Discipline-Based Education Research

Scholars-in-Training (DBER-SiT)
Policies & Procedures
Date Adopted:
Next Review Date:

NAME 2

MISSION 2

MEMBERSHIP 2

ADMINISTRATION 3
LEADERSHIP TEAM 3
POSITIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES 3
Chair 3
Subcommittee Chair/Co-chairs 3
Secretary 4
ELECTIONS AND TERM LIMITS 5
Election Procedure 5
Chair/Co-chairs of Subcommittees 5
Chair of Leadership Team 6
Terms and Term Limits 6
Special Contingencies 7
TERMINATION OF POSITION 7

OPERATION PROCEDURES 8
SUBCOMMITTEES 8
General Guidelines 8
Professional Development Subcommittee 8
Funding Subcommittee 9
Outreach Subcommittee 9
Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee 9
ADDITIONAL SUBCOMMITTEES 10
GENERAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS 11
LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETINGS 12
SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS 12
COMMUNICATION 13
Internal Communication within the Leadership Team and Within Subcommittees 13
Communication Between the Leadership team and the DBER-SiT Community 13
Reporting and Accountability 13
 DBER-SiT Policies and Procedures
Ratified on:

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE 13

AMENDMENTS 14

1. NAME
This committee is to be known as Discipline-Based Education Research Scholars-in-Training.
The committee may also be known as DBER-SiT, or the DBER-SiT community, or the
community.

2. MISSION
The broad goals of this committee are to:
● Provide a community and peer support for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars
of the SABER community.
● Advocate for the needs of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars (collectively
addressed as ‘DBER-SiT community’) at the national and international levels.
● Support incoming graduate students in the transition to the graduate DBER-SiT
community.

3. MEMBERSHIP
3.1. Membership to DBER-SiT will be open to any graduate student or postdoctoral
member of SABER regardless of gender, LGBTQ+ status, disability, race, ethnicity,
religion, national origin, age, ability, or other protected class.
3.2. An individual will become a member in good standing upon payment of their graduate
student or postdoctoral membership dues to SABER and will remain in good standing
as long as they are graduate students or postdocs. All graduate student and
postdoctoral members of SABER automatically become members of DBER-SiT as
well, unless they choose to opt out of the membership.
3.3. All members in good standing will have the right to vote at all regular and special
meetings of DBER-SiT and to contest and vote in all elections for the Leadership
Team.
3.4. To hold an elected or appointed office in the Leadership Team, members must have
paid their SABER dues in the last calendar year.
3.5. Non-voting members: DBER-SiT members who have transitioned into other positions
and are no longer graduate students or postdocs. This membership is valid for a period
of 1 year or until they become advisors to graduate students/postdocs, whichever
comes earlier.
3.6. SABER Executive Committee Representative: One ex-officio member appointed by
the SABER Executive Committee to the Leadership Team.

2 | Page
 DBER-SiT Policies and Procedures
Ratified on:

3.7. All members of the committee are expected to adhere to the SABER guidelines and to
conduct themselves in a professionally responsible manner that is respectful of others.

4. ADMINISTRATION
4.1. LEADERSHIP TEAM
4.1.1. The policies and affairs of the Committee will be established and managed by a
duly elected Leadership Team.
4.1.2. The Leadership team will endeavor to enact the mission of the DBER-SiT
community.
4.1.3. The positions and responsibilities of the Leadership Team are described in Section
4.2.
4.1.4. With the exception of the Chair, all positions are to be elected by the DBER-SiT
community according to the procedures laid out in Section 4.3.

