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Bylaws

Bylaws updates last approved at the Joint EB/IC Meeting Lyon 2023

  1. General Duties
    1. The term of office is from the end of one World Congress to the end of the following World Congress.
    2. All EB officers are to submit to the SG a written report of their activities for the previous year at least six weeks prior to the annual meeting.
  2. President The duties of the President (P) include, but are not limited to the following:
    1. Strategic planning and development of AILA;
    2. Effective promotion and achievement of AILA goals;
    3. Liaison with other international associations and organisations, including UNESCO;
    4. Facilitation of close relationships among all members;
    5. Signing official AILA documents, when appropriate;
    6. Ensuring the effective working of AILA and its committees; and
    7. Organizing an assembly of AILA members at the World Congress.
  3. Vice President The duties of the Vice-President (VP) are to assist the President and to substitute for the President when necessary.
    1. Specific duties include, but are not limited to the following:
    2. Chairing the Solidarity Awards Committee;
    3. Chairing ad hoc committees at the request of the President;
    4. Assisting the President with fundraising activities; and
    5. Taking care of membership development.
  4. Secretary General The Secretary General's (SG) duties include, but are not limited to the following:
    1. Oversight of the workings of the Business Office, including clerical duties, mailing services, data management, and record keeping. Responsibility for the effective administration of AILA includes:
      1. receiving and disseminating to the appropriate body applications for new regular affiliate members;
      2. handling requests for individual associate membership;
      3. handling requests for special meetings;
      4. signing non-financial AILA documents, when appropriate;
      5. overseeing nominations for AILA offices;
      6. responsibility for supervising the AILA website; and
      7. liaison with the representatives of regular affiliate members;
      8. responsibility for the preparation and dissemination of minutes to all EBIC, individual, associate, and honorary members in as timely a manner as possible;
      9. setting and distributing a draft agenda and accompanying documents to all members at least one month in advance of the annual meeting; and
      10. maintaining a list of those present at each EBIC meeting.
  5. Treasurer
    1. The duties of the Treasurer (T) include, but are not limited to the following:
      1. maintaining an AILA bank account into which the collected dues are deposited;
      2. overseeing the Solidarity Award endowment fund;
      3. providing for an independent audit at least triennially or when there is a change in Treasurer, if these two do not coincide;
      4. informing members regarding dues payments;
      5. sending reminders to members that have not paid their dues;
      6. responsibility for sending out reminders of impending disaffiliation at least six months prior to the annual business meeting;
      7. informing the SG about payments or non-payments of members for a regular update of the membership directory;
      8. preparation of a statement of income and expenditures for the preceding year and a draft budget reflecting the proposed work plan for the upcoming fiscal year to be presented at the annual meeting;
      9. six months after the World Congress is over, collecting the capitation levy per participant from the regular affiliate member hosting the World Congress.
    2. The Treasurer is authorized to sign off on checks up to a sum to be determined tri-annually by EBIC. Beyond that sum, cheques must be co-signed by the President.
    3. The budget is to take into account the spending needs of AILA, and whatever official directives may be issued by EBIC. The full year set of accounts must be approved at the annual EBIC meeting.
  6. Publications Coordinators The duties of the Publications Coordinators (PC) include, but are not limited to, the following:
    1. serving as Chair of the AILA Editorial Boards and overseeing all AILA publications;
    2. working with the Business Office to ensure the effective distribution of AILA publications to all members; and
    3. working with the Treasurer to ensure adequate financial support for the publications.
  7. Research Networks (ReN) Coordinator The duties of the ReN Coordinator (RC) include, but are not limited to the following:
    1. serving as Chair of the ReN committee and overseeing ReN activities;
    2. serving as member of World Congress Liaison Committee to ensure appropriate participation of ReNs;
    3. working with the Treasurer to ensure adequate financial support for ReNs; and
    4. working with the SG to ensure that the activities of ReNs are adequately represented on the website.
