Bylaw 4.1 specifies that the Division Committee is to be elected by
all Members of the Division (Titular and Associate) - i.e., the members
of all Commissions in that Division plus members of the existing Division
Committee. With long-range changes in Commission structure as proposed
below, it may eventually be necessary to change the election process, but
the SDIC believes that the procedure in the Bylaws need not be altered
at present. Bylaw 4.1 provides no guidance on nomination of candidates
for Committee Members and Officers, but rather leaves this aspect entirely
up to each Division. Here the SDIC believes that specific criteria and
procedures are essential to ensure the nomination of candidates who will
provide the necessary scientific leadership, breadth of expertise and management
skills required of the revitalized Division Committee.
The SDIC recommends that the Bureau be asked in September 1998 to adopt
uniform nomination policies and procedures for all Divisions, as given
below, to be effective immediately and thus govern the 1999 election process.
The Bureau should also formally give Divisions authority to suspend the
application of all Division Rules that are in conflict with the Bylaws
[as several are now] or with the new policy enunciated by the Bureau. After
some experience is gained, the Bylaws and Division Rules should be suitably
revised, but that could better wait until later years.
The policy should state the intention of insuring that the Committee
will seek members from as broad a segment of the worldwide chemistry community
as is consistent with the charge to the Division. The Bylaws already recognize
the need to renew the Committee's membership by limiting terms to four
years for non-Officers. With the procedures given below, this limitation
should ensure that there is a broadly based Committee with a healthy turnover
in membership. The Bylaws provide that Officers may serve for an additional
4-6 years, a provision that allows flexibility to provide adequate continuity
and experience.
Nominating Committee. The SDIC recommends that each Division President
/ Division Committee appoint a nominating committee of five members unless
the Bureau or EC agrees to an exception. The nominating committee should
consist of no more than two current members of the Division Committee and
three others chosen for the breadth of their expertise. While two of these
three should come from outside IUPAC, it may be desirable in some instances
for one member to be from another IUPAC Division. The overall membership
should be approved by the EC. After consultation with the Division Presidents,
the Bureau should establish a timetable for making nominations, including
sufficient time to permit the nominating committee to solicit suggestions
from inside and outside the Division.
Nominees for Division Committee. The nominees should be widely known
and respected scientists from academia, government and industry. If feasible,
a journal editor should be included among the nominees. The aim should
be to create and maintain a Committee that has scientific stature and breadth.
Within these guidelines, each Division and its nominating committee should
have considerable flexibility to meet the specific needs for each election
-- for example, to designate categories of vacancies if desired to ensure
diversity in subject matter, geographic distribution, or other characteristics.
More than one nominee for each vacancy is desirable but should not always
be required. The President of IUPAC should review the list of nominees
prior to the election to ensure that the Bureau policy has been followed.
Size of Division Committees. The size of the Division Committee is set
by the Bylaws as 10 Titular Members (TMs) unless otherwise specified by
the Bureau, plus up to six Associate Members (AMs). At present, the Committees
range from seven to nine TMs [except for the Division of Chemistry and
Human Health (DCHH), where the Sectional structure adds complexity]. If
the Division Committee is expected to be broadly based, 10 TMs seems reasonable
as a general rule. However, some Division Presidents spoke very favorably
at Geneva about improving the science orientation of the Committee by having
the Commission chairmen become part of the Committee. As an interim step
toward establishing new Division Committees, a Division might propose that
an existing Committee be expanded temporarily in this way. The Bureau should
provide flexibility and, on a case by case basis, allow the maximum size
for each Division Committee to exceed 10 TMs / 6 AMs for a specified period.
Division Officers. The Bylaws state that the Division Committee shall
elect its Officers from among the current and incoming Committee TMs. The
elections are subject to approval by Council, but this retrospective approval
is virtually automatic. The SDIC recommends that, following discussion
with the Division Presidents, the Bureau specify a uniform procedure to
insure that the nomination of one or more candidates for each Division
office is conducted in a thoughtful way, with adequate consultation within
the Committee and with the President of IUPAC. Each Division Committee
should choose its own leaders, but the SDIC believes that appropriate advance
consultation will strengthen the mandate of the elected Division Officers.
There is currently some variation among the Divisions in the length
of the term for each Officer and the practice of succession through different
offices. The SDIC does not believe that there is necessarily one "best"
policy, but the Division Presidents should discuss the alternatives and
initiate change where desirable. It has been pointed out that some high
calibre, busy chemists might be more willing to serve if the period of
service is not excessive.
The Bureau and Executive Committee should give special attention to
the application of the above recommendations within the current Sectional
structure of the Division of Chemistry and Human Health. The SDIC does
not believe that it is within the Committee's mandate to make specific
recommendations for this unique situation.
Executive Summary
Formation of the SDIC
Strategic Plan
Organization and Management of Scientific Work
Responsibilities of Division Committees
Election of Division Committees and Division Officers
Project-Driven System
Conversion to a New Project-Driven System
Operation of a Project-Driven System
Evaluation of Projects
Role of the Secretariat
Financial Considerations
Summary of Recommendations on Organization and
Management
Summary of Formal Actions Required
Concluding Statement
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
Appendix 4
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