(Approved changes 29 Sept 2007; technical update 18 Oct 2015; proposed changes 11 March 2024; approved changes 30 Nov 2024; approved minor change 16 Jan 2025)

1. The Association
The name of this Association is the European Association for Studies of Australia EASA is referred to in this Constitution as “the Association.” The Association is a non-profit, professional organisation.

2. Aims of the Association
The Associationpromotes teaching and research in the field of Australian Studies throughout Europe and spreads knowledge about Australia among general readers in Europe by every available means. The Association is committed to bridging cultures while working with Australian researchers and partner associations.

3. Membership
Membership is open to any academic, professional, university student or interested person engaged in the research, teaching or study of Australia. In order to attend the Association’s alternating biennial Conferences and Symposiums one must be a fully paid-up member of the Association. There are categories of membership: Ordinary and Student.

4. Board and Officers
The Board shall consist of twelve elected members, including the Chairperson, the Outgoing Chairperson, one Australian researcher, one post-graduate student, the JEASA chief editor, the treasurer and the secretary. These can all vote except for the Outgoing Chairperson, who has an advisory role.

5. Chairperson
The Chairperson of the Association shall be an Ordinary member of EASA and shall be responsible for the following:
 a) managing the Association;
 b) convening and chairing the General Meetings and the Board Meetings;
 c) acting as the official spokesperson for the Association.

6. Past/Outgoing Chairperson
The position of the Past/Outgoing Chairperson is an ex-officio advisory appointment and a non-voting one. He/she can be called upon to act as the Ombudsperson in case of conflict.

7. Secretary
a) The Secretary of the Association shall be responsible for maintaining the records of the Association and handling its regular correspondence.
b) The Secretary may be assisted by a member of the Association for the maintenance of the EASA website and social media communication.

8. Treasurer
The Treasurer of the Association shall be responsible for the following:
 a) collecting the membership fees of the Association;
 b) maintaining the membership lists of the Association;
 c) preparing annual financial statements and presenting them to the General Meeting of the Association. They shall be audited by the Board and approved by the members present at the General Meeting.

9. JEASA Chief Editor and Assistant Editor
The Chief Editor shall be responsible for the following:
a) the biannual publication of the Association’s journal JEASA;
b) the contents of the JEASA webpage;
c) the appointment of Editorial Board members with prior consent of the EASA Board;
d) the Chief Editor will appoint an Assistant Editor, who is a member of EASA.

10. The PhD Grant Committee has the following responsibilities:
The role of the Grant Committee is to award grants to Europe-based researchers who have defended their PhD thesis in the discipline of Australian Studies in the last two years.
a) The Grant Committee will consist of five standing members of the EASA.
b) The current Chair cannot sit on the Grant Committee.
c) The Grant Committee will organise the grant process and schedule deadlines for grant applications.
d) The Grant Committee shall discuss proposals and award 1 grant based on a ranking process.
e) Conflict of interest: if a member of the grant committee is supervising an applicant, they shall inform other Grant Committee members two weeks before the proposal deadline. The current Chair and the Past Chairperson will then assign an alternative member of the board.  

11. Terms of Office
The Members of the Board shall be appointed for a term of two years. This appointment is renewable only twice, totalling six years.
a) In cases where the proper functioning and continuity of the Association’s programme is affected by these terms of office, an extra two-year term shall be assigned to each of the board members involved after approval at the General Meeting. This is not renewable.
b) Elections for all Officers shall take place at the General Meeting.
c) The official headquarters of the Association shall be the institutional address of the current Chairperson.

12. Revocation of Membership
Membership of any standing committee may be revoked by a vote of three-quarters of the members present at an Extraordinary General Meeting.

13. Notice of Elections
Notice of Elections for the Chairperson and the Board members shall be sent out to all current members three months before the Biennial General Meeting or Symposium of the Association  at which the elections are to take place. The Notice should include a statement of interest and should be sent to all members of the Board.

14. General Meeting
The General Meeting of the Association shall take place at the time and location of the Conference and Symposium of the Association.
a) Any other Extraordinary General Meeting shall take place at a time and location decided by the Board.
b) Conferences shall be held odd years and symposiums even years, preferably to be run in the same month to guarantee each executive member’s length of office.
c) The membership convened at the General Meeting constitutes the Association’s highest authority.
d) The order of business at the General Meeting of the Association shall proceed, where appropriate, in the following manner:
1. Report of the Chairperson.
2. Report of the Secretary.
3. Report of the Treasurer.
4. Elections of Officers.
5. Current affairs.
6. Future projects.
e) Voting at all Elections of the Association shall preferably be by secret ballot.

15. Financial Year
The financial year of the Association shall run from January 1 to December 31.

16. Signatures
Except where otherwise provided for, contracts, documents, cheques or other notes made out in the name of the Association shall bear the signatures of the Chairperson and the Treasurer or Secretary.

17. Dissolution
 a) The Association may be dissolved only after a written referendum.
 b) In the event of the dissolution of the Association, its remaining assets shall be given over to a kindred organisation.