Constitution of the University of British Columbia Postdoc Association (UBC-PDA)
Mission Statement
The purpose of the UBC-PDA shall be:
A) To foster a community for postdoctoral fellows and research associates (hereafter referred to collectively as ‘PDFs’) and facilitate networking within and between Faculties at the University of British Columbia (UBC).
B) To provide a collective voice for issues of relevance and interest to PDFs at UBC.
C) To provide a liaison between PDFs and the UBC administration, the UBC Postdoctoral Fellow’s Office (PDFO), and the general community.
D) To provide a forum for the discussion of relevant issues and to distribute pertinent information to PDFs at UBC.
E) To promote and develop effective training and career counseling for PDFs at UBC.
UBC-PDA Membership, Executive Committee and Officers
All PDFs at UBC are considered members of the UBC-PDA. The UBC-PDA Executive Committee shall consist of volunteers from the UBC-PDA at large.
Executive Officers shall be elected annually by members of the UBC-PDA, shall speak for the UBC-PDA, shall act as representatives and advocates of the UBC-PDA, shall be responsible for the administration of the affairs of the UBC-PDA and shall always be accountable to the UBC-PDA and the Executive Committee.
1) The UBC-PDA Executive Committee shall be comprised of the following elected officers:
a) President
The president shall preside over all UBC-PDA Executive Committee and Annual General Meetings, enforce due observation of the constitution, shall lead, organize and delegate duties to facilitate the operations of the UBC-PDA, and act as liaison to the PDFO.
b) Vice-President Operations
The Vice-President Operations of the UBC-PDA shall be responsible for the organization of professional development and “non-social” UBC-PDA events, excluding UBC-PDA meetings. In the event of absence or illness of the President, the Vice-President Operations shall have the authority to perform the duties of the President.
c) Vice-President External
The Vice-President External shall act as public relations officer and, whenever possible, shall be the UBC-PDA’s liaison to the Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars, other postdoctoral associations, off-campus groups, government agencies, granting agencies and the public at large.
d) Vice-President Finance
The Vice President of Finance of the UBC-PDA shall be responsible for all financial activities of the UBC-PDA including preparation of the yearly budget, receipt of monies due to the UBC-PDA, maintenance and custody of all books pertaining to the UBC-PDA, making all payments, preparing all financial statements and arranging for audit of the books by an auditor who shall be approved by the UBC-PDA Executive Committee.
e) Vice-President Communications
The Vice-President of Communications of the UBC-PDA shall be responsible for disseminating information of importance to PDFs, including maintenance of the UBC-PDA email database, the UBC-PDA newsletter, the UBC-PDA homepage and official UBC-PDA social media websites.
f) Vice-President Social
The Vice-President Social shall be responsible for planning, executing and advertising social events including the Annual General Meeting, regular PDF social gatherings, and shall help to coordinate special events as suggested by members of the UBC-PDA.
g) Executive committee members
Executive committee members serve on a non-elected, volunteer basis and are expected to attend regular UBC-PDA executive meetings, contribute ideas and help to advocate for and represent the UBC-PDA.
Elections and Terms of Office
2) Each executive office may be held by any member of the UBC-PDA.
3) Elections of UBC-PDA Officers shall be held annually. Nominations shall be taken in person from attendees of the Annual General Meeting, and also from the UBC-PDA membership at large via email/internet. Elections shall be decided by popular vote of the UBC-PDA membership at large.
4) Terms of office for the UBC-PDA Officers are one year. Officers may be nominated for re-election but may not serve more than 2 consecutive terms in the same office.
5) Any UBC-PDA Officer may resign at any time by submitting a letter of resignation to the UBC-PDA Executive Committee. Officers must resign from office upon termination of their appointment at UBC.
6) An executive Officer may be removed from office by a resolution passed by a minimum two-thirds vote, at a UBC-PDA Executive Committee meeting at which at least four executive Officers are present, or at a UBC-PDA Annual General Meeting.
7) If the office of President becomes vacant, the Vice-President Operations shall become the Acting President until such time as a new President is elected. If any other executive office becomes vacant, the duties of that office will be assumed by other officers of the UBC-PDA Executive Committee, as the UBC-PDA Executive Committee may direct, until such time as the vacancy is filled.
UBC-PDA Meetings
8 ) Meetings of the UBC-PDA Executive Committee shall be held once a month, or more often at the discretion of the President, or upon 48 hours notice by an UBC-PDA Executive Officer.
9) The UBC-PDA Executive Committee shall hold an Annual General Meeting once per year, to be open to all members, for the purpose of elections, planning and recruitment.
10) Any member of the UBC-PDA may call a general meeting at any time by presenting the UBC-PDA President with a signed petition of at least 20 members, to address issues of interest to the UBC PDF community at large.
Constitutional Amendments
11) The UBC-PDA constitution may only be amended at the Annual General Meeting by two-thirds vote of PDFs in attendance.
Ratified by unanimous vote on November 18, 2010.