Group on Business Affairs (GBA)

Rules and Regulations

I. Name

The name of the organization shall be the "Group on Business Affairs of the Association of American Medical Colleges," hereinafter referred to as the GBA.

II. Purpose

The purpose of the organization is to advance the managerial art and science of administering medical education in the areas of business, fiscal and administrative management of medical schools, and to facilitate direct interaction of the AAMC staff and Councils with institutional representatives charged with responsibilities in business affairs.

III. Membership

1. Members shall be appointed by the deans of medical schools that are members of the Association of American Medical Colleges (hereinafter referred to as the AAMC) and shall serve at the pleasure of their respective deans. Members of the GBA shall be of two types:
   a. The dean shall appoint a senior member of their staff to serve as the primary contact for the AAMC on matters related to medical school business, fiscal, and administrative management. This person will be referred to as the Principal Business Officer (PBO). The PBO shall also serve as the voting member of the institution on GBA related matters.
   b. The dean or the PBO may appoint additional persons to the GBA. These additional persons will be referred to as General Members of the group.
   
2. Deans of schools holding affiliate membership in the AAMC (such as the Canadian medical schools) may appoint members of the GBA. These members shall have the privileges of the floor in all discussions, and shall be entitled to one vote per school.
3. Deans of schools holding provisional institutional membership in the AAMC (such as newly developing medical schools) may appoint members of the GBA. These members shall have the privileges of the floor in all discussions, and shall be entitled to one vote per school.
4. Other interested individuals without voting rights may be elected to the GBA by the membership or by its Steering committee. In this manner, appropriate individuals from the AAMC staff may become ex-officio members of the GBA.
5. Representatives of school holding full (regular) institutional membership in the AAMC shall be entitled to vote and there shall be only one vote per school.

IV. Meetings and Quorums

1. Meetings of the national GBA membership shall be held annually. Additional meetings may be called by the GBA Steering Committee or by 25 member institutions.
2. A majority of the voting members (one vote for each school holding institutional membership in the AAMC, affiliate membership in the AAMC, or provisional institutional membership in the AAMC) shall constitute a quorum.
3. Formal actions may only be taken at meetings in which a quorum is present. At such meetings, decisions will be made by majority vote of those voting.
4. In the conduct of meetings, the order of business shall be under the direction of the Chairperson who shall make all parliamentary decisions. Such decisions may be reversed by two-thirds majority of the voting members present and voting.

V. National Officers

The national GBA officers shall include a Chairperson, a Chairperson-Elect, an Executive Secretary, and such other officers as may be appropriate.

The GBA Chairperson may not serve consecutive terms.

The Chairperson-Elect shall be elected annually by a simple majority of the voting members present and voting at the GBA annual meeting. The term of the Chairperson shall commence one year thereafter.

The Executive Secretary of the GBA shall be appointed by the AAMC President and shall be an AAMC staff member. The Executive Secretary shall coordinate the provision of appropriate staff support and assist in the general direction of the GBA.

Nominations for the Chairperson-Elect and other officers shall be made by a nominating committee comprised of the Chair, the Chair-Elect and the Past Chair. Such nominations shall be publicized in advance to the membership. Additional nominations may be made from the floor by the members, providing the consent of the nominees has been received.

The Nominating Committee will recommend to the Steering Committee any elected national officer or officer-elect if the elected person is unable to serve. These appointments will remain effective until the next annual meeting.

VI. Committees

1. The GBA Steering Committee shall be composed of:
   • National Officers of the GBA
   • The Immediate Past National Chairperson
   • Chairpersons of GBA Committees
   • At-large PBO
   • At-large GBA member that is not a PBO
2. The GBA Steering Committee shall manage the affairs of the Group. It shall also approve all committee appointments.
3. Other Standing or Ad Hoc GBA Committees may be authorized by vote of the GBA membership with the concurrence of the AAMC President. If a new committee is needed between annual meetings, an Ad Hoc Committee may be authorized by the Steering Committee and appointed by the Chairperson to serve until the next GBA annual meeting.
4. The GBA Committees, whenever practical, shall include:
   • Appropriate representatives from the GBA
   • Appropriate AAMC staff members
   • A member of the Steering Committee
5. Appointment to committees shall be made annually by the GBA Chairperson and Committee Chairpersons with the approval of the Steering Committee.
6. Committee Chairpersons and at-large members shall be appointed by the GBA Nominating Committee. Each committee may also elect a Vice-Chairperson and a Secretary.
7. Minutes shall be kept of all committee meetings and circulated to committee members and the National Chairperson.
8. The role of all GBA committees, except for the Steering Committee, shall be advisory. Accordingly, they shall obtain approval for any major projects from the GBA membership at the annual meeting (or from the GBA Steering committee between annual meetings) and the AAMC President. Contact with major related organizations outside the GBA shall be coordinated with the GBA Executive Secretary.
9. The Standing Committees and their functions shall be reviewed annually by the Steering Committee. Those committees no longer needed may be dissolved upon the recommendation of the Steering Committee to the national GBA membership and upon the approval of the national membership.
10. Descriptions of the purpose and functions of each current GBA committee shall be appended to the Rules and Regulations (see Appendix) but the committee description shall not be considered an official part of the Rules and Regulations. Major changes in the committee descriptions shall be made only by or with the approval or the GBA membership of the GBA Steering Committee.

VII. Parliamentary Authority

For matters not covered in these Rules and Regulations, parliamentary authority shall be Roberts Rules of Order.

VIII. Amendments

Subject to the approval of the AAMC President and the Executive Council, these Rules and Regulations may be altered, repealed, or amended or new Rules and Regulations adopted by a two-thirds vote of the voting members present and voting at any annual meeting of the GBA membership for which prior written notice of the Rules and Regulations changes has been given, provided that the total number of votes cast for the changes constitutes a majority of the combined institutional, affiliate, and provisional institutional membership. (As indicated in Section III, the voting members are limited to one GBA representative per school holding institutional, affiliate, or provisional membership in the AAMC.)

[Approved April 6, 2006]

Appendix to Rules and Regulations

Committees

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