Western Section - American Society of Animal Science

Western Section
American Society of Animal Science Constitution
(Revised, June 2005)
ARTICLE I: The Society and Its Purposes
Section 1. Name: This Association will be known as the WESTERN SECTION,
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANIMAL SCIENCE (Western Section).
Section 2. Mission: Western Section shall further the mission outlined in Article I,
Section 2, of the Constitution of the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS), with a
specific mission that Western Section shall "advance animal agriculture research and
education in Western North America by providing a forum to develop and
communicate scientific and technical knowledge to enhance economic and ecological
sustainability."
Section 3. Activities: The activities of Western Section will include those of ASAS as
outlined in Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution of ASAS. Western Section also will: 1)
hold an annual meeting, 2) publish an official Proceedings of the annual meeting, 3)
promote recognition of members through an awards program that includes awards for
Young Scientist, Extension, Distinguished Teacher, Distinguished Service, and other
categories as established by the membership, and 4) instigate other activities as defined
by the executive committee or the membership that will further the mission of Western
Section.
ARTICLE II: Membership
Section 1. Eligibility: Persons are qualified for membership in the Western Section as
identified under Article II, Section 1 and Article V of the Constitution of ASAS and
further defined in Article I of the ASAS Bylaws.
Section 2. Eligibility for Elective Office, Awards, and Graduate Student Paper
Competition: Any member who is located in the geographical region designated by the
Bylaws of ASAS as part of the Western Section will be automatically eligible for election
to office in the Western Section and nomination for Western Section awards unless that
individual has chosen to be considered a member of another geographical section of
ASAS in accordance with ASAS Bylaws regarding sectional membership. Any member
who is not in the geographical region outlined as part of the Western Section by the
ASAS Bylaws regarding membership, but who has chosen to be a member of the
Western Section according to ASAS bylaws regarding sectional membership, will be
eligible for election to office and nomination for awards in the Western Section after a
period of four years of membership in the Western Section. Graduate Student members

located in the geographical region designated as part of the Western Section are eligible
for participation in the Graduate Student Paper Competition. Graduate students outside
the geographical region outlined as part of the Western Section by the ASAS Bylaws
regarding membership will be eligible to participate in the Graduate Student Paper
Competition provided that individual has chosen to be considered a member of the
Western Section in accordance with ASAS Bylaws regarding sectional membership at the
time of abstract submission. The Western Section Applied Animal Science Award will be
open to those papers published in the Western Section Proceedings.
Section 3. Membership Dues: Membership dues will be fixed by the Board of Directors
of the ASAS, as described in the ASAS Constitution and Bylaws.
ARTICLE III: Officials
Section 1. Officers: The officers of the Western Section will consist of the President,
President-Elect, and Secretary-Treasurer. These three officers, in addition to the
immediate Past-President, the Chair of the Advisory and Coordinating Committee
(appointed), the Industry member (elected), and the national ASAS Director from
Western Section (elected), will serve as the Executive Committee of the Western Section.
Section 2. Term of Office: The term of office for Secretary-Treasurer, President-Elect,
and President will be one year effective at the end of the annual meeting of the Western
Section in the year in which the individual is elected and continue through the next
annual meeting. The term of office for the Chair of the Advisory and Coordinating
Committee (appointed) will be for one year and the term of office for the Industry
member (elected), and the national ASAS Director, Western Section (elected) will be for
three years. In the absence of other provisions for succession, all officers and directors
will serve until their successors are duly elected or appointed.
Section 3. Duties of Officers and Appointed and Elected Officials: The President will
serve as Chair of the Western Section Business Meeting and of the Executive Committee.
The President will appoint all standing committees and perform such other duties as are
customarily required of a president.
The President-Elect will assume the duties of the President in cases in which the
President is unable to act and will be the chairman of the awards committee.
The Secretary-Treasurer will be responsible for the financial records of the Western
Section in collaboration with the Business Manager of ASAS. The Secretary-Treasurer
will be responsible for mailing notices of meetings, requests for papers to be considered
for the meeting program, publication of the proceedings, arrangements for annual
meetings, and correspondence relating to business of the Western Section.
The national ASAS Director, Western Section, will represent the Western Section at all
ASAS Board of Directors meetings.

