Standing Committees

Mandate
Standing committees serve on a continuing basis from year to year. Committee functions are determined by the Executive Committee and are outlined in the General Committee Policies. Standing committees make recommendations to the Executive Committee on policies, programs, or actions in the areas of the committees’ responsibility and implement policies, programs, and actions as approved by the Executive Committee.

Chairs
The President-Elect, with the advice of the Nominating Committee and approval of the Executive Committee, appoints standing committee chairs for a two-year term. Chairs can be reappointed for a second two-year term. Standing committee chairs are non-voting members of the Executive Committee and, as such, are required to attend the spring retreat and December meeting. Standing committee chairs may not serve concurrently as Councillors or editors. Appropriate subcommittees may be formed and dissolved at the discretion of the chair with the approval of the Executive Committee. Subcommittee members do not have to be members of the full committee.

Upon the recommendation of the chair, standing committees may have a vice chair. Such recommendations are generally vetted through the Nominating Committee, the President-Elect, and the Executive Committee. Appointment letters for vice chairs include a statement clarifying that appointment as chair is not automatic.

Members
The members of standing committees are appointed by the President-Elect with the advice of the Nominating Committee and approval of the Executive Committee to take office following the annual meeting at which the President-Elect is installed as President. Standing committee members must be ASH members in good standing (i.e. dues paid).

Standing committee members, except Nominating Committee members, serve four-year terms; members of the Nominating Committee serve either two- or three-year terms depending on the positions they fill on the committee. The Executive Committee determines the appropriate size of standing committees with advice from the chair. At the time of appointment, the workload of the committee will be detailed so that a prospective member can determine whether s/he will be able to serve. Generally, members serve one term; however, terms are renewable when a member is critical to the committee’s current activities or has been on the committee for two years or less.

The President, at the advice of the chair and/or staff liaison, may remove chairs and members of standing committees. Reasons for removal include failure to attend committee meetings, failure to contribute to the work of the committee, conduct that reflects poorly on the Society, failure to comply with the ASH Conflict of Interest Policy and/or ASH Travel Reimbursement Policy, or any other reasons deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee.

Meetings
Standing committees generally (but are not required to) meet during the annual meeting and hold an interim meeting at another time during the year, usually at ASH Headquarters in Washington, DC. Additional meetings, conference calls, and email exchanges are used to achieve the goals of the standing committees.

If an in-person meeting is scheduled, standing committee members are strongly urged to attend the meeting; if scheduling precludes in-person attendance, standing committee members are encouraged to provide the chair with written comments on matters to be discussed during the meeting. Calling in to a meeting is strongly discouraged as it is disruptive to those who are in attendance and may hinder productive communication of ideas. Of course, ASH will accommodate medical disabilities which may require that a part of the meeting allows for communication with such members.

Subcommittees
When deemed appropriate, subcommittees of standing committees are formed. Subcommittee members do not have to be members of the full committee, but they do have to be members of ASH in good standing (i.e. dues paid). Individuals nominated for service to full committee who have not been appointed are generally considered for service on a corresponding subcommittee. Subcommittee members may be asked to attend the full committee meeting to report on the activities of the subcommittee.

The following are standing committees and subcommittees: