ECVS
Constitution

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Article I: NAME

The name of this organisation shall be EUROPEAN COLLEGE OF VETERINARY SURGEONS, hereinafter referred to as "The College".

Article II: INCORPORATION

The College shall be incorporated under the laws of Switzerland as a non-profit educational organisation.

Article III: OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the College shall be the advancement of the art and science of veterinary surgery by:

a) The development of graduate teaching programmes in veterinary surgery with particular reference to the resident system.

b) The establishment of an agency to qualify members of the veterinary profession as specialists in surgery by establishing and defining the standard of qualifications.

c) The encouragement of its members to pursue original investigations and to contribute to the veterinary literature.

d) To define and describe the specialty disciplines of the surgical science.

e) Developing and supervising continuing education programmes for veterinarians interested in surgery.

f) Supervising the professional activities of its members.

g) Promoting co-operation with national veterinary associations.

Article IV: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1: The members of the College shall be known as "Diplomates" and "Honorary Diplomates".

Section 2: Diplomates shall meet the following criteria to qualify for membership:

a) Have a satisfactory ethical standing in the profession.

b) Be a graduate of a veterinary college of a European country, unless relieved of this obligation by the Board of Regents.

c) Should be eligible to be licensed to practise in a European country.

d) Have devoted a minimum of four years after graduation from veterinary school to special training and experience in veterinary surgery. The training programme should meet the requirements of the College as described in the information brochure.

e) Have successfully passed the qualifying examination of the European or American College of Veterinary Surgeons and be certified by the Board of Regents of the European College.

Section 3: Each individual elected to membership of the College shall be designated as a Diplomate or Honorary Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons, and shall be authorised to use the designation of Diplomate or Honorary Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Section 4: Each Diplomate shall be required to keep records of his/her surgical procedures. Each Diplomate shall be required to be active in the field of veterinary surgery and document his/her continuing professional development (CPD). To remain eligible to function as a supervisor for residents, the CPD record must be forwarded to the Re-certification Committee every 5 years.

Section 5: Each Diplomate is expected to actively participate in the affairs of the College.

Section 6: Any Diplomate may be expelled, asked to resign or otherwise disciplined for non-professional or unethical conduct or other action against the best interest of the College by unanimous vote of the Board of Regents, pending confirmation by the College at the Annual Business Meeting.

Section 7: Nomination for Honorary Diplomate Status shall be made through the sponsorship of two Diplomates in good standing. The sponsors shall furnish the Executive Secretary with such information concerning the nominee, as is required by the Board of Regents, e.g. curriculum vitae. Honorary Diplomates may be selected as persons of unusual eminence in the veterinary or allied professions.

Election of an Honorary Diplomate shall be accomplished by a two-thirds vote of the Board and by a two-thirds vote of the Business Meeting of the College. They shall not be required to pay dues nor shall they be privileged to vote or hold office.

Article V: EXAMINATION OF CANDIDATES FOR MEMBERSHIP

Section 1: The Board of Regents shall function as the Examining Board. In this capacity it shall:

a) Review the applicant's qualification as set forth by the CONSTITUTION and explained in the training brochure.

b) Solicit letters from the Diplomate Supervisor(s), where the applicant served a residency. These letters should be explicit as to the candidate's proficiency as a surgeon.

c) Conduct a comprehensive examination on the application of basic medical science and surgical principles to all body systems.

Section 2: The Board of Regents shall be assisted in the performance of this function by the Credentials Committee and the Examination Committee.

Section 3: A person, or persons adversely affected by an European College of Veterinary Surgeon's (ECVS) decision may petition for reconsideration on the grounds that the decision was: (1) not based on established European College of Veterinary Surgeons criteria applicable to such decision, (2) unsupported by the evidence available or (3) arbitrary or capricious.

