Gammasphere Users Group Charter:

1. Definition and Purpose:

The Gammasphere Users Group is an organization of scientists interested in using Gammasphere, the U.S. National Gamma-ray Facility, for scientific research. The purposes of this association are:

(a): To provide a formal channel for the exchange of information and advice between the scientists who use Gammasphere and (i) the Gammasphere project management as well as (ii) the management of the host laboratory where Gammasphere is or will be installed.

(b): To encourage and support further developments of the capabilities of Gammasphere by continued research on g-ray detectors and by promoting the development of auxiliary equipment which enhances the physics that can be done with Gammasphere.

(c): To provide a means for the exchange of information and advice among the Gammasphere users and to facilitate collaboration of interested users in experiments, technical developments or the operation of Gammasphere.

(d): To promote Gammasphere as a research tool with the Nuclear Physics community at large and with the funding agencies.

2. Membership:

The membership of the Gammasphere Users' Group is open to all practicing scientists interested in the research and/or technical programs associated with Gammasphere. Following the completion of the original membership list, new members will be added by action of the Executive Committee of the Users' Group upon receipt of a written request. The updated list of the membership is held (i) by the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Gammasphere Users' Group and (ii) by the Users' Liaison Scientist of the host laboratory where Gammasphere is located at a given time. Each member will be asked every third year to renew his/her membership in writing.

3. Executive Committee:

An Executive Committee will conduct most of the day to day business of the Gammasphere Users' Group. This committee consists of six voting members selected from the Gammasphere Users' Group membership. The members of the Executive Committee must be active users of Gammasphere, and no two members can be from the same institution. Members of the Gammasphere Scientific Advisory Committee will not serve on the Executive Committee of the Users' Group at the same time.

Three members of the Executive Committee will be elected annually by members of the Users' Group by written ballot, distributed prior to October 1 to the membership as of September 1, and shall take office on January 1 of the following year. The term of office is two years. The first election was held in 1994.

The Executive Committee will appoint a nominating committee whose charge will be to propose a slate of at least four candidates for the three elected positions on the Executive Committee. Written nominations signed by at least ten members of the Users' Group from a minimum of three different institutions shall also be accepted. Current members of the Executive Committee may not be nominated for re-election.

The Executive Committee will select one of its members to serve as Chair and another to serve as Secretary. Neither the Chair nor the Secretary will be associated with the laboratory where Gammasphere is housed at that particular time. The term of the Chair is one year.

If a vacancy arises on the Executive Committee, the remaining Committee members will select a member of the Gammasphere Users' Group to serve out the unexpired term. In the event that the Chair's or the Secretary's position becomes vacant, the members of the Committee shall first select a new member as described above, and then proceed with an election to the vacated position. The newly selected Committee member is not a candidate to the Chair's or Secretary's position.

4. Procedures:

(a): The Executive Committee will meet at least once each quarter of any given year. The minimal quorum for all meetings of the Executive Committee is four members.

(b): The Executive Committee may, on its own initiative, and shall, upon written request of a minimum of 10 members of the Gammasphere Users' Group from a minimum of three different institutions, submit questions for consideration to the full membership. Issues raised by a majority of those present at an official meeting of the Gammasphere Users' Group must also be presented for consideration to the full membership.

(c): The Users' Group shall meet at least once a year at a time and place designated by the Gammasphere Executive Committee. This meeting will usually be held in conjunction with a meeting of the Division of Nuclear Physics of the American Physical Society. In addition, the Executive Committee shall organize, and/or assist the Gammasphere project management in organizing Gammasphere-related workshops.

(d): The Executive Committee will have regular meetings with the Gammasphere project Director, with the Scientific Director of the host facility and with the Gammasphere Scientific Advisory Committee. The Executive Committee shall also confer on a regular basis on matters of general policy with the Chair of the Program Advisory Committee of the host facility.

(e): The Executive Committee will confer with the Gammasphere Project Director and with the Scientific Director of the host facility on the timely distribution of information concerning the use of Gammasphere and its scientific program.

(f): As the Gammasphere Users' Group represents only a subset of all the users at the host facility where Gammasphere is located, the Executive Committee will make every effort to maintain excellent relations with the Users' group at the facility. To this effect it will work closely with the Users' Liaison Scientist of the host facility. This Scientist will participate in the meetings of the Executive Committee upon request from the Committee. He/she is also expected to participate in the dissemination of information to the Gammasphere users and act as another on-site conduit of information and concerns between the users and the management.

(g): The elections to the Executive Committee will be organized by the Secretary of the Executive Committee.

5. Amendments:

Amendments to this Charter will be accomplished by a two thirds majority vote of ballots cast by the membership at large. Proposed changes may be submitted by majority vote at a meeting or workshop, or by petition to the Executive Committee from a minimum of 10 members of the Gammasphere Users' Group from a minimum of three different institutions.
mriley@nucott.physics.fsu.edu Last Update: Feb, 1998