PES Constitution
Article I
Name:
The name of this organization shall be "The Philosophy of Education Society."
Article II
Purposes:
The purposes of this organization are (1) to promote the fundamental philosophic treatment of the problems of education, (2) to promote the clarification of agreements and differences among the several philosophies of education through the opportunities for discussion afforded by annual meetings, (3) to advance and improve teaching in the philosophy of education both in schools for the education of teachers and in other educational institutions, (4) to cultivate fruitful relationships between workers in general philosophy and workers in philosophy of education, (5) to cultivate fruitful relationships between scholars in philosophy of education and those in other areas of education inside and outside the academy, and (6) to encourage promising students in the field of philosophy of education.
Article III
Membership:
Section I. There shall be two classes of members: Member and Emeritus.
Section II. A Member is one who has an interest and competence in philosophy of education and has joined the Society by submitting a properly executed application form and paying the first year's dues.
Section III. A Member in good standing is a Member whose annual dues payments are up to date. A Member not in good standing can achieve the status of good standing by paying the current year’s dues.
Section IV. The title, Emeritus, may be given by the Executive Board to an individual who, as a minimum qualification, has been a Member of the Society for at least fifteen years and who has retired from a full-time academic position. Nominations for membership as Emeritus shall be sponsored by two Members in good standing and shall be submitted to the Executive Board with evidence that the nominee has made sufficient contributions to the Society to qualify for membership as Emeritus. The Executive Board shall take into account the following more specific criteria in determining whether or not a nomination for status as Emeritus shall be approved: (1) publication in the field of philosophy of education, (2) teaching of collegiate courses in the field, and (3) the completion of a doctoral degree and dissertation in the field. The Board may consider other criteria as they see fit (e.g., having held research grants that promote philosophy of education).
Section V. Both classes of membership shall enjoy the right of the floor at all meetings of the Society and the right to vote on all matters that are decided by vote of membership.
Section VI. A candidate nominated for membership as Emeritus shall be accepted into membership by a favorable vote of at least four members of the Executive Board. The Executive Board may authorize the Executive Director to accept into the membership nominees for Member upon receipt of a properly executed nomination form and accompanying inaugural year's dues.
Article IV
Officers and Executive Board
Section I. The officers of the Society shall include a President, a President-Elect, an Executive Director, and a Communications Director. Only Members and Emeritus Members of the Society may serve as officers. There shall be an Executive Board, the members of which shall be the officers of the Society, the immediate Past President of the Society, and two members elected from the membership at large.
Section II. The President-Elect of the Society shall be elected for a one-year term, immediately after which s/he shall automatically become the President of the Society for a one-year term. Any Member or Emeritus Member who holds these offices may not be reelected until at least two years after retirement as President. The duties of the President-Elect shall be to serve as a regular member of the Executive board. The President-Elect shall also assume the duties of the President when so authorized by the Executive Board.
Section III. The duties of the President shall include (1) presiding at the annual general meeting, (2) appointing, with the approval of a majority of the Executive Board, a Program Committee for the year of office and serving as ex officio member of that committee, (3) making appointments with the approval of a majority of the Executive Board to fill vacancies which may occur in the unexpired term of any office except the Presidency, (4) supervising arrangements for the annual general meeting of the Society, and (5) proposing the names of eleven members from which seven will be chosen as members of the Election Committee in accordance with the Bylaws.
Section IV. The Executive Director of the Society shall be appointed yearly provided that an incumbent may not hold office more than three years in succession. The duties of the Executive Director shall include (1) maintaining records of the minutes of the annual meeting, of the deliberations of the Executive Board, and of the official correspondence of the Society, (2) collecting dues from the membership and executing the expenditure of funds for the Society, (3) conducting the elections of the Election Committee members, the elected members of the Executive Board, and members of the Commission on Professional Affairs in the manner provided by the Bylaws,(4) circulating official notices to the members regarding the annual meeting and official business of the Society and (5) presiding at the annual meeting in the absence of the President and President-Elect.
Section V. The Communications Director of the Society shall be appointed yearly with no limit on terms. The duties of the Communications Director shall include (1) collaboration with the Executive Director and Program Chair to ensure information relevant to the membership is made accessible through digital channels, (2) maintaining and upgrading, as appropriate, the Society’s website, (3) ensuring the Society has an accessible and informative presence in additional online spaces, and (4) other communicative activities as the development of digital technologies allows and requires.
Section VI. The Executive Board shall consist of the officers of the Society, the immediate Past President, and two members elected to staggered terms of two years. The duties of the Executive Board shall include (1) passing upon nominations for Emeritus members, (2) authorizing and approving expenditures of the Society's funds, (3) acting upon any resignation submitted by officers of the Society and in the event of the resignation submitted by officers of the current President, or whenever a majority of the Executive Board votes that the President is unable to perform the duties of the office, the Board shall authorize either the President-Elect or the immediate Past President to assume the presidential duties, (4) deciding upon the time and place of the meeting of the Society, and (5) creating ad hoc committees as it may think appropriate to carry on the work of the Society. Ad hoc committees created by the Board may continue to stand beyond the end of the fiscal year succeeding the one in which they are formed only on a favorable vote of the membership at the first annual business meeting following their creation.
