Constitution and Bylaws of the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts 

Updated October 2024

ARTICLE I—NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION 

The organization is called the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts; acronym: IAFA. It is a non-profit organization, incorporated as a 501(c)(3) under the laws of the State of Florida. 

ARTICLE II—PURPOSE 

The purpose of the organization is to promote and recognize achievements in the study of the fantastic, in English and other languages, in drama and film, in art and graphic design, and in related academic disciplines. The traditional venues for these activities include: 

1. Organization and management of academic conferences on the fantastic in the arts; 

1. Publication of a scholarly journal, the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts (JFA); 

1. Sponsorships and administration of a series of awards for scholarship and for fiction writing; 

1. Publication and maintenance of a website, social media accounts, a mailing list, and other such projects to serve the interests of scholars and/or creatives in the field. 

ARTICLE III—MEMBERSHIP IN THE ORGANIZATION 

Membership is open to all—including academics, editors, publishers, writers, artists, and fans. Membership is required of all who present at IAFA conferences. Membership—including complimentary memberships extended to invited guests—grant the right to vote in any election or vote called by the IAFA as well as access to the JFA. 

Benefits do not include conference registration. 

See the Bylaws for specific rights, additional benefits, and responsibilities for membership. 

Membership runs for one year from date of joining or renewing. 

ARTICLE IV—OFFICERS 

All officers of the IAFA must be members in good standing. To be eligible for the office of President, a member must have served either as a Division Head or as a member of the Executive Board. All Executive Board officers, whether elected or appointed, will have equal vote on IAFA issues that come before the Executive Board. 

Section 1: Executive Board. Members of the Executive Board include the seven elected officers: President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Public Information Officer, Immediate Past President, BIPOC Caucus Representative, and Student Caucus Representative. Appointed Officers are limited to the Onsite Conference Coordinator, Virtual Conference Coordinator, Registration/Membership Coordinator, and Treasurer. Appointments to the Board are made by the President, after formal discussion and majority vote of the other elected officers. Two thirds of the Board members, both those elected and those appointed, constitute a quorum for conducting business. 

Section 2: Terms of Office. The elected officers customarily serve three-year terms, staggered to prevent the rotation of all officers at once. When unplanned vacancies occur, appointments to fill them for shorter terms may be made by the President, after formal discussion and majority vote of the Board. Terms are three years unless otherwise stipulated. 

For election procedures, specific terms, and job descriptions, see the accompanying Bylaws. 

Section 3: Non-executive officers appointed by the Board. The duties and responsibilities of non-executive officers who report to the executive board, including Division Heads, are detailed in the Bylaws. All officers may appoint assistants, subject to the approval of the Executive Board. The duties and responsibilities of assistants are determined by the appointing officers who supervise them. 

ARTICLE V—MEETINGS 

General business meetings open to all members are conducted annually at the ICFA. In addition, Division Heads must meet at least once annually under the leadership of the First Vice President, usually at the ICFA. Board members and those appointed to report to the Board meet at the ICFA; a smaller subgroup of this body meets again at a special planning meeting conducted by the President each summer. The officers who attend the summer planning meeting, at the organization’s expense, are the President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Public Information Officer, BIPOC Caucus Representative, Student Caucus Representative, On-site Conference Coordinator, Virtual Conference Coordinator, Registration/Membership Coordinator, Treasurer, and Principal Technology Officer. The President may also, at her or his discretion, decide to invite other Board members or those reporting to the Board to attend all or part of this meeting, via remote technology or in person. If such a person is required to travel to the meeting for the full meeting, the IAFA will also fund this person’s travel and accommodation. Future conference guests and themes will be decided at the meeting at the ICFA, which includes all Board members and all those reporting to the Board. In addition, for this decision, the First Vice President will also seek input from the Division Heads and present their views at the meeting. Only the Board votes on the selection of guests, after consultation with this extended group of people in service to the organization. 

ARTICLE VI—SCOPE OF BOARD AUTHORITY 

The Board is empowered to take the following actions on behalf of the IAFA membership: 

1. Enter into contracts as might be necessary to plan for and conduct conferences. 

1. Hire contractors as required to provide expert advice to the Board or to perform work on its behalf. 

1. Recognize subsidiary organizations established within the membership to represent specific constituencies and incorporate them into the organization’s governance. 

