ABA SWITZERLAND’s mission: To provide knowledge, training, education and research for the effective application of behaviour analysis in Switzerland.

The name of this organization shall be Association for Behaviour Analysis Switzerland, represented as ABA SWITZERLAND. It is an association with legal capacity in terms of Art. 60 ff, Swiss Civil Code. The existence of the association is for an undefined duration. Location is in the canton of Zurich.

ABA SWITZERLAND is a non-profit interdisciplinary organisation. All members of the board of directors work non-paid and the association does not serve any commercial purposes. The members decide at the yearly members meeting whether the payment of membership fees shall be suspended for the acting board members.

The main purposes of the chapter are:

a) Serve as a scientific and professional reference and networking group for its members.

b) Disseminate information and advance Behaviour Analysis in Switzerland.

c) Organise workshops, seminars and online training in Behaviour Analysis.

d) Provide continuing education opportunities.

e) Function in Switzerland, as the liaison with, and representative of the Association of Behaviour Analysis International, ABA International.

f) Gain recognition of the discipline by the Swiss Government

Members

Qualifications: To qualify for full membership, a person needs to be an adult (i.e. 18 years or older) and work and/or live in Switzerland and:

Either: hold a master degree or postgraduate diploma in ABA and have completed 1500 hours of practice experience and 75 hours of supervision. 

Or: have completed 40 hours foundational course in ABA (ABAI approved) and work under on-going supervision by a supervisor.

Requirements: Pay a yearly fee.

Benefits: Members have full voting rights and are eligible to be elected as board members. Members receive discounted rates for workshops, have preference and priority for workshops and trainings, receive information regarding workshops and trainings within surrounding countries, get the opportunity to attend professional discussion/meetings with other members, have access to free webinars and receive reduced rates for CEUs.

Affiliate Friends

Qualifications: Any adult (i.e. 18 years or older) person interested in Behaviour Analysis

Requirements: Pay a yearly fee.

Benefits: Affiliate friends may attend meetings but have no voting rights and are not eligible to be elected as board members. Affiliate friends receive discounted rates for workshops, have preference and priority for workshops and trainings, receive information regarding workshops and trainings within surrounding countries, get the opportunity to attend professional discussion/meetings with other members/friends, have access to free webinars and receive reduced rates for CEUs.

Student Friends

Qualifications: Any adult (i.e. 18 years or older) person enrolled in an academic degree / diploma with an interest in Behaviour Analysis.

Requirements: Pay a yearly fee at a reduced student rate.

Benefits: Student friends may attend meetings but have no voting rights and are not eligible to be elected as board members. Student friends receive discounted rates for workshops, have preference and priority for workshops and trainings, receive information regarding workshops and trainings within surrounding countries, get the opportunity to attend professional discussion/meetings with other members/friends, have access to free webinars and receive reduced rates for CEUs.

Supporting Friends

Qualifications: Any adult (i.e. 18 years or older) person or organization who offers financial or logistic support to the chapter.

Requirements: Pay a yearly fee or make a donation.

Benefits: Supporting friends may attend meetings but have no voting rights and are not eligible to be elected as board members.

An application for membership or friendship must be submitted through the website to the board and be in accordance with the criteria established for membership/friendship status. The board will decide on approval of the application and notify new members/friends accordingly.

The membership / friendship terminates through:

a) Resignation: Resignation must be declared in writing to the board and can be carried out at any time. No reimbursement of fees will be made.

b) Forfeiture: Failing to pay fees for 30 days after January 31st each calendar year will forfeit all membership/friendship benefits. Members friends who have been withdrawn due to non payment, may petition to the board for reinstallation of membership / friendship.

c) Exclusion: The general meeting may by majority vote to suspend/expel any member/friend who is in violation of rules, procedures or policies established by this organisation, or in violation of these bylaws. The accused member/friend will be notified in writing and is entitled to a hearing before the general meeting before the final decision is made.

d) Death

The executive organ of ABA Switzerland shall be a board of directors with at least four board members holding the following functions: President, vice president, secretary and treasurer. One or two additional members may serve on the board in an advisory position. Only members can be elected to serve on the board. A student/parent representative may be elected. The student/parent representative has no voting power in the board, but is consulted during the board meetings. Members serve as board members on a voluntary basis.

