In the upcoming STR election ballot, the STR leadership seeks approval from its membership of some changes to the STR Division Bylaws. These changes have been unanimously approved for your consideration by the STR Division Officers and the STR Executive Committee. The detailed changes can be found as in-line tracked edits in the attached (.docx) file, and cover four main areas:
1. The creation of a clear structure for the STR Division's four appointed officers (Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Director, Membership Engagement Committee Chair), which specifies the duration of their terms in office and selection procedures. The goals of these changes include greater clarity, openness, access to leadership paths, and orderly transitions.
2. Renaming of the "Newsletter Committee" as the "Communications Committee" to reflect the multiple channels through which our division communicates. The STR Division newsletter will continue to be produced and disseminated biannually as before.
3. Encoding how the members of the division's (non-elected) committees are chosen-primarily by the Elected Officers with approval of the Executive Committee at its winter meeting (with a provision for interstitial appointments, if needed).
4. Clarification that Executive Committee members should have completed their term of office before being considered for election as an Elected Officer.
Approval of changes to the Bylaws requires a majority of members who vote in the election. So, please consider these changes and register your agreement or disagreement with them in the election ballot. And of course, please vote in the STR Elections to choose our division's future leaders.
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Deepak Somaya
Professor
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Division Chair, STR Division
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