  8. Members-at-Large All members-at-large (ML) will assist the President with various tasks, as deemed necessary and appropriate. In addition, each member-at-large will assume one or more of the following responsibilities.
    1. overseeing the news section on website;
    2. serving as member of an Editorial Board;
    3. serving on ReN committee;
    4. chairing the Honorary Membership committee; and
    5. taking care of membership development.
  9. Past President The duties of the Past President (PP) include, but are not limited to the following:
    1. chairing the Nominating Committee; and
    2. serving as advisor to the current President.
  1. Nominations
    1. At least four months before the date of the election, the SG is to invite the members of the IC to submit their nominations.
    2. Nominations must be made in writing and should reach the SG not later than two months before the date of the election. Nominations must be for specified offices. They should be accompanied by a 2-page CV of the nominee and a statement of acceptance of the nomination. A nominee can be a candidate for more than one office, but once elected to one office, the candidacy in any subsequent elections is automatically withdrawn.
    3. The SG is to send the list of nominees to each member of EBIC one month in advance of the relevant business meeting.
    4. Nominations from the floor (i.e., from any IC member) may only be made if either:
      1. a sole candidate for an office withdraws from candidature before the election, or
      2. a single candidate for an office fails at the ballot to obtain a simple majority.
  2. Balloting procedures
    1. At the time of the elections (i.e., the business meeting at the triennial World Congress), EBIC elects two of its members to serve as Election Officers. These officers determine the vote count and report the results to EBIC.
    2. When the list of nominations for the EB is complete, EBIC members vote by secret ballot in the following order:
      1. Vice-President
      2. Secretary General
      3. Treasurer
      4. ReN Coordinator
      5. Publications Coordinator, and
      6. Members-at-Large
      7. Congress and Events Coordinator
    3. If the election to a position is uncontested, the President is to declare the candidate or candidates elected unless a member of EBIC calls for a vote. If a vote is called for, every member of EBIC who is present or represented by proxy, is required to vote "for", "against" or "abstention" for each candidate. If the number of votes cast for a candidate is greater than those cast against, the candidate is to be declared elected.
    4. If an election is contested, every member of EBIC who is present or represented by proxy is required to record on a single sheet of paper the name of each of the candidates for whom that member is voting. A member may not vote for more candidates than there are vacancies and may only vote once for any one candidate. The President is to declare elected to the vacant posts the candidates receiving the highest number of votes. In the event of a tie between two or more candidates, the President will flip a coin, or in the case of a Presidential election, the past VP will flip the coin.
    5. Any appeals regarding the electoral procedures are to be directed to the President who may bring them to EBIC for discussion and a possible vote. An appeal is decided by a simple majority of EBIC. If the appeal relates to the election of a President, the VP is to bring it to EBIC for discussion and a possible vote.
  1. The following committees are standing committees of AILA. All have three-year terms and all are appointed by the President who will keep in mind the need for geographic representation.
    1. International AILA Congress Committee (IACC):
      1. The IACC is responsible for the continuous development of the AILA World Congress format and makes or approves all the major decisions regarding World Congresses except selecting and approving the venue 6 and 3 years before the congress, respectively (for details see Bylaw §9).
      2. The IACC is chaired by the AILA President. It includes the Secretary General, the Vice President, the Past President, and the Congress and Events Coordinator. The chairs of past and future AILA World Congresses can be called in as consultants.
      3. The contact person for the local congress organizer is the AILA Congress and Events Coordinator representing the IACC, whose duties are as follows: Duties of the AILA Congress Coordinator:
        1. Liaise with the hosts of the upcoming AILA Congresses, monitor progress, and report to the AILA IACC.
        2. Research service providers (online and hybrid platforms, technologies, live streaming, registration systems, etc.) and make recommendations to the AILA IACC for discussion.
        3. Research suitable venues for the AILA Congresses and approach the local affiliates, the venue managers, and tourism boards to secure high caliber bids for future AILA congresses and ascertain possible sponsorships and funding.