1. Establish standard rules and procedures that will guide the conduct of the IAFA as an organization and provide for specific activities to take place during conferences. 

ARTICLE VII—BYLAWS AND AMENDMENTS 

Details of governance are outlined in the accompanying Bylaws and Articles of Governance of the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts; this document also establishes procedures for amending the Constitution. 

Bylaws and Articles of Governance 

I: Rights, additional benefits, and responsibilities for Membership 

 All members (paid and complimentary) may vote in elections and receive access to the JFA. Membership is required to participate in caucuses and associations. All members must adhere to the IAFA code of conduct, and membership may be revoked for code of conduct violations. 

II: Elections 

The Elections Committee for the IAFA will include: the Immediate Past President, who will chair it, and two other Board members with preference for committee members with administrative access to the IAFA’s membership management system. The Elections committee is confirmed by a simple majority vote of the Executive Board. Members of the Elections Committee are not eligible to run for the office on which committee they serve.

The election process includes an open nomination phase followed by an online voting phase consisting of a two-round electoral system.  The election calendar is set by the Elections Committee within the guidelines outlined below. All notifications, announcements, and ballots shall be distributed through electronic means (via the Internet via email or secure website).

Nominations

The Elections Committee will announce upcoming elections with a call for nominations, including self-nominations. The call will clearly state all requirements and preferences for the position. The nomination period will run for fifteen to twenty business days with up to ten business days afterwards for the Elections Committee to contact nominees who qualify for the position and verify that they will accept the nominations. In the event that one or fewer qualified candidates are nominated, the Elections Committee will announce an extension of five to ten business days. 

Once the nomination period has concluded, nominees will be contacted and given twelve business days to submit position statements. These statements should include a description of the candidate’s own experience and qualifications for the position and what their goals and priorities would be, if elected. Candidate statements should not target individual IAFA members or participants of IAFA activities. The Elections Committee may ask nominees to rewrite sections of their position statements if they do not adhere to these guidelines.

Voting

The election is conducted using a two-round voting system, i.e., if no candidate receives a clear majority of votes cast on the first ballot (51% or more), then a second ballot will conduct a run-off  between the two candidates who received the most votes on the first ballot. The second ballot should go out no more than ten business days after the close of the first ballot.  Each ballot will be held open for fifteen to twenty business days and distributed with the candidate’s position statements. 

Once this voting period has concluded, the chair of the Elections Committee will receive independent verification of the results from the two other committee members.

Announcement of results

The chair of the Elections Committee will announce the results of the election to the Executive Board, and an announcement to membership will be made no later than seven calendar days after the conclusion of the voting period.

III: Appointments 

Elected Officers are automatically members of the Executive Board, as are the Immediate Past President, the BIPOC Caucus Representative (elected by a separate process set out in the bylaws of the BIPOC Caucus) and the Student Representative (elected by a separate process set out in the bylaws of the Student Caucus).  

Appointed Board officers are limited to the Onsite Conference Coordinator, Virtual Conference Coordinator, Registration/Membership Coordinator, and Treasurer. Appointments are made by the President, after formal discussion and majority vote of the other elected officers. Elected terms are three years unless otherwise stipulated; appointed officers are renewed annually. Elected officers are limited to two consecutive three-year terms but may seek re-election after they have left the board for a term. Appointed members are not subject to term limits, but appointments will be reviewed annually, with the exception of the JFA Editorial Collective and the Crawford Award Director, who each serve five-year, renewable terms. 

IV: Duties of the Officers of the Association 

The Executive Board 

President 

The President is the principal executive officer, responsible for directing and coordinating all functions of the organization, including conferences, the JFA and other sponsored publications, awards overseen by the Executive Board, and public relations of all kinds. The President sets the agenda for, and presides at, all meetings of the Executive Board and at all business meetings. The President is also the principal planning officer, responsible for setting the agenda for all Association projects. The President oversees the work of the other officers, recruits special guests, seeks institutional support, confirms non-elected Board members, and responds to and sets priority for other initiatives. The President is elected by majority vote of the IAFA members who participate in the election. 

