The AIAS officially announces an open Call for Amendments to the Proposed Resolutions to the AIAS Council of Presidents. Proposed amendments to any proposed resolution may be submitted in advance of Grassroots. Discussion and voting on any proposed resolution and amendment will occur at the 2019 Grassroots Council of Presidents. For any items of importance beyond a resolution, a Town Hall will also be held to field questions and engage in more casual discussion. This format to the Council of President’s process allows for earlier consideration of changes, encourages full chapter discussion in advance of Grassroots, and enhances the on-site experience and execution of the Council of President’s meeting. Additional information about the schedule and process are listed below:
RESOLUTION #1
Proposed By: Carnegie Mellon University
I move to establish an additional eligibility criterion for candidates running for officer positions on the AIAS National Board of Directors, namely National President and National Vice President, wherein to qualify as a candidate, a member must have previously served as one of the following:
- Chapter President
- Chapter Vice President
- A member of a previous AIAS National Board of Directors
EXPLANATION: As stated in the AIAS Bylaws, the specific duties of the President and Vice President require the distinct AIAS leadership experience which is gained only from the roles of Chapter President, Chapter Vice President and past AIAS BoD member. This past experience includes large-scale organizational skills — such as delegation, and personnel and event management — as well as a deep understanding of the mission and values of the AIAS. If passed by the Council of Presidents, this resolution would ensure that our future leaders are best-prepared to be the faces of our organization, and accurately represent the interests of its membership.
RESOLUTION #2
Proposed By: Carnegie Mellon University
I move to amend the current AIAS Bylaws to include formal Freedom By Design Bylaws which are based on the Freedom By Design Manual, in particular the ‘Project Essentials’ section.
EXPLANATION: This resolution is being proposed in response to the rapidly growing number of Freedom by Design components across the organization. We believe that a common set of governing bylaws is necessary to ensure consistency across these components and establish a national standard for individual AIAS chapters to build upon.
RESOLUTION #3
Proposed By: Carnegie Mellon University
I move to charge the 2019-2020 AIAS Governance Committee with developing and publishing a set of model constitution/bylaw documents for a range of AIAS chapters to use as a base upon which to develop their individual chapter constitution/bylaws. This set must offer multiple models to accommodate varying chapter needs, including, but not limited to, chapter size, age, membership, location, culture and focus.
EXPLANATION: In recent conversations with chapter leadership across the organization, the varying models of chapter elections and governance have been heavily discussed, indicating an interest in strengthening individual chapter governance models. Providing a set of model documents for reference would enable this interest and empower individual chapters to develop their own constitution/bylaw literature, ultimately promoting functional, transparent and resilient chapter governance.
RESOLUTION #4
Proposed By: New York Institute of Technology – Old Westbury
I move to charge the 2019-2020 AIAS Governance Committee with researching the creation of a new level of membership in the form of a College of Fellows; specifically researching the criteria for nomination, and the formal process of certification and elevation to College of Fellows Membership
EXPLANATION: The College of Fellows would be created to acknowledge the contributions of members and supporters who have made a significant impact on the Architectural and Design Academic Community. These impacts can be Leadership, Mentoring, Impact on the path to licensure and Impact on the educational experience. These however are not the only contributions to be considered and the Governance Committee would be best equipped to research the AIA College of Fellows processes and requirements and use them as a precedent for our own AIAS College of Fellows.
A rough framework for a potential bylaw amendment can be found here. Much work still needs to be done on the formal process and the “Objects of nomination” to determine the areas of contribution that the nominee is credited with. This new level of membership is proposed primarily to take account of and give recognition to those who have helped us all along our path. Let us not forget there are many Faculty Advisors who were not only members as students but have now been involved for decades. There are also the examples of Nick Serfass who sat on the Executive Board for longer than any other member for the past decade, and Charlie Klecha who has returned FORUM after FORUM and even now continues to work tirelessly to advance the mission of the AIAS as Interim ED.
With this in mind, and considering the motivations of those involved, the attached bylaw amendment includes a 6 year commitment to the organization. This criteria will be to ensure that the College of Fellows member has been involved beyond the standard 5 year degree path, donating dues, time, and energies to the organization past what may be considered necessary for personal advancement. This continued commitment to the mission of the AIAS is why the establishment of a College of Fellows should be considered by this, the 2019 Grassroots Council of Presidents, as we have many examples of excellence to recognize.
“Elevation to Fellowship not only recognizes the achievements of the architect as an individual but also elevates before the public and the profession those architects who have made significant contributions to architecture education and to society.”
– AIA College of Fellows Website
JUNE 1ST
- Deadline to propose an amendment to a resolution
JUNE 3RD
- Amendments published on www.aias.org
JULY 21ST – COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS MEETING
- Voting on resolutions and amendments
- Town Hall
To submit an amendment, please draft up a proposal as a “motion” using Robert’s Rules of Order, provide background or rationale up to one paragraph in length, and email it to President Rosen at president@aias.org in advance of the deadline above. Questions or concerns about a proposal can also be submitted to the same address.
