House of Delegates (HOD)

HOD General Information Committees of the House of Delegates Reference Committees Nominations Committee Credentials Committee How AMSA Makes Policy Submitting Resolutions Delegate Representation Resolutions Sample Run for an Elective Office GENERAL INFORMATION The HOD is truly where AMSA's members take ownership of the Association. As AMSA's official policy-making body, the HOD is a delegation of AMSA members from each local medical chapter who meet once a year at the Annual Convention to vote on AMSA's policies and to elect our national officers. The HOD is open to all members of AMSA to speak and vote. You, the members, debate the issues, make the amendments and cast the votes that shape AMSA's policies. Most importantly, any member of AMSA has the right to write and submit resolutions to the HOD. We encourage everyone to assert their right to submit and debate resolutions. AMSA's policies and principles are changed only by the HOD. This body is the sole force that determines AMSA's official views on all issues. The Board of Trustees (BOT) spends its year implementing policies originated in the House. Because the House is similar to Congress, AMSA's policies are set when members submit resolutions to the House. Similar to bills in Congress, a resolution is a call for AMSA to endorse a certain principle, change its internal structure or even eliminate a past policy that is no longer the view of the membership. These resolutions are sent to the chapters at least a month in advance of the convention. Each chapter designates an official delegate, whose responsibilities include helping the local president coordinate a local chapter discussion of the resolutions. Local chapters should then read, discuss and vote on each resolution prior to convention, thus instructing their delegate how to vote. Premedical chapter members may, discuss and debate in the HOD as ex-officio participants. Resolutions are also available online. At the annual convention on Thursday, the chapters discuss the resolutions again in their regional meeting, to come to a consensus with the chapters in their region. Later on Thursday, the reference committees go into session. The reference committees are composed of AMSA members who read and present recommendations about the resolutions to the full HOD (i.e. like congressional subcommittees). During the open reference committee meetings, members can give their testimony and opinions about the resolutions, alone, or as a representative for their region. The reference committees then report out on the resolutions to the HOD according to the testimony they've heard. The HOD is in session on Friday and Saturday. Following a relaxed Robert's Rules of Order, the House debates the resolutions submitted by the members. The HOD is chaired by the senior trustee-at-large with assistance from the junior trustee-at-large and a second vice chair. During business sessions, the delegates from each chartered medical chapter listen to the reference committees' recommendations about each resolution, debate about their opinions and vote on the resolutions. Those resolutions that the House adopts are then included in AMSA's Preamble, Purposes and Principles (or PPP, AMSA's official policy document). These new policies can then be acted upon by the BOT and AMSA staff members. COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES Three committees ensure the smooth functioning of the HOD and national officer elections: the reference, nominations and credentials committees. These committees are an excellent way for AMSA members to get involved nationally. AMSA depends on committed members to serve on these committees and to help the HOD function smoothly. Any active AMSA member may apply to serve on these committees, including premedical and international affiliate members. Interested members must submit an application (reference or nominations/credentials) and a brief curriculum vitae to the national office by the postmark deadline date of January 14, 2008. Please tailor your curriculum vitae to include AMSA or other extracurricular activities in which you have participated. Committee members will be selected by the senior trustee-at-large with assistance from the junior trustee-at-large and approval of the national president. Applicants for the committees will be notified of their selection by mail after January 28, 2008. Because of funding constraints, the national office is unable to assist committee members with travel to the convention, however, local chapters usually assist their delegates and committee members. All committee members will have their AMSA registration fees waived for the convention in return for their service. Reference Committees Members who want to gain in-depth exposure to AMSA's policy-making process can volunteer to serve on a reference committee. Each reference committee is responsible for collecting the testimony of AMSA's membership on several resolutions and making a formal recommendation to the HOD to accept or reject each resolution. This process entails work but provides an unique experience. Members of past reference committees have had the chance to examine a number of important issues of interest to medical students, including changes to medical education, international health concerns and pharmaceutical marketing to physicians. Each reference committee is composed of a chairperson and at least two other members. There are usually five committees, each of which focuses on a topic such as health policy, medical education, or the internal structure and function of AMSA. In February, committee