(Rev. October 2005)
a. Name of Program: University of Oregon Art History Association (UOAHA)
b. Establishment: The Organization of Graduate Students in Art History (OGSAH) was established in 1996. These students recognized the need for communication between graduate students and with the faculty, administration, and University student body. The OGSAH became inactive by 2000. In the 2001-2002 academic year Lola McDowell, a graduate student, sought students to resurrect this group. In 2002-2003, the leadership of Nissie Ellison and Heather Russell organized the association and planned events focused on the local art galleries, and intellectual and social gatherings. In 2003-2004, Gayle Goudy Kochanski and Elizabeth Wages reorganized the group as the Art History Association and sought undergraduate participation.
c. Mission Statement: The University of Oregon Art History Association facilitates and promotes educational and professional development opportunities for students interested in the history of the visual arts, regardless of major field of study.
i. Goals:
1. To provide exposure to art through trips to exhibits and monuments at local and regional art institutions, as well as a forum to discuss local art.
2. To provide professional development activities:
a. Spring symposium – An international forum for the presentation of both Undergraduate and Graduate student papers in the field of art history.
b. Professional Development Committee – Provides opportunities to learn more about career options in art historical fields.
c. Conference Travel – organizes and helps to fund travel to annual conferences for exposure to the art history profession.
3. To promote connoisseurship and develop curatorial skills through the acquisition and exhibition of a permanent Art History Association collection of art from University of Oregon student artists.
4. Advocating for Art History student interests within the Department of Art History, the School of Architecture and Allied Arts, and campus-wide.
a. Partnering with other student groups campus-wide in the promotion of mutually beneficial educational and professional development opportunities.
II. Membership
a. Membership is open to all fee-paying students
i. Exec. R 88.1 Membership: No individual can be excluded from a program on the basis of political ideology, but every individual in a program must be sincere to the goals of the program.
ii. Exec R 83.1 Elections: Membership in a program may be defined by the program as long as the membership rules allow an equal opportunity for all students to participate in the program and there is no other violation of the rules of the ASUO, the University of Oregon, or the State of Oregon.
b. Equal Opportunity Statement
i. Exec. R 82.1 Equal Opportunity: The ASUO affirms the right of all individuals to equal opportunity in-education, employment, and access to incidental fee-funded programs and their funded activities, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, different ability, national origin, marital status, veteranÕs status, or any other considerations not directly and substantially related to effective participation.
c. Authority and Responsibility of members
i. An application must be completed and returned to the Co-chairs at the meeting in which a new member joins and individuals must attend two meetings to become full members.
ii. A member loses membership if s/he is inactive for two terms (i.e. does not come to meetings, events, or participate in fundraising activities, etc.)
iii. There are no membership fees beyond incidental fees required by the university
iv. Active membership for one year or more entitles the member to alumni status when s/he ceases to be an active member.
v. The UOAHA may grant honorary membership to individuals who have greatly enabled the association in reaching its goals.
III. Officers and their Job Descriptions and Responsibilities
a. General Responsibilities
i. Officers comprise all elected and appointed positions.
ii. Officers are expected to attend all UOAHA meetings
1. It is the officersÕ responsibility to report any potential absences (academic or schedule conflicts, illness, or other extenuating circumstances) to a Co-chair and if necessary appoint a proxy to fulfill his/her duties and/or deliver reports in their stead.
2. More than 3 meeting absences will result in a re-evaluation of the officerÕs ability to fulfill assigned duties.
iii. Officers are expected to attend all activities and events relevant to their positions, and to support all non-relevant activities through attendance and participation when possible.
b. Elected positions and Job Descriptions
i. Co-Chair (2 members)
1. Description of responsibilities:
a. Organize and lead meetings;
b. Act as principle liaisons with ASUO, including mandatory attendance at all monthly ASUO program committee meetings
c. Act as graduate student faculty liaisons for fall term. In the event that a chairperson is an undergraduate student, a graduate student will be appointed as graduate student faculty liaison for fall term.
d. Prepare budget with Treasurer
e. Oversee all activities of the Association
f. Attendance at all UOAHA meetings, activities, and events is expected.
