Basic and Applied Science Professional Advisory Group (BAS-PAG)
BYLAWS
I. MISSION
The Basic and Applied Science Advisory Group (BASPAG) of the
Health Services Professional Advisory Committee (HS-PAC) shall provide advice
and consultation to the Surgeon General through the HS-PAC and Chief Health Services
Officer on issues relating to the professional practice and personnel
activities of Commissioned Health Services Officers working in Basic and Applied
Science (BAS) Disciplines.
II. OBJECTIVES
The BASPAG serves in a resource and advisory capacity in the
development, coordination, and evaluation of activities related to the basic
applied science professional discipline among Health Services Officers in the
U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) with the specific objectives:
A. To identify and
facilitate the resolution of issues as they relate to the needs of the BAS Disciplines.
B. To identify personnel
needs of the USPHS and to assist in meeting those needs through activities such
as recruitment, retention, training, utilization, and proper recognition of BAS
Officers.
C. To develop
position papers, statistical reports and/or guidelines where appropriate, in
order to advise and comment on both personnel and professional development
issues involving the Basic and Applied Science disciplines.
D. To promote
continuing education and acquisition of advanced degrees (e.g. MPH, PhD) in
order to provide opportunities for employment in all PHS Operating Divisions
and other health related programs (e.g. other federal/state agencies and
international organizations.)
E. To review and
provide recommendations concerning proposed or needed changes to appointment
standards and billet descriptions in order to broaden the opportunities for BAS
Officers.
F. To assist in the
development of orientation materials for newly-commissioned BAS Officers and
provide advice/recommendations concerning orientation programs.
G. To encourage
individual membership and involvement with professional organizations and
societies, and provide a vehicle for networking.
H. To promote
cooperation and communication among and between other public health
professional disciplines.
III. MEMBERSHIP
A. Eligibility:
Members shall be Commissioned Corps BAS Officers in the Health Services
Category.
B. Size: The BASPAG shall have between 10 and 12 voting
members (members herein) who are nominated and appointed by BASPAG.
C. Terms: Each of the elected members shall
serve a term of two years on staggered rotations.
D. Other Considerations:
(1) Organizational
representation: Participation shall be promoted from each of the DHHS Operating
Divisions to provide the range of experiences and perspectives necessary to
address issues before the BASPAG. Efforts will be made to have the broadest
representation possible among all other Agencies where Commissioned Corps BAS
Officers from the Health Services Category are employed
(2) Geographic
consideration: Participation shall be promoted from members whose regular duty
station is geographically removed from the Washington,
D.C. metropolitan area. Members will be
actively solicited and provisions such as teleconferencing will be made so that
Commissioned Corps BAS Officers stationed outside the Washington,
D.C. metropolitan area can participate in
meetings.
(3) Diversity among
officers of different cultures, race, ethnicity and gender shall be respected
and participation welcomed. Efforts will be made to ensure that participants
in the BASPAG represent the ethnic and gender diversity of its officers
E. Individuals are welcome to serve as volunteers
on BASPAG subcommittees at the discretion of the BASPAG Chair. Volunteers
have no voting rights.
G. Meetings are open to all Health Services
Officers.
IV. BASPAG LEADERSHIP
The BASPAG Executive Committee shall be composed of the
Chairperson (Chair), a Chairperson-Elect (Chair-Elect), and Executive Secretary.
The Executive Committee shall facilitate the execution of the vision, mission,
and objectives developed by the BASPAG membership. Each officer shall be
elected by the members of the BASPAG prior to the end of the calendar year, for
a term of office, as defined in the bylaws, beginning on January 1. Only BASPAG voting members shall be eligible
for nomination to the Executive Committee.
Duties of the officers are as follows:
A. Chair: The BASPAG Chair facilitates, organizes, and maintains order
in meetings of the Group and meetings of the Executive Committee. The Chair is
expected to attend the HS-PAC meetings and serve as the BASPAG liaison to the
HS-PAC. The Chair may choose to delegate another Executive Committee member to
participate as BASPAG liaison to any internal or external professional advisory
group or committee. The Chair shall cast
a vote only in the event of a tie within the Group.
Term of the Chair: The Chair will serve a 1-year term with the option to extend
one additional year.
B. Chair-Elect: The role of the
Chair-elect includes acting as Chair when necessary and acting as the official
liaison to professional advisory groups and/or committees and other groups as
assigned by the Chair. In the absence of the Chair, the Chair-Elect shall
exercise all the rights and responsibilities that are granted to the Chair by
the BASPAG Bylaws.
Term of the Chair-Elect: The Chair-Elect serves a 1-year term, then assumes the
role of Chair.
C. Secretary: The responsibilities of
the Executive Secretary include: informing the BASPAG membership (via listserv
or email) of physical meeting locations and conference line information,
establishment of an agenda in collaboration with the Chair and distribution of
the agenda to members, preparation and distribution of minutes (a copy of
approved minutes to the Chief HSO and HS-PAC Chair), and maintenance of
reports, attendance, and official documents.
Term of the Secretary: The Secretary serves a 1-year term
with an option to extend for 1 year.
V. OPERATIONS AND PROCEDURES
The BASPAG operations and procedures shall include the
following:
A. Operational Year: Calendar year January 1 – December 31
B. Frequency of
Meeting: At least once per quarter. The Chair may call additional meetings as
needed. BASPAG subcommittees may meet
more often.
C. Agenda: A meeting agenda and appropriate background
material will be made available to BASPAG members.
D. Recording and Reporting: Minutes of each BASPAG meeting will be recorded
and approved by the BASPAG. The BASPAG Secretary
will maintain a permanent file of official minutes and reports.
E. Voting: Where voting is required, fifty percent of
the membership must be present in person or via teleconference to establish a
quorum.
F. Operating
subcommittees: The BASPAG may have
operating subcommittees to accomplish its objectives. These subcommittees will be organized and
conduct business in a manner consistent with the BASPAG. The Chair of the BASPAG will appoint a Chair
of each subcommittee who must be a voting member of the BASPAG. The operating subcommittees may include but
are not limited to: 1) mentoring 2) deployment roles and skill sets 3)
recruitment/retention 4) career opportunities 5) professional development and networking 6)
membership and 7) awards. Ad-hoc
committees may be formed as needed.
G. Membership: A Membership Committee shall be assembled
each year to receive nominations for voting membership, evaluate the
nominations, and appoint new voting members.
The Chair, Chair-Elect, and Secretary will be elected by the voting
membership.
(1)
Solicitation: Annually, the BASPAG
shall solicit applicants for voting membership through the HS-PAC or BASPAG listserv,
and other appropriate means.
(2) Mechanism for Nomination: Prospective BASPAG nominees may self-nominate
or may be nominated by another BASPAG or HS-PAC member. Preference of membership
shall be given to officers who have proven to be active non-voting participants
in BASPAG committees and official meetings.
In addition, all active duty voting members shall meet the Office of
Force Readiness and Deployment (OFRD) Basic Readiness qualifications.
Prospective
nominees shall provide to the BASPAG Membership Committee the following
information: (a) a current Curriculum Vitae, and (b) a letter of interest /
intent. The Membership Committee shall provide a list
of the selected nominees to the BASPAG Chair.
All application packets, regardless of nomination mechanism, must be
postmarked on or before October 30 of the term year.
