Governance

Impact

We advocate for and enact positive change.

Community

We foster an inclusive network of peers that learn from, support, and drive one another.

Growth

We inspire students to reach their greatest potential through meaningful learning opportunities.

Passion

We pursue large goals and aspirations through each member’s enthusiasm.

Perspective

We link the professional’s opportunities to architectural education.

Balance

We promote respectful relationships, an environment of diversity, and a thriving studio culture.

 

In 2018, the AIAS Board of Directors completed the strategic goals for the next few years of the organization. With these goals, the AIAS aims to provide value to you, our member, through programs and services that benefit:

YOUR PRESENT

• Build content, culture, and community that reflects the values of the AIAS

YOUR NEAR FUTURE

• Support your network of current and past members to advance member enrichment

YOUR FUTURE

• Highlight how the study of architecture can raise the value of design beyond the architectural community
• Educate and empower advocates of design to address and create innovative solutions for emerging global issues

2018 Strategic Plan

The AIAS has a number of committees, advisory, and working groups that function as advisory or working groups of the Board and report regularly to the Board on the work performed.

Governance Committee

The Governance Committee is responsible for periodically evaluating governance issues of the organization and make recommendations as appropriate to the Board.

This Year’s General Charge:

1. Explore the relevance and transparency of the AIAS Governing Documents

This Year’s Specific Charges:

1. Perform a thorough review of all governing documents, including but not limited to the National Bylaws, the Rules of the Board, and Public Policies, to ensure accurate representation of the current state of the organization.
2. Establish core Ethics criteria and values of the organization and discuss the need for an AIAS Ethics Committee.

 

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee is responsible for acting in conjunction with the executive director in the preparation of the annual budget for review and approval by the full Board. The Finance Committee is entitled to request and receive periodic reports from the outside auditor. It may also periodically evaluate the organization’s financial status and make suggestions and recommendations to the national office and the Board.*This Year’s General Charges:

1. Perform a review of the organization.
2. Explore ways the AIAS can be more fiscally transparent.

This Year’s Specific Charges:

1. Complete unfinished initiatives and efforts from past Finance Committees.

1. 1. Improve upon and explore the “approachability” of the Fundraising Datalog established by the 2017-2018 Finance Committee.
      

 

Personnel Committee

The Personnel Committee is responsible for evaluating the performance of the executive director and officers as per the outline of responsibilities defined in the executive director’s and officers’ employment contract, in the Bylaws and the Rules of the Board, and in any other performance guidelines and goals defined by the committee and previously agreed to by the executive director and officers.

This Year’s Specific Charges:

1. Review Officers and Executive Director twice a year.

This Year’s Specific Charges:

1. Serve as mentorship component for Executive Director.
2. Create a list of common challenges or things to look out for, to facilitate the success of future board of directors.
   

 

Membership Committee

The Membership Committee shall find means for advancement in the quality of membership by periodically evaluating the specific needs of the membership. This includes defining typologies within the current and anticipated membership and curating a list of resources needed for each typology and suggesting means of information dissemination to the national office.

This Year’s General Charge:

1. Explore the value and transparency of AIAS membership.

This Year’s Specific Charges:

1. As charged by the Council of Presidents at the 2017 FORUM CoP Meeting in Austin, Texas, work with the AIAS Board of Directors to find and define ways in which the formal relationships with the AIA and NCARB can afford member exclusive benefits.
2. As charged by the Council of Presidents at the 2018 Grassroots CoP Meeting in Washington, D.C., consider the creation of an AIAS alumni program and database for the purpose of actively engaging graduated members to continually participate in AIAS on a local and national level.

 

Freedom By Design Advisory Committee

The Freedom by Design Advisory Committee is responsible for the oversight and formation of direction to the mission of Freedom by Design. The group is charged with pushing the program forward with what it offers to the communities of our chapters.

This Year’s General Charge:

1. Serve as the primary training, outreach, support, curatorial, and innovation arm of the Freedom by Design Program

This Year’s Specific Charges:

1. Direct and/or perform training for Freedom by Design Directors at Grassroots and FORUM.
2. Communicate with chapters and track all projects throughout the year.
3. Support chapters throughout the year regarding waivers, liability, design mentors, construction mentors, school relations, fundraising, and Freedom by Design best practices.
4. Collect and curate content documenting completed projects in conjunction with the AIAS National Office.
5. Suggest and propose program changes, evolutions, or new initiatives to the AIAS Board of Directors, including but not limited to national FBD K-12 and other public outreach and educational opportunities and funding opportunities for FBD chapters

 

The AIAS has a number of committees, advisory, and working groups that function as advisory or working groups of the Board and report regularly to the Board on the work performed.

EQUITY AND DIVERSITY TASK FORCE

The Equity and Diversity Task Force is one of the three new task forces that stemmed from the 2017-2018 Advocacy Task Force. The group is charged with discussing issues of equity and diversity as they relate to architectural education, and communicate with the membership ways to increase and promote equitable and diverse AIAS Chapters, studio/work environments, buildings, individuals, teams, communities, and/or cities.

Specific Charges:

1. Develop programming for Advocacy Month in conjunction with the Health + Wellness and Resiliency Task Forces.
2. Explore the transparency of architectural education and the profession of architecture with regards to equity and diversity within the classroom and the workplace.
3. Discuss ways to elevate equity and diversity within architectural education. Suggest areas for improvement to the AIAS Board of Directors to be developed and proposed to the NAAB prior to the 2019 Accreditation Review Forum.

