PURPOSE:
To provide organizational and operational structure for ACLP standing committees and task forces not otherwise provided in the By-Laws, and to provide effective means whereby members can actively participate in specific areas of organizational growth and decision making.
To assure consistent messages are delivered on behalf of the ACLP Board of Directors, all communication from the ACLP President to committee Chairs and Chair elect should be inclusive of the identified Board Liaison.
Participation in foundational ACLP-offered anti-racism/diversity, equity and inclusion training is required for all ACLP volunteers. ACLP will cover costs associated with this ACLP offering.
DEFINITIONS:
Standing Committee: Standing committees are established committees with responsibilities related to organizational functions. Committee structure represents the joint interest of all organizational constituencies in the operations and provides a formal avenue for participation in shared governance of ACLP. The suggestions, comments, and recommendations from the committees provide meaningful input into developing policies and procedures and the decision-making processes of ACLP. All committees shall develop action plans related to committee guidelines and ACLP goals; maintain records of meetings of committee consultations; and submit written reports to the ACLP Board of Directors before the semiannual ACLP Board of Directors meetings.
Subcommittee: Subcommittees are established subgroups of larger standing committees and are created by the President as action plans to achieve goals of the organization are developed. They function as the “working subcommittee” and together make up the larger committee structure.
Task Force: A task force may be established by the President when the need or assignment is finite, with a specific deliverable required in a specific period of time. Task forces are then dissolved when they have completed assigned tasks. Each task force has a Board Liaison and is responsible to the Board for their duration.
Work Group: Any committee may form internal work groups to support specific, finite project management.
PROCEDURE:
Call for Volunteers
- Annually, a general call for committee volunteers is issued and offers members the opportunity to volunteer for the committee(s) of their choice.
- Volunteer applications are solicited and submitted for consideration. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis for committees interested in.
- ACLP staff compiles applications and sends list to committee chair/co-chair.
- Every effort is made to slot all members submitting an application on a committee.
Committee Appointments
- Committee incoming chair-elect appointments are made by the President.
- Committee chairs provide proposed list of reappointments to the committees staff and Board liaison in mid to late February, by a date set annually by ACLP headquarters.
- All appointments become effective at the conclusion of the annual conference.
- In general, the number of new members appointed should be the same as the number rotating off the committee.
- Reappointment for one additional term may be requested and granted at the discretion of the chair, staff liaison and Board liaison of the committee.
- Occasionally a committee chair chooses to resign prior to the end of his or her term. The chair-elect of the committee will finish the un-expired term and then only have one additional term to serve. The new committee chair will make recommendations to the president for a new chair-elect for the committee.
- Occasionally a committee member chooses to resign prior to the end of his or her term. The committee chair will make recommendations to the committee for new membership and identify a replacement member. The new member of the committee will finish the un-expired term and then be eligible for two additional two year terms.
Terms
- Committee chairs begin their term serving one year as chair-elect and the following year as chair. (.)
- Committee members are appointed to mandatory two years which may be renewed by the chair's digression in one year increments, for a total of four years of service.
- Removal of a committee member from a committee will be a collective decision among the chair, Board liaison, and staff liaison.
Committee or Task Force Size and Composition
- Except as otherwise directed by the bylaws, the size of each committee will be established by the president, taking into consideration recommendations of the committee chair, the nature of the committee's tasks and assignments and the time lines for completing them. By limiting committees to a reasonable size each committee member has an opportunity to make a contribution. Restricting committee sizes also helps minimize the committee administrative burden on staff and resources.
- Committees will reflect the diversity of the membership, including diversity of expertise, program size, geographical distribution, gender, age and career stage, race, ethnicity, and other attributes as may be of importance.
- The Board of ALCP has the authority to discontinue or reorganize committees, work groups and task forces as appropriate to the needs of the organization at any given time (with the exception of standing committees mandated by the bylaws).