UROLOGICAL SURGERY DISCIPLINE

Urological Surgery Discipline Bylaws

(Approved in September 2025 at the Annual Clinical Assembly)

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of the Organization is the Urological Discipline of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons. It will be referred to as the Discipline.

ARTICLE II – OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSE

1. To advance osteopathic urology by dissemination of scientific knowledge and research through meetings and publications.

2. To elevate and sustain formal institutions for advanced study and training in osteopathic urological surgery.

3. To honor leaders in the field of osteopathic urological surgery.

4. To promote mutual fellowship among osteopathic urological surgeons.

5. To cooperate with other branches of the medical profession in all matters of mutual interest and to the benefit of our patients.

6. To pursue excellence in medical education, especially as it concerns the osteopathic urological and surgical sciences.

7. To establish and sustain high standards for excellence in education and the practice of osteopathic urological surgery.

8. To uphold those principles, policies and practices for the attainment of excellence in osteopathic patient care.

9. To establish an organization as authorized by the ACOS Board of Governors and to preserve the overall objectives, ideals, functions and purpose of the ACOS.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

Membership in the Discipline shall consist of ACOS members whose surgical practice is in the specialty of urological surgery. Active, Retired and Life members shall meet the requirements as stated in the ACOS bylaws and will have completed a urological surgery residency training program either accredited by the AOA or accredited by the ACGME. Resident members shall meet the requirements as stated in the ACOS bylaws and have commenced training in an AOA or ACGME accredited urological surgery training program. Associate, Honorary, Inactive and International Members will follow the requirements in the ACOS bylaws.

ARTICLE IV – DUES

Members shall be assessed annual dues, as determined by a majority vote of the Discipline membership at the annual meeting. These dues must be paid in advance for the upcoming year to maintain membership within the Discipline.

Any member, who after due and proper hearing, is suspended or expelled from the membership of the ACOS or is dropped from membership due to delinquency in dues payments, shall automatically forfeit his/her membership in the Discipline. Reinstatement of the membership shall be subject to the same terms and conditions as imposed by the ACOS Bylaws.

ARTICLE V – CLASSIFICATIONS OF MEMBERSHIP

Classifications of Membership

1. Active Member

2. Resident Member

3. Associate Member

4. Honorary Member

5. Retired Member

6. Life Member

7. Inactive Member

8. International Member

Section 1 – Active Member Requirements

Applicants for membership shall meet the requirements listed in the ACOS bylaws, which include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Be a graduate of an AOA Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) accredited college of osteopathic medicine or an LCME accredited college of medicine and successfully complete a surgical residency training program either approved by the American Osteopathic Association or accredited by ACGME.

2. Be and continue to be fully licensed to practice medicine and surgery in the state in which he/she practices.

3. Shall practice ethically and be recognized in the community as a surgeon.

4. Shall fulfill the requirements for continuing surgical education as established by the Board of Governors.

5. Shall meet any other requirements as determined by the Board of Governors.

6. All new active members are required to be present at an annual meeting of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons to participate in a membership induction ceremony at the ACOS Ceremonial Conclave within three years. If the new active member fails to attend any of these three (3) annual meetings of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons for induction, the membership will be dropped but may be reinstated by the Membership Committee at the request of the former member. The reinstatement is effective after the former member attends the next annual meeting and participates in the induction ceremony.

7. The application processes shall be approved by the Board of Governors.

8. Shall agree to abide by the bylaws, rules, and regulations of ACOS and the AOA Code of Ethics.

Section 2 – Resident Member Requirements

Resident member applications are accepted from resident physicians who have commenced training in an AOA or ACGME accredited surgical training program. Applicants must satisfy the following requirements:

1. Be a graduate of a COCA accredited college of osteopathic medicine or an LCME accredited college of medicine.

2. Be and continue to be a resident physician in good standing in an AOA-approved or ACGME accredited internship or surgical residency training program.

3. Shall agree to abide by the bylaws, rules, and regulations of ACOS and the AOA Code of Ethics.

Section 3 – Associate Member Requirements

Associate Membership shall be available to any nonsurgical osteopathic and allopathic physician, or an advance practice provider, who support the mission and objectives of the ACOS. An applicant shall meet the following requirements:

1. If a physician, he/she shall be a member in good standing of the American Osteopathic Association or AMA recognized national medical specialty society.

