October 2, 2015

October 2, 2015 C&B Telecon Notes

Agenda and Notes

Who? Erin, Denise, Mike, Ken

Planned agenda:

GitHub project for documents - thanks Erin!
- https://github.com/ESIPFed/Governance
- C&B members are listed as “collaborators”
recommendations for methodology for managing the documents
- edit (md) directly in GitHub?
- create “issues” for suggested revisions in a branch (see 2015_committee_efforts branch)
- pull request to post back to main branch as approved
- use GitHub wiki? For what type of information?
Ana’s status? Representing which type?
Started 2015 Discussion of ByLaw Changes in ESIP wiki
Semantics Technologies Committee recommendation complete
Suggested Bylaws review/considerations
- need to examine committee (and other groups) requirements (see below)
- discuss previous previously identified list of possible issues to consider revising (see below)

ExCom - Justin suggested…

bottom-up nature of committee requests need to examine committee (and other groups) requirements
Justin would like more specifics about what a new committee is going to be working towards - can discuss what this means
(V.1.1) Standing Committees are created by amendment of the Bylaws to include a new Section in Bylaw V. Proposals to amend the Bylaws to create a new Standing Committee must state the name and general activities and responsibilities of the proposed Standing Committee.
(Denise) no need for additional details in the bylaws - don’t want to be too specific that would have to be changed constantly as the group evolves
- maybe more detailed package for discussion but not in the bylaws
(Mike) maybe more guidance to proposers on the level of detail to provide
(Erin) inclusion in a “process document” - (Denise) standing rules - possibly a 3rd C&B document - more agile and current than constitution or bylaws. Maybe managed by Excom or other committee - more fluid changes and reflects ESIP culture and protocols.
Denise will locate examples of other standing rules
[action] present to Excom for ideas, objections, etc.

This appears to have already been resolved in the current version and is in the GitHub version

Term of 1 year for Pres and VP - consider increasing?

III.1.4 The term of office for President and Vice President shall be one year.
consider different options to present to Assembly discussion - president elect, promotion of VP to Pres, make longer term, other ideas?
(Denise) 2 years allow for better continuity of of the office
(Denise) alternate could be move to 1-year for each “president-elect”, current president, and past-president, so “-elect” moves into president, president move to past (instead of a vice-president) - “leadership rotation”
- (Erin) this often happens just by ESIP culture, this could codify the process
- could be touch discussion in Excom - would have to apply to future votes, discuss at January meeting for future vote of the assembly after a lengthy discussion
- (Erin) past presidents in the past have moved on to the board
consider staggered terms for president(s), committee chairs and reps for Excom continuity
[for Excom consideration] we will bring this up on the next Excom to spur discussion and see if there is any interest in pursuing this type of change
- [action] Ken will draft up descriptions of this and the “standing rules” document for presentation to guide the presentation to Excom - send around to C&B for review before.

In ByLaws IV Administrative Committees, there is no stated term limit for administrative committee chairs - mentions “normal term”. Nor for standing committee chairs. Does that need to be defined?
Mike found the key in that bylaw II.3.3 (elections) points to III.1.4 that states the term is 1 year - thereby specifying the term limit applies to committee chairs as well. (need to keep this in mind if we wind up modifying the president/VP’s term limits that this link exists so we might need to break it out separately)

(V.1.2) states that “Each Standing Committee shall have a Vice Chair elected by a simple majority of the members of the Committee.” (Erin) We need to either suggest this happens or change the wording to be “may have…" Suggest this happens! I have been suggesting this for a few years, but good to know we have documentation to back this.
(V.1.3) states that “Standing Committees shall each year hold at least one physical meeting.” (Erin) Could consider toning-down the requirement, or notify all the committees that they need to have a session at either the summer or winter meetings each year. That may be happening in most cases, but I don’t think it is understood as a requirement. Let's suggest this happens and notify.
[All] discussed adding this information for new committee chairs in the “standing rules” document (discussed above), and to include in the ESIP 202 class to help committee chairs understand the expectations based on the bylaws and ESIP culture. [For Excom Discussion]

Changes to Nominating committee bylaws for Officer elections from 2014 vote is missing in current draft on GitHub. This was apparently from an electronic vote in Aug 2014 and was not read into the minutes of the Jan 2015 meeting so didn’t get recorded - or updated in the most current bylaws document.
[action] Erin to add to GitHub branch and document when it was voted/accepted
procedures for electronic votes and winter meeting records needs to be part of the standing rules document.

Topics to bring up to Excom

Suggestion for either 2 year term limit for Pres/VP, or move to 1-year each president-elect, president, past-president cycle to help maintain continuity in the Excom
Suggestion to create new C&B document for "standing rules" to document more fluid, current and cultural aspects of ESIP that are helpful to committee chairs and others.
- Examples of information for standing rules document
  - Guide and procedures for proposing to move from cluster to standing committee (per the Semantics Technologies effort and resulting excom discussions/requests)
  - Information for new committee chairs - e.g. requirements in bylaws and other ESIP culture items)
  - Procedure for recording electronic votes in the winter meeting assembly for permanent record
  - likely lots of others
Mention move to GitHub/Governance to manage and track constitution and bylaw changes