Special Interest Group of the MAA
RUMEonline!
RUMEonline!

SIGMAA on Research in
Undergraduate Mathematics Education

SIGMAA on RUME Governance Committee Report, January 17, 2003

Members:  Marilyn Carlson, Dave DeVries, Ed Dubinsky, Kathy Heid, Annie Selden (Chair).

In February 2002, Coordinator Marilyn Carlson asked the Governance Committee to discuss and formulate procedures for appointing members of the Program Committee and the lengths of their appointments based on the following rationale:

The only two committees specifically mentioned in the SIGMAA on RUME Charter at that time were the Executive and the Nominating Committees.  The only other mention of committees that occurred in our Bylaws where it is stated that  "The Coordinator, with the approval of the Executive Committee, may from time-to-time appoint Committees to carry out the work of the organization.  These Committees serve until the end of the term of office of the Coordinator who made the appointment."  The Program Committee is clearly a major committee, responsible for the annual RUME conference, but there were no specific procedures for determining who would serve on it.

In addition since no provision had been made for amending the by-laws it was necessary to propose a procedure for amending the Bylaws.

Action:  The Governance Committee proposed the following two amendments to the Bylaws and a proposal for a procedure to be followed this time.

************Proposal to the Membership At the Summer 2002 Meeting**************

 The SIGMAA on RUME Governance Committee recommends that the following sections be added to the Bylaws:

1.  In Article 3 of the By-laws, insert at the end, the following two paragraphs:


Some Executive Committee members may need a committee to assist them in carrying out their duties. In such cases, the Executive Committee member shall serve as the chair of the committee and propose membership and duties to the Coordinator who will make the appointment using the procedure described above. Due to the rotation of officers on the Executive Committee, such committees will serve only during the tenure in office of the executive committee member who proposed the members.

One standing committee will be The Conference Program Committee, whose main duty is the organization of SIGMAA on RUME conferences. It will be appointed by the Coordinator with membership to include the Program Chair and the Organizational Director, who will serve as the chair of this committee. The Coordinator in consultation with the Organizational Director proposes additional members. Members who are not on the Executive Committee shall serve from the end of the summer Mathfest until the end of the summer Mathfest the following year.

2.  Add the  following new section:

Section 5. Changes to these By-Laws.

These by-laws may be amended at official business meetings attended by at least 70% of the number of the members who attended the previous January business meeting and must include at least two officers. Amendments must be proposed in writing and distributed through electronic mail at least one month before the business meeting in which they will be considered for adoption. They must be voted on within two years of being proposed. To be adopted, an amendment must be approved by two-thirds of those members in attendance.

3. We further propose, since we currently have no provision for amending the by-laws, that the above procedure be used in adopting these proposed changes.

*******************End Proposal to Membership************************

Results:  The above proposals  were adopted at the July 2002 business meeting in Vermont, modulo a small change in wording regarding the final sentence of the second paragraph under 1.  The SIGMAA on RUME Executive Committee was charged with changing the wording to delete the reference to Mathfest, as it has not yet been established that the RUME Conferences will always take place in conjunction with Mathfest.  In particular, the Fall 2003 RUME Conference is planned for October in Arizona.  This change in wording has been considered by the Executive Committee and will be announced at the January 2003 business meeting.

Furthermore, the Governance Committee now proposes the following clarification to the wording of Proposal 3 (as adopted at the July 30, 2002 business meeting):

Section 5. Changes to these By-Laws.

These by-laws may be amended at official business meetings attended by at least two officers and by at least 70% of the number of the members who attended the previous January business meeting. Amendments must be proposed in writing and distributed through electronic mail at least one month before the business meeting in which they will be considered for adoption. They must be voted on within two years of being proposed. To be adopted, an amendment must be approved by two-thirds of those members in attendance.

This change is for the purposes of clarity.  The Governance Committee proposes that the phrase "and must include at least two officers" be deleted from the end of the first sentence of Section 5.  Changes to these By-Laws and the phrase "at least two officers and by"  be inserted after "attended by" and before "at least 70% of the number of the members who attended the previous January business meeting."

Respectfully submitted,

Annie Selden, Chair