IRIS Bylaws

Article I: Purpose

The International Renal Interest Society, hereafter referred to as "IRIS" or "SOCIETY", is constituted and operated exclusively for scientific and educational purposes. The mission of IRIS is to promote the discipline of comparative nephrology (defined as the medical discipline concerned with the structure, function, clinical diseases, or pathology of the kidneys) and to facilitate the better understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of renal (kidney) disease. To achieve this mission, the SOCIETY shall endeavour and seek ways to enhance the field of veterinary nephrology by:

  1. providing access to new and up-dated knowledge through the publication of guidelines and educational materials,
  2. advocating the development of international recommendations and standards of practice excellence to improve the quality of care of animal patients with kidney disease,
  3. advancing scientific knowledge and clinical practice through promotion of clinical investigations,
  4. communicating with other national and international societies involved in the field of veterinary nephrology (especially the American Society of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology, and the European Society of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology), and
  5. using other means as directed by the IRIS Board.

Article II: Membership

Section 2.01 Membership categories

There shall be two categories of IRIS memberships: IRIS Board Members and IRIS Supportive Members.

  1. IRIS Board Members: IRIS is led by a board of independent veterinarians with identified expertise in nephrology, from different countries. The Board members normally have demonstrated a major and continuing interest in nephrology and have documented expertise in the discipline. Active Members shall be eligible to hold office in the Society, serve on committees, and vote for the election of officers and on all other matters presented to the Board.
  2. IRIS Supportive Members: The supporting membership shall be composed of industry representatives and other individuals who support and facilitate the missions of the SOCIETY. Supporting members are not eligible to vote or hold office but are eligible to participate in IRIS Board meetings and serve on Committees.
  3. Other Participants: Non-members of the IRIS board may be invited to attend and participate in Board meetings and receive mailings at the discretion of the Board, but are not eligible to hold office in the SOCIETY or vote.

Section 2.02 New members

  1. IRIS Board members
    1. Any person considered for membership on the IRIS board must be a graduate of a School or College of Veterinary Medicine, have a demonstrated record of scientific excellence in veterinary nephrology or allied fields facilitating veterinary nephrology (i.e., nephropathology, renal physiology, renal pharmacology, internal medicine, renal surgery), and have achieved distinction in these fields at least at the national level.
    2. Procedure for replacement of Board members: Replacement of a Board member is at the discretion of the IRIS Board and the IRIS sponsors. When there is a vacancy, all board members plus the IRIS sponsors nominate a replacement. The Replacement is chosen from the candidate pool by consensus of the Board and Supportive members.
  2. IRIS supportive members
    1. IRIS Supportive Members shall be a graduate of a School or College of Veterinary Medicine or other field of Health Science who provide sponsorship, expertise, services, associations, or liaisons essential to the operation and missions of the SOCIETY. IRIS Supportive Members shall have the endorsement of the majority of the Board

Section 2.03 Resignation of members

  1. Any Board or Supportive member may resign by sending their written intent to resign by e-mail to the President.
  2. Every Board member is required to attend the Annual IRIS Meeting to maintain active membership and remain eligible to serve on the Board. After 2 consecutive absences from the annual meeting, the President will contact the member to indicate the requirement to attend the subsequent meeting or be subject to removal from the Board and/or to determine the member's intentions for continuing participation on the Board. Following the third consecutive absence from the annual meeting, membership from the Board can be revoked by a two-thirds vote of the active membership at the annual meeting or by electronic ballot between meetings.

Article III - Officers

Section 3.01 Officers:

The governing officers of the SOCIETY shall be a President and President-Elect.

  1. The President shall:
    1. Be the chief executive of the SOCIETY and serve as its official spokesperson
    2. Supervise the business of the SOCIETY
    3. Preside over the IRIS Board Meeting
    4. Call special meetings of the memberships, if required
    5. Appoint committees as required
    6. Present, or designate an appropriate alternate to present, the IRIS andOsborne Awards
    7. In general, perform all duties incident to the office of the President, and such other duties as may be prescribed by the IRIS board from time to time
    8. Serve as the Chair of the Executive Committee (see below)
  2. The President-Elect shall:
    1. Normally succeed to the office of President upon completion of the President's term in office.
    2. Perform the duties of the President, in the absence of the President.
    3. Perform such other duties as, from time to time, may be assigned by the President or the IRIS Board.
    4. Serve as a member of the Executive Committee

