To: Members of the American Academy of Religion
From: Claudia Schippert, Executive Director
Subject: Proposed Changes to the AAR Bylaws
Date: May 7, 2026
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 mail or 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 for a vote by electronic ballot April 28 to 6:00pm Eastern Time on May 8, 2025. Current AAR members will be eligible to 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, 2024, 2025)
Article III. Membership
Section 1. Eligibility.
Membership is available to all persons interested in the scholarly study of religion who are at least eighteen (18) years of age.
Article VII. Committees of the Board and Working Groups
Part I. Committees of the Board
Section 3. Governance and Leadership Development Committee.
The Governance and Leadership Development Committee shall present to the Board at least two candidates to run for each AAR Director position elected by vote of the membership. The criteria for nomination include distinction in scholarship, teaching, and service to the Academy. The Committee selects candidates so as to bring the rich diversity of the AAR membership to the Board of Directors.
The Committee may also develop and present to the Board procedures, as relevant, to identify, recruit, and train potential leaders at all levels of the Academy. The Committee shall be actively involved in programming aimed at developing leadership skills for a wide variety of AAR members
The Committee shall be composed of five Members: three Members who are not on the Board of Directors, the immediate past president of the Academy, and the Status Committee Director. The three non‐Board of Directors Members shall serve a term of three years and may not serve additional consecutive terms. The Governance and Leadership Development Committee may also recommend to the Board policies and procedures concerning elections to leadership positions. The Executive Director shall staff this committee.
Article VII. Committees of the Board and Working Groups
Part I. Committees of the Board
Section 5. Appointment.
Except for the Program Committee, Eeach fall the Executive Committee will prepare a slate of candidates to fill open positions (for the following year) on Committees of the Board. This slate will be brought to the entire Board for its consideration. After discussion, when the final slate has been formulated, the Board will vote to appoint the slate of candidates to Committees of the Board.
For the Program Committee, the Executive Committee will prepare a slate of candidates to be elected to fill open non-Board of Directors Member positions (for the following year). The Program Unit Chairs, Program Committee, and Board of Directors may nominate Members who serve or have served on AAR Program Units. The Executive Committee will determine the slate with at least two candidates for each open AAR non-Board of Director Member position. Election shall be by electronic ballot, distributed to Members serving as current Program Unit Chairs at the email address on file at the AAR Office. The Executive Director shall manage the election and report the results.