Maintaining a Community

To maintain an active community, the following minimum activities must be completed:

1. Hold an annual community planning session/business meeting at CANVAS or virtually as arranged by community leaders.
2. Conduct an election for the following year’s community vice leader.
3. Have 10 or more ASA members at the end of the calendar year.
4. Organize a minimum of one symposium, oral session, technical tour, workshop, or other event at CANVAS every year.
5. Submit a Community Activity Tracking Form to record the community’s annual activity by the end of the calendar year.

Community Modifications & Creation:

Changing a Community Name

If the community would like a name change, the presiding leader should poll the community members to establish over 50% of the poll respondents support the name change. This poll can be conducted via circle discussions in the Member Hub, at CANVAS, or by email. If a majority of respondents support the name change, the presiding leader should submit a Community Change Request Form. The ASA Stewardship and Review Committee will then conduct a vote to accept the new name. If the committee approves the name change, the chair will send a letter to the ASA Board of Directors informing them of the new name.

Moving to a Different Section

If a community feels as if it would better fit in a different section, the presiding leader should notify the staff liaison (Sally Paese, spaese@sciencesocieties.org), who will contact the community’s current section chair and the chair of the section the community is interested in joining to obtain consent for the move. After receiving approval from both chairs, the staff liaison will notify the presiding leader.

The presiding leader should then poll the community members to establish that over 50% of the poll respondents support moving to a different section. If a majority of community members support the move to a new section, the presiding leader should submit a Community Change Request Form. The ASA Stewardship and Review Committee will then vote for approval of the change. If approved, the staff liaison will inform the ASA Board of Directors of the move to a different section. The community will be moved within 60 days of the ASA Stewardship and Review Committee’s approval.

Creating a New Community

A potential new community starts with common interests and goals. Potential community members must:

• Identify a common, unifying interest that will include ten or more ASA members.
• Ensure there is no existing community that could include the proposed Community.
• Prepare to organize a minimum of one symposium, oral session, technical tour, workshop, or event at CANVAS every year.

If any of these criteria or interests are not met, the interested members should reevaluate their goals or seek inclusion in an existing community.