About

Geodesy Section Operating Guidelines

Article 1. Name: What is the name of this section?

This section is called the Geodesy section of the American Geophysical Union. This section is also referred to as G.

Article 2. Purpose: Why does this section exist?

1. All AGU sections exist to support and advance the mission, vision, core values and strategic goals of the American Geophysical Union. Link to the current AGU strategic plan: https://sites.agu.org/leadership/strategic-plan/
2. The Geodesy Section exists to:
   1. To promote the aims and activities of the American Geophysical Union within the field of geodesy.
   2. To promote the scientific study of geodesy and to make the results of such studies available to the public by
   3. scientific discussion, publication, and other dissemination of information, and
   4. by the sponsorship of scientific and technical symposia, colloquia, and meetings.
   5. To initiate and participate in geodetic research programs including those which depend upon international cooperation.
   6. To promote cooperation among those scientific organizations whose objectives include furtherance of knowledge in the geodetic disciplines.

Article 3. Membership: Who can join this section?

1. AGU Information
   1. Types of members are defined in Article III of the AGU bylaws. Link to AGU bylaws: https://www.agu.org/Learn-About-AGU/About-AGU/Governance/Bylaws 
2. Section Information
   1. Membership in this section is open to all AGU members who would like to join.
   2. AGU members are encouraged to join as many sections as desired and have the opportunity to indicate which one is their primary affiliation. Changes to affiliation can be made by the member at any time.
   3. Current membership in AGU is required for current membership in any section.
   4. Current membership is required to vote and hold leadership positions. More information about this is outlined in the AGU bylaws (Article III, Section 1).
   5. Members can serve as volunteers or leaders in any section to which they belong, not just their primary affiliation.

Article 4. Elected officers and other executive committee members: What are the leadership roles of this section?

1. AGU Information
   Refer to AGU bylaws (Article VII, Section 2) for information on:
   1. Identification of officer positions: The officers of the Section shall be a President, President-Elect, Past President (ex officio), and Secretary. The officers shall be members under Article VII, Section 2 of the AGU Bylaws.
   2. Term of Office and Election of Officers -- The Section officers shall serve a two-year term, without honorarium, coincident with the term of the Union Officers. The President shall not be eligible for election as President-Elect immediately following the term as President. (Secretaries may be reappointed to a second consecutive two-year term with permission from the AGU governance staff but shall not be eligible for re-election immediately following this second term.)
   3. Composition of section executive committee -- The Section shall have an Executive Committee that shall include the Officers, Section Committee chairs, at least one early career representative, a student representative and the Eos.org Geodesy Editorial Board member, and any member at large appointed by the President.
   4. Handling vacancies -- If any office becomes vacant, the Executive Committee of the Section shall designate a successor to complete the term. Officers designated by the Executive Committee cannot hold office, without election, beyond the term of their predecessor.
   5. Seats on the AGU Council – The President and President-Elect serve on the AGU Council.
2. Section Information
   1. Section executive committee: The section will have an executive committee which includes the positions specified in the AGU bylaws and others as desired. Additional members are appointed by the section president. The Executive Committee should meet regularly to develop strategic goals and implementation plans. The President may invite AGU staff and others to participate as needed.
   2. Duties of the section president: The president chairs section and executive committee meetings and sets the agenda. The president is a voting member of the AGU Council and shall attend Council meetings. The president delegates work to executive committee members and other volunteers as needed.
      The president appoints or reappoints, with the input of the executive committee and other members and staff as desired, the members of all section committees and working groups. The president has the authority to withdraw appointments made while in office or by previous section presidents, subject to approval of the executive committee. The president is an ex-officio, non-voting member of all section committees and working groups.
   3. Duties of the section president-elect: The president-elect will assume the duties of the president, at the request of the president or in the absence or incapacity of the president. The president-elect is a voting member of the AGU Council and shall attend all Council meetings. The President-Elect shall have such other powers and duties as may be assigned by the Section President. The President-Elect shall succeed the President at the end of the President's term of office. The President-Elect is the liaison with AGU-wide initiatives and special projects. Other duties may be delegated by the section president.
   4. Duties of the section secretary: They are responsible for planning and organizing the communication strategy for the Section including updating the section website. The Secretary shall prepare the official minutes of all meetings of the Section and of the Executive Committee. In the absence of a designated alternate, the Secretary shall represent the absent President at Council meetings (or the President-Elect if necessary); and perform such duties as may be delegated by the Section President.
   5. Duties of the section past president: Serves as an Ex Officio member of the Executive Committee, and can Chair Section Task Forces as needed by appointment of the President. Other duties may be delegated by the section president.
   6. Duties of Student and Early Career Representatives on the Executive Committee: Interface with student and early career committees from other sections and AGU. Other duties may be delegated by the section president.
3. Nomination and Election Information
   1. Refer to the tips document developed for section leaders by the Leadership Development / Governance Committee.
   2. The President and President-Elect with input from the Executive and Canvassing Committees identifies a potential slate of candidates for President-Elect and Secretary starting prior to the Fall Meeting the year prior to elections (odd-numbered years). If more than two strong candidates are identified and agree to be considered for the position, the President and the Executive Committee identifies the slate of two candidates using the developed criteria that includes diversity, depth of leadership experience in the Geodesy Community, involvement in AGU, and scientific accomplishment. Discussions with candidates about other leadership opportunities within the Section should be held in the event that they are not elected as President-Elect or Secretary. The President-Elect shall submit the slate to the Union Council at least four months before the Union’s General Election. The slate of approved nominees shall appear in an AGU publication of general circulation not less than 30 days before the general election.

