To search the Archives website, use the Advanced Search.

Policy Concerning Council Meeting Agenda

Organizations or individuals who wish to present proposals or resolutions for consideration by the Council at its annual meeting should submit them in writing to the AAAS executive officer at least 60 days in advance of that meeting, for review by the Committee on Council Affairs. The committee asks that the following guidelines be observed:

1. All proposals and resolutions should be consistent with the objectives of the Association and deal with matters appropriate for consideration by the council of a scientific organization. Each resolution should be given a concise title.
2. Resolutions should be written in the traditional format, beginning with one or more “Whereas” statement-of-fact clauses and concluding with a “Therefore be it resolved” paragraph which presents a position that follows logically from the stated premises.
3. Proposals and resolutions that deal with technical matters must be accompanied by substantive supporting data and references.
4. Any proposal involving substantial expenditure of AAAS funds—such as a recommendation for the establishment of a study or investigative committee—should be presented in the form of a study proposal, with budget included, so that the financial implications of positive action are clearly stated.
5. Resolutions adopted by the Council are published in the Proceedings Issue of Science. Proponents who wish the AAAS to undertake any wider distribution should submit with their resolutions the names and addresses of individuals, organizations, or publications to which they would like to have copies sent.

The committee schedules an open hearing on the day before the Council meeting at the AAAS Annual Meeting to give interested persons an opportunity to speak for or against proposals or resolutions submitted for possible Council action. Urgent matters that arise after the deadline may be submitted to the executive officer, together with a written explanation of why submission was not made at least 60 days in advance of the Council meeting, for consideration by the Committee on Council Affairs at a meeting following the open hearing. At that meeting, the committee also considers any requests submitted to it by individuals who wish to address the Council on a particular agenda item.

[Adopted by the Committee on Council Affairs, AAAS, August 1971; revisions approved by the Council, AAAS, 13 February 1978; revisions approved by the Council, AAAS, 10 February 1992.]