Memory Studies Association By-Laws

I. Mission Statement: The Memory Studies Association (MSA) aims to provide a gathering space for developing, discussing and exchanging ideas about the methodologies, theories, and results of memory studies; to become the central forum for scholars from around the world and across disciplines who are interested in memory studies; and to further establish and extend the status of memory studies as a field, institutionalizing it in a way that is able to provide fundamental knowledge about the importance and function of memories in the public and private realm.

Our specific ambitions include the following:

— to move beyond the Euro/Anglo centrism that has underwritten the development of the field. We thus aim to bring scholars from different regions to the table. 

— to draw in practitioners, artists, and policy-makers, making the MSA a forum not only for scholarly debate, but one through which scholars can make connections to more practical realms, and practitioners and producers of memory can be informed about the state of the art in memory scholarship. 

— to explore the possibilities for, and limits on, genuinely interdisciplinary work and cross-disciplinary exchange, for instance by continuing to work on exploring the boundaries between social/cultural concepts of memory and psychological/neurological ones. 

— to attract, build bridges to, and offer a home for our existing “sister fields,” such as heritage studies, oral history, transitional justice, archival studies. 

— to represent the interests of memory studies as a community of professionals including offering professional development activities and career boosting services. 

— to increase the visibility of memory studies with both state-based and private funders of academic research and community outreach, as well as with publishers. 

— to offer our expertise on memory political concerns as they arise in public affairs and ethical debates.

II. Governance

1. Officers: Following an initial founding period (ending June 2021), the association will have a rotating system consisting of a President-Elect, President, and Past President, who are each elected for three years according to a staggered system that allows for annual rotation.

Each year 1) a new President-Elect is elected, 2) the previous President-Elect becomes President, and 3) the previous President becomes Past President. Specific tasks will be divided out among the presidents with the President assuming the role of chair of the Executive committee. This rotational system ensures greater continuity, while also giving the President-Elect time to gain experience in their role before taking on the role of President. Former presidents may stand for re-election after an interval of three years.  

The officers govern the association in close consultation with the other members of the Executive Committee. The presidents represent the association in external business, implement the decisions of the general meeting and the Executive Committee, and determine the intellectual course of the association. The officers also set the agenda and conduct the meetings of the general membership, the advisory board, and the Executive Committee.

2. Executive Committee: The Executive Committee (EC) is the decision-making body of the association. It consists of the three presidents and six additional elected members. The six additional members are elected according to a rotating system where two new members are elected every year for a three-year period. This rotational system aims to enhance the continuity within the Executive, while also providing a mechanism for regular recruitment. Members of the Executive may stand for re-election after an interval of three years.

The Executive Committee administers the finances of the association and develops the policies and rules of the association, including membership fees and suggestions for bylaw amendments. The Executive Committee also determines the composition of the Advisory Board and the number and the composition of the Standing Committees of the association. 

2a. Secretary & Treasurer: The Executive Committee will appoint a secretary to the EC and an MSA treasurer from among its members; the secretary will hold the position for 2 years; the treasurer for 3 years. An EC member may fulfil these positions more than once.

3. Advisory Board: The composition of the Advisory Board (AB) should reflect the interdisciplinary and international profile of the field, providing the Executive Committee with a wide range of professional perspectives and expertise. Advisory Board members are expected to support the work of the association especially with regard to outreach, mentoring of young scholars, and the tasks delegated to the Standing Committees of the association. The Advisory Board meets in the context of the association’s yearly conference.

4. Financial Audit Committee: Each two years candidates can nominate themselves for a Financial Committee that the General Meeting will elect from among the members, consisting of two persons who may not be on the Executive Committee. The Financial Committee must audit the balance sheets and the statement of income and expenditure of the association and must report its findings to the General Meeting.

5. Ethics Committee: The Ethics Committee acts on the basis of the MSA Code of Conduct. It is in charge of arbitration in case of conflicts between MSA members. More fundamentally, it contributes to the evolution of the MSA Code of Conduct, building a body of rules through precedents. It also makes statements and recommendations on ethical issues and provides some guidance for researchers and practitioners belonging to the Memory Studies community. The MSA Ethics Committee has one member representing the Executive Committee and six individuals drawn from the general membership (of which at least two are PhD students). Any MSA member is eligible to run. Half of the Ethics Committee members are replaced annually. 

6. Nominations & Regulations Committee: The Executive Committee will appoint a four-member Nominations & Regulations Committee (NRC) according to a two-year cycle, with clear guidelines for generating nominations. The Nominations & Regulations Committee will elect one of its members to serve as chair.

7. General Membership: Membership is open to anybody who supports the goals of the association. All members either pay annual dues or hold the status of sponsored members.