Section VII. The terms of the officers and at-large members of the Executive Board begin and end at the passing of the gavel at the annual meeting of the Society.
Article V
Commission on Professional Affairs
Section I. There shall be a Commission on Professional Affairs, the function of which is to examine for the Society all issues related to the conduct of its professional affairs, and in consultation with the President and Executive Board, to take relevant action, subject to review by the Society.
Section II. Members of the Commission shall be the President of the Society, ex officio, and five members elected to staggered terms of five years from the membership of the Society. No elected member of the Commission may hold another elective office in the Society while a member of the Commission. Members shall be elected in the same manner as provided in the Bylaws for the election of officers of the Society.
Article VI
Amendments
This Constitution may be amended in whole or in part by the following process: (1) proposed changes in the Constitution must have the endorsement of at least two members and must be submitted in writing to the Executive Director; (2) at least one month before the annual general meeting the Executive Director shall email all members of the Society an account of the proposed changes; (3) discussion of these changes shall be an order of business at the regular business session of the Society during the annual general meeting; (4) after the annual general meeting the Executive Director shall email ballots concerning the aforesaid proposed changes in the Constitution to all members in good standing; (5) the proposed amendments which receive a favorable vote from the majority of ballots returned shall be incorporated in the Constitution. The Executive Board shall fix the limit within which ballots on the proposed amendments must be returned to the Executive Director in order to count in the official voting.
- [Constitution revised, 1981, to correct sexist language]
- [Article III revised, 1982]
- [Article III, Section 3 revised, 1988]
- [Article IV amended, 1994]
- [Constitution Amended to change the title "Executive Secretary" to "Executive Director, 2005]
- [Constitution amended, 2016]
PES Bylaws
I. Standing Committees
- A Program Committee of at least ten members shall be appointed by the President-Elect within 90 days of agreeing to serve as President. The President shall appoint a member as chair of the Program Committee for the Annual Meeting and, in consultation with the Program Chair, shall appoint additional members of the Program Committee. The Program Chair shall supervise the review of submissions to the Annual Meeting, assemble the Program, and supervise the editing of the Yearbook.
- An Election Committee of seven members shall be elected in the following manner: At least four months before the annual business meeting of the Society, the Executive Director shall email to each member a list of names of eleven members of the Society selected by the President as candidates for the Election Committee. Each Member shall be asked to vote for seven of the persons whose names are on the list no later than three months before the annual business meeting. The seven persons receiving the most votes shall constitute the Election Committee, and the Executive Director shall notify the President of the names of the members elected. The President shall appoint one of the elected members Chair of the Election Committee.
The incoming Election Committee shall confer immediately, after which the Chair of the Election Committee shall seek suggestions for nominations from the Society's membership at large. In accordance with the Constitutional provisions for eligibility, the Election Committee will select one nominee for the position of President-Elect and two nominees each for the Executive Board and the Commission on Professional Affairs. The Chair of the Election Committee will supervise the nomination of one Member of the Society to serve as Executive Director, including there appointment of the sitting Executive Director in accordance with the three-year term limit. The Chair of the Election Committee will supervise the nomination of one Member of the Society to serve as Communications Director, including the reappointment of the sitting Communications Director.
After generating a list of nominations (from within the Election Committee and from the membership at large) the election committee shall confer electronically to select the President-Elect and the nominees for each of the other vacancies. The Chair of the Election Committee will then contact all of the nominees to make sure they are willing to serve or run for each position. At least one month before the annual business meeting the Executive Director shall conduct an election electronically for these positions to be completed prior to the annual meeting. The Election Committee Chair shall notify each of the nominees of the results of the election prior to the meeting, and then shall announce the persons elected at the annual business meeting. - A Membership Committee of at least three members shall be appointed by the incoming President to staggered terms of three years. The Chair shall be appointed by the President in consultation with the committee members, and members shall not serve more than two successive terms. The function of the membership committee is to track (in consultation with the Executive Director) trends in conference registration and membership, consider ways of strengthening the connection of current members to the society, and explore means for attracting new members.
- A Finance Committee of at least four members shall be appointed by the incoming President to staggered terms of three years (with the possibility of renewal). The Chair shall be elected by the members of the Committee. The function of the Committee shall be to review the PES investment strategy and portfolio, as well as the Society’s annual budget, and to recommend substantive and procedural changes as necessary to the Executive Board.
