Governance
The IPIA is governed by three different bodies, which provide advice, direction, and feedback on current operations. These are the IPIA Administrative Board, the IPIA Research Committee, and the IPIA Advisory Circle. Wherever possible, decisions in these governance bodies are made by consensus, whereby everyone has the opportunity to contribute and discuss the issue at hand and everyone agrees to move forward collectively.
The Administrative Board is composed of internal 海角社区 representatives, and provides advice and direction on advancing the IPIA’s mission. This body also fulfills reporting requirements and approves the IPIA’s yearly budget.
The IPIA Research Committee is composed of 海角社区 researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students affiliated with the IPIA. This committee provides advice and direction on the research focus of the IPIA, as well as events, workshops, or other programming.
The IPIA Advisory Circle is one of the ways in which we engage our broader community, and is made up of representatives from various related organizations such as the Royal Alberta Museum and the Archaeological Survey of Alberta. In addition, we invite members of the consulting archaeology community and Elders or engaged representatives of Indigenous communities to sit on the Advisory Circle. This body is meant to provide feedback from our broader community on the mission and focus of the IPIA, and to assess the direction of the IPIA in collaborative work with community partners and addressing community needs.
Scholars of the IPIA community are also integral to the governance of the IPIA. Regular feedback from scholars during the Admin Updates meetings, our annual Winter Gathering, and other events inform the topics discussed by the governance bodies and help shape the future direction of the IPIA. Scholar representatives (including undergraduate and graduate representatives) also directly participate in the IPIA Research Committee and help to shape the types of programming offered by the IPIA.