7a. Membership categories:

Student/Post-doc/Low Income Membership: Students, Postdocs and early career practitioners, and self-employed or employed persons with low salaries or limited resources are invited to join the association at a significantly reduced membership rate. 

Mid-Career Membership: the regular membership rate for academics and practitioners who are permanently employed and for self-employed persons with similar resources. 

Senior Scholar/Practitioner Membership: the regular membership rate for academics and practitioners who are paid at or near the top of their respective pay scale and for self-employed persons with similar resources. 

Sustaining Membership: all members are encouraged to become sustaining members in their respective membership category thus providing the association with additional resources to fund its programs including sponsored memberships and MSA conference travel grants. 

Benefactor Membership: a membership category for those who are particularly able and eager to support the development and activities of the association (for instance by purchasing a benefactor membership through their research accounts). 

Sponsored Membership: people interested in joining the association for whom the reduced Student/Early Career/Low Income Membership rate constitutes a substantial financial burden are encouraged to apply to the Executive Committee to become sponsored members. Sponsored members do not pay dues but hold all privileges of MSA membership.

8. Standing Committees: Membership in Standing Committees is determined by the Executive Committee. All Standing Committees have at least one member who is also a member of the Executive Committee. At the moment the association has the following standing committees: Fundraising, Outreach, Website & Communications, PhD/Early-Career Development, Publications, Rules & Nominations.

9. Working Groups: The MSA has a number of Working Groups on specific topics. Each Working Group is led by three chairs. All members of a Working Group have to be members of the MSA and either pay annual dues or hold the status of sponsored members. Working Groups can meet independently from the MSA but need to comply to the MSA Code of Conduct and the Guidelines for Working Groups, Regional Groups and National Networks.

10. Regional Groups: The MSA is organised in several regional groups (e.g. MSA Asia, MSA Scandinavia). Each Regional Group is led by three chairs. All members of a Regional Group have to be members of the MSA and either pay annual dues or hold the status of sponsored members. Regional Groups can meet independently from the MSA but need to comply to the MSA Code of Conduct and the Guidelines for Working Groups, Regional Groups and National Networks.

11. National Networks: The MSA is organised in several national networks (i.e. MSA Poland). Each National Network is led by three chairs. All members of a National Network have to be members of the MSA and either pay annual dues or hold the status of sponsored members. Regional Groups can meet independently from the MSA but need to comply to the MSA Code of Conduct and the Guidelines for Working Groups, Regional Groups and National Networks. 

III. Conferences: The association aims at holding at least one conference each year dedicated to the distribution of research, reflections on teaching and public history practices, and career development. The location of the conference should rotate on a global scale and the call for papers and the program of the conference should reflect the interdisciplinary range of the field. The conference is organized by the Conference Committee in cooperation with the Executive Committee.

IV. General Meeting: The presidents call a General Meeting at the association’s conference and report to the membership about the development of the association. Moreover, whenever possible, all nominations, bylaw amendments, and significant policy changes are discussed at the meeting. The general meeting is conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order.

V. Elections: The MSA will use an online voting system and hold the elections in advance of the annual General Meeting. The elections will be held through a system of online voting, and candidates for election will present themselves to the members of the MSA through an online video message. This allows the online voting to precede the annual conference so that the General Meeting becomes an occasion for presenting the new President-Elect and new members of the Executive and, ideally, for the new officers to meet in person—perhaps together with the outgoing President and EC members. Those nominated will be expected to present themselves to the membership in the form of a video as well as in a written biographical sketch and statement of motivation. 

Elections will be held every year for a new President-Elect and for two new members of the Executive Committee.

1. Guidelines for Nominations: For each election, a number of nominations will be generated annually both from the membership at large (members may nominate themselves or other colleagues) and through the NRC in consultation with the Executive and the NRC itself.

The NRC will present annually a minimum of two and a maximum of three candidates for the position of President-Elect; and a minimum of three and a maximum of five candidates for the two positions in the Executive Committee. All those nominated will be asked to indicate their willingness to go forward for election. The NRC is charged with taking into account questions of diversity related to discipline and region, as well as to gender, race, and sexuality when making nominations. Nominations for the Executive Committee should also consider career stage, and as well as encourage participation from practitioners.

VI. Amendments: Amendments to the bylaws can be proposed by the Executive Committee, a majority of the general meeting, or 15% of the association’s membership. All suggested bylaw amendments are put to a vote to the general membership within six months as long as they comply with applicable public law and tax rules. All members in good standing may participate in the election. A simple majority of cast ballots suffices for qualified amendments to be adopted.

VII. Dissolution: The decision to dissolve the association requires a two-thirds majority in the Executive Committee followed by a simple majority of the membership. Remaining assets should be transferred to another association with goals and tax status similar to the MSA’s.