MBL Community Advisory Council Charter

Approved by the President/Director on July 1, 2020

  • I. Purpose
  • The role of the MBL Community Advisory Council (“Community Council”) is to advise the MBL President/Director and Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) upon their request on general aspects of MBL community life connected to and essential for the MBL research 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 MBL President/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 MBL Society member, one (1) postdoc/graduate student, and one (1) at-large member.
  • The MBL President/Director and/or his or her designee and the Speaker of the MBL Society will serve as ex officio members.
  • All MBL Society Members in good standing shall be eligible for nomination to the Community Council.
  • III. Council Selection and Appointment
  • MBL Society members shall nominate members of the Community Council annually in the spring.  MBL Society members may be nominated for consideration as Community Council members by other MBL Society 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 MBL Society members.  The MBL President/Director will select and appoint Community Council members from among the nominees presented by vote of the MBL Society.
  • 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 MBL President/Director.  The MBL President/Director and the MBL Society Speaker will be invited (as ex officio members) to the Community Council meetings.
  • VI. Communication
  • The Speaker of the MBL Society will regularly receive advice and input from MBL Society members and representatives of the broader MBL community 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 MBL Society and the MBL President/Director and COO.  The MBL President/Director will report to the Board of Trustees on the activities of the Community Council.