Groups

Our Communities

CAUL has several different types of groups that exist to support the association’s work or as a service to Members and their institutions.

Advisory groups

Advisory groups are formed to advise the Board or a CAUL Office leadership team member on specific topics of importance to CAUL’s current strategic priorities. They are comprised of members with expertise in the domain and may exist for a specified period or be established on an ongoing basis. Terms of reference guide advisory groups’ activities. 

Committees

Committees are official groups with a governance function. The Board has the power to establish official committees to address specific priorities, provide advice and recommendations or undertake work related to matters it deems important. 

Communities of practice

A community of practice is a ‘group of people who share a common concern, a set of problems, or interest in a topic and who come together to fulfil both individual and group goals’. It is a learning community that convenes via an email list and meets regularly to discuss topics of interest to members. 

CAUL has three types of communities of practice:

• Open communities are open to all staff members at CAUL Member institutions who are interested in the community’s focus.
• Designated role communities are networks of Member institution staff in similar roles or at similar levels who engage in professional learning, collegial support, networking and knowledge sharing.
• The OER Collective communities of practice are learning communities open to all library staff members and academic authors at institutions participating in the OER Collective.

CAUL’s communities of practice are facilitated by convenors, who are Member institution staff.

Organising committees

Organising committees are formed to plan and organise major events.

Project teams

Project teams are formed to undertake a specific project as articulated by a project brief. They often sit within a program but may also be attached to a CAUL service. Project teams exist for a finite period and generally comprise Member institution staff who work closely with CAUL Office leadership team members. Terms of reference and other project documentation guide a project team’s work.

Find out more about CAUL’s current projects.

Working groups

Working groups are formed to undertake work in a specific content domain, which is generally more extensive in scope than a project and may comprise multiple projects. They may also have an advisory function. Working groups exist for a finite period and typically comprise Member institution staff who work closely with CAUL Office leadership team members. Terms of reference guide working groups’ activities.

Email lists

In addition to groups, committees and communities of practice, CAUL manages email lists on specific topics to facilitate discussion between Member institution staff. They differ from communities of practice in that they don’t meet regularly or explicitly focus on professional learning.

Find out more about CAUL’s email lists.