Approved by the ADHO Steering Committee at its June meeting in Oulu, Finland 2008. Minor changes were approved by the ADHO Steering Committee at its July meeting in London, UK 2010. Revision of the protocol became necessary in 2012/2013 due to developments which took place since 2008
1. Introduction
The Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations (ADHO) created a Standing Committee on Multi-Lingualism & Multi-Culturalism (SCMLMC). This committee was charged with developing and promoting policies in ADHO and its constituent organizations that will help them to become more linguistically and culturally inclusive in general terms, and especially in the areas where linguistic and cultural matters play a role.
2. Areas Concerned
The areas in which policies on Multi-Lingualism and Multi-Culturalism will have an impact include:
- The web sites of ADHO and its constituent organisations
- The conferences of ADHO and its constituent organisations
- The journals and other publications of ADHO and its constituent organisations
- The call for papers for the annual conferences of ADHO and for other conferences sponsored or supported by its constituent organisations
- Reviews of conference and publication proposals
3. Objectives
In all areas, the objectives of the policies will be:
- to value the multi-lingual and multi-cultural character of the community
- to reflect the multi-lingual and multi-cultural wealth of the community
- to take the different academic cultures and norms of its members into account
- to ensure that reviewers of proposals are encouraged to be as culturally and linguistically sensitive as possible.
4. Composition
The committee is composed of the Chair and the representatives of ADHO’s constituent organisations. Each constituent organisation has one representative.
Each of ADHO’s journals has the right to appoint an ex-officio member to the Standing Committee on Multi-Lingualism & Multi-Culturalism.
The Standing Committee on Multi-Lingualism & Multi-Culturalism may co-opt additional members of ADHO at its discretion.
5. Voting and non-voting Members
Voting members of the committee are the representatives of ADHO’s constituent organisations.
The Chair, the ex-officio members and the co-opted members are non-voting members of the committee.
6. Appointments and Time of Office
The Chair is appointed for a three-year term, re-endorsed each year, by the ADHO Steering Committee. The Chair can serve up to two consecutive terms.
The representatives of ADHO’s constituent organisations are nominated for a three-year term of office, re-endorsed each year by their Association at its annual meeting. At the end of a three year term the Association can either re-appoint the representative or appoint a new representative.
The ex-officio members are appointed by the ADHO journal[1] they represent for a three-year term, re-endorsed each year by the board of the journal.
Each co-option runs for up to twelve months within the Committee’s annual cycle.
7. Responsibilities
The Chair who is a non-voting member of the ADHO Steering Committee is responsible for the communication between the Standing Committee on Multi-Lingualism & Multi-Culturalism (SCMLMC) and the ADHO Steering Committee.
The Chair encourages the ADHO Steering Committee to communicate proposals and directions in relation to the policies of multi-lingualism and multi-culturalism which the SCMLMC should try to facilitate.
The Chair reports in writing to the ADHO Steering Committee before its mid-term and its annual meeting.
The Chair is responsible for reminding formally the ADHO constituent organization whose appointed member is coming to the end of her / his term that a new 3-year appointment needs to be made and that new appointment should be notified to the Chair before or at the annual ADHO conference.
The representatives of ADHO’s constituent organisations are responsible for the communication between the SCMLMC and the respective constituent organisation. They are also responsible for reporting on any issue which arises with the constituent organisation they represent and which is relevant for the realization of ADHO’s policies on multi-lingualism and multi-culturalism.
The ex-officio members of the committee are responsible for the communication between the SCMLMC and the respective ADHO journal. They are also responsible for reporting on any practical issue which arises with the journal they represent and which is relevant for the realization of ADHO’s policies on multi-lingualism and multi-culturalism.
8. Activities
The annual cycle of the SCMLMC runs from the end of one annual ADHO conference to the beginning of the next.
The SCMLMC meets at the annual ADHO conference to identify challenges and opportunities and set the agenda for the forthcoming year. If possible this will be after the ADHO Steering Committee meeting, in order that directions from the Steering Committee can be taken into account when planning. If there is a change in Chair, this meeting will include both the past Chair and the new one if both can attend.
The SCMLMC conducts its business during the year by e-mail and, if necessary, by conference call.
9. Timeline
November: The Chair of the SCMLMC reports in writing to the ADHO Steering Committee before its mid-term meeting.
April: The SCMLMC Chair requests ADHO’s constituent organizations to appoint or re-appoint their representative on the Standing Committee on Multi-Lingualism & Multi-Culturalism. Where possible, the new appointment should be made in time for a new appointee to make travel arrangements for the annual meeting.
May: The Chair of the SCMLMC reports in writing to the ADHO Steering Committee before its annual meeting.
June-July: The SCMLMC Chair takes part in person or via conference call at the annual meeting of ADHO’s Steering Committee and discusses the SCMLMC’s report. During the annual ADHO conference, the SCMLMC meets to set the agenda for the coming year.
From conference to conference: The SCMLMC pursues the agenda set at the annual meeting.
10. Review and Acceptance of the Protocol
The Committee will review this protocol when either the Chair of SCMLMC or the Chairs of the committees of the ADHO constituent organisations propose changes which have been agreed on by the respective committees.
By accepting the appointment the Chair as well as the representatives of ADHO’s constituent organisations, the ex-officio members and the co-opted members accept this protocol.
[1] For a definition of “ADHO journal” see ADHO’s publication committee.