ATA Governing Policy for Divisions

AMERICAN TRANSLATORS ASSOCIATION GOVERNING POLICY FOR DIVISIONS

Last revised by the ATA Board on July 30, 2011

Preface

The administrative structure of Divisions was originally established in the 1980s and 1990s in a time when access to information and networking depended on printed materials and face-to-face meetings. With the evolution of technology, members of the translation and interpreting community—both ATA members and nonmembers—have access to a limitless number of virtual networks; and as the cost of digital information approaches zero, information becomes a much less scarce commodity. Divisions within ATA have grown into valuable networks that provide a wide range of benefits to members and represent one of the most important reasons for membership in the Association. As global, knowledge-based collaboration continues to grow in importance, ATA intends to build a collaborative framework that supports the new opportunities of greater inclusion and transparency in all phases of the knowledge-creation—and value-creation—process.

The framework outlined in this standard governing policy applies to all Divisions and replaces the current, individual division bylaws. The document is deliberately limited to the essential functions of Divisions to remove any obstacles to the pursuit of innovation.

§1 Purpose

Divisions are an integral part of the American Translators Association. The purpose of Divisions is

  • to serve as a means of communication among its members,
  • to provide information and service to its members related to translation and/or interpreting in a specific language combination, field of expertise, or area of interest, and
  • to promote the policies and objectives of the American Translators Association.
Commentary: Divisions represent components, or subsets, of the Association. The ATA Bylaws clearly define the purpose of Divisions.
§2 Members
Members of the Division shall be members in good standing of the Association.
§3 Leadership Council
The Division shall establish and maintain a Leadership Council for the purpose of managing the tasks of the Division. Its most important purpose is to ensure the continuity of Division activities.
The Division Leadership Council shall consist of 3-10 Division members (depending on the resources of the Division) and shall be headed by an Administrator and Assistant Administrator. All other members of the Leadership Council shall serve by annual invitation of the Division Administrator.
The members of the Leadership Council, including the Assistant Administrator, shall be assigned specific tasks associated with the core services of the Division, such as the newsletter, blog, webpage, listserv, professional education offerings, hospitality planning, and special projects. Leadership Council members shall be expected to consistently support and promote the objectives of the American Translators Association as outlined in Article II of its Bylaws.
Commentary: The Nominating Committee may issue a call for Leadership Council volunteers; see below.
The Leadership Council shall maintain regular communication and shall endeavor to meet at least once a year.
Commentary: The Leadership Council offers the Administrator an opportunity to actively shape a management team for the Division. This team should ideally consist of experienced long-term Division members as well as talented newcomers. The Administrator may issue invitations throughout the year.
§4 Administrator and Assistant Administrator
Administrator
The Administrator shall be the principal representative of the Division and shall serve as the communications liaison between the Division, the ATA Board of Directors, and Headquarters. The Administrator may delegate specific duties to members of the Division Leadership Council. In addition, the Administrator shall keep all Division records and shall work to maintain communication of the Leadership Council. The Division Administrator shall be a voting member of the Association.
Assistant Administrator
The Assistant Administrator assists the Administrator and assumes the duties of the Administrator in his or her absence. The Assistant Division Administrator shall be a voting member of the Association.
§5 Election of Division Administrators
Nominating Committee
The Division Nominating Committee shall consist of at least two Division members, who must be voting members of the Association. The members of the Nominating Committee shall not be current members of the Leadership Council. The Nominating Committee for the next year shall be constituted by acclamation at the Annual Meeting of the Division.
Commentary: Before the Annual Meeting of the Division, the Administrator calls for volunteers to form the Nominating Committee for the upcoming year. At the Annual Meeting of the Division the Division Administrator presents the list of members of the Nominating Committee.  Those present at the Annual Meeting of the Division approve the members of the Nominating Committee.
Division Administrators
The Division Administrator shall be selected from the Division membership by the Nominating Committee and preferably approved by acclamation of the membership, following procedures outlined in the Division Handbook. Preference shall be given to candidates with previous involvement in the activities of the Division’s Leadership Council.
Commentary:  According to Robert’s Rules of Order, election by acclamation refers to an election by unanimous consent; which means a candidate is only elected if there are no objections to the slate and the position is not contested.
The Assistant Division Administrator shall be selected from the Division membership by the Nominating Committee using the same process as for the Division Administrator. Preference shall be given to candidates with previous involvement in the activities of the Division’s Leadership Council.
Call for Leadership Council Members
The Nominating Committee may, in consultation with the Division Administrator, choose to issue a Call for Leadership Council Members, to be sent to all Division members immediately after the Annual Conference.
Elections

When a Leadership Council or Nominating Committee deems it impossible or undesirable to present a single candidate for Administrator and/or Assistant Administrator or when there are objections to the slate presented by the Nominating Committee, an election shall be held in accordance with the election calendar. In such a case, ATA Headquarters shall conduct elections electronically, to be completed at least 30 days before the next Annual Meeting of the Division.
Length of Service
The Division Administrator and Assistant Division Administrator shall serve two-year terms.
Limitation of Terms
Administrator and Assistant Administrator shall serve no more than two consecutive terms (in each position). There shall be no term limitation for other Leadership Council members.
Commentary: Term limits ensure suitable leadership succession. The members of the Leadership Council provide continuity and therefore serve without a term limitation.
Replacement of Vacated Positions
If the office of Administrator is vacated, the office shall be assumed by the Assistant Administrator, who shall serve until the next Annual Meeting of the Division, at which time another Administrator will be selected by the process outlined above. If the office of the Assistant Administrator is vacated, the Administrator shall appoint a member of the Leadership Council to serve the remainder of the term as a replacement. If both offices are vacated before the end of the term, the ATA Board of Directors, in consultation with the Leadership Council, shall appoint an acting Administrator, who shall serve until the next Annual Meeting of the Division.
Removal of a Division Administrator
The ATA Board of Directors may remove an Administrator or Assistant Administrator from office for cause in consultation with the Leadership Council.
Removal of a Leadership Council Member
The Division Administrator, in consultation with members of the Leadership Council, may remove a Leadership Council member for cause.
§6 Meetings
Annual Meeting of the Division
The Division shall meet during the Annual Conference of the Association. This meeting shall be known as the Annual Meeting of the Division for the purpose of hearing reports of the Administrator and the Leadership Council, if any, and discuss other business that may arise. In alternating years, the Annual Meeting confirms the (s)elected Division Administrator and Assistant Division Administrator.
§7 Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Division in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are consistent with this Governing Policy or the bylaws of the Association.
§8 Communication Policy
All Division communications with members must abide by ATA policies and objectives, including ATA’s Antitrust Policy, although the responsibility for communication content lies with the author of each communication. Due to concerns of legal liability and in the interest of protecting the ATA brand, ATA Headquarters may review  the content of newsletters, blogs, and other communications and verify the accuracy of content that describes ATA activities including Division calls for council members, ATA calendars, conferences, statistics, dates, times, as well as officer, member, and staff names and contact information.

*The new “Governing Policy for Divisions” will formally took effect at the previous ATA Conference in Boston, MA and replace the existing KLD Bylaws. Four divisions including the KLD were asked to participate in a pilot project with regard to forming a Leadership Council in early 2011. For more information on the Governing Policy for Divisions, please refer to “New Policy and Governance Structure for ATA Divisions” by Dorothee Racette in The ATA Chronicle in August 2011.