Bylaws Change

ASTRO's Executive Committee offers members the opportunity to review proposed 2026 bylaws changes

Since January 2025, the ASTRO Board of Directors has been engaged in a process to evaluate its governance structure with this guiding principle: ASTRO’s leadership should better represent and reflect the radiation oncology specialty, and its governance structure should seek to expand opportunities for members to be involved in volunteer activities, such as Board service. 

The ASTRO Executive Committee created a Governance Task Force, incorporating broad Board and stakeholder participation, that was charged with:

• Evaluating ASTRO’s existing governance structure against peer organizations;
• Identifying possible improvements and industry best practices; and
• Developing any recommendations based on their analysis.

The Governance Task Force considered several areas, including Board size, term length, calendar-year service, and candidate identification process. The review also considered how ASTRO’s governance structure has evolved over time.

After reviewing the analysis and recommendations, the ASTRO Board of Directors voted to propose a phased evolution to its governance structure and bylaws to improve representation, effectiveness and responsiveness to the needs of our membership. For ASTRO members, these changes are intended to create broader pathways to leadership, increase representation of diverse practice settings and perspectives, and ensure the Board remains effective as the Society evolves. The proposed changes were reviewed by the Bylaws Committee, and each proposed change is now available for review and comment by ASTRO members.

Proposed Bylaws Changes

A.    Two new at-large seats and reduced board size
The ASTRO Board currently has 17 voting members composed of four Executive positions: President-elect, President, Chair and Immediate Past Chair. In addition, there is a Treasurer and the Chair and Vice Chair from each of ASTRO’s six Councils. We seek to broaden member representation and create pathways for community-based, international, committee, task force or other active members who lack a clear route to Board service. To help address this, we propose the addition of two at-large seats to the current model of Board representation.

In an effort to avoid the duplicative nature, costs and time commitments associated with having two Board members (Chair and Vice Chair) for each Council, we propose that we reduce from two seats to one seat for each ASTRO Council, so the future Board gradually transitions to 13 voting members. The board will have new broader representation with the new at-large seats, and all Councils will still be fully represented. The proposed Board would thus be composed of four Presidential-track seats, one Treasurer, two new at-large seats and one seat for each of the six Council Chairs. The Council Chairs will continue to represent the following Councils: Clinical Affairs and Quality; Education; Government Relations; Health Policy; Healthcare Access and Community Engagement; and Science.

B.    Board term length
Board terms will shift from four years to three years. A shorter term is intended to make service a more manageable commitment and expand the candidate pool, as we recognize and have received feedback that a four-year commitment can be a barrier for some individuals who would otherwise want to serve. Because Board seats will turn over more frequently, the shorter-term length will provide more members with the opportunity to serve. The only exception will be the Presidential track, which will maintain its current four-year timeline (one year in each role) to ensure long-term stability and institutional knowledge. The service term transition will be phased to maintain continuity and Board coverage; all current Board members will serve out their existing term of service.

C.    Prior Council or Finance Committee experience
Given that Council Chairs oversee major areas of the Society’s work and Councils are the primary mechanisms that administer the Society’s initiatives, guidelines, and policy development, we propose that it be required that Council Chairs have prior Council experience to ensure that individuals assuming those positions understand how their Council functions before being asked to lead it. Similarly, the Treasurer has substantial responsibility for ASTRO’s financial oversight, so requiring that the Treasurer have prior Finance Committee experience will ensure that anyone elected is familiar with ASTRO’s finances, budgeting, reserves, and financial processes before assuming this important role. The Treasurer will assume their role at the start of their term and we will not have a one year “Treasurer-elect” status as in the past. 

D.    Election and Board calendar-year cycles
In an effort to engage more members in the voting process, we propose moving the elections from summer to fall. This subtle shift will align the elections with the fall season, when members are most engaged with ASTRO during the Annual Meeting season and allow members to connect, with nominees and learn more about ASTRO’s organizational priorities. This timing shift would then have newly elected Board members and officers begin their terms on January 1, rather than assuming their roles during ASTRO’s Annual Meeting. This timing will also include expanding options for the Annual Business Meeting format.

E.    Expanded nominating committee composition
The Nominating Committee, elected by ASTRO members, plays an important role in identifying future leaders and ensuring that the Board reflects ASTRO’s membership. We also recognize that the composition of the Nominating Committee should reflect the ASTRO membership, with people who bring diverse perspectives and sufficient knowledge of the Society in order to identify strong potential leaders.

Under the current structure, six Nominating Committee members come from the general membership and seven members come from the Board. To better reflect the membership and offer more member input, the proposed composition is to increase the general membership representation to nine members and decrease Board representation to four, comprised of the four members of the presidential leadership track.

To achieve the increase in membership representative, three new members will be added to the nominating committee via a vote from ASTRO members: one new International member, one additional Community Practice physician, and one additional Academic physician. The 13-member nominating committee will continue to identify and recommend candidates for open positions based on their skills, professional background and governance experiences. Members of the Nominating Committee will serve three-year terms and must be a dues-paying, active member in good standing with voting privileges.

F.    New Physicists membership category
Recognizing the integral role physicists play in radiation medicine and throughout ASTRO, we propose a dedicated physicist membership category which gives physicists membership status equivalent to that of Active radiation oncologist members in lieu of participation in the existing categories. A dedicated physicist category will give physicists a new path to volunteer opportunities, including voting rights, ability to meet qualifications for Board service, and eligibility for FASTRO designation.

Timeline

The proposed changes will be systematically phased-in over the next few years. The first election under the new structure will be in fall 2027, with terms beginning January 1, 2028. Current Board members will complete the terms to which they were elected, thus the phased transition process. 

Membership Comment Period and Voting
ASTRO’s Bylaws establish the Society’s governance framework. Each proposed change was reviewed and approved by the Bylaws Committee and can take effect only if approved by the required vote of ASTRO voting members. The full Bylaws document, including redlined proposed changes, is available to voting members by logging in on ASTRO’s website.

Member Review and Voting Timeline

September 15 – September 30
Member review and comment period to study each proposed bylaws change and submit questions. Members can also visit the ASTRO Resource Center during ASTRO’s Annual Meeting with any questions they may have about the proposed bylaws changes.

October 7 – November 6
Member voting period. Members may view the proposed amendments and cast their votes by visiting the Bylaws Change page.

We encourage all voting members to review the proposed changes and participate in the comment period by asking questions or giving feedback.  We hope that these proposed changes meet the needs and expectations of our membership and create an environment where we can broaden the leadership pipeline, increase member engagement and opportunities for participation and better reflect the people and professions that ASTRO proudly represent.