CHINESE HISTORIANS IN THE UNITED STATES (CHUS) BYLAWS
May 2025
Article I: Name and Purpose
Section 1. The name of the society shall be Chinese Historians in the United States (CHUS) (hereinafter “the Society”). The Society is a nonpolitical, nonprofit academic organization.
Section 2. The Society shall promote historical studies, support its members’ research and teaching, and facilitate their engagement with the larger scholarly community and the general public.
Section 3. The Society is registered in the United States of America. The Society shall observe the laws and regulations of the United States applicable to its operations.
Article II: Membership
Section 1. Membership in the Society shall be open to any qualified individual who works in history and related fields on the payment of one year’s dues. Any member whose dues are in arrears shall be dropped from the roll and reinstated at any time by the payment in advance of one year’s dues, except for those members covered in “A Report and Resolution on Lifetime Membership” issued by the CHUS Board of Directors dated April 8, 2024. All members shall have the right to vote and hold an elected and appointed office in the Society.
Section 2. Membership Eligibility
2.1 The Society is open to all historians in the United States who are of Chinese ethnicity or national origin.
2.2 The Society is open to all scholars in the United States whose work involves Chinese history, regardless of their ethnicity or nationality.
2.3 The Society is open to all scholars residing outside the United States whose work involves Chinese history and who have had working relationships with individuals and educational and research entities in the United States.
Section 3. Members of the Society are required to observe these bylaws and any other regulations enacted by the Board of Directors. Members are expected to conduct themselves with professionalism, integrity, and respect in all Society-related matters.
Article III: Officers and Organizational Structure
Section 1. The powers of the Society are invested in and exercised exclusively by the elected Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall manage, direct, and control the activities, affairs, financial accounts, and property of the Society, except as otherwise required by any provision of the law, or these Bylaws.
Section 2. The elected officers on the Board of Directors (Board Members) shall be the President, Vice President, and four Board Directors: Secretary, Treasurer, Director of Academic Programs, and Director of Communication and Engagement. The appointed officers shall be various committee members and chairs including the Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Historical Review, members of the three Standing Committees on Academic Programs, Communication and Engagement, and Development, respectively, and the ad hoc committees on elections, awards, and any other such officers as the Board deems necessary for the proper operation of the Society. All officers shall fulfill their duties promptly and responsibly.
Section 3. The President shall be the Chair of the Board of Directors. The President shall preside at meetings of the Board and at the business meeting, formulate policies for presentation to the Board, and oversee the implementations of those policies to fulfill the purposes of the Society. The President shall provide an annual report on the activities of the Board and the Society by the end of the calendar year.
Section 4. The Vice President shall assist the President in managing the affairs of the Society, propose projects to the Board for consideration, chair the Standing Committee on Development, and coordinate the work of various ad hoc committees. The Vice President is a non-voting member of the Board of Directors. In the event of the absence of the president, the Vice President shall act in place of and for the president, including presiding at a meeting and casting a vote as a proxy for the president. The Vice President shall provide an annual report on the work completed at the end of the calendar year. The Vice President shall assume the position of the President on the next Board following a Board review (see Article V/Section 7).
Section 5. The Secretary shall keep records of Board meetings, minutes, and other related documents, manage the membership records of the Society, work with the Treasurer to update the membership roll, communicate with the publisher of the Chinese Historical Review to ensure the access to the Journal for current members, and take charge of membership-related activities, including awards and social events. The Secretary shall provide an annual report regarding membership and related matters by the end of the calendar year. The Secretary may have other responsibilities as deemed appropriate by the President.
Section 6. The Treasurer shall manage the Society’s various financial accounts, funds and their routine financial transactions, receive membership payments and conference fees, send acknowledgement letters to donors, work with the Secretary to update the membership roll, and provide relevant financial data to the financial agent chosen by the Board of Directors for the purpose of filing annual tax returns on behalf of the Society. The Treasurer shall provide an annual report with itemized and accurate income and expenditure records of the Society by the end of the calendar year. The Treasurer may have other responsibilities as deemed appropriate by the President (more under Article VI/Section 7).
Section 7. The Director of Academic Programs shall manage various academic programs, initiatives, and activities sponsored or co-sponsored by the Society, overseeing the organization of conferences, academic lectures, publications, grant writing, and public-facing projects. This Director chairs the Standing Committee on Academic Programs. The Director serves as the Society’s liaison with other professional associations. The Director shall provide an annual report on the work of the Committee by the end of the calendar year. The Director may have other responsibilities as deemed appropriate by the President.
Section 8. The Director of Communication and Engagement shall administer the internal and external communication of the Society, manage the website of the Society, edit and issue newsletters, and promote the Society’s programs and scholarly activities via various platforms. The Director chairs the Standing Committee on Communication and Engagement. The director shall provide an annual report on the work of the Committee by the end of the calendar year. The Director may have other responsibilities as deemed appropriate by the President.
