2025 Bylaws Changes Proposed

In keeping with its ongoing effort to improve governance practices and structures within the American Musicological Society, the Board of Directors of the AMS is recommending a small number of changes to the Society’s current By-Laws. The By-Laws are the legally binding rules under which the Society operates and must describe accurately how the Society is governed. And, the proposed changes are designed to update the By-Laws to better align with best practices and improve the Society’s ability to serve its constituents.

At this time, the proposed changes will result in updates to Articles IV through XI. The proposed changes serve the following main purposes:

• Better reflect the diversity of the Society’s constituents
  The proposed changes to the By-Laws will broaden its language to better reflect the professional diversity of the Society’s members and constituents as well as the diversity of educational programs devoted to the advanced study of music.

• Increase clarity in AMS governance and emergency management protocols
  Several proposed changes are intended to clarify protocols governing the AMS Board of Directors and Council. The proposed By-Laws revisions provide means for re-electing a serving Council Secretary, guidelines for calling emergency meetings, and clarifies requirements for a quorum of the Board of Directors.
• Sunset the AMS Ethics Committee
  The work of the Ethics Committee stands outside the legal purview of the Society. In the current political climate, the remit of the Ethics Committee puts its members at legal risk.

The proposed changes will be put to a full vote of the membership in December 2025.  The full text of the AMS’s current By-Laws is available on the AMS website. We invite you to review the proposed changes now.