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Statutes of the European Philosophical Society for the Study of Emotions

1.  Name and purpose of the society

 

1.1.  The name of the society

An  academic  organisation  named  „European Philosophical Society for the Study of Emotions“ (hereafter:  „EPSSE“)  exists according to the Swiss Civil Code (ZGB) Art. 60ff.

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1.2.  The purpose of the society

The major purpose of the EPSSE is to foster the study of emotions by providing a forum for exchanging views, so as to increase the interaction or collaboration among its members. The society will make a special effort to involve young philosophers in its activities.

The EPSSE  intends to organise regular international conferences and meetings for the discussion of topics in the study of emotions, mainly with the goal to bring together researchers from different European countries.

 

2.  Membership, fees and liability

 

2.1.  Membership

Membership shall be open to qualified scholars, other professional persons and students who are in sympathy with the objectives of the EPSSE. Although the name of the EPSSE refers to European philosophers, the society will be open to people from other countries, as well as to those who are not philosophers by profession, but have an  interest  in  interacting  academically  with  philosophers.  Prima facie  evidence  of qualification  shall be constituted  by  an  advanced  degree  or  its  equivalent  in  any academically  recognized  discipline  and/or enrollment in an educational program related to the study of emotions. Any request for membership should be addressed  in  writing  to  the  executive  committee, which  reserves  the  right  to  making the  final  decision  on membership.

 

2.2.  The rights of members

Assuming  the  payment  of  membership  and  other  respective  fees  (e.g.,  conference  fees),  and  assuming the availability  of  sufficient  means  (e.g.,  free  spaces),  members  have  the  right  to  attend  all  academic activities organised by the EPSSE.

The executive committee can, for good reasons, deprive certain members of these rights, but has to inform the members concerned about their reasons. If this happens, the members concerned can resign their membership and ask for a refund of their membership fees for the respective period. And they can request a vote on the issue if they can provide support of one fifth of the members, or of one fifth of the institutional members.

 

2.3.  Membership fees and other fees

Annual membership fees shall be set by the executive committee. 

The EPSSE reserves the right to demand payment of fees for specific activities, such as the regular conferences. 

The  amount,  the  possible  modes  of  payment  and  other  relevant  issues  will  be determined  by  the executive committee, which can also - if asked for in writing - grant exceptions in a reasonable measure.

 

2.4.  Cancellation of membership

Members can  resign  their  membership  at  any  time,  simply  by  addressing  a  written  request  to  the executive committee.

The executive committee is authorised to cancel membership:

  • If the respective member has not paid the relevant membership fees for two consecutive years.

  • If a respective request has been made by one of the other members of the EPSSE and has been accepted by two thirds of the members present (in the sense of „presence“ specified further in the article on elections).

The member affected by the cancellation should be granted, to a reasonable extent, the opportunity to defend his case.

 

2.5.  Liablity

Members are not personally liable for the obligations of the society. Only the club funds are liable for the obligations of the society.

 

3.  Organs of the society

 

3.1.  Organs

There are two organs of the EPSSE:

  • The general assembly.

  • The executive committee.

All members of the organs of the EPSSE have to be members of the EPSSE.

 

3.2.  The general assembly and its meetings

The general assembly consists of all members and will meet at each of the regular EPSSE conferences. The executive committee can  also  organise  virtual  meetings  which  happen  via conference  call, the  exchange of emails or other forms of online communication. All members are eligible to attend these meetings and should be informed about the agenda and be invited at least four weeks in advance.

 

3.3.  The executive committee and its meetings

The executive committee serves as the executive organ. It consists at least of three members:

  • The President

  • Vice President

  • Vice President

In  the  first  instance,  the  executive  committee  appoints  itself.  After  that,  it  is  elected  by  the  members of  the EPSSE. Each member of the executive committee is elected for a term of typically, and maximally, three years.

Only the president needs to be elected directly by the members of the EPSSE. The executive committee may decide for itself who among its members will serve as treasurer and as secretary, and (if applicable) as holders of any further created offices.

Persons who host the conference of the EPSSE may participate in the meetings of the executive committee at the given year, but may not vote.

 

4.  The tasks of the organs of the society

 

4.1.  The tasks of the executive committee

The tasks of the executive committee include:

  • To take all decisions assigned to it by these statutes.

  • To take all decisions concerning the structure and the running of the EPSSE, that are not assigned by these statutes to another office or organ of the EPSSE.

  • To execute all decisions made concerning the structure and the running of the EPSSE.

  • If necessary, to apply for funding with universities or European or national funding bodies.

 

4.2.  Appointed offices

The executive committee may canvas members and other individuals or groups for their opinion and advice. 

And it has the right to delegate its executive tasks, at least to a reasonable extent.

For  these  purposes,  it  may  create  advisory  or  executive  offices  and  appoint  their  holders, who  need not necessarily be members of the EPSSE. Among others, such offices may include:

  • Representatives of the EPSSE in the different European countries and institutional members.

