Overview of the Responsibilities of the Vice President

With the support of the SNRS headquarters staff and in coordination with the Program Committee and Conference Local Planning Committee, the Vice President (VP) has overall responsibility for the SNRS annual conference. Proceeds from the SNRS annual meeting and associated activities provide the majority of the SNRS budget. It is also the most visible manifestation of the work of our organization. If attention to detail is your strength and meeting multiple competing priorities in tight time frames is exciting, you’ll be right at home in the VP role. SNRS is in a growth phase with our annual meetings—we are seeking a VP who has a vision of building on past traditions while expanding into future possibilities based on the latest advances in meetings planning.

From the SNRS Bylaws:

  1. Provide oversight for the Annual Meeting according to established policies and procedures;
  2. Serve as Vice-President of the Governing Board and Executive Council;
  3. Conduct meetings in the absence of the President; and
  4. Perform other duties as assigned.

The VP serves as the Chair of the Program Committee as described below.

The Program Committee shall be composed of the Vice President, who serves as Chair, and the Chairs of the current Local Planning Committee, the immediately previous Local Planning Committee and the next upcoming Local Planning Committee. A representative of the management company serves as Ex-officio member.

The Program Committee’s responsibilities shall be to:

  • Ensure that policies and procedures with respect to all aspects of the Annual Conference are enacted;
  • Review and revise as needed the procedures and criteria for evaluation and selection of e abstracts for symposia, papers and/or posters to be presented at the Annual Conference;
  • Ensure continuity and coherence to the conference planning process across the years; and
  • In collaboration with the management company, evaluate all aspects of the annual conference and recommend to the Governing Board appropriate changes for future conferences.

Overview of the Responsibilities of the Treasurer

With the day-to-day support of the SNRS headquarters staff, the Treasurer is responsible for ensuring that SNRS funds are collected, budgeted and spent in accordance within accepted legal and fiscal standards. The Treasurer also works in partnership with the Finance Committee and other Board members in planning a budget that advances the strategic plan. For those who are dreamers, the role of Treasurer provides an opportunity to create new opportunities to expand the income streams of SNRS. Finally, if you are fascinated by a fiscal spreadsheet and you have mastered the interpretation of financial reports, this is just the opportunity for you! It could also be just the place for the detail-oriented person to learn about the management of fiscal resources in a small association.

From the SNRS Bylaws:

  1. Ensure the timely preparation and submission of an annual budget to the Governing Board in consultation with the Finance Committee and Executive Director;
  2. Monitor the collection and dispersion of all funds of the Society in accordance with established policies and procedures;
  3. Provide updates on the Society’s financial status to the Governing Board and membership of the Society;
  4. Ensure that financial records of the Society are prepared and maintained for review, audit, or other needs as required.
  5. Administer discretionary and reserve funds as directed by the Board and in accordance with policy and procedures.

The Treasurer serves as an ex-officio member of the Development Committee (see below) and on the Finance Committee, as described below:

The Finance Committee shall be made up of the President-Elect and Treasurer and three members-at-large, not currently serving on the Board, to be appointed by the Governing Board. The Executive Director serves as Ex-officio member.

The Finance Committee’s responsibility shall be to:

  • Assist with development of the yearly budget of the Society,
  • Conduct an internal review of the budget at least annually

Overview of the Responsibilities of the Member at Large: Membership

The membership of SNRS is the core of the Society. If you are passionate about the work of SNRS and want to spread the word and ensure our legacy, this role may be right for you. The Membership Director works with the State Liaisons, a volunteer group which provides grass-roots input to the Governing Board. It’s a great place to monitor the pulse of the organization, and to plan those personal outreach efforts to keep our membership involved and engaged. Do you have great ideas about promoting membership in SNRS? Ideas about engaging senior scholars and involving novice researchers at various levels of their education and academic careers? This role could be just the one for you!

From the SNRS bylaws:

  1. Carry out responsibilities of Governing Board member
  2. Serve as chair of the Membership Committee

The Membership Committee shall be composed of a Chair, who is a Member-at-Large of the Governing Board, and state liaisons appointed by the Membership Committee Chair and approved by the Governing Board.

The duties of the Membership Committee shall be to:

  • Assist in recruitment and orientation of new members.
  • Assist in communication activities between the Board and members through data gathering and sharing with the membership on issues and items of concern.
  • Collaborate with other Society committees to facilitate society functions including but not limited to recruiting local researchers to present at the annual conference, recruiting members for participation in the Research Interest Groups (RIGS), soliciting nominations for Governing Board positions and Society grants and awards, and collecting news items for inclusion in the Newsletter.