First Vice President 

The First Vice President coordinates the ICFA Program, overseeing the work of the Division Heads and scheduling paper sessions for the on-site conference program. The First Vice President also consults with the President and Second Vice President concerning appearances by special guests in panels, readings, and lectures, with Conference Coordinators about technological setup and (onsite and virtual) room assignments, and with Caucus Representatives regarding scheduling needs and preferences. The First Vice President substitutes for the President when necessary. The First Vice President oversees the IAFA Graduate Student Award, including the following: advertising the award, organizing the prize committee, and collecting and forwarding submissions to the committee for a blind reading process. The First Vice President is elected by majority vote of the IAFA members who participate in the election. 

Second Vice President 

The Second Vice President oversees and develops the programming track of creative guests, maintaining a current email list, contacting writers to solicit proposals, organizing sessions, and consulting the First Vice President to schedule the creative track. The Second Vice President also collects biographies and photos of the invited creative guests for publication in the program book and passes this information on to the Program Book Editor. The Second Vice President is elected by majority vote of the IAFA members who participate in the election. 

Public Information Officer 

The Public Information Officer facilitates communication among membership, the organization, and the general public (including other organizations). This includes organizing data and facts, generating and distributing press releases, managing inquiries from membership, and managing public image via digital presences such as the website, blog, and social media. This includes multilingual and accessible communications. The Public Information Officer records the minutes of all Executive Board meetings and disseminates them to membership in a timely manner (as a rule within 30 days). The Public Information Officer is the recorder of motions and amendments at official meetings. The Public Information Officer maintains the IAFA electronic archive. The Public Information Officer is elected by majority vote of the IAFA members who participate in the election. 

BIPOC Caucus Representative 

The BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Caucus Representative is elected to the Executive Board according to the provisions of the BIPOC Caucus Bylaws. The BIPOC Representative performs the duties outlined in specific detail in that document, including the duty to represent the priorities of the BIPOC Caucus to the Executive Board. This position was created to ensure that the IAFA maintains a commitment to inclusive scholarship and to enacting antiracist practices in our conference management. The Board recognizes the BIPOC Representative as the authority to provide advice to the Board and to the broader organization on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion as they are relevant to any actions taken by the Board. 

Student Caucus Representative 

The Student Caucus Representative is elected to the Executive Board according to the provisions of the Student Caucus Bylaws. This representative performs the duties outlined in specific detail in that document, including the duty to represent the priorities of the Student Caucus to the Executive Board. The Student Caucus Representative provides advice to the Board on how its decisions specifically affect student members of the IAFA.  

Treasurer 

The Treasurer maintains a bank account for the Association, prepares the annual budget, and handles accounts for all monies received or disbursed by the organization. The Treasurer also represents the Association in filing returns with the IRS and in other legal matters. The Treasurer’s Annual Report is presented at the Annual Business Meeting of the ICFA and becomes basic data for future budgets; thus, the Treasurer works closely with the President. The Treasurer is appointed by the President, after formal discussion and majority vote of the other elected officers. Candidates for the position of Treasurer must demonstrate appropriate money management skills and fiscal knowledge in order to be confirmed. 

On-site Conference Coordinator 

The On-site Conference Coordinator handles the physical and financial arrangements for staging the ICFA, representing the conference in negotiations with the hotel staff and working with the other officers in assigning spaces and times for various functions. Room rates and luncheon/banquet ticket prices are negotiated by the On-site Conference Coordinator, in consultation with the President and the hotel staff. The On-site Conference Coordinator prepares the annual budget for the ICFA, for approval at the summer board meeting. Room Reservations for IAFA officers and Guest(s) of Honor and Guest Scholar(s) are handled by the On-site Conference Coordinator, who also makes hotel arrangements for the on-site Board Meeting. The On-site Conference Coordinator supervises arrangements with the hotel during the conference in concert with the President and the Principal Technology Officer. The On-site Conference Coordinator is appointed by the President, after formal discussion and majority vote of the other elected officers. 

