governance/volunteering frequently asked questions (faqs)

• irem officer  – president, president-elect, secretary/treasurer
• at-large governing councillor
• arm representative governing councillor
• regional vice president (rvp)
• senior vice president (svp)
• at-large executive committee member
• forum co-leader
• chair and vice chair of committee/board
• member of committee/board

appointed positions

• by incoming president:
  • chairs, vice chairs, and members of committees/boards
  • forum co-leaders
  • appointments confirmed by governing council at annual irem meeting

elected positions

• by governing council:
  • president-elect
  • secretary/treasurer
  • regional vice presidents

by membership:

• at-large governing councillors
• arm representative governing councillors

cpms may serve in the following positions:

• elected office
• president, president-elect, secretary/treasurer, regional vice president
• at-large governing councillor
• executive committee member
• chair and vice chair of a committee/board
• member of a committee/board 

arms may serve in the following positions:

• at-large governing councillor
• arm representative governing councillor
• executive committee member
• chair and vice chair of a committee/board
• member of a committee/board 
  *may not hold elected office

acoms may serve in the following positions:

• at-large governing councillor
• executive committee member
• chair and vice chair of a committee/board
• member of a committee/board 
  *may not hold elected office

cpm candidates may serve in the following positions:

• at-large governing councillor
• executive committee member
• chair and vice chair of a committee/board
• member of a committee/board 
  *may not hold elected office

associate members may serve on a committee/board as non-voting members.
*associate members may not hold elected office nor serve in any other governance positions.

• governing council:
  • supervise, control, and direct the affairs of irem
  • established by the national bylaws
  • final authority on decisions affecting institute bylaws, policy, and budget matters
• executive committee:
  • conduct the affairs of the institute in accordance with the policies and instructions of the governing council
  • established by the national bylaws
  • oversee the business management of the institute
  • receive and act on the annual external audit report
  • report to governing council
• standing committees:
  • address on-going, core issues
  • established by the national bylaws
  • chair, vice chair, and members
  • report to executive committee and governing council
• boards:
  • implementation of on-going programs or services
  • established by irem president, although most continue from year to year
  • chair, vice chair, and members
  • report to executive committee and governing council, if needed
• forums:
  • educational or idea exchange at the annual irem meeting that is open for all members
  • established by irem president
  • two co-leaders
  • no formal governance reporting
• ad hoc groups include:
  • task forces -
    • specific assignment
    • usually seeking high level strategic recommendations
    • established by irem president
    • report to executive committee, if needed
  • work/focus groups -
    • specific assignment
    • usually seeking operational or programmatic recommendations
    • established by the irem president
    • report to executive committee, if needed
  • review teams -
    • specific assignment
    • seeking subject matter expertise on educational or publishing content
    • established by irem president
    • no formal governance reporting

• all members listed below are on governing council:

  • irem president, president‑elect, secretary/treasurer
  • senior vice presidents
  • regional vice presidents
  • one person appointed by the board of directors of nar
  • representative of the institute on the executive committee of nar
  • the current chapter president, or, in his or her absence, the incoming chapter president
  • the president of the irem foundation
  • one arm representative from each irem region
  • all irem past presidents (national) who continue to hold active membership

• applications can be found on the volunteering/governance page
• if you’re interested in volunteering for an elected position, be sure to:

• visit the website to find out more information and application deadlines
• contact your chapter leaders
• reach out to a member of the nominating committee to express your interest

regional vice presidents serve as the main channel that connects irem headquarters and chapters and have a major role in the success of the institute - please visit the rvp page.

• beginning in 2020 for 2021 appointments:

  • you must submit an application online
    • members may serve on only one standing committee
    • members can also serve on additional boards or ad hoc groups
  • note: regional vice presidents may not serve on a committee/board (with the exception of the rvp committee), due to the scope of their work and time commitment as an rvp

• most appointments are made annually
• positions include:
  • committee/board chairs, vice chairs, and forum co-leaders
  • committee/board members
• ad hoc appointments vary and are formed as needed

• appointments are made by the incoming irem officers, in consultation with the current irem officer team and irem staff
• appointment decisions are made based on a pool of information:
  • new volunteer applications
  • recommendations and input from volunteer leaders - including chairs, vice chairs, rvps, executive committee and nominating committee members

