Purpose
The purpose of this document is to define the system of governance for the Central Group on Educational Affairs (CGEA) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The purpose of the CGEA is to encourage communication among members and to provide a forum for discussion of medical education matters. It shall also serve in a resource and advisory capacity to the Group on Educational Affairs (GEA) Steering Committee and the AAMC. The CGEA's primary concern is the process of medical education in the settings in which it takes place.
Article I. Membership
A. Institutional Members of the CGEA are all medical schools in the AAMC's Central GEA Region. Currently this includes 32 U.S. medical schools and two Canadian affiliates. Each member school appoints a maximum of four appointees, one for each of the following GEA sections:
- Undergraduate Medical Education
- Graduate Medical Education
- Continuing Medical Education
- Research in Medical Education.
These appointees are known as the “decanal appointees” of the institutional members.
B. Individual Members of the CGEA are faculty and staff of medical schools in the Central Region, and faculty and staff of the Council of Teaching Hospitals (COTH) member hospitals in the region. Individuals who work for one of the following organizations are also eligible for CGEA Individual Membership:
- AOA accredited osteopathic medical schools;
- Hospital based programs for GME and CME which are accredited by the Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) or the Accreditation Committee for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
Other individuals may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Executive Committee.
C. All members are eligible to participate in meetings, programs, and other activities of the CGEA and receive any of its materials upon request. Each CGEA member shall be entitled to one vote.
Article II. Meetings
A. Meetings of the CGEA shall be held annually in the spring and fall (AAMC annual meeting). Notification of such meetings to members must occur at least thirty (30) days before the meeting date. Meetings are open to anyone interested in attending. The CGEA chair shall be the presiding officer.
Article III. Officers
A. The CGEA Officers shall consist of a Chair, and Chair-Elect or Past Chair, and Operations Coordinator. The Chair shall preside at the spring and fall meetings of the CGEA and at regional meetings of the CGEA Executive Committee. The Chair-Elect or Past Chair shall preside in the absence of the Chair. The Operations Coordinator shall oversee the coordination of CGEA initiatives, shall maintain CGEA records, shall distribute meeting minutes to the membership, shall keep the financial records of the CGEA and represent the CGEA in administration of the custodial account maintained by the AAMC. The Chair-Elect or Past Chair shall preside over the Nominating Committee. A description of the Officer’s duties is presented in Appendix A.
B. The person selected as Chair-Elect shall serve a four-year term of office under the assumption of automatic progression through the offices of Chair-Elect (one year), Chair (two years) and Past Chair (one year).
Article IV. Committees
A. Standing Committees of the CGEA shall consist of an Executive Committee, a Nominating Committee, an Awards Committee and a Program Planning Committee.
B. The voting members of the Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers of the CGEA, three Members-at-Large, the Chair from each of the GEA Sections, and a Student Representative. The editor of CGEA's Web page, the Operations Coordinator, Membership Coordinator, and the annual meeting program directors shall serve as ex- officio non-voting members of the Executive Committee, appointed by the Executive Committee. As appropriate, the Executive Committee may request other members of the CGEA or non-members to attend the Executive Committee meetings as non-voting members.
C. The CGEA Executive Committee shall have the normal duties of an executive committee and shall advise the Chair on matters related to CGEA. Between annual or special meetings of the membership, the Executive Committee is authorized to carry out the business of the organization.
D. The Nominating Committee shall consist of the Chair-Elect or immediate Past Chair and two members of the Executive Committee selected by the Chair.
E. The Nominating Committee shall be responsible for constructing electoral slates for members of the CGEA Executive Committee (with the exception of the position of Student Representative), preparing a written or electronic ballot, and distributing and tallying of ballots.
F. The Awards Committee will be responsible for soliciting nominations for the CGEA Medical Education Laureate Award. The committee will be composed of the Chair-Elect, immediate past CGEA chair, a current member of the Laureates, and chaired by the presiding CGEA chair. Nominations will be solicited from the members in November and December of each year.