Virtual Conference Coordinator 

The Virtual Conference Coordinator (VCC) organizes the online conference. The VCC and their team determine conference dates, budget, and program, manage communications, share the call for papers, invite creative guests, decide upon the format and virtual infrastructure for the conference, create the conference program, and organize and execute the conference itself. The VCC works closely with the Registration/Membership Coordinator to ensure presenters and attendees are registered and/or members of the IAFA, and coordinates with the Program Book Editor on a final program that includes the conference schedule, code of conduct, and other program materials.The VCC is appointed by the President after formal discussion and majority vote of the other elected officers. 

Immediate Past President 

The Immediate Past President continues as a Board member until the end of the term of their successor as President. The Immediate Past President chairs the Elections Committee and supervises the work of the awards committees. They ensure that winners are named within stated guidelines for rendering a decision and arranges for the engraving and delivery of award plaques for Crawford, Distinguished Scholarship, Collins, and Donaldson Awards. The Immediate Past President presents or arranges for presentation of awards at the annual banquet and performs other duties as assigned by the President. The Immediate Past President will serve as liaison/advisor to the BIPOC Caucus Representative for the duration of their term, as specified in the bylaws of the BIPOC Caucus. 

Registration/Membership Coordinator 

This officer oversees the operation of the IAFA membership and conference registrations, corresponding with members regarding their membership dues and payments, taking in membership and registration fees, collecting and verifying accurate membership, registration statistics, and accounts of tickets, and distributing registration packets and badges as well as tickets for luncheon and banquet programs at the on-site conference. Fee structures and forms of membership, established by the Executive Board, are administered by the Registration/Membership Coordinator. This officer also oversees—in coordination with the Public Information Officer—the maintenance of membership mailing lists. The Registration/Membership Coordinator is appointed by the President, after formal discussion and majority vote of the other elected officers. 

Officers Reporting to the Executive Board 

Principal Technology Officer 

The Principal Technology Officer works with the Conference Coordinators and the On-Site Technology Officer to manage conference AV needs and provides primary support and maintenance for the IAFA’s online resources, such as the registered domain name (iafa.org), the websites, (IAFA, JFA), and the organization’s email discussion lists (IAFA-L, DIV-HEADS, IAFA-BOARD, JFA-STAFF). The Principal Technology Officer is responsible for technology acquisitions and advises the President and Executive Board on policy matters relating to information technology. The Principal Technology Officer is appointed by the President, after formal discussion and majority vote of the other elected officers. 

On-Site Technology Officer 

The On-Site Technology Officer oversees the set-up and maintenance of all the AV equipment used during on-site conferences in support of paper presentations and panel discussions, keynote addresses, and evening programming. They provide ongoing support to resolve technical issues during the conference, and, in consultation with the Principal Technology Officer, transmits of list of requested equipment purchases for ongoing support of the conference for approval from the Board. 

JFA Editorial Collective 

The JFA Editorial Collective plans and executes the content delivery of the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts. The Editorial Collective decides its own internal organization and responsibilities, including the selection each year of an individual responsible for oversight and reporting on the prompt and successful completion of each of the Collective's duties. Each year, the selected individual will transmit on behalf of the JFA Editorial Collective a detailed report on the successful procedures, functions, and the status of its editorial projects to the IAFA Executive Board. The Editorial Collective determines and manages costs involved in the production of the JFA, subject to approval by the Executive Board. 

Book Room Liaison 

The Book Room Liaison plans and conducts the assembly, display, and disposition of books of interest to scholars of the fantastic. The Book Room Liaison is responsible for receiving shipments of books from publishers, arranging for their display, and reporting to the President during the on-site conference. In consultation with the President and the Treasurer, the Book Room Liaison arranges for the books of Guest Scholar(s) and Guest(s) of Honor to be available at the on-site conference; all other attending creative guests are responsible for making their own arrangements to have their publishers ship books to the Book Room Liaison. The Book Room Liaison also arranges for autograph sessions by creative guests and distributes books as luncheon favors for attendees. The Book Room Liaison is appointed by the President after formal discussion and majority vote of the Board. 