A written petition must include a statement of the grounds for reconsideration with documentation sent to the Chair of the Board of Regents to the ECVS via the Executive Secretary. Such a petition must be postmarked to the ECVS office within 90 days of the date on which the ECVS decision was made. The affected party/parties may be invited to appear before the Boards of Regents. The ECVS Board of Regents will meet in executive session to reach a final decision. The Board of Regent's decision will be postmarked in writing to the affected person(s) not more than 30 days after it is made. If a meeting is requested by either party to the dispute and if one of the parties will accept the responsibility for the expenses of the meeting and provide a deposit of ECU 1'000.- towards these expenses, the Chair of the European Board on Veterinary Specialisation (BVS) can call a meeting of the parties in dispute or their representatives. The meeting may be held at the ECVS or BVS headquarters and may be chaired by the Chair of BVS. The parties in dispute would be guided to seek equitable solutions.

The EVCS will not provide travel funds to the parties in dispute.

Article VI: FINANCES

The College is a non-profit organisation. The expenses of the College shall be met through various sources of income.

a) Annual dues.

The annual dues of each Diplomate shall be determined by the general assembly and shall not exceed CHF 500.&endash;. It is payable on March 31st of each year. Each member of the College who reaches the age of sixty-five (65) years shall not be required to pay dues.

b) Donations from companies and international organisations.

c) Income from educational meetings organised by the College.

d) Any moneys accumulated shall be safely invested and serve as a reserve for possible use at a later time.

e) The treasurer is the custodian of all the moneys of the College.

The personal liability of College Diplomates is excluded from any official obligation of the College. The College funds are the only liability.

Article VII: BODIES OF THE ASSOCIATION

a) General Assembly

b) Officers

c) Board of Regents

d) Committees

e) Auditors

Article VIII: GENERAL ASSEMBLY

(Annual Business Meeting of the College)

Section 1: The College shall meet annually at such time and place as designated at the preceding meeting. It is the duty of every member to be present at the Annual Business Meeting.

Section 2: The general assembly is the senior legislative body of the College and has the following duties:

a) Determining and updating the Constitution and training brochure.

b) Election of the Officers, Regents and Auditors. A new President Elect shall be elected annually. The Treasurer and Recorder shall be elected each for a three year term, but may be re-elected. Professional auditors shall be elected for a three year term, but may be re-elected.

The election of the Officers and Regents shall be by postal vote as described in Article XIV. The newly elected Officers and Regents shall be installed in office at the Annual Business Meeting.

c) Action on the auditors' report.

d) Formal approval of the Business conducted by the Board of Regents during the preceding year.

e) Action on business, presented by the Board of Regents or as required by the Constitution.

f) Establish membership dues for the forthcoming year.

g) Expulsion of Diplomates.

Section 3: A quorum shall consist of one third of the voting members.

Section 4: Each Diplomate has the right to vote. He/she has to be present at the Annual Business Meeting to do so. Each Diplomate has one (1) vote. Postal votes may be arranged at the discretion of the Board of Regents under special circumstances.

Section 5: All questions before the College, except as designated elsewhere, shall be determined by the absolute majority vote.

Section 6: The language of correspondence, negotiations and examinations shall be English (GB).

Article IX: OFFICERS

Section 1: The officers of the College shall consist of the Chair of the Board of Regents, President, President Elect, Executive Secretary, Treasurer and Recorder (optional). They hold an honorary post and only get reimbursed for their effective expenses.

Section 2: The immediate Past President of the College shall be the CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS. The term of office is one year. He/she shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the College and preside at all meetings of the Board of Regents. He/she shall make recommendations to the Board of Regents regarding appointment to all the standing Committees of the College. The Chair shall oversee the conduct of all business of the College during his/her term of office.

Section 3: The PRESIDENT shall preside at the meetings of the College, preserve order, regulate debates, appoint Committees not otherwise provided for, announce results of elections and perform all other duties legitimately appertaining to his/her office. The president of the College shall be a member of the Board of Regents, and Chair of the Fiscal Committee.

