CIfA’s Board of Directors met on 7 May and discussed the results of the vote for the proposal to introduce a Chartered Archaeologist grade of accreditation.
The vote at the EGM did not gain the 75 percent support required to pass the resolution, but it did achieve a majority of 55 percent. That, and the instruction from the 2017 AGM to prepare the documents supporting the 2019 EGM resolution, show that that the profession continues to aspire to the general principle of a Chartered Archaeologist accreditation.
We have received a great deal of feedback, much of which is positive, regarding the Chartered Archaeologist proposal. However, a wider range of concerns has been raised. Some of these are directly related to the Chartered Archaeologist proposal, but others reflect broader sectoral issues. All these concerns need careful consideration before we can make any decisions about how to proceed in the best interests of the profession. Our next steps will be to review that feedback in more detail, and to consult widely with the membership, starting with your elected members and group representatives on Advisory Council. We wish to understand which aspects of the proposal might change, and what other actions we and others may need to take to address differing aspirations, understanding and trust.
We would like to reaffirm that CIfA has continued to invest resources into other related core aspects of our remit. They include promoting ethical behaviour, raising technical standards, investigating professional conduct, boosting the negotiating power of archaeologists in multi-disciplinary teams, and encouraging people of all backgrounds to enter and progress in our profession. These are issues that impact all our members, and we see the development of individual chartered accreditation – the creation of a chartered profession – as a means of generating longer-term improvements in these areas. We will continue to pursue the objects of our Charter by promoting high professional standards and strong ethics in archaeological practice, to maximise the benefits that archaeologists bring to society.
We welcome further feedback about the process, shape and future direction of chartership – and the Institute. Please share any feedback with your Advisory Council representatives or email admin [at] archaeologists.net
