The Section bylaws were passed by the Section at the annual meeting in 2009 in Orlando and accepted by the Board at a later regular Board meeting.
Public Health and Environmental Vision Section
(PH&EV)
American Academy of Optometry
Bylaws
Article 1 – Name and Purpose
Section 1
This section shall be known as the Public Health and Environmental Vision Section (PH&EV)
Section 2
This section shall serve at the appointment and pleasure of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Optometry.
The purpose of the Public Health and Environmental Vision Section shall be to:
a) Serve as a primary source of the Academy for courses, papers, posters, information and research in public health and environmental vision and to advise the Board of Directors on policy issues in this area.
b) Encourage inquiry and research on public health and environmental vision issues by providing a forum for practitioners and scientists through symposia and other means.
c) Promote, advance and enhance public health values in the practice of optometry.
d) Encourage Academy Fellows to increase their competence in public health and environmental vision through the Diplomate program which recognizes those Fellows who demonstrate a broad-based knowledge and expertise in the area of public health and or environmental vision.
e) Assist the Scientific Program Committee in the selection of meritorious papers, posters and research findings for presentation at the annual Academy meetings.
f) Formulate positions and provide position papers regarding matters of importance with concurrence of the Academy.
g) Serve as a liaison regarding public health and environmental vision programs and interests with the other sections of the Academy.
h) Promote, train, and encourage optometric leaders in public health, environmental vision, and community optometry in government, private non- profit, and private sectors.
Article II - Membership
Any member in good standing of the American Academy of Optometry may become a member of the section by having an interest in and selecting the Section on Public Health and Environmental Vision as their primary or secondary section. Section members are encouraged to actively participate in section activities, meetings, symposia, and other public health or environmental vision organizations.
Article III - Officers
Section 1
The officers of this section shall be the Section Chair, Immediate Past Chair, Diplomate Chair and Program Chair.
Section 2
The Executive committee of the Section shall be composed of all the officers.
Section 3
Only Diplomates in good standing shall be eligible to run for the above offices. Every other year a Program Chair-elect shall be elected amongst the members present during the section business meeting at the annual Academy meeting. Program Chair-elect will become the program Chair at the conclusion of the Annual meeting the following year. At this time the current Program Chair will automatically assume the office of Diplomate Chair and the current Diplomate Chair will automatically assume the office of the Section Chair. There will be no elections for these positions.
Section 4
All terms of office herein specified shall begin at the close of the Annual meeting in the following year of the election of the Program Chair and shall end two years later at the close of the Annual Academy meeting.
Section 5
The Executive Committee shall be empowered to seek the removal from office any officer for such cause as will preserve the dignity and integrity of the organization. Section officers in unison shall be required to petition the Board of Directors to remove the Section officer in question. If an office becomes vacant by resignation, illness, death or refusal to act, a replacement shall be appointed by the Section Chair for the remainder of that office’s term. Should the office of Section Chair become vacant, the Diplomate Chair shall assume the duties of Section Chair.
Article IV – Duties of Section Officers
Section 1
Chair: The Section Chair shall preside at all meetings of the PH&EV Section and of the Section’s executive committee. The section Chair shall plan and monitor the programs of the section at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Optometry and also monitor the performance of all activities of the Section. The Section Chair shall appoint and/or approve committees as may be needed to conduct the business of the Section. The Section Chair will beresponsible for submitting and monitoring annual budget of the Section. The Chair will also serve as the spokesperson for the Section and perform such other duties and acts that usually pertain to that office.
Section 2
Diplomate Chair: The Diplomate Chair will be responsible for all activities involving the diplomate program. The Diplomate Chair will preside at all meetings of the Diplomate committee, which shall comprise of Section Chair, Program Chair, Immediate past chair and three to six other members (who are already Diplomates), recommended by the Program Chair and appointed by the Section Chair. The Diplomate Chair will be responsible for all the conducts of the Diplomate examination process and shall insure that the integrity and quality of the Diplomate program are maintained, and that the prescribed process for achieving Diplomate statusis followed. The Diplomate Chair shall be responsible for :
- Coodinating the overall activities of the program
- Providing guidance to the Diplomate committee and candidates
- Assigning mentors to candidates when requested
- Continuously reviewing the candidacy program
- Informing the Section Chair and the Section about successful candidates
The Diplomate Chair will perform the duties of the Section Chair in the Chair’s absence and such other duties and acts that pertain to the office.
Section 3
Program Chair: the Program Chair shall arrange and coordinate the PH&EV section symposia presented at the American Academy of Optometry Annual Meeting. The Program Chair shall provide the preliminary symposia outlines and speaker information to the Academy as requested by the academy office. The Program Chair shall serve as liaison with other program and scientific committees (i.e. Education, Scientific) regarding matters of significance to PH&EV education provided by the Academy. The Program Chair shall also coordinate logistics of business meetings, Diplomate committee
meetings such as space reception etc. with the Academy office.
Section 4
Program Chair-elect: Program Chair-elect shall work with the Program Chair and perform all the duties assigned by the Program Chair.
Section 5
Immediate Past Chair: The Immediate Past Chair shall aid the Chair in the performance of the duties of the Section in such a manner and to such an extent as may be requested.
Article V- Meetings
Section 1
The Annual Business Meeting of the Section shall be held during the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Optometry.
Section 2
The members of the Section present at any meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
Section 3
All binding action of the Section shall be a majority vote of the members
present at the Business Meeting.
Section 4
All meetings shall be governed by the parliamentary rules and usage contained
in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.
Article VI – Miscellaneous Provisions
Section 1
All bills for expenses incurred by the Section, before being forwarded to the
Secretary-Treasurer of the American Academy of Optometry for payment, shall
be approved by the Section Chair.
Section 2
These bylaws shall become effective upon the approval of the PH&EV Section
and the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Optometry.
Article VII – Revision of Bylaws
The Bylaws of the PH&EV Section may be revised when deemed appropriate.
Revisions require a majority vote of the members of the Section present at an
Annual Business Meeting of the Section. No revision shall become effective
until approved by the Board of Directors of the American Academy of
Optometry.
Article VIII – Revision of Section Documents
Section 1
Revision of the Candidate Guide, Leadership guide, and other PH&EV
Section documents require a majority vote of the members of the Section
present at an Annual Business Meeting of the Section.
Section 2
Revision to the structure, policies and examination procedures of the
Diplomate Program of the PH&EV Section require the unanimous vote of the
Diplomate Committee.
Approved by the Public Health and Environmental Vision Section: Annual Meeting 2009 Orlando, FL
Approved by the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Optometry: January 2010.