WHAT IS THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL? | ROLE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL |ACSUS OFFICERS AND COUNCILLORS
The Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation incorporated in the District of Columbia. It is governed by a board of directors, known as the Executive Council, comprised of the four officers (President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, and Past President) and eight Councillors. ACSUS elects officers and members of the Executive Council at two-year intervals by mail ballot.
ACSUS EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 2009-2011
President, Doug Nord,
Western Washington University
Vice President, Michael Broadway,
Northern Michigan University
Past President, Patrick James,
University of Southern California
Nadine Fabbi, University of Washington, Secretary/Treasurer
Councilors:
Tony Cicerone, Bridgewater State College
Munroe Eagles, University of Buffalo
Stephanie R. Golob, Baruch College CUNY
Sara Beth Keough, Saginaw Valley State University
Jane Moss, Duke University
Pauline Rankin, Carleton University
Paul Storer, Western Washington University
Carol Wise, Councilor, University of Southern California
ACSUS Councils: Past and Present
WHAT IS THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL?
The Executive Council acts as and is known to outsiders as the Association's Board of Directors. Thus, officers and councillors are legally the "corporation's" officers and directors. The "board's" single most important legal duty is prudently managing the affairs of the organization. This does not mean personally overseeing day-to-day affairs; that is the job of the organization's paid professional staff. The ultimate responsibility for actions or inactions of the nonprofit as a legal entity rests with the board--for ACSUS, the Executive Council.
BOARD DUTIES As a volunteer board member, the Councillor (Director) and paid staff have a fiduciary duty to the organization which includes duties of care, loyalty, and obedience. In simple terms, this means that they are required to act reasonably, prudently, and in the best interests of the organization, to avoid negligence or fraud, and to avoid conflicts of interest. The duty of care requires board members (1) to be reasonably informed; (2) to participate in decisions; and (3) to do so in good faith and with the care of an ordinarily prudent person in similar circumstances.
ROLE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
The responsibilities for the ACSUS Executive Council are spelled out in Article 4.01 of the ACSUS By Laws and list some of the kinds of activities the Council is involved in:
"The responsibility for the general conduct of the affairs of the Association shall be vested in a board, known as the Executive Council, which shall have the full power and authority to do all acts and perform all functions which the Association might do or perform, including setting dues, approving budgets, allocating funds, determining formation and location of the secretariat, appointing the executive director, determining the nature of the biennial conference, and appointing the editors of the journal, except it shall not have the power to modify the substance of official action taken by the membership or to amend the Articles of Incorporation. Members of the Executive Council must be members in good standing of the Association."
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES One of the major responsibilities of serving on the Council is attending and actively participating in the annual Executive Council meeting. Ideally, the meeting serves as a forum to discuss strategic questions of mission, direction, values, and financing. Councillors also are asked to serve on at least one committee. Descriptions of current committees are listed in the Membership Section.
TIMING AND LOCATION OF COUNCIL MEETINGS In an odd-numbered year, the meeting takes place immediately preceding and at the same place selected for the biennial meeting of the Association (San Antonio in 2001); in an even-numbered year, the meeting takes place at the call of the President at a time and place he or she shall select. Generally the meeting in the even-numbered year takes place in the fall in Washington, D.C., or in conjunction with a Canadian studies related conference.
FUND RAISING Due to the increasing necessity for fund raising, as members of a board of directors, Councillors will be asked to be actively involved in ACSUS' fund raising efforts and to make a financial contribution to the Association.
INQUIRIES Please feel free to contact the ACSUS Secretariat, for more information about roles and responsibilities.
PAST PRESIDENTS OF ACSUS
1971 Richard A.
1971‑73 Dale C. Thomson, Johns
1973‑75 Victor M. Howard,
1975‑77 Edward J. Miles,
1977‑79 Roger F. Swanson, Johns
1979‑81 Gerard F. Rutan,
1981‑83 Ronald Tallman,
1983‑85 Peter Karl Kresl,
1985‑87 J. Richard Beach, SUNY
1987‑89 Charles F. Doran, Johns
1989‑91
1991‑93 Earl H. Fry,
1993‑95 Karen L. Gould,
1995‑97
1997‑1999
1999-2001 Donald K. Alper,
2001-2003
2003-2005 George T. Sulzner,
2005-2007 Diddy R.M. Hitchins,
2007-2009,
