ACA Governance

Founded in 1975 and incorporated in 1978, the Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) is a non-profit organization that represents the needs and interests of archives and records professionals throughout Canada.

The ACA is continued under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (CNCA), which provides a legal framework for the operation of the corporation. Its mandate, organizational structure, and membership categories were again revised in June 2020 and accepted by the membership as General Bylaw No. 1 and replace Bylaws passed in 2013.

Administration of the ACA

The ACA is governed by its members and supported by staff.

The legal authority for the ACA is its Board of Directors, which are responsible for the effective governance of the association. Directors are elected by eligible individual members and serve for a two-year term and no longer than two consecutive terms. Positions include:

• President (elected in even years)
  
• Vice-President (elected in odd years)
• Secretary (elected in odd years)
• Treasurer (elected in even years)
• Director-at-Large Internal Relations (elected in odd years)
• Director-at-Large External Relations (elected in even years)
  

The Board may appoint members to serve as representatives on a number of national and international committees, including the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, the Steering Committee on Canadian Archives (SCCA), the CGSB Standards Division & CGSB Committee on Electronic Records & Image Management.

Standing Committees

The Board is supported by a number of standing committees, which carry out activities on behalf of the Board and in alignment with established strategic priorities. 

Standing committees include:

• Conference Planning Committee (President, Vice-President, Treasurer)
  
• Communications (Director-at-Large)
  
• Financial Review Committee (Treasurer)
  
• Governance (Vice-President)
• Membership (Secretary)
• Nominations and Awards (Vice-President)
  
• Professional Development (Director-at-Large)
  
• Public Awareness and Advocacy (President)
  

Unless otherwise noted, committee chairs are appointed by the board under recommendation of committee membership. 

A Member-Driven Association

The ACA is a member-driven association. Its strategic goals and associated activities are shaped by members input and carried out with the dedication of member volunteers.

The ACA invites all eligible members to participate in committees. Volunteer and leadership positions are posted to the ACA website as they become available.

The ACA believes that a professional and intellectual community is enriched and enhanced by diversity along a number of dimensions, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity and national origins, gender and gender identity, sexuality, class and religion. We are especially committed to increasing committee and task force participation by members from groups that have been historically underrepresented in the records and archives profession. We encourage applications from ACA members at any stage of their careers and from all backgrounds.