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Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

Become a Member
Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

Membership Benefits
ACS
Governance

Information on How to Become a Governor

The Board of Governors is the representative body of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The Governors are the eyes and ears of the College, serving a critical role as liaisons between the Board of Regents and the Fellows. Throughout various Board of Governors activities and events, Governors bring forth the voices and views of their surgical colleagues and develop resources to support Fellows.

The membership-at-large nominates 2/3 of the Governors, who are elected during the Annual Meeting of the Members at the ACS Clinical Congress. Certain surgical specialty societies, ACS Chapters, and federal medical services nominate one-third of the Board of Governors.

Duties and Responsibilities

Governors are an official, direct communications link between the Fellows of the College and the Board of Regents. Throughout their term(s), Governors are focused on attending, communicating, and participating in the following activities:

Governor Attendance

  • Attend Clinical Congress in the fall.
  • Attend the Spring Leadership & Advocacy Summit.
  • Advocacy Summit participation is encouraged but not required.
  • Attend chapter and/or specialty society meetings.
  • Attend Regional Committee on Applicant meetings (Domestic Governors, if applicable).
  • Attend interviews for international applicants who want to become ACS Fellows (International Governors).

Governor Communication

  • Provide bidirectional communication between the Board of Governors and their constituents.
  • Provide report(s) to Chapter or Specialty Society.
    Provide feedback to Board of Governor Workgroups and the Executive Committee.
  • Promote American College of Surgeons (ACS) Fellowship in local area and/or in specialty society.
  • Welcome and engage new Fellows into the ACS from local area/organization.
  • Be actively engaged in the Board of Governors/Board of Regents Online Community.

Governor Participation

  • Actively participate in a Board of Governors workgroup.
  • Participate in Board of Governor meetings at the Leadership and Advocacy Summit.
  • Participate in the Board of Governors Annual Business Meeting at Clinical Congress.
  • Participate in Convocation and the Annual Meeting of Members at Clinical Congress.
  • Complete the Board of Governors Annual Survey.
Requirements for Becoming a Governor

ACS Governors must:

  • Be active Fellows of the College in good standing
  • Share interest in becoming an ACS Governor with their surgical specialty society and/or ACS chapter
Guidelines for Appointing a Governor
  • Chapter Presidents and the Chapter Executive Director or the Specialty Society Executive Director and Secretary will be notified via e-mail of a pending vacancy of Governor.
  • The Chapter President/Executive Director or Specialty Society Executive Director acquires nominations for Governor to be presented to the Society's governing body.
  • The governing body will select two individuals from the nominations—one nominee for Governor and an alternate.
  • The alternate will only be called upon when the nominee (and subsequently approved Governor) is unable to complete their term if for any reason (for example, resignation or chapter relocation). In these cases, the alternate will assume the role of Governor, and complete the remainder of the term.
  • The chapter/society completes the online nomination form (see instructions below).
  • The nominee for Governor and an alternate, as well as the accompanying information are then presented to the Nominating Committee of the Fellows for review and approval.
  • Final approval is granted for nominees at the Annual Meeting of Members during the Clinical Congress.
  • Appointment notifications are sent to the Governor and chapter/society in November.

Considerations for Appointing a Governor

  • Provide an open and deliberate advertised nomination to the chapter/society membership.
  • Outline and address issues of diversity (gender, race, geographic, rural/urban, academic/private) to promote equal opportunity for qualified candidates.
  • Review Governor expectations and duties.
    Nominees must be Fellows of the American College of Surgeons as well as members of your society.
  • Guidelines approved by the Board of Regents for nominating representatives to the ACS Board of Governors should be noted when selecting nominees. These guidelines suggest that the selection of nominees for Governors be chosen from the most experienced and effective members within your leadership group and that elected Governors are members of your Executive Committee, either as regular or ex officio members.
  • Special consideration of women and other underrepresented minorities is strongly encouraged.
  • Individuals who are not in active surgical practice should not be considered for nomination.
  • These guidelines reflect recognition by the Board of Regents and the Board of Governors of the important role that chapter/specialty society Governors play in linking their chapter/society to the American College of Surgeons.

Online Nomination Form

A link will be provided by Board of Governors staff.

  • The chapter/society provides current contact information for the nominee and alternate.
  • The chapter/society uploads a current CV for the nominee (a CV is not required for the alternate).
  • The chapter/society provides a brief statement on why the nominee and alternate were chosen.

Attaining Governor Representation

Provided below is additional Information on the steps involved to attain Governor representation for surgical specialty societies and/or those interested in starting an ACS Chapter.

Governor Representation Requirements for Chapters

The prospective chapter must provide:

  • Governor/Alternate Nomination Form (form to be provided by Board of Governors staff)
  • At least 15 petitions from ACS Fellows in good standing who live or work in the prospective Chapter area (ACS can provide assistance, if necessary)
  • Current contact information for nominee and alternate
  • Current CV for the nominee (CV not required for alternate)
  • Brief statement on why nominee and alternate were chosen

It is expected that 15 ACS Fellows petitioning will become active members of the new chapter. Download our Steps to Form an ACS Chapter guide for additional information.

Email governors@facs.org to receive the necessary documents to petition for a Governor (and alternate) with the goal of forming a chapter.

Governor Representation Requirements for Surgical Specialty Societies

A surgical specialty society requesting representation on the Board of Governors must:

  • Be composed primarily of surgeons
  • Have demonstrated strong scientific/educational activities and programs for more than five years
  • Have as members 300 Fellows of the College

As part of the request process, the surgical specialty society must provide:

  • Governor/Alternate Nomination Form (form to be provided by Board of Governors staff)
  • Written request to Chair of the Board of Governors from specialty society officer on behalf of the society, describing the organization's activities and purposes
  • Membership roster of the specialty society, identifying Fellows of the American College of Surgeons
  • Current contact information for nominee and alternate
  • Current CV for the nominee (CV not required for the alternate)
  • Brief statement on why the nominee and alternate were chosen

If more than half of the ACS Fellows with membership in the specialty society are represented by another similar specialty society on the Board of Governors, then the new specialty society is generally not eligible for representation. The applying specialty society is responsible for documenting through membership lists its eligibility for Governor representation. All documents should be sent to governors@facs.org.

For more information, contact governors@facs.org or call 312-202-5360.