New Constitution and By-Laws of the International Association for Structural

Safety and Reliability (IASSAR)

Mission
To promote the study, research, and applications of scientific principles of safety, risk and reliability in the analysis, design, construction, maintenance and operations of structures and other engineering systems.
 

Purposes
To organize the International Conference on Structural Safety and Reliability (ICOSSAR) at approximately every four-year intervals, and to encourage activities promoting the study and applications of scientific principles and concepts of safety, risk, and reliability in engineering.
The Association will continually encourage cooperation with other societies and associations with similar missions and objectives. It will also promote and cooperate with the organization of regional conferences, workshops, and symposia on risk and reliability of engineering systems.

Membership in Association
Engineers and scientists with expertise and/or interest in reliability of engineering systems or in risk analysis and management, and their applications are qualified for membership in the Association. Those who have attended one or more ICOSSAR events are especially encouraged to apply for membership and participate in the Assembly Meetings at the ICOSSARs. Each application for membership must be approved by the President, after careful review by and on the recommendation of the Secretary/Treasurer or any member of the Board.

Organizational Structure and Governance
The Association shall be governed by an Executive Board. Members of the Board shall be limited to a maximum number of ten including the President and Vice President. Members of the Board can be from anywhere in the world who are senior members of the Association with established records of accomplishments in risk and reliability of engineering systems. Members shall normally serve for a maximum of eight years. New members are selected and approved by the current Board to serve for a term of four years with the right for re-appointment. The Board shall be headed by a Chair elected by its members. The Chair shall be responsible for calling and convening the meetings of the Board and for canvassing the votes on issues that require approval (with majority votes) by the Board.

Officers of the Association
All businesses of the Association shall be conducted by the officers of the Association, consisting of the President, Vice President and the Secretary/Treasurer of the Association; the Secretary/Treasurer is not a member of the Board and shall be compensated for his services to the Association. These three officers are appointed by the Board for terms of four years to coincide with each ICOSSAR; the term of the Secretary/Treasurer, however, may be extended as necessary until the records, including the financial, of the last ICOSSAR are finalized and approved by the Board.

Duties of Officers
The President shall be the Chair of the next ICOSSAR and has the principal responsibility to organize the Conference. He/she shall serve as a member of the Executive Board during his/her term in office; shall organize the committees for the next Conference, and recommend committee chairs for approval by the Board. He/she shall be responsible for negotiating (with the assistance of the Secretary/Treasurer) and signing any contract with other organizations for sharing the financial risk and surplus for holding the upcoming ICOSSAR during the term of his/her presidency. If the President deemed necessary, he/she can recommend a co-chair or vice chair (normally the host) of the next ICOSSAR during his/her term in office for approval by the Board. The co-chair or vice chair, as host of the Conference, is mainly to assist the President with the local organization.

The President shall preside as Chair of the Assembly Meeting of the Association during the ICOSSAR for which he/she is responsible.

The President has the responsibility to appoint auditors (preferably two) of Association members or hire commercial professionals to audit the financial records of the Association once every four years approximately two months prior to convening the next ICOSSAR.

The Headquarter of the Association shall be located at the office of the President.

The Vice President shall assist the President on matters designated and assigned by the President. He/she shall assume the responsibilities of the President in the absence or in case of incapacity of the President.

The Secretary/Treasurer is appointed by the Board. He/she shall be compensated for his/her services by the Association -- the compensation shall be negotiated with and approved by the Board.

The duties of the Secretary/Treasurer shall include the following:

•  distribute and receive applications for membership in IASSAR, review each application and make his/her recommendations to the President;
• attend and record the minutes of all meetings of the Executive Board, of the Assembly Meeting, and keep records of all business and financial matters of the Association;
• responsible for developing and maintaining the website of the Association;
• prepare annually a summary of the financial records of the Association for audit by the auditors, and for review & approval by the Board;
• make preparations for the Assembly Meeting during an ICOSSAR and report on the financial status of the Conference and of the Association at the Meeting; this report shall subsequently be published on the website of IASSAR as soon as practicable at the conclusion of an ICOSSAR; and
• other duties that may require his/her attention and assistance.

The Conference (ICOSSAR)
The conference organized by IASSAR shall be known as the International Conference on Structural Safety and Reliability (ICOSSAR) which shall be held approximately every four years, at a location to be selected and approved by the Executive Board. The Conference shall be organized and directed by the President of IASSAR as Chair of the Conference with the assistance of the co-chair or vice chair if necessary. There shall be three committees for each ICOSSAR; the President shall appoint members of the three committees and recommend chairs for the respective committees to the Board for approval:

•     International Scientific Committee (responsible for the scientific program of the Conference)
•     International Advisory Committee
•     Local Organizing Committee (with sub-committees such as finance, social, publication, etc.)

The chairs of these three committees must be reviewed and approved by the Board.

Amendments
This Constitution and By-Laws or any of its items can be amended with a majority vote of the Executive Board members.