Pacific Northwest CESU

Addition of New Members to the PNW-CESU

I.                    SUMMARY

The PNW-CESU Executive Committee herein delineates the policies pertaining to the application process for admission of additional members.  The addition of new federal agency or partner institution members must be approved by all PNW-CESU Executive Committee members.  Consistent with Article III.C of the Cooperative Agreement, new members will be added through amendments to the agreement, and "[a]mendments shall be in writing, signed, and agreed to by all signatories to this agreement."

II.                 APPLICATION PROCESS

Prospective members, whether solicited or unsolicited, are required to provide the appropriate application materials described below.  The prospective member must have a sponsor that is currently a member of the PNW-CESU Executive Committee.

A.    APPLICATION MATERIALS

1.      A federal agency seeking PNW-CESU membership must submit to the PNW-CESU a letter of interest stating that their agency is currently a member of the national CESU Council and that they are prepared to pay a one-time award of $10,000 to the Host University.  This letter must also confirm that the applicant has read the PNW-CESU Cooperative and Joint Venture Agreement and agrees to abide by all the responsibilities and expectations of federal agency members.

2.      Organizations or academic institutions seeking PNW-CESU membership as a partner institution must submit to the PNW-CESU a letter of interest, in which they confirm that they have read the PNW-CESU Cooperative and Joint Venture Agreement, that they will joint at the level of the full institution, and that they agree to abide by all of the responsibilities and expectations of partner institution members.

(a) In addition, a prospective partner institution member must submit a written response to the five elements listed below:

i.)                  contact person, along with person's title, address, phone number, fax, and email address

ii.)                 list of programs relevant to federal land management, environmental and research agencies, including the degrees offered and the number of graduate students in each program

iii.)               list and brief description of faculty with expertise in disciplines and interdisciplinary work relevant to federal land management, environmental and research agencies (do not submit vitae).

iv.)             list and brief description of relevant facilities and equipment,

v.)               description of the actual, assessed overhead rate (not to exceed 17.5%) to be charged and cost items to which the rate is applicable for activities conducted through the CESU, including research, technical assistance, and educational services.

(b) A non-academic institution applicant should submit, in addition to the letter of interest, a written response to the three elements listed below:

i.)                  contact person, along with that person's title, address, phone number, fax, and email address,

ii.)                 brief description of research, technical assistance, and educational services to be offered to federal land management, environmental, and research agencies, and

iii.)               other information relevant to CESU Network objectives.

2.      After receipt of these materials, the Executive Committee will consider the nomination.

III.               ADMISSION DECISIONS

The materials described above will be collected by the PNW-CESU and distributed to all Executive Committee members.  The vote on acceptance can be conducted at an Executive Committee meeting or by surface or email.  Federal agency nominees and institutional partner nominees are elected to membership only by unanimous vote of the Executive Committee.

The PNW-CESU office, located at the Host University, will coordinate interaction with the national CESU Council to prepare the appropriate amendment to the PNW-CESU Cooperative and Joint Venture Agreement.  This amendment must be signed and agreed to by all signatories to the Agreement and the joining member.  Following acquisition of signatures and the CESU Council's concurrence, the PNW-CESU will issue a formal letter of acceptance welcoming the new partner and will distribute the amended agreement to all PNW-CESU members.