Section 4: The PRESIDENT ELECT shall succeed to the Presidency one year after the Annual Business Meeting at which he/she was elected. He/She shall perform the duties of the President in his/her absence or inability to serve. He/she shall be a standing member of the Programme Committee for the Annual Meeting of the College. He/she shall be a member of the Boards of Regents.

Section 5: The EXECUTIVE SECRETARY shall be a member of the Board of Regents. He/she shall attend to the correspondence of the College and the Board of Regents; notify Officers, members of the Board of Regents, and new members of their election; keep minutes of the College and the Board of Regents in books, which shall be the property of the College and accessible at all reasonable times and places. He/she shall receive, date, and list the applications of all candidates for examination for membership, showing date of application, age, address, certification of residency sponsors and endorsers. He/she shall send invitations and programmes to guests invited to attend the Annual Meeting at the request of members. He/she shall be the custodian of the records of attendance at all meetings of the College, of members and guests in special registers for each. He/she shall approve all bills for expenses of the College and send them to the Treasurer for payment. He/she shall conduct such routine executive tasks as may be required by the Board of Regents.

Section 6: The TREASURER shall be a member of the Board of Regents and the Fiscal Committee, and shall be the custodian of all the moneys of the College. He/she shall pay out moneys only upon order of the Board of Regents. He/she shall keep full and accurate books of account, containing a record of all moneys received and expended, which books shall be the property of the College and open to the inspection of the authorised officials at all reasonable times and places. He/she shall collect application and examination fees, dues and assessments as promptly as possible, and report all members in arrears. He/she shall submit a written financial report for the Board of Regents annually. A summary of this report shall be submitted to the College.

Section 7: The RECORDER, if elected, shall assist the Executive Secretary in the preparation of the minutes and the conduct of such routine tasks as may be required by the Board of Regents. He/she shall be a member of the Board of Regents and a parliamentarian.

Article X: BOARD OF REGENTS

Section 1: The Board of Regents shall consist of all officers of the College and three additional members, elected for terms of three years each. One members shall be elected each year. Once the College has reached the number of 120 Diplomates, the number of additional members will be increased by three and in this case two members will be elected each year. An attempt should be made to establish an appropriate distribution of Board members among the various European countries, large and small animal surgeons, as well as academicians and practitioners.

Section 2: The Board of Regents shall be the executive body of the College and shall consider all the business and policies pertaining to the affairs of the College. It, or its designated Committees, shall receive all applications, conduct examinations and make recommendations for membership in the College. It shall consider and act upon charges against Diplomates for alleged offences against the CONSTITUTION of the College or charges of unprofessional conduct and shall have the authority to recommend the expulsion of a Diplomate for grievous offences. It shall appoint standing Committees, select the time and place of meetings and determine the fees for examinations, initiations, registrations and other fees.

It shall direct the management of funds held by the College. A meeting of the Board of Regents shall be held at the time and place designated for the Annual Business Meeting of the College. There shall be at least one more regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Regents, which shall be determined and announced at the time of the Annual Business Meeting of the College. Special meetings may be called at any time by the Chair of the Board of Regents and shall be called by him/her at the written request of not less than six members of the Board of Regents. Not less than 21 days notice of the time and place of any special meeting shall be given by mail, telephone or telefax, addressed to each Regent at his/her address as it appears on the books of the College.

Six members of the Board with voting privileges shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business which may become before the meeting.

Section 3: Vacancies occurring on the Board shall be filled by election of a member at the next Annual Business Meeting. Any member elected to fill a vacancy shall hold the office until expiration of the term in which the vacancy occurred.

Article XI: COMMITTEES

Section 1: The CREDENTIAL'S COMMITTEE shall consist of 6 members appointed by the Board.

This Committee shall evaluate all applications for candidates applying to sit the examination of the College and recommend qualified candidates to the Board of Regents. It shall also submit a list of applicants who do not qualify, with reasons for rejection of each.

Additionally this Committee shall evaluate residents and alternate trainees and the programmes in which they are enrolled. It will review the annual reports submitted by the residents in training and advise them on fulfilling the requirements in the training brochure. The term of office shall be three years with 2 members being replaced each year. A senior member shall be Chair.

