====== Charter ======
\\ 
===== United States Interferometry Consortium (USIC) =====
\\  Status: version to be signed in January 2008\\ \\ **Parties**\\  The CHARA, ISI, MRO, NPOI, PTI, NOAO. Hereafter referred to as “the parties”.\\ \\ **Scope**\\ 

  * The “United States Interferometry Consortium” started on February 1, 2007.
  * The initial goal was to initiate coordination between the different optical interferometers in the US.
  * The scope of the present Charter between the parties of the Consortium is to define a structure that will facilitate communications and allow for a transparent decision making process.
\\ **Article 1**\\ **Definition** of the “United States Interferometry Consortium”\\ 

  * USIC is an association of US based optical interferometers willing to collaborate on the exploitation and development of long baseline interferometry in optical/infrared astronomy within the United States;
  * The goals and strategy of USIC are defined by the USIC board.
\\ **Article 2**\\  USIC has as **primary mission** to:\\  1. Clarify and improve on the role of optical interferometry in the next Decadal Survey.\\  USIC has as **secondary mission** to:\\  2. Work with other organizations and institutions to develop funding opportunities to provide open access to the US optical interferometry observatories;\\  3. Define a role for current interferometers in the process of developing the next generation interferometer;\\  4. Collaboration on technical and scientific aspects to support the US based optical interferometers.\\ \\ **Article 3 – Governance of USIC**\\  USIC shall be **governed** by a Board composed of the parties who have signed this Charter.\\ \\ **Article 4 – Membership of USIC**\\  USIC is open to all interested parties who have agreed to this Charter.\\ \\ **Article 5 – Membership of the Board**\\  The Board shall be formed by\\  1. Up to two representatives for each party;\\  2. Up to two representatives of organizations or institutions which contribute to the mission of the platform;\\  3. Any other person being nominated unanimously by the Board.\\ \\ **Article 6 – Responsibilities of the Board**\\  The **responsibilities** of the Board will be:\\  1. To define the general goals and strategy of USIC activities;\\  2. To initiate activities consistent with the mission statements;\\  3. To monitor long-term progress within these activities.\\ \\ **Article 7 – Chair of the Board**\\  The Board shall select a **chair** through a process that obeys the following rules:\\  1. The chair is elected among the Board voting members;\\  2. The chair is elected for a duration of 1 years;\\  3. Any individual can only once be chair for a maximum duration of two consecutive years, after which s/he is not eligible for the next two year period.\\ \\ **Article 8 – Responsibilities of the Chair of the Board**\\  The **responsibilities** of the chair of the Board shall be:\\  1 .To organize meetings of the Board;\\  2. To chair meetings of the Board;\\  3. To represent the goals and strategy of USIC at official occasions.\\  The chair of the Board may appoint an ad-hoc secretary, if desired.\\ \\ **Agreed by: the parties on January 9, 2008, at Austin, TX**\\ \\ **Representatives of the Parties to the Platform are**\\ \\ **CHARA**\\  H. McAlister\\  T. ten Brummelaar\\ **ISI**\\  C. Townes\\ **MRO**\\  M. Creech-Eakman\\  E.J. Bakker\\ **NPOI**\\  J.T. Armstrong\\  D. Hutter\\ **PTI**\\  R. Akeson\\  A. Boden\\ **NOAO**\\  S. Ridgway\\ \\ **As of June 12th 2008 The following members have been added:\\ \\  LBTI**\\  Phil Hinz\\ \\ **Keck I**\\  Sam Ragland\\ \\  As of 2009, A. Boden has left USIC and R. Akeson now represents the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute.