awarded each year to one of the papers presented at the Annual Meeting.  In order for a paper to be considered, at least one author must be a member of the section.  The selection will be made by a Committee chaired by the Annual Meeting Program Coordinator.

2.            Outstanding Dissertation Award

An Outstanding Dissertation Award will be given each year to the outstanding dissertation selected from dissertations submitted for consideration. The winning dissertation need not be focused solely on gender issues and worklife balance, but must include some aspects of gender issues and worklife balance.  The selection will be made by a Committee co-chaired by the President and Vice-President of Research. Nominations must be submitted by a Section member by March 1 for dissertations completed in the prior calendar year.

3.            Outstanding Published Manuscript Award

 An Outstanding Published Manuscript Award will be given each year to the outstanding manuscript selected from published articles submitted to the Section for consideration. The winning manuscript need not be focused solely on gender issues and worklife balance, but must include some aspects of gender issues and worklife balance.  In order for a manuscript to be considered, at least one author must be a member of the section.  The selection will be made by a Committee co-chaired by the President and Vice-President of Research. Nominations must be submitted by March 1 for manuscripts published in the prior calendar year.

4.            Mentoring Award

A Mentoring Award will be awarded each year to a special mentor (female or male) who has affected the lives of women in accounting. Nominated candidates (men and women) will be judged on the following criteria: a) Demonstrated significant mentoring of women in the accounting profession; mentoring will be measured by the levels of achievement of those women; b) A demonstration of such activities for at least ten years. The selection will be made by a Committee co-chaired by President and President-Elect of the Section. The award will be given each year to the most outstanding person nominated. Nominations must be submitted by March 1. The award winner cannot be a recipient of this award in the preceding five year period.