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Guidelines for Service on B&D Committees & Subcommittees

These guidelines are intended to systematize appointments to the main B&D committee and to B&D subcommittees. The guidelines also cover certain other operating procedures.  For further details, also consult the B&D Calendar.

Main Committee | Subcommittees | Miscellaneous

Main Committee:

Appointments to the main B&D Committee are approved by AAASS.  A revised roster with suggested appointments should be provided by the B&D chair to the AAASS President (with a copy to the Executive Director) by mid-September.  The President will review the appointments, and the Executive Director will submit this information to the AAASS Board by mid-October for ratification at the annual convention.  After the convention, notification of approval will be provided to the B&D Chair, who will write letters of appointment to the individuals concerned.

1. Committee size is limited to 6 members. This includes the faculty liaison;
2. The normal period of service is limited to three years. Rotation is strongly encouraged.  Wherever possible, terms should be staggered so that two members leave each year;
3. However, extension is possible with the agreement of the Chair, if:
   1. the committee will be left without 6 members;
   2. the member in question is heavily engaged in a project sponsored by the committee;
   3. a retiring member is being asked to take over as B&D Chair.
4. The normal term of service, according to AAASS, is from January 1 in the year following the annual convention;
5. Membership to the committee is by invitation.  The full committee identifies and decides upon prospective members.  Wherever possible, the committee should consider geographic diversity as a category when identifying prospective members;
6. The B&D chair is chosen from the existing membership. This may include members that are set to rotate off the committee;
7. The B&D chair is nominated by the outgoing chair in consultation with previous B&D chairs (but subject to approval by AAASS).

Subcommittees

Subcommittee appointments do not need to be approved by AAASS, but are reviewed by the main B&D committee.  Draft rosters should be established by subcommittee chairs in late October in advance of the annual convention and provided to the B&D Chair.  The rosters will be discussed by the B&D committee at its working meeting at the convention. 

1. Committee size is normally limited to 6 members. This includes the faculty liaison (when present).  However, the subcommittees perform numerous tasks and may need additional members. In these cases the faculty liaison may constitute the seventh member;
2. The normal period of service is limited to three years. Rotation is strongly encouraged.  Wherever possible, terms should be staggered so that two members leave each year;
3. However, extension is possible in the following circumstances with the agreement of the subcommittee chair, subject to review by the main B&D committee:
   1. if the subcommittee will be left without 6 members;
   2. if the member is heavily engaged in a project sponsored by the subcommittee;
   3. if a retiring member is being asked to take over as chair.
4. The normal term of service, according to AAASS, is from January 1 in the year following the annual conference;
5. Prospective members may volunteer, or may be invited by committee members, including the chair. Annually, the B&D chair sends out a call for volunteers for B&D subcommittees in September;
6. The draft rosters (including prospective members) are prepared by the subcommittee chair, after consultation with the subcommittee;
7. Efforts should be made to include junior colleagues and also to achieve geographic diversity (e.g. avoiding the inclusion of two people from the same institution);
8. Once prepared, the draft roster is forwarded to the B&D chair by late October for consideration at the annual convention;
9. After the convention, the B&D chair communicates its approval of the roster to the chair of the subcommittee, and also writes a letter of appointment to new subcommittee members;
10. Besides the preparation of subcommittee rosters, each subcommittee chair is also responsible for compiling an annual report of activities which is forwarded to the chair of the B&D committee by mid-October for incorporation in a B&D report to the AAASS Board;
11. The chair of each subcommittee is chosen by the membership of the subcommittee.  Chairs should be willing to compile rosters and submit reports by the deadlines specified;
12. Note: The B&D subcommittee guidelines do not apply to SEEMP.  Although SEEMP is treated as a subcommittee for the purpose of holding the annual SEEMP meeting at the AAASS convention, SEEMP members are elected, and the group runs its own elections. 

Miscellaneous

Committee/Subcommittee memberships

To avoid scheduling problems at the AAASS convention and to encourage broad participation among all members, service opportunities on B&D committees/subcommittees are limited. Except under extraordinary circumstances, no person should hold more than two B&D committee or subcommittee seats simultaneously (including SEEMP).

B&D representation on SEEMP:

The chair of the B&D committee serves ex-officio on the SEEMP Executive Committee.

 Vendor representatives at B&D:

In general the B&D II meetings should be considered open to all, as they serve in large part as a forum for reporting the work of B&D and the subcommittees.  However, the chair is given the discretion to ask vendor representatives to step out, should he/she feel it is warranted (e.g. to discuss a sensitive topic).  That said, the chair is strongly encouraged to us alternate fora for these discussion (e.g. SLAVLIBs).

Drafted by Miranda Remnek; revised by Michael Brewer [01/04/2008]