Committees

Formerly The Board of Publications

The Communication and History Committee (CHC) determines the editorial policy of Society publications, curates the historical narrative of SQA, and assists the Board of Directors in any requested activities related to these responsibilities. The CHC appoints editors for each type of Society publication and encourages members to write journal articles, books or other materials for publication. Principal responsibilities include editing the quarterly newsletter and the website for content, producing historical podcasts, and archiving SQA photographs. The CHC consists of SQA members who have a particular interest in communication and history within and beyond SQA. The Board of Directors approves a volunteer CHC Chair and this Chair is responsible for submitting mid- and end-of-year status reports of finances, publications and general policies.

Have an interest in publications or history? Join us!

Membership is open to all SQA members. Duties of CHC members include editing newsletter articles once or twice per year, reviewing technical article submissions, interviewing SQA leaders and members, contributing to SQA's social media streams, curating historical SQA media such as event photos, reviewing and recommending SQA publication policies, reviewing and recommending website content, writing content, and other duties as needed. SQA Headquarters staff provide technical publishing and website support.

To join, select "Communication and History" in the SQA Committee and Specialty Section Application and follow the steps to submit the application. (You will be asked to log in as a member.)

Have questions? Contact CHC Chair, Jackie Bushong at [email protected] and she will be happy to tell you more!

The Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee is a cross-section of the Society of Quality Assurance membership who is committed to acknowledging, celebrating, and accepting the unique qualities of all members of the organization. The committee is dedicated to working towards a safe and inclusive professional organization through advocacy, awareness, education, engagement, and outreach.

Any SQA member may join this volunteer committee. Please contact SQA Executive Director, Alison Cockrell, for more information.

The mission of the Membership Retention and Development Committee (MR&DC) is to help SQA grow, expand and maintain its membership. SQA is a professional membership organization dedicated to promoting and advancing the principles and knowledge of quality assurance essential to human, animal and environmental health. In support of this mission, the MR&DC evaluates membership needs and benefits, communicates this information to the society, and enables SQA to use this information to develop methods that will assure the retention of current members and suggest ways to attract new members.

The Committee’s mission is to provide a valuable resource to SQA through the administration of a mentoring program and a peer partnership program for its members. The program will impart an enriching experience to mentees by providing a basis to interact with successful experts, receive personalized feedback and encouragement, and acquire new technical knowledge and skills. Mentors will gain opportunities to augment mentoring skills, obtain new technical information, increase their professional networks, and gain recognition as subject matter experts in their given fields. Peer partners will have the opportunity to network with other experienced Quality Assurance professionals through a one-on-one parallel exchange of information.

Membership for the Mentoring Program Committee consists of volunteers from the SQA member community. All SQA members are encouraged to participate in the Mentoring Program as either a mentee, mentor, or peer. The MPC meets via video conference once a month, and occasional face-to-face meetings.

Learn more about the Mentoring Program Committee

The Program Committee (PC) is responsible for the organization and planning of the SQA Annual Meeting, which is cited as one of the most important benefits to QA professionals. Partnered with the Quality College , it is the premier method of providing educational and networking opportunities for QA professionals in industry, academia, government and consulting. The Annual Meeting also generates revenue for the operation of SQA.

With support from SQA Headquarters staff, this Committee attends to every detail of the Annual Meeting, which includes selecting the keynote speaker, screening for and selecting a venue for our special event, planning concurrent sessions, and even selecting menus! Serving as a member of the Program Committee is an excellent way to learn the workings of SQA, meet some wonderful people, and have input into the events organized for the Annual Meeting. Committee meetings are held monthly via teleconference. Face-to-face meetings are scheduled on an as-needed basis. If you have creative and innovative ideas about what you would like to see included at the Annual Meeting, we welcome your participation.

Under the auspices of the SQA Learning Foundation, the Students & STEM Outreach Committee is made up of SQA member volunteers who organize educational materials and programs for students in primary, secondary, and collegiate education.

The Finance Committee (FC) is chaired by the SQA Treasurer and includes the SQA President, Vice-President, and Executive Director. The Finance Committee provides advice and recommendations to the Board of Directors on the development and maintenance of SQA’s financial policies and procedures, prepares the annual budget for Board approval, and provides oversight and management of the Society’s financial practices.

The Nominating Committee (NC) identifies qualified candidates and presents a slate for the election of SQA Officers, Directors and Elected Committee Members.

Each Regional Chapter President and Vice President is a member of the Regional Chapter Presidents Committee (RCPC) during the year of his/her elected term. The Committee is chaired by the SQA Vice-President. The Committee was formed to help Regional Chapters share ideas, best practices and to help the Chapter Presidents serve their memberships. The role of the Chair is to facilitate information going to and from the SQA Board of Directors to ensure that the Chapter Presidents receive the support they need.

The Specialty Section Council (SSC) provides a coordinating forum for Specialty Section leaders to help ensure the regular dissemination of pertinent quality assurance information to SQA members.

The Bylaws and Ethics Committee (BEC) is an elected standing committee composed of Active SQA members. The vision of the committee is to sustain SQA's Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, and ethical standards as an effective foundation for the Society’s operation on behalf of its membership.

• Carefully considering proposed changes to Bylaws or Articles of Incorporation for consistency and appropriateness;
• Seeking advice on proposed changes from SQA Legal Counsel as necessary;
• Submitting final proposed amendments to the SQA Bylaws or Articles of Incorporation to the Board of Directors for approval to be put to a vote by ACTIVE members;
• Investigating and evaluating the qualifications of the candidates applying for ACTIVE or STUDENT membership and those recommended for EMERITUS membership;
• Reporting recommendations for ACTIVE, STUDENT and EMERITUS membership to the Board of Directors;
• Evaluating the qualifications of candidates applying or nominated for awards and scholarships and report recommendations to the Board of Directors;
• Considering and making recommendations in areas related to ethics, including the evaluation of questionable or unethical behavior.

Committee members are elected by the SQA membership for a term of three years. Elections are staggered so that two positions are up for election each year for two consecutive years, with no positions open for election the third. Members may serve for two consecutive terms and are eligible for election to an additional term following a lapse of one year. Participation on BEC offers an excellent opportunity to have a major and direct impact on the organization and to meet and network with peers in the industry.

The mission of the Education Committee (EdCom) is to identify professional development needs, design professional development programs, serve as subject matter experts and identify co-sponsorship opportunities for the Society of Quality Assurance (SQA). The goals of the Committee are to present the best possible training to QA professionals, coordinate and conduct educational activities throughout the year and liaise with other organizations to provide training opportunities for the membership. EdCom manages SQA's Quality College and Online Courses.

EdCom is made up of nine elected members who serve three-year terms. In addition to elected members, each Committee appoints an ex officio nonvoting member to the EdCom who serves as a valuable resource for planning training sessions and recruiting speakers.

EdCom members are encouraged to attend either the March/April or September Quality College. Members frequently serve as session chairs or co-chairs at one of these meetings. They may also be asked to train at the meetings. Other trainers are recruited from the SQA membership, Committees or professional contacts.

The role of EdCom has evolved with the Society. Joint training has been conducted with other organizations such as the Safety Pharmacology Society and the American Society for Quality - Audit Division. The Committee was formed to serve the educational needs of the membership, and that charge will not be forgotten.