|
AFDAA
By-Laws
Article
I - Name
This organization
forthwith shall be known as Association of Forensic DNA Analysts and
Administrators (AFDAA).
Article
II - Purposes
The purposes for
which AFDAA is organized are:
A. To provide for an
exchange of ideas / information among its members to aid in further
improving DNA analysis methods, techniques, and procedures.
B. To provide a
forum for the exchange of information concerning legislative issues
in DNA analysis.
C. To provide
services to members in the area of quality assurance programs (e.g.
proficiency testing, auditing, etc.)
Article
III - Membership
A. Membership is
open to DNA analysts, DNA supervisors, and DNA laboratory
administrators who are employed and engaged in the forensic aspects
of DNA analysis for the judicial system and who are interested in the
exchange of ideas / information concerning DNA analysis methods.
Membership is also open to university students engaged in a
curriculum preparing for a career in forensic DNA analysis or administration.
B. There shall be
six types of membership in AFDAA: 1. STUDENT, 2. REGULAR, 3. CHARTER,
4. DIPLOMAT, 5. FELLOW, and 6. RETIRED.
C. Qualifications
for membership:
1. Student Member:
Has no voting privileges and cannot hold office. This level of
membership has no meeting attendance requirements. Applicant must be
currently engaged in a curriculum preparing for a career in forensic
DNA analysis. Membership is obtained by application, a reference from
an AFDAA member or university faculty advisor, and a 2/3 majority
vote by the members present at the next scheduled meeting.
2. Regular Member:
Can vote and hold office while active. Must attend at least one
meeting every three years and keep membership dues current to
maintain active status. Membership is obtained by application, a
reference from an active AFDAA member, meeting attendance prior to or
at the time of application, and a 2/3 majority vote by members
present at the meeting of application.
3. Charter member:
Can vote and hold office while active. There is no meeting attendance
requirement; however, membership dues must be kept current to
maintain active status. The applicant must presently be a member and
must have been a member prior to 1996. Status is obtained by
application and a 2/3 majority vote by members present at the meeting
of application.
4. Diplomat: Can
vote and hold office while active. Must attend at least one meeting
every three years and keep membership dues current to maintain active
status. This level requires at least two years of service as a member
and attendance at two or more meetings prior to applying for Diplomat
status. The applicant must present a paper/talk at two different
meetings, serve at least one term as an officer, or serve on at least
two committees or in some other service capacity to the organization.
Status is obtained by application and 2/3 majority vote by members
present at meeting of application.
5. Fellow: Can vote
and hold office while active. Must attend at least one meeting every
three years to maintain active status. This level requires at least
four years of service as a member or two years of service as a
Diplomat and requires attendance at four or more meetings prior to
applying for Fellow status. The applicant must present a paper/talk
at two different meetings or serve on at least two committees or in
some other service capacity to the organization, and serve at least
one term as an officer. Status is obtained by application and a 2/3
majority vote by members present at meeting of application.
6. Retired member,
charter member, diplomat, or fellow: Can vote and hold office. This
level has no membership dues or attendance requirements. The
applicant must presently be a member, charter member, diplomat or
fellow. They also must be retired from the facility/agency at which
they were employed in the field of forensic DNA analysis or
administration and they must be eligible for immediate collection of
retirement benefits. Status is obtained by application and 2/3
majority vote by members present at meeting of application.
D. Membership or
status may be revoked only if such revocation is initiated by the
Chair and confirmed by a 2/3 majority vote of returned ballots.
E. Active members,
with the exceptions of those membership classifications listed in
article III, item C., shall be current on all dues, fees, and
assessments; and adhere to the principles listed in article III, item
F, and have attended at least one meeting in three years. Only active
members are eligible to vote and to hold office. Members who are
inactive are subject to being removed from the membership roster. The
active member qualifications must be satisfied in order to be reinstated.
F. We the members of
AFDAA, shall strive to the utmost to uphold the following code of
ethical conduct in ourselves as well as in other members of the association.
1. Comply with the
by-laws of the Association.
2. Treat all
information from any agency, client, or fellow member with the
confidentiality required.
3. Carry out the
duties of the profession with integrity, attention to accuracy, and
in an unbiased manner.
4. Will not
misrepresent qualifications, evidence, opinions, conclusions, or testimony.
G. Any member who
has knowingly violated any of the provisions of the Code of Ethics
may be liable for censure, suspension or expulsion by action of the Membership.
Article
IV - Officers
The "day to day
business" of AFDAA will be conducted by the following officers
elected from the membership:
A. The duties of the
Chair shall consist of, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:
B. The duties of the
Vice Chair shall consist of, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:
C. The duties of the
Secretary shall consist of, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:
D. The duties of the
Treasurer shall consist of, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:
The terms of all
offices shall be two years.
An officer may be
impeached by a 2/3 majority vote of the members voting during a
scheduled meeting or by mail ballot.