4.2. POSITIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

4.2.1. CHAIR
4.2.1.1. The Chair will be responsible for ensuring that all affairs of DBER-SiT are
conducted in a manner consistent with the Policies and Procedures. The Chair
will call and preside at all General Community meetings (see Section 5.3),
and Leadership Team meetings (see Section 5.4) of DBER-SiT.
4.2.1.2. The Chair will serve as the liaison between the DBER-SiT Leadership Team
and the SABER Executive Committee, which includes attending meetings
with SABER’s Executive Committee when required.
4.2.1.3. The Chair will be kept informed of the actions and discussions of all
Subcommittees, and may serve as an additional non-voting ex-officio member
of any Subcommittee.
4.2.1.4. The Chair is also responsible for organizing, delegating, and completing
current requirements passed down by the SABER Executive Committee.
4.2.1.5. The Chair has one vote on matters brought to the Leadership Team.
4.2.1.6. It is expected that the Chair would have served as one of the Chairs/Co-Chairs
of the Subcommittees for at least one year.
4.2.1.7. The Chair has to give notice before stepping down from that position. This
period should preferably be no less than 1 month before the annual
nomination process begins.
4.2.1.8. At the end of their tenure as Chair, the Chair is expected to provide leadership
continuity and help assure strong future leadership succession by attending
and participating in the Leadership Team transition meeting.

4.2.2. SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIR/CO-CHAIRS

3 | Page
 DBER-SiT Policies and Procedures
Ratified on:

4.2.2.1. Each Subcommittee should preferably have 2 Co-Chairs.

4.2.2.2. The Chair/Co-chairs of Subcommittees are responsible for the execution of
the responsibilities of their respective Subcommittee.
4.2.2.3. The Chair/Co-chairs of Subcommittees are expected to recruit DBER-SiT
community members to serve on their respective Subcommittee.
4.2.2.4. The Chair/Co-chairs of Subcommittees are expected to be available to assist
other members of the Leadership Team as needed.
4.2.2.5. The Chair/Co-chairs of Subcommittees have one vote each on matters brought
to the Leadership Team.
4.2.2.6. The Chair/Co-chairs of the Subcommittees have to give notice before stepping
down from that position. This period should preferably be no less than 1
month before the annual nomination process begins.
4.2.2.7. At the end of their tenure, subcommittee Chair/Co-chairs are expected to
provide leadership continuity and help assure strong future leadership
succession by attending and participating in the Leadership Team transition
meeting.

4.2.3. SECRETARY
4.2.3.1. The Secretary will be responsible for all email communication within the
Leadership Team and will be responsible for reaching out to the DBER-SiT
community as deemed necessary.
4.2.3.2. The Secretary will also be responsible for the routine secretarial tasks of the
Leadership Team including but not limited to:
● Maintaining the committee’s email accounts
● Maintaining the online collaborative space and any other online accounts
that are not under the purview of a specific subcommittee.
● Logistics with respect to Leadership Team/General community meetings
(identifying convenient date/time, creating agenda, emailing reminders,
taking minutes)
4.2.3.3. The Secretary will perform the duties of the Chair as described in Section
4.2.1 when the Chair cannot be present.
4.2.3.4. The Secretary is responsible for the collection, organization, and archiving of
any historical materials of interest to the DBER-SiT community.
4.2.3.5. The Secretary is expected to assist other members of the Leadership Team
whenever needed.
4.2.3.6. The Secretary will have one vote for each matter brought to the Leadership
Team.
4.2.3.7. The Secretary has to give notice before stepping down from that position. This
period should preferably be no less than 1 month before the annual
nomination process begins.

4 | Page
 DBER-SiT Policies and Procedures
Ratified on:

4.2.3.8. At the end of their tenure, the Secretary is expected to provide leadership
continuity and help assure strong future leadership succession by attending
and participating in the Leadership Team transition meeting.

