ICA SUV Bylaws

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL ON ARCHIVES

SECTION OF UNIVERSITY AND RESEARCH INSTITUTION ARCHIVES (ICA/SUV)

BYLAWS

As adopted by the Section's General Assembly at Beijing [1996] and approved by the September 1996 General Assembly of the International Council on Archives. Revised and adopted by the SUV General Meeting, 16 August 2007 in accordance with ICA Constitution (2004).

1. NAME OF THE SECTION

The name of this organization is Section of University and Research Institution Archives (ICA/SUV).

2. LEGAL STATUS

The SUV is a section of the International Council on Archives (ICA) in accordance with Section XIX, Articles 60 to 64 of the Constitution of ICA.

3. GENERAL OBJECTIVES 

This section shall be open to archival institutions of universities, colleges, academies of science and letters, learned societies, and research institutions and to individuals associated with these institutions.

In accordance with the  Section III, Articles 2 and 3 of the ICA Constitution (2004) the aims of ICA/SUV are:

3.1       to promote communication and cooperation between archives and archivists in universities, colleges, academies of science and letters, learned societies, and research institutions in all countries.

3.2      to promote, organise and co-ordinate best practice, the development of standards and other activities in the field of records and archives management; in the above named institutions.

3.3       to assist in the development and strengthening of archives in the above named institutions through conferences, publications, and other appropriate activities.

3.4       to cooperate with other bodies of the ICA and others in assisting archives in the above named institutions to document more adequately their institutions and to improve their archival and records services.

3.5       and to facilitate the interpretation and use of archives by making their content more widely known and by encouraging greater access to them.

4. MEMBERSHIP

ICA/SUV accepts both institutional and individual members.

4.1       Any archives from the above named institutions which is or becomes a member (category C) of the ICA may become an institutional member of ICA/SUV. Institutional members of ICA/SUV must nominate a representative to SUV; these representatives need not pay for an individual membership to ICA.

4.2       Any archivist, records manager, or individual associated with the above named institutions who is or becomes an individual member (category D) of the ICA may also become a member of the ICA/SUV.

4.3       All institutional representatives and individual members have the right to speak and to vote in the General Meeting of ICA/SUV.

5 The SUV General Meeting

The SUV General Meeting, in which  representatives of institutional members and all individual members of ICA/SUV have the right to speak and to vote, meets at least once every two years. Its tasks consist of:

5.1       approving the programme of activities of ICA/SUV and monitoring its implementation.

5.2       monitoring the financial affairs of ICA/SUV.

Decisions are made by a simple majority of the voting members present. Archivists, staff, and individuals of the above (Art. 3) named institutions as well as other interested archivists and related professionals who are not members of ICA, may attend the Plenary Assembly of ICA/SUV as observers.

6. The Section Bureau 

The Section Bureau of ICA/SUV consists of a chair, vice-chair,  secretary, and a maximum of nine elected members. All members of the Section Bureau must be either individual members or institutional representatives of ICA/SUV. The members of the Section Bureau are elected by a simple majority of the members for a term of four years, which may be renewed one consecutive time. Members may serve no more than eight consecutive years. If a member retires or ceases to be a member of ICA/SUV during the term, the Section Bureau may appoint a successor to complete the term.

The conduct of elections shall be governed by regulations and guidelines approved by the SUV General Meeting.

The Section Bureau meets as often as necessary, at least once each year, to to initiate and promote activities, and to implement the programme approved by SUV General Meeting.

7. The Chair, Vice-Chair, and the Secretary

In accordance with Article 60.4 of the Constitution of the International Council on Archives, the Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary are elected by the SUV membership for a term of four years, which may be renewed for one additional consecutive term of four years.

The Chair shall vote only in an instance to resolve a tie vote. The Chair submits an annual report to the Programme Commission.

The Vice-Chair serves as a member the Section Bureau and shall assume responsibilities of the Chair in the event of the Chair's inability to complete the functions of his/her office.

The Secretary keeps the Section's records and administers the Section's moneys under the supervision of the ICA Vice-President, Finance(Article 62 (02)).

8. Committees

Standing and ad hoc Committees, to carry out specific tasks of the Section may be established by the Section Bureau, to which they should report. The Section Bureau shall appoint the chairs of all standing and ad hoc committees.

9. Publications

ICA/SUV may undertake publications and communications (Article 63).  

10. Amendments.

The Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of members present and voting at the SUV General Meeting.

11. Transitional Provisions.

In 2006, prior to the adoption of these amendments, the SUV elected an individual as "Chair of the Science Committee," who was thereby entitled to serve as a member of the then "Steering Committee" for the term 2006-2010.  In recognition of this election and in recognition of the fact that these 2007 amendments replace the prior structure of a single committee with the possibility of multiple committees, the individual so-elected in 2006 as Chair of the Science Committee shall by adoption of these amendments be designated Section Vice-Chair with the duties and responsibilities herein outlined for the balance of the 2006-2010 term.

Original/Superseded By Laws