2013 ASAR Ltd. Board Elections Key Dates
How do I nominate to be an ASAR Director?
How do I vote for a Director?
Interested in becoming a member of ASAR?
Special Resolution to amend Object VI of the ASAR Constitution
Interested in contributing to ASAR?
Got a Question?
Further information on the expectations of Directors is available in the document: Becoming a Member Director of ASAR Ltd. Nominations opened on 24 February 2013. ASAR Members were electronically sent a voting link.
All approved voting members of ASAR Ltd. are entitled to nominate and be nominated for appointment as a Member Director of the ASAR Board. The election process is run in accordance with Part V.35 of the ASAR Ltd. Constitution.
Even although the nomination process has commenced there is still time to apply for voting membership and take advantage of the opportunity to contribute to the strategic and operational direction of ASAR. To date over 1000 voting members have received the call for Nominations. Approximately 27% of Accredited Medical Sonographers (AMSs) are also voting members of ASAR Ltd. AMS’s can apply for voting membership online at any time by logging into their member profile on the ASAR website
or by downloading, completing and submitting the application form.
Special Resolution to amend Object VI of the ASAR Constitution
On 7 April 2013, the ASAR Board will put forward the following Special Resolution to members of ASAR Ltd.
Change the wording for Object VI of the ASAR Constitution from current wording:
“to advance recognition of sonography as a profession; and”
to proposed new wording:
“to support recognition of sonography as a profession; and”
The ASAR Board recommends voting in favour of the Special Resolution; the proposed amendment more accurately reflects ASAR’s role as the accreditation body for Sonographers, for post-graduate education programs in Sonography and as the reporting body regarding the accreditation status of Sonographers, to Medicare Australia. This amendment is also supported by the Stakeholder Advisory Committee, a sub-committee of the ASAR board.
The special resolution will be passed if approved by at least 75% of the votes cast by Members who are eligible to vote.
Voting members may cast their vote by one of the following methods:
We want to hear from you!
There are several ways that you can contribute to the work of ASAR, by participating in one of the committees. All out of pocket expenses for Committee members will be covered per the ASAR Travel & Expenses Policy.
Course Assessment Committee (CAC)
ASAR is committed to promoting high standards of medical sonography in Australia which includes setting uniform, minimum standards of Sonographer education by assessing and accrediting courses in all disciplines of sonography.
Expressions of interest are sought for Course Assessors to participate on Course Assessment Committee(s) to review evidence submitted by Course Providers seeking course accreditation against the ASAR Standards for the Accreditation of Sonography Courses (SASC).
Continuing Professional Development Committee (CPD)
ASAR is committed to ensuring all Accredited Medical Sonographers (AMSs) participate in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programs approved by ASAR.
ASAR is committed to monitoring the compliance of AMSs with CPD requirements at all times.
Expressions of interest are sought for CPD Committee members.
Visit the ASAR Booth at the Australian Sonographers Association Annual Scientific Meeting on 17-19 May 2013 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.
For queries regarding the Board nomination and election process or ASAR Committees contact Liane Walters, Executive Officer and Company Secretary via email: registry@asar.com.au or telephone: (02) 8850 -1144.
Renewal Notices for 2013
2013 Fees
Contribute to the work of ASAR
Discipline Specific Areas of Sonography Practice Recognised by ASAR
Please note that renewal notices for 2013 will be sent electronically to your nominated email address.
If you joined the registry between 1 July 2012 and 31 December 2012 your renewal fee for 2013 will be waived.
Renewals for Accredited Medical Sonographers will commence in early February 2013.
For Accredited Medical Sonographers whose triennium ends on 31 December 2012, you must have met ASAR’s CPD requirements, before your renewal can be processed.
Renewals for Accredited Student Sonographers will commence in late March 2013.
RENEWAL NOTICES WILL NOT BE POSTED
Please ensure that your contact details including your email address are correct by visiting your profile on-line or contacting the ASAR office on (02) 8850 1144.
ASAR will ensure you receive ample notice of the due date for your renewal.
