The Board of Trustees of the Arab Council for Social Sciences has formed subcommittees from Board members in the following areas: Administration and Finance, Membership, Publications, and Academic Freedom, Rights and Societal Responsibility. These subcommittees put a comprehensive vision for matters falling within their various areas of expertise, in addition to addressing new and time-sensitive issues presented to them by the ACSS Director General. They also make recommendations which are shared later with all Board members for final approval.
The Administration and Finance Subcommittee includes three to four members from the Board of Trustees whose terms end or are renewed every two years. The role of this subcommittee is to develop and implement a strategy for obtaining grants and donations, as well as reviewing budgets, work plans, and reviewing the salary scale and benefits packages for employees. Relevant recommendations are submitted to the Board of Trustees for final approval.
1. Develop a strategy for obtaining grants and donations.
2. Periodic review of the approved donors list.
3. Review work plans and budgets prepared by the Director General and the ACSS team.
4. Participate in tender processes in accordance with the approved procurement policy, in addition to loans, investments, and lease contracts.
5. Review the salary and wage schedule applied in the ACSS.
6. Review the ACSS policies and work procedures.
The Administration and Finance Subcommittee currently includes the following members:
1. Rima Majed
2. Elizabeth Suzanne Kassab
3. Dina Khoury
4. Suad Joseph
5. Amina El Mekaoui
The Membership subcommittee includes five to six members from the Board of Trustees whose terms end or are renewed every two years. The subcommittee works with the Director General and the ACSS team to develop a membership strategy that will help ACSS achieves its mission. Relevant recommendations are submitted to the Board of Trustees for final approval.
1. Develop an ideal concept for the size and characteristics of membership in terms of gender, geographical, disciplinary, and institutional diversity, and develop plans to achieve this vision.
2. Review and evaluate membership applications twice each year and recommend applications to be accepted by the Board of Trustees.
3. Review the benefits that members receive, including acting as the selection committee for grant applications specific for members (such as travel grants).
4. Organize outreach with current and/or potential members. This includes activities and discussions online and in-person, including General Assembly meetings.
5. Review complaints submitted by or against members and make decisions according to the Code of Ethics and Conduct of the Arab Council for the Social Sciences.
The Membership Subcommittee currently includes the following members:
1. Amina El Mekaoui
2. Mounir Saidani
3. Fadma Aitmous
4. Mona Fawaz
5. Akeel Almarai
6. Afrah Jasim
The Academic Freedom, Rights and Societal Responsibility Subcommittee includes three to four members from the Board of Trustees whose terms end or are renewed every two years. This subcommittee works closely with the Director General of the Arab Council for the Social Sciences and its team. Relevant recommendations are submitted to the Board of Trustees for final approval.
1. Examine cases of violation of academic freedoms and rights in the Arab region and provide recommendations on the best course of action to be adopted by the Board of Trustees; the latter then collectively discusses the relevant issues and decides on the appropriate response on a case-by-case basis.
2. Document abuses and violations reported to it, as well as those that gain importance in the media due to their serious nature. This monitoring process aims to provide a clear picture of the forms of violations faced by academics in the region and their implications.
The Academic Freedom, Rights and Societal Responsibility Subcommittee currently includes the following members:
1. Abaher Elsakka
2. Mounir Saidani
3. Saker el Nour
4. Rima Majed
5. Akeel Almarai
The Publications Subcommittee includes three to four members from the Board of Trustees whose terms end or are renewed every two years. The main role of the subcommittee is to develop the ACSS publishing and outreach strategy, including target audiences and the best way to reach them, with relevant recommendations being submitted to the Board of Trustees for final approval.
1. Identify the audiences targeted by the Arab Council for Social Sciences and decide on the types of publications (electronic and paper) to be issued by ACSS (such as the journal, newsletter, book series, book reviews, etc.).
2. Develop/review the ACSS publishing strategy, which involves specific goals and plans.
3. Review and develop recommendations regarding policies and procedures related to publications that define the criteria for selecting and working with external publishers.
4. Review abstracts submitted to the working paper series and make recommendations regarding external evaluators for the papers.
5. Conduct periodic evaluation of the quality of ACSS publications and suggest ways to improve their quality.
The Publications Subcommittee currently includes the following members:
1. Abaher Elsakka
2. Fadma Aitmous
3. Mounir Saidani
