By Laws
Article I: Audit
An independent audit of the Treasurer's record shall be carried out by a Certified Public Accountant at such times as the President or Council directs at least once every year immediately prior to the Annual Meeting. The report shall go directly to the Executive Committee and then Council.
Members shall be responsible for their own acts of commission or omission and shall not be able legally to bind the other members of the College without their expressed consent. This includes the Treasurer, President and other officers.
Article II: Committees
All committees shall be appointed by the President and approved by a two-third vote of Council and consist of three to seven members. The Chair of the Nominating Committee shall be the Past President. The Chairs of other committees shall be appointed by the Council. The Nominating Committee shall report to the President its recommendations approximately four months prior to the Annual Meeting. The number of candidates for Councillors should be at least one more than the number of vacancies. The members shall be notified of these selections by the Secretary not less than two months prior to the meeting and alternate nominations must be submitted to the President at least thirty days prior to the Annual Meeting.
Membership Committee
The Membership Committee shall be responsible for examining the credentials of applicants for membership and make appropriate recommendations to Council. This committee shall include one junior CCNP member with committee voting rights.
Finance Committee
The members of this Committee shall consist of the Treasurer, the President and one to five other members from among which the Chair shall be appointed. Members of this Committee shall help to raise support for the CCNP as well as to review, modify if necessary, and approve the budget prepared by the Treasurer. Reserves are maintained at a level which would allow the College to operate for a minimum of one year. Reserves include provision for the complete financial failure at one annual meeting of the College. The reserves are set at $55,000, to be reviewed periodically.
Council is empowered to approve up to $10,000 to be used towards lobbying the government for more research and development funding. The Treasurer and the Finance Committee shall maintain an endowment fund, the Research Trainee Travel Bursary fund, for the express purpose of providing travel bursaries to research trainees in order for them to attend the Annual Meeting of this College. The funds that will be available are the proceeds/interest earned by the fund minus 40%. The latter portion will be reinvested each year. The recipients of the bursaries will be selected by a committee chosen by the President. As a condition of the dispersement of funds, it is requested that original receipts of expenses or their equivalent be submitted to the Treasurer.
Public Relations and Liaison Committee
The Public Relations and Liaison Committee shall establish administrative, professional, academic and scientific liaison with other professional organizations (e.g., Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Canadian Psychiatric Association, Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Federation of Biological Sciences, Pharmacological Society of Canada, Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, universities, governmental agencies, industry and media).
Awards Committee
The Awards Committee for the Heinz Lehmann, Young Investigator, Innovations in Neuropsychopharmacology Research Award, the Jock Cleghorn and CCNP Medal Awards will consist of the President of the College who will act as Chair and four other College members elected by the membership at the Annual Meeting. As well, there will be one junior CCNP member with committee voting rights with respect to choosing the CCNP travel bursary recipients, who will be elected by junior CCNP members only. Keeping in mind the importance of continuity, in the first year only two members will be elected for a two-year term, the other two for one year. Thereafter, at least two members of the Committee shall be replaced each year from not less than three candidates proposed by the Nominating Committee.
Article III: Council Meetings
The full Council (Executive Committee plus nine Councillors) will meet at the time of the Annual Meeting and at such other times as the President or Executive Committee direct to review, modify if necessary, and approve the actions and recommendations of the Executive Committee. These recommendations will subsequently be presented to the general membership for action as needed.
Article IV: Discontinuance of Membership
Membership may be discontinued upon recommendations of the Executive Committee for non-payment of dues, unjustified nonattendance at three consecutive meetings, violations of ethical principles or other justifiable reasons by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the voting power of the Executive Committee. Upon request of the member involved, the matter may be brought before Council for review and subsequently before the entire membership.
ARTICLE V: TYPES OF MEMBERSHIPS
There will be six categories of members including Founding Fellows, Fellows, Affiliate Members, Honorary Fellows, Junior Members and Retired Members.
Founding Fellow
This category of membership is reserved for those individuals: (a) who were invited to attend the meeting held in May, 1977 in Toronto to form the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology; and/or (b) who were nominated to the Founding Executive Committee or to the Founding Fellowship and Membership Committee. Such an individual will be entitled to vote and hold an office.
Fellows
This category of membership is reserved for those individuals holding an M.D. or Ph.D. degree from a recognized university or showing evidence of equivalence in training or experience and who are presently engaged in significant scholarly activity (teaching and/or research) in the field of neuropsychopharmacology and/or psychopharmacology.
Affiliate Member
Any individual or institution willing to support and contribute to the activities of the College may be considered for affiliate membership. Individuals who are engaged in scholarly activities in the field, but whose prime interest is in another area, may be considered for affiliate membership. The Membership Committee, in consultation with the Finance Committee, is to review and make recommendations to Council for institutional memberships. The affiliate member shall have a voice, but not a vote and may not hold office.
Honorary Fellows
A person of truly outstanding accomplishment in the field of neuropsychopharmacology and/or psychopharmacology or who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of College interests (eg. benefactors, spokespersons, fund-raising organizers) may be designated as an Honorary Fellow.
Junior Members
Research trainees could maintain this status for up to 5 years after completing a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent, or until obtaining an appointment as Assistant Professor or equivalent. Such members will be charged a minimal annual fee and will not have a vote. They will pay a reduced registration fee for the annual meetings of the College.
Retired Members
CCNP Fellows may change to this status upon request to the Executive of the College. This category would include Fellows who have retired from their academic career but who wish to continue their involvement in the College. Retired members will pay a minimal annual fee and a reduced registration fee for Annual Meetings of the College.
Article VI: Membership
Procedure for Fellowship and Membership
Application shall be made upon forms authorized by the Executive Committee. Applicants must provide sufficient information to the Membership Committee to permit an assessment of their qualifications for membership. Following recommendation of the Membership Committee, the Council shall decide whether an application for membership be approved or rejected. A list of the proposed members shall be circulated to the Executive Committee at least two months in advance of the general meeting, and if there are no objections, the list shall be submitted to the general membership one month prior to the Annual Meeting.
Article VII: Dues
Dues shall be required of all members unless waived in whole or in part upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee for good reasons. Registration fee for the Annual Meeting is to be approved by Council and the Finance Committee. Registration of members shall be required for attendance at any scientific as well as business meeting. Registration shall not be accepted until all delinquent dues have been paid.
Article VIII: Parliamentary Procedures
The Business Meeting shall be conducted in accord with Roberts' Rules of Order except that the Constitution and By-Laws shall take precedence.
Article IX: Amendments
Amendments to these By-Laws may be proposed by a two-thirds vote of Council or by petition of 5% of the active members without approval of Council. Both must be submitted in writing to the members 30 days in advance of the meeting of the CCNP. Alternatively, the amendments may be submitted for mail vote with response required within 60 days. Approval requires a favorable response from two-thirds of all members voting. The vote shall be null and void if less than 30% of the members participate.
Issues other than those considered to be Constitutional or By-Law may be passed by a simple majority vote at the Annual Business Meeting or in response to a mail ballot.
Affiliation with the Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience
The Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience (JPN) is the official journal of the CCNP (indicated in the masthead of the Journal). The owner and the publisher of the JPN is the Canadian Medical Association.