Section 3.02 Election and Term of office

  1. The officer(s) of the SOCIETY shall be elected by ballot every two years at the annual meeting by the active IRIS board members. At least 60 days prior to an annual meeting at which an election is to occur, the Executive Committee shall contact all Board Members to seek nominees and volunteers for elective office(s). The Executive Committee shall consider this input and recommend at least two nominees to the Board for each office for which an election is being held. Normally this will be the office of President-Elect only. The affirmative vote of a majority of the IRIS board members present and voting shall be required for election to any office.
  2. The term of office for the President and President-Elect shall be two years, or until a successor is elected in the event of early resignation.
  3. The President and President-Elect shall not be eligible to serve consecutive terms.

Article IV: Committees and Chairpersons

Section 4.01 Executive Committee shall:

  1. consist of the two officers (President and President-Elect), the Chairpersons of the Standing Committees, and one representative of the IRIS Supportive membership. The President (President -Elect in her/his absence) shall serve as the Chair of this committee,
  2. have and may exercise all the authority of the IRIS board in the intervals between IRIS board meetings,
  3. report its routine actions to the IRIS board on a regular basis, and
  4. set the agenda for the annual Board Meeting.

Section 4.02 Standing Committees

The Standing Committees of the IRIS Board include, but are not limited to:

  1. the Project Committee,
  2. the IRIS and Osborne Awards Committee, and
  3. the Website/Newsletter Committee

The primary activities of the Standing Committees are conducted during the Annual meeting but may be extended to electronic meetings between annual meetings at the discretion of each Standing Committee Chairperson or the Executive Committee. The activities of each Standing Committee are then summarized and presented for discussion and approval by the active IRIS board during the plenary session of the annual IRIS Board Meeting or at the subsequent annual IRIS Board Meeting. For time sensitive matters, that arise or are concluded between annual IRIS Board Meetings, the actions of the Standing Committees can be distributed electronically to the active Board membership or the Executive Committee for discussion and approval.

  1. Composition
    1. Each of the Standing Committees shall consist of approximately one third of IRIS Board and Supportive members.
    2. Every member of the IRIS Board shall serve as a member on one of the Standing Committees. (Supportive Board Members may also serve in a non-voting capacity on a Standing Committees, but this service is not required)
    3. IRIS Board Members cannot serve on more than one committee.
    4. Membership composition of the committees will be changed every 2 years with the term of the President at the time of the election of new officer(s).
    5. The Executive Committee shall recommend Standing Committee memberships to the Board. Approval must be by a majority of the Board, who shall have final authority on the composition of the Standing Committees. At least 2 members of each standing committee must have served on that committee during the preceding 2 year period.
  2. Chairperson of committee
    1. Each committee will designate the Chairperson who shall serve for 2 years and represent the committee on the Executive Committee and shall also preside over the committee's session at (and between) the annual meetings. The Chairperson of a standing committee shall be selected by committee members from amongst the individuals who served on that committee during the preceding 2 year period.
    2. During the annual IRIS Board Meeting, the Chairperson(s) of each committee will present
      1. a summary of the committee's activities during the past year,
      2. a summary of recommendations for the future, and
      3. a written report of the results and conclusions of committee deliberations held during the annual meeting to the meeting's secretary (see 5.03.B. below) within 14 days of the conclusion of the annual meeting.
      4. During an annual meeting at which a new Committee Chairperson is selected, the previous year's Chairperson will provide 4.02.B.b.i and the newly elected Chairperson will provide 4.02.B.b.ii and iii.
  3. Project Committee
    1. The charge of the Project Committee is to identify and propose projects and new IRIS initiatives for discussion by the Board. The Project Committee is also charged with monitoring and reporting on the status of active IRIS projects previously approved by the Board and in progress.
    2. In particular, but not limited to the following, the Project Committee shall:
      1. propose new guidelines to the IRIS board,
      2. update previously published IRIS guidelines,and
      3. address any scientific issue submitted to the IRIS board.
  4. IRIS and Osborne Awards Committee
    1. The Awards Committee is responsible for the supervision and management of the IRIS and Osborne awards program.
    2. In particular, but not limited to the following, the Awards Committee shall:
      1. announce and solicit nominations for the awards, conduct candidate review and ranking, and forward recommendations to the Board for final decision,
      2. organize the Award ceremony,
      3. inform the candidates of the decision of the IRIS Board, and
      4. make recommendations to the IRIS board on matters concerning awards.
  5. Website/Newsletter Committee
    1. The Website/Newsletter Committee shall recommend to the IRIS Board activities appropriate for the SOCIETY with respect to communication regarding small animal nephrology via the IRIS website or the IRIS newsletter and other modes of communication, and, with the approval of IRIS board, carry out or supervise such activities.
    2. In particular, but not be limited to the following, the Website/Newsletter Committee shall:
      1. identify strategic initiatives for the website/newsletter and present recommendations to the Board for review and approval,
      2. develop a prioritized listing of design and functionality enhancements,
      3. review articles submitted by IRIS board members for publication on the IRIS website, and iv. coordinate with other committees for the posting relevant information and announcement of strategic initiatives (guidelines, awards announcements, etc.). and
      4. develop a program to review and maintain the integrity, timeliness, accuracy, aesthetics, and quality of the IRIS website.
  6. Ad Hoc Committees
    1. Special ad hoc committees shall be formed as needed to facilitate finite or short-term activities or initiatives of the Board or Standing Committees.
    2. The President shall appoint committee members and name a chairperson for each ad hoc committee with the approval of the IRIS Board.
    3. The committee shall cease to exist at the completion of the named task of the special committee or by vote of the Board.

