Bylaws for SLU Future Faculty

Description of organisation SLU Future Faculty:

1. SLU Future Faculty (SLU FF) is an organisation with the aim to promote the career of early career researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).
2. An early career researcher is defined as a person with a PhD but without a permanent senior faculty position (Swedish lektor and above), who wants to pursue an academic career.
3. SLU FF activities include organisation of career-promoting seminars/workshops and social activities. SLU FF also monitors issues of interest to early career researchers, such as career structure and career support at SLU.
4. SLU FF actively participates in discussions about issues relevant to early career researchers at the department, faculty, university and national level and provides information on the situation and developmental needs of early career researchers to SLU administration.
5. SLU FF activities are planned and executed by a Steering Board. Whenever possible, SLU FF involves relevant units (e.g. Grants Office, Researcher Secretaries/Coordinators etc.) in the organisation of the activities. Activities may also be suggested by non-steering committee members, and will then be organised if considered suitable by the Steering Board.
6. The SLU FF Steering Board meets once every 4-6 weeks. A meeting is considered official if 50% of all members are present (either physically or via video link). The meetings are led by the chair or vice-chair and meeting notes are taken and distributed to all SLU Future Faculty members via web-based platform.
7. The SLU FF Steering Board is elected on a yearly basis. Any SLU FF member can nominate themselves as a Steering Board member as well as chair and/or vice chair candidate. An election board receives the nominations and prepares a suggestion that is presented at the annual meeting. The SLU FF chair, vice chair and committee members are elected by everyone in SLU FF present at the SLU FF annual meeting (usually held in October). The chair/vice chair may be re-elected to serve a maximum total of three years. If the chair resigns before a new one has been elected, he or she is replaced by the vice chair.
8. Administrative tasks, decided by the Steering Board, are carried out mainly by the chair and vice-chair. Decisions about responsibility of tasks are decided by the Steering Board. See the fact box below for more information. Administrative tasks include:
   • drafting meeting agendas,
   • writing and distributing meeting notes (to be sent to the Steering Board at the latest one week before the meeting),
   • drafting yearly activity reports,
   • drafting and managing an annual budget,
   • processing incoming invoices and monitoring the financial status,
   • ensuring that SLU regulations are followed in terms of procurement, taxation of benefits etc.,
   • managing e-mail lists,
   • sending out e-mails about SLU FF activities and meetings,
   • booking rooms, refreshments etc. for meetings and activities,
   • administration of applications and evaluations of activities,
   • managing and updating the SLU FF website.
9. SLU FF is an active part of the National Junior Faculty (NJF), an umbrella organisation for Junior and Future Faculty organisations at Swedish universities and research institutes.