Guidelines for Student Chapters
Student Chapters may be established to provide a forum for discussion for student members, to attract and integrate new student members, and to encourage student involvement in the ACA. Any group of five or more ACA student members, including one designated as a Coordinator, may, upon presentation of a letter of statement intent signed by its members and by a faculty advisor, petition the Board for recognition as a Student Chapter. Upon approval, membership is open to all members of the Association.
1. MISSION STATEMENT
A graduate student-level student chapter of the Association of Canadian Archivists will:
a. Serve as a means of introducing new archivists into the profession;
b. Enhance the educational function by providing an additional focus for the students to discuss archival issues, identify with the profession, and engage in professional activities;
c. Promote communication among student members and between students;
d. Provide a communication channel for its members with the general membership of the Association and to the Board on matters of concern to the Chapter;
e. Develop the leaders of tomorrow's archival profession; and
f. Attract new members into the Association.
2. REQUIRED ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
The Committees, Special Interest Sections and Student Chapters section of the ACA Constitution (By-Law Number 48) provides for the operation of Student Chapters of the Association. The Guidelines given below provide more details on how Chapters are expected to operate. The ACA Board of Directors is aware of the important and valuable contributions Student Chapters can make to the Association and the archival profession in Canada. The Guidelines are intended to provide Chapters with sufficient freedom and support to fulfil their mission and realize their objectives while ensuring that ACA officers are still accountable for activities undertaken in the name of the Association.
ACA services and publications should be made available, on the advice of the Chapters, to allied groups and organizations in an attempt to further the programmes and activities of Student Chapters of the Association of Canadian Archivists.
2.1. Establishment of Student Chapters
a. The ACA Board, acting at one of its regular meetings, approves the establishment of new Student Chapters.
b. Membership:
b.1. All members of a Student Chapter must also be individual members of the Association; and
b.2. the minimum number of members required to form a Student Chapter is three.
c. A Student Chapter seeking recognition from the Association must submit the following information to the ACA Board at least thirty days before the next Board meeting at which the request will be considered:
c.1. the Statement of Goals and Objectives;
c.2. the name and address of the Coordinator;
c.3. a copy of the letter of recognition from the academic institution where the chapter is located, granting the Student Chapter official recognition as a student organization;
c.4. a letter from the Faculty Advisor, who must be an individual member of ACA and either an archival educator or an archivist within the parent institution who has indicated his or her willingness to work with the Student Chapter; and
c.5. a list of all ACA members enrolled as students at the institution who wish to form a Student Chapter.
2.2. Membership
Chapters are considered to be an important and integral part of the Association. Therefore, while Chapters can make their services and information available to non-members, formal membership in any Student Chapter must be restricted to members of the ACA.
2.3. Statement of Goals and Objectives
Each Chapter must adopt and maintain a statement of goals and objectives. This statement, indicating the Chapter’s general concerns and intended areas of action, may be changed as the Chapter sees fit.
2.4. Communication with the Board of Directors
a. The Board member responsible, as ex-official member of all Chapters, is the communication link between Chapters and the Board. Chapters are expected to keep the responsible Board member informed of their activities. (To identify which Board member currently has the responsibility to act as liaison to Student Chapters, see the subsection on the Board of Directors in the About Us section of the ACA website.)
b. At each annual meeting an opportunity will be provided for Chapter Coordinators to meet with the ACA Board, prior to the Chapter meetings, to discuss matters of mutual interest and concern.
2.5. Annual Report and Budget
Each Student Chapter will submit an Annual Report to the ACA Board. The Chapter Coordinator is required to prepare and submit to the responsible Board member a workplan and budget (by March 15th) and an annual report (by May 1st). Templates for these documents are available from the Executive Director of the Association. The Annual Report will include the names of all the members of the Student Chapter, the names of the Coordinator and the Faculty Advisor, and a summary list of Chapter activities in the past year.
2.6. Administration
a. Chapters must have an elected leadership consisting, at a minimum, of a Chapter Coordinator who acts as the liaison between the Chapter and ACA.
b. Each Student Chapter will elect its own Coordinator and notify the ACA Board within thirty days following the election.
c. Each Student Chapter will have a Faculty Advisor who is also an ACA Individual Member. The Advisor will assist the Chapter in its relations with the ACA Board and assist in planning local programs for the Student Chapter.
d. Chapters may operate as formally or informally as suits their needs, but Chapter leaders should strive for the minimum in formal procedures: whatever is required to forward their work.
