Bylaws

Academy of Veterinary Behavior Technicians Bylaws

Article I – Membership

Section 1. The Academy of Veterinary Behavior Technicians shall be composed of Veterinary Technicians who have achieved distinction in the field of animal behavior, have demonstrated high ethical and moral character, and have fulfilled the requirements for and successfully passed the certification examination as set forth in the Bylaws of the Academy.

Article II – Officers

Section 1. The officers of the Academy shall be President-Elect, President, Past-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Member(s) at Large, and Parliamentarian.

Section 2. The term of office is two years.

Section 3. The election of officers shall be held biennially (every other year) at the annual general meeting of the Academy of Veterinary Behavior Technicians.

Article III – Duties of Officers

Section 1. The President shall:

(i) Preside over all meetings of the Academy and the Regents.

(ii) Administer the affairs of the organization according to the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws and the policies enunciated by the Regents.

(iii) Coordinate the activities of all the Academy’s Committees.

(iv) Attend and present a report of the activities of the office at the biannual (twice yearly) meeting of the Regents and at such other times as determined by the Regents.

(v) Attend the annual (once yearly) general meeting and present a report of the activities of the office for the Academy.

Section 2. The President-Elect shall:

(i) Automatically become President at the termination of the predecessor’s term of office.

(ii) Assume the responsibilities of the President if the President is unable to perform the duties of the office.

(iii) Attend and present a report of the activities of the office at the biannual (twice yearly) meeting of the Regents and at such other times as determined by the Regents.

(iv) Attend the annual (once yearly) general meeting and present a report of the activities of the office for the Academy.

Section 3. The Past-President is the retiring President. In case the President and President-Elect simultaneously are unable to perform the duties of President, the Past-President shall:

(i) Serve as acting President until the next regularly scheduled election or until either the President or President-Elect are able to resume the duties of President.

(ii) Attend and present a report of the activities of the office at the biannual (twice yearly) meeting of the Regents and at such other times as determined by the Regents.

(iii) Attend the annual (once yearly) general meeting and present a report of the activities of the office for the Academy.

Section 4. Secretary shall:

(i) Maintain the general records of the organization and file all required reports pertaining thereto.

(ii) Attend all meetings of the Academy and the Regents unless specified otherwise by the President.

(iii) Record and keep all original notes, minutes, and records of all official meetings and sessions until the Regents approve their disposal.

(iv) Maintain archival copies of all publications, documents, and other records of the Academy.

(v) Conduct mail ballots or electronic ballots when required.

(vi) Handle correspondence on behalf of the Academy.

(vii) Attend and present a report of the activities of the office at the biannual (twice yearly) meeting of the Regents and at such other times as determined by the Regents.

(viii) Attend the annual (once yearly) general meeting and present a report of the activities of the office for the Academy.

(ix) In case the Secretary is unable to perform their duties, the vacancy of will be filled by the Regents until the next regular election.

Section 5. Treasurer shall:

(i) Maintain the financial records of the organization and prepare them for audit annually or when requested.

(ii) Be the custodian of all assets of the Academy.

(iii) Pay all expenses of the Academy as directed by the Regents.

(iv) Submit complete bank statements to Council of Regents at least once each quarter.

(v) Maintain a file of all vouchers and invoices accompanying them for a period of not less than five years.

(vi) Deposit all monies in the name of the Academy in a federally insured bank approved by the Regents.

(vii) Carry out other duties as determined by the Regents.

(viii) Turn over all funds, properties, and records to their successor.

(ix) Attend and present a report of the financial status of the Academy at each biannual (twice yearly) meeting of the Regents and act at such other times as determined by the Regents.

(x) Attend and present a report of the financial status of the Academy at the annual (once yearly) general meeting.

(xi) In case the Treasurer is unable to perform their duties, the vacancy will be filled by the Regents until the next regular election.

Section 6. Member(s) at Large shall:

(i) Attend and present a report of the activities of the office for the Academy at each biannual (twice yearly) meeting of the Regents and act at such other times as determined by the Regents.

(ii) Attend the annual (once yearly) general meeting and present a report of the activities of the office for the Academy.

(iii) In case the Member at Large is unable to perform their duties, the vacancy will be filled by the Regents until the next regular election.

