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SAA Council

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I. General

The Council is the elected governing body of the Society of American Archivists. Together with the Society's officers and the executive director, it is responsible for the governance of the Society and its affairs. Because the Council is the elected governing body, its concerns have an impact throughout the Society and the profession and most frequently are implemented by designated groups or individuals other than the Council and its members. For that reason its plans often depend upon follow-through by others. Other issues and matters concern the Council's internal management and are implemented by the Council alone.

In large part, the CouncilŐs activities are dictated by the continuing demands of Society management and by the annual budget and program review cycle. These are similar from year to year and require a substantial portion of the Council's time and attention. Each year the Council also must resolve urgent problems that arise from outside sources and circumstances and issues brought to the Council by members and groups within the Society. At the same time, the Council each year must set its own agenda for new initiatives and improvements in existing programs. These constitute the Council's goals and priorities and are reflected in its three-year plan.

Under a resolution adopted at the January 30-February 1, 1987 meeting of the Council, reaffirmed at the June 2-4, 1989 meeting, and amended at the June 11-14, 1992 and August 28, 2001 meetings, elected officers and Council members shall not serve on other SAA bodies as officers; chairs; as members of steering committees, boards, or task forces; as editor of the American Archivist; as Publications Editor; or as official representatives to outside bodies (except where this service is specifically mandated by the SAA constitution and bylaws or where the SAA Council specifically delegates such service by an officer or Council member of the Society).

II. Composition

Article VII of the Society's constitution states that "the government of the Society, the management of its affairs, and the regulation of its procedures, except as otherwise provided in this constitution, shall be vested in a council composed of officers and nine (9) members elected by the Society."

III. Term of Office

Article VII further states, "three (3) council members shall be elected in each annual election for terms of three (3) years. The nine (9) elected members of the Council shall be ineligible for immediate re-election. If a vacancy shall occur in the Council or in any of the offices except the presidency, it may be filled by the Council. The persons designated shall hold the position until the next annual election at which time the position will be filled by election for the remainder of the term, if any."

IV. Functions

Article VII of the Society's constitution also states, "Council shall be responsible for the investment of funds and care of other assets of the Society. To further the educational aims of the Society, there shall be an endowment fund, the principal and earnings of which shall remain unexpended until together they total $75,000 and thereafter only the earnings may be expended. Fiscal control of the funds and assets shall be maintained by such records and accounting system as may be prescribed by the Council. An internal audit of the financial affairs shall be made and a report of the audit published.

V. Duties

  1. Provide overall leadership and direction for the Society and its committees, task forces, sections, roundtables, and representatives in order to create a structure to achieve the Society's goals.
    • Establish policies for the Society itself.
    • Provide guidance, oversight, advice, and coordination of the Society's activities.
    • Determine, with advice from the executive director, when and where the annual meeting will be held.
    • Call special meetings of the Society as needed.
    • Recommend, by a majority vote, amendments to the Society's constitution. Amendments to the constitution may be recommended by a majority vote of the Council or proposed in writing. If approved by the Council, amendments may be adopted by a majority of the members present and voting at the Annual Business Meeting. If not approved by the Council, amendments maybe be adopted by are proposed in writing by at least twenty-five (25) members that are not approved by the Council require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present and voting at the annual Annual business Business meetingMeeting.
    • Prepare, adopt, or amend such bylaws as may be desirable to regularize the administrative practices of the Society.
    • Consider revisions to policies and procedures recommended by the Society's committees, task forces, sections, roundtables, and representatives.
    • Formally consider and vote on all resolutions of the business meeting which request the Council take a specific action. Notify the membership of the results of the deliberation in the first mailing sent to the membership following the final Council decision.
    • Vote on constitutional amendments proposed by membership petitions. This is an advisory vote that may be overruled by the membership at the annual business meeting.
    • Review the annual reports, goals, work plans, and measures of achievement of the Society's committees, boards, task forces, sections, roundtables, and representatives and take appropriate action.
    • Develop additional activities, tasks, and recommendations for the Society's committees, boards, task forces, sections, roundtables, and representatives as appropriate and necessary.
    • Make appointments to the Society's committees, boards, task forces, roundtables, and representatives not reserved for the president or vice president and as necessary.
    • Advise the president on the creation and termination of standing committees, boards, task forces, and other groups and approve actions taken by the president.
    • Elect two outgoing members of Council to serve one-year terms on the annual Nominating Committee.
    • Appoint three Society Fellows to one-year terms on the Committee on the Selection of SAA Fellows.
    • Review the organizational structure of the Society at least every three (3) years to establish, modify, and, as necessary, eliminate Society bodies and representative positions in order to create a structure to achieve the Society's goals.
    • Communicate the Council's actions to the Society's membership and create and monitor forums for communication throughout the Society.
    • Consider the financial impact of Society activities.
    • Develop and/or approve all requests for outside funding.
    • Approve any relocation of the Society's headquarters offices.

  2. Oversee management of the Society's executive office and staff.
    • Acting through the executive committee, hire the executive director, review the executive director's performance, provide direction as needed, and take other actions in regard to his/her contract and retention.
    • Review, modify as necessary, and approve executive office work plan and priorities.
    • Receive reports on all funds from the executive director prior to each Council meeting.
    • Establish, with advice from the executive director, policies and approve key decisions relating to the location and conduct of the Society's annual meetings.
    • Establish, with the advice of the executive director, major policies relating to programs implemented by Society staff, including Society publications, sales, workshops, and member services.
    • Establish, with advice from the executive director, major policies relating to programs implemented by Society staff, including Society publications, sales, workshops, and member services.
    • Identify and resolve problems in all areas of Society management, should they arise.