Impeachment
proceedings may be initiated by any officer as requested by any member.
Article
V - Operations
Officers shall be
elected by secret ballot by a simple majority of the members present
at the meetings in which elections are required.
An individual shall
not be elected to more than one office simultaneously.
The Chair and
Secretary shall be elected in odd numbered years with the Vice Chair
and Treasurer being elected in even numbered years.
If an officer is
unable to complete the term of office to which they were elected, the
membership may choose to hold a special election and the newly
elected individual will hold that office until a scheduled election
will occur.
AFDAA shall be
operated as a not-for-profit organization.
Powers AFDAA
possesses shall be vested in its members.
All dues, fees, and
assessments must be approved by the members by a simple majority of
the ballots cast.
Article
VI - Complaint(s) or Allegation(s) of Violation of the Code of Ethics
The following
procedure shall apply to any written complaint, allegation, or
inquiry of unethical or wrongful conduct against a member initiated
by a member.
1. Initiating Action
a) A member of the
Association may submit a formal written complaint, allegation, or
inquiry of violation(s) concerning a member to the Chair, or the
Chair may bring about an inquiry based on any evidence brought
forward which indicates the need for further investigation of a member.
b) The Chair will
notify the member being investigated that an inquiry is pending and
that their cooperation is important to facilitate the investigation.
c) Unethical
accusations by any member will also be investigated to the full
extent of under these rules.
2. Establishment and
Charge of the Investigating Committee
a) The Chair will
have 15 days in which to form an ad hoc committee composed of an even
number of members at large (a minimum of 4) one of which will be
appointed as the coordinator. No officer will be involved as a
committee member. No member affiliated with the accusing party or the
accused member's laboratory system shall be involved as a committee member.
b) The primary
functions of the committee will be:
i. To investigate
alleged violations of the Code of Ethics
ii. To act as an
advisory body, rendering opinions on the alleged violations
c) Further, the
members of the investigating committee shall not discuss
complaint(s), allegation(s), or issue(s) outside the committee and/or
officers until the committee presents documented findings of actual violations.
3. Investigation and Hearing
a) The committee
shall determine whether the complaint(s) or allegation(s) fall within
its jurisdiction and whether there is probable cause to proceed further.
i. If in its
preliminary assessment there is a lack of probable cause to believe
the complaint(s) or allegation(s), the issue will be dismissed and a
report shall be issued to the chair stating the reasons for its
decision to dismiss. Notice of this decision will also be given to
the member being investigated and the accuser(s).
ii. If there is
probable cause to believe the complaint(s) or allegation(s) are
founded, the committee shall give notice to all parties involved so
that they may assemble such written data pertinent to the
investigation so as to permit the committee to determine the nature
of the investigation and if further action is necessary.
iii. If the
committee decides to dismiss the allegation(s) without formal
hearing, it may do so. The issue will be dismissed and a report shall
be issued to the chair stating the basic facts and stating the
reason(s) for its decision. Notice of this decision will also be
given to the member being investigated and accuser(s).
vi. If the committee
decides to formally hear the charge(s), it shall give the members a
reasonable opportunity to be heard, further investigated, and/or take
the necessary corrective action. It shall then make a decision and
notify all parties involved of its decision. The committee shall then
prepare a report to the Chair stating the facts and the committee's recommendation(s).
b) Following receipt
of an investigative report, the Chair will present the results and
recommendations to the other officers. With the approval of all of
the officers, the committee's findings, recommendations, and proposed
actions shall be presented in writing to the member being investigated.
c) Within 30 days,
the accused has the right to appeal to any officer prior to the
release of the recommendations to the Association. In effecting an
appeal, the appellant may present any other information they believe
to be pertinent to the investigation.
d) If at any step in
this investigation process a decision is finalized, a report shall be
issued, stating the basic facts but omitting names unless otherwise
requested by the member being investigated.
4. Decisions
a) The
recommendation to censure, suspend, or expel a member accused of
unethical or wrongful conduct as presented by the chair, shall be in
accordance with Article III section C.
b) Members who have
been suspended from membership may apply for reinstatement once the
period of suspension or action is completed. A suspended member will
not be required to pay dues for the period of suspension. If
reinstated, the required dues payment will be the annual dues.
Article
VII - Procedural Amendments
Proposed amendments
to the by-laws shall be submitted in writing and signed by two
members in good standing, to the Chair at least sixty (60) days prior
to the meeting at which the proposed amendments will be discussed.
The Chair shall mail
to the members, at least thirty (30) days prior to the next meeting
the proposed amendments. Amendments shall be ratified by a 2/3
majority of mail ballots cast by members within sixty (60) days after
the meeting.
Article
VIII - Parliamentary Authority
Robert's Rules of
Order, Newly Revised, the current edition in print, will be the
parliamentary authority of AFDAA.
Proviso
The following
stipulation(s) will be in effect until such time that the conditions
set forth in these by-laws are met:
|
