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Frequently Asked Questions—SOT Specialty Sections, Regional Chapters, and Special Interest Groups
Officers (1–5)
Financial/membership/dues/member lists (6–14)
SOT Headquarters communications and administrative support functions (15–40)
What are the SOT policies and procedures for holding elections?
SOT Council has approved the policy to have all Regional Chapters, Specialty Sections, and Special Interest Groups ballots disseminated, received, and counted by SOT Headquarters. Ballots, biosketches, and any by-laws revisions should be provided to SOT Headquarters no later than January 31. SOT will disseminate the ballot promptly and return the results by March 1. Terms will run from May 1 to April 30. Please send all Regional Chapter and Special Interest Group ballots to Kelly Martin and all Specialty Section ballots to Kimberly von Brook. What are the eligibility requirements to hold a leadership position in SOT Regional Chapters, Specialty Sections, or Special Interest Groups?
Regional Chapter, Specialty Section, and Special Interest Group Officers in the Presidential Chain (President, President-Elect, Vice-President, and Vice President-Elect) and the Treasurer chain (Treasurer-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary/Treasurer) must be Full or Associate (active, retired, or emeritus) members in order to fulfill SOT financial policies. All Student and Postdoctoral Representatives must be SOT members at the beginning of their term. What should we do after we have elected our officers?
Once your election has concluded, and you have your election results, the current President of the Regional Chapter, Specialty Section or Special Interest Group should inform the candidates of the outcome of the election, including the winners and the runners-up. After you have informed all the candidates, you should send an announcement to the membership introducing your new officers. You may do so by utilizing via your respective ToXchange Community Site as an announcement in the discussion forum. SOT Headquarters is also happy to facilitate the sending of announcements or broadcast e-mails. I’m a new officer. What are my duties?
The primary roles of Regional Chapter, Specialty Section, and Special Interest Group officers are described in your By-Laws. However, the way that specific responsibilities are distributed (meeting planning, newsletter production, etc.) does vary and should be explained in detail by an existing officer to facilitate effective and efficient succession. Where is information on the SOT Web site with which officers should become fully acquainted?
We strongly encourage all officers to familiarize themselves with all areas of the SOT Web site and to utilize both your leadership and membership Community sites on ToXchange. The Leadership Resources available through your Leadership Community on ToXchange contain valuable information relevant to your RC/SS/SIG. Other areas of importance are open to the general public, including all Regional Chapter, Specialty Section, and Special Interest Group Web pages and information about opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and SOT’s public outreach initiatives (e.g., K–12). Does SOT have a financial policy of which Regional Chapters, Specialty Sections, and Special Interest Groups should be aware?
Yes, please see the SOT Financial Policy on the Leadership Resources site for specific information about the financial responsibility each group has to SOT. Does SOT Headquarters provide assistance with financial reports and check requests?
Monthly financial statements and general ledger reports are posted to the respective Leadership Communities on ToXchange. At the end of each month, Headquarters receives a bank statement which is reconciled with the SOT database for information on dues, and other revenue is confirmed. Expenses from credit card bills, timesheets, conference call services, plaques, etc., are then posted to the account of the respective group. This process can take up to 6 weeks or longer (especially after the SOT Annual Meeting when a large number of expenses are incurred). Once the accounts have been reconciled, SOT staff posts the financial statements in your file library on your ToXchange Leadership Community site. Current account balances are available upon request. For additional assistance please contact Kelly Martin (RCs and SIGs), or Kim von Brook (SSs). How do Regional Chapters obtain checks?
What is the SOT National policy for disbursing funds?
The Regional Chapter President or Treasurer needs to send an e-mail to Kelly Martin, at SOT Headquarters to make a request for checks. Ten (10) checks are sent after the request is made. Make sure you ask in advance so there is sufficient time to receive the checks needed for a specific function. Normally, once the request is made, the checks are mailed within 24 hours. Checks can be written for up to $500 by the chapter officers who are listed on the signature card. Disbursements by check of more than $500 must be sent from SOT Headquarters. Can SOT Headquarters process credit card payments for registrations for Regional Chapter meetings and dues payments received at these meetings?
