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2006 Committee on Committees Report

Members Present

Thomas Lohmeier, Chair; Sue Barman, Council Representative and Chair-Elect; H. Glenn Bohlen, Cardiovascular; Scott O’Grady, Cell & Molecular Physiology; Charles Lang, Endocrinology & Metabolism; Scott Powers, Environmental & Exercise Physiology; Linda Samuelson, Gastrointestinal & Liver Physiology; Bill Yates, Steve Mifflin (incoming), Central Nervous System; David Pollock, Renal; Margaret Anderson, Teaching of Physiology; Jane Reckelhoff, Water and Electrolyte Homeostasis

The Committee on Committees is composed of representatives elected by the Steering Committees of each of the 12 APS sections, as well as two Councillors.  Its primary duty is to nominate individuals to serve on other APS standing committees, as well as to outside bodies where the APS is represented.

Process: The Committee on Committees (COC) continued with the new nomination process that was instituted in 2003.  The Committee members remain dedicated to the concept that their role is twofold - to identify and promote members of their section who might serve on committees, but then to set aside section affiliations to work with the committee as a whole to nominate the best-qualified individuals to serve the society, keeping in mind the desire to promote diversity and the involvement of younger members in the committee structure.  Two sources of information are available to the Committee in fulfilling this responsibility.  First, the two-page Candidate Information form, which those interested in committee service can complete as a self-nomination, includes information about prior activities relevant to the committee on which the individual wishes to serve, a statement of interest, information about prior APS service, and citations to two recent publications as well as a statement of academic interests.  This is then supplemented by the one-page Endorsement Form, which is used by someone who knows the candidate, to comment on the ability of that individual to carry out committee responsibilities.  Only one Endorsement form is accepted per nominee.  Candidates can secure their own endorser, or submit their information without an endorsement.  In this latter case, the primary section with which the interested party is affiliated is asked to provide an endorsement from among their leadership or membership.  This task falls primarily to the sectional representative to the COC, who is an excellent resource to those interested in serving the Society and/or seeking information as to the charge of a given committee.  Forms and submission is electronic, thus facilitating the application process. Both Candidate Information and Endorsement forms are available on the APS website under “committees,” as well as a listing of committee vacancies for the upcoming year and links to the “job descriptions” for each of the society’s standing committees.  The website also provides information about the timeline for committee nominations.  It should also be mentioned that each Section Chair and Section Representative to the COC is contacted to assure that the nomination process is understood and to encourage nomination of worthy individuals.

Results: While the COC was pleased with the slate of nominees, it is unfortunate that there was about a 45% decrease in nominations overall in 2006 from 2005 (See Attached Table 1).  Of greater concern, three sections (Comparative, Neural Control and Respiration) did not have representatives at the COC meeting, and more than 75% of the nominations came from four (Cardiovascular, Central Nervous System, Renal, and Water and Electrolyte) of the twelve sections.

Based on the process described above and the Committee’s deliberations at the Experimental Biology meeting, the Committee on Committees recommended individuals to fill vacancies on the following APS standing committees:

The COC charge, as discussed above, is to identify the best individuals to fill committee vacancies, regardless of sectional affiliation.  However, all other things being equal, the committee seeks to instill diversity in the committee structure on the basis of section of membership, geography, gender and seniority.  Thus, based on the candidate information forms submitted, the APS members selected by the COC to fill the above vacancies had the following sectional affiliations:

We hope that many members will consider serving the society as a member of one of its standing committees.  Applications can be submitted via the APS website, and are due (with or without an accompanying endorsement form) by January 15, 2007, although earlier submissions are welcome. Applications received without an endorsement will be forwarded to the section of primary affiliation for support.  Nominations are then reviewed by chairs of committees on which there are vacancies, and by the Committee on Committees as a whole. At its meeting at Experimental Biology, the Committee on Committees develops its recommendation for each committee vacancy, along with alternates, and submits this for approval by Council at their summer meeting.  Approved nominees begin their term of appointment the following January. 

Those candidates who are unsuccessful at securing a committee appointment initially are encouraged to re-submit their credentials for consideration for the same or another committee in the next cycle and those placed as alternates will be re-considered without re-nomination.