4.3. ELECTIONS AND TERM LIMITS

4.3.1. ELECTION PROCEDURE
4.3.1.1. Chair/Co-chairs of Subcommittees
4.3.1.1.1. The election of the Leadership Team will be by electronic ballot.
4.3.1.1.2. The Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee will request nominations for
vacant positions in the Leadership team from the DBER-SiT community
at least one month prior to the Annual SABER conference. This call for
nominations will go out via email and social media, and will be hosted
on the DBER-SiT website.
4.3.1.1.3. Nominations will officially close 2 weeks after the conclusion of the
annual SABER conference. At that point, the Chair/Co-Chairs of the
Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee may extend the nomination period
for any position(s) without the number of candidates required to fill the
position(s).
4.3.1.1.4. The Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee will determine the final slate
of candidates. All complete nomination forms submitted by current
eligible SABER members will constitute valid nominations. The Bylaws
and Elections Subcommittee will verify that nominees have paid
SABER dues within the last year. Eligible nominees will be contacted
prior to the ballot being finalized to confirm their candidacy. The names
of those candidates will be placed on the ballot.
4.3.1.1.5. The list of final candidates will be presented to the DBER-SiT
community on the day voting begins.
4.3.1.1.6. The voting period will start a minimum of one week after the last day to
submit nominations and will last for a minimum of two weeks.
4.3.1.1.7. Every DBER-SiT member will be limited to casting one ballot. Valid
electronic ballots must be received by the date specified by the Bylaws
and Elections Subcommittee.
4.3.1.1.8. Elections will be decided by a form of ranked-choice voting. Voters will
choose their first, second, and third choice among all candidates for a
position. The first place choice will get 3 vote points, the second place
choice will get 2 vote points, and the third place choice will get 1 vote
point. The winner(s) will be the candidate(s) with the most vote points.
4.3.1.1.9. If candidates tie for vote points for a position where there is only one
remaining opening, the candidate with the most first-place votes will be
declared the winner. If two candidates tie for both vote points and
first-place votes, the candidate with most second-place votes will be

5 | Page
 DBER-SiT Policies and Procedures
Ratified on:

declared the winner. If two candidates receive identical vote points and
ranked votes, the winner will be chosen by a coin flip by the DBER-SiT
Chair (or one of the Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee Co-Chairs, if
the candidate involved is the current DBER-SiT Chair).
4.3.1.1.10. The final vote totals must be validated by all members of the Bylaws
and Elections Subcommittee, including the Chair/Co-Chair, and will be
made available to the DBER-SiT Leadership Team.
4.3.1.1.11. Once votes are tallied and validated, the Chair/Co-Chairs of the Bylaws
and Elections Subcommittee will communicate the results first to the
candidates, then to the existing Leadership team and then to the
DBER-SiT community.
4.3.1.1.12. The Chair/Co-Chairs of the Bylaws and Elections are also responsible
for introducing the newly elected Chair/Co-Chairs of the various
subcommittees to the existing Chairs/Co-chairs of their respective
subcommittees and to the entire existing Leadership Team in order to
facilitate a smooth transition.
4.3.1.1.13. Elected members of the Leadership Team will assume their duties during
the first Leadership Team meeting after the results are declared.
4.3.1.1.14. To avoid errors and omissions in the election process, prior to the voting
period opening, the ballot must be approved by all members of the
Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee, including the Chair/Co-Chair.
4.3.1.1.14.1. In the case of an error or omission in the election
process, the Leadership Team in place at the time
of the election shall determine the appropriate
course of action through discussion and a
supermajority vote (75% of Leadership Team
members present).

4.3.1.2. Chair of Leadership Team

4.3.1.2.1. This position is not elected by the general DBER-SiT community.
4.3.1.2.2. The Chair/Co-Chairs of the Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee will
ask for self-nominations from within the elected Leadership.
4.3.1.2.3. Leadership Team members who volunteer for this position are expected
to commit to being the Chair of the Leadership Team for a period of at
least one term (one year) after the current Chair steps down.
4.3.1.2.4. If more than one Leadership team member volunteers, the
Chair/Co-Chairs of the Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee will call for
a quick electronic vote, which will be kept confidential from the rest of
the Leadership Team.