Section 9. At all meetings of the Board, except as otherwise expressly required by law, or by these Bylaws, all matters shall be decided by a vote of a majority of the Board members present at the meeting, including proxies. Such a majority vote of the Board members shall be necessary and sufficient to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by the Board, and serve as the only legitimate voice of the Board. Any information involved in the decision-making process of the Board shall remain confidential to protect the due process, the integrity of the office, and the privacy of the individuals involved.
Section 10. Any action which could be taken at a regular meeting of the Board may also be taken without a meeting. On such occasions, the decision and vote (or proxies) of a majority of the Board members, in signed writings or by e-mail and other mediums submitted to the President, shall be sufficient to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by the Board. Decisions and votes that take place without a meeting should be recorded in the meeting minutes of the immediate next Board meeting.
Section 11. Any elected officer may be removed from office if they fail to perform the duties and responsibilities of that office. Failure to perform includes negligence of basic responsibilities, violation of the Society’s policies, any unethical conduct, creating an environment of disrespect and dysfunction within the Society, and any other behaviors that can cause the Society to incur unnecessary liability. Members of the Society can file motions to remove any officers. Such motions shall bear at least 10 member signatures to warrant the consideration of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors can also propose the removal of officers, provided that such a proposal gains a majority vote among the Board Members. Removal of an officer, proposed either by members or by the Board, shall be approved by an affirmative vote of the majority of the Board and a two-thirds vote of the membership, with one exception: missing three Board meetings in a given year shall count as an automatic resignation of the Board member in question and shall trigger the process of electing a replacement. The Board shall have the authority to consider other responses appropriate to the failures and violations.
Section 12. Standing Committees
12.1 The Committee on Academic Programs shall manage various academic programs and initiatives sponsored or co-sponsored by the Society that include the organization of conferences, public lectures, and other academic activities, and work with other professional associations on programs that align with the purposes of the Society. This Committee is chaired by the Director of the Academic Programs and shall consist of three to five members appointed by the Board of Directors.
12.2 The Committee on Communication and Engagement shall support communication and academic exchanges among the members of the Society, with a special focus on those at the early stage of their career, promote the activities of the Society and its members, and work with various academic communities represented by members as well as the general public through venues appropriate to the Society. This Committee is chaired by the Director of Communication and Engagement and shall consist of three to five members appointed by the Board of Directors.
12.3 The Committee on Development shall manage the Society’s outreach in and outside the United States to strengthen its networking with other institutions and societies and to expand its influence in the larger scholarly community, collect and preserve the Society’s archives from previous Boards six-years removed from the sitting Board, and promote the Society’s financial health. This Committee is chaired by the Vice President and shall consist of three to five members appointed by the Board of Directors.
Section 13. The records, membership and other data, archives, and financial accounts and funds generated and managed by each Board of Directors are the property of the Society. Each sitting Board and its members shall gather its own records and transfer relevant materials to the elected next Board of Director, within two months after the new Board takes office.
Section 14. The Board of Directors has the power to appoint officers. These officers include the Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Historical Review, members of the standing committees, and chairs and members of the various ad hoc committees or special task forces when necessary.
Section 15. The Board shall appoint a member to file an annual financial report to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and to renew (when necessary) CHUS’ registration as a non-profit academic society in their state of residence annually to keep its registration current.
Section 16. Each appointed officer serves a three-year term and may be reappointed for another three-year term. No less than eight months prior to the expiration of the term of any appointed officer, the Board shall consult with the officer to decide on the reappointment or replacement.
Section 17. The Society’s officers may use relevant members’ information when and only when conducting the Society’s business.
Article IV: Member Rights and Responsibilities
Section 1. No member of the Society shall express opinions on behalf of the Society without the explicit authorization of the Board of Directors, except to the extent authorized or required of them in their roles as officers.
Section 2. Members of the Society shall have the right to vote in the elections and run for a position on the Board of Directors, provided that they meet the qualifications, as specified in Article V Elections.
Section 3. The Society shall hold an annual membership meeting to discuss any businesses of the Society that come before its members. Outside the business meeting, members can submit to one of the Board of Directors suggestions appropriate to the operation of the Society, and the Board shall study such suggestions and make relevant decisions within six months.
Section 4. Any members may be removed if their conduct violates any explicit and implicit provisions of the Bylaws regarding the qualifications and obligations of Society members or if their conduct is inconsistent with, or harmful to, the public image, reputation, interest, development, and missions of the Society. Members of the Society can file motions to remove any members. Such motions shall bear at least 10 member signatures to warrant the consideration of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors can also propose the removal of members, provided that such a proposal gains a majority vote among the Board Members. Removal of a member, proposed either by members or by the Board, shall be approved by an affirmative vote of the majority of the Board and a two-thirds vote of the membership. The Board shall have the authority to consider other measures appropriate to the violations.
