To: Members of the American Academy of Religion
From: Claudia Schippert, Executive Director
Subject: Proposed Changes to the AAR Bylaws
Date: October 21, 2024
After careful consideration, the Board of Directors unanimously recommended several revisions to the AAR bylaws.
The bylaws outline how revisions and amendments are to be handled:
Article X. Amendment:
These bylaws may be amended by a two‐thirds majority vote of the entire Board of Directors, followed by a two‐thirds majority vote of the Members present and voting at a meeting of the Members, or by electronic ballot. Notice of the proposed revisions and meeting shall be distributed to all Members of the Academy at least thirty days (30) prior to the meeting at which they are to be considered.
With this memo, the Board provides the AAR membership notice of proposed revisions, as well as its intention to bring these proposed revisions to a vote at the AAR’s Annual Business Meeting. The Annual Business Meeting (A24-100) will be held on Sunday, November 24, 2024, from 7:30 AM to 8:45 AM, in San Diego, California. Please join us at the Annual Business Meeting to discuss and vote on these bylaws revisions.
The proposed bylaws changes are specified below. The actual change in text is provided for each revision. A strikethrough font (like this) indicates passages or text to be deleted. A red, underlined font (like this) represents new text or passages to be added.
Proposed Bylaws Revisions
Bylaws of the American Academy of Religion
Approved October 31, 2010 (Amended 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023)
Article V. Board of Directors
Section 5. Regions Director.
The Regions Director must be a Member with experience in the leadership of an AAR Region as a Regionally Elected Coordinator, President, Vice President, or another regionally elected officer. The Regions Director shall serve a term of three years and may not serve an additional consecutive term as Regions Director.
Article VII. Committees of the Board and Working Groups
Part I. Committees of the Board
Section 2. Finance and Audit Committee.
The Finance and Audit Committee shall oversee the financial aspects of the AAR including the annual budget, investments, and fiscal planning and shall review the annual audit and tax filings, recommending, as appropriate, its acceptance by the Board. Membership shall include the President-Elect, one At‐Large Director and three Members who are not on the Board of Directors, one of whom could be a non-AAR member, with experience in business management, financial and/or investment oversight and the AAR Executive Director. The Chief Finance Officer/Chief Operating Officer shall staff the Committee. The Finance and Audit Committee is chaired by the Treasurer.
Article VIII. Regional Groups
Section 2. Governance.
Each region shall establish a regional board of directors that is subject to the authority of the AAR Board of Directors. Each regional group shall maintain a record of its activities, and the Regionally Elected Coordinator Chief Regional Officer shall submit an Annual Report with financial statements to the Executive Director or their designee. Regional directors and officers must be AAR Members. Any Member of a region may hold office or vote in that region’s elections. Elections will be conducted by the AAR Office by electronic ballot distributed to all Members eligible to vote at the address on file at the AAR Office. In circumstances where the electronic ballot cannot be distributed, regional elections may be held in-person at the region’s business meeting.