4.3.2. TERMS AND TERM LIMITS

6 | Page
 DBER-SiT Policies and Procedures
Ratified on:

4.3.2.1. Elected members of the Leadership Team will assume their duties during the
first Leadership Team meeting after the results of the election are declared.
This will preferably be the meeting that occurs in September or October.
4.3.2.2. The term for all DBER-SiT officials is one year.
4.3.2.3. Once elected to a position, a Leadership Team member may keep the same
position for a maximum of three consecutive terms, as long as they are still
eligible to be a member of DBER-SiT, without need for re-election.
4.3.2.4. If a current Leadership Team member would like to serve in a position other
than the one they were elected to, they will have to indicate their intent to step
down from their current position and they will have to run for the desired
position in the next election. Their vacated position will also be up for
election.
4.3.2.5. The terms of outgoing Leadership Team members will end at the first
Leadership Team meeting after the results of the election are declared.

4.3.3. SPECIAL CONTINGENCIES

4.3.3.1. If during a term, an elected member of the Leadership Team is no longer
eligible to be a member of DBER-SiT (i.e. they transition into non-voting
members of DBER-SiT), they also lose their vote in the Leadership Team.
They will remain in their elected position for one month, after which point the
position will be considered a temporary vacancy as described in Section
4.3.3.3.1 unless the Leadership Team has already filled the position following
the procedures in Section 4.3.3.3.3.
4.3.3.2. If a member of the Leadership Team wishes to resign before the conclusion of
their term, a mid-term resignation must be submitted in writing to the Chair of
DBER-SiT and to the Elections and Bylaws Subcommittee. Should a
resigning member submit only a verbal resignation, the Chair of DBER-SiT
will confirm the resignation in writing to the resigning member with a copy to
the entire Leadership Team.
4.3.3.3. Any vacancy of a Subcommittee Chair/Co-Chair position that occurs during a
term of office will be filled either by appointment or by a vote as described
below.
4.3.3.3.1. Immediately upon a Subcommittee Chair/Co-Chair
position becoming vacant, the seat will transition to
temporary vacancy, at which point the duties of that
position will be temporarily filled by the Chair or
Secretary.
4.3.3.3.2. If there are less than 3 months until the conclusion of the
general election, the position will remain in temporary
vacancy status as described above until the conclusion of
the general election.

7 | Page
 DBER-SiT Policies and Procedures
Ratified on:

4.3.3.3.3. If there are 3 months or more until the conclusion of the

general election, then the position will be filled by
appointment by the Leadership Team. The appointee
will preferably be from existing members of
subcommittees and will be voted on by the Leadership
Team as described in Section 5.4.7. Vacancies in the
DBER-SiT chair will be handled according to Section
4.3.1.2.2.

4.4. TERMINATION OF POSITION

4.4.1. The Leadership Team may remove from office any member of the Leadership
Team if that member has not fulfilled their duties or if such removal is deemed to
be in the best interest of the DBER-SiT Community.
4.4.2. A motion for the removal must be made by a petition signed by at least 30% of the
members of the Leadership Team, or at least 10% of the DBER-SiT community.
4.4.3. The Leadership Team member in question shall receive immediate written
notification of said motion, at which point the member may choose to resign.
4.4.4. If the Leadership Team member prefers not to resign, they may write a rebuttal to
the allegations presented in the petition. The petition and the accused’s rebuttal
will be available for two weeks prior to the Leadership Team vote.
4.4.5. The removal of a member of the Leadership Team will be voted upon by the
Leadership Team in a vote starting no sooner than 1 month after the Leadership
Team member has received written notification. If 75% of the remaining
Leadership Team members vote to remove the member then the motion is
advanced to the DBER-SiT community for voting.
4.4.6. If removal is advanced to the DBER-SiT community:
4.4.6.1. The petition and the accused’s rebuttal will be available to the
DBER-SiT community for two weeks prior to the vote.
4.4.6.2. For the vote to be considered official, a quorum of 30% of
DBER-SiT community members must vote. If quorum is not
met, the vote fails.
4.4.6.3. If quorum is met, a majority vote is required to remove that
Leadership Team member from office.
4.4.7. In the case of a removal from office, vacancy will be filled according to Section
4.3.3.3.

