Women in French is an organization dedicated exclusively to educational purposes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or any corresponding section of any future tax code.

Section 1: Mission Statement

Women in French is a scholarly association whose goal is the promotion of the study of French and Francophone women authors, the representation of women and gender in French and Francophone literatures, the role of women and people with diverse genders and identities in French and Francophone history and cultures, gender theory, and feminist literary criticism.

Women in French seeks to bring to light lesser-known and marginalized authors from the Middle Ages to the present day, as well as to continue the study of those who are recognized in the literary canon.

Section 1: Executive Committee

The organization shall have an executive Committee composed of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, immediate Past President, one representative from each of the six MLA conference regions, Editor of Women in French Studies, Editor of the Women in French Newsletter, the Women in French Digital Content Coordinator(s), and one Graduate Student Representative.

The Chair(s) of the Nominating Committee will serve as ex officio members of the Executive Committee.

Section 2: Duties of the Officers

The Officers are: the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary and the Treasurer.

The President will oversee all activities of the organization, promote its mission, and provide leadership for the organization, working with the Executive Committee to establish short and long-term goals, plans, and strategies. The President will manage the budget and make sure resources are allocated properly and equitably.

The President or designee shall preside over the annual meeting which will coincide with the MLA Annual Conference in January. The President will correspond regularly with the members of the Executive Committee about items of business, and with the overall membership as needed.

The Vice-President will work closely with the President and will take on various duties determined by the needs of the organization in consultation with the President.

Should the President be unable to fulfill the duties of the office, the Vice-President will complete the term.

The Secretary or designee will take minutes at the annual meeting, publish them on the website, and deal with routine correspondence such as sending annual dues notices to lapsed members. The Secretary will keep the President informed of the membership rolls and co-ordinate subscriptions to the Women in French Newsletter and Women in French Studies.

The Treasurer will work closely with the President and the Secretary. The Treasurer will record all deposits, manage the Women in French bank accounts, pay expenses, work with CPA to prepare tax returns, set the yearly budget in cooperation with the President, and prepare a Treasurer’s Report for the annual MLA convention.

Section 3: Election Procedures and Terms of Service

The President and Vice-President are elected for two-year terms. The President and Vice-President may be candidates for a second term, but may not continue beyond four consecutive years in the same office.

The Secretary and Treasurer are nominated by the President and confirmed by a vote of the membership. The standard term of service is 3-5 years. The immediate Past President will continue to serve on the Executive Committee for two years following the conclusion of their mandate.

The Regional Representatives are elected for three-year terms. The terms of the Representatives will be staggered so that one third will be elected each year.

The Graduate Student Representative is elected for a two-year term. The Graduate Student Representative may not continue beyond the year of completion of the terminal degree.

The elected officers and representatives will be chosen by electronic ballot.

All members will be eligible to vote for the officers and the Graduate Student Representative; Regional Representatives will be elected only by members of their respective regions.