G. The Program Planning Committee shall consist of the three Members-at-Large and the MESRE Section Chair. The senior Member-at Large will chair the committee.
Article V. Special Interest Groups (SIGS)
A. Individuals may organize in Special Interest Groups (SIGs) around a common theme in medical education, within the framework of the CGEA.
B. In order to be recognized, a SIG must submit to the Executive Committee for their approval, operational guidelines and address such issues as membership, leadership, and benefit to the organization and membership.
C. Each SIG must submit an annual report outlining membership, activities, and future plans. Failure to submit the report may result in the SIG disbandment.
Article VI. Elections and Vacancies
A. The terms of office for the CGEA Chair Elect, Chair, and Past Chair shall extend from the end of the closing sessions of the spring CGEA regional meeting, at which time they assume office, to the end of the closing sessions of the spring CGEA regional meeting two years later at which time they shall move to the next office in progression or shall leave office.
Members-at-Large shall leave office at the end of three years. All four Section Chairs shall serve for two years. The Student Representative shall serve for a renewable one year term, beginning at the summer meeting of the Executive Committee.
B. Election of the Chair-Elect for the CME and GME Sections shall take place in odd numbered years, and they shall take office and serve as Section Chairs on the Executive Committee, in the immediately following even numbered years. Election of the Chair- Elect for the MESRE and UGME Sections shall take place in even numbered years, and they shall take office, and serve as Section Chairs on the Executive Committee, in the immediately following odd numbered years.
C. Elections for the positions of Member-at-Large shall be held annually by mail or electronic ballot prior to the CGEA spring meeting. One of the three Members-at-Large shall be elected each year for a three-year period. A Chair-Elect shall be elected every other year (even years) by mail or electronic ballot.
D. The Nominating Committee of the CGEA shall provide names of candidates to the membership for the purpose of selecting a Chair Elect, Members-at-Large, and the four GEA Sections Representatives. The Section Chairs are responsible for soliciting members interested in serving as Section Chairs from the general membership, and providing a slate of candidates to the Nominating Committee.
E. Nominations shall be requested no less than 90 days before the spring meeting. Any member of CGEA may be a candidate for an Executive Committee office.
F. All voting for Executive Committee members shall be written and anonymous ballots. Every CGEA member may vote for their Executive Committee members.
G. Elections shall be decided by a simple majority of ballots cast, or by the Hare system if there are more than two candidates. In the event of the necessity of run-off elections, these shall take place as soon as feasible.
H. If a vacancy occurs during the term of office of the Chair, the Chair-Elect or immediate Past Chair shall advance to fill the opening. The Executive Committee may at its discretion appoint individuals to fill vacant positions on an interim basis until the next annual meeting at which time standard elections will be held.
I. The Student Representative shall be the Medical Education Delegate of the Central Region of the Organization of Student Representatives (OSR), or another OSR member selected by the Central OSR Officers to serve in this role.
Article VII. Finance
A. A major source of income to the organization shall be generated from a surcharge to be applied to the registration fee for the spring meeting. The Executive Committee shall establish the amount of this surcharge. The Executive Committee may develop other sources of income, as appropriate.
B. Expenses in excess of an amount set by the Executive Committee must be approved by the Chair before disbursement by the Operations Coordinator. Expenses less than that amount may be disbursed by the Operations Coordinator, but must be detailed in the annual financial report.
Article VIII. Parliamentary Authority
Robert's Rules of Order (latest edition) shall be the authoritative source for matters not specifically discussed in these Bylaws.
Article IX. Amendments to Bylaws
There are two means by which amendments to the bylaws may be brought to the Executive Committee:
- A member may circulate a petition and receive at least 25 signatures from members of the CGEA signifying that they wish to see the amendment subjected to a vote of the membership. This petition is presented to the Executive Committee for consideration by the entire membership.
- The Executive Committee proposes an amendment to the bylaws for review and approval by the membership by mailed ballot (postal or electronic) specifying the proposed change. A majority vote of two-thirds of the ballots received thirty (30) days following ballot mailing shall be required to amend.