  • Referees for the selection of papers in relation to the EPSSE conferences.

  • Members of a commission to organise the EPSSE elections.

  • An administrator for the EPSSE website.

  • A vice-president (from among the members of the executive committee) to support the president in his or her tasks.

  • A representative for students and student activities.

 

5.  Conferences and publications

 

5.1.  Conferences

The EPSSE aims to organise, in regular intervals, academic conferences in order to promote recent research in the  study  of  emotions done  by  its  members.  These EPSSE conferences  are  to  be  organised  by European academic institutions and have to take place at a European location. The executive committee determines the format and themes (if any) of the EPSSE conferences. Attendants to the EPSSE conferences are to be actively encouraged (but not required) to become members of the EPSSE.

The EPSSE may  also  organise  or  fund  other  meetings  or  conferences  within  Europe,  given that  they further some  of  the  purposes  of  the  society  specified  in  the  first  article  of  these  statutes. The executive  committee decides  which  meetings  or  conferences  to  organise  or  fund  and,  if  applicable,  determines  their  format  and themes.

The EPSSE reserves the right to establish further conditions on the attendance and the presentation of research at their conferences and meetings. These may include the payment of special fees, or the requirement to submit a written paper to a relevant EPSSE publication project.

 

5.2.  Publications

The EPSSE aims to collaborate with academic publishers and journals in Europe, which publish research in the study of emotions. This collaboration may involve encouraging and helping members of the EPSSE with respect to their submission of work to the publishers or journals concerned, promoting the resulting publications on its website, or awarding a publisher or journal the status of an offiical EPSSE organ. All the respective decisions are taken by the executive committee. 

The EPSSE also aims to publish, or help with the publication of, a selection of the papers (or research results presented in other formats) given at their conferences and meetings. The executive committee selects the papers concerned and decides on how they should be published. The resulting publications have to happen under the name of the EPSSE.

The members of the EPSSE have no right to have their work published by, or with the help of, the EPSSE. But they  have  the  right  to  refuse  such  publication,  unless  their  research has  been  allowed  to  be presented at  an EPSSE conference or meeting only under the condition to submit a related paper to a certain publication project of the EPSSE.

 

5.3.  Qualitity of research

The EPSSE should  be  open  to  all  traditions  and  schools  in  philosophy as  well  as  other disciplines that  are concerned with topics in the study or emotions.

The EPSSE aims, and reserves the right, to promote research in the study of emotions only if it is of high quality according to internationally acknowledged standards (e.g., blind refereeing by experts in the field).

 

6.  Formalities

 

6.1.  Elections and votes

Only  the  members  of  the  executive  committee  are  elected.  The  election  of  a  new office  holder  or another member  of  the  executive  committee  is  to  be  held  at  least  four  weeks  before  the end  of  the tenure  of  the incumbent member concerned.

Unscheduled or early elections concerning the composition of the executive committee have to be held if one of its  members  resigns,  or  if  an  election  is  requested  by  the executive committee,  or  by  more than half  of  the members.

The executive committee can organise votes on other matters concerning the EPSSE. There is no restriction on the issues to be voted on, apart from the ones noted in these statutes.

All, and only, members of the EPSSE are eligible to take part in the elections and any other votes. They have to be informed about upcoming elections or votes at least four weeks in advance. Voting can happen at the real meetings of the general assembly, or at its virtual meetings - that is, by conference call, email or other forms of online voting.

If not stated otherwise, all elections and votes are decided by simple majority of the members present at the respective  meeting.  In  the  case  of  email  or  online  votes,  all  members  replying  in  one way  or  another to  the request  to  vote  count  as  being  present (the  expression „present  at  a  meeting“ is  used in  these statutes  as including this sense of „presence“). Voting has to proceed by a secret ballot only if so requested, and only if feasible.

The results of elections and votes are binding for the executive committee and all other members concerned.

 

6.2.  Changes to the statutes

Proposals and changes to the statutes have to be presented to the general assembly for a vote  either at one of its meetings, or by other means - and must be approved by at least two thirds of all members present.

 

6.3.  Dissolution of the society

A request to dissolve the EPSSE can be made by the executive committee, by two thirds of the members. A proposal for dissolution has to be determined by vote at a real or virtual meeting of the general assembly. The society is dissolved, once two thirds of the members present at this meeting have accepted the proposal by a secret ballot. If a proposal for dissolution has been rejected, at least three months have to relapse until a new one may be voted on.

In the case of dissolution, any remaining funds of the EPSSE have to be spent in accordance with the purposes of the EPSSE.  The  executive  committee  has  to  organise  a  respective vote  at  the  same meeting,  at  which  the dissolution of the society has been decided.

 

6.4.  Final provision

These statutes became effective on the 12th of October 2013 at the General Assembly, held in an online meeting.

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