Article V: Elections
Section 1. The election process of the CHUS President, Vice President, and Board Directors shall take place during the second half of every other year. The sitting Board shall appoint an Election Committee during the election year no later than July. The Election Committee shall issue a call for nomination in August with a deadline for submission of nominations in September. The Committee shall complete the election process in November.
Section 2. The Election Committee shall manage the nomination process. If there are enough nominations, there shall be at least two candidates for each vacancy. The candidates receiving the most votes shall be elected. If two or more candidates for the same position receive the same number of votes, the Election Committee shall call another round of vote to choose one of the candidates for the position. If the second round of votes remains evenly split between the candidates, the sitting Board shall cast its vote to settle the contest.
Section 3. The Election Committee shall consist of three to five members. They may include the former officers of the Society or any other member who is not a candidate for the election. Members on the Election Committee may serve two consecutive terms at the discretion of the Board of Directors. The Election Committee shall be in charge of the process of elections, including the following tasks:
3.1 Soliciting a sufficient pool of nominations/self-nominations.
3.2 Communicating with the nominees regarding their eligibility and candidacy; collecting their biographies and election statements; and sharing them with the members during the nomination period.
3.3 Designing, distributing, collecting, and counting the secret ballots; ensuring the integrity of the election and voter anonymity.
3.4 Reporting the results of the election to the sitting Board of Directors.
3.5 Announcing the election results at the Society’s Annual Meeting and to the general
membership via correspondence.
Section 4. The Election Committee shall hold a special election to fill in any vacancy on the Board of Directors due to resignation or any other reasons. Those who are elected during a special election shall serve for the unexpired portion of the term. They are eligible to serve on the next Board if they are nominated and duly elected.
Section 5. Nominations and self-nominations shall be submitted in writing to the Election Committee before the deadline. All members who meet the following criteria may nominate themselves or another member for a vacant position on the Board of Directors:
- Nominators and nominees for the officers of the Society must be members in the Society.
- Candidates for all the positions on the Board shall have maintained a membership in the Society for at least three years and demonstrated an interest in the Society’s affairs.
- Candidates shall not have served on the Board for more than 3-terms as a voting member in any capacity.
- Candidates for President and Vice Presidents shall be tenured faculty members or have an equivalent status. They shall be widely respected for their peer-reviewed scholarship by colleagues in their respective fields. They shall commit to leading the Society in all its operations and activities according to the Society’s Bylaws, and have leadership experiences and skills, including the ability to communicate with and mobilize other officers and members to accomplish the Society’s missions and tasks.
- An eligible member can self-nominate or be nominated for only one position of the Board of Directors.
- Candidates for all the positions on the Board of Directors shall be approved by a majority vote of the sitting Board before their names appear on the ballot.
Section 6. The President shall serve for a term of two years.
Section 7. The Vice President shall be elected for a two-year term. No less than eight months before the expiration of the term, the President and the Board of Directors shall review the performance of the Vice President. Upon a successful review, the Vice President shall assume the position of the President for a two-year term on the next Board. Otherwise, the positions of both the President and Vice President shall be up for election that year.
Section 8. The Board Directors shall serve for a term of two years. They may serve consecutively for another term if they are nominated and duly reelected. No individual may serve on the Board for more than two consecutive terms in the same capacity and three terms in total as a voting member of the Board in any capacity.
Section 9. Board Members and appointed officers may resign at any time by delivering a written resignation request to the President of the Board. The resignation shall be effective one month after the delivery of the written request.
Section 10. In the event that the sitting President resigns, or becomes unable to serve without resignation, the Vice President shall take office as President. A special election shall be held for a new Vice President within two months.
Section 11. In the event that any Board member resigns, or becomes unable to serve without resignation, the remaining Board Members shall appoint an interim Board member among the members of the Society until a new Board member is elected and takes office. All efforts must be made to fulfill that vacancy within two months.
Article VI. Financial Rules
Section 1. The amount of membership dues shall be determined by the sitting Board of Directors in response to the overall financial situation of the Society.
Section 2. All income from membership dues, donations, fund-raising activities, royalty from the Chinese Historical Review, and any other sources must be sent to the Treasurer and directly deposited into the respective accounts of the Society.
Section 3. All income and the financial accounts of the Society are managed by the Board of Directors through the Treasurer. The Board has the power to decide how to use the income of the Society, except as otherwise expressly required by law or by donors when applicable.
Section 4. Individuals who receive monetary donations or financial support on behalf of the Society must keep a detailed record and send the funds and the record to the Treasurer within a month of receiving those funds.
Section 5. Membership dues and donations shall be paid using any of the payment methods established by the Board that allows the Treasurer to directly transfer the funds to the accounts of the Society.