2.7. Financial Management
a. Student Chapters may solicit resources (in cash or in kind) from sources within their academic institutions. ACA Student Chapters must follow all regulations of their own institutions regarding fundraising by student organizations.
b. Monies and other resources derived from fundraising efforts within their own institution will be the property of the Chapter that raised the resources. This will be monitored by the Chapter and accounted for in accordance with the specific institutional guidelines for student organizations in each institution.
c. The ACA Board may include in its annual budget an appropriation to assist Student Chapters to facilitate communication and/or coordination among separate Chapters.
d. Funds allocated to a Student Chapter during one fiscal year are not automatically carried over to the next fiscal year. If an allocation needs to be deferred to the next fiscal year, the Student Chapter must formally request the carry over in its annual budget.
e. In pursuing its work, a Student Chapter must have authorization from the Board for any commitment or expenditure of ACA funds. All receipts for expenses must be submitted to the Office Manager.
f. ACA's fiscal year extends from July 1 to June 30. Student Chapter budget requests will be considered at the spring Board meeting. Student Chapter Coordinators will be requested by the ACA Board in advance of this meeting to prepare budget requests.
g. Student Chapters are not authorized to seek resources other than as described above. If a Student Chapter develops ideas for projects that require support from other sources, the Chapter Coordinator and Faculty Advisor will submit a proposal for consideration by the ACA Board.
2.8. Use of ACA Name, Logo, and Auspices
The Association of Canadian Archivists is a corporate body. Therefore, use of the ACA name, logo, and/or auspices for any activity must be approved in writing by the responsible ACA Board member prior to use. Similarly, Student Chapters, though within the ACA Structure, are not empowered to take action in the name of the ACA, request grant money in the name of the ACA, or otherwise enter into any contractual agreement without specific authorization of the Board.
2.9. Dissolution of a Student Chapter
The viability of a Student Chapter can be measured in many ways: by the number of members, by the vitality of its programme, and by the contents of its annual report. Precise criteria are neither possible nor useful. The responsible Board member will have to make such decision based on a combination of factors. For example, a Student Chapter whose membership has dropped below four and which has failed to submit an annual report should expect to be approached by the responsible Board member to discuss its status. If necessary, the responsible Board member may recommend its dissolution to the Board.
If the Board feels that a Student Chapter should be dissolved, a meeting of the Student Chapter shall be held at the next annual conference before the Annual General Meeting to discuss the situation. Formal dissolution of a Student Chapter would not take place before the matter was discussed at the Annual General Meeting.
3. RECOMMENDED OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES
3.1. Areas of Activity
Student Chapters are encouraged to broaden their understanding of archival issues, archival education, and the archival profession by:
a. Inviting guest archival educators and others with relevant knowledge, expertise, and experience from both inside and outside the institution to discuss theoretical perspectives, practical experiences or research initiatives;
b. Organizing visits to area repositories;
c. Eliciting reports from fellow students who have attended regional and national archival conferences or research initiatives;
d. Encouraging professional activities among members;
e. Developing and encouraging interaction with other ACA Student Chapters and other professional groups to establish links with colleagues inside and outside Canada;
f. Acquainting members with the objectives, policies, programs, ethics, and publications of the Association; and
g. Promoting archival interests within their universities and academic departments, for example by planning colloquia or serving on curriculum committees.
3.2. Communications
a. A copy of all Student Chapter mailings, such as newsletters, should be sent to the ACA Executive Office.
b. To ensure full awareness and appreciation of the work of the Association’s Student Chapters among the membership, the Board of Directors asks each Chapter to prepare regularly items or articles for submission to the ACA Bulletin, Archivaria, and the web site pertaining to their activities and concerns.
c. It is recognized that Student Chapters have a role to play in making Association services and information available to allied groups and organizations, and to non-members. However, the issuance of other communications devices such as a Chapter newsletter or special publications must not replace communication to Association members through the Bulletin, Archivaria, and the web site.
d. The designated Board member will serve as liaison between the Chapter and the ACA Publications Committee concerning all publications (including Chapter newsletters, the Bulletin and Archivaria).
3.3. Meetings
a. Student Chapters may meet as often as they wish in their individual institutions.
b. At the ACA annual meeting Student Chapter members from the different institutions should plan to meet to discuss activities of their Chapters and to build ties between the programs.