5. OPERATION PROCEDURES
5.1. SUBCOMMITTEES
5.1.1. GENERAL GUIDELINES

8 | Page
 DBER-SiT Policies and Procedures
Ratified on:

5.1.1.1. DBER-SiT recognizes all subcommittees listed in these Bylaws as well as

subcommittees formed under the guidelines described in Section 5.2.
5.1.1.2. Any DBER-SiT member in good standing is eligible to serve on a
subcommittee.
5.1.1.3. Each Subcommittee will meet as and when needed, in person or virtually.
5.1.1.4. Each Subcommittee will coordinate with the other Subcommittees and with
the Leadership Team to help achieve their goals.
5.1.1.5. Each Subcommittee may develop and interpret their own internally adopted
policies and procedures except to the extent that they conflict with the bylaws
of DBER-SiT and SABER.
5.1.1.6. Each Subcommittee is expected to provide a written log of their activities and
decisions in order to facilitate transitions in Leadership and to maintain
institutional memory.
5.1.1.7. A detailed list of the Chairs/Co-Chairs and members of these subcommittees
will be available to the DBER-SiT community via the website or any other
suitable method.

5.1.2. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SUBCOMMITTEE

5.1.2.1. The goal of the Professional Development Subcommittee is to provide the
DBER-SiT community with opportunities to hone their professional skills to
better prepare for the next steps in their career.
5.1.2.2. In order to achieve this goal, the Professional Development Subcommittee
will facilitate opportunities for mentorship and plan workshops to strengthen
the career readiness of DBER-SiT members by:
5.1.2.2.1. Periodically surveying the community to determine the most relevant
professional development needs.
5.1.2.2.2. Organizing annual workshops designed to meet the previously
identified needs.
5.1.2.2.3. Providing an outlet for community feedback with respect to past and
future professional development programs.
5.1.2.2.4. Maintaining and providing a list of resources that are curated to
promote various forms of professional development.

5.1.3. FUNDING SUBCOMMITTEE

5.1.3.1. The goal of the Funding Subcommittee is to develop resources to support the
DBER-SiT community financially.
5.1.3.2. The Chair/Co-Chairs of the Funding Subcommittee will keep or oversee the
management of a complete set of funding records for the DBER-SiT
community and present them as required.
5.1.3.3. In order to achieve the goals of the Subcommittee, the Funding Subcommittee
will manage SABER allocated funds for the DBER-SiT Registration and
Travel Award and connect scholars to additional funding resources by:

9 | Page
 DBER-SiT Policies and Procedures
Ratified on:

5.1.3.3.1. Applying for and obtaining funding from SABER to fund the
Registration and Travel Award.
5.1.3.3.2. Representing DBER-SiT on the SABER travel scholarship review
board.
5.1.3.3.3. Soliciting and evaluating Registration and Travel Award applications.
5.1.3.3.4. Compiling and maintaining a list of external resources and deadlines
for external travel and research funding.

5.1.4. OUTREACH SUBCOMMITTEE

5.1.4.1. The goals of the Outreach Subcommittee are to enhance communication in the
DBER-SiT community and to promote the achievements of the community
members.
5.1.4.2. In order to achieve these goals, the Outreach Subcommittee fosters
communication and support by:
5.1.4.2.1. Coordinating and curating a vibrant, engaged community across
multiple online spaces including Twitter, YouTube and/or other social
media/networking platforms.
5.1.4.2.2. Maintaining and updating the website regularly.
5.1.4.2.3. Highlighting and promoting the activities and achievements of all
DBER-SiT Subcommittees and of all the Members of the DBER-SiT
community.
5.1.4.2.4. Providing access to resources relevant to the DBER-SiT community.
5.1.4.2.5. Managing information flow between the Leadership team and the
DBER-SiT community.

