ACSR MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS
Membership Fee is $65 annually / Supporting Members $90
There are five types of membership WITH voting privileges:
A. Charter Member
1. Any member of the Association who attended a meeting of this body before the initial bylaws and was granted all privileges of a regular membership was bestowed.
Regular Members must meet the following requirements:
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Experience and Duties: Regular member applicants shall meet the requirements outlined in Sections 1A and 1-3 of the bylaws. A substantial portion of an applicant's work experience shall include one or more of the following duties:
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Reconstruction of crime scenes.
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Investigation of crime scenes.
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Interpretation of physical evidence.
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Collection and/or analysis of physical and other forensic evidence.
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Training and/or consultation for scene reconstruction, scene investigation, or interpretation of physical evidence.
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Endorsements and Recommendations: An applicant for regular membership must meet one of the following endorsement criteria:
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Have the endorsement of two current ACSR voting members in good standing who can attest to the applicant's qualifications, or
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One endorsement from a current ACSR voting member in good standing who can attest to the applicant's qualifications and proof of active membership in one of the following organizations:
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American Academy of Forensic Science
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Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners
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International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts
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International Association for Identification
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Other professional forensic associations, at the discretion of the President and Chair of the Membership Committee
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One endorsement from a current ACSR voting member in good standing who can attest to the applicant’s qualifications, and a letter of recommendation from a state/commonwealth, federal, or other governmental judiciary, law enforcement, forensic, or criminal justice agency confirming the applicant’s qualification
Selection
The evaluation process for the application for membership is as follows:
The Membership Committee shall review the application and supporting materials, determine if the applicant meets the qualifications for granting Regular Membership, and make a recommendation to the Board of Directors.
C. Fellow
Fellow status is awarded based on demonstrated professional competence and service to the Association. A Regular or Charter Member may request the Board of Directors for advancement to the Fellow membership level based on the criteria below:
1. Qualification
a. A candidate for Fellow shall:
1) Have been a Regular Member or Charter Member in good standing for at least three years prior to the date of request for advancement.
2) Have served as an Officer of the Association or as a member of the Board of Directors for at least one designated term.
3) Have made at least two presentations to the ACSR membership, either as presentations at the ACSR Annual Training Conference or published articles in the ACSR Journal.
4) Have attended two or more of the ACSR Annual Training Conferences within the past five years before requesting Fellow status.
5) Submit an actual crime scene reconstruction performed by the candidate with the letter requesting advancement. This reconstruction shall include the candidate’s report and supporting documentation.
2. Selection
a. The evaluation process for the request is as follows:
1) The Fellow Committee will evaluate requests for advancement and the supporting materials. The recommendation to the Board will be either “Fellow Qualified” or “Declined”. A recommendation to approve a candidate as “Fellow Qualified” must be unanimous. [See #5 below].
2) A unanimous vote by the Board will result in advancement to Fellow of the ACSR. If a unanimous vote is not obtained, but rather a simple majority, the President should attempt to address all concerns and communicate them to the voting officers. A single re-vote is then conducted, requiring a two- thirds majority for advancement to Fellow
3) The President or a designee will report the results to the Membership Committee, which will make the appropriate changes in member status.
4) The President or a designee will inform the Chair of the Fellow Committee, whereupon all copies of the case submission will be destroyed if the candidate has not specified an alternative disposition.
5) If an applicant is declined after the case, the Fellow Committee Chair may, at their discretion, consider the following options:
a) If the case was not of sufficient breadth to demonstrate mastery of reconstruction, the Fellow Committee may request that an additional case be submitted. An example would be a case that focuses solely on bloodstain pattern analysis.
b) The Fellow Committee may choose to request a case that demonstrates the multidisciplinary aspects of reconstruction, such as sequence analysis, shooting incident reconstruction, or wound dynamics, to be considered either separately or in addition to the original case presentation.
c) The Fellow Committee may choose to request an additional case or cases that demonstrate a different aspect of reconstruction than the first case.
Distinguished Member
This membership category is obtained by nomination and reserved for individuals who have demonstrated an extended commitment to the highest level of service in advancing the crime scene reconstruction field.
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Nomination – A candidate proposed for Distinguished Member shall be nominated in writing to the President by at least five (5) Regular or Charter Members in good standing. The nomination letter shall include an extensive endorsement of the candidate and shall be signed by each nominating member.
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The President shall forward the nominating letter to the Chair of the Fellow Committee.
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The Chair of the Fellow Committee shall notify the candidate of the nomination and secure supporting documentation from the candidate.
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Qualifications
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Candidates shall have been a Fellow in good standing for at least one year prior to their nomination for Distinguished Member.
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Candidates must have served at least two terms as an officer of the ACSR. This requirement applies not only to service while a Fellow, but also at any time during their membership. Qualifying positions are President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Member of the Board of Directors.
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The candidate shall be recognized for making a significant impact on advancing the principles of crime scene reconstruction beyond service to ACSR. This may include, but is not limited to:
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Significant contribution to the body of knowledge in Crime Scene Reconstruction.
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Significant research in developing or validating techniques and procedures in Crime Scene Reconstruction.
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Significant record of instruction in the area of Crime Scene Reconstruction.
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Recognition at a national or international level for notable contributions to Crime Scene Reconstruction.
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Selection
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The President shall present the candidate’s name and qualifications to the Chair of the Fellow Committee.
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The Fellow Committee shall thoroughly evaluate all accomplishments and service to determine whether the nominee should be recommended for Distinguished Member status. This involves reviewing written works, accomplishments, awards, and service.
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If recommended by the Fellow Committee, the President will present the candidate's name to the Board of Directors.
