2023-2024 Section Advisory Committee

Charge

• The goal of the Section Advisory Committee is to shepherd sections into a new era of accountability. The committee advises sections that are financially struggling on ways to improve section profitability without impacting the quality of operations and member value. Also available to sections that seek ideas for best-practices or shared experience with different initiatives. Specifically, the committee shall:
  • Work with sections to facilitate ideas for reaching profitability goals for its journals, meetings, other activities, and overall.
  • Advise the Board on the structure and amounts of subsidies, if any, to support sections that are financially struggling.

Membership

• New Committee members are appointed prior to the Annual Meeting by the AAA Management Team.
• The Section Advisory Committee shall consist of 10 members, including the Chair, each of whom shall normally serve a three-year term, with one-third of the Committee members appointed each year.
• For 2024-2025, the AAA Management Team shall appoint a Chair-Elect who shall serve for one year in that role and two years as Chair.
• The Committee shall be comprised of a mix of current and/or former section presidents, secretaries/treasurers, senior journal editors, meeting organizers, membership committee chairs, and/or others who have experience with decisions that impact section profitability. In addition, there shall be one Liaison to the AAA Council who is not an AAA Board member and one Liaison to the AAA Board. 

Estimated Time Commitment

• Committee members could expect to spend 6-9 hours per year with additional hours required as needed based on requests by sections for support.

Meetings

• Meetings of the Committee may be scheduled at the discretion of the Chair, and can be online, as appropriate. 

Responsibilities

• To fulfill the committee charge as above.
• If the Chair has any questions about the charge or responsibilities of this committee, s/he should contact the Chief Executive Officer or the President.
• The Chair must submit at least one report per year to the Board of Directors and to the AAA Council.
  • This report should summarize what sections the Committee supported and the nature of topics and ideas that were discussed, as well as suggestions for modifications to the Committee’s work.
  • The report should be sent to the AAA President and to AAA Governance Manager, Barbara Gutierrez (barbara.gutierrez@aaahq.org).

Members