 

HEALTH AND WELLNESS TASK FORCE

The Health and Wellness Task Force is one of the three new task forces that stemmed from the 2017-2018 Advocacy Task Force. The group is charged with discussing issues of health and wellness as they relate to architectural education, and communicate with the membership ways to increase and promote healthy AIAS Chapters, studio/work environments, buildings, individuals, teams, and communities.

Specific Charges:

1. Develop programming for Advocacy Month in conjunction with the Equity + Diversity and Resiliency Task Forces.
2. Explore the transparency of architectural education and the profession of architecture with regards to health and wellness within the classroom and the workplace.
3. Discuss ways to improve studio culture with regards to health and wellness. Suggest areas for improvement to the AIAS Board of Directors to be developed and proposed to the NAAB prior to the 2019 Accreditation Review Forum.

 

RESILIENCY TASK FORCE

The Resiliency Task Force is one of the three new task forces that stemmed from the 2017-2018 Advocacy Task Force. The group is charged with discussing issues of resiliency as they relate to architectural education, and communicate with the membership ways to increase and promote resilient AIAS chapters, studio/work environments, buildings, individuals, teams, communities, and/or cities.

Specific Charges:

1. Develop programming for Advocacy Month in conjunction with the Equity + Diversity and Health + Wellness Task Forces.
2. Explore the transparency of architectural education and the profession of architecture with regards to resiliency within the classroom, the workplace, a community, an urban landscape, and global crises.
3. Discuss ways to increase the emphasis on resiliency within architectural education. Suggest areas for improvement to the AIAS Board of Directors to be developed and proposed to the NAAB prior to the 2019 Accreditation Review Forum.

 

LEARNING, DESIGN, AND TECHNOLOGY TASK FORCE

The Learning, Design, and Technology is an expansion on the 2017-2018 Design Think Tank, which was responsible for investigating and enhancing the relationship between AIAS and design in schools of architecture, highlighting how the AIAS can become a venue for leaders in design. The group is charged with exploring the advancement of learning, design, and technology among AIAS members as well as potential relevant resources.

Specific Charges:

1. Further develop “Designers of AIAS”.
2. Explore ways to showcase architecture students as leaders and educators in design.
3. Discuss ways the AIAS can provide educational content or teach new skill sets to members.

 

COUNCIL OF GLOBAL REPRESENTATIVES

The Council of Global Representatives is a representational body and is responsible for the curation of ideas for content and programming to increase value for international chapters, and ultimately develop an actionable strategic plan to advocate for these members. The group is charged with developing resources that express student values, priorities, and school culture in different regions of the international membership.

Specific Charges:

1. Investigate strategic international expansion and partnerships, concluding with a deliverable of a strategic plan.
2. Build upon the initiatives of the 2017-2018 Global Council Committee.
   

 

Check out the 2018-2019 AIAS Committees and Task Forces Informational Packet for more information on the relevance of this year’s charges!

May 1st

• Deadline to propose a resolution

May 6th

• Resolutions published on aias.org
• Open call for amendments to resolutions

June 1st

• Deadline to propose an amendment to a resolution

June 3rd

• Amendments published on aias.org

July 21st – Council of Presidents Meeting

• Voting on resolutions and amendments
• Town Hall

To submit a resolution or 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@aias.org in advance of the deadlines above. Questions or concerns about a proposal can also be submitted to the same address.

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

The AIAS has officially closed the open call for amendments to the proposed resolutions to the AIAS Council of Presidents. One amendment has been proposed for Resolution #1; both the original resolution and the amendment can be found 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.

AMENDMENT TO RESOLUTION #1

Proposed By: Northeastern University

I move that the motion be amended by striking out the following words, “namely National President and National Vice President”, and by replacing “as one of the following: Chapter President, Chapter Vice President, A member of a previous AIAS National Board of Directors”, with the following words, “on a Chapter Board or Freedom By Design Team.”

The resolution with the proposed amendment would read as follows:

I move to establish an additional eligibility criterion for candidates running for Officer positions on the AIAS National Board of Directors, wherein to qualify as a candidate, a member must have previously served on a Chapter Board or Freedom By Design Team.

EXPLANATION: While it makes sense that our Officers should be previous AIAS Board members with the experience of a Chapter President or Vice President, recent years have shown us that there are many avenues of AIAS leadership. One example is 2017-18 National President, Keshika De Saram, who was a great national President, but his highest title at his Chapter was FBD Director. The proposed resolution actively limits the amount of opportunities for AIAS members and does not include Freedom By Design as a viable method of climbing the AIAS National ranks. Every chapter has nuances, so to say that just the Chapter President and Vice President would be qualified to run is not accurate to how broad the Chapter spectrum is. The proposed resolution seems to be adding regulation in a place it isn’t needed, as those who don’t have the knowledge and skill set to run for Officer positions are dissuaded by the robust election process that we already have.

_______________________________________

Discussion and voting on all proposed resolution and the proposed amendment above will occur at the 2019 Grassroots Council of Presidents on July 21st in Washington, D.C.  All other proposed resolutions can be found here.  Additional amendments to any resolution may be proposed from the floor at the Grassroots meeting as time allows.  

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.