This past summer, the AIR Board of Directors initiated a review of the Association’s
governance structure. After soliciting interest from members, an Ad Hoc Committee
on Governance (AHCG) was formed and began meeting in November of 2009.
The committee’s charge was introduced in a letter from Rob Toutkoushian to the AIR
membership. In particular, the President asked the Ad Hoc Committee to address three
specific areas:
- Identify current issues and trends in the Association and related fields and professions
to determine how they are connected to AIR’s governance needs. The AHCG should strive
to determine from this evaluation whether AIR’s governance structure should be modified
to better enable the Association to address these challenges.
- Review the governance structures used by professional organizations that are similar
to AIR, and compare and contrast these structures to the governance structure used
by AIR. The evaluation should highlight particular advantages and disadvantages
(when appropriate) with our current governance structure.
- Review the standing committee structure used by AIR. The review might focus on questions
such as: Do we have the right committees for the Association in terms of number
and topical areas? Are there major things the standing committees should be doing
that they are not, and vice-versa? Should committee chairs also serve as members
of the Board of Directors, or should Board membership be independent from serving
as chair of a standing committee?
The AHCG has pledged to keep the membership informed about its activities by issuing
a series of periodic reports. This is the first such report, and there will be opportunities
at the Forum to hear more about the work of the AHCG.
Why are we now considering a change in governance structure?
As we approach the 50th Anniversary Forum, AIR’s membership, breadth of activities,
and organizational complexity have grown considerably. While the Forum remains the
Association’s signature event, other products, services, and activities, including
grant funded efforts, publications, webinars, institutes, and IPEDS training have
increased to the point where they occupy a considerable portion of the time and
talents of a growing and increasingly professionalized association staff. While
the AIR Board works diligently to manage all this activity, the time, attention,
and knowledge required for such oversight has expanded substantially. In turn, it
is increasingly challenging to keep current on everything while also remaining focused
on the level of accountability AIR members should, and do, expect from the Board.
Taken together, these factors have helped highlight a need to further clarify and
better articulate the roles and responsibilities of Board and committee members,
as well as the AIR Executive Director and staff.
What do we hope to achieve through any changes to the governance structure?
The AHCG has identified the following core objectives to enhance the effectiveness
of the Board and governance of the Association:
- Improve the effectiveness of AIR in carrying out its programs
- Improve the responsiveness of AIR in pursuing its mission
- Improve the representativeness of member input and participation
- Provide for accountability in carrying out activities of the Association
- Provide appropriate fiscal oversight
- Review the roles of board members who also serve as chairs of standing committees
and have responsibility for major program areas
- Clarify the responsibilities of the Executive Director
- Clarify the responsibilities of and relationships among Board members, committee
chairs and members, the Executive Director, and Association staff
What has been done so far and what is next?
The AHCG has been meeting by phone approximately every three weeks since
November. To date, the committee has reviewed research on the governance structures
of similar types of associations – especially those that have recently gone through
governance review and restructuring. It has also studied alternative approaches
to association governance and formulated the governance change objectives highlighted
above, as well as preliminary principles and guidelines for the review process.
The AHCG is quite clear that it wants to preserve the values, strengths, and traditions
that have served the Association well for so long. These include, first and foremost,
member leadership, input, and participation in all appropriate facets of association
work. More generally, the committee’s work has been, and will continue to be, guided
by the enduring values of the Association: dedication to member services, higher
education improvement, collaboration, ethical conduct, and stewardship of Association
resources.
Recently, a sub-group of the AHCG committee attended a two-day specialized seminar
on association governance to learn how to become a more effective association. This
particular seminar focused on the Policy Governance, which is emerging as a potential
model for AIR governance. The sub-group also used this time, as well as a subsequent
conversation with the full committee, to develop an action plan for the detailed
work of proposing, vetting, and reformulating a revised governance structure for
the Association.
How can members find out more and have input into the process?
The AHCG will continue to report to the membership about its progress and
welcomes input and questions at any time from AIR members. Refer to the committee roster for contact information.
Additionally:
- There will be an open session regarding the AHCG’s work at the Chicago Forum – check
the Forum program for the session time and location.
- The AHCG will continue to work closely with the Board throughout this process.
- The AHCG will vet preliminary recommendations with the AIR membership and allow
at least one month for comment before any further actions are taken.
- Should any of the governance changes require changes to the constitution and bylaws,
those will be adopted according to the constitutional requirements of the Association.