THE TROUT GALLERY
Advisory Committee
By-Laws
I. MISSION
The Advisory Committee is an all-campus representative body charged with providing counsel to the Director on matters regarding The Trout Gallery’s operation, including but not limited to: strategic planning, administration, exhibition planning, collections management, and education.
II. AUTHORITY
The Advisory Committee is strictly an advisory body and forum. As a matter of practice, when the Director is required to decide on matters before the Advisory Committee, the Director may respond at the conclusion of relevant discussion with his/her decision or the Director may report a decision at a subsequent meeting under the agenda items for Old Business. All decisions made by the Director in connection with matters raised before the Advisory Committee will be recorded in the official minutes of the meeting.
III. CALENDAR
The Advisory Committee adheres to the College’s fiscal calendar (July 1 to June 31).
IV. MEMBERSHIP
The Advisory Committee shall consist of seventeen (17) members. Of the seventeen members, seven (7) shall be standing members determined by their position at the college, and eight (10) shall be rotating members selected to represent various constituents.
A. STANDING MEMBERS
The seven (7) standing positions shall be filled by those who hold the following positions:
1. Provost of the college or his/her representative as agreed upon by the Director.
2. Vice-President of advancement or his/her chosen representative as agreed upon by the Director.
3. Representative of Community Affairs as selected by the college President.
4. Director of The Trout Gallery
5. Director of Archives and Special Collections
6. Curator of Education
7. Collections Registrar/Exhibition Preparator
B. ROTATING MEMBERS
The ten (10) rotating positions shall be filled by representatives drawn from the following areas:
Two (2) faculty positions in Art History, not including the Director.
Two (2) faculty members in Studio Art, not including the Director.
One (1) faculty member from Division I (humanities); drawn from a department other than art & art history.
One (1) faculty member from Division II (social sciences).
One (1) faculty member from Division III (natural sciences).
One (1) faculty member from among the current members of the Academic Planning and Standards Committee (APSC). Counts for division representation as well.
One (1) Dickinson College student representative majoring in art & art history. To be selected by faculty of art & art history.
One (1) Dickinson College student representative majoring in a field other than art & art history. To be selected by the student senate.
C. NOMINATION AND APPOINTMENT OF ROTATING MEMBERS
The Advisory Committee shall receive from members of the Advisory Committee nominations for new appointments no later than the April meeting. The Director in consultation with the Advisory Committee shall select new members from the list of nominees. Appointments of new members will be made during the May meeting. New members will be seated no later than the subsequent October meeting.
D. TERMS OF APPOINTMENT
1. ROTATING MEMBERS: Rotating members of the Advisory Committee shall serve for a term of two (2) academic years. Rotating members may not serve two consecutive terms unless vacancies within a division or department make this necessary.
2. STANDING MEMBERS. Standing members serve the Advisory Committee for as long as they hold their position at the College. In the event of a standing member assuming a new position at the College that does not have a standing position on the Advisory Board, the member’s term on the Advisory Committee will expire upon the member assuming his/her new position. The Director may appoint an interim representative to the Advisory Committee from the same department or program until a new hire fills the vacated position.
E. PARTICIPATION
All members are expected to attend all scheduled meetings of the Advisory Committee and participate in the exhibitions and events organized by The Trout Gallery. If a rotating member does not attend four (4) or more meetings over a one-year period, that member may not be eligible to serve on the committee in the future.
F. SECRETARY
The Trout Gallery Administrative Assistant serves as Secretary of the Advisory Committee. The Secretary shall maintain and distribute the minutes of the preceding meeting, the agenda for the pending meeting, and any related materials for consideration at the meeting to members of the Advisory Committee one (1) week prior to the following meeting. Agenda items may be submitted to the Secretary of the Advisory board. The Secretary will maintain a list of proposed agenda items and the assignment of such items to upcoming meetings. This list will be made accessible to all committee members.
V. REPORTING
A. MEETING REPORTS
Each meeting the following reports will be presented to the Advisory Committee by the following committee members one (1) week prior to the meeting.
1. Administrative (finance, development, marketing): Director
2. Exhibitions: Director
3. Education (programming, attendance): Curator of Education
4. Collections: Registrar/Preparator
5. Facilities: Registrar/Preparator
6. Membership: Secretary
B. ANNUAL REPORTS
At the December meeting, the committee members listed above will provide the Advisory Committee with annual reports summarizing the previous fiscal year. At the February meeting, the Director will submit a comprehensive Annual Report to the Advisory Committee for the previous fiscal year.
C. ACCESS TO REPORTS
Reports will be made accessible to all members of the Dickinson College Community through a link on The Trout Gallery’s website.
IV. MEETINGS
A simple majority of the membership of The Advisory Committee shall constitute a quorum, and the recommendation of a majority of the members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the recommendation of The Advisory Committee.
A. REGULAR COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The Advisory Committee shall meet four (4) times during each of the college’s fall and spring semesters at approximately once during each of the following months: September, October, November, December, February, March, April, and May. Meeting times and dates will be defined and circulated prior to the beginning of each semester. The May meeting shall be designated as an annual meeting for the purpose of confirming new appointees to The Advisory Committee, who will be seated in the first meeting of the fiscal year in the following September. The Director is the chair of the committee, schedules its meetings, and determines the meeting agenda. Proposed agenda items must be sent to the Director no later than eight (8) days prior to the date of a meeting to be considered for the pending meeting.
B. SPECIAL MEETINGS OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Special meetings of The Advisory Committee may be called from time to time by the Director. Notice of such special meetings is to be communicated in writing to the members of The Advisory Committee at least ten (10) days prior to the date of such meetings.
C. AD HOC COMMITTEES
Occasionally, the Advisory Committee may form one or more Ad Hoc Committees to consider specific matters in greater depth and report its findings to the Advisory Committee. Ad Hoc Committees are to remain in effect for only as long as the matter in question requires. The Director may dissolve an Ad Hoc committee at his/her discretion.
V. ETHICAL STANDARDS
A. CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Members of The Advisory Committee must not engage in business dealings that would constitute or appear to constitute a conflict of interest, including but not limited to: serving as art appraisers for works being considered for the permanent collection or works currently in the collection, purchasing art work deaccessioned by The Trout Gallery, and entering into contracts for hire related to the business of The Trout Gallery either personally or through businesses in which the member(s) may have a financial or political stake. Additionally, The Trout Gallery cannot purchase art from artists, collectors, dealers, or buyers who are current members of the Advisory Committee. Members of The Advisory Committee shall declare themselves as “abstaining” from discussion on any matter in which said members may be considered to have a conflict of interest. Such abstaining declaration shall be made for the record at the beginning of any such discussion and shall be recorded in the official minutes of the meeting. The same conflict of interest procedures shall apply to any member participating in any discussion.
VI. AMENDMENTS
The Advisory Committee may initiate amendments to these By-Laws. Such amendments shall not effect such change as to exceed the powers and authorities delegated to The Advisory Committee. Amendments are to be proposed to members of The Advisory Committee in writing at least ten (10) business days prior to the date of the meeting at which they will be considered. Adoption of such amendments will be by a simple majority vote of The Advisory Committee and subject to ratification by the Director.
VII. PRIOR BYLAWS REPEALED, ACTIONS RATIFIED.
All bylaws and or de facto practice adopted or exercised prior to May 9, 2013 are hereby repealed, effective upon the adoption by the membership of Advisory Committee of the Bylaws set forth above.