• chairs, vice chairs, and co-leaders will receive a phone call from one of the incoming irem officers inviting them to lead a committee/board/forum – typically after july
• committee/board members will receive an e-mail invitation from the incoming president, once all chairs and vice chairs have been confirmed
• the invitation will include a link in which you will need to click on to actively accept/decline your appointment – if you do not respond by the deadline; you will be removed from appointment(s)
• upon accepting your appointment(s), you will be prompted to submit a conflict of interest form
• committee/board members will receive follow-up communication from the staff liaison

• you are expected to participate in activities as defined by the committee/boards’ plan of work, and act in good faith and in accordance with what is in the best interests of the institute
• upon accepting the invitation to serve on a committee/board, you must attend virtual meetings throughout the year, as well as attend the live, in-person meeting at the annual irem meeting

• if you are interested in taking your volunteer position to the next level by chairing a committee/board or co-leading a forum, please express your interest to the current chair, vice chair or other irem leaders
• you can also contact the staff liaison

• just ask! contact irem staff to see if the appointment you would like is available
• the irem officers try to accommodate everyone’s first choice, however:
  • the group you prefer may not have any available positions
  • the qualifications for the committee/board may be very specific
  • the irem officers believes your talents or skills could be best used somewhere else

• at-large governing councillor: three (3) years*
• arm representative governing councillor: two (2) years*
• regional vice presidents: two (2) years
• standing committees: one (1) year
• boards: one (1) year, unless otherwise noted
• ad hoc groups: until assignment is completed

*per irem bylaws, no elected member of the governing council, after having been elected, and having served two full consecutive terms shall be eligible for re-election until one year’s time shall have elapsed.

• it is the annual meeting of irem members and governing council, in which the election of officers, regional vice presidents, and governing councillors takes place, as well as education sessions, networking opportunities, and other governance meetings
• for more information about this year’s annual irem meeting (irem global summit), visit the irem events page

yes-volunteering on a committee/board requires your attendance at the annual meeting; this will be the only live, in-person meeting and therefore it is important you attend and participate.

• all members of committees/boards, including chairs, vice chairs, and co-leaders, are responsible for paying their own meeting expenses
• however, if your committee/board meets live outside of the annual irem meeting, some expenses will be reimbursed- unless otherwise communicated

• there are no governance activities at the regional meetings
• for more information on the irem regional meetings, visit the irem events page

• all irem volunteers accept the responsibility for carrying out the goals of their committee/board(s) when appointed, and attendance at the annual irem meeting and on virtual meetings is part of that responsibility
• if you are unable to attend a meeting, you will need to contact the staff liaison who will note your excused absence

• frequency varies by group
• most committees/boards meet at least four times a year:
  • one live, in-person meeting at the annual irem conference
  • multiple virtual meetings throughout the year, as needed
• some groups meet virtually on a monthly basis
• some ad hoc groups meet only once and complete their task

• prior to the meeting, you will receive a calendar invitation for the date and time of the meeting
• for committee/board meetings at the annual irem meeting, you can find the full schedule of events on the irem events page
• review the agenda and be familiar with the items that will be discussed
  • agendas – created by the chair, vice chair and staff liaison – are distributed to all committee/board members at least two weeks in advance of the meeting

• greeting by chair, vice chair, staff liaison
• start on time; end on time
• chair will lead the meeting according to the agenda (hardcopies of the agenda are not provided for the live, in-person meeting; you may print or download a copy)
• be prepared to provide your input and engage in conversation
• be prepared to vote on action items (only committee/board members may vote)
• standing committee meetings (with the exception of executive committee and nominating committee) and some large boards are open for irem membership to attend and therefore, at the live, in-person meeting there will be extra seating for non-members to observe

• irem uses webex for online meetings
• webex has the capability to host large group meetings and provides on-demand collaboration, web conferencing, and videoconferencing; it also enables the use of powerpoint presentations and screen sharing
• webex meetings require login information to join the meeting; this information will be sent to you in advance by the chair or staff liaison

• login to  myirem – you will find all your irem info and more!

• staff liaisons are not members and do not have a vote
• they work in partnership with the chair and vice chair to support the work of the committee/board, forum, and ad hoc groups
• feel free to contact the staff liaison and use this person as your volunteer resource