Crawford Award Director 

The Crawford Awards Director develops and directs procedures for selecting the annual Crawford Award winner and shortlist. They arrange for the award jury, notify the winner, and work with the Registration/Membership Coordinator and On-site Conference Coordinator, arranges for the winner to attend the ICFA when possible. The Crawford Awards Director is appointed by the President for a five-year term, after formal discussion and majority vote of the other elected officers. 

Program Book Editor 

The Program Book Editor, in consultation with the First Vice President, the Second Vice President, the Public Information Officer, and the Registration/Membership Coordinator, is responsible for the layout, proofreading, editing, printing, accessibility needs, and delivery of the conference program book. The Program Book Editor also liaises with one or more printers to find an economical method of delivering this publication to the membership in a timely manner. The Program Book Editor is appointed by the President, after formal discussion and majority vote of the other elected officers. 

Division Heads 

Each Division Head organizes and supervises all conference activity within a subdivision of fantastic scholarship. Division Heads work under the guidance of the First Vice President and coordinate with the Second Vice President in cases where scholarly and creative activity may overlap. Division Heads are responsible for recruiting session proposals and papers and are responsible for formatting these to the requirements of the First Vice President. Division Heads are responsible for forwarding all information to the First Vice President in a timely fashion. Division Heads have the responsibility to check the draft program for accuracy and AV needs. Division Heads are expected to liaise with other Division Heads and the First Vice President. The First Vice President is the final arbiter of the program under the aegis of the Executive Board. At the conference the Division Heads oversee sessions in their respective divisions and collect suggestions for future topics, special guests, and other ideas and feedback related to conference improvement, to be shared with the Public Information Officer. 

The eight divisions are Children’s and Young Adult Literature and Art, Fantasy Literature, International Fantastic Literature, Gothic and Horror Literature, Science Fiction Literature, Film and Television, Visual and Performing Arts and Audiences, and Fairy Tales and Folk Narratives. The BIPOC Caucus Counter Space functions as the equivalent of a division for the purposes of scheduling. These may be altered by a decision of the Executive Board. Division Heads are appointed by the First Vice President, who chairs the council of Division Heads, after formal discussion and majority vote of the Board. A call for applications, open to all members, will be used to generate the names of candidates to be considered for such appointments. 

Division Heads serve for three-year terms and are limited to two consecutive terms of service. After a period outside of Division Head service, a candidate may seek reappointment for another term, which is again renewable for a total of six years of continuous service. 

The BIPOC Caucus Counter Space Scheduler is the equivalent of a Division Head in terms of scheduling authority and responsibility. The BIPOC Caucus Counter Space Scheduler is elected / appointed according to a separate process set out in their bylaws. 

Policies and Procedures Council 

The Policies and Procedures Council acts to intervene in the resolution of individual members’ or groups’ issues with administrative bodies of the IAFA, including the Executive Board. The Policies and Procedures Council acts as an intermediary and judiciary body in cases of complaints of harassment or abuse levied against other individual members. The Policies and Procedures Council has the authority to establish and modify policies, protocol and procedures that affect members’ rights.

Three members of the council are selected from the body of active members who have previously served as an appointed or elected Executive Board officer. One member of the council is selected by the BIPOC Caucus. One member of the council is selected by the Student Caucus. All members of the council are approved by a simple majority vote of the Executive Board and serve a term of three years limited to two consecutive terms. All members are expected to be familiar with the Constitution and Bylaws, Code of Conduct, and historical and ongoing work of the organization. No member may be a current member of the Executive Board or an officer reporting to the Board

V: Amendments to Constitution and Bylaws 

Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws may be initiated by any member or officer and ratified by a two-thirds vote of those voting on the Executive Board. Amendments may be overturned by a two-thirds vote of the full membership following a petition to the Board by 25% of said membership. 

VI: Action by Petition 

Any action of the Board may be challenged through a petition signed by 25% of the total membership of the IAFA and overturned by a two-thirds vote of the full membership of the IAFA. 

Any member of the Executive Board may be challenged through a petition signed by 25% of the total membership of the IAFA and recalled by a two-thirds vote of the full membership of the IAFA. 

Any active member may initiate an action through a petition signed by 25% of the total membership of the IAFA and enacted by a two-thirds vote of the full membership of the IAFA.