AMS Renewal : $99.00 including GST
CPD Default Renewal:$150.00 including GST
Student Renewal: $99.00 including GST
Temporary Residents Renewal: $99.00 including GST
Accreditation Fee (new applicants): $99.00 including GST
Reactivation: $55.00 including GST
Re-application Fee: $200.00 including GST
Bank fee for dishonoured cheque: $9.00
Duplicate Certificate: $20.00 including GST
Please note that unless requested, receipts for payment of fees will not be posted.
A paid tax invoice can be printed out from your online personal profile.
Course Assessment Committee (CAC)
Commitment to providing high standards of medical sonography in Australia
ASAR is committed to promoting high standards of medical sonography in Australia which includes setting uniform, minimum standards of Sonographer education by assessing and accrediting courses in all disciplines of sonography.
The CAC reviews all evidence provided by the Course Provider seeking course accreditation against the ASAR Standards for the Accreditation of Sonographer Courses (SASC) and makes a recommendation to the ASAR Board of Directors in regard to the outcome of the applications for accreditation; however only the Board of Directors can determine the status of courses seeking accreditation.
Members of the CAC are selected from the ASAR Course Assessor Pool, which is a cohort of people approved by the Board who have skills and expert knowledge of sonography, specialist disciplines, and/or expertise in education and training.
The ASAR Board of Directors is seeking Course Asessors for the pool. Interested individuals are requested to complete and return the Expression of Interest Form.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Committee
The ASAR Board of Directors invites individuals with relevant experience and skills to join the ASAR Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Committee. Please refer to the draft terms of reference for the CPD Committee for detailed information on the functions of the committee.
Interested individuals are requested to complete and submit the Expression of Interest form.
Expressions of Interest will be considered by the ASAR Board who will then select those candidates that best fit the purpose and functions of the CAC and CPD Committee.
A sonographer is a highly skilled medical imaging professional who performs diagnostic ultrasound examinations of various areas of the body. Sonographers must hold relevant and accredited postgraduate qualifications in their area of practice to obtain accreditation with ASAR, and need to maintain accreditation by documenting their continuing professional development (CPD) activities with one of the ASAR recognised CPD programs.
Several areas of discipline specific practice are recognised by ASAR:
Renewal Notices for 2013
2013 Fees
Contribute to the work of ASAR
Online Database FAQ’s
Communication, Collection of Information and Privacy
Please note that renewal notices for 2013 will be sent electronically to your nominated e-mail address.
If you joined the registry between 1 July 2012 and 31 December 2012 your renewal fee for 2013 will be waived.
Renewals for Accredited Medical Sonographers will commence in early February 2013.
For Accredited Medical Sonographers whose triennium ends on 31 December 2012, you must have met ASAR’s CPD requirements, before your renewal can be processed.
Renewals for Accredited Student Sonographers will commence in late March 2013.
RENEWAL NOTICES WILL NOT BE POSTED
Please ensure that your contact details including your email address are correct by visiting your profile on-line or contacting the ASAR office on (02) 8850 1144.
ASAR will ensure you receive ample notice of the due date for your renewal.
AMS Renewal : $99.00 including GST
CPD default Renewal:$150.00 including GST
Student Renewal: $99.00 including GST
Temporary Residents renewal: $99.00 including GST
Accreditation Fee (new applicants): $99.00 including GST
Reactivation: $55.00 including GST
Re-application Fee: $200.00 including GST
Bank fee for dishonoured cheque: $9.00
Duplicate Certificate: $20.00 including GST
Please note that unless requested, receipts for payment of fees will not be posted.
A paid tax invoice can be printed out from your online personal profile.
The ASAR Board of Directors invites individuals with relevant experience and skills to join the ASAR Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Committee. Please refer to the draft terms of reference for the CPD Committee for detailed information on the functions of the committee.
Interested individuals are requested to complete the Expression of Interest form and submit this along with the following documents:
Expressions of Interest will be considered by the ASAR Board who will then select those candidates that best fit the purpose and functions of the CPD Committee.
How do I login to my personal profile?
To login to your personal profile you need to have a valid email address on your profile.