- A Conference Management Committee of at least two members shall be appointed by the incoming President to staggered terms of two years (with the possibility of renewal). The member who is in the second year of service to the committee shall be designated as Chair of the committee. Additionally, the Chair of the Finance Committee and a Hospitality Chair, appointed by the incoming President, shall serve as ex officio members. The function of the Conference Management Committee shall include but not be limited to consulting with the professional meeting planner about conference locations and hotel negotiations, ensuring that PES receives everything that was negotiated in the hotel contract, monitoring room reservations, determining and ordering meeting room set-up orders and food orders, and meticulously reviewing the Banquet and Event Orders (BEOs) and the final bill from the hotel.
- A Committee on the Status of Women in the Profession, consisting of five members, shall be appointed by the incoming President to staggered terms of three years. The Chair shall be appointed by the President of the Society in consultation with the committee members. The Committee on the Status of Women will study and promote the status of women in Philosophy of Education.
- A Mentorship Committee of at least three members shall be appointed by the incoming President to staggered terms of two years. The Chair shall be appointed by the President in consultation with the committee members. The Mentorship Committee shall select one of its members to serve as a non-voting liaison on the Commission on Professional Affairs. The function of the Committee shall be to promote equal opportunity employment practices by members of the Society and their affiliated institutions. The Committee will take responsibility for regular communication with the members of the society on issues related to the employment of philosophers of education, using such vehicles as newsletters, email, and scheduled sessions in annual meetings of the Society.
- A Committee on Race and Ethnicity, consisting of five members, shall be appointed by the incoming President to staggered terms of three years. The Chair shall be appointed by the President in consultation with the committee members. The Committee on Race and Ethnicity will promote and support the study of race and ethnicity in philosophy of education.
- A Publications Committee shall be constituted each year, consisting of the Editor of GroundWorks, the Editor of the Yearbook, the Editor of the Yearbook in the previous year, the Managing Editor of the Yearbook, and one member of the Mentorship Committee (selected by the members of that committee). The Executive Director shall serve as an ex-officio member of the committee. The function of this committee is to create and sustain policies and procedures related to the publication of the Yearbook, oversee the publication process of the Yearbook to help ensure it comes out in a timely fashion.
- A Just Community Committee, consisting of at least three members, shall be appointed by the President to staggered terms of three years. This committee will work with the Executive Board to ensure a welcoming conference experience for all members. Conference attendees who experience any harassment at the conference should report it to members of this committee. The committee is designed to act as a neutral resource to receive concerns, grievances, and complaints; to provide information about resources on/off the relevant home institution; and to offer feedback and relevant support.
II. Special Interest Groups
Any member can propose a Special Interest Group (SIG) on a topic they believe holds the interest of a group of members. To propose a SIG, the member must show the interest of at least 5 other members and have the proposal approved by a simple majority at the annual business meeting. A SIG is not entitled to a paper or alternative session on the program, but can request of that year’s Program Chair the inclusion of a breakfast meeting on the program. If a SIG submits a proposal for a paper or alternative session, it will be subject to the same review process as other paper and alternative session proposals. On a regular basis, the Exec Board will review existing SIGs to see if they still attract sufficient interest. If not, they will be deactivated.
III. Meetings
The Society shall have at least one general meeting each year.
IV. Affiliation
A Region may apply to the Executive Board of the Society for affiliation by submitting evidence that the requirements for affiliation have been met. To be eligible for such affiliation they must meet the following criteria: (1) Not fewer than three, preferably five or more, Members shall have constituted themselves into a Region. (2) A Region shall appoint a Regional Representative to the Society, and s/he shall be selected from among the Members of the Regional Society. (3) Qualification for membership shall be determined by the Region. (4) The Constitution of the Region shall incorporate the statement concerning purposes from the Constitution of the Society. The Region shall have the right to use the name of the Society on its letterhead.
V. Dues
The annual dues shall be set, with the restrictions set out below, by a majority vote of the Executive Board, but no change in the amount of dues shall apply until the fiscal year following that in which dues are set. The Executive Board shall set a progressive schedule of dues (based on income) that applies to all members, including student members. Failure to pay dues for two years in succession is to be treated as a termination of membership. Former members may regain membership by paying the current year’s dues.
VI. Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Society shall begin on July 1 and end on the following June 30.
VII. Bylaws
Bylaws of the Society may be changed by a majority of those voting at any annual business meeting of the Society.
- [Bylaws amended, 1981]
- [Bylaws amended, 1984, to include Committee of Honors]
- [Bylaws amended, 1986, to delete Committee of Honors]
- [Bylaws amended, 1988, to delete the Jobs for Philosophers Committee]
- [Bylaw 1, part 2 amended, 1989]
- [Bylaws I.5 and I.6 added, 1995, to add Jobs Committee and CLSE Liaison Committee]
- [Bylaws amended,2015]
- [Bylaws amended,2016]
- [Bylaws amended, 2018]
- [Bylaws amended, 2019, changed the name of Jobs for Philosophers Committee to Mentorship Committee, added Publications Committee and Just Community Committee, add “in consultation with the committee" to Chair appointees by the President]