2. If an advanced practice provider, he/she shall be a member in good standing with the national specialty society for their specialty (ANA, AAPA, NACHNS, etc.)

3. Shall meet any other requirements determined by the Board of Governors.

4. Shall agree to abide by the bylaws, rules, policies, and regulations of the ACOS and the AOA Code of Ethics.

Section 4 – Honorary Member Requirements

Honorary Membership may be granted to any person who has contributed substantially to the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons and to the osteopathic medical profession upon the unanimous vote of the Board of Governors. The applicant shall agree to abide by the bylaws, rules, and regulations of ACOS and the AOA Code of Ethics.

Section 5 – Retired Member Requirements

Retired Membership may be granted to any Active or Associate Member who has permanently retired from practice and does not qualify for Life or Inactive Membership. Retired Members and Retired Associate Members shall not be obligated to satisfy the requirements for continuing surgical education, attendance at annual meetings of ACOS, and licensure to practice osteopathic medicine and surgery in the state in which they reside. The applicant shall agree to abide by the bylaws, rules, and regulations of ACOS and the AOA Code of Ethics.

Section 6 – Life Member Requirements

Life Membership shall be granted to any Active, Associate, or Retired Member who, during the year, will have reached the age of sixty (60) and will have been a member for twenty (20) years. The applicant shall agree to abide by the bylaws, rules, and regulations of ACOS and the AOA Code of Ethics.

Section 7- International Member

Applicants for international surgical membership must hold a medical degree from an accredited institution recognized by the ACOS Board of Governors, demonstrate English language proficiency, and provide documentation of completed surgical training in a recognized specialty. They must be licensed and in good standing in all jurisdictions of practice with no pending disciplinary actions. Board certification or eligibility from an appropriate national or international surgical board is required. Applicants must adhere to ethical standards submit a professional reference from a current ACOS active member and agree to uphold the principles of the osteopathic philosophy. Additional requirements include submission of an educational abstract, attendance at an induction ceremony within three years of acceptance, and compliance with all bylaws and regulations. Leadership roles are reserved for U.S. trained osteopathic physicians. Membership is subject to approval by the Board of Governors.

Section 8 – Revocation of Membership

Discipline membership shall be revoked for any ACOS member whose membership is denied, suspended, expelled, or terminated for any violation of the bylaws, code of ethics, or any lawful rule or practice duly adopted by the ACOS or any other conduct prejudicial to the interests of the ACOS.

ARTICLE VI – DISCIPLINE OFFICERS

Section 1 – Composition and Election

The officers of the Discipline shall be a Chair, Chair-Elect, Past Chair, and Secretary- Treasurer. At the annual member meeting of the Discipline, a Chair-Elect and Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected for a term of two (2) years by a majority vote of the members present. To serve, the officer must be a fellow of the ACOS (FACOS) and been in active surgical practice during the last three (3) years. Officers shall not receive any compensation for their service. Discipline officers and governors may not be a board member of the AOA specialty certifying board or ACGME certifying board.

Section 2 – Chair

The Chair shall become the Past Chair of the Discipline at the end of the second Board of Governors meeting at the ACA. The Chair shall be the principal elective officer of the Discipline and shall preside at all meetings of the Discipline and of the Executive Committee. He/she shall be a voting governor of the ACOS Board, an ex officio member of all discipline committees, and shall execute all duties delegated to him/her by the Executive Committee. He/she also shall communicate to the College and to the Board of Governors regarding the state of the Discipline and may make suggestions to promote its welfare. The discipline chair shall serve no more than one term of two years. If, for any reason, the Chair is unable to perform his/her duties, the Chair-Elect shall assume the office of Chair for the balance of the term of the Chair and will fulfill his/her elected term as delineated in Article VI Section 4.

Section 3 – Past Chair

The Past Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Discipline and of the Executive Committee in the event of temporary disability or absence from meetings of the Chair and Chair-elect. He/She shall have such other duties as the Chair, or the Executive Committee may assign. In the event of the death or resignation of the Chair and the Chair-elect, or if the Chair and Chair-elect shall for any reason be unable or unqualified to serve, the Secretary-Treasurer shall fill the office of the Chair until the next meeting of the Discipline, at which time a Chair-elect and Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected.