You access your profile by:
You should have been emailed a password when the new system went live in December 2011. If you do not have a password, click on the ‘forgot password’ link at the login screen and it will be emailed to you.
I paid my renewal online but it is not showing up as paid in my profile
ASAR uses Secure Pay, which is an online payment gateway. When you pay your renewal it can take up to 24 hours for the payment to be recorded in your profile. This is because the online database runs a ‘house cleaning’ script at midnight to update all records.
Is the payment gateway secure?
The payment gateway is secure. ASAR is using Secure Pay, which has been in existence for over 10 years.
Why do I receive email reminders stating that currently there are one or more tasks that may require attention in the near future?
The online database generates automated personal reminders for individual Sonographers on the Registry.
The automated reminders are sent fortnightly.
You may receive a reminder regarding one or more of the following:
How do I nominate my CPD Program for 2013?
Each year at renewal time, Accredited Medical Sonographers on the Registry need to nominate their CPD program for the year.
This can now be done online in your member profile.
For information on how to do this see the article: How do I nominate my CPD program?
Will I still receive an ASAR registration card?
From 2012, ASAR will no longer be mailing the plastic ASAR registration cards. All active Sonographers on the Registry with no outstanding issues are able to generate a confirmation of their membership from their personal profile.
The confirmation generated from your profile contains the same information that was previously provided on the ASAR registration card.
Will I receive a receipt in the post for payment of my renewal?
No, your paid tax invoice is your receipt and this can be printed out from your personal profile.
How do I get assistance if I am having problems with my personal profile?
You can lodge a ticket with the support desk by clicking on member support on the homepage of the website, email: registry@asar.com.au or call ASAR on (02) 8850 1144.
ASAR only collects, stores, uses and discloses personal information that is necessary for the Company to carry out its functions and achieve its objects as defined in the ASAR Constitution.
ASAR voluntarily adheres to the National Privacy Principles.
ASAR’s primary form of communication is electronic, i.e. emails and e-newsletters. ASAR’s secondary form of communication is mail and facsimile.
In order to carry out its functions and achieve its objects as defined in the ASAR Constitution, ASAR communicates with a number of individuals and organisations including but not limited to:
Depending on the nature of the relationship with ASAR, information collected may include:
The full ASAR Privacy Policy is available on the ASAR website: www.asar.com.au.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding ASAR communications or Privacy please contact Liane Walters, Executive Officer via email: registry@asar.com.au or telephone (02) 8850 1144.
Further to the recent independent review, ASAR has adopted a new constitution and governance structure.
Under the old structure, Directors were nominated by stakeholder groups (professional societies and universities) which raised representation and equity issues. The former Directors were also the members of ASAR (the company) and were therefore accountable to themselves.
To improve transparency and accountability, a new Governance structure has been created that has Accredited Medical Sonographers (AMSs) as the members of ASAR (the company).
Once admitted as a member of ASAR (the company) AMSs have the right to:
AMSs as members of ASAR (the company) in addition to being on the register can now have a direct influence on the strategic and operational direction of ASAR.
The new ASAR Constitution allows for up to 10 Directors of which 3 may be appointed by the Board.
To facilitate the transition to the new structure, all existing ASAR Directors will continue in their positions until new Directors are progressively appointed from next year.
Nominations for the first new Director positions will be accepted before the 2013 Annual General Meeting, the date of which will be announced later in the year.
Becoming a member of ASAR (the Company) is:
The ASAR Board strongly encourages all AMSs to become members of ASAR now.
To become a member AMSs must submit an application. This can be easily done online any time by logging into your member profile or by downloading, completing and submitting the application form.
If you require any further information or assistance with your application, please contact Liane Walters, Company Secretary and Executive Officer via email at: registry@asar.com.au
Renewal Notices for 2012 and Beyond
ASAR’s proposed new Governance Structure
New Website
Online Database FAQs
ASAR’s Role
Medical Radiation Practitioners in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme
Please note that from 2012 onwards renewal notices will be sent electronically to your nominated e-mail address.
Please ensure that your contact details are correct by visiting your profile on-line.