The board of directors has all competencies that are not explicitly reserved for the general meeting. The competencies of the board include, but are not limited to:

– Representation of the association: each board member may individually represent the organisation and act in its name.
– Completion of the association’s daily business
– Establishment of regulations and procedures
– Appointment of committees
– Engagement and payment people serving the association
– Verification of members/friends

The term of office of a board member shall be renewable two years following previous date of election.

The board shall meet at least quarterly at a time and location deemed appropriate by the president or the board member calling the meeting.

For purposes of transacting business of the chapter, a majority of board members needs to agree. If there is a tie, the final decision goes to the president.

Members of the board who fail to maintain membership in good standing in the chapter or who fail to attend two consecutive meetings of the board are subject to removal from the board. The board can bring the issue before the general meeting, who will decide on the issue by a majority vote.

Positions vacated for any reason (death, incapacity, removal or resignation of any of the board members) shall be replaced by a successor determined by a majority vote of the remaining board members. Such successors are to serve until elections occur at the annual general meeting of the chapter.

Each year, the board will compose a list of potential members to take over vacant positions on the board. Members may suggest themselves or others for a position on the board. The board asks the candidates if they are willing to stand for election.

Members of the board shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast at an election at the annual general meeting.

A board member is elected for two years. After the two years, the board member will be asked by the president if they wish to stand for re-election.

There shall be at least one annual general meeting.

An extraordinary general meeting can be called by a board decision or by proposal of at least two members.

– Approval of the protocol of the last general meeting

– Approval of the annual report of the board of directors

– Approval of the annual fiscal report of the board of directors

– Election of board members

– Removal of members / friends

– Determination of fees

– Change or amendments to bylaws

– Decision on the annulment of the association and on the distribution of the chapter’s remaining proceeds.

Members in good standing shall be entitled to one vote each on all matters brought before the chapter’s general meeting. There shall be no proxy voting. Voting can be done via email in advance and during the general meeting.

At the general meeting resolutions are passed by an open vote by simple majority. When there is a tie the president has the final vote.

The association receives its funds from fees, profit from self-organised events and donations.

Fees for the various categories of membership/friendship shall be established by a simple majority vote of the general meeting. Subsequent changes to these original fees have to be approved by a majority vote at the general meeting.

1.1. Two weeks or more before each annual general meeting, the treasurer shall submit a financial statement for the previous fiscal year and a budget for the current fiscal year to the board of directors.

1.2. Two weeks or more before each annual general meeting, the president will submit a written report on ABA SWITZERLAND’s affairs and activities, including planned activities to the board of directors.
1.3. Two weeks or more before each annual general meeting, all committee reports should be submitted to the board of directors.

2.1 The fiscal year of the association shall be defined as January 1 to December 31.

3.1. In this section “Bank” means a chartered bank that is designated by the board of directors.

3.2. The board of directors designated Postfinance where an account shall, a credit card account may, merchant services may, and a safety deposit box may be maintained for the use, and in the name of ABA SWITZERLAND. The board of directors shall notify the treasurer about the name, branch and address of said account. The bank account will be opened by Nadja Studer, vice president at the time of founding of the chapter. The authority to sign will always be transferred to a current board member.

3.3. All money, cheques, and other orders for the payment of money belonging to the association shall be deposited to the credit of the association in its bank. All shares and other securities belonging to the association shall be lodged in the association’s name with its bank or in a safety deposit box at its bank.

3.4. The as, the overplus, possible donations and fees from workshops compose the asset. For the binding force of the association only the association asset is liable. The personal liability of the members or friends is excluded.

3.5. Board and committee members shall submit expense and revenue forms to the treasurer.

3.6. Board and committee members may submit travel claims for business trips in excess of one hundred kilometers round-trip. The board of directors will set the reimbursement rate.

If the association is annulled the general meeting decides by a majority vote on a tax- exempted organisation that serves the same or a similar purpose. The remaining funds of the association will be given to this organisation. The proceeds of ABA SWITZERLAND cannot be distributed among its members.

These bylaws may be amended only by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at a general meeting.

These bylaws have been approved at the founding meeting.

Zürich, the 18.01.2012

These bylaws have been revised and approved at the annual general meeting.

Zürich, the 27.08.2019

Zürich, the 16.02.2023