RCVS Fellowship changes governance structure

The RCVS Fellowship scheme, which was relaunched with new routes to entry in 2016, is making significant changes to its governance structure, including the composition of the Fellowship Board and a new process for electing certain Board members.

The decision to create an expanded Fellowship Board was taken last year and approved this April at the new Advancement of the Professions Committee, in order to allow the Fellowship’s governance structure to better meet the initiative’s ambitious three-year plan.

The three-year plan, which was announced at last year’s Fellowship Day, includes the following objectives:

• Promoting scientific excellence: the Fellowship will support opportunities to advance veterinary standards by working collaboratively to examine the current knowledge base, identifying knowledge gaps, and supporting the translation of knowledge and research into veterinary practice.
• Furthering professional skills and practice and invigorating creativity: this includes committing the Fellowship to help enhance the professional skills and practice of all veterinarians, wherever they are on their career path, by sharing best practice. Under this path the Fellowship will also act as a spur for creative thinking and innovation to address the challenges faced by the profession.
• Promoting public awareness of veterinary science: under this ambition the Fellowship will aim to be one of the trusted and authoritative voices within the veterinary profession that is able to engage with the general public to raise awareness and understanding of veterinary science.

To meet these plans, the Board will be expanded from seven members to a 10-strong team with new positions, including the immediate past-Chair of the Fellowship Board and two members responsible for delivering specific projects and engaging with the wider Fellowship.

As well as additional members, it was also decided that some key positions on the Board should be filled by election from within the Fellowship – these being: the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Fellowship Board and the two new Fellow members responsible for delivering projects and engagement.

This year elections will be held for the Chairmanship and the two projects and engagement Board members. An election for the Vice-Chair position will be held in 2020.

The nomination period for Fellows of the RCVS to put themselves forward for the 2019 positions is due to open next week, with the election period due to start towards the end of July. All Fellows will be eligible to put themselves forward as a candidate and vote in these elections – including Honorary Fellows and the 2019 cohort of Fellows who have recently had their entry to the Fellowship confirmed by letter.

Anthony Roberts, our Director of Leadership and Innovation, said: “This is an excellent opportunity for Fellows to help lead the Fellowship towards its ambition to become a learned society and a source of informed, evidence-based opinion on a variety of veterinary matters.

“We encourage Fellows to put themselves forward for these exciting and influential positions”.

Fellows will be emailed next week with more details on the election process and to how to apply to stand for election.

Once the candidates have been confirmed an email with a link to an online voting platform will be sent to all those eligible to vote next month.