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An initial unanimous vote by the Board will result in the elevation of the nominated Fellow to Distinguished Member. If a unanimous vote is not obtained, but rather a simple majority, the President should address all concerns of the voting officers and make them known to the Board. If questions remain, the issue may be referred back to the Fellow Committee for further investigation. A single re-vote will then be conducted, and a unanimous decision, less one, will be required for advancement to Distinguished Member.
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The President or a designee will report the results to the Membership Committee, which will make the appropriate changes in member status and prepare the appropriate certificate.
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The President or a designee shall inform the Chair of the Fellow Committee, who shall arrange for the procurement of the plaque.
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The nominee shall be awarded the certificate and plaque at the next annual conference banquet.
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Should a nominee be determined “not qualified at this time,” they may be reconsidered without prejudice after one year if they are nominated again.
E. Emeritus Member
Emeritus Members are recognized for their exceptional service to the Association or the scientific discipline of Crime Scene Reconstruction. They have a long record of membership, or they have reached the age of retirement from their agency, have retired from their usual employment, and are no longer actively involved in the field of Crime Scene Reconstruction.
1. Emeritus Members are Voting Members.
2. Emeritus Members shall enjoy all rights and benefits of Regular Membership but shall pay no dues.
3. Selection – Emeritus Membership may be granted to Distinguished Members upon retirement or to Fellows who:
a. Have been recommended in writing to the Membership Committee, which shall determine if the individual meets the criteria set forth above.
b. The recommendation shall cite the manner of exceptional service to the Association or discipline.
c. Only Fellows may recommend Fellows in good standing for Emeritus Member status.
d. The names of individuals eligible to receive Emeritus Member status shall be approved by a majority of the Board of Directors and presented by the President to the membership at the annual business meeting of the Association. A majority of the voting members present at the meeting shall vote in favor of Emeritus Membership for this recognition and status to be conferred.
In addition, there are five types of membership with NO voting privileges:
F. Provisional Member
Applicants who are currently working in the field of crime scene reconstruction or investigation, and meet all other membership requirements, have secured appropriate endorsements and /or recommendations but who do not have at least three years experience may, upon recommendation of the Membership committee, with the approval of the Board of Directors, be accepted as a Provisional Member for a period not to exceed three years from date of acceptance.
1. After three years as a provisional member, he or she must reapply for membership as a Regular Member.
G. Student Member
Applicants who are currently students in the field of forensic science, crime scene investigation, or a closely related field, but do not have at least three years experience may, upon approval of the Board of Directors, be accepted as Student Members for a period not to exceed three years from the date of acceptance. This may be extended for an additional period should the student demonstrate proof of matriculation at a bachelor’s Degree level and acceptance to a Master’s Degree program.
1. A student must obtain endorsement from an ACSR voting member who can attest to the applicant's qualifications and a letter of recommendation from their academic department chair or instructor/professor, on letterhead that they are, in fact, students of forensic science and/or crime scene investigation, or a closely related field.
2. A student is defined as an individual currently enrolled in one or more courses in the fields of forensic science or criminal investigation or currently enrolled in an academic degreed program in either of those fields or a closely related field.
3. At the completion of his/her Student Membership, anyone wishing to be accepted as a Provisional or Regular Member must apply for that status.
4. Students enrolled in a natural or physical science, or other "non-forensic" degree program, will be reviewed on a case-by case basis.
I. Supporting Member
Individuals or Corporations or other entities, which have an interest in furthering the purposes of this Association, may be accepted as Supporting Members. The dues for this category shall be three times the annual dues of the of Regular Membership category.
COST: $90 application fee/dues
H. Honorary Member - The Association may bestow Honorary Membership upon those individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of crime scene reconstruction / investigation. A person proposed for honorary membership must be nominated in writing to the Membership Committee by no less than (5) five voting members. The nomination letter shall include an extensive endorsement of the candidate and shall be signed by each of the nominating members. Candidates so nominated shall be presented to the voting membership, with the recommendations of the Membership Committee, at the next regularly scheduled business meeting of the Association after nomination has been made. A favorable vote of three-fourths (3/4) of the voting members present shall be required to bestow this honor. An Honorary Member is not required to pay dues.
J. Technical Advisor
Technical Advisor is an honorary position bestowed upon the recipient by the Board of Directors. Technical Advisors will not pay dues and will not have voting rights. Technical Advisor is intended for individuals outside forensic science or are otherwise unqualified for other Association membership categories who have some knowledge, skill, or expertise of value to the Association and its membership. A Technical Advisor will be expected to freely provide general information and guidance related to his/her area(s) of expertise to ACSR members. Technical Advisors may be nominated by any member in good standing by submitting a written recommendation to the Membership Committee along with the candidate's curriculum vitae. The recommendation should, at a minimum, include the candidate’s name, contact information, position, employment, area of expertise, and a description of how the candidate would be able to contribute to ACSR. Following a review of the recommendation and qualifications, the Membership Committee will make a recommendation to the Board. A two-thirds majority vote of the Board grants membership to a Technical Advisor. Technical Advisors will continue in a membership position at the discretion of the Board and may be removed at any time by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board. The Board will conduct a yearly review of the Technical Advisors at which time they can remove anyone from the roster based on the needs of the Association, negative comments from members, or other factors deemed relevant by the Board. Any Technical Advisors who are removed from the roster will be advised of such in writing by the Membership Committee. Following this annual Board review, all Technical Advisors will be contacted to ensure they are willing to continue in that capacity for the Association. Any Technical Advisor who no longer wishes to serve in that capacity will be removed from the roster. If a Technical Advisor cannot be reached after exhausting reasonable efforts, the Board may remove that Technical Advisor and his/her membership is terminated.