May 18, 2022 by Cooper Moore

Call For Resolutions

The AIAS is now holding an open Call for Resolutions for the AIAS Council of Presidents! This means that chapter leaders can submit proposals for official revisions to the AIAS Bylaws, directives to the Board of Directors, directives to the Committees and Task Forces, or directives to the Council of Presidents. All submitted proposals will be published ahead of Grassroots 2022. After the initial proposals are made public, there will be an opportunity to propose amendments to the submitted resolutions before the Council of Presidents (CoP) convenes at Grassroots. Discussion and voting on proposed resolutions and any associated amendments will take place at the CoP Meeting at AIAS Grassroots ‘22. 

This format for submission allows the CoP opportunities for earlier consideration of proposed changes, encourages chapter discussion before the conference, and enhances the efficiency and execution of the CoP meeting at Grassroots. A Town Hall meeting will be held to field further questions and provide for more casual discussion. See the schedule below for an overview of all the excitement!

Deadline to propose Resolutions – June 13
Resolutions published – June 14
Deadline to propose Amendments – July 1
Amendments published – July 2
Council of Presidents Meeting – July 17

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 Cornelius at president@aias.org in advance of the deadlines above. Questions or concerns about a proposal can also be submitted to the same address.

If you are a Chapter President, be sure to read up on the AIAS Delegate Guide prior to attending the 2022 Grassroots CoP Meeting so you can maximize your chapter’s voice and use it to efficiently and productively help shape the future of the AIAS and architectural education as a whole!

Please note: We recognize that some issues or resolution topics may arise after these deadlines. Because of this, there will be a short section allocated for New Business at the 2022 Grassroots Council of Presidents Meeting, where delegates may propose resolutions from the floor; however, it is highly encouraged that members take advantage of this streamlined submission process in order to ensure that adequate time is provided in the meeting for discussion related to a given resolution amongst the Council. It is at the discretion of President-elect Moore that comments outside of this process are received, so we also recommend that interested delegates coordinate with him as much as possible. If you absolutely must propose a resolution from the floor, please come prepared with your resolution drafted as a “motion” and accompanied by relevant background or rationale.

 

Continue reading for a preview of the 2022-2023 AIAS Committees and Task Forces.

 

Committee Preview

As the school year wraps up and excitement for Grassroots 2022 is building, I’d like to share a sneak peek at some of the upcoming year’s Committees and Task Forces. It’s not a complete list and some of this information could change before the official Call for Interest form drops at Grassroots, but at the very least it will help you start thinking about where you want to get involved this year! We’ve got a big year ahead and those of us at the National Office can’t wait to get started, so without further ado, here’s a preview of next year’s Committees and Task Forces. 

Okay, just a little further ado – the AIAS has two kinds of committees, only one of which is actually called a “committee.” The ones we call committees are Standing Committees, which exist every year in largely the same form. These committees encompass a wide range of responsibilities, and all of them are open to you except for the Personnel Committee. The PerComm is made up of members of the Board of Directors, so if you want the opportunity to be on it, we better see you running for office this year. (Find more information on Standing Committees under the ‘Governance’ tab on the website.) The other group of “committees” are the Special Committees. Our Special Committees are actually called Task Forces, and they change every year. These Task Forces are formed each year by the President to guide the organization towards its goals. To recap, all Task Forces are committees, but not all committees are Task Forces. Confused? So am I. But that’s okay! We’ll figure it out together.

First and foremost, we will be continuing the JEDI Task Force next year. This group will continue to discuss issues at the core of modern society and be one of the most crucial parts of the AIAS. The current JEDI Task Force has done incredible work this year, and we’re excited to keep the momentum going.

With the recent announcement about the changes to FORUM, I will be forming a Task Force to determine the future of AIAS programming with a specific focus on the future of FORUM. In the past, there has been a FORUM Site Selection Committee, the members of which would devote the year to research and determine the ideal locations for the next three FORUMs. This year, instead of choosing three cities, this Task Force will investigate the possibilities presented by a blank slate and guide the Board in deciding what FORUM needs to be in order to provide the most value to the members. They will also be discussing AIAS programming in general; holding us accountable and keeping us relevant. If you want to have a say in the future of our conferences, this is the Task Force for you!

We will also be creating a Task Force dedicated to bringing about sustainable futures. I’m still working on the details for this one, but I’m imagining it as a creation-oriented Task Force working to provide resources to our members and establish pathways for the AIAS. A key focus of this Task Force would be making sure that this organization is heading in a positive direction and that we are improving the world around us.

Again, this is not a final list of all Committees and Task Forces for next year, but it’s something to chew on for now. Thanks for tuning in! Be on the lookout for more information about Grassroots and Committees!

Coop, 2022-2023 National President