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Scientific Communication & Understanding Committee

Purpose

• The Scientific Communication & Understanding Committee provides support, help, and directs efforts to educate and equip APS members with skills to effectively communicate their science to stakeholders with varying degrees of scientific literacy.
• Develop and promote communication tools that APS members can use to increase awareness and understanding of plant pathology in the broader community.

Charge

• Partner with APS Staff to finalize the Undergraduate Toolkit, which contains resources that APS Divisions can use to successfully speak to the benefits of APS undergraduate membership and careers in phytopathology through various communication and promotional channels.
• Continue to produce the Careers That Cultivate Change storytelling series, releasing one written article on a current APS member per quarter during the APS fiscal year. Work with APS Staff to promote the articles across official APS communication channels.
• Continue to organize and manage the Pitch 120 in person event at the Plant Health meeting and propose ways that it can be expanded outside of the annual meeting.

Organizational Structure

• Chair
• 4-6 members representative of the Society
• Councilor-at-Large liaison (non-voting)
• APS Staff liaison (non-voting)

Appointments and Term Length

• The Chair is appointed by APS Council to serve a three-year term.
• Committee members serve a 3-year term. New members are formally appointed by a majority vote of the committee.
• The Chair and committee members each may serve maximally two consecutive 3-year terms.
• An assigned Councilor-at-Large Liaison serving a 3-year term.

General Responsibilities

Chair General Responsibilities

• Leads the committee and works with APS Staff in completing the charged activities as determined by APS Council.
• Designates an individual as an official note taker at each meeting of the committee. That individual will provide their draft to the Chair to be disseminated, approved, and archived.
• Coordinates and submits the committee's annual report of activities to APS Council by the required deadline each year.

Member General Responsibilities

• Committee members will meet regularly for planning, decision-making, and program execution on a year-round basis.
• Committee members are expected to participate actively in regular discussions and to respond in a timely manner to requests for information/opinion by the Chair and APS Staff.

Staff Liaison General Responsibilities

• Serves the administrative needs of the committee and is the primary contact point and router of outside communications directed to the committee.
• Assist in the coordination of the committee’s activities with other elements of APS.
• Advise on proper APS procedures for business execution.