5.1.5. BYLAWS AND ELECTIONS SUBCOMMITTEE

5.1.5.1. The goal of the Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee is to ensure an equitable
and transparent process in the formulation of the policies and procedures that
guide DBER-SiT.
5.1.5.2. In order to achieve their goal, the Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee will:
5.1.5.2.1. Create bylaws and policies and procedures to guide operations within
the community and the Leadership Team.
5.1.5.2.2. Conduct a periodic review of the bylaws and policies and procedures in
operation and to propose such amendments as necessary.
5.1.5.2.3. Be responsible for interpreting the bylaws, policies and procedures, and
all other rules promulgated by the DBER-SiT community.
5.1.5.2.4. Have the authority to determine whether rules adopted by the
Leadership or any of the Subcommittees are inconsistent with the
bylaws, policies and procedures, or any other rules promulgated by
DBER-SiT and or by SABER.

10 | Page
 DBER-SiT Policies and Procedures
Ratified on:

5.1.5.2.5. Conduct the annual Leadership Election. This includes determining the
timeline, soliciting nominations, conducting the elections and declaring
the results.
5.1.5.2.6. The Chair/Co-Chairs of the Bylaws and Elections are expected to
advise the Leadership team and the DBER-SiT community on points of
order or procedure.

5.2. ADDITIONAL SUBCOMMITTEES

5.2.1. As DBER-SiT continues to grow, additional subcommittees may be added as
deemed necessary by the Leadership Team and/or the DBER-SiT community. A
subcommittee may be added in one of two ways.
5.2.1.1. The Leadership Team may recognize the need for a new
subcommittee and will determine the title and responsibilities of
the subcommittee. The Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee
will be responsible for writing the description and
responsibilities of the proposed new subcommittee in a manner
consistent with Section 5.1 and submitting this document to the
rest of the Leadership Team to approve or disapprove by a vote
consistent with Section 5.4. If the Leadership Team votes to
approve the new subcommittee, approval will be advanced to
the DBER-SiT community. The Leadership Team may decide to
return the document to the Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee
for revisions.
5.2.1.2. The DBER-SiT community may recognize a need for a new
subcommittee. In this case, members will submit a proposal for
a new subcommittee to the Leadership Team. This proposal
must include the title, description, and responsibilities of the
proposed new subcommittee in a manner consistent with
Section 5.1. This proposal must be signed by at least 3 members
of the DBER-SiT community. This proposal will then be
brought to the Leadership Team for a vote. If the Leadership
Team votes to approve the new subcommittee, approval will be
advanced to the DBER-SiT community. The Leadership Team
may decide to return the document to the petitioners for
revisions.
5.2.1.3. The motion for the addition of a subcommittee will be advanced
to the DBER-SiT membership as an amendment to the Policies
and Procedures as described in Section 6.
5.2.2. Once a new subcommittee has been approved, the Bylaws and Elections
Subcommittee will hold a special election for Chair/Co-Chairs of the
subcommittee in a manner consistent with Section 4.3.1.1. The nomination period
must be at least one week and the voting period must also be at least one week; the

11 | Page
 DBER-SiT Policies and Procedures
Ratified on:

Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee may use their discretion in determining the
exact length of these stages beyond the one-week minimum.
5.2.2.1. When Chairs/Co-Chairs of the new subcommittee have been
elected, they will be considered Subcommittee
Chairs/Co-Chairs with all rights and responsibilities as
described in Section 4.2.2.

5.3. GENERAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS

5.3.1. A general meeting of the entire DBER-SiT community is held in conjunction with
the Annual SABER Conference.
5.3.2. Notification of the time, date, and location of regular meetings will be provided to
the DBER-SIT community as soon as it is feasible.
5.3.3. The meetings will be chaired by the Chair of the Leadership Team.
5.3.4. During these meetings, all resolutions that are of interest to the DBER-SiT
community, including but not limited to changes in the operations (e.g. adoption of
or amendments to the bylaws), will be presented to the DBER-SiT community.
The community will then have the opportunity to discuss and/or modify the
resolutions.
5.3.5. All resolutions/legislation to be introduced at the general meeting will, to the
extent possible, be disseminated electronically in advance in a format that is easily
amenable using a software program widely available to the DBER-SiT community.
However, community members are also permitted to introduce resolutions during
the meeting.
5.3.6. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Chair/Co-chair of the Bylaws and Elections
Subcommittee will make all (modified) resolutions discussed during the meeting
open for an electronic vote. A simple majority of votes cast shall be sufficient to
pass any resolution. Members may abstain from voting on all or some of the
resolutions if they choose to do so.
5.3.7. The Chair of the Leadership team will not be eligible to vote during general
meetings except in the case of a tie, when the Chair will cast the deciding vote.
5.3.8. The Secretary will take minutes during the meeting. These minutes will be hosted
on the website after being approved by the Leadership Team.