members will receive a resolutions packet that pertains to the committee topic. They are asked to read these resolutions before arriving at the convention. Committee members must participate in the training orientation on Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 8:00 am. Thursday late-morning, each committee holds an open and closed session to hear the testimony of the membership regarding the resolutions and to write their formal report and recommendation to the HOD. This recommendation is the most important part of the job, as the committees must combine the testimony of members with current AMSA policy and synthesize an appropriate recommendation to present to the HOD. This job is accomplished with the help of the trustees-at-large as well as the second vice chair of the HOD. Reference committee members should expect to be busy until at least 10 pm on Thursday night. The reference committee's final responsibility is to attend the HOD session when their resolutions are being considered in order to present their reports and address any questions from the delegates. Reference committee members may not participate in the debate for any resolution they have considered within their reference committee. Submit an application by January 14, 2008. Nominations Committee The nominations committee oversees the election of AMSA's national officers at the annual convention. This committee is composed of active AMSA members who are not candidates for any national office. They present all identified national candidates to the HOD, chaperone them during regional "round robin" presentations and carry out other aspects of the election process. Members of the nominations committee will also oversee the process of the Action Committee and Interest Group elections. Committee members must participate in the training orientation on Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 12:30 pm, when the trustees-at-large will train them in their duties they must perform. The committee members will then be the only members of the HOD to communicate with candidates and will coordinate Friday's speeches and round robin regional visits and the election process on Saturday afternoon. After supervising the voting, the committee counts the ballots and presents the winners to the chair of the HOD. The committee is further responsible for assuring throughout the convention that AMSA's election guidelines are adhered to and that there are no complaints from the members or candidates about election irregularities. Members of the nominations committee will rotate shifts to help oversee all other elections during convention and to ensure fairness and accurancy of the voting process. Submit an application by January 14, 2008. Credentials Committee The credentials committee maintains the official roll of AMSA members entitled to vote in the business sessions of the HOD. Participation on the credentials committee is open to any active AMSA member. Serving a "sergeant-at-arms" function, the committee also certifies that a quorum is present while the House is in session and checks the credentials of those who request admission into the House during the business session. The committee members must be available to meet with the senior and junior trustees-at-large at 2:30 pm on Thursday of the convention, and to assist with the HOD on Friday and Saturday. Generally, credentials committee members split up shifts in the HOD so each member works for approximately four hours during the course of the convention. Submit an application by January 14, 2008. HOW AMSA MAKES POLICY--BEFORE THE CONVENTION What follows is a quick overview of the AMSA policy-making process. You can get involved in almost every step of the way. The most exciting, of course, is to debate the policy when it goes before the HOD at convention, but there are some important steps that happen before that. 1. Think of an idea for change Any member can write a resolution to create a new policy, change an existing policy, delete an old policy, change the Constitution or Bylaws, or direct the Board of Trustees to take certain actions. 2. Look in the PPP to find the current policy (if there is one) The Constitution & Bylaws and Internal Affairs are the documents that defines how AMSA works. The Preamble, Purposes & Principles (PPP) is the document that defines what our beliefs are on a wide range of issues. It was written entirely by members who wrote resolutions that passed in the HOD. Contact the trustees-at-large, your regional trustee or your chapter president for more information. 3. Write the resolution! A resolution has two parts. The PREAMBLE explains why the change should be made or why the actions need to be taken. The RESOLVED section is the new policy statement or what specifically you want AMSA to do. View a sample resolution. 4. Submit your resolution to the national office This is important! Resolutions must be submitted online to the national office by January 14, 2008. All resolutions received after this date will be considered late and will not be accepted for the 2008 convention. Exceptions to the deadline have to be approved by the BOT and must be of an "emergent" nature. 5. Resolutions are mailed to the chapters All resolutions submitted by the January 14 deadline will be mailed to the chapters at least one month prior to the convention. 6. Chapters meet to decide how their delegates will vote The Most Important Step: It is extremely important that chapters meet and discuss resolutions prior to convention. Chapters should arrive at a consensus on each resolution and identify any changes they would like to see. AT THE CONVENTION: 7. Regional Meetings Regions meet to discuss the resolutions. Several members will record the opinions of the region and then report to the reference committee during the open session. 