"Committees" has to be the least exciting blog title you've ever read. Committees have all kinds of negative connotations, and are often viewed as the places ideas go to die. (“We’ll keep having meetings until we find out why nothing is getting done.”) ASA committees, however, are made up of dedicated volunteers who serve the association in a variety of important ways. Committees are key to the success of our association. Because of the critical role they play, committees are given special attention by ASA leadership.
There are 50+ committees of the ASA or joint with other societies. They cover an amazing range of responsibilities. In one dimension, there are three types of committees: standing, continuing, and ad hoc.
Standing committees meet the on-going governance and operational needs of the association. Oversight and advice for such things as publications, meetings, and nominations of future ASA leaders are undertaken by standing committees. The election of ASA Fellows is also the responsibility of a standing committee. The responsibilities of these committees are spelled out specifically in the ASA's ByLaws.
Continuing committees address matters related to the mission of the association, and are formed over the years as needed by the Board of Directors. Continuing committees are reviewed every seven years to ensure continued relevance. The mission of the ASA, which we express succinctly as “promoting the practice and profession of statistics,” stays relatively constant over time. The way it is carried out changes, however, and committees need to change accordingly. Professional ethics, continuing education, accreditation, membership retention and recruitment, and many more matters are guided by continuing committees.
Ad hoc committees are formed by ASA leadership to meet a short term purpose of the Board. Ad hoc committees typically are appointed for one year or less, though they can be extended as needed with Board approval. Four to five ad hoc committees are created each year to help the Board consider new initiatives, draft policy statements, or provide specific short term advice to the association or to other entities.
There is a second dimension to committees as well, and this is described by the ways committees are grouped into oversight bodies called "committee councils." There are four such councils: Membership, Education, Professional Issues and Visibility, and Awards. Most of the ASA's committees fall under one of these four groupings, though there are also Board committees, treasurer committees, executive director committees, and a few other groupings.
This dimension provides the connection of these committees to one another and to the Board. Each committee serves as an arm, as an extension, of the Board of Directors. Each committee is led by a chair, staffed by ASA volunteers, and provided an ASA staff liaison to assist it, but none of that ensures that the committee is in touch with the Board and with other committees. That Board-committee connection is the role of the committee councils.
Committee councils consist of the chair of each of the committees in the council grouping and a vice chair appointed by the ASA president. Each council is chaired by one of the ASA Vice Presidents or by the past president of the ASA. All committees not in one of the four councils have a Board member directly assigned to them. In those cases the designated Board member provides the interface between the committee and the Board.
There is one other important component to the ASA’s committee structure: the Leadership Support Council (LSC). The LSC consists of the chairs and vice chairs of the councils plus a representative to the JSM Program Committee, and not only connects all the councils and committees together, but also provides overall policy advice for the committees and the Board.
At every Board meeting, the Board gets reports from the committee councils, and provides information that is carried back to committees through the councils or the designated Board members. All this communication is essential, as over 500 people are involved in committees across the association.
Committees serve another important function as well. They are one of the ways that members can be involved in their association, providing important leadership and direction for its future. If you are interested in serving on an ASA committee, we'd be glad to know that. Drop me a note at ron@amstat.org, telling me about your interests. I'll pass that information on to the people who make the appointments. We make committee appointments throughout the year, but most of them are made during the spring. If you’re interested, don't wait to let me know!
In 2014, the American Statistical Association is celebrating its 175th anniversary. Over the course of this year, this blog will highlight aspects of that celebration, and look broadly at the ASA and its activities. Please contact ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein (ron@amstat.org) if you would like to post an entry to this blog.