Association for Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education Formed: Structure and Officers

A supplement to a news article.

In cooperation with MAA, on January 14, 1999 ARUME met for the first time with the following agenda:

The following transitional organizational structure was proposed for the first year and was approved after a discusson.

Association for Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education

Purpose:

The Association for Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (ARUME) is being formed for the purpose of fostering basic research in undergraduate mathematics education (RUME) and its application to improving teaching practice. ARUME will pursue its goals in at least two ways. The first will be to provide organizational support for the conduct of RUME and its dissemination through talks, conferences and publications. The second will be to interact with those who teach post secondary mathematics and are the potential consumers of the results of RUME and also can provide critical assistance in the grounding of research efforts in the realities of the teaching enterprise.

Transitional Organizational Structure:

  1. The name of this organization will be the Association for Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (ARUME). ARUME will maintain a close relationship with the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and explore the possibility of conducting its activities within the structure of the MAA. It will also seek to build relationships with all other organizations concerned with the learning and teaching of mathematics at all levels, from pre-school to graduate school.

  2. Membership in ARUME will be open to anyone interested in joining in the pursuit of its goals. To signify one's intent to become a member, an individual should indicate this at the initial organizational meeting on January 14, 1999 or subsequently notify the secretary/treasurer. Initially, there will be no dues.

  3. Business meetings will be held twice per year, normally in conjunction with the annual and summer meetings of the MAA, but may be held more often.

  4. The transitional ARUME officers will be: Coordinator, Coordinator-Elect, Secretary/Treasurer, Organizational Director, and Program Chair. Together, these officers will form the Executive Committee and will be responsible for carrying out the directives of the membership, as well as day-to-day business. They will serve until the ARUME meeting held in conjunction with the AMS/MAA Annual Meeting in January 2000. At that time the Coordinator will become Past-Coordinator and the Coordinator-Elect will become Coordinator. The remaining officers will be eligible for re-election.

  5. The duties of the officers are as follows:

    The Coordinator will preside at all ARUME business meetings, will organize and direct the activities of the group, and will serve as its chief spokesperson.

    The Coordinator-Elect will service as Vice-Coordinator, assisting the Coordinator and presiding at meetings which the Coordinator is unable to attend, and will become the Coordinator upon completion of the latter's term of office.

    The Secretary/Treasurer will keep records of official meetings of ARUME and the Executive Committee, will maintain the membership roll, and will hold and disburse funds as directed by the Executive Committee or Coordinator.

    The Organizational Director will oversee the organization of the activities of ARUME such as conferences, workshops, etc., in accord with the decisions of the Executive Committee and the ARUME membership.

    The Program Chair will assist the Organizational Director in programmatic details such as the planning of conferences and ARUME paper sessions to be held in conjunction with the January AMS/MAA and Summer MAA meetings, in consultation with the Executive Committee.

  6. The transitional Executive Committee will draft a document for the long-term organizational structure for ARUME and present it to the membership at the ARUME meeting to be held at the 1999 MAA Summer Meeting in Providence. It will also conduct any other ARUME business that arises. Decisions of the Executive Committee will be by majority vote.

  7. This current document will be considered in force upon receiving the approval of a majority of the ARUME membership present at the January 14, 1999 initial meeting. It will remain in force until supplanted by a permanent organizational document approved by a majority of the ARUME membership in attendance, provided that constitutes a quorum.

  8. A quorum for the purpose of making decisions at business meetings will be at least twenty-five members and at least two officers.

Proposed Slate

The following persons were proposed as first year transitional officers. Additional nominations were called for, but there were none and those proposed were elected.
Coordinator
Ed Dubinsky, Georgia State University
Coordinator-Elect
Annie Selden, Tennessee Technological University
Secretary/Treasurer
David Meel, Bowling Green State University
Organizational Director
Mickey McDonald, Occidental College
Program Chair
Julie Clark, Emory and Henry College