Revising PAM Governing Document: Close-to-Final Version
Kris Fowler
The process for making PAM-specific revisions of the model Governing Document is nearing completion. To address concerns that were raised at the PAMwide Roundtable in June and after consultation with the Board, a few further modifications have been proposed that are outlined below. To see these and other changes in the context of the whole document, please consult Governing Document Revisions at http://www.sla.org/division/dpam/governingdocs/revisions.html, which is also linked from the top PAM web page.
It is important to note that the current revision is considered a fairly final draft. If there are no significant concerns remaining, we will submit it to the SLA Bylaws Committee for approval and then present it to PAM members in early spring (2005), for a vote at the June meeting. Therefore if you have comments, please send them as soon as possible to a member of the Governing Document Committee (Kris Fowler, Dorothy McGarry, Elaine Adams) or the Board.
Issue #1: Specify that the Chair-Elect substitutes if the Chair is unable to preside at the annual business meeting or fulfill some other function. Clause to be added: "The chair-elect shall substitute for the chair in his/her absence and have other duties as specified. . ."
Issue #2: Make sure that unusual circumstances don't prevent PAM business from being done. Modified clause: "The Division annual business meeting, convened by the Division Chair, shall normally be held during the Association annual conference." The addition of the word "normally" adds some flexibility. The corresponding section of the Practices Manual says, "The following are the specific meeting responsibilities of the Division Chair: . . To plan and preside at the Division's annual business meeting and any other Division meetings. As specified in the PAM Division Governing Document, the annual business meeting shall normally be held during the Association annual conference; however in unusual circumstances (e.g., the unlikely event that there is no conference), the Chair may choose to convene a meeting, following the usual rules about providing adequate notice to members."
Issue #3: Set a minimum standard for accomplishing PAM business that responds to changes in the size of the Division and that provides for adequate member representation on important issues but that is not difficult to attain. Clause to be added: "Participation by 20% of PAM members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business." (The wording is intended to allow the possibility of forms of participation other than being physically present; specifics of how this might be done in the future could be added to the Practices Manual at any time.)
fowle013@umn.edu