Yes, SOT can work with your Chapter to establish on-line meeting registration and credit card processing, see #42 or staff can provide assistance with processing credit card payments for registrations and also member dues paid at meetings. Collect the credit card information: Name of cardholder as it appears on credit card; credit card type (AmEx, MC, Visa, etc.) number, and expiration date (mo/year); and total amount to be charged. When you send these payments to SOT, staff will make the charges and deposit the money to your RC account, usually within 48 hours. Are Regional Chapters, Specialty Sections, and Special Interest Groups able to solicit for donations?
Yes, you may solicit members and employers of members and can accept donations from organizations that seek to support your endeavors. However, you should not solicit SOT Affiliates (listed in the SOT Membership Directory) and/or SOT Annual Meeting Sponsors (listed on the SOT Annual Meeting Web site). For example, you could contact the department or division of a member’s employer, but not the corporate office if they an SOT affiliate. Is funding available for student travel to Regional Chapter meetings?
Yes, to increase attendance of graduate and undergraduate students at RC meetings in large regions, there is funding available. Several of the Regional Chapters cover large geographic areas and it can be difficult and expensive for students to travel to RC annual meetings. Potential attendees would be eligible for this travel support if they are at a distance of over a 4-hour drive from the venue of the meeting. Up to $2,000 per Chapter can be requested annually. Requests, with justification, should be submitted by the Regional Chapter (and not from individual students or institutions) to the SOT Council Subcommittee for Non-SOT Meeting, component, and Global Funding which will make a decision on whether a RC should receive the funding. Requests will most likely be honored if the funds will support multiple trainees (such as for travel in a single vehicle and/or for sharing hotel rooms) and if these trainees come from multiple laboratories within the RC. Funds are not to be used for meeting registration costs, food, or incidentals for graduate students. However, undergraduates who are likely recruits to toxicology may have their registration costs and food paid for by these funds. The Executive Committee of the RC (and not the Subcommittee for Funding) would set the procedure and policy for reimbursements of travel costs. The payment would be made by the RC, and the RC would submit a request for reimbursement with justification for the expenses after the RC meeting. For more information, visit the SOT Web site or contact Marcia Lawson. Is there funding available for Regional Chapter, Specialty Section and Special Interest Group Webinars, which are a popular and successful method of distance learning?
Yes, there is up to $2,000 in funding available per Webinar. Please note that honoraria may not be paid from this funding. Organizations are encouraged to work with prominent toxicologists experienced with presenting Webinars. Recent Webinars have been available to the SOT membership and have attracted participants from around the world. In order to receive this funding, a Webinar proposal must be sent to SOT Headquarters. This request will be forwarded to the appropriate SOT Staff Liaison. For further assistance, contact Marcia Lawson. What, if any, restrictions are there with respect to net earnings and expenditures?
No part of the net earnings of the Regional Chapter, Specialty Section, or Special Interest Group can inure to the benefit or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the RC/SS/SIG shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions to further the purposes of the organization as stated in the by-laws of each group. No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation and the RC/SS/SIG shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. No expenditure can be made by the RC/SS/SIG that, if made by SOT, would not be proper. Can a Regional Chapter, Specialty Section, or Special Interest Group use their funds to reimburse speakers and officers for travel?
Regional Chapters, Specialty Sections, and Special Interest Groups are bound by the same financial policy as SOT. SOT Financial Policy states that SOT members cannot be reimbursed for expenses and travel to the SOT Annual Meeting. SOT Member Speakers can be reimbursed for travel to a Regional Chapter meeting and there is funding available. Non-Member speakers can be reimbursed for their expenses to any meeting. RC, SS, and SIG officers cannot be reimbursed for their travel to any meeting unless otherwise sanctioned by SOT Council. Does SOT provide assistance with rosters, database information, and membership retention?
Yes, SOT is pleased to provide assistance in all of these areas. At this time, Regional Chapters, Specialty Sections, and Special Interest Groups officials can access rosters with complete contact information on-line through the Leadership Resources link on their ToXchange Leadership Community site. SOT Headquarters can provide the rosters that include past members upon request. (Note that “member type” is included in the downloadable rosters now.) Moreover, SOT Headquarters can, at the component group’s request, help remind members of dues payments through broadcast e-mails. Can SOT Headquarters assist with setting up conference calls?
Yes, If you would like to set up a conference call through SOT Headquarters, please contact your SOT Staff Liaison with a time and date already confirmed. SOT Headquarters will then give you the call-in information for distribution. All conference calls are billed back to the group account. What assistance does SOT provide regarding newsletters?
SOT Headquarters has created a newsletter template that is available on the Leadership Resources site. This template will show you what information should be included, along with some policy information, to assist you with putting together your newsletter. SOT will also post your newsletter to your Web site, send the newsletter to your membership via e-mail (and ToXchange upon request), and include your newsletter in a list of posted newsletters published in the Communiqué. How does a member of SOT join a Regional Chapter, Specialty Section, or Special Interest Group?
At the time of paying national dues, an SOT member can designate which Regional Chapters, Specialty Sections or Special Interest Groups that they would like to join. If a National SOT member wishes to add a specific group after dues have been paid, he/she may simply return to the on-line Renewing Membership section of the SOT Web site or contact Rosibel Alvarenga. Non-National SOT members can only join a Regional Chapter by completing the printable membership form found on the designated chapter’s Web site. SOT members who are graduate students or postdoctoral fellows can join one Specialty Section and one Special Interest Group at no cost. Can non-SOT members join the SOT Regional Chapters through the SOT Web site?
Individuals who are not National SOT members often ask to join a Regional Chapter having found information about these groups through the SOT Web site. Although these non-SOT members cannot join on-line through the SOT Web site, information provided on the Regional Chapter Web sites is available to complete the membership application process. Regional Chapter membership renewal for non-SOT members can be completed via the SOT Web site. Prospective Regional Chapter members are encouraged to contact chapter officers or to seek assistance from Kelly Martin, at SOT Headquarters. When are membership dues assessed?
Dues are assessed on a calendar year basis and are due no later than December 15 of the preceding year. Dues unpaid on December 15th shall remain due and payable in full. If a member misses the dues deadline, what does it take to be reinstated?
A Regional Chapter member would be reinstated as soon as he/she started paying dues again. In the case of a National SOT member (required to be a member of a Specialty Section or Special Interest Group), in order to be reinstated, all membership dues in arrears must be paid or reapplication for membership must occur. Failure to pay dues within two months of the due date shall result in suspension of all member privileges. Failure to pay dues within 12 months of the due date shall result in forfeiture of membership. A member who has forfeited membership by nonpayment of dues must reapply for membership as per SOT By-Laws. How can a member check on their dues status? How does a member renew through the SOT Web site?
Regional Chapter, Specialty Section, and Special Interest Group membership and dues status can be accessed and dues can be paid electronically through the SOT Web site. To renew your SOT National and/or Component membership (1) Go to the www.toxicology.org, (2) Log into the site (e-mail and member Password), (3) Select Membership, Membership Renewal On-Line from the left navigation option drop down, (4) Complete the on-line renewal form. A receipt will be automatically e-mailed to the e-mail address listed in the SOT Database.
If you don’t know your login information or are unable to complete dues payment via the Web for some other reason, please contact SOT Headquarters. It is quite likely that if you can’t access the site, you haven’t paid your dues. I’ve recently moved out of my original Regional Chapter area and updated my contact information through the SOT Web site. Am I still a member of that original chapter?
Yes, updating contact information does not change your status in that chapter. If you would like to be removed from the roster of the Regional Chapter, please contact Kelly Martin. I understand that SOT Headquarters can assist in the dissemination of information to members. Is that correct?
SOT Headquarters will be pleased to disseminate broadcast e-mails or ToXchange Announcements to the membership of Regional Chapters, Specialty Sections, and Special Interest Groups. All broadcast messages must be approved by the President of the organization (i.e., RC, SS, or SIG) before the message is sent for SOT leadership review prior to distribution. If a representative of one entity requests that the message be sent to a number of entities (e.g., several RCs), the President of each individual group must approve the message. In addition, messages may be sent to non-members of an RC, SS, or SIG who are SOT members with approval from the SOT President. A member in an RC, SS, or SIG joined recently but is not receiving e-mail notices. What could be the problem and how could it be solved?
