Powers of the Accreditation Committee

Rules 2 and 23 allow the Council of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (the Association) to make regulations in respect of Certification, the making of applications for Certification, determining appeal procedures, the powers to erase someone's name from the Register, and charge fees for registration. The Council has agreed a number of procedures that will be followed by the Certification Committee. For instance, it has approved the application forms that will be used, and appeal procedures for candidates. Copies are available from the Secretary of the Association. The Council has also agreed that all applicants for Certification shall send in advance with their application the full first year's Certification fee.

The following Rules and Regulations (which should be read in conjunction with the Rules and Bye-Laws of the Society) will apply to Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourists once they have been accepted for Certification:

1. Application Forms and Information
   Applications for Certification as a Clinical Animal Behaviourist should be submitted to the Secretary of the Accreditation Committee of the Society on forms available from the Society's web site at http://asab.nottingham.ac.uk, where information on the costs and procedures for paying the initial application fee and annual Certification fee are also available.
   
   
2. The Register
   The Register of Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourists is available on the Society's web site.
   
   
3. Errors, omissions and changes
   It is the responsibility of all Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourists to bring to the attention of the Accreditation Committee any errors and omissions in the Register. Every Clinical Animal Behaviourist should send immediate notice of any change of address, or additional qualifications obtained, to the Secretary of the Accreditation Committee. No fees are charged for alterations. Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourists who have changed their address without giving notice are liable to have their names removed from the Register within three months of two communications from the Society not being answered or letters being returned 'address unknown'.
   
   
4. Proof of entry on the Register and Practising Certificates
   Following initial registration, Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourists will be sent a registration document confirming their entry on the Register. This registration document has no currency as a certificate to practise clinical animal behaviour unless supported by an annually issued Practising Certificate. All current Certificates remain the property of the Society and should be returned to the Secretary of the Accreditation Committee if a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist ceases to be eligible for inclusion on the Register for any reason. If loss of a Practising Certificate is proved to the Association's satisfaction a duplicate Certificate may be issued on payment of a small fee.
   
   
5. Annual fees for Practising Certificates
   For the purpose of the annual Practising Certificate fee the year will be 12 months following the quarter date after admission to the Register. For example, if admission to the Register was granted in February, March or April in one year, the renewal of the annual Practising Certificate will be from 1 May the following year. Note that Membership subscriptions for the Society are separate from Certification, and that Membership of the Society is not required for Certification.
   
   
6. Renewals
   Reminders that annual Practising Certificates are due for renewal and that annual fees are pending will be sent out in the quarter before they are due. If an annual Practising Certificate fee is not paid the name of the Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist shall be removed from the Register.
   
   
7. Restoration of names to the Register
   A fee equivalent to the initial application fee at the time will be charged for the restoration of the name of a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist to the Register.

A company, ASAB Accreditation Ltd, has been set up to manage the financial activities associated with administering the Certification scheme. This company operates on a not-for-profit basis. The Directors and office holders receive no financial remuneration for being an official of the Company, other than the reimbursement of expenses incurred as part of the authorised activities of the company.