Overview of the Responsibilities of the Member at Large: Research Interest Groups

The Research Interest Groups were intended to be the working units of the Society—the place where networking, peer support and inspiration are provided in a content-specific context. The RIG Director works closely with the Chairs and Co-Chairs of the various RIGs. Current projects and opportunities include conference symposia, pre-conference workshops, RIG sponsored student poster awards and SOJNR special topics. The RIG Director facilitates, encourages, organizes and inspires. If these are your attributes, please consider nominating yourself for this position. See Article XII for a description of the Research Interest Groups and their organization.

Overview of the Responsibilities of the Member at Large: Awards

This Board position is responsible for member awards, from soliciting nominations to making award determinations. There are ongoing opportunities to develop new opportunities for recognition of member achievements. The Awards Director works with SNRS headquarters and the members of the Awards Committee to discover new ways to solicit award nominations, collaborates with reviewers to ensure that the highest quality nominees are selected, delivers the news that everyone wants to hear—“you are a winner!” The Awards Director also manages the complex and time-challenged task of scoring student posters at the annual meeting and announcing to the membership—“here are our student winners!” It’s a great position for the person who can manage details, maintain a calm demeanor in all circumstances and think creatively about new ways to say “great job!”

From the SNRS bylaws:

  1. Carry out responsibilities of Governing Board member
  2. Serve as chair of the Awards Committee

The Awards Committee shall be responsible for:

  • Review of applications and recommend recipients for Society member recognition awards.
  • Develop, review and revise submission guidelines and rating/review forms for member award nominations.
  • Develop, review and revise existing policies and procedures related to Society member recognition awards.
  • Review current member recognition awards program and advise Governing Board regarding establishment of new Society awards and other enhancements.
  • Monitor the review of student posters for awards.

Overview of the Responsibilities of the Succession Planning and Nominations Committee

Members of the Succession Planning and Nominations Committee solicit nominations and ensure the election of the Society’s most visible roles—that of the leadership team. The Succession Planning and Nominations Committee needs members who are familiar with the accomplishments and talents of other Society members, who are passionate about the Society, who are able to recognize an emerging leader who has the qualities needed in a Board position, who are knowledgeable about the responsibilities of the Society’s leadership team and who have no trouble saying to even the busiest and most accomplished of our members, “Have you thought about devoting your talents to the future of SNRS?” If you have these abilities, service on the Succession Planning and Nominations Committee would be a great fit for you.

From the SNRS bylaws:

  1. The Succession Planning and Nominations Committee shall be composed of five members, one appointed past SNRS board member, and four (4) elected members to serve for two-year terms. Two members shall be elected in the odd years and two shall be elected in the even years. The current secretary serves as an ex-officio member and the Board-appointed member serves as Chair.
  2. A member of the Succession Planning and Nominations Committee can serve no more than two consecutive terms on the Succession Planning and Nominations Committee.
  3. The duties of the Succession Planning and Nominations Committee shall be to:
    1. Ensure that a slate of nominees is submitted to the membership for election of Officers, Members-At-Large and Succession Planning and Nominations Committee, in accordance with Bylaws and relevant policy and procedures.
    2. Review nominations-related policy and procedures and make recommendations for revisions to the President-Elect.

All members of the Governing Board are responsible for:

  1. Maintaining his or her membership in the Society
  2. Attending Board meetings
  3. Submitting annual and monthly reports in a timely manner
  4. Implementing all SNRS policies and procedures
  5. Orienting successors to the role
  6. Delivering all records that are the responsibility of each office to the Executive Director

The duties of the Governing Board shall be to:

  1. Establish and coordinate the goals, priorities, activities, and future direction of the Society;
  2. Establish the major administrative policies governing affairs of the Society;
  3. Review and approve policies and procedures proposed by members of the Governing Board and other appointed, elected or existing units of the Society.
  4. Transact the business of the Society;
  5. Oversee the activities of the management company;
  6. Oversee the finances of the Society;
  7. Authorize payment of legitimate expenses for and the auditing of funds of the Society;
  8. Appoint Society committees based on recommendations of Committee Chairs and Board liaisons;
  9. Establish and dissolve special committees and task forces based on goals and objectives set in the strategic plan;
  10. Act on recommendations from committee, task forces , and Research Interest Groups regarding Society business for which they have responsibility;
  11. Maintain records of the Governing Board’s actions and report to the membership at regular intervals and yearly, at the Annual Business Meeting;
  12. Fill vacancies in offices of the Governing Board, with the exception of the President, and on the committees of the working groups of the Society;
  13. Make policy decisions regarding the Annual Meeting;
  14. Determine the date and place of any special meeting of the Society or Board.