I. Name
The name of the organization shall be the "Group on Regional Medical Campuses of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)" hereinafter referred to as the GRMC.
II. Purpose
The purpose of the GRMC is to provide a forum to explore and promote common interests of regional campuses of medical schools. The focus of the group is on regional campuses, that is, the operation of a significant portion of the medical educational program (e.g., all of the required pre-clinical and/or clinical clerkships, at a site geographically distant from the medical school). Such sites, while operating as an integrated unit of the accredited medical school, often have significant local autonomy in developing community relations, community faculty, and educational programs that capitalize on the unique attributes of the local institutions and resources.
As such, the GRMC will:
● Promote regional campuses as sites for medical student, graduate and continuing medical education and
● Provide
1. A discussion forum for common regional campus issues
2. Mentoring opportunities for regional campus executives
3. Leadership in developing innovative models of medical education, research and clinical care that are responsive to regional health care needs
● Address
1. Regional faculty issues
2. Multidisciplinary education
● Disseminate research outcomes and information concerning the value of regional medical campuses
● Promote career development of faculty and deans.
III. Membership
The membership shall consist of persons appointed by the deans of medical school members, including affiliate and provisional members, of the AAMC, who have responsibility for all aspects of the student and education programs of the regional campus. The appointed group member(s) shall serve at the pleasure of their respective dean (or appointing authority as applicable). Each school shall be entitled to a vote for each of their regional campuses, irrespective of the number of persons appointed to the Group.
There are two categories of membership in the GRMC:
1) All deans of medical school members, including affiliate and provisional members, of the AAMC are invited to appoint individuals with interests in, or responsibility for, the operation of a regional campus to membership in the group. There will be one voting representative per regional campus and an unlimited number of non-voting member/participants.
2) In addition to the deans or executives of regional campuses, medical school officials with responsibility for oversight and support of regional campus operations as well as faculty and staff whose interest lies in exploring or planning new programs or educational sites are welcome as full members/participants in the Group.
Membership Criteria:
Faculty and staff of U.S. and Canadian medical schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) and faculty and staff of the Council of Teaching Hospitals (COTH) member hospitals in the U.S. or Canada are eligible for GRMC membership.
IV. Officers
The Officers of the GRMC shall include the immediate past chair, chair, chair-elect, program chair and Group Program Leader.
The term of the Chairperson shall be for two years and shall commence at the Group's subsequent annual meeting. The Chairperson of the Group may not serve consecutive terms as Chairperson. The Group Program Leader shall be an AAMC staff member appointed by the AAMC President.
The Group Program Leader shall coordinate the provision of appropriate staff support and assist in the general direction of the GRMC.
Contact with major related organizations outside the Group shall be coordinated with the Group's Group Program Leader.
Officers shall serve for one-year terms, with the exception of the Chairperson. The Nominating Committee will recommend to the Steering Committee any replacement Officer or Officer-Elect, if the previously elected person is unable to serve. The Steering Committee will then make such replacement appointment, and these will remain effective until the next Group election.
The regional campus vote may be delegated to a designee attending a meeting in place of the voting member if he or she is unable to attend the meeting. Each regional medical campus may cast one (1) vote.
V. Committees
A. The Steering Committee. The GRMC Steering Committee shall be composed of: The Chairperson, the Chairperson-Elect, or the Immediate Past Chairperson and such additional members as described below.
B. Terms of Office
1. Chair (2 years)
2. Chair-elect (1 year)
3. Immediate Past-chair (1 year)
4. Program chair (1 year)
Additional members shall be the Program Chair and other ad hoc committee chairs.
Members may be appointed to the Steering Committee for the purpose of either (i) creating liaison relationships with organizations that hold a strong interest in the mission of the group, or (ii) bringing in expertise or points of view not available from the regular membership.
The GRMC Steering Committee shall manage the affairs of the Group.
A Steering Committee member who is no longer employed by the appointing medical school may complete an elected term on the Steering committee only if he or she continues employment with an AAMC member medical school, academic society, or teaching hospital.