2. Term of Office: One year which begins the last week of Spring term. In the event of a term absence, an acting co-chair may be appointed with the approval of the membership, but this does not alter the one-year term of appointment.
ii. Secretary
1. Description of responsibilities:
a. Record and disseminate meeting minutes
b. Disseminate meeting announcements and agendas
c. Organize and manage Association notebook
2. Term of Office: One year which begins the last week of Spring term. In the event of a term absence, an acting Secretary may be appointed with the approval of the membership, but this does not alter the one-year term of appointment.
iii. Treasurer
b. Prepare budget report for membership meetings
c. Aid Co-chairs during the summer months prepare a preliminary budget to present membership during the first meeting during the fall term.
d. Prepare and update ASUO budget packet with Co-chairs due in early November
e. Manage fiscal operations of all events
i. Manage monetary transactions
ii. Handle deposits and related paperwork
2. Term of Office: One year which begins the last week of Spring term. In the event of a term absence, an acting Secretary may be appointed with the approval of the membership, but this does not alter the one-year term of appointment.
iv. Graduate Student Faculty Liaison (2 members)
1. Description of the responsibilities:
a. Attend the monthly faculty meetings and provide membership with faculty meeting minutes.
b. Represent graduate student interests to faculty as requested at the meeting.
2. Term of Office:
a. Co-chairs hold position in fall term.
b. Two first year graduate students are appointed by Co-chairs for winter and spring terms.
v. Publicity & Communications Officer
1. Description of Responsibilities
a. Manages email list-serve and UOAHA website
b. Oversees publicity for UOAHA activities and events
2. Term of Office: One year which begins the last week of Spring term. In the event of a term absence, an acting Publicity & Communications Officer may be appointed with the approval of the membership, but this does not alter the one-year term of appointment.
vi. Acquisitions Committee Co-curators (2 members)
1. Description of responsibilities:
a. Acquire and curate a permanent collection of art that will display outstanding art from University of Oregon student artists.
i. Organize an acquisitions committee
ii. Recruit and select submissions for the collection.
iii. Organize exhibition of submissions and opening event to announce acquisitions prize recipient.
iv. Create special exhibitions using the art in the permanent collection.
2. Term of Office: One year which begins the last week of Spring term. In the event of a term absence, an acting co-chair may be appointed with the approval of the membership, but this does not alter the one-year term of appointment.
vii. Symposium Committee Co-Chair (2 members)
1. There shall be two chairs for the Symposium: one graduate and one undergraduate.
2. Description of responsibilities
a. Select Symposium committee members; manage and delegate duties to members as appropriate
b. Prepare Symposium budget in coordination with Executive committee
c. Lead committee in the planning, organizing and management of Symposium
3. Term of Office: One year which begins the last week of Spring term. In the event of a term absence, an acting co-chair may be appointed with the approval of the membership, but this does not alter the one-year term of appointment. It is not recommended that students who expect to be absent a term fill this position.
viii. Professional Development Committee Co-Chair (2 members)
1. Description of responsibilities
a. Select Professional Development committee members; manage and delegate duties to members as appropriate
b. Contact art history alumni and community professionals and invite individuals to present on possible career tracks (including academic, museum, appraising, and others that value a background in art history) for graduate and undergraduate students
c. Plan a forum or reception for guest speakers
d. Prepare budget in coordination with Executive committee for travel expenses for guest speakers
2. Terms of Office: One year which begins the last week of Spring term. In the event of a term absence, an acting co-chair may be appointed with the approval of the membership, but this does not alter the one-year term of appointment.
a. Quorum – 50% of total membership
b. Elections will be announced at the nominations meeting and via the UOAHA list-serve. Results will be announced at the election meeting and via the UOAHA list-serve.
c. Nominations will be made at the first general meeting of the Spring term. A general election will be held at a special meeting within two weeks of the nominations. In the event that all positions cannot be filled in the Spring, a general election will be held the first two weeks of Fall term for unfulfilled positions.
d. Elections will be overseen by an Elections official
i. Selection of Election Officials:
1. Eligibility: Election Officials may not currently hold the position(s) for which the election is being held, or be a nominee for the position(s).