5.4. LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETINGS

5.4.1. The Leadership Team will meet at least once a month to deal with any business of
the DBER-SiT community unless a meeting cancellation is approved by the
Leadership Team. Additional meetings may be scheduled as necessary. 
5.4.2. The Leadership Team will set the time, date, and location of regular monthly
meetings that is convenient to a majority of the Leadership Team.
5.4.3. Notification of the time, date, and location of regular meetings will be provided to
all members of the Leadership Team as soon as it is determined.

12 | Page
 DBER-SiT Policies and Procedures
Ratified on:

5.4.4. The meeting will be chaired by the Chair of the Leadership Team.
5.4.5. Leadership Team meetings may be conducted by any convenient means (in person,
electronic, teleconference, etc.) that is technically feasible and that allows all
participants equal and sufficient access to and participation in the proceedings.
5.4.6. These meetings will be restricted to Leadership Team members and invited guests.
5.4.7. All official Leadership Team business will be decided by a supermajority (75%) of
the total votes cast during these meetings.
5.4.7.1. If a Leadership Team member will miss a meeting in which a
formal vote will occur, the absent Leadership Team member has
the right to vote by proxy by contacting their selected proxy and
cc-ing the chair and/or secretary to instruct their proxy to vote in
one of two ways:
5.4.7.1.1. The absent member may instruct their proxy to vote in
their best interest. The proxy thus votes twice, once for
themselves and once for the absent member.
5.4.7.1.2. The absent member may inform their proxy how they
intend to vote, and the proxy must honor this vote.
5.4.8. In addition to voting during a meeting, the Leadership Team may also decide on
business matters electronically. In this case for any motion to be accepted, it had to
be approved by 75% of the entire Leadership team.
5.4.9. Minutes of the Leadership Meeting will be taken in a collaborative electronic
document. All members of the Leadership Team are expected to contribute to the
minutes during the meeting. Minutes of the Leadership Team meetings are kept
confidential.
5.4.10. No error or omission in the notification of a regular or special meeting will
invalidate the meeting or make void its proceedings where such error or omission
was made in good faith and for no improper purpose.

5.5. SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS

5.5.1. Each Subcommittee will meet as often as is required to achieve the goals of the
respective subcommittee. These meetings will be scheduled for a date, time and
location that is convenient for a majority of the members.
5.5.2. Notification of the time, date, and location of regular meetings will be provided to
all members of the subcommittee as soon as it is determined.
5.5.3. The meetings will be chaired by the Chair/Co-Chair of the respective
subcommittee.
5.5.4. The meetings may be conducted by any convenient means (in person, electronic,
teleconference, etc.) that is technically feasible and that allows all participants
equal and sufficient access to and participation in the proceedings.
5.5.5. Minutes of the subcommittee meetings may be taken in a way similar to the
minutes of the Leadership team meeting, i.e. in a collaborative online document.

13 | Page
 DBER-SiT Policies and Procedures
Ratified on:

These minutes will be made available to all the members of that subcommittee and
to all the members of the Leadership Team.
5.5.6. No error or omission in the notification of a regular or special meeting will
invalidate the meeting or make void its proceedings where such error or omission
was made in good faith and for no improper purpose.