        4. Collect the bids and submit to the AILA IACC for consideration.
        5. Assist the IACC with coordinating a site visit.
        6. Provide support and advice as needed to the AILA Congress organizing committees.
        7. Help redesign the AILA Congress into a hybrid event that maximizes inclusive participation and access to all national affiliates.
    2. Solidarity Award Committee:
      1. The Solidarity Award Committee has as its purpose to administer the selection of awardees for each World Congress.
      2. The committee is chaired by the Vice President and has as its members the Treasurer, the Congress and Events Coordinator, and the IC representative from the upcoming AILA World Congress host country.
      3. All committee work is to be completed and applicants notified by the end of January prior to the World Congress.
      4. The committee will help with the fundraising activities.
    3. Honorary Membership Award Committee:
      1. The Honorary Award Committee has as its purpose to administer the selection of Honorary Members.
      2. The committee is chaired by a member-at-large and includes three IC members.
      3. All committee work is to be completed six months prior to the EBIC meeting.
    4. Editorial Board of AILA Review:
      1. The Editorial Board of AILA Review oversees the planning and quality of future issues.
      2. The committee is chaired by the Publications Coordinators for AILA Review. In addition, one EB Member-at-Large, one IC member, and one representative of each ReN will serve as committee members. ReN representatives are nominated by the respective ReN and assist the Publications Coordinators in the monitoring and assessment of submissions in their fields of expertise.
    5. Editorial Board of AILA Book Series:
      1. The Editorial Board of AILA Book Series oversees the planning and quality of future book publications.
      2. The committee is chaired by the Publications Coordinator. In addition, one EB Member-at-Large, one IC member and three well-regarded scholars (selected by the PC in consultation with the President) who may or may not be EBIC members will serve as committee members.
    6. ReN Committee:
      1. The ReN committee oversees all matters pertaining to ReN activities (see Bylaw § 7) including decisions about approval and continuation of ReNs.
      2. The committee is chaired by the ReN Coordinator. In addition, one member-at-large and three IC members will serve on the committee.
    7. Nominating Committee:
      1. The Nominating Committee is charged with the responsibility of creating a viable group of candidates for each of the EB positions.
      2. The committee is chaired by the Past President and is made up of two additional members: one EB member and one IC member.
    8. Strategic Collaboration Committee:
      1. The Strategic Collaboration Committee ensures strategic collaboration with globally relevant organizations with overlapping strategic objectives (such as UNESCO) and evaluates new potential collaboration partners.
      2. The committee is chaired by the Past President and is made up of at least two additional members: one EB member and one IC member.
    9. Endorsements Committee
      1. The Endorsements Committee scouts policies already (or not yet) endorsed by our national affiliates and makes suggestions for global endorsements to the AILA EBIC.
      2. The committee is chaired by the Past President and is made up of at least two additional members: one EB member and one IC member.
    10. Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee (JEDI)
      1. The JEDI committee is tasked with ensuring AILA practices promote JEDI, proposing meaningful changes when needed, and proposing objective ways to measure the potential impact of these changes.
      2. The JEDI committee is chaired by a member of the EB and includes the Congress and Events Coordinator and at least two additional EBIC members; each region may have a representative on this committee.
  2. Ad hoc committees may be established as the need arises.
  3. At least two months prior to the annual meeting, all committee chairs are to submit to the SG a written report of their activities for the previous year.
  1. Request for admission A preliminary request for admission is made by an association to the SG. Depending on the readiness to meet the criteria of regular membership, the SG together with the President will recommend either regular status or temporary status.
    1. If the former, the association will be invited to submit to the SG a dossier containing:
      1. a formal request for affiliation to AILA;
      2. a copy of the official statutes, or their equivalent, of the association or group;
      3. a list of members of the association or group including a list of its officers; and
      4. an agreement to abide by the statutes of AILA.
