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Advisory Board Bylaws

University of Kentucky College of Nursing BREATHE Research Team

Bridging Research Efforts and Advocacy Toward Healthy Environments

BREATHE Advisory Board Bylaws

The name of the organization shall be the BREATHE (Bridging Research Efforts and Advocacy Toward Healthy Environments) Advisory Board of the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, hereafter referred to as the Board.

The Board will retain an informal structure. It will not be incorporated nor will it receive funds or incur debts. Its officers and members will serve solely in an advisory capacity to the BREATHE Research Team directed by Ellen Hahn, PhD, RN, FAAN and assisted by other BREATHE faculty and staff. The officers and members will not be held liable by either the BREATHE Research Team, the College of Nursing or the University of Kentucky for failure to act upon any matter presented to the Board. An action taken as a result of, or in spite of, recommendations by the Board shall be solely the action of the BREATHE research team and its director.

The purposes of the BREATHE Advisory Board are to:

  1. Provide advice and counsel to the BREATHE Director and research team on matters for which external advice is critical. This may include long range planning and philanthropic endeavors as well as advice on achieving goals related to state, national, and international prominence in policy development, community outreach and education, and research.
  2. Increase awareness of the BREATHE research team at the state, regional, national, and international levels.
  3. Serve as an advocacy network and ambassadors for the BREATHE research team.

Membership:

  1. Members of the Board must have attained prominence in their respective careers and are chosen for their value in providing sound counsel to the BREATHE research team and its director.
  2. The Dean of the UK College of Nursing (UKCON) will be a member during her/his term as Dean.
  3. Membership should reflect a broad spectrum of representation from areas that influence smoke- and tobacco-free policies, community engagement, business, public health, and/or healthcare.
  4. Membership shall be limited to 15 individuals.
    • Members are classified as either members or ex-officio members and have voting rights unless otherwise stated in the bylaws.
    • Members include the following non-voting members: BREATHE Director and Dean of the College of Nursing. The voting Board members will include one smoke-free community advocate, one business leader, one UK CON alumnus, and one person representing the UK Markey Cancer Center, with an additional six to eleven individuals selected for membership by the Director of BREATHE.
    • The CON Director of Development and Alumni Affairs shall serve as an ex-officio member and will provide support to the Board but will not be a voting member.
    • The BREATHE Director Assistant shall serve as an ex-officio member and will provide support to the Board but will not be a voting member.
  1. All members, except ex-officio and the CON Dean, shall be approved by the BREATHE Director with recommendations from the Board as appropriate.
  1. All members, except the BREATHE Director, the UK CON Dean, the BREATHE Director Assistant, and the CON Director of Development and Alumni Affairs, shall serve for three-year terms and can be renewed at the discretion of the BREATHE Director. Those representing business, smoke-free advocacy, and UK CON alumni shall serve for two-year terms and can be renewed at the discretion of the BREATHE Director. All members shall be available to the BREATHE Director for advice and consultation, as needed.
  2. Interim members may be appointed by the BREATHE Director for terms of less than three years in order to fill vacancies created by resignations.
  3. The Board shall be led by the volunteer Chair and Co-Chair, appointed to that post by the BREATHE Director, for a two-year term. The Chair will preside at all meetings of the Board and shall have the executive responsibility for the performance of the Board.

Meetings: The Board will meet twice per year in Lexington, Kentucky and other times via conference call if necessary.

  1. The BREATHE Director will inform and engage the members on issues related to BREATHE research team activities. Each meeting shall include a “Report on the State of BREATHE” and may also include progress reports to funders, publications and other products, new grant initiatives, other research initiatives, development topics (annual giving, endowments and scholarships).
  2. The Board members are expected to be community advocates for the BREATHE research team and provide feedback to the Director, Associate Directors, and Director Assistant on various issues facing environmental risk reduction.
  3. Members will be asked to make charitable contributions to BREATHE and be asked to identify, cultivate and solicit other donor prospects. While the amount of individual gifts are left to the discretion of the  member, a goal of 100% participation rate is expected from board members.
  4. It is expected that the Board members will freely give advice and share their experience and wisdom to help advance the BREATHE research team, provide committee/work group leadership as needed, and use their influence to bring environmental risk reduction research, and tobacco and radon policy issues to the attention of others as necessary.
  5. The quorum required for transaction of business related to agenda items requiring a vote will be by simple majority.
  6. Minutes of the meetings shall be published and made available to Board members, BREATHE faculty and staff, emeritus Board members, and other individuals as deemed appropriate by the BREATHE Director.

Emeritus Membership:

  1. All Board Members, in recognition of service, will be offered emeritus status upon retirement from the Board. No individual shall be eligible for such appointment until his/her retirement from the Board. Unless otherwise determined by the Board or by request of the Emeritus member, the appointment of an Emeritus Board Member shall continue in effect for the remainder of his/her life.
  2. Emeritus Board members will be invited to special activities and events of the BREATHE research team, will have access to minutes of the meetings and other appropriate information upon request and may be called upon for advice and consultation on matters of importance to the BREATHE research team; however, the position is solely honorary with no obligation for the performance of any specific duties.

 

Approved 4/6/2016