The Society of American Archivists' Section Health Working Group (SHWG) is seeking additional volunteers to join the working group (currently consisting of Council Members Alison Clemens, Joyce Gabiola, Michelle Ganz, and Lydia Tang) for a two-year term. This group is tasked with evaluating and proposing structural updates to the section model of communities of practice/affinity groups. The group's proposals and recommendations will be submitted to and considered by SAA Council; Council will have final decision-making responsibilities for changes to the model.
The Section Health Working Group (SHWG) will pursue envisioning a new, remote-first model for Sections which support the following foundational principles:
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Sections are valuable communities of practice that foster information-exchange, creativity of expression, and support for members.
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The model for sections needs to be sustainable in terms of funds, staff and volunteer time, and administrative maintenance.
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Council liaisons have a responsibility to support their sections through proactive communication and orientation to SAA's governance requirements, and SAA section leaders have a responsibility to adhere to governance requirements and communicate with their liaison. This allows us to hold section leaders and the associated Council liaison collectively accountable for compliance with governance responsibilities.
As part of their envisionment work, the SHWG will build upon the insights gathered from the Society of American Archivists Section Health Assessment Overview (2023). They may conduct focus groups to gain broader feedback and buy-in. As a new section/communities of practice model is developed, the Working Group will lead a Town Hall or other membership communication efforts to communicate the model and form a transition plan from the current model. Toward the end of the Working Group's two year initial term, Working Group members should conduct an assessment of their work to determine whether a proposal should go to Council to extend or alter the work.
We are seeking a balance of experienced SAA leaders and newer voices in our profession. The anticipated time commitment will be approximately a 1-hour monthly meeting with some occasional asynchronous work. The full SHWG charge is available here:
SAA Section Health Assessment Working Group Charge------------------------------
SAA Headquarters
Society of American Archivists
Chicago IL
saahq@archivists.org------------------------------