ASDA Structure and
Leadership
What is ASDA?
• The American Student Dental Association is a national
student-run organization that protects and advances
the rights, interests and welfare of dental students.
• It introduces students to lifelong involvement in
organized dentistry and provides services,
information, education, representation and advocacy.
Why does the structure matter?
• Efficiency in carrying out the association’s work
• Being an expert on all things ASDA
• Knowing where to go for information
• Future opportunities
Structure of ASDA
ASDA Members
∙predoctoral students
∙predental students
∙international dental student members
Reference Committees
•Governance
•Education and Licensure
•Membership and
Professional Issues
Executive Committee
•President
•Vice Presidents
•Executive Director
Central Office Staff
Externs
•Chicago Administrative
•Washington D.C ADPAC
ASDA House of Delegates
•Delegates - two elected from each U.S. dental school
•Speaker of the House
•Secretary
ASDA Board of Trustees
•President elected by House of Delegates
•Two Vice Presidents elected by House of
Delegates
•Eleven Trustees elected by the Delegates of
each district
•Editor-in-Chief appointed by Board of Trustees
•Speaker of the House elected by the House of
Delegates
•Secretary/Treasurer/Executive Director
•Immediate Past President
Board Work Groups
•Governance
•Leadership Development
Editorial Board
•Editor-in-Chief
•Contributing Editors
•Electronic Editors
Councils
•Membership
•Professional Issues
•Communications
•Sessions
•Advocacy
ASDA Structure
Executive Committee
• Oversees and administers the work of ASDA
between board of trustees meetings
• Reviews the budget and oversees fiscal planning
• Appoints national leaders
• Fulfills the directives of the House of Delegates
• Approves interim policy/procedures between meetings
of the board of trustees
• Who makes up the executive committee?
• president
• 2 vice presidents
• executive director
Board of Trustees
• Oversees and administers the work
of ASDA
• Approves the budget
• Appoints leaders
• Fulfills the directives of the House
of Delegates
• Determines interim policy by 2/3 vote
between House of Delegates meetings
• Who makes up the board of trustees?
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•
•
•
•
•
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president
2 vice presidents
immediate past president
11 district trustees
speaker of the House
editor-in-chief
executive director
Who Makes Up the House of Delegates?
• Two delegates from each
ASDA chapter (voting
members)
• Speaker of the House –
presides over business
meeting
• Board of trustees
• Secretary of the House
(ASDA executive director)
• Invited guests
Role of the House of Delegates
• Supreme legislative body of the
Association
• Elects the executive committee
and speaker of the House
• Determines the policies
governing the Association
• Amends bylaws and standing
rules of the House of Delegates
Elections
• HOD votes for executive
committee and speaker of the
House
• Candidate speeches on first day
of HOD and voting on the last
day
• Two votes for each chapter
• Districts elect their trustee
during the Sat. caucus
Councils and Work Groups
• Carry out the work assigned by the House of
Delegates and board of trustees
• Accomplish goals in strategic plan
• Appointed by board for one-year term
• Most consist of a chair and two associates
• ASDA currently has the following councils:
• membership
• professional issues
• communications
• advocacy
• sessions
Council on Membership
• Assessing and developing resources that
meet the needs of the members and
chapters
• What do they do?
• Recommend new member benefits
• Develop resources for chapters
• Membership outreach initiative
• Contribute to the Gold Crown Chapter Achievements
Award program
• Oversees the Predental Advisory Committee
• Work with subcommittees for advanced standing
students and financial resources
Council on Professional Issues
• Content expert in dental practice administration,
public health, barriers to care and ethical issues in
dental school
• What do they do?
• Develop resources for working with state dental societies
• Reviews ASDA’s Code of Ethics
• Reviews and updates all professional issues content on the ASDA
website
Council on Communications
• Responsible for improving communications between
ASDA’s leadership and membership
• How does the council do this?
• Creates and disseminates information via various media channels
• Reviews content on the ASDA website
• Guides digital initiatives including ASDA’s social media and videos
• Acts as a resource for chapter communication efforts
Council on Advocacy
• Increase dental student education and involvement in
the legislative process, both locally and nationally
• Help plan National Dental Student Lobby Day
• Members include:
• chair
• ADPAC student director
• 5 legislative coordinators
• board of trustees liaison
• legislative liaisons (local chapter leaders)
Council on Sessions
• Plans and executes the ASDA annual session
• Develops the agenda and selects speakers
• Provides consultation for other association
meetings
• Members include:
• chair
• immediate past president
• 2 board of trustees liaisons
Editorial Board
• Provides direction and oversight of the association’s
print publications, Mouth and ASDA News, and
Mouthing Off blog
• Work with the ASDA communications staff to
determine the content and themes for each issue
• The editorial board is comprised of:
• editor-in-chief
• 2 electronic editors
• 5 contributing editors
Governance Work Group
• Reviews the ASDA governance documents and
proposes changes to keep them current
• Supports the Speaker of the House in optimizing
procedures of the House of Delegates
• GWG includes:
• chair
• president
• speaker of the House
• board of trustees liaison
Leadership Development Work Group
• Responsible for the national leadership training
curriculum
• Create leadership training and resources for
chapters
• Review national leadership positions and application
process annually
• LDWG includes:
• chair (past ASDA leader)
• 1 EC member
• 3 board of trustees liaisons
ASDA Staff
• Manage the day-to-day operations
• Carry out goals in strategic plan
• Serve members and support leaders
• Serve as liaisons to standing committees