CONFERENCE OF POSTGRADUATE ADVISORS IN GENERAL PRACTICE, UNIVERSITIES OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.
Constitution
The UK Conference of Postgraduate Education Advisors in General Practice.
A.) TITLE AND TERMS OF REFERENCE
The title of the organisation shall be the ‘UK Conference of Postgraduate Education Advisors in General Practice’
The conference is an independent national forum for discussion and action on all matters relating to the management of Postgraduate Education for General Practice in the United Kingdom, and for the professional support of Directors and Senior Educational advisors.
B.) AIMS
The aims of the conference are
To provide professional and educational support and development to Directors and Educational Advisors and to foster their educational expertise.
To provide a forum for Directors and senior Education Advisors appointed to Departments of Postgraduate Education for General Practice to exchange views and information.
To contribute actively to National debates on all matters relating to Postgraduate Education for general practice.
C.) TERMS OF REFERENCE.
To be concerned with all matters relating to general practice education and training including:
Contribution to the formulation of national/regional policies.
Responding constructively to the decisions made by other national organisations.
Providing a useful forum for exchange of information and relevant data.
Providing stimulus for change and improvement in quality.
Participating actively in national debates.
Promoting and providing appropriate educational activities and support for its members.
Disseminating relevant information and data to all its constituents.
Identifying and promoting relevant research and appropriate development.
Continuing to liaise with the relevant UK organisations and institutions e.g. RCGP, GPC, JCPTGP, COPMED, COGPED and UK government health Departments.
Providing Educational advice and guidance to other organisations.
D.) MEMBERSHIP OF THE CONFERENCE.
The membership of the Conference will be open to all the Regional Directors of Postgraduate Education for General Practice in the UK and the Armed Forces, and all senior Educational Advisors appointed within such Departments (i.e. to include those individuals with titles such as Associate/Assistant Directors, Associate Advisors, Associate Deans, Senior Lecturers, Educational Advisors etc. Newly appointed members of staff at these grades in the Deaneries may be nominated, upon appointment, by their Directors for membership of the Conference). Application for membership should be made, in writing, to the secretary of the Conference. Membership will cease if the individual ceases to hold a post in Postgraduate Education for General Practice, or may be terminated by notice of the member. Individual membership may also be terminated by resolution of the Conference, subject to a right of the individual to be heard prior to any such resolution.
POWERS OF THE CONFERENCE
The conference will have powers to pursue the aims and objectives of the conference as it sees fit. These powers will normally be exercised by the Executive Committee. The conference will have powers to borrow money to pursue the aims of the conference.
The constitution may be amended by a general meeting of the Conference. A majority of two-thirds of the voting members present will be required for amendment of the constitution.
The Conference may be dissolved by a resolution of a general meeting of the Conference. A two-thirds majority of voting members present will be required. At dissolution, any remaining assets of the conference will be distributed to the Deaneries and relevant Armed forces educational organisations in the same proportion as the most recent annual payment of subscriptions.
E.) EDUCATIONAL MEETINGS
There shall be one educational meeting a year hosted by different regions in the United Kingdom. This will be a residential, preferably two-day meeting aimed at responding to the specific educational needs of the members. All members of the Conference and all observers of the Executive Committee will be invited to attend the annual educational meeting. Representatives from other organisations involved in Postgraduate Education for General Practice may be asked to attend the annual educational meeting, as appropriate to topics under discussion.
A second educational meeting shall be held each year, addressing the educational needs of Educational Advisors (Associate Directors, Deans, Advisors etc.)
F.) ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
During the annual Educational Meeting, an annual general meeting open to all members of the Conference will be held. At this meeting, the report of the Executive Committee will be received and discussed and the annual accounts will be presented. Notice of other matters for discussion shall be given one month prior to the meeting. The Chairman of the Conference shall chair general meetings of the Conference; or in the absence of the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman, or Secretary may take the Chair.
Each member present at a general meeting shall have the right to vote. Decisions of the Conference will be determined by a simple majority of members present. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a casting vote.