Section 2: The EXAMINATION COMMITTEE shall consist of six members appointed by the Board of Regents. The term of office shall be three years, with two members replaced each year. A Chair and a Secretary shall be elected annually by the Committee. Up to 2 ACVS members may be assigned additionally to the Examination Committee by the Board.

This Committee shall annually prepare and administer a qualifying examination to candidates approved by the Board of Regents. It shall work under the direction of, and report its findings to the Board of Regents.

Section 3: The FISCAL COMMITTEE shall consist of three members of the Board. The President shall serve as Chair, and the Treasurer and the Executive Secretary will be a member.

This Committee shall prepare an annual budget for the College, prepare the Treasurer's books for the annual audit and advice the Board on financial affairs of the College with the help of the professional auditors and the ECVS office.

Section 4: PROGRAMME COMMITTEE: An annual committee for the scientific meeting will be formed for each meeting. The Chair of this committee will be selected at the annual Board meeting the year before. The committee consists of 3 members. The President-Elect is a standing member of this committee.

The other two members should be Diplomates of the country selected and represent the small animal and large animal specialty.

Section 5: RE-CERTIFICATION COMMITTEE shall consist of 6 to 8 members appointed by the Board. The committee shall evaluate all applications of Diplomates applying for re-certification by the College and recommend qualified candidates to the Board of Regents. It shall also submit a list of Diplomates who did not pass the requirements for re-certification, with reasons for rejection of each. The term of office for the committee members shall be 5 years, with 1 or 2 members being replaced each year. The Committee elects the Chair.

Article XII: AUDITORS

Section 1: Professional auditors are elected by the general assembly at the Annual Business Meeting for a three year term and may be re-elected. The auditors shall prepare an annual report on behalf of the College finances.

Section 2: The Treasurer evaluates the report of the auditors and presents his/her assessments to the general assembly.

Article XIII: DISSOLUTION OF THE COLLEGE

In the case of dissolution of the College, all assets shall be expended for educational purpose and shall be transferred to an institution with equal or similar objectives. A distribution of the assets among members is excluded.

Article XIV: AMENDMENTS

AMENDMENTS AND VOTING PROCEDURE

Section 1 The CONSTITUTION may be amended by mail ballot. Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the Executive Secretary for appropriate review by the Board of Regents. Proposed amendments shall be distributed to the entire membership. A two-thirds affirmative vote for the proposed amendment by eligible voting members returning valid mail ballots is required for its approval.

Section 2: Mail ballots shall be sent from the College's office to the membership for a vote. The membership shall return their sealed ballots to the College's office. To be valid, the ballots must be marked as instructed, sealed in the envelope provided by the College's office and the voting Diplomate must sign and print his/her name on the outside of the envelope. The College's office will collect and verify the validity of all ballots and forward them to the Board. The Board will count the votes during the Board meeting immediately before the Annual Business Meeting. The Chair of the Board will announce the results of voting at the Annual Business Meeting. In selected cases, where the results of the voting have to be known urgently, the ballots are counted by the College's office and the results, after verification by the Board of Regents, sent out to the membership.

Section 3: Election of Officers and Regents will occur by mail ballot. The Nominating Committee will submit a proposed list of candidates to the Board of Regents for approval by the end of December. Ballots with all nominations listed will be mailed to the voting membership at the latest 60 days prior to the Annual Business Meeting. A space in each category shall appear on the ballot for write-in-candidates. Voting members shall return their ballots by the deadline indicated in the voting instructions. The nominee receiving the most valid votes will be elected to the position and installed in office at the Annual Business Meeting. In the event of a tie for the most votes, a second mail ballot election between the tying nominees will be conducted. The Officer will be installed at the time the election results are validated.

Velbert, July 6th, 2001

Riitta Mari Tulamo Jörg Auer

Prof. DVM, ECVS Prof. Dr.med.vet. ECVS

Chair of the Board of Regents Executive Secretary