Council Approves Member Affinity Group Proposal, Revises Statement on Diversity and Inclusion

At its August 1 meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, the SAA Council took the following actions:

Approved recommendations from the Council’s Working Group on Member Affinity Groups:

That the SAA staff, with oversight from the Council Working Group on Member Affinity Groups, prepare and implement a work plan to transition SAA sections and roundtables to the new structure as quickly as practicable, with presentation of an initial plan to the Council in November 2016 and updates at least every other month. Based on significant member feedback, the highlights of the changes are:

1. Eliminate the distinction between sections and roundtables.
2. SAA members may join as many groups as they choose.
3. Nonmembers may be list participants on up to three discussion lists.
4. All groups will be required to:
    
   • Have standardized bylaws.
   • Submit information about the group’s annual meeting by March 1.
   • Conduct an online election annually, with submission of a slate by June 1.
   • Submit an annual report and complete leader roster by September 1.
   • Respond to Council requests for research, advice, and expert comments.
5. New groups may be formed as they are now, with submission of a petition signed by 100 SAA members.
6. Groups may be discontinued if they don’t meet one or more of the requirements. This will happen only following significant discussion with the groups’ leaders.
7. Staff will continue to investigate software options to support more robust online communities.

Approved an Information Brief on Archives and the Environment.

Heard an update on the work of the Working Group on Diversity and Inclusion (see page 43 in print Onsite Program) and approved a revision of the SAA Statement on Diversity and Inclusion to include “Inclusion.”

The complete meeting minutes will be posted to the website once they are adopted by the Council.