Section 7. Parliamentarian is appointed by current president and shall:

(i) Provide guidance and assist council members in complying with all by-law protocols

(ii) Although a member of the council the Parliamentarian will have no voting privileges.

(iii) In case the Parliamentarian is unable to perform their duties, a new parliamentarian may be appointed by the current president.

Section 8. CVTS Liaison is appointed by current president and shall:

(i) Attend all scheduled meetings with CVTS and report back to the regents.

(ii) Attend and present a report of the activities of the office for the Academy at each biannual (twice yearly) meeting.

(iii) Attend and present a report of the activities of the office for the Academy at each annual (once yearly) general meeting.

(iv) In case the CVTS liaison is unable to perform their duties, a new CVTS liaison may be appointed by the current president.

Section 8. The terms of office:

(i) Of the President-Elect, President, Past-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Member at Large shall be two years. The term of office begins at the close of the Academy general meeting in the year that elections are held.

Article IV – Committees

Section 1. Council of Regents

(i) The management and control of the business and professional affairs of the Academy shall be vested in the Regents.

a. The Regents or its designated committees shall receive and consider for approval all applications, provide for the conduct of an examination, and issue appropriate certificates to those who successfully pass the examination and are approved for membership by the Regents.

b. It shall consider and act upon: charges against members for alleged offenses against the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, charges of unprofessional conduct, and expulsion of members.

c. The Regents shall select the time and place of all meetings, determine the amount of the initiation, ancillary fees and dues, and generally govern the membership of the Academy.

d. It shall direct the management of funds held by the Academy.

(ii) The Regents shall consist of the President-Elect, President, Past-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and at least one Member at Large elected by the Academy. A parliamentarian and CVTS liaison may be appointed by the current president and will hold a non-voting role.

(iii) Vacancies between elections occurring on the Regents shall be filled by appointment by the Regents, unless otherwise stated in the constitution. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy shall hold the office until the expiration of the term in which the vacancy occurred.

(iv) One (1) of the biannual (twice yearly) meetings of the Regents shall be held immediately preceding to the time and at the location designated for the annual business meeting of the Academy. Special meetings may be called at any time by the President or at the written request of not less than four (4) members of the Regents.

(v) Not less than five (5) days notice of the time and place of any special meeting (including teleconferences) and not less than thirty (30) days notice of the time and place of the regular meeting shall be given by mail, e-mail, or FAX. The notice will be addressed to each Regent at their residence or place of business, as it shall appear in the official records of the Academy.

(vi) Five (5) voting members of the Regents present in person or on a telephone conference call shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business that may come before the meeting.

Section 2. Committees

(i) This organization shall have the following committees: Nominating, Credential Approval, Examination, Re-certification, and Continuing Education. Additional committees may be specified by the President and approved by the Regents, as deemed necessary.

(ii) Standing and ad hoc committee members shall be appointed by the President and approved by the Regents. Terms of committee members shall overlap. Committees shall be composed of a chairperson and a minimum of two members of the Academy. Members may serve consecutive terms.

(iii) The following shall apply to all committees unless otherwise explicitly stated:

(a) The committee members will elect chairperson in place. If the committee members are unable to vote for a chairperson, one will be appointed by the president.

(b) If a committee member is unable to fulfill his or her term, a replacement shall be appointed by the President to fulfill the un-expired term.

Section 3. Nominating Committee

(i) The committee shall be appointed not less than six (6) months prior to the election date.

(ii) The duties of this committee shall be:

(a) Present a slate of officers composed of VTS (Behavior) of the Academy prior to the election as specified in Article VI, Section 2 of the Bylaws.

(b) At least one qualified member for each position shall be presented by the Committee.

Section 4. Credentials Approval Committee

(i) The duties of this committee shall:

(a) Provide through the Secretary of the Academy information and application forms to prospective applicants.

(b) Evaluate and certify eligibility of applicants requesting examination by the Academy.

(d) Notify the President of applicants who are not deemed eligible for examination and delineate the areas of deficiency.

Section 5. Examination Committee

(i) The duties of this committee shall be:

(a) Preparation, administration, and grading of the examination. The passing score will be proposed by the Examination Committee based on psychometrics obtained by exam assessment and approved by the Council of Regents. The Examination Committee will report the results of the examination to the Council of Regents for approval before sending notification to examination candidates.

(b) Inform prospective examinees about the content of the upcoming examination.

(c) Report to the President results of such examinations and make recommendations based on the established passing point.

(d) Provide written summary of deficiencies in a letter of clarification through the Regents to examinees requesting that information following failure to pass examination.

(e) Input the examination within the examination software and facilitate proctoring of the exam.

(f) Maintain a question bank for the examination.

(g) Work with the statistician to ensure that the examination criteria are kept up to date with relevant content to the behavior profession.

Section 6. Re-certification Committee

(i) The duties of this committee shall be:

(a) Determine the distribution of sixty (60) CE units used to satisfy the re-certification process, with approval by the Regents.

(b) Evaluate the minimum participation requirement of serving a minimum of one term on a committee or Council of Regents position within the first recertification period.

(c) Evaluate applications and CE units for re-certification. Successful completion of the 60 CE units and the minimum participation requirement will result in re-certification for another five year period. Final approval for re-certification status must be granted by the Regents.

Section 7. Continuing Education Committee

(i) The duties of the Committee shall be:

(a) Coordinate all continuing education, publication, and research endeavors of the Academy.

(b) Plan, organize, select speakers and conduct continuing education meetings of the Academy.

Article V – Dues, fees, fiscal matters

Section 1. Dues

(i) The dues for members of the Academy shall be established by the Regents and reviewed as needed.

(a) Dues become payable on January 1st of each calendar year. Dues are delinquent March 1st and if not paid by May 1st active membership in the Academy will be terminated, but only after notification of members in question by registered mail, return receipt requested.

(b) Reactivation of membership may be completed by petition through the Secretary with payment of all delinquent dues plus fifty percent (50%).

Section 2. Exam Application Fee

(i) The VTS (Behavior) certifying examination fee will be set by the Regents for all eligible candidates qualifying for the examination.

(ii) Fees are nonrefundable.

Section 3. Annual Operating Budget

(i) The Regents shall approve the annual operating budget for the Academy upon recommendations by the Treasurer.

Section 4. Fiscal Year

(i) The fiscal year of the Academy shall be from January 1 to December 31.

Article VI – Conduct of Business

Section 1. Annual Meeting

(i) The Academy shall meet annually at a site selected by the Regents for the purpose of conducting and reviewing the business of the Academy. Additional meetings of the Academy shall be held if requested by the Regents. Written notice to all VTS (Behavior) members shall precede the meeting date by at least thirty (30) days. The conduct of all meetings shall follow the procedures set forth in the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order when applicable as long as they are consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Academy.

(ii) VTS (Behavior) who are currently in good standing are eligible to attend business meetings of the Academy and vote.

(iii) A quorum for meetings of the Academy shall consist of one third (1/3) of the VTS (Behavior) members eligible to vote.

Section 2. Election of Officers

(i) Election of officers shall take place biennially by mail or electronic ballot at least thirty (30) days prior to the business meeting of the Academy.

(ii) A proposed slate of officers shall be presented by the Nominating Committee to the Regents at least ninety (90) days prior to the annual business meeting. Recommendations for additional nominations will be solicited from the membership by the Nominating Committee.

(iii) Election shall be made by anonymous ballot. A simple majority of votes shall be necessary to elect. If on any ballot of more than two (2) candidates, simple majority of the votes is not attained the candidate receiving the smallest number of votes shall be eliminated and the voting shall proceed. A tie vote with two (2) candidates shall be decided by the President casting the tie breaking vote.

Section 3. Reports

(i) Annual reports shall be submitted to CVTS while under provisional recognition.

(ii) Annual reports shall be submitted to ACVB 60 days before their annual meeting.

(iii) Biennial reports containing Academy status and activities will be submitted to CVTS upon receiving full recognition.

Article VI – Amendments

Section 1. Proposed Amendments to the Bylaws

(i) Proposed amendments shall be submitted to the Regents for study ninety (90) days before a scheduled meeting of the Academy or the distribution of a mail ballot to the membership.

(ii) Proposed amendments shall be distributed to the entire membership with a recommendation by the Regents at least thirty (30) days prior to counting of mail ballot, electronic ballots, or a voice vote of the VTS (Behavior) membership.

(iii) An affirmative vote shall require that at least one third (1/3) of the members in good standing vote and at least three quarters (3/4) of the members voting approve the proposal.

