Background
The American University of Beirut (AUB) is a private, independent, non-profit institution of higher learning, functioning under a charter from the State of New York. Its mission is to enhance the education primarily of the peoples of the Middle East, to serve society through its educational functions, and to participate in the advancement of knowledge.
The AUB - Nature Conservation Center includes academics who are committed to explore and develop biodiversity related economic opportunities through multidisciplinary research activities. The center’s mission is to create an enabling environment to explore and develop economic opportunities associated with the sustainable use of the biodiversity existing in the region, relying primarily on biotechnology and multidisciplinary approaches.
ARTICLE I
Name
The name of this committee shall be The Nature Conservation Center Executive Committee.
ARTICLE II
Objectives of the IBSAR Executive Committee
The Executive Committee is the body responsible for coordinating the work of the center and its committees.
The objectives of the Executive Committee shall be:
To review all matters pertaining to the center;
To define and forward the flow of operations to the appropriate committees for action/recommendation(s), and to streamline resources to promote research activities;
To organize the process of nominating members to participate in activities and those of its committees, and to review applications for membership;
To prepare the agenda for all activities, including:
Research projects;
Issuance of reports;
Workshops, fundraisers, and other activities;
To review final reports issued by members, research groups or committees;
To manage budgetary matters related to activities and management;
To be in charge of fund raising:
Initiating and nurturing contacts with donors, investors, business partners;
Initiating and nurturing contacts with Friends of the center;
To recommend the creation of special committees to deal with matters of general concern that do not fall within the accepted area of jurisdiction of an existing committee;
The Executive Committee may declare certain documents confidential and withhold them from circulation.
ARTICLE III
Selection of Executive Committee Members and Terms of Office
Membership in the Executive Committee is open to any AUB faculty member who is a Regular Member of the center. The Executive Committee shall consist of 7 members (6 voting members and a director). The director shall be an ex officio member of the Executive Committee, with voice but no vote – except to break a tie.
Executive Committee members are elected by a majority vote of Regular Members participating in the yearly elections, which will take place during the third week of September. Each member of the Executive Committee shall serve a (renewable) three-year term. New members replace existing ones on October 1 of the year they are elected.
Terms of the Executive Committee members shall be staggered on a rotational basis with 2-3 members changing each [year1]. Mid-term vacancies must be filled through an election if they occur before June 1 of the final year of the term being served. Otherwise, they remain vacant until the next election in September. Members filling a vacancy on the Executive Committee must serve out the term of the vacancy before being elected to a regular three-year term. Vacancies must be announced to all members at least one month before elections are held.
Selection of the Director and Secretary
The center believes in the equal capabilities of its members, and aspires to the rotation of Directors. The Director is appointed by a majority vote of the Executive Committee and approved by the Provost for a period not exceeding the period remaining in her or his elected term on the Executive Committee (maximum 3 years). The director may be appointed for an additional three-year term (after being reelected to the Executive Committee) by majority vote of the Executive Committee. Further three-year term appointments shall require a two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee.
The Secretary is appointed by majority vote of the Executive Committee for a period not exceeding the period remaining in her or his elected term on the Executive Committee (maximum 3 years). The Secretary can be appointed for additional three-year terms (after being reelected to the Executive Committee) by majority vote of the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE IV
Duties of the Chairperson of the Executive Committee
The Director shall serve as Chairperson of the Executive Committee. The Chairperson of the Executive Committee shall preside over meetings of the Committee, and enforce the Bylaws. The Chairperson shall oversee the formation of subcommittees, based on recommendations by the Committee, and shall be an ex-officio member of any subcommittee organized by them. During his or her absence, the Director shall nominate an Acting Director (or chosen by the Executive Committee by consensus).
Duties of the Secretary
The role of Secretary shall be filled by one of the Executive Committee members or by a hired research assistant. The Secretary shall attend all sessions of the Executive Committee and act as a clerk thereof and keep a record of all votes and minutes of all proceedings and all actions and recommendations of the Executive Committee in books to be kept for that purpose. The minutes of the Executive Committee meetings shall be made available to members. If necessary, minutes should be edited to ensure confidentiality. In the absence of the Secretary, a volunteering member of the Executive Committee shall take his or her place.
ARTICLE V
The Director
The Director of IBSAR shall represent the membership at large and act as liaison between various committees and the Executive Committee.
The Director is responsible for keeping the Executive Committee informed of the activities of the following committees: the Outreach Committee, the Patent Committee and all other ad-hoc Committees as they form.
Shortly before Executive Meetings, the Director shall contact the Chair of committees, to report back to the Executive Committee. It is recommended that the Director attends one or two meetings of these committees each year.
As a member and Chairperson of the Executive Committee the Director is expected to attend and contribute to all Executive Committee meetings.
The Director is considered a non-voting member of the IBSAR Executive Committee, except to break a tie.
IF it is agreed that the Chairperson = Director, then this Article will be merged with Article IV)
ARTICLE VI
Executive Sub-Committees
The Executive Committee shall perform its work as a committee, and should strive for consensus. Subcommittees may be organized by and consist of members of the Executive Committee, under the supervision of the Chairperson.
ARTICLE VII
Procedures and Reporting
The Executive Committee shall develop working procedures including an annual meeting with attended by all the center's members.
ARTICLE VIII
Meetings and Records
Section 1. Written notice of meetings shall be given to all members of the Executive Committee, and shall include the agenda, date, and time of the meeting.
Section 2. Meetings shall be held at least once every two months, or at the call of the Chairperson of the Executive Committee, or as often as required for the proper planning and implementation of specific activities.
Section 3. Attending members, including those attending by telephone or teleconferencing, shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote of the Executive Committee.
Section 4. All business of the Executive Committee shall be conducted in accordance with the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, unless otherwise provided.
Section 5. Minutes shall be kept for all the meetings and shall be mailed to the members of the Executive Committee before the meeting for review.
ARTICLE IX
Quorum
One more than 50% of current Executive Committee members (excluding ex officio members) shall constitute a quorum for the purposes of meeting and conducting business.
ARTICLE X
Conflict of interest
Executive Committee members shall declare any conflict of interest publicly and for the record at the Committee meeting at which a particular issue is considered, and shall excuse themselves from that meeting while the Committee discusses the issue in question.
ARTICLE XI
Amendments to Bylaws
The bylaws shall be adopted by a two-thirds vote of those present, and shall be reviewed every two years. Proposed amendments to these Bylaws must be sent to all Executive Committee members at least thirty (30) days in advance of a scheduled meeting. Discussion of proposed amendments shall appear as a separate item on the meeting agenda. Passage of amendments shall require a majority vote of Executive Committee members.
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[1] Executive Committee members who were saving at the time the Center was announced (March 31, 2005) will resign in turn: two on September 30, 2005, three on September 30, 2006, and two on September 30, 2007.