5.6. COMMUNICATION
5.6.1. INTERNAL COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AND WITHIN SUBCOMMITTEES
5.6.1.1. The Leadership Team will maintain an online collaborative space (e.g.
Google drive) and an email account and any other electronic accounts (social
media, website etc.)
5.6.1.2. Each member of the Leadership Team will have access to the relevant log-in
information for all the accounts.
5.6.1.3. Each subcommittee will have a dedicated folder within the larger
collaborative space. Non-Leadership Team members of the subcommittees
will have access only to the folder that is relevant to their subcommittee.
5.6.1.4. The Leadership Team and the Subcommittees are expected to maintain the
minutes of their meetings, and other relevant documents including logs of
activities and policies and procedures in these folders. Each Subcommittee is
expected to organise and curate their respective folder before the turnover
date each year.

5.6.2. COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AND THE DBER-SIT COMMUNITY
5.6.2.1. During the annual SABER Conference, the Leadership team will present
DBER-SiT accomplishments for that year and solicit feedback for future
endeavours from the DBER-SiT community.
5.6.2.2. Official communication (elections, policy decisions, etc.) from the
Leadership Team will occur through the official SABER website.
5.6.2.3. All other communication including interim reports, updates and information
about resources will be presented on the DBER-SiT website and
communicated through social media (e.g. Twitter).
5.6.2.4. The Leadership Team will maintain an email account that will serve as one
medium through which the DBER-SiT community can communicate with the
Leadership Team. Information about this email account as well as the contact
information for all the members of the Leadership Team will be available on
the website.

5.6.3. REPORTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY

5.6.3.1. The Leadership Team reports to and is accountable to the DBER-SiT
community and to the SABER Executive Committee.

14 | Page
 DBER-SiT Policies and Procedures
Ratified on:

5.7. PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE

5.7.1. For any action or activity not specifically covered by these Policies and
Procedures, DBER-SiT will be governed by the latest edition of Robert's Rules of
Parliamentary Procedure.

6. AMENDMENTS
6.1. Any motion to amend the Policies and Procedures must be proposed by a member of
the Leadership Team or be brought to the Leadership Team by at least three (3)
members of the DBER-SiT Community.
6.2. Any such motion must be submitted in writing and be transmitted to the
Chair/Co-Chairs of the Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee, who will present the
motion at the next meeting of the Leadership Team.
6.3. If a supermajority (75%) of the Leadership Team accepts a motion to amend the
Bylaws, the Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee will make the proposed amendment,
along with supportive materials as may be deemed appropriate and necessary,
available electronically to the DBER-SiT community at least 30 days prior to the
voting period.
6.4. Once a motion to amend the Bylaws has been made available to the membership at
large by the Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee, no amendments to the motion will
be allowed.
6.5. Voting will occur during the annual meeting at the SABER Conference unless 75% of
the Leadership Team deems voting on a proposed motion to amend the bylaws is
necessitated prior to the annual meeting.
6.6. For an amendment to the bylaws to be passed, it has to be accepted by a majority of
the votes cast.

Amended March 17, 2021 by:

Rachel Sparks, Co-Chair, DBER-SiT Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee
Ph.D. Candidate, Illinois State University

Ryan D.P. Dunk, Co-Chair, DBER-SiT Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee

Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Northern Colorado

Bailey Rowe, Member, DBER-SiT Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee

Master’s Candidate, Sacramento State University

Assisted by the DBER-SiT Leadership Team 2020-2021

15 | Page
 DBER-SiT Policies and Procedures
Ratified on:

Created by:
Joelyn de Lima, Chair, DBER-SiT Bylaws and Elections Subcommittee
Ph.D. Candidate, Michigan State University

Assisted by the DBER-SiT Leadership Team 2019-2020

Brie Tripp, Ph.D. Candidate, Portland State University
Sarah Andrews, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Colorado
Miranda M. Chen Musgrove, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Tennessee
Rita Margarida Magalhães, Postdoctoral Researcher, Rochester Institute of Technology
Ash Heim, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Northern Colorado
Rob Furrow, Postdoctoral Researcher, UC Davis
Kate Parsley, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Memphis

16 | Page