The chairman of the Advisory and Coordinating committee shall convene meetings of
that committee at the annual meeting and at other times as appropriate and, along with the
Western Section Industry member, shall represent the interests of the membership at all
executive committee meetings.
ARTICLE IV: Election of Officers and Officials
Officers and other elected officials will be elected by mail and/or electronic ballot of the
membership at a time designated by the Western Section Executive Committee. The
President will appoint a nominating committee that will recommend a slate of potential
candidates to be placed on the mail and/or electronic ballot. To be elected, a nominee
must receive a majority (greater than 50%) of the votes tabulated from ballots returned by
the membership. The nominating committee will tabulate and certify the results of all
elections. The Executive Committee will vote to break any ties that might occur.
ARTICLE V: Meetings
The Western Section will hold an annual meeting, which will include a business meeting,
at a time and place to be selected by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee
will be responsible for the program and other necessary arrangements for the meeting.
The Executive Committee will have the authority to cancel an annual meeting if
circumstances make such action necessary or desirable and will have the authority to set a
registration fee. The members in attendance at the annual business meeting will constitute
a quorum for transacting business of the Western Section.
ARTICLE VI: Committees
Standing committees, special committees, and program committees will be appointed as
considered necessary by the President. The President will be responsible for notifying
persons selected of their appointments to committees and for making replacements in the
event that selected persons are unable to serve.
ARTICLE VII: Changes to the Constitution
Amendments proposed to the Constitution of the Western Section may originate from the
Western Section Executive Committee or may be proposed by a petition signed by at
least 10 qualified members of the Western Section. The Secretary-Treasurer must notify
the membership of the Western Section of proposed changes at least 30 days before
action on such changes can be taken. Changes to the Constitution can be approved by
mail and/or electronic ballot or by a vote at the annual Business Meeting of the Western
Section. A change will be approved only if two-thirds of the mail and/or electronic
ballots returned approve the change or if two-thirds of the members in attendance at the
annual business meeting approve the change by vote.

STRATEGIC PLAN FOR WESTERN SECTION, AMERICAN SOCIETY OF
ANIMAL SCIENCE
Vision Statement: To be the preeminent provider of research and technical information
for animal agriculture in Western North America.
Mission Statement: To advance animal agriculture research and education in Western
North America by providing a forum to develop and communicate scientific and
technical knowledge to enhance economic and ecological sustainability.
Goals:
1. Increase membership and participation by:
a. Increasing student participation in meetings by reduced membership costs,
travel stipends, activities, research presentations and career placement
opportunities.
b. Support of Academic Quadrathlon, graduate student competition section,
Northwest Live Animal/Carcass Evaluation Contest, and other similar activities.
c. Sponsoring symposia at annual meetings and other appropriate meetings.
2. Increase relevance to members, producers, industry, and public by:
a. Support of programs relevant to industry.
b. Addressing appropriate contemporary issues, e.g., public and private land use,
environment, etc.
c. Exploring alternative formats for annual meetings.
d. Sponsoring workshops about new techniques, leadership, etc.
3. Increase communication by:
a. Ensuring quality in publications and all forms of communications.
b. Publication of meeting proceedings in hard copy and electronic format
including an electronic database of all WSASAS proceedings. c. Establishing a
Western Section home page linked to the ASAS home page.
d. Establishing liaison representatives with other professional organizations.
e. Officers of Western Section contributing items to ASAS newsletters.
f. Exploring the formation of a public information response team.
4. Establish new initiatives by:
a. Coordinating development of multidisciplinary projects and grant proposals.
o 1) Establish relationships with existing granting entities, e.g., Western
SARE, Kellogg Foundation, etc., to provide partial funding for selected
projects and awards.

o 2) Provide a forum for reporting.
b. Providing specific programs to assist emerging scientists.
Participants:
1. Facilitators.
a. Abe Aberle, Chairman, Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska
b. Colin Kaltenbach, Vice Dean, College of Agriculture and Director, AAES,
University of AZ
c. Ellen Bergfeld, Executive Director, ASAS, Savoy, IL
2. Western Section Executive Committee.
a. Bob Short, President, WSASAS; USDA-ARS, Miles City, MT
b. Steve Daugherty, Vice-President, WSASAS; California State Polytechnic Univ.
San Luis Obisbo
c. John Paterson, Secretary Treasurer, WSASAS; Montana State Univ., Bozeman
*d. Glenn Coulter, Past-President, WSASAS; Agriculture Canada, Lethbridge
e. Mark Branine, Industry Representative, WSASAS;Roche Animal Health,
Parker, CO
f. Dennis Halford, Chairman, A&C Committee, WSASAS; New Mexico State
Univ, Santa Cruz
*g. ASAS Director (currently filled by Glenn Coulter)
3. Advisory and Coordinating Committee.
a. Ben Bruce, University of Nevada, Reno
b. Tim DelCurto, Oregon State Univ., Union
*c. Sue Denise, Univ of Arizona
d. Ronnie Green, Colorado State Univ.
e. Elaine Grings, USDA-ARS, Miles City, MT
f. Ernest Hawkins, Brigham Young Univ, Provo, UT
g. Carl Hunt, Univ. of Idaho
h. Bob Kemp, Agriculture Canada, Lethbridge
i. Jim Killen, Altech, Inc., Ault, CO
j. Don Kress, Montana State Univ.
k. Noelle Cockett, Utah State Univ.
l. Mark Nelson, Washington State Univ.
m. Jim Oltjen, Univ. of California, Davis
n. Dan Rule, Univ. of Wyoming (substitute for Bill Russell)
*o. Doug Vincent, Univ. of Hawaii
p. Butch Whitman, Moorman's High Plains, Inc., Bozeman, MT
* Not present