There are many possible reasons why e-mails are not delivered to a given individual. Three common reasons we can address here are that member’s e-mail address changed after joining, the information originally provided was not entirely accurate, or SOT messages are being caught in a spam filter. We all know how unforgiving the e-mail system can be if even a tiny period or space is missing! Unfortunately, occasionally a member provides SOT with incorrect information, which is entered into the member database. To verify the correctness of contact information, the member should go to the SOT member database section of the SOT Web site and make sure that all contact information is correct and update it if this is not the case. If the member information is correct, please contact Kimberly von Brook (SSs), or Kelly Martin (RCs and SIGs) for assistance. Why does our Regional Chapter member list contain names of individuals who do not reside in our geographical region? Other chapters have told us that individuals from our region are in their chapter list. Are these mistakes? Were these individuals placed into the wrong Regional Chapters?
More than likely, these are not mistakes. Individuals can join any—and as many—chapters as they wish. SOT does not assign individuals to chapters. Individuals apply to join specific chapters. Also, if you yourself wish to resign your membership in a chapter, then you must contact SOT Headquarters and ask to be deleted from that chapter’s database. Does the number of members shown for our RC, SS, or SIG on the secure Web page include non-dues paying members?
How long does it take for a new member to show up in that count and on lists we may request?
At the present time, the number of members shown on the Web site count includes members currently in good standing; i.e., those who are current in dues payments (or in the case of one Regional Chapter that does not require dues, everyone that chapter officers have requested SOT to renew annually). The roster information on the secure Web page is populated from the main SOT database, thus it is continuously refreshed and up-to-date. We’d like to request a list to print mailing labels and want to reach all of our members—not just those shown as having paid dues recently. Can SOT do this?
Yes, a variety of different customized lists and subsets of your list may be possible. For example, you may want to contact only those you believe to still be interested in membership but have not paid dues. Or, you may want to increase your Regional Chapter, Specialty Section, or Special Interest Group membership by contacting national SOT members who may interested in joining a specific group. Regional Chapters also may wish to contact National SOT members who are not regional members for a number of reasons (e.g., to invite them to your annual meeting). Remember, if one Regional Chapter wishes to contact the members of another region, permission must be obtained from each affected Regional Chapter President. For further information, please contact SOT Headquarters. We understand that SOT staff can also help with membership lists, maintaining our Web sites, publicizing events, and possibly more. Are there any charges associated with SOT Headquarters staff assistance?
No charges are associated with the routine types of assistance mentioned above. Special projects specific for your group, such as logo development or developing a paper brochure, may involve a staff charge. If you would like SOT staff to help implement or facilitate these tasks, please contact your Staff Liaison. Does SOT help to advertise our awards?
Yes, SOT Headquarters sends out an award broadcast e-mail to all SOT members advertising the Regional Chapter, Specialty Section, and Special Interest Group awards starting in August. To ensure that SOT is advertising the correct information, we advise that you update your award information during the summer. Awards can be updated through the Leadership Resources link in ToXchange. SOT Headquarters can also send out a broadcast e-mail for your specific awards upon request. Please note that SOT does not permit groups to advertise awards from other societies. For any questions regarding awards, please contact Kimberly von Brook (SS) or Kelly Martin (RC or SIG). Does SOT Headquarters provide assistance with certificates and plaques?
Yes, SOT Headquarters can facilitate the production of plaques and certificates. Please note that plaques take 4–6 weeks to complete from date of order. For further information and assistance, contact Kimberly von Brook (SS) or Kelly Martin (RC or SIG). How does a Regional Chapter, Specialty Section, or Special Interest Group create a new award?
New awards can be created and added to the SOT Awards page through the Leadership Resources. Funds donated for these awards should be sent to SOT Headquarters for deposit with the intended usage of these funds indicated on the check. In addition, groups may want to consider starting an Endowment Fund. For more information please contact Kimberly von Brook (SS) or Kelly Martin (RC or SIG). We have an Endowment Fund Award. What are our responsibilities?