B. A Nominating Committee appointed each y ear by the Steering Committee, shall be chaired by the Immediate Past Chairperson. It shall take nominations for the Chairperson-Elect and other open positions and such nominations shall be publicized in advance to the membership. Members, providing the consent of the nominee has been received, may make additional nominations from the floor, unless the election is by electronic ballot, in which case, additional nominations must be made at least 30 days before for the election is held.
The Nominating Committee will recommend to the Steering Committee any replacement Officer or Officer-elect, if the previously elected person is unable to serve. The Steering Committee will than make such replacement appointment and these will remain effective until the new Group election.
C. Other Standing or Ad hoc GRMC committees may be authorized by vote of the Steering Committee of the Group.
Appointment to these committees shall be made by the GRMC Chairperson with the approval of the Steering Committee.
The committee chairpersons shall be appointed by the GRMC Chairperson.
The Standing Committees and their functions shall be reviewed periodically by the Steering Committee. Those committees no longer needed may be dissolved upon recommendation of the Steering Committee.
Descriptions of the purpose and functions of each Group committee shall be appended to the Rules and Regulations. 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 of the GRMC Steering Committee.
VI. Meetings and Quorums
Meetings may be designated as open or closed. Attendance at closed meetings is limited to members and person specifically invited.
A business meeting of the Group membership shall be held at least annually.
The GRMC will hold two meetings each year: an "Annual Meeting" to be held in conjunction with the AAMC annual meeting, and a "Spring Meeting" to be held approximately one-half year later and, whenever possible, hosted by a regional medical campus.
1. The GRMC business meeting will occur annually and is open to anyone interested in attending.
2. The national chair of the GRMC shall be the presiding officer.
3. An agenda for the meeting will be prepared and distributed to the membership prior to the meeting.
4. Additional meetings of the membership may be called by the GRMC Steering Committee or upon the petition of at least one decanal appointee from a minimum of 15 member institutions.
5. Between annual or special meetings of the membership, the Steering Committee is authorized to carry out the business of the organization.
6. Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the conduct of all meetings.
The Steering Committee shall meet in person or by conference call. Conference calls or electronic communication may be used to conduct business of the Steering Committee and may be used, when practical, in place of other regular meeting. Fifty percent of the Steering Committee will constitute a quorum.
Fifty percent of the voting members attending the regularly scheduled meeting or conference that includes a business meeting shall constitute a quorum at the Group's business meeting.
Formal actions may be taken, and elections held at meetings of the membership or the Steering Committee at which a quorum is present. At such meetings, decisions will be made by majority vote of those qualified to vote, or in the case of the Steering Committee by majority vote or by consensus.
Actions and elections may be held by electronic ballot using tools suitable for this purpose provided by AAMC. In each such case, the forwarding communication shall specify the date and time when the balloting shall close. Where actions or elections are taken by electronic ballot, the decision will be determined by a majority of votes cast within the specified timeframe.
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.
VII. Amendments
Subject to the approval of the AAMC Board of Directors, these Rules and Regulations may be amended or repealed, and new Rules and Regulations may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the voting members present at any regular meeting of the Group for which prior written notice of the proposed changes has been given.
There are three means by which amendments to the bylaws may be brought to the Steering Committee:
1. A member may circulate a petition and receive at least 20 signatures from members of the GRMC signifying that they wish to see the amendment subjected to a vote of the membership. This petition is presented to the Steering Committee for consideration by the entire membership.
2. The Steering Committee of the GRMC proposes an amendment to the Bylaws for review and approval by the membership.
3. An appointed subcommittee of the GRMC Steering Committee recommends changes in the bylaws.
Appendices
1. Committees, names, and duties
2. Dates of Adoption and Amendment of Rules and Regulations
3. Rules of Procedure for Group Sections if necessary
Note
All group rules and regulations currently have a provision specifying the parliamentary authority which governs on matters not covered in the rules and regulations. It seems unlikely that this is necessary or appropriate since such authority is seldom, if ever, necessary, and it is doubtful that sufficient parliamentary expertise exists in the membership to make this provision effective. The alternative selected here is authorizing the chairperson to make all parliamentary decision, subject to being overridden by two thirds vote.)