Charter
Special Interest Group of the MAA on
Mathematics and the Arts
Article I.
Identification
Section 1. The name of this SIGMAA is the SIGMAA on Mathematics and the Arts. It shall be abbreviated by the acronym SIGMAA-ARTS.
Section 2. The purpose of the SIGMAA-ARTS is to support and encourage the interest of MAA members in the connections between mathematics and the arts including, but not limited to, the visual arts, sculpture, architecture, origami, textile and fiber art, literature, drama, dance, music, multimedia art, and digital art. The SIGMAA-ARTS will pursue this purpose by encouraging the awareness of, pedagogy in, and interdisciplinary research and publication in the areas of mathematically inspired art, the use and role of visualization in mathematics, applying mathematics to analyze art and/or the creative process, and mathematics as art.
Article II.
Activities
Section 1. The SIGMAA-ARTS shall engage in activities such as, but not limited to, the following:
a) Sponsoring sessions, workshops, and exhibits at the Joint Mathematics Meetings or MathFest.
b) Encouraging similar activities at section meetings of the MAA.
c) Creating and maintaining two electronic resource centers of materials on or featuring mathematics and the arts, one focused on classroom materials and pedagogy and the other on research articles, links, etc.
d) Creating and maintaining a central website and/or e-mail listserv to serve as a mode of communication among members and to support their work and interest in mathematics and the arts.
Section 2. Relationships with MAA Activities
a) The SIGMAA-ARTS shall regularly communicate and co-ordinate with the appropriate educational committees of the MAA such as the Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics (CUPM), the subcommittee of CUPM on Mathematics Across the Disciplines, the subcommittee of CUPM on Curriculum Renewal Across the First Two Years (CRAFTY), and the Committee on the Mathematical Education of Teachers (COMET). SIGMAA-MA will also seek opportunities to be involved in MAA programs such as PMET and PREP, as appropriate.
b) No activity of this SIGMAA, including publications, shall be represented as coming from the MAA at large, but rather from this SIGMAA, unless such activity and representation have been approved by the Executive Committee of the MAA.
c) Reports of this SIGMAA's activities shall be included in an annual report submitted by the SIGMAA to the MAA Committee on SIGMAAs, with copies to the chair of the Coordinating Council to which the SIGMAA is assigned.
Article III.
Meetings
Section 1. General membership meetings of the SIGMAA-ARTS shall occur at the Joint Mathematics Meetings. Other activities may be scheduled at MathFest or at MAA section meetings.
Section 2. The SIGMAA-ARTS shall employ the simplified version of Roberts’s rules of order. The chair of the SIGMAA-ARTS shall distribute all meeting agendas at least one month prior to the meeting and allow ample time to discuss agenda items.
Article IV. Membership
Section 1. Membership in this SIGMAA shall be open to any MAA member.
Article V.
Administration
Section 1. Officers of the Executive Committee and the Advisory Board
An appointed Executive Committee shall serve the SIGMAA-ARTS
until
The Executive Committee of the SIGMAA-ARTS shall consist of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, Conference Coordinator, Curator, Archivist, Web Master, Online Editor, and Secretary.
SIGMAA-ARTS members with special expertise may be appointed, after consultation with other SIGMAA-ARTS officers, by the Chair to two-year terms as ex-officio members of the Executive Committee to work on special projects organized by the SIGMAA-ARTS.
The SIGMAA-ARTS shall also establish and maintain an
Advisory Board. The size of this board shall not exceed eight. Members of the
Advisory Board shall be appointed by two-thirds majority vote of the executive
committee. Advisors serve a three-year term and may be reappointed. Advisors
are invited to participate as non-voting members in all meetings of the
Executive Committee, and shall retain their regular member voting rights in the
SIGMAA-ARTS.
Section 2. Duties of Officers
The officers of the SIGMAA-ARTS shall be grouped in triples that will work together on related duties.
Chair, Vice-Chair, and Treasurer:
The Chair shall preside at the SIGMAA-ARTS’ meetings (physical and electronic), organize and direct the activities of the SIGMAA-ARTS, serve as liaison to the MAA administration, and be the primary spokesperson for the SIGMAA-ARTS. The Chair shall be available to the Web Master and Online Editor to write regular updates on SIGMAA-ARTS activities. The Chair shall assist the Vice-Chair and Treasurer as requested.
The Vice-Chair shall be the liaison to related organizations outside of the MAA, such as the International Society of the Arts, Mathematics, and Architecture, any appropriate journals, and the annual Bridges Conference. The Vice-Chair shall also serve as the nominations officer, preparing a slate of candidates for any open officer positions on the Executive Committee, and assist the Chair and Treasurer as requested.
The Treasurer shall coordinate the financial matters of the
SIGMAA-MA including, but not limited to, corresponding with the MAA Office
regarding financial records and transactions and assisting the Chair and
Vice-Chair, especially in the preparation of the annual SIGMAA budget.