    2. If temporary membership is recommended, the association will be required to provide a written progress report at the forthcoming annual meeting and will prepare a dossier containing 1-4 above for the subsequent annual meeting.
    3. In the case of a recommendation for either regular or temporary membership, the SG will issue an invitation to the association to send an observer to the next EBIC meeting.
  2. Multiple associations If there is more than one association in a country or region that aspires to become a regular affiliate member of AILA, each association has the right to apply for regular affiliate membership status. The case for each potential affiliate will be considered carefully by the SG who will present the applications to EBIC who will determine the appropriate action to be taken.
  3. Completed applications
    1. The SG is to put the application for affiliation on the agenda of the next EBIC meeting.
    2. EBIC may:
      1. grant regular affiliate membership status to the association;
      2. grant temporary affiliate membership as appropriate; or
      3. reject the application.
  1. An organization or group which is in harmony with the goals and aspirations of AILA may apply to the SG to become an associate member. Associate members pay annual dues, as stipulated in § 8 of the Statutes.
  2. Anyone working in the field of applied linguistics in a country or region where there is no regular affiliate member can apply to the SG to become an individual member.
  3. An individual elected for an EB office becomes automatically an individual member of AILA.
  1. On an annual basis, AILA may award no more than two Honorary Memberships.
  2. Criteria for nomination:
    1. Individuals will have achieved academic excellence in their field and bring distinction to AILA.
    2. Such individuals will also have:
      • (i) contributed substantively to the work of AILA and its affiliates; they will have taken part in AILA leadership;
      • (ii) played an important role in contributing to the development, progress, or change in applied linguistics as a field.
  3. Procedures
    1. A nomination by an EBIC member is made to the Chair of the Honorary Member Award Committee.
    2. The nomination from the proposer shall be supported by at least two regular affiliate members by way of a written note to the Secretary General.
    3. The nomination packet includes
      1. a written supporting statement for the nomination; and
      2. a current CV of the nominee.
    4. Nominations will be considered by the Honorary Membership Award Committee who will make the final determination and report the results to EBIC.
    5. Awardees are expected to be present at the AILA World Congress to receive the award.
  4. Benefits
    1. free lifetime individual membership; and
    2. free admission to all AILA World Congresses.
  1. ReNs seek to promote the gathering and dissemination of information and the undertaking of research in all academic areas of AILA with a particular focus on areas that have the potential for new cross-disciplinary research.
  2. ReNs exist for three years and can be renewed. At any point in time, there will be about 15 ReNs in existence. Generally, the life of a ReN is not expected to be longer than six years.
  3. The criteria for the formation and continuation of a ReN should be met:
    1. at least five members, some of whom should be new scholars;
    2. multinational composition;
    3. participants are active in the research area of the ReN;
    4. have a program for research activities for the three years between Congresses and a commitment to present at the upcoming AILA Congress;
    5. for continuation, ReNs must demonstrate an active research profile in the preceding three years. In addition, at the most recent AILA Congress, they must have filled their ReN slot with presentations relating to the domain of their ReN; and
    6. nominate from among their members one individual as the organizer of the respective ReN who liases with the ReN Coordinator.
  4. Procedure
    1. For new applications, the ReN organizer must submit a proposal to the ReN Coordinator no later than two months after the World Congress. The proposal should consist of:
      1. a statement concerning the scope of the ReN;
      2. a list of the participants of the ReN and their affiliation;
      3. a plan for ReN activities for the upcoming three years; and
      4. a commitment to fill their ReN slot at the AILA Congress three years hence.
    2. For continuation, the ReN organizer must submit a proposal to the ReN Coordinator no more than two months following the World Congress. The proposal should consist of:
      1. evidence of past activities including a description of the session at the most recent AILA World Congress;
      2. a plan for ReN activities for the upcoming three years;
      3. a list of the participants of the ReN and their affiliation; and
      4. a commitment to fill their ReN slot at the AILA Congress three years hence.