Article V: Meetings of the Membership

Section 5.01 Annual meetings

  1. Annual IRIS Board Meeting: An annual meetings will be held alternatively just before the Congress of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine or the Forum of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. The location and dates of next meeting will be announced by the Executive Committee during the annual meeting. Details of the location and times for the meeting will be sent electronically to each Board Member at least sixty days before the date of the meeting. Proposed agenda items will be forwarded to the President or standing Committee Chairpersons by IRIS Board or Supportive Members in a timely fashion that enables the Executive Committee to circulate the agenda to all Board Members at least two weeks prior to the meeting.
  2. official business to be conducted at the Annual Meeting of the IRIS Board, a quorum of 60% of the membership (IRIS Board Members plus IRIS Supportive Members) must be present. In the absence of a quorum, an annual meeting may continue but any business conducted will be unofficial. The President may submit recommendations made by members attending a meeting which lacks a quorum to the Board as a whole for an electronic ballot which must be held within 60 days of the meeting.
  3. Standing Committee meeting: The meetings of IRIS Standing Committees shall take place during the Annual IRIS Board Meeting.

Section 5.02 Purpose of Annual Meeting

  1. The Annual IRIS Board Meeting shall include:
    1. A plenary session of the IRIS Board for review, discussion, and acceptance of proposals by the officers, Board at large, Executive Committee, Standing Committees, Ad Hoc Committees, or sponsors.
    2. Committees sessions
    3. Election of new officer every two years
    4. Any other business as deemed appropriate by a member of the IRIS Board.
  2. The agenda of the Annual Meetings will be defined by the Executive Committee

Section 5.03 Minutes of the Annual Meeting

  1. At the beginning of each IRIS board meeting, a secretary is designated by the President to prepare accurate minutes of each meeting thereof.
  2. The minutes shall contain a record of attendance and the discussion and vote taken on all matters, including matters that are not successfully passed. The secretary will also solicit written reports from each Standing Committee Chairperson to be included with the minutes. In the absence of such a report t he major conclusions of the IRIS Standing Committee sessions will be included in the minutes of the IRIS board meeting.
  3. The minutes shall be submitted to all IRIS board members for amendments and corrections if needed within 60 days of the meeting to which they refer. The corrected minutes shall be provided to the Board at least 2 weeks before the subsequent Annual Meeting for approval by the Board at the Annual Meeting. The minutes shall be maintained as a permanent record.
  4. Copies of the minutes of all meetings shall be made available upon request to those having a right to attend the meeting.

Article VI: Proposed changes in the Bylaws

Proposed changes in the Bylaws normally should be submitted in writing to the President at least 60 days prior to the annual meeting and distributed to the Board at least 2 weeks before the meeting for review. All changes to the Bylaws shall be approved by a two-thirds majority vote of the membership at the meeting or in response to an electronic ballot to be held within 90 days of the meeting.