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​Committee Member Appointments

Process for soliciting new committee members

• Members may volunteer for committee service by contacting the chair of the committee on which they wish to serve prior to or during the annual meeting
• Committee chairs have the authority to solicit interest in committee membership from attendees at the committee meetings held at the APS annual meeting.
• Members may nominate other members for membership on a committee as stated above.

Process for appointing members to APS committees​

• Current APS members who are interested in joining a committee​ or renewing their committee term can express interest during the committee meeting held at the APS Annual Meeting each year or sign up online at via the committee interest form​. ​
  
• Current APS members may also contact the committee chair directly in which they wish to join. 
  
• APS Staff will add new members who qualify to serve onto the committee roster. 
  

Duties of the Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs

1. Compile and submit a list of qualified nominees. The committee chair will work with the vice chair to compile a list of nominees as part of the Annual Committee Report Form which is due before the conclusion of the annual meeting. The following criteria should be considered:
   1. Nominee is an APS member: Each nominee must be listed in the electronic APS membership directory. If a nominee is not listed in the directory, but would otherwise be eligible for committee membership, the chair will inform the nominee that they cannot be appointed unless they join APS.
   2. Nominee is willing to serve on the committee: Chairs will verify the nominees willingness to serve, indicating so on the nomination form.
      
   3. As noted in the Guidelines for Committee Leadership (Section 8.​a.iv) It is advisable that APS members serve as chair or vice chair of one of the same committee type (e.g. Subject Matter Expertise or Career Pathway Committees).
      
   4. Chairs should recommend for committee membership the nominees who best attain the following goals for the committee:
      • high standard of excellence in the profession of plant pathology, and
      • breadth in professional experience, achieved through geographic distribution of members across the U.S. and internationally, and by employer (academic, industry, government), and membership type (regular, post-doc, graduate student, etc.).
2. Notification of appointments to committees. Upon confirmation from APS staff, committee chairs are responsible for informing each new member of their appointment to the committee. This is the time to welcome the member and inform them of issues being discussed by the committee. ​
   
3. Notification to nominees who were not appointed. Chairs are responsible for notifying individuals who volunteered or were nominated, but not appointed to their committees due to their membership status. These individuals should be encouraged to join APS.

Duties of the Senior Councilor-at-Large

• Provide orientation to committee chairs and vice-chairs via a webinar (held prior to the APS Annual Meeting).
• Encourage new volunteers to contact the appropriate committee chair prior to the annual meeting through electronic means and through an article in Phytopathology News.
• Serve as a liaison and resource to their designated committees/offices.​
  
• Work with APS Staff to ensure chair/vice chair appointments are completed for the upcoming year (to be completed by the end of the APS Annual Meeting).
  

Duties of APS Staff​

• Maintain the committee database and share current rosters to the committee chairs and Senior Councilor-at-Large following the annual meeting.
  
• Communicate status of the committee appointment process to the Senior Councilor-at-Large and notify chairs of final appointments.
  

Term Length

• Committee Chair and Vice Chair terms are one year, with the Vice Chair moving up to the Chair role the following the APS annual meeting. 
• It is recommended that committee members are appointed to 3-year terms, renewable at the committees’ discretion.
  

Effective date of appointment to committees

• Committee chairs begin and end their service as chair at the end of the APS Annual Meeting. This will make it necessary for the outgoing and incoming chairs to work together in nominating and appointing new committee members.
  

• All newly appointed committee members begin their 3-year term on a committee at the conclusion of the APS Annual Meeting. ​