MBLCommunity Advisory Council Charter

Approved by the President/Director on July 1, 2020

  • I. Purpose
  • The role of the MBLCommunity Advisory Council (“Community Council”) is to advise the MBLPresident/Director and Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) upon their request on general aspects of MBLcommunity life connected to and essential for the MBLresearch and education missions, but not the research or education missions themselves. This includes, for example, housing, childcare, facilities, campus life, and Woods Hole/Falmouth community relations.
  • The MBLPresident/Director and COO will communicate with the Community Council regularly on matters for which they seek the advice of the Community Council.
  • II. Composition of Community Council
  • The Community Council will be comprised of no more than thirteen (13) members, consisting of up to four (4) Resident scientists, three (3) Whitman Center scientists, three (3) Education faculty, one (1) Emeritus MBLSociety member, one (1) postdoc/graduate student, and one (1) at-large member.
  • The MBLPresident/Director and/or his or her designee and the Speaker of the MBLSociety will serve as ex officio members.
  • All MBLSociety Members in good standing shall be eligible for nomination to the Community Council.
  • III. Council Selection and Appointment
  • MBLSociety members shall nominate members of the Community Council annually in the spring.  MBLSociety members may be nominated for consideration as Community Council members by other MBLSociety members or by self-nomination.  A Nomination Committee will be composed of six (6) members appointed by the Community Council Chair in consultation with the Community Council. The Nomination Committee will prepare a slate from the nominations for vote of MBLSociety members.  The MBLPresident/Director will select and appoint Community Council members from among the nominees presented by vote of the MBLSociety.
  • IV. Community Council Terms
  • Community Council member terms will begin on July 1, continue for three years, and end on June 30.  Community Council members may serve two (2) consecutive three-year terms, and then must stand down for at least two (2) years before being eligible again. Chair and Vice Chair positions will be elected from and by members of the Community Council at the first Community Council meeting following the election.
  • V. Community Council Meetings
  • The Community Council shall meet twice per year or as otherwise requested by the MBLPresident/Director.  The MBLPresident/Director and the MBLSociety Speaker will be invited (as ex officio members) to the Community Council meetings.
  • VI. Communication
  • The Speaker of the MBLSociety will regularly receive advice and input from MBLSociety members and representatives of the broader MBLcommunity on matters to be addressed at the meetings of the Community Council. The Chair of the Community Council will prepare a written report addressing the issues raised by the Speaker and other matters following each Community Council meeting. The Speaker will share these reports with the MBLSociety and the MBLPresident/Director and COO.  The MBLPresident/Director will report to the Board of Trustees on the activities of the Community Council.