Have You Voted for the Future of ID?
Successful Bylaws Vote Allows Creation of Leadership Development Committee
IDSA’s governance changes are designed to ensure that every level of the Society leadership reflects the full dimensions of our ID community.
Building a Diverse and Sustainable Future
IDSA is making important changes that will help ensure a successful future for the Society and better engage new generations of members. We’re committed to ensuring that the leadership of the Society — from task force to committee to board of director level — reflects the true face of ID. And in June 2018, that commitment was solidified by the IDSA Board when it approved the recommendations of our Governance Task Force.
Governance Task Force Charge
Established in late 2017, the Governance Task Force was charged with reviewing how well the current governance structure aligns with the six IDSA Strategic Priorities, and whether the current committees, their structures, and processes are appropriately organized to attract a group of volunteers reflective of the Society membership.
GOVERNANCE TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS APPROVED BY BOARD
Establish an Inclusion, Diversity, Access and Equity (IDA&E) Task Force
IDSA’s new Inclusion, Diversity, Access and Equity Task Force met for the first time at IDWeek. 1st row, left to right: Jasmine Marcelin, MD; Katie Bourgoin; Salandra Fleming; Tina Tan, MD, FIDSA. 2nd row, left to right: Raul Macias Gil, MD; Dawd Siraj, MD, FIDSA; Chris Busky, CAE; Janet Gilsdorf, MD, FIDSA, FPIDS; Ravina Kullar, PharmD, MPH, FIDSA; Paul Auwaerter, MD, FIDSA; Lilian Abbo, MD, FIDSA.
The task force, chaired by Tina Tan, MD, FIDSA, was appointed in September 2018.
Its first goal was to develop guiding principles for the Society to ensure that the IDSA Board and committees reflect the depth of diversity within our membership, including race, ethnicity, gender, age, geographic location, clinical vs. non-clinical, among other factors.
The following principles were approved by the IDSA Board on Dec. 6:
We are committed to build a Society based on the principles of Inclusion, Diversity, Access, and Equity (IDA&E). To achieve this, we will intentionally:
- Cultivate a welcoming environment where differences are embraced, valued, and respected.
- Ensure that processes, policies, and practices foster fairness, belonging, equity, and reflect the views and values of our Society,
- Guarantee transparency to promote fair treatment and access to opportunities for all members within all levels of the organization.
The task force will also help develop professional pathways that expand the Society volunteer leadership pipeline and create a IDA&E roadmap that provides a clear definition, metrics and guidance on the Society’s ongoing efforts to achieve and maintain inclusion, diversity, access and equity.
At its March 2019 meeting, the IDSA Board of Directors approved the following Case Statement:
To promote unrivaled healthcare delivery, education, research and advocacy within our organization, IDSA embraces inclusion, diversity, access and equity (IDA&E) as key drivers of excellence and innovation. Our goal is to create a welcoming environment that recognizes the value of individuals with diverse backgrounds, talents, experiences and perspectives, and empowers them to fulfill their full potentials within the Society and in the community. We strive to build collaborative relationships with other organizations to further ensure the success of our Society's missions, and we serve as a champion for the principles of IDA&E in the global Infectious Diseases community.
We build our IDA&E principles on the foundation of published data demonstrating that:
- Diversity increases creativity and innovation, promotes higher quality decisions, and enhances economic growth.1
- Diversifying leadership helps to cultivate, develop, and advance new talent and presents new opportunities for organizations.2
- Teams comprised of individuals with varying perspectives, ideas, and backgrounds outperform homogeneous teams on problem solving tasks.3
- Inclusive environments are intrinsically tied to collaboration, innovation, and ultimately intellectual excellence.4
- The primary way to diversify leadership is to systematically eliminate barriers for advancement for those traditionally underrepresented, cultivate the talent pipeline, and integrate IDA&E principles throughout our organization.2
IDSA will lead by example on IDA&E in the following ways:
- IDSA recognizes and honors the histories, accomplishments and legacies of all people; seeks to secure the future excellence of an innovative and creative Society; and intentionally recruits individuals with diverse talents into the organization.
- IDSA cultivates leaders who respect and value differences and empowers our members, whose diverse perspectives and experiences strengthen their decision-making.
- IDSA supports cultural awareness in order to facilitate excellence in education, research and healthcare delivery to a global community with different backgrounds, values and attitudes in order to address their needs in a sensitive and competent manner.
- IDSA is committed to creating and implementing accountability strategies to ensure sustainable progress in achieving our IDA&E goals and to publishing the results of our assessments.
- CAP "Progress 2050" report
- BoardSource "Leading with Intent" report
- "The Difference" by Scott E. Page
- Academic Medicine "Diversity 3.0: A Necessary Systems Upgrade"
Appoint a Leadership Development Committee to Create a Pathway that Supports Rising Leaders
Thanks to a successful bylaws vote, a Leadership Development Committee was established to replace the Nominations Committee. This new Leadership Development Committee will develop and oversee the process of identifying, coaching and stewarding qualified pools of applicants to serve as volunteer leaders. It will also ensure that volunteers meet core competency skill areas and represent the diverse needs, perspectives and experiences of IDSA’s membership – tapping into an expanded pool of potential leaders and volunteers with diverse expertise and backgrounds. Our definition of diversity is broad and includes race/ethnicity, gender, work setting, region, member degree, professional activity, and key areas of expertise, among other factors.
Over 100 applicants enthusiastically responded to the call for volunteers, held in January 2019, demonstrating their commitment to better incorporating principles of inclusion, diversity, access and equity to the Society’s governance and 14 diverse members were named in March 2019 to the committee under the leadership of William Powderly, MD, FIDSA.
Create More Ad-Hoc Groups to Encourage Member Participation
IDSA will establish more ad hoc entities, such as task forces, working groups and advisory groups, to carry out the work of the Society. These groups will offer members more opportunities to volunteer on a short-term basis to assist on specific issues and initiatives.
Establish a new COI/Ethics Committee
This committee will ensure that members, staff, and others involved in official IDSA activities uphold the highest standards of professionalism and ethical conduct in carrying out the work of the Society, including disclosure and management of conflicts of interest.
Rename Finance Committee to Investment Committee
A bylaws change was necessary to make this change. In December 2018, IDSA/HIVMA members voted overwhelmingly in support of this bylaws revision.