Section 4 – Chair-Elect

The Chair-elect shall succeed to the office of Chair at the end of the second Board of Governors meeting at the ACA. A Chair elect shall preside at all meetings of the Discipline and of the Executive Committee in the event of temporary disability or absence from meetings of the Chair and shall execute all duties delegated to him/her by the Chair or the Executive Committee. He/she shall succeed to the office of Chair as provided for in Section 2. In the event of the death or resignation of the Chair-elect, the office shall remain vacant until the next meeting of the Discipline, at which time a Chair-elect shall be elected. In the event of the death or resignation of the Chair or if the Chair shall for any reason be unable or unqualified to serve, the Chair-elect shall fill the office of Chair during the balance of the Chair’s term and then automatically succeed to office as provided in Section 2.

Section 5 – Secretary-Treasurer

The Secretary-Treasurer shall ensure the accurate recording and maintenance of proceedings of meetings of the Discipline and the Executive Committee, shall ensure that accurate records are kept of all members, oversee the Discipline’s funds and financial records, the timely collection of members’ dues and/or assessments, work with ACOS staff in the preparation of an annual budget for approval by the Executive Committee, monitor and review the financial statements prepared by the ACOS staff; and, further shall report on the financial condition of the Discipline at the annual members meeting, and at other times as called upon by the Chair, as well as perform such other duties as legally required or otherwise prescribed by the Executive Committee. Any of the duties of the Secretary-Treasurer may, by action of the Executive Committee, be assigned to the ACOS staff with prior approval of the ACOS CEO. In the event of the death or resignation of the Secretary-Treasurer, the Chair shall appoint a member of the Discipline to the office for the balance of the unexpired term.

ARTICLE VII – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1 – Composition

The Executive Committee of the Discipline shall be comprised of the Discipline officers including the Chair, Chair-Elect, Past Chair, Secretary-Treasurer and the Urology Discipline Governor.

Section 2 – Authority and Responsibility

The Executive Committee shall have supervision, control, and direction of the affairs of the Discipline; shall determine its policies or changes therein within the limits of the College bylaws and policies; shall actively pursue its purposes and shall have discretion in the disbursement of its funds. It may adopt such rules and regulations for the conduct of its business as shall be deemed advisable, and may, in the execution of the power granted, appoint such agents as it may consider necessary.

The Executive Committee shall have regular meetings at the time and place of the annual meeting of the Discipline. The Executive Committee also shall meet upon the call of the Chair or a majority of the members of the Executive Committee. Meetings may take place virtually via conference call or video conferencing format. The times and places of the meetings shall be determined by the Executive Committee. Notice of all meetings of the Executive Committee shall be sent by email to each member of the Executive Committee in advance of each meeting. A majority of the whole Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Executive Committee.

Any action taken by the Executive Committee may be voted upon by email, online, or voice vote provided that all members of the Executive Committee consent and no less than a majority of the entire Executive Committee vote in favor of the issue presented for approval.

Section 3- Election

The election of the discipline officers and a Governor shall be held at an annual business meeting of the discipline at which there is a quorum by a majority vote of the voting members who are in attendance. A Governor shall be elected for a term of three (3) years not to exceed a total of two (2) terms or three (3) terms provided one term is as discipline chair.

Only members who hold the FACOS title and who are currently in active surgical practice or have been in active surgical practice in the last three (3) years may be elected as discipline officers and Governors. To be eligible to be elected by the discipline as Chair, a member shall have served on a discipline committee and/or in the Secretary-Treasurer position. A discipline officer and governor may not be a member of any specialty certifying board.

Section 4 – Vacancies and Removal

A member of the Executive Committee may resign at any time by giving written notice to the ACOS CEO. Such resignation will take effect at the time specified therein or at the time of acceptance as determined by the Chair or the Executive Committee. For just and reasonable cause, any member of the Executive Committee may be removed by three fourths vote of the urological discipline membership.

When a Governor is elected as President-Elect of the Board of Governors, the Discipline shall elect a Governor to replace that individual at the Discipline’s next business meeting. In the interim, the Chair may appoint a temporary Governor until an election can occur.

When a Governor is elected as Secretary-Treasurer of the Board of Governors, that individual will maintain their Governor seat until such a time as they finish their term as Governor or complete their Secretary-Treasurer responsibilities, whichever is later.

ARTICLE VIII – MEETINGS

Section 1 – Annual Discipline Meeting

There shall be an annual business meeting of the discipline membership during the Annual Clinical Assembly of the ACOS or virtually at a time and place determined by the Chair. This meeting may be attended by only active, life, and retired members who are in good standing with the ACOS. At the annual meeting all necessary business shall be transacted and in election years, the election to the offices of the discipline for the upcoming term shall be held. Other membership meetings may be held at the call of the Chair.

