Policies & Procedures - 5.1 Education Board

- approved 11/98 -

Purpose

The Education Department of COMSOC is responsible for establishing policies and setting strategic directions for all continuing education products and services for COMSOC members. To the extent that non-member professionals can be viewed as potential Society members, or that their needs should be understood in maintaining current and formulating new Society services, they, too, will be considered.

Organizational Structure

The Education Dept. shall be administered by an Education Board, made up of a Chair (Director of Education, appointed by the COMSOC VP of Technical Activities in consultation with the Society President) and up to four Board Members. Board Members are appointed to their position by the Chair, drawing upon a field of candidates from the membership at large, with special attention given to individuals who have special expertise, previously served in related capacities, or held position of responsibility within the Society. It is expected that all Education Board members will be members in good standing of the IEEE Communications Society.

All Board Members shall serve a nominal two-year term, with terms extendable to a third year, based on mutual agreement of the Director and the individual Board Member. In the event that a Board position is vacated before the full two- or three-year term is completed, the Director shall appoint a successor to complete that partial term, plus serve an additional traditional (two- or three-year) term. A Board Member's term concludes either by natural expiration, or by invitation to resign, the latter subject to mutual agreement of the Director of Education and the COMSOC VP of Technical Activities.

Activities

As stated above, the Education Dept. is chartered with 1) formulating strategic directions and 2) establish policies which affect member services in the areas of Education. The Education Dept. is further responsible for 3) maintaining the vitality of existing programs, and 4) assuring that such programs continue to meet the current needs of the Society Members.

Areas of concern, issues, or proposals for new initiatives can be 'generated' anywhere - from members of the Board of Governors, the Operating Committee, Society Councils or members of their boards, the membership at large, the New York Staff, and professionals outside the Society. To facilitate follow-through the Director shall ask a board member to assume leadership for specific projects. It is expected that whenever possible, target completion dates will be set, and that the responsible individual will prepare periodic 'update reports' to the Director and (where appropriate) the VP of Technical Activities. As needed, progress will be reported to the Operating Committee (OpCom) or Board of Governors (BOG) when they meet. Such reports will be presented by the Director or VP of Technical Activities. (Invitation for the Director to attend OpCom meetings is at the discretion of the President.)

To successfully fulfill its charter the Education Board must keep the New York ComSoc Staff informed of its activities and work closely with them whenever possible. In particular, the Executive Director, Director – Conferences, Finance & Administration, Advertising Sales Manager, Director - Information & Communications Technology, Director - Marketing & Creative Services, Associate Publisher, and Senior Administrator - Volunteer Services & Administration must be kept informed of Board activities. As a minimum, each report prepared by Director of Education for the customary Management Retreat, OpCom, and BOG meetings will be copied to the Headquarters Staff, as itemized above. If appropriate such reports should also be provided to Headquarters Staff direct reports on an individual basis.