A quorum for the annual general meeting shall be 20 members, and voting shall be by simple majority, except for matters relating to Constitutional Change, where a quorum will be 30 members and a majority of two thirds of members present shall be required.
Extra-ordinary general meetings of the Conference may be held at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
Members may attend and vote at general meetings of the Conference by means of electronic voice communication.
G.) FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE CONFERENCE
A central office will be maintained to provide Secretarial services for the Conference which will be supported by financial contributions from all Deaneries in the UK and the Armed forces on behalf of their members. Such contributions shall be determined from time to time by the Conference Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will be empowered to accept funding from other sources, as appropriate to the overall aims of the Conference.
H.) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
An Executive Committee for the Conference will comprise the following:
Eight Directors of Postgraduate Education for General Practice (or Armed Services equivalent), to be nominated by the Committee of Directors of Postgraduate Education for General Practice (COGPED),of whom at least one should be from Scotland, one from Northern Ireland, and one from Wales.
Eight Educational Advisers to be nominated and elected by advisor members of the Conference
Two observers nominated by the Royal College of General Practitioners, of whom one should be a GP trainer.
An observer nominated by the Association of Course Organisers
An observer nominated by the National Association of Primary Care Educators
An observer nominated by the Association of University Departments of General Practice.
An observer nominated by the GPC
An observer nominated by the Joint Committee for Postgraduate Education for General Practice
An observer of GP Registrars, nominated by the RCGP.
The Executive Committee will have powers to pursue the aims and objectives of the conference and to exercise the powers of the conference on behalf of the membership.
Members and observers of the Executive Committee may be represented by alternates, if required.
The executive committee will meet three times a year. It will have powers to co-opt members of the Conference, or others as observers, as it sees fit. The maximum number of observers shall not exceed ten, and the maximum number of co-opted members shall not exceed six.
The quorum for a meeting of the Executive Committee will be one third of the voting members, or alternates. Decisions of the committee shall be by simple majority. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman will have a casting vote. Members and observers of the committee may attend and vote where appropriate by electronic voice communication.
Observers may speak to any agenda item at the invitation of the Chairman, but are not entitled to vote.
Members and observers of the Executive Committee shall be nominated for a period of up to five years, and may serve for further periods of five years upon re-nomination of the sponsoring group. The membership of an individual member may be terminated upon decision of the Executive Committee, subject to a right of the individual to be heard prior to any such resolution.
Working groups or subcommittees may be set up from time to time by the Conference or the Executive Committee to address specific issues and to provide advice to the Conference. The remit of such groups must be agreed by the Conference or the Executive Committee; the Executive Committee must also ensure that resources are available to enable any working group to fulfil its remit.
J.) OFFICERS OF THE CONFERENCE
The Chairman of the Conference will also Chair the Executive Committee. The Chairman will be elected by the Executive Committee: all members of the Executive Committee will be eligible to stand for election. The Chairman and other officers will serve for a period of three years, but may be re-elected for a period not exceeding one year. A Vice-Chairman and Secretary will also be appointed by the Executive Committee. Normally, the Vice-Chair of the Conference will be held by an individual drawn from the Adviser group where the Chair is held by a Director, and vice versa.
Other officers may be appointed by the Executive Committee as it sees fit, to serve the Executive Committee, subcommittees or working parties.
K.) LIAISON
The Conference will seek to nominate representatives to other bodies with an interest in Postgraduate Education for General Practice.
L.) UK ACCREDITATION PANELS
i) The Conference will nominate three representatives to serve on the UK National Accreditation Panel for Distance Based Learning Programmes (in alphabetical order of the name of the region). Each trio will elect its own convenor. However, to maintain continuity, at the end of each year, two of the members will retire but the third will continue as the convenor for the succeeding panel for a further period of one year.
ii) The Conference will also nominate two representatives to serve on the UK National Accreditation Panel for Overseas Meetings (in reverse alphabetical order of the name of the region). The members will be elected for three years, each acting as chairman for a period of two years.
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