The discipline shall conduct educational programs deemed desirable and beneficial by the Continuing Education Committee. These programs shall fully comply with the regulations governing general programs at the Annual Clinical Assembly.

The order of business at the annual meeting shall be:

1. Call to order by the Chair

2. Approval of past meeting minutes

3 Chair’s report and Governor’s report

4. Secretary-Treasurer’s report

a. Financial report

5. Committee Reports

6. Report of the Nominating Committee when necessary

7. Election of Officers in alternate years or when necessary

8. Election of an ACOS Governor when necessary

9. Unfinished business

10. New business

11. Adjournment

Section 2 – Quorum

A quorum shall consist of voting members with fair representation of the discipline.

Section 3 – Voting

Only active members, life members, and retired members in good standing are eligible to vote at a member meeting. Action may be taken upon a simple majority vote of those entitled to vote, once a quorum is present.

If ACOS bylaws are updated to online voting, urological surgery discipline will update our voting policy accordingly. Other meetings of the members shall be held at the call of the Chair. Notice for any special meeting will be given in advance of the meeting. Such notice shall be in writing, using technological or written means, to all members of the discipline.

The Executive Committee, acting on behalf of the membership between regularly scheduled meetings, may decide that any action which could be taken at an annual meeting of the members may instead be taken without a meeting. This can be done by delivering a written ballot to every current member entitled to vote on the matter, using any reasonable technological or written means. Voting by written ballot shall be permitted to the fullest extent allowed by the Missouri Nonprofit Corporation Act as described in the ACOS Bylaws.

Section 4 – Compensation

Members shall not receive any compensation for their service on the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE IX – COMMITTEES

Section 1 – Standing Committees

All Standing Committees shall be appointed by the Chair-elect at the annual member business meeting subject to approval by the Executive Committee. The appointments shall become effective when the Chair elect assumes the office of Chair.

All Standing Committees shall report all activities and make appropriate recommendations to the Executive Committee at least annually and shall present reports to the membership at the annual business meeting when requested.

The Standing Committees of the Urological Discipline of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons shall be:

1. By-Laws Committee

2. Education Committee

3. Grants and Aids Committee

4. Special Awards Committee

5. Nominating Committee

Section 2 – By-Laws Committee

The Bylaws Committee shall consist of at least three (3) members of the discipline, one of whom shall be designated Chair by the committee members. The Chair of this committee shall be Parliamentarian for the discipline. It shall be the duty of this committee to study and recommend improvements in the bylaws of the Discipline.

This committee shall submit written reports and recommendations to the Executive Committee. Recommendations to the Executive Committee of the Urological Discipline for changes to these documents shall be acted upon by the membership at the discipline’s annual business meeting.

Section 3 – Continuing Education Committee

The Discipline’s Continuing Education Committee (CEC) will prepare an educational program on urological topics for the Annual Clinical Assembly (ACA), the Urological Midyear Meeting and any other educational programs. These educational programs will conform to the regulations and requirements of the CEC of the ACOS. The committee chair and any other program Chairs will be appointed by the Chair of the discipline who will offer oversight to the committee. The executive committee of the discipline will be members of the CEC, in addition to the appointed discipline membership.

The CEC shall meet at the call of the committee chair and shall have a representative present at all meetings of the CEC of the ACOS.

Section 4 – Grants and Aids Committee

The Grants and Aids Committee shall consist of five (5) members of the Discipline to study, evaluate, and procure funds for the scientific and educational segments of the annual meeting of the Urological discipline of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons.

Section 5 – Special Awards Committee

This Committee shall consist of five (5) members of the Discipline who shall be appointed annually. The duties of this committee shall include the search for, consideration of, and nomination of candidates worthy to be recipients of special awards and citations from the Urological discipline of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons. The intent and purpose of the various awards, as well as the qualifications of the individuals nominated, shall be determined when each award is established. The announcement and presentation of the Urological discipline honors shall be during the annual business meeting.

(a) C. Conte Call Award

(b) The finalist for the Residents Essay Contest

(c) Robert Sherman Trust Award

(d) Poster Session Awards

Section 6 – Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee shall consist of no fewer than three (3) members of the discipline, with one member designated as the Chair by the committee members. No current member of the nominating committee is eligible for election as a discipline officer or as a governor.