Conference Coordinator, Curator, and Archivist:
The Conference Coordinator shall serve as the Program Coordinator for the SIGMAA-ARTS’ session and/or exhibit at the Joint Mathematics Meetings or MathFest, handle all communication to the Associate Secretary of the MAA on matters related to national meetings of the MAA, and shall assist the Curator and Archivist as requested.
The Curator shall be primary organizer of all physical art exhibits sponsored by the SIGMAA-ARTS. In addition, the Curator shall serve as the SIGMAA-MA liaison to the organizers of the art exhibit that is jointly sponsored by the American Mathematics Society and the Mathematical Association of America at the Joint Mathematics Meetings. The Curator shall assist the Conference Coordinator and Archivist as requested.
The Archivist shall serve as historian for the SIGMAA-ARTS and maintain physical, and electronic where appropriate, records of all SIGMAA-ARTS activities including meeting programs, abstracts, and art exhibit catalogs. The Archivist shall assist the Conference Coordinator and Curator as requested.
Web Master, Online Editor, and Secretary:
The Web Master shall create and maintain the electronic mailing list, the communications forum, and the online educational and research resource centers of the SIGMAA-ARTS. The Web Master shall assist the Secretary in disseminating information to the SIGMAA-ARTS’ membership. The Web Master shall also assist the Online Editor as appropriate.
The Online Editor is responsible for posting and maintaining the content of the electronic educational and research resource centers of the SIGMAA-ARTS. As the SIGMAA-ARTS matures, the Online Editor shall be charged with issuing an online magazine to keep the SIGMAA-ARTS updated on the activities and achievements of its members. The Online Editor shall assist the Web Master and Secretary as requested.
The Secretary shall maintain the SIGMAA-ARTS’ membership
list, handle all correspondence of the SIGMAA-ARTS that does not fall under the
duties of other officers, and assist the Web Master and Online Editor as
requested.
Section 3. Elections, Appointments, and Terms of
Office
Each office of the SIGMAA-ARTS has a three-year term.
To stagger the terms of office so that each triple of related offices never has more than one new officer in any given year, the first elected Vice-Chair, Conference Coordinator, and Web Master shall serve only two years, and the first elected Treasurer, Curator, and Online Editor shall serve for four years.
SIGMAA-ARTS officers shall be elected through the online balloting system by the MAA Office during the month of October. Elections shall be determined by simple majority. Ties shall prompt a run-off.
New officers should assume their duties on February 15th.
If an officer resigns or is unable to serve his or her full term, the Executive Committee shall use its discretion to appoint an interim officer to complete the term, appoint an interim officer until the next scheduled election, or hold a special election to fill the vacancy. If a period of more than eight months remains in the term vacated, then a special election must be held within thirty days.
Article VI.
Finances
Section 1. An
annual MAA dues supplement shall be assessed each member of this
SIGMAA. This fee shall be used to
support in part the activities of this SIGMAA, and the manner of collection and
disbursement of these funds shall be determined by the MAA Executive
Committee. The initial amount of this dues supplement shall be $10 per
year. This SIGMAA may formally request a change of this amount by sending
such a request to the MAA Committee on SIGMAAs, which
after consideration shall forward a recommendation to the MAA Executive
Committee. The MAA Executive Committee may also initiate a request for a
change of the dues supplement.
Section 2. This SIGMAA shall submit an expense
budget for each calendar year to the MAA Director of Programs and Services no
later than March 15 of the preceding year.
It shall include the projected cost for any regularly planned
activities, including receptions, room charges, equipment, etc. at national
meetings. The budget is subject to the
approval of the MAA Executive Committee.
Section 3. This SIGMAA may apply to the MAA for specific funding beyond
what is provided from dues. All requests
for funds shall be substantiated by a budget for the proposed expenditures.
Article VII.
External Funding
Section 1. This SIGMAA may write grant proposals to be submitted by the MAA. The SIGMAA shall follow the policies and procedures of the MAA for all such submissions.
Section 2. Neither this SIGMAA nor any officer nor any representative thereof shall have any authority to contract debts for, pledge the credit of, or in any way bind the MAA.
Article VIII.
Changes
Section 1. Changes to this Charter may be proposed by
this SIGMAA if a recommendation for such changes is supported by a quorum of
the members voting as defined in Article III, Section 3. The proposed changes must then be submitted
for consideration to the Committee on SIGMAAs, which
shall forward a recommendation on approval to the MAA Executive Committee.
Section 2. Changes to this Charter may also be initiated by the MAA
Executive Committee, which shall forward such a request to the MAA Committee on
SIGMAAs. In
turn, the Committee on SIGMAAs shall work with the
SIGMAA to develop specific new language for the charter that is acceptable to
the SIGMAA. The Committee on SIGMAAs shall then
forward the revised charter to the MAA Executive Committee to be considered for
approval. In this event, changes must be approved by the Board of
Governors.
Article IX. Dissolution
Section 1. This SIGMAA shall be dissolved for either of the following reasons:
a) Failure to maintain at least 20 members for two consecutive years
b) Reasons agreed to by a majority vote of the Board of Governors.
Section 2. If dissolved, any unspent funds of this SIGMAA shall be returned to the general fund of the MAA.