The Structure of ACLS The Council, as defined in its Constitution, consists of a 15-member Board of Directors and one Delegate from each constituent society. The Board of Directors establishes and reviews policies, administers funds, oversees the investment of endowed funds, and reports on all major decisions to the constituent societies. The Council holds an Annual Meeting, provides general and fiscal oversight, and admits new members. The Charles Homer Haskins Lecture, delivered by a distinguished senior scholar, takes place each year at the Annual Meeting. The lectures are subsequently published in the ACLS Occasional Paper series.
Delegates serve four-year terms.
Major responsibilities of the Delegates are discharged by an elected seven-member Executive Committee, which also serves as the advisory committee on admissions of new societies and affiliates. The Chair of the Executive Committee of the Delegates also serves as an ex officio member of the Board of Directors. The Conference of Administrative Officers similarly elects a seven-member Executive Committee, whose Chair also serves as an ex officio member of the Board of Directors. Membership in the American Council of Learned Societies is restricted to organizations. Affiliate members also serve to increase the community and the effectiveness of those actively working on behalf of the humanities under the ACLS umbrella.