Transition from YPAB to YPC: How Does It Affect Me?

By: Kate Gawel

If you've participated in a Young Professional Advisory Board (YPAB) conference call recently, you are sure to have heard discussion about the status of the Young Professional Committee (YPC) bylaws. What you may not understand, however, is why YPAB is working to become a committee and what it will mean to you as a member or potential member of YPAB/YPC. To start out, YPAB is currently an advisory board to the Career and Education Operating Council CEOC (more about CEOC's role here). This means that we do not have any authority of our own, but must work with CEOC for approval on programming and initiatives. Being an advisory board also implies that we are temporary and may at anytime be dissolved should the CEOC feel that our group is no longer necessary. Fortunately, CEOC has given YPAB a lot of leeway on many things and in many ways has allowed us to operate like a committee for several years now. Therefore, writing our bylaws and becoming a committee is more of a formality. There are also a few other benefits to gaining committee status that YPAB did not have. The first is it will make YPC a recognizable group within AIChE. It will also give us a structure that is common to other committees, which will allow for easier and more familiar interaction. For example, once we become a committee, our treasurer and another committee's treasurer can work together to handle the funds for joint programs. Another positive to YPAB becoming YPC is that it gives the leadership group a chance to solidify goals and objectives through the bylaws writing and approval process. So while you may not see many noticeable changes as YPAB transitions to YPC, the benefits of committee status as well the process of writing bylaws will both help YPC to grow and meet its goals in the future. Therefore, YPC owes many thanks to all those who have been integral to this process. Currently, the YPC bylaws are being reviewed and voted on by CEOC. So be sure to look for updates on the approval process in the "The Latest YPAB News" article in the next edition of the AIChE YPAB Newsletter.