Nominating Committee chair will serve a two (2) a year term for a maximum of two (2) terms. The Nominating Committee shall vet all nominees in an apolitical fashion, without bias, and should recuse themselves from vetting a candidate if there is a conflict of interest.

The committee will present no more than three (3) names for each position to be filled. Additional names may be presented from the floor at the annual business meeting, granted those nominated are not members of the Nominating Committee and have been previously vetted by the Nominating Committee.

The Nominating Committee shall meet and present to the ACOS CEO a list of nominees of members in good standing in the Urological discipline for the following offices and representative positions ninety (90) days prior to the annual business meeting for publication and distribution to the membership thirty (30) days in advance of the meeting:

(1) Nominee for Chair-Elect

(2) Nominee for Secretary

(3) Nominee for Treasurer

(4) Nominee for ACOS Governor when a term of a Urological Discipline Governor will expire or when there is a vacancy.

Section 7 – Ad-Hoc Committee

Committees are essential to an organization to ensure focused attention on critical issues, foster innovation, and maintain high standards of professional practice.

The Chair-elect at the discipline annual business meeting or at a subsequent time during his/her term as Chair, also may appoint and discharge other committees, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE X — HISTORIAN

The Historian, as appointed by the Chair, serves as official biographer of the Urological Discipline of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons, shall prepare an accurate history of the Urological Discipline of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons and shall keep records of changes in the Urological Discipline of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons pertinent to its history. He/She shall present an annual report to the Executive Committee and to the Urological Discipline of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons at the annual business meeting, when requested by the Chair. He/She shall prepare for publication any historical issue relative to the Urological Discipline of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons and present it to the Chair. Funds required for this purpose shall be voted upon by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE XI – RESIDENT PAPERS

Titles and abstracts of papers to be read by the residents at the annual meeting must be submitted to the discipline Chair at least thirty (30) days before the opening date of the annual meeting. Any paper previously presented before a scientific society or published shall not be read at the annual meeting of the Urological discipline except with the specific approval of the Education Committee. All cases reported in papers presented before the Urological Discipline shall be distinguished by the name of the hospital or in some other fashion which will ensure subsequent recognition of the case.

The presentation of papers shall be limited to ten (10) minutes. When arranging for special papers or symposia, the Education Committee shall be permitted to extend the time limit, if it is in the best interest of the program. Discussions shall be limited to one dissertation of not more than five (5) minutes for each person per paper.

ARTICLE XII – CODE OF ETHICS

The Urological Surgery discipline of the ACOS subscribes to and adopts the Code of Ethics as determined by the ACOS and AOA. All ethical matters of the discipline shall be directed to the ACOS Ethics Committee for investigation, deliberation, and recommendation to the ACOS Board of Governors.

ARTICLE XIII – AMENDMENTS

The Discipline bylaws shall be consistent with the bylaws, policies, and procedures of the ACOS. The administration of the discipline shall in no way conflict with the overall objectives, ideals, functions, or purpose of the ACOS.

Amendments to these bylaws shall be made by a majority vote of the members present. Amendments shall be subject to approval by the Board of Governors of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons and no proposition to amend shall be acted upon unless written notice thereof has been sent to the CEO ninety days (90) prior to the annual meeting and thirty (30) days to the members of the urological discipline. This can be accomplished by voting at the annual business meeting, or delivering a written ballot to every current member entitled to vote on the matter using any reasonable technological or written means. Voting by written ballot shall be permitted to the fullest extent allowed by the Missouri Nonprofit Corporation Act as described in the ACOS Bylaws.

ARTICLE XIV – RULES OF ORDER

In the absence of any provision in these Bylaws, all meetings of the ACOS Urological discipline, duly appointed committees, and task forces shall be governed by standard parliamentary procedures which provide for adequate notice and fair opportunity for debate. The Presiding Officer may be guided by, but not bound by, the most current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order-Newly Revised.

ARTICLE XV – DISSOLUTION

The Discipline shall use its funds only to accomplish the objectives and purposes specified in these bylaws, and no part of said funds shall inure, or be distributed, to the members of the Discipline. On dissolution of the Discipline any funds remaining shall be distributed to one or more regularly organized and qualified charitable, educational, scientific or philanthropic osteopathic surgical organizations to be determined by the ACOS.