Section 6. Reimbursement
6.1 Board members, appointed officers, and members of the Society shall not receive any salary or other compensation for their services. They may be reimbursed for reasonable and allowable expenses incurred in connection with their official duties. Reimbursement shall be based on approved policies and procedures that are consistent with federal and local laws and guidance, and subject to the availability of funds. Reimbursement shall not include expenses incurred during travels to meetings and other sponsored events by the Society.
6.2 All reimbursement requests must be supported with valid receipts and written descriptions of the expense, approved by the Board of Directors, and documented in writing before the funds can be dispersed.
Section 7. Treasurer and Account Management
7.1 The Treasurer shall conduct the routine and timely bookkeeping for the accounts of the Society and keep a clear record of all the financial transactions.
7.2 The Treasurer must keep a copy of any check received before depositing the check in the bank and document any transactions conducted electronically.
7.3 The Treasurer shall consult with the President, other Board Directors, and relevant agencies for any requests for payments from the Society’s accounts to verify the authenticity of such requests before making any payments to an individual or external organization.
7.4 The Treasurer’s annual financial report shall be reviewed by the Board, approved by the President, and presented at the annual business meeting of the Society.
7.5 The Treasurer shall send a letter of acknowledgement to donors within a month of receiving the donation to both thank them and facilitate their tax filings.
Article VII： Society Prizes, Awards, and Other Honors
The Board of Directors may create annual awards of academic excellence for articles and/or books published by members, in Chinese or English, during the previous two years, an annual award for exceptional service to the Society, a lifetime achievement award to recognize members’ consistent and outstanding contribution to the Society and the field, as well as research fellowships and grants. The Board shall establish the selection criteria for each of the awards and form appropriate committees for the selection process. The Board shall decide whether and how to fund the prizes.
Article VIII: The Journal – The Chinese Historical Review
Section 1. Ownership and Copyright Issues
1.1 The Society publishes an academic, fully refereed Journal titled The Chinese Historical Review twice a year (hereafter “the Journal”), which was formerly published under the title of Chinese Historians until 2004.
1.2 The Journal is registered with the Library of Congress and its ISSN number is: ISSN 1547-402X; its online ISSN is 2048-7827.
1.3 The ownership of the Journal belongs to the Society. The transfer of the ownership shall not be deemed valid unless the following two conditions are satisfied: approval by a two-thirds majority of Society membership and a unanimous approval by the sitting Board.
1.4 The copyright of the contents of the Journal belongs to the Society. The power to grant permission to use copyright-protected materials is delegated to the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal.
Section 2. Publication and Editorship
2.1 The Journal publishes original research articles, forums, book reviews and other scholarly materials that contribute to and advance historical and intellectual inquiries.
2.2 The Board of Directors appoints an Editor-in-Chief of the Journal for a three-year term, which may be renewed for another term upon the review of the editor’s performance and the Journal by the Standing Committee on Academic Programs.
2.3 The Editor-in-Chief shall manage the Journal. In the absence of the Editor-in-Chief, a designated or appointed representative by the Board of Directors shall manage the Journal.
2.4 The Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the Board of Directors, forms an Editorial Board with multiple associate editors and book review editors for a three-year term. Members of the Editorial Board can be renewed for another three-year term on the recommendation of the Editor-in-Chief.
2.5 The Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the members of the Editorial Board, selects members from the larger scholarly community to form an Advisory Board of the Journal for a three-year term. The Editorial Board shall decide whether to invite them to service for additional terms.
2.6 The Editorial Board shall have complete and independent authority to make administrative and editorial decisions regarding the operation and publication of the Journal.
2.7 The Editor-in-Chief shall submit an annual report on the Journal’s operation and financial situation to the Board of Directors at the end of each calendar year. This report shall be announced at the annual business meeting of the Society.
2.8 The Editor-in-Chief shall inform the Board of Directors any major personnel or editorial changes of the Journal. The Editor-in-Chief is required to seek the Board’s consultation or approval to institute changes fundamental to the original arrangements of the Journal’s publication as prescribed under this section.
Article IX. Amendment
Section 1. These Bylaws shall take effect immediately after they are approved by a majority vote of members or a majority vote of the votes cast, whichever is the case.
Section 2. The authority to interpret the Bylaws shall be reserved to the Board of Directors.
Section 3. The Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the general membership. Amendments may be initiated by the Board of Directors, or by a petition signed by one third of the membership in good standing. The Board shall decide whether to amend certain provisions of the Bylaws and what quorum (if more than a majority of the Board members is required) shall be sufficient for the Board or Society members to approve such amendment.
I hereby certify that the foregoing is a full and true copy of the Bylaws of the Chinese Historians in the United States, as adopted on June 23, 2025.
Qin Shao, the President
On Behalf of the CHUS Board of Directors (2024-2026)
June 23, 2025