USACM-FRC-Constitution

Mission statement:

Our mission is to advance computational mechanics by fostering collaboration, sharing knowledge, and ensuring that women in the field are recognized for their contributions. We strive to support the next generation of researchers through mentorship, networking, and advocacy for awards and leadership opportunities.

Officers roles and responsibilities:

• Chair: presides over meetings, represents the Committee, and leads Committee initiatives. 

• Co-chair: assists the chair and takes over their responsibilities during their absence.

• Secretary/Treasurer: manages meeting documentation, communication, and record-keeping, while also overseeing financial management, budgeting, and reporting to ensure transparency and accountability.

• Social media officer: promotes the committee through content generation on committee social media accounts and email communications.

• Networking event officer: Plans various in-person and online events throughout the year to facilitate communications and a sense of community.

• Members at large: actively participate in helping the chairs and officers with various tasks. They have full voting rights and responsibilities, but do not hold specific positions or offices.

Election process:

• USACM membership is required to run for any position.

• Nomination: Members of the committee/group are given a period of time to nominate/self-nominate candidates for the available positions. The call will be sent out sometime in March with the start of the position in July.

• Acceptance of Nominations: Once the nomination period is closed, the nominees are contacted to confirm their acceptance of the nomination. If they decline, their name is removed from the list of candidates.

• Candidate Statements: Each candidate is given the opportunity to prepare a statement or profile outlining their experience, qualifications, and goals for the committee.

• Election: The election will be conducted electronically. USACM-FRC officers will vote for a single candidate for each position.

• Vote Counting: The ballots are collected and counted by the chair. The winner of each position is determined based on the voting results. If two members receive an equal number of votes, the priority goes to the minority member to promote diversity among the committee members.

• Announcement of Results: Once the vote counting is complete, the results are announced to the committee members. 

Term of Office: This refers to the length of time that a committee member will serve in their position. 

• Staggered Terms: 

  • The chair and co-chair terms are no more than two years.

  • Co-chair will be automatically promoted to the chair position after the sitting chair’s term is completed.

  • There is no maximum number of service years for any other positions.

• Term Limits: No member can serve more than one term as committee chair. This can help to ensure that the committee remains dynamic and that new voices are heard.

• Quorum: A quorum is the minimum number of committee members that must be present for the committee to conduct business. The specific quorum for this committee is defined by any number larger than half of its members.