New Member Selection

Members of Commissions and Standing Committees are selected by the group's leader for three-year terms in accordance with the process and approximate schedule below. To assure continuity of function and vision and to avoid replacing all members of a group every third year, appointments are staggered.  This means that new member selection is an ongoing process, with each group receiving a few new members each year as other members rotate off the group.
 
August: A memo from headquarters to Executive Committee members requests nominations to each of the commissions and standing committees; information is included about present membership, representativeness needs, etc.
 
October: Commission and standing committee leaders are sent the nominations made by the Executive Committee in a memo that notes any new or continuing representativeness needs.
 
November: Commission directors and standing committee chairs may, if they wish, discuss possible future appointees with their groups at the Annual Convention; discussion is not binding on the group's leader, who makes final selections that accord with his/her own vision and with an eye towards fulfilling possible representativeness needs.
 
December: The director/chair submits names of candidates and alternates to headquarters for a check on eligibility, representativeness needs, etc. Unless problems are discovered, the process of issuing invitations can begin.
 
The Executive Committee and the Commission/Standing Committee leaders have formed the following guidelines stating a variety of concerns about the kinds of individuals best suited to serve on these select groups.  These concerns include:
 
Representativeness.  Commissions/Standing Committees should include as many sectors of the Council's diverse membership as possible--especially in terms of gender and people of color, but also elementary, middle school, and secondary classroom teachers; new leaders; individuals with various philosophical perspectives; senior members of NCTE; and persons from various geographic areas.  Also, it is important that areas of sub-specialization be well represented so that the group's subject area expertise is sufficiently broad.  For example, a Commission on Literature director might wish to have a practicing author, someone from the textbook industry, a literary critic, a young adult specialist, and so on.
 
Voting members.  Only voting members of NCTE are eligible for Commission/Standing Committee membership. Non-members may be invited with the provision that they become members of NCTE.
 
Multiple roles of leadership.  Nominees must not be involved in conflicting roles, as defined by the guidelines on multiple roles, discussed below.
 
All of the above.  The Executive Committee has a deep interest in the above criteria for membership; at the same time, it is recognized that most groups have only a dozen or so members.  Achieving both broad representation and sound scholarship is not easy.  Nevertheless, Directors/Chairs are charged with seeking to maintain such a balance.