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ALS Users’ Association Charter

The purpose of the Advanced Light Source Users’ Association (ALSUA) is to provide an organized framework for the interaction between those who use the Advanced Light Source (ALS) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) for their research and ALS management, as well as to provide a channel for communication with other synchrotron radiation laboratories and, on suitable occasions, with federal agencies. The ALSUA, representing the research workers, will be in a position to make known to the ALS management the needs and desires of users regarding operating policy, use of the ALS, user support, and other relevant issues of concern to those engaged in research at this facility. The ALSUA will further provide a means for ALS management to inform users with regard to current and future plans for the facility. Thorough discussion with users of current projects, as well as plans for the future, will place ALS management in a better position to evaluate the needs of users and will enable users to plan more efficiently the utilization of the facility. The role of the ALSUA shall be to advise the ALS Director on matters of concern to users. Responsibility for the ALS and the research program carried out at the ALS resides with the ALS Director.

A. Organization

1. Membership

Membership in the ALSUA shall be open to those, including students, who are interested in research at the ALS.

2. Standing Committees

  1. The Users’ Executive Committee is charged with conducting the day-to-day business of the ALSUA. The Users’ Executive Committee shall consist of at least 13 members. These members include the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Past Chairperson, and Secretary. No more than one member may be an ALS employee, with the exception of a professional appointment change during a member term (incl. the Chairperson), in which case more than one member may be an ALS employee. At least one of the members shall be a student representative. Each year a minimum of three new full members shall be elected to the Users’ Executive Committee by the ALSUA through ballot vote, for staggered terms of office, as soon as practicable after the annual meeting of the membership of the ALSUA. Newly elected members of the Users’ Executive Committee shall take office on the first of January of the year following their election. The terms of office of members of the Users’ Executive Committee shall be three years, except for officers, who shall be elected by the committee from among its members, as specified below. If a member does not fulfill the expectations stated in section A.3 or harms the ALSUA with their action, they can be released from the UEC by a 2/3 vote of the members and the vacated position can be filled as stated in section C.4. In the case of an underrepresented research field on the UEC, the UEC members can appoint one person for one year by a 2/3 vote to balance the research fields until the next election. The term of the student member shall be two years. If the student member graduates during their term, a new student member shall be elected during the next regular election in addition to the full members.
  2. The UEC is charged with preparing a slate of candidates for election to the executive committee. The slate is to be presented to the membership of the ALSUA shortly after the annual meeting. The slate shall, as much as possible, reflect a balance of interests among active research fields pursued at the ALS and among institutional affiliations of the users and shall be twice as large as the number of positions to be filled on the Users’ Executive Committee.
  3. The expectations for the UEC members include the participation in the majority of the meetings stated in section B 3. Members are required to attend at least one meeting per year in person; meetings may be participated in via teleconference.

3. Officers

  1. The Chairperson of the Users’ Executive Committee shall serve as Chairperson of the ALSUA. The Chairperson’s term of office shall be one year. To assure continuity, the Chairperson shall continue to serve on the Users’ Executive Committee for one additional year as Past Chairperson. Only full members can serve as Chairperson.
  2. The Vice Chairperson of the Users’ Executive Committee shall serve as Vice Chairperson of the ALSUA. The Vice Chairperson shall stand in for the Chairperson if they are unavailable and shall assist the Chairperson in the discharge of their duties. The Vice Chairperson shall be elected by the Users’ Executive Committee from among its members. Their term of office shall be one year, upon expiration of which term they shall assume the position of Chairperson.
  3. The Secretary of the Users’ Executive Committee, appointed by the Chairperson, shall serve as Secretary of the ALSUA. The term of office of the Secretary shall be one year and is renewable.
  4. The Users’ Executive Committee can appoint a representative for the “Society for Science at User Research Facilities” (SSURF) and other advocacy groups. The representative is appointed annually and does not need to be a current member of the Users’ Executive Committee. The appointed representative can serve for multiple years in order to maintain and enhance the experience of the ALSUA in general educational efforts promoting the importance and impact of the research performed at the ALS.

B. Meetings

  1. Meetings of the ALSUA shall be called by the Chairperson. Normally, one meeting per year shall be held. Location of the meetings shall typically be Berkeley, but other sites may be selected by the Users’ Executive Committee. Except under unusual circumstances, notice of meetings shall be given to the membership at least three months in advance.
  2. An agenda for each meeting shall be provided by the Chairperson upon advice of the Users’ Executive Committee. A short written description of the items on the agenda shall be provided to members of the ALSUA in advance of a meeting. During the meeting the ALSUA will have an opportunity to present research performed at the ALS and also to discuss the current status and future developments of the ALS.
  3. The Users’ Executive Committee shall meet at the call of the Chairperson to transact all such business as shall be required between general meetings of the membership of the ALSUA.

C. Procedural Rules

  1. Minutes of all meetings shall be recorded by the Secretary and shall include a brief resume of the results of the meeting. After approval by the Chairperson, copies of the minutes of the meetings of the UEC shall be provided to all members, e.g., by posting them on the Internet, and a summary of the minutes of the meetings of the Users’ Executive Committee shall be made available to the ALSUA by posting on the UEC webpage.
  2. Meetings of the ALSUA and of the Users’ Executive Committee shall abide by parliamentary rules as stated in Robert’s Rules of Order.
  3. This charter can be amended by a mail or web-based ballot of the members of the ALSUA conducted by the Users’ Executive Committee. A two-thirds majority of those members voting in the balloting must vote in favor of an amendment for it to be adopted.
  4. In the event that a position on the Users’ Executive Committee should be vacated before expiration of its term, the committee shall appoint a member of the ALSUA to fill the position for the duration of the unexpired term.
  5. The Users’ Executive Committee shall advise the Director of the ALS with regard to the membership of relevant committees that may be established. The ALS Director shall keep the Users’ Executive Committee advised of proposed changes in the operation of the ALS and of future plans; the committee shall bear responsibility for making appropriate recommendations to the ALS Director regarding such matters, including future directions, major equipment, and changing user needs.

D. Awards

  1. The UEC has primary responsibility for the selection of the recipients of the ALS Awards:
    • David A. Shirley Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement at the ALS
    • Klaus Halbach Award for Innovative Instrumentation at the ALS
    • Tim Renner User Services Award for Outstanding Support to the ALS User Community
    • Neville Smith Student Poster Awards

The David A. Shirley, Klaus Halbach, and Tim Renner Awards are selected by majority vote of the UEC members. The winners of the Neville Smith Student Poster Awards will be selected during the annual Users’ Meeting.

  1. Each year the UEC will appoint appropriate selection committees. The membership of the committees shall consist of representatives from the UEC, from the ALS staff, and from the wider ALSUA community as appropriate.
  2. Previous awardees shall be displayed on the UEC website and in the lobby of the ALS.

 

*Revised April 2022