(iv) All changes in the Constitution and Bylaws shall be included in the CVTS annual report.

Article VII – Examination, Certification and Recertification

Section 1. Credential Requirements

Credential Requirements dictate that each applicant, before he or she is declared eligible for examination, must:

(i) Submit a Cover Letter and a Signed Application Agreement (with application fee submitted)

(ii) Candidate’s CV

(iii) Proof of NAVTA membership

(iv) Proof of graduation of an AVMA approved Veterinary Technician program and/or credentialed to practice as a Veterinary Technician in some State or Province of the United States, Canada, or other country.

(a) Two (2) letters of recommendations from the following: VTS (Behavior), Supporting Veterinarian, and or a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behavior

(b) Completion of the Veterinary Behavior Skills Form: The skills form documents those skills that have been mastered by the candidate and are necessary to practice as a veterinary behavior technician at an advanced level. The form will be provided by the credentials approval committee. It is subject to change based upon the current state of the art in veterinary behavior medicine. The Skills Assessment Supervisor (SAS) must be a credentialed technician or veterinarian. The applicant can email the Examination Committee at vtsbehaviorsecretary@gmail.com for approval of other credentials for their SAS.

(c) Time Sheet: A minimum of 4000 hours of work experience or its equivalent in the field of clinical veterinary behavior; 3000 hours of which can be prevention. All work experience must be completed within five years prior to the application due date.

(d) CE Record: A minimum of forty (40) continuing education (CE) hours related to veterinary behavior, animal behavior, or behavioral research. A minimum of 50% of the hours must come from veterinary-related sources.

§ The continuing education must be completed within the last five (5) years immediately prior to submitting the application. No more than 2/3 (28 hours) can come from a single source. Valid proof of CE includes certificates or receipts.

§ The continuing education must be received from an accredited veterinary technician school, school of veterinary medicine, or nationally recognized conference. Proof of attendance is required.

(e) A clinical case log is maintained for one (1) year within the three (3) years immediately preceding the submission of the application.

§ A minimum of fifty (50) clinical cases must be recorded. The cases shall reflect the management of the behavior patient and mastery of advanced veterinary behavior skills. The log should include the following: date, patient identification (name or number), species/breed, age, sex, weight, veterinary diagnosis, length of care, final outcome and summary of behavior techniques used, and procedures performed by the applicant on the patient.

(f) Five (5) detailed case reports: Case reports must demonstrate expertise in the management of a variety of veterinary patients requiring behavior services. The case reports should be selected from the clinical case log. Case reports must be the original work of the applicant.

§ These cases should come from the Clinical Case Log

Section 2. Applicant procedures for admission to examination for VTS (Behavior) status are as follows:

(i) Application for examination must be made by the applicant to the Secretary on a form provided by the Academy, and submitted along with the prescribed application fee and required documents on or prior to the calendar date eight (8) months preceding the scheduled examination. The application fee will not be refunded if applicant is not eligible to take the examination and must be submitted each time the applicant applies for examination.

(ii) Eligibility rulings are made by the Regents on recommendation by the Credentials Approval Committee, and applicants will be notified of results no less than six (6) months preceding the scheduled examination date.

(iii) The applicant is required to sign the following agreement when he or she applies: I hereby apply to the Academy of Veterinary Behavior Technicians for examination in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Academy for credentials evaluation and appeal; herewith, I enclose the application fee. I also hereby agree that prior to or subsequent to my examination the Academy may investigate my standing as a veterinary technician, including my reputation for complying with the standards of ethics of the profession.

Section 3. Examinations

(i) Candidates approved by the Credentials Approval Committee and the Regents, upon receipt of the prescribed examination fee by the stated due date, will be advised of the exam format no less than three (3) months prior to examination.

(ii) Examinations will be prepared and administered by the Examination Committee.

(iii) Cutoff scores established using a Modified-Angoff method will be proposed by the Examination Committee and approved by the Regents. A minimum passing score as established and approved must be achieved to obtain VTS (Behavior) status.

(iv) Examinations will be given at least once every other year.

(v) The examination committee may include written, oral, and practical items; computer simulations or audiovisual aids may be used as part of the testing process.

(a) Topics to be covered on the examination are those that are crucial to veterinary behavior.

(b) Exam items will be referenced using current scientific sources.

(d)All candidates sitting for an examination will be notified of the results of the examination within sixty (60) days of the date of the examination.

(e)Candidates who have failed the examination will, upon written request through the Secretary to the Examination Committee within thirty (30) days of notification, be given written clarification as to the areas of deficiencies. The letter of clarification of deficiencies will be provided by email within sixty (60) days of receipt of the candidate’s request.

Section 4. Certification

(i) Candidates must successfully pass the certifying examination.

(ii) Final approval for VTS (Behavior) status must be granted by the Regents.

(iii) A certificate will be issued to the VTS (Behavior) by the Secretary upon direction of the Regents.

(iv) VTS (Behavior) certification is conferred for a period of five (5) years. The certification period will begin on the first day of the month that the examination is passed and end on the same date five (5) years later.

Section 5. Appeals

(i) Candidates denied eligibility to sit for the VTS (Behavior) Certification Examination may appeal this decision within thirty (30) calendar days from their receipt of the letter of notification. The appeal must be made by written petition to the Secretary and should include a statement of grounds for reconsideration. The appeals committee may request additional information as needed.

(a) Upon receipt of an appeal, the Secretary shall notify the President and the Chair of the Credentials Approval Committee. The President will appoint a committee of three (3) VTS (Behavior) to serve as an ad hoc Appeal Committee within fifteen (15) calendar days of receiving notification of the appeal.

(b) The Chair of the Credentials Approval Committee shall submit to the Appeal Committee a written statement indicating the reasons for rejecting the candidate. The complete application file of the candidate will be provided for the Appeal Committee to review.

(c) The Appeal Committee shall review the appeal(s) and render the recommendation(s) to the Regents within thirty (30) calendar days from the date the committee was appointed. The Regents will render a decision on the appeal upon the recommendation of the Appeal Committee and notify the petitioner of the decision within sixteen (16) calendar days after receipt of the report of the Appeal Committee. The decision of the Regents shall be final.

(ii) Failure of the examination.

(a) Failure of the examination is not appealable.

(b) The Credentials Approval committee will determine what documentation will be required for reexamination. A complete application packet may be required. The full certification examination fee must be paid for each repeated examination.

(iii) Appeals of other adverse decisions by the Academy, including VTS (Behavior) suspensions, may be made by written petition through the Secretary to the Regents. An ad hoc Appeal Committee will be established, and the petitioner notified of the appeal process and timetable.

(iv) The procedure for the Appeals Process will be included with all application forms.

Section 6. Re-certification

(i) Re-certification may be obtained through one (1) of two (2) options.

(a) Completion of sixty (60) continuing education (CE) units per five (5) year period. The CE units may be obtained through attendance at seminars pertaining to animal behavior and related disciplines, contribution to professional publications, presentation of a lecture or wet lab, completion of research projects. The distribution of CE units will be determined by the Re-certification Committee with final approval by the Regents. During the first five year period each member will be required to complete a minimum of one term serving on a committee or as part of the Council of Regents.

(b) Retaking the VTS (Behavior) examination.

Article VIII – Discipline

Section 1. Repossession of Certificates

(i) Certificates shall remain the property of the Academy and shall be repossessed when:

(a) The issuance of such a certificate or its receipt violates provisions of the Academy’s Constitution or Bylaws.

(b) The VTS (Behavior) member fails to maintain acceptable standards of competence in the practice of behavior or ethics as determined through investigation by the Regents.

(c) The VTS (Behavior) fails to pay dues by May 1st of the calendar year. Notification of repossession will be made by registered mail, return receipt requested. Reinstatement is contingent on approval by the Regents, payment of all past dues, and current dues in full plus late fees.

(d) The VTS (Behavior) fails to complete the re-certification process by the deadline.

Section 2. Unethical Conduct

(i) Members accused of unethical conduct, incompetence, negligence, fraud, or other charges that discredit the Academy will be investigated.

(ii) Such charges must be made in writing to the Regents. If investigation reveals evidence warranting action, the accused will be notified in writing and given full opportunity to respond in writing to the Regents.

(iii) Disciplinary action may be recommended by the Regents and can be executed following an affirmative vote by two thirds of the Academy members.

Article IX- ADA

Section 1. Accessibility

Reasonable requests for accessibility aides will be accommodated to the best of the ability of the Regents