  5. Each ReN organizer is responsible for a brief written report to the ReN Coordinator on an annual basis.
  6. When possible, AILA will, upon written request, consider limited financial support for ReN activities.
  1. The SG is to issue a call for hosting a future World Congress by circulating it to EBIC eight years in advance of the proposed congress date.
  2. Regular Affiliate Member candidates are to notify the SG of their intent to organize a World Congress at least seven years prior to the proposed Congress date. Three months ahead of the opening of the World Congress that takes place six years prior to the Congress in question, the "bid book" containing details of the offer together with all relevant documentation must be submitted to the SG.
  3. The organizers of the proposed Congress site are to be present at the annual EBIC meeting six years prior to the Congress in question for a presentation of their proposal.
  4. The final choice of the World Congress site is determined by a simple majority of EBIC.
The AILA World Congresses (AWC) emerge from the close collaboration between the local Congress Committee and the International AILA Congress Committee (IACC).
The IACC is in charge of:
  1. developing and updating the bid book for AWC
  2. calling for and approving a detailed report after each AWC by the Congress Committee
  3. ensuring continuous development of AWC
  4. implementing AILA standards in each AWC, such as
    • standardized conference procedures across individual AWC
    • state-of-the-art academic programs and formats
    • social equality as well as academic and linguistic diversity (e.g., in keynotes)
    • fee structures that respect the economic situation of all AILA affiliates
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  1. EBIC is to serve as a consultative body for World Congresses.
  2. At the World Congress annual meeting, EBIC appoints a World Congress Liaison Committee for the following congress. Among the responsibilities are the following:
    1. helps ensure that AILA's objective of multilingualism is reflected in all aspects of the Congress;
    2. helps ensure that all proposals are evaluated appropriately by assisting the congress organizers in augmenting their list of potential proposal readers; and
    3. encourages a fee structure that respects the economic situation of emerging economies (see UNESCO categories);
    4. helps ensure that plenaries:
      1. are given by scholars of high calibre (including, and perhaps featuring, the more recent scholars of note);
      2. reflect authoritative overviews of central areas of applied linguistics;
      3. are reports of important research with relevance to a wide range of AILA World Congress participants;
      4. as far as possible follow AILA's equality guidelines; and
      5. include a fair balance of speakers in relation to gender, geographical distribution, languages, and a range of applied linguistics interests within AILA.
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  1. The financial responsibility for organizing an AILA World Congress rests solely with the organizing AILA host.
  2. AILA will facilitate financially the organization of the World Congress by, for example, either or both:
    1. extending to the organizing regular affiliate member on request an interest-free loan of no more than US$20,000 to be repaid within three years;
    2. granting to the organizing regular affiliate member an exemption from the payment of its annual dues for the year of the World Congress.
  3. Within six months after the World Congress, the organizing regular affiliate member is to pay to the Treasurer a sum for each paying participant, the amount of which is determined at the EBIC meeting three years before the World Congress.
On request AILA sponsorship may be granted for events and activities in applied linguistics conducted by affiliate members. When possible, AILA will, upon written request, consider limited financial support for such activities. Such requests should be made to the SG who will bring the request to EBIC for discussion and decision.
  1. The relationship between Oxford University Press and AILA is regulated by the Constitution for the journal, which was agreed and signed by AAAL, BAAL, AILA, and Oxford University Press in 1999.
  2. The President serves on the Advisory Board.
  3. The Publication Coordinator serves on the Editorial Panel.
  1. Bylaws can be changed at any EBIC meeting. Any member of EBIC may send notice to the SG of a suggested change to the Bylaws. Notice must be sent at least two months prior to the annual meeting.
  2. The SG is to bring to the attention of EBIC the full details of the amendments at least one month prior to the meeting where this will be discussed.
  3. An amendment to the Bylaws is not valid unless supported by a majority of those EBIC members present or represented by proxy.
  4. Amendments to the Bylaws are disseminated through the AILA website.