Article 5. Committees and Working Groups: What volunteers does the section need to accomplish its work and how are volunteer groups formed?

1. The section may form working groups and Committees. The words “committee” in this section includes all types of volunteer groups in the section unless otherwise noted.
   1. Definition of a Committee: A group needed to accomplish work term after term.
   2. Definition of a Working Group or Task Force: A group formed for a limited duration (< 2 years) with a specific outcome in mind with a specific end date identified in the charge.
2. The section president may form new committees and merge or sunset existing committees, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. Each incoming leadership team with input from the Executive Committee answers the following questions: What volunteer groups are needed to accomplish the work of the section this term? Do the current committees cover it, or are new or different ones needed? Are there any short-term efforts (e.g., organization of a conference, special events at Fall meeting require a Task Force?
3. Each committee will have a charge outlining the work and responsibilities of the committee. The questions to answer are: What do we need this group of volunteers to accomplish and by when? What authority and resources do they have? Where do they go for help?
4. Once after the charge is set, begin to identify and recruit volunteers. The section president has the authority to appoint and remove section volunteers. The questions to answer are: How many volunteers are needed to accomplish the charge and what perspectives are important to include?
   1. Committee membership should be distributed by gender, geography / nationality, career stage, and employer / employer type at minimum.
   2. More information on AGU’s diversity criteria and rotation guidelines are listed in the appendix.
5. Each committee will have a chair appointed by the section president, subject to approval from the executive committee.
6. Within 3 months of taking office, the section president will review committee charges and composition, then make recommendations to the executive committee about appointments and reappointments.
7. The terms of office are 2 years, with one renewal. This means no Committee or member should serve in that position for more than 4 years. A committee member may be asked to serve a 3rd term if promoted to the chair position.
8. Current section committees
   1. The Canvassing Committee will consist of at least three Section members, and will work to identify strong nomination pools that reflect the breadth and diversity of the Section. They seek out potential candidates for awards and elected positions and provide this information to the Executive Committee and can directly contact potential nominators for awards. Nominees are sought for:
      1. AGU Fellowship
      2. Section Awards: The John Wahr Early Career Award and the Ivan Mueller Award for Distinguished Service and Leadership
      3. The Paul Award for Outstanding Scientific Service jointly awarded by the Geodesy, Seismology, and Tectonophysics Sections
      4. The Bowie lecture at the Fall AGU meeting
      5. Section President-Elect and Secretary.
   2. The Fall Meeting Committee shall consist of the two Geodesy Fall Meeting Program Committee members – one is designated as the chair for the upcoming meeting while the other is in training. The Meetings Committee will plan scientific sessions for national meetings and promote papers for press coverage by AGU. In addition, the Meetings Committee shall advise the Executive Committee on the possible sponsorship and co-sponsorship of symposia and meetings in the fields of interest to the Section.
   3. The Outstanding Student Presentation Awards Committee shall coordinate the judging of all student papers at the Annual Meetings. There are at least two members: a chair for the current year and a chair in training for the upcoming year. Up to two additional members can serve at-large.
   4. The Fellows Committee shall have at least three members and is chaired by the Section President-Elect. It shall be responsible for collecting and evaluating Section candidates for Fellowships and for forwarding them to the Union Fellows Committee. In addition, the Fellows Committee shall promote nominations by Section members for Union medals and awards.
   5. Section Awards Committee shall have at least three members and is chaired by the Section President-Elect. It shall be responsible for collecting and evaluating nominees for the two section awards: The John Wahr Early Career Award and the Ivan Mueller Award for Distinguished Service and Leadership
   6. Paul Silver Award Committee is made up of the Presidents and President-Elects of the Seismology, Geodesy, and Tectonophysics Sections (i.e., six members) and is responsible for collecting and evaluating nominees for this joint award awards.

Article 6. Meetings: When do section members meet? How are meetings set and conducted?