8. Reference Committees--Open Session The reference committees have an open session to hear testimony from all of the regions, Board of Trustees, chapters and individual members who want to give testimony. 9. Reference Committees--Closed Session The reference committees have a closed session to assemble all of the testimony and to make a formal report and recommendation on each resolution. 10. House of Delegates The reference committees give their reports and if any member wishes to hear additional testimony or make changes to certain resolutions, they will be given the opportunity to do and the resolution will be debated on the HOD floor. The resolutions are amended, wording is changed and each change is voted on. Then, a final vote is taken and if the resolution passes. New AMSA Policy! Any Questions? Contact the Sr. Trustee-at-Large Jennifer Jackson or the Jr. Trustee-at-Large, Lauren Hughes for more information. DELEGATE REPRESENTATION AND SELECTION Your medical chapter delegate performs an exciting and important function by serving in AMSA's HOD. Through the HOD, AMSA represents the voice of more than 68,000 physicians-in-training from medical schools across the country. Because each of our local chartered medical chapters has at least one delegate, AMSA represents the views of medical students as few other medical student organizations can. Our delegates are our policy makers: they vote on the policies that define what AMSA is and what it stands for. It is crucial for each chapter to raise its voice in the House--this voice is the real ownership and heart of our Association. How delegates are selected Each chartered medical chapter of the association is authorized to send one delegate for the first two hundred and fifty (250) medical student members, and an additional delegate for every two hundred and fifty (250) members or majority fraction thereof. The number of chapter members is based on total membership as registered in the AMSA national office as of December 28, 2007. Each chartered International Chapter shall be entitled to one (1) voting delegate in the House of Delegates (HOD) of the Association for every two hundred fifty (250) medical student members, or fraction thereof, of said chapter. The total number of delegates from all international chapters shall not exceed the total number of regions in the Association (10). If more than ten (10) delegates wish to vote, designation of delegates shall be based firstly on the proportional number of delegates eligible from each chapter (according to the number of medical student members) and secondly on the order in which chapters register their official delegate(s) for the annual meeting. Since the total number of delegates from all international chapters exceeds the total number of regions in the Association (10), designation of delegates will be based on the proportional number of delegates eligible (from active membership in your chapter) and then further by the order in which international chapters submit their registration of their delegates from this form to the national office. To ensure the legitimacy of each identified delegate and alternate, each chapter president must complete and return the original delegate certification form by the postmark date of February 15, 2008. After this date, you will need to register onsite at convention with either trustee-at-large, Lauren Hughes or Jennifer Jackson, prior to the HOD first business session. Any changes after submission of the original form must be made in writing to the AMSA national office. When your chapter arrives at the annual convention, any member of your chapter may, in actuality, sit in the HOD and represent your chapter's voice; the "official" delegates on the form simply serve to tally the number of potential delegates that will be at convention. As a rule, any member who wishes to speak on the House floor will be allowed. Your chapter should determine which members will be serving as delegates during each business session of the HOD before arriving at convention. We suggest that all members of your chapter attending convention serve as delegates for short periods of time in the HOD so that everyone gets to experience policy-making in AMSA. Suggestions for delegates and alternate delegates All attendees who will be serving as delegates should meet with their chapters before the annual convention to discuss the resolutions and candidates for national office. In this way, the delegates can better reflect the views of their chapters when they vote in the House. Please refer to "The House of Delegates Made Ridiculously Simple" for a description of parliamentary procedure and how the House functions (this document will be sent to the chapter president with a copy of the resolutions and CVs in February). It is vital that chapters discuss the resolutions before they come to the convention; without prior discussion, it is very difficult to have an informed debate, which is the purpose of the HOD. Basic parliamentary procedure guidelines will be provided during the opening session of the HOD. Since the majority of delegates have never used parliamentary procedure, the trustees-at-large will hold a training session on parliamentary procedure prior to the opening of the HOD. This training session is scheduled for Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 1:30 pm.

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