2. Terms of Office: Election officers are chosen by majority vote of the members who are present at the nomination meeting. Term concludes after announcement of officers at the election meeting.
3. Description of the responsibilities:
a. Notify the Programs Coordinator and Elections Coordinator before the elections
b. Collect nominations
c. Manage voting at the following meeting:
i. create ballots
ii. count votes
iii. announce results
ii. Voting rights shall be given to all members in good standing.
iii. Votes can be cast either at the general meeting, or by proxy via email during the general election period.
iv. Process to recall officers:
1. Grievance process should be followed
2. If grievance is unsuccessful, or if a vote of the general membership deems recall be an immediate emergency, then a recall vote shall be held according to the quorum requirements and rules of the election process.
v. Replacement process for resignations
1. Nomination and voting will be held at the first membership meeting following resignation submission.
V. Officer Transitioning
a. Officers are responsible for updating and maintaining a position notebook of duties.
b. New officers elected during Spring term shall shadow the current officers during the term to learn their new roles.
c. New officer contact information should be given at the end of Spring term.
d. New officers should make sure all information is again updated with ASUO fall term.
VI. Standing Committees
a. Committees of the UOAHA are as follows:
i. Executive – comprised of the elected officers of the UOAHA
ii. Symposium – plans and executes Spring Symposium
iii. Acquisitions – plans and executes Acquisitions program
iv. Professional Development – plans and executes professional development activities
v. The co-chairs may create a new committee to fulfill new projects and goals as needed.
b. Description of the responsibilities: duties described as needed.
VII. Meetings
a. Frequency: meetings are held monthly or as needed during the academic year.
1. Fiscal Decisions
a. Quorum requirement: 25% of membership
b. Decision will be made by vote
c. All members have voting privileges except Alumni and Honorary members
2. Emergency Fiscal decisions: defined as fiscal decisions that must be made before the next UOAHA general meeting
a. Either, an emergency meeting of the Executive Committee will be called, or a vote by email proxy may be called
b. Quorum: 80% of the executive committee
c. Decision will be made by vote
d. Emergency fiscal decisions must be reported at the next UOAHA general meeting
3. Summer decisions
a. Necessary decisions over the summer will be made by the Executive committee via email.
4. All other decisions
a. Quorum requirement: 25% of membership
b. Decision will be made by vote
c. All members have voting privileges except Alumni and Honorary members
IX. Grievances
a. The grieved members will enter mediation with co-chairs, unless a co-chair is involved in the dispute. If a co-chair is involved, the conflicted parties will mediate with a member appointed by consensus of membership.
b. Co-chairs interpret by-laws and rules.
c. Mediation process – conflicted members or officers meet with appointed mediator to resolve conflict. If mediation is not successful, the conflicted parties will bring their grievances before the membership where a compromise will be proposed by consensus of the membership.
d. If internal mediation fails, the art history association will seek mediation from the Conflict Resolution Services.
e. If ASUO mediation is unsuccessful, we will appeal to the ASUO Programs Administrator.
X. Amending the By-Laws
a. Process for amendments: any member can propose an amendment to the membership at a meeting. The proposed amendment will be disseminated to the membership and voted on during the next meeting.
b. Quorum requirements: 30% of membership.
c. No petitions are used.
d. Proposed amendment will be disseminated via email. Amended by-laws will be disseminated via email.
e. Amendments take effect at the end of the meeting in which they were approved.
f. By-laws must be submitted to Programs Administrator for approval.
XI. Dissolution of the Program
a. If this organization dissolves at any point, the University of Oregon Department of Art History will inherit any fundraised money or equipment not purchased with incidental fees or state dollars.