ACSR MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS
There are five types of membership WITH voting privileges:
A. Charter Member
1. Any member of the Association attending any meeting of this body prior to the adoption of the initial bylaws and upon whom all privileges of a Regular Membership were bestowed.
B. Regular Member
1. Applicants to become Regular Members must meet the following requirements:
a. Experience and Duties: Regular member applicants shall meet the requirements set forth in Section 1A, 1-3 of the bylaws. A substantial portion of an applicant's work experience shall include one or more of the following duties:
1) Reconstruction of crime scenes.
2) Investigation of crime scenes.
3) Interpretation of physical evidence.
4) Collection and/or analysis of physical and other forensic evidence.
5) Training and/or consultation for scene reconstruction, scene investigation, or interpretation of physical evidence. Approved by the board January 2017 Page 4 of 18
b. Endorsements and Recommendations: An applicant for Regular Membership must meet one of the following endorsement criteria:
1) Have the endorsement of two current ACSR Voting Members in good standing who can attest to the applicant's qualifications.
2) 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 ofthe following organizations:
i. American Academy of Forensic Science
ii. Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners
iii. International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts
iv. International Association for Identification
3) One endorsement from a current ACSR Voting Member in good standing who can attest to the applicant's qualifications and proof of current certification in Crime Scene Reconstruction through the IAI.
4) One endorsement from an ACSR Voting Member in good standing who can attest to the applicant's qualifications and a letter of recommendation from a state, federal, or other governmental law enforcement, forensic, or criminal justice agency (such as Chief of Police, District Attorney, Prosecutor, Attorney General, or Judge, attesting to the qualifications of the applicant).
C. Fellow
Fellow status is based upon demonstrated professional competence and service to the Association. A regular member may make a request to the Board of Directors for advancement to the membership level of Fellow based on the criteria described below.
1. Qualification
a. A candidate for Fellow must
1. Have been a Regular Member in good standing for a period of at least three years prior to the date of his or her request for advancement.
2. Have served as an Officer of the Association or member of the Board of Directors for at least one prescribed term.
3. Have made two presentations at ACSR Annual Training Conferences or published two papers in an ACSR publication, or made one presentation and published one paper in the ACSR publication.
4. Have attended two or more of the ACSR Annual Training Conferences during the past five years prior to the date of the request for Fellow status.
5. Submit an actual crime scene reconstruction done by the candidate with the letter requesting advancement. This reconstruction will included the candidate’s report and supporting documentation.
1. See previous versions of the bylaws for qualifications in effect at that time Approved by the board January 2017 Page 5 of 18
2. Selection
a. The evaluation process for the request is as follows:
1. The Fellow Committee will review the request for advancement and supporting material and make a recommendation to the Board. This recommendation will be either "Fellow Qualified" or "Declined.” [See #5 below.]
2. A unanimous vote of the Board will result in advancement to Fellow of the ACSR. Should a unanimous vote not be obtained, but rather a simple majority, the President should attempt to address all concerns and make them known to the voting officers. A single re-vote is cast upon which a two thirds majority will be required for advancement to Fellow.
3. The President or his or her designee will report the results to the Membership Committee that will make the appropriate changes in member status and prepare the appropriate certificate.
4. The President or his or her designee will inform the Chairman of the Fellow Committee whereupon all copies of the case submission will be destroyed if the candidate has not specified an alternate disposition.
5. Should an applicant be deemed “not qualified” through his or her case submission the following option is available at the Fellow Committee Chairman’s discretion. If the case was not of sufficient breadth to demonstrate mastery of reconstruction, they may request an additional case be submitted. An example would be a case that highlights bloodstain pattern analysis only. They may choose to request a case that demonstrates the multidisciplinary aspects of reconstruction such as sequence analysis, shooting incident reconstruction or wound dynamics be considered separately or in addition to the original case presentation.
D. Distinguished Member
This membership category is obtained through nomination and reserved for those who have demonstrated an extended commitment to the highest level of service in the advancement of a crime scene reconstruction field.
1. Nomination - A person proposed for Distinguished Member must be nominated in writing to the President by no less than (5) five regular members in good standing. The nomination letter shall include an extensive endorsement of the candidate and shall be signed by each of the nominating members.
2. Qualifications
a. Individuals must have been a Fellow in good standing for a period of one year prior to their nomination for Distinguished Member.
b. Individuals must have served at least two terms as an officer of the ACSR (this tenure is not exclusive to service while a Fellow, but at any point during their membership). Qualifying positions are President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Membe of the Board of Directors.
c. The candidate must be recognized for having made a significant impact on advancing the principles of crime scene reconstruction beyond service to ACSR. This may include, but is not limited to:
1. Significant contribution to the body of knowledge in Crime Scene Reconstruction.
2. Significant research in developing or validating techniques and procedures in Crime Scene Reconstruction.
3. Significant record of instruction in the area of Crime Scene Reconstruction.
4. Recognition at a national or international level for significant contribution to Crime Scene Reconstruction.
3. Selection:
1. The President presents the name and qualifications to the Board of Directors. A two thirds (2/3) majority vote will allow the name to be forwarded to the Fellow Committee.
2. The Fellow Committee will thoroughly scrutinize the totality of accomplishments and service to determine if the Fellow who is nominated is recommended by the Committee for Distinguished Member status. This will include a review of written works, accomplishments, awards, and service.
3. If recommended by the Fellow Committee, the President will present the name to the Board of Directors.
4. An initial unanimous vote of the Board will result in advancement of the nominated Fellow to Distinguished Member. Should a unanimous vote not be obtained, but rather a simple majority, the President should attempt to address all concerns of the voting officers and make them known to the Board. If questions remain, the issue may be returned to committee for further investigation. A single re-vote is cast upon which a unanimous decision less one will be required for advancement to Distinguished Member.
5. The President or his/her designee will report the results to the Membership Committee that will make the appropriate changes in member status and prepare the appropriate certificate.
6. The President or his/her designee will inform the Chairman of the Fellow Committee who will arrange for procurement of the plaque.
7. The nominee will be awarded the certificate and plaque at the next annual conference banquet.
8. Should a nominee be determined “not qualified at this time” they may be reconsidered without prejudice after a period of one (1) year if they are again nominated.
E. Emeritus Member
Emeritus Members are recognized as having served the interests of the Association or scientific discipline of Crime Scene Reconstruction in an exceptional manner and have a record of long service as a member of the Association, or have reached the age of their agency’s retirement and have retired from their usual place of employment and are no longer actively engaged in the field of Crime Scene Reconstruction. Emeritus Members are Voting Members. Emeritus Members shall enjoy all rights and benefits of Regular Membership but shall pay no dues.
Selection - Emeritus Membership may be granted to Distinguished Members upon retirement or upon Fellows who:
1. Have been recommended in writing to the membership Committee, who shall determine if the individual meets the criteria as set forth above.
2. The recommendation must cite the manner of exceptional service to the Association or discipline.
3. Only Fellows may recommend Fellows who are in good standing for Emeritus Member status.
The names of individuals qualified to receive Emeritus Member 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 must vote in favor of Emeritus Membership in order for it 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.
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.