1. Executive Committee
   1. The section executive committee holds virtual meetings at twice a year, but required to hold at least one in person meeting per year at the Fall Meeting. Other meetings may be held in person, via phone, or online (e.g., Zoom).
      1. The President and President-Elect work together to set the cadence, set the agenda with input from the Executive Committee, and take minutes along with the Secretary. The President is responsible for distributing the agenda, minutes and supporting material to the Executive Committee at least one week prior to the scheduled meeting. Minutes and supporting material should be distributed through AGU Connect so that a permanent record is available to all Executive Committee members.
      2. Committee, or items to be discussed by the Executive Committee.
   2. A quorum for making decisions is a majority of filled positions. Attendance can be either in person or virtual. Proxy voting is not allowed.
2. Committees or Working Groups
   1. Working groups may hold as many meetings as desired. Meetings may be held in person, via phone, or online (e.g., Zoom).
   2. The chair will call the meeting, set the agenda, and ensure that notes and action items are captured.
   3. A quorum for making decisions is a majority of filled positions. Attendance can be either in person or virtual. Proxy voting is not allowed.
   4. The section president is an ex officio and non-voting member of all section committees and working groups unless otherwise specified. Committee Chairs are requested to submit meeting reports to the Section President and be prepared to present information to the Executive Committee at a subsequent Executive Committee meeting.
3. Section business meeting / member event at Fall Meeting
   1. The Section shall host a Section reception and business meeting at the Fall Meeting for all section members (primary and secondary). The President and President-Elect shall make a brief report during the reception highlighting accomplishments, thanking volunteers, and announcing upcoming initiatives. Section Award winners (Fellows, AGU Awards, OSPA, and Medalists) shall be recognized.
   2. All student and early career representatives on the Executive Committee shall have their reception tickets made complimentary. Immediate previous year’s OSPA Geodesy winners are also offered complimentary tickets.

Article 7. Communication: How do section leaders communicate to their members?

1. AGU provides a website and Connect site for each section. The content is developed by each section. Training and support are provided by AGU staff.
   1. Section website: The Geodesy Section Web-Master is the Secretary. They are responsible for training to access the Section Web-page, update, and ensure accuracy.
   2. Section Connect site: Section leaders have the ability to communicate directly with their members via their section Connect site. Section leaders can make announcements and post documents in the library. Any member on the Connect site can start and participate in discussions.

Article 8. Staff Support: How does AGU staff partner with and support section leaders?

1. Each section is assigned a concierge on the AGU staff.
2. Monthly calls are held with staff for all members of section executive committees.
3. There is an AGU Section Leadership Connect site that contains information and resources. This site requires logging in.
4. Every January, key staff meet with the section president and president-elect.
5. Financial support is discussed at that annual meeting and throughout the year.
6. Governance and volunteer support are provided by the governance staff person (currently Cheryl Enderlein) and the Leadership Development / Governance Committee as needed.

Article 9. Amendments: How are these operating guidelines updated or changed?

1. Section operating guidelines should align to and support the AGU bylaws and AGU polices, processes and guidelines. In case of a conflict, the organization takes precedence over the section.
2. It is the responsibility of each section to keep these operating guidelines up to date. Changes and suggestions for updating these guidelines and appendices should be sent to the section president. Each incoming Section President should distribute to the Executive Committee and suggest updates at one of the first Executive Committee meetings. If updated, the revision date should be added to the Header.
3. Any voting member of the section may propose a change.
4. Most changes to how the section operates should be fairly straightforward. The recommended process to consider changes is as follows:
   1. The section president receives the proposed change and shares it with the executive committee.
   2. The section executive committee considers the proposed change and decides if the change will be incorporated.
   3. If a change affects only this section, the executive committee updates the operating guidelines document and sends it to the AGU governance staff person for review. This is currently Cheryl Enderlein (cenderlein@agu.org). This step is a quick check to ensure the change works with current AGU governance.
   4. If the change potentially affects multiple sections or an AGU policy or process, the section president contacts the AGU governance staff person about how a discussion could be started. Depending on the topic, this could include talking to the Council Chair, Council Leadership Team (CLT), and/or AGU Leadership Development / Governance Committee, etc. The current governance staff person to contact is Cheryl Enderlein (cenderlein@agu.org).

Appendix
Volunteering: How do you find and recruit volunteers?

1. AGU has established Volunteer Central, an online tool for people to complete a profile and be discoverable. There is no obligation for AGU or people with profiles; the tool allows AGU leaders to discover potential volunteers and allows potential volunteers to apply for volunteer jobs they are interested in.
2. The Leadership Development / Governance Committee has developed criteria for forming diverse volunteer groups.
   1. Current diversity criteria includes: Gender, geography / nationality, career stage, employer / employer type, science if necessary.
   2. Definition of career stage: AGU has an organizational guideline to include at least one student and/or early career member in every volunteer group formed. This helps develop leadership skills while also including the future generation in discussions and decisions.
   3. Additional skills and perspectives: When forming volunteer groups, sometimes certain skills or perspectives are desired.
3. The Leadership Development / Governance Committee also has established rotation guidelines to ensure leadership continuity while also allowing new volunteers and perspectives to be included.
   1. AGU has 2-year volunteer terms.
   2. Each term about 50% of every volunteer group should rotate off while carrying over about 50% for the next term. This makes room for new people and perspectives to join.
   3. Volunteers rotating off may be given another volunteer position with the CoF, a section or the organization.