  3. Ensure financial stability and growth of the Society by developing income sources and controlling the Society's budget.
    • Establish guidelines, in consultation with the treasurer, for the receipt and disbursement of funds, general operating funds, and external grants.
    • Consider the budget requests of the Society's committees, boards, task forces, sections, roundtables, and representatives and incorporate the approved expenditure requests into the Society's annual budget.
    • Review and approve the Society's annual budget.
    • Prescribe an accounting system and record keeping method to maintain fiscal control of the Society's funds and assets.
    • Identify and evaluate, with the advice of the executive director, potential sources of improved funding, and develop a strategy to achieve those that are in the Society's interest.
    • Provide Society members with information about the source and expenditure of Society funds.
    • Cause an annual audit of the financial affairs of the Society to be made and a report of the audit published.
    • Assume responsibility for investment of funds and for care of other assets of the Society through long-term and short-term financial plans and investment strategies.
    • Give specific prior approval for any financial solicitation of Society members through use of the Society's membership list.
    • Determine serial publication subscription rate for nonmembers, acting on the recommendation of the treasurer.
    • Establish special project funds as may serve to further the aims and purposes of the profession.
    • Review the dues structure every three (3) years to modify as necessary.
    • Dispose of the Society's property, funds, or other assets in the event of the dissolution of the Society.

  4. Build and coordinate Society relationships with individuals and groups outside the Society.
    • Encourage wide and diverse membership in the Society.
    • Encourage cooperative relationships with regional archival organizations.
    • Maintain close communication and cooperation with the Academy of Certified Archivists.
    • Establish channels for communication and action with members and organizations of such allied professions as records managers, librarians, historians, and others.
    • Strengthen the liaison and representation for the profession with national organizations, including the National Archives, the National Coalition for History, and others.
    • Encourage communication and cooperation between archivists in the United States and in other countries.
    • When the need arises, advise the Society's representatives to other organizations, boards, and groups on issues that will have a long-range impact on Society policy or on a significant portion of the archival profession.
    • Elect honorary members of the Society as appropriate. Election requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Council. Honorary membership is limited to no more than ten (10) at any time.

  5. Manage the Council's own work meetings and activities.
    • Attend the Council meetings and participate in the conduct of the Society's business.
    • Elect a member of the Council to serve on the executive committee, traditionally one of the third-year members.
    • Record the names and votes for all divided Council votes.
    • Establish policies and procedures for Council work.
    • Conduct all of the Council meetings in open session. Enter into executive session only upon a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of those Council members present and only in order to discuss specific agenda items.
    • Periodically review the cost and effectiveness of Council activities and governance.
    • Manage the Council committee system: the committee on committees and the committee on task forces, boards, and representatives.
    • Provide a mechanism to periodically review and update the Council Handbook. The three second-year members conduct an annual review and editorial update of the Council Handbook by January each year. The updates are limited to edits that reflect changes in practice or that reflect the Council votes during the previous year. The Council is informed of the changes but does not vote on them, although the group may elect to request input from the entire Council on certain changes. [This bullet added in November 2006.]

VI. Guidelines for Representative Appointments

The vice president/president-elect appoints representatives to organizations where SAA has a seat or is requested to provide representation, to organizations in which SAA seeks official representation, and to allied organizations with which SAA desires an ongoing, formal relationship.

SAA representatives fall into one of three categories:

  1. Representations by the executive director and/or a member of the Council.
  2. Reimbursed or partially reimbursed representation by an SAA member.
  3. Unreimbursed representation by an SAA member.

It shall be the responsibility of the vice president/president-elect to:

  1. Appoint representatives to organizations where SAA has a seat or is requested to provide representation; to organizations in which SAA seeks official representation; and to allied organizations with which SAA desires an ongoing, formal relationship.

  2. Request and obtain timely copies of all reports submitted by representatives.

  3. Conduct an annual review of all representation by the Society, evaluating its effectiveness and its strategic importance to the goals of the Society. Prior to the winter Council meeting, the vice president/president elect makes recommendations to the Council regarding (1) replacement of ineffective representation, (2) abolition of representation that is no longer strategically important to the Society, and (3) additional representation that would be strategically important and in the best interests of the Society.

  4. Make representative reimbursement recommendations to the Council prior to the winter Council meeting, basing these recommendations on the strategic importance of the representation, the financial needs of the representatives, and the availability of alternative sources of funding.

Present breakdown of representatives by category:

  1. Representation by the executive director and/or a member of the Council (full reimbursement):
    • Academy of Certified Archivists
    • American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works
    • Coalition for Networked Information
    • Digital Future Coalition
    • National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage
    • National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property.

  2. Representation by an SAA member fully or partially reimbursed:
    • American Library Association Committee on Cataloging: Description and Access
    • International Council on Archives Section on Professional Archival Associations
    • National Coalition of History.

  3. Representation by an SAA member unreimbursed:
    • American Association for Image Management
    • ALA Committee on Machine-Readable Records
    • National Information Standards Organization
    • Advisory Committee to the U.S. Department of State, Historical Diplomatic Documentation
    • Association of Canadian Archivists
    • Joint ALA/SAA Committee on Archives and Library Relationships
    • Joint ARMA/SAA Committee on Archives and Records Management
    • National Historical Publications and Records Commission
    • National Center for Afro-American History, Cultural Planning Council.

Approved by the Council: June 1991
Revised by Council: February 2003



Policy Statement for SAA Reimbursement
Council Orientation Guidelines
SAA Guidelines for Use of the Council List
Liaison Assignments
Council FAQ

 

 

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