ASAR will ensure you receive ample notice of the due date for your renewal.
If you have not yet provided a current email address to ASAR please provide one at your earliest convenience.
ASAR is working towards a new Governance structure.
Under the proposed Governance structure, Members of ASAR will consist of all active Accredited Sonographers on the Registry.
Active ASAR Accredited Sonographers are those Sonographers who have met the requirements for admission to the Register of Accredited Medical, or Student Sonographers and have paid any applicable fees.
Voting rights would be one vote for each Accredited Sonographer Member. Student Members would not have a vote.
The Board would comprise 7 Directors, who are Accredited Sonographers elected by the Members, and up to 2 specialist Directors who are appointed by the Board.
Membership for the purposes of voting and electing the ASAR Board will be voluntary and is completely separate from the requirement for Sonographers to maintain their status as an Accredited Sonographer on the Registry.
An information paper on the proposed new Governance Structure is available from the ASAR website: ASAR Proposed Governance Structure Dec 2011
ASAR welcomes feedback on the proposed new Governance structure. Please email feedback to: registry@asar.com.au
ASAR’s new website and online database is up and running.
Please take some time to familiarise yourself with the new website.
Some of the features of the new website include:
Note that the Public Register of Accredited Sonographers remains available on the new website.
How do I login to my personal profile?
To login to your personal profile you need to have a valid email address on your profile.
You access your profile by going to the members area of the ASAR website at http://member.asar.com.au, and logging in with your email address and password
You should have been emailed a password when the new system went live in December 2011. If you do not have a password, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link on the login screen.
I paid my renewal online but it is not showing up as paid in my profile!
ASAR uses Secure Pay, which is an online payment gateway. When you pay your renewal it can take up to 24 hours for the payment to be recorded in your profile. This is because the online database runs a “house keeping” process overnight that updates all records.
Is the payment gateway secure?
The payment gateway is secure. ASAR is using Secure Pay, which has been in existence for over 10 years.
Why do I receive email reminders stating that currently there are one or more tasks that may require attention in the near future?
The online database generates automated personal reminders for individual Sonographers on the Registry.
The automated reminders are sent fortnightly.
You may receive a reminder regarding one or more of the following:
• Evaluation period renewal is pending the resolution of other issues
• Requirements for ASAR CPD Program have not been satisfied
• Non-ASAR CPD report pending
• Requirements for a non-ASAR CPD Program have not been satisfied
• Annual confirmation of CPD Program required
• Visa expiring within 90 days
• Visa expired
• Audit of CPD not satisfied
• CPD Points Reminder
• New Invoice
• Overdue Invoice
How do I nominate my CPD Program for 2012?
Each year at renewal time, Accredited Medical Sonographers on the Registry need to nominate their CPD program for the year.
This can now be done online in your member profile.
For more detailed instruction read this support article: How Do I Nominate My CPD Program
Will I still receive an ASAR registration card?
From 2012, ASAR will no longer be mailing the plastic ASAR registration cards.
All active Sonographers on the Registry with no outstanding issues are able to generate a confirmation of their membership from their personal profile.
The confirmation generated from your profile contains the same information that was previously provided on the ASAR registration card.
How do I get assistance if I am having problems with my personal profile?
You can lodge a ticket with the support desk by clicking on member support on the homepage of the website, email: registry@asar.com.au or call ASAR on (02) 8850 1144.
ASAR is not a registration board.
ASAR does not have the authority to remove a Sonographer from the Registry due to professional misconduct, nor the ability to prevent a Sonographer from practising.
ASAR is only able to remove a Sonographer from the Registry for failure to meet CPD requirements and or failure to pay annual fees.
Sonography is not yet a registered profession and therefore Sonographers are not yet included in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS).
Information regarding applications for entry of unregistered professions into the NRAS can be found on the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) website.
From 1 July 2012, Medical Radiation practitioners and students will be required to be registered with the Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia (MRPB).
Sonographers in the public system who are employed under any other title (e.g. Medical Imaging Technologists) need to contact the MRPB as these Sonographers may be required to register with the MRPB and meet their requirements.