As a Regional Chapter, Specialty Section, or Special Interest Group with an Endowment Fund Award, you are expected to use the full name of the award in all publications, including newsletters, broadcast e-mails, and any information posted to the Web site. It is also encouraged that award recipients send a thank you letter to those who have donated funds in addition you are expected to fund raise for the award on a regular basis. Endowment Fund money is to be used for Endowment Awards ONLY and cannot be used for any other purpose. Does SOT have the capability to administer an Internet survey? We would like to poll our membership. If you do have this ability, then can we make use of it and how much would it cost?
Yes, SOT Headquarters has this capability through ToXchange and the SurveyMonkey tool. You can use this mechanism at no cost. Contact Kimberly von Brook (SS) or Kelly Martin (RC or SIG) to discuss the use of this member service. A Member in a RC, SS, or SIG, did not receive the recent ballot. What would be the problem?
The member’s e-mail address could be incorrect or the message may have been caught in the spam filter. The member may also have opted out of a previous SurveyMonkey survey, which would prevent the member from getting any message sent through SurveyMonkey. To opt back into SurveyMonkey, please visit the SurveyMonkey Web site or contact your Staff Liaison at SOT Headquarters. I forwarded a ballot to a RC, SS, or SIG member who did not receive one, and he/she was connected to an unrelated organization’s ballot. What would be the problem?
Ballots are specifically tied to each member’s e-mail address. They cannot be forwarded. SOT Headquarters will need to send a ballot to the member. Please contact Kimberly von Brook (SS) or Kelly Martin (RC or SIG) with any questions. If something in the printed SOT Membership Directory needs to be updated, for example on the Regional Chapter officer page, who should be contacted and when must this be done? Who is responsible for producing the printed SOT Directory that comes out annually?
SOT produces the Membership Directory in-house annually and has it printed using a vendor. After RC/SS/SIG elections are complete, an e-mail goes out to the officers of the prior year requesting confirmation of the new officers. The Directory information comes from the officer response. If an officer or representative has not been elected or appointed, the Directory will show a “TBD” (to be determined) next to the officer designation, and no name will be in the Directory. As the deadline approaches for printing the Directory, if headquarters has not received an officer listing, then Membership Services staff will send an e-mail request seeking this information. Work on the directory begins soon after the SOT Annual Meeting and the production process requires approximately 2 months for completion. Contact information for other SOT members is taken from the on-line Directory that all members are expected to keep current through the SOT Web site. Are there any restrictions regarding employment announcements?
All national and international employment positions must be advertised via the SOT Job Bank on-line system or in the SOT’s quarterly newsletter, the Communiqué. Geographically specific announcements may be announced by a Regional Chapter, scientifically specific announcements may be announced by a Specialty Section; and announcements specific to a special interest audience may be announced by the Special Interest Group. Are there any restrictions regarding announcements for awards, journals, and meetings?
Regional Chapters, Specialty Sections, and Special Interest Groups are not allowed to announce student awards and journals for other societies. However, SOT will post a research fellowship on the SOT Web site. RC, SS, and SIGs are allowed to advertise meetings that apply to their membership in the same fashion as the employment announcements. Is it permissible for an RC, SS, or SIG to institute a raffle to attract students to events, such as the Annual Meeting receptions?
It is not appropriate to use SOT Funds as a cash award to induce students to attend one function over another. Non-cash awards that are educational or professional in nature and that are relevant to SOT and to the RC/SS/SIG may be given, up to an upper limit of $500 per year. Should SOT Headquarters review any of our Regional Chapter meeting materials?
Yes, SOT Headquarters requests that you send all contracts to SOT for review prior to signing them. This is to ensure that the contract is competitive and fair and does not violate any SOT policies. Please send information to Kelly Martin, at SOT Headquarters. Can SOT Headquarters assist with RC Annual Meeting On-line Registration?
Yes, SOT headquarters is now able to provide on-line registration for Regional Chapter Annual Meetings that will be linked to your Chapter’s Web site. Non-members will also be able to register on-line as well. Please provide an updated registration form and send in this request approximately 6 weeks in advance in order for the event registration to be established. Up-to-date registration lists can be provided by request for planning/catering, and name badge purposes. Please contact Kelly Martin, at SOT Headquarters regarding any inquiries.
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