Charter of the SIGMAA on Undergraduate Research

Article I. Identification

  1. The official name. The name of this SIGMAA is the Special Interest Group of the Mathematical Association of America on Undergraduate Research), which shall normally be shortened to simply "The SIGMAA on Undergraduate Research." The acronym the group will normally be known by is "UR SIGMAA."
  2. Focus and Purpose. The purpose of UR SIGMAA is to promote and broaden participation in undergraduate research in mathematics by supporting faculty serving as mentors and by supporting interested students. Specific objects include
    A. Facilitating discussion among mathematicians and mathematics educators interested in undergraduate research.
    B. Promoting undergraduate research within the MAA, through greater awareness of the work in this area currently underway, and by encouraging members to become involved.
    C. Providing development opportunities for faculty interested in beginning work in undergraduate research.
    D. Recognizing accomplishment in undergraduate research in mathematics.
    E. Promoting ties between the MAA and the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR)

Article II. Activities

  1. Intended activities of the SIGMAA. UR SIGMAA will engage in activities including, but not limited to, the following:
    A. Holding an annual meeting in connection with the Joint Mathematics Meetings.
    B. Sponsor sessions, special sessions, and minicourses in connection with the Joint Mathematics Meetings and MathFest.
    C. Maintain an e-mail list to facilitate communication among members.
    D. Publish a newsletter and maintaining a Web page of links related to undergraduate research.
    E. Promote the publication of articles related to undergraduate research in MAA publications.
    F. Encourage similar activities among MAA sections.
  2. Relationships with MAA Activities.
    A. This SIGMAA will coordinate its activities and cooperate with organizations both within and outside of the MAA 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 Council on Membership and Communities to which the SIGMAA is assigned.

Article III. Meetings

  1. Frequency and place of meetings. Annual business meetings of the UR SIGMAA shall take place at the January Joint Mathematics Meetings. Other activities may be scheduled at the summer MAA meeting and at MAA Section meetings. UR SIGMAA business may also be conducted electronically provided that a quorum is attained.
  2. Conduct of meetings. The SIGMAA Chair will preside over the annual business meeting held during the January Joint Mathematics Meetings. The Chair will circulate an agenda electronically one month in advance, and will ask for additional agenda items at that time. The Chair will allow ample time for discussion and will seek to achieve consensus. When a consensus is not reached, decisions will be made by a vote using Robert's Rules of Order.
    When the Executive Committee decides that an issue requires attention of the entire UR SIGMAA membership before the next general meeting, it can decide to conduct a business meeting electronically. The same definition of a quorum applies to any vote taken, and again it is expected that ample time for discussion will be allowed. Members will be given at least a week to vote on any issue requiring an electronically conducted vote.
  3. Quorum. A quorum at the annual business meeting will be at least twenty members, including at least two officers. Decisions concerning regular activities of the SIGMAA (i.e. sponsoring a session at a conference) may be made through email under the same rules as additional meetings of the SIGMAA.

Article IV. Membership

  1. Membership in this SIGMAA shall be open to any MAA member.

Article V. Administration

  1. Officers and Executive Committee. Elected officers of this SIGMAA will be Chair, Chair-Elect, Programs Coordinator, Outreach Coordinator, and Secretary/ Treasurer. These five officers comprise the SIGMAA Executive Committee. In addition, the Newsletter Editor and Electronic Resource Editor are appointed officers.
    Since the Chair-Elect becomes the Chair, neither the Chair nor the Chair-Elect can succeed themselves in office. All other officers can succeed themselves in office.
  2. Duties of Officers. The Executive Committee will be responsible for carrying out the directives of the membership, as well as day-to-day business.
    The duties of the officers are described below.
    A. Chair. The Chair will preside at all UR SIGMAA business meetings, will organize and direct the activities of the SIGMAA, and will serve as its chief spokesperson. The Chair will serve as liaison with the MAA Committee on SIGMAAs and with other organizations. The Chair will also regularly communicate with UR SIGMAA members about the activities of the Executive Committee and the SIGMAA in general. The Chair will also perform other duties as may be directed from time to time by the Executive Committee.
    B. Chair-Elect. The Chair-Elect will serve as vice-chair, assisting the chair in UR SIGMAA activities. One of the primary duties of the chair-elect is to become familiar with the operations of the SIGMAA, so that the transition to their position as Chair will occur as seamlessly as possible. The Chair-Elect will become the Chair upon completion of the latter's term of office.
    C. Program Coordinator. The Program Coordinator will solicit proposals for special sessions at the Joint Mathematics Meetings, workshops, conferences, etc., from the UR SIGMAA membership, and present proposals to the Executive Committee. The Program Coordinator will coordinate, with the MAA Associate Secretary, the implementation of those proposals approved by the Executive Committee. Criteria for accepting proposals will include whether the objectives of the proposed sessions are concordant with the missions of UR SIGMAA and the MAA. The Program Coordinator will also perform other duties as may be directed from time to time by the Executive Committee.
    D. Outreach Coordinator. The Outreach Coordinator will be responsible for publicity, outreach, and advocacy activities of UR SIGMAA. The Outreach Coordinator will be responsible for distributing information about undergraduate research in mathematics to the SIGMAA membership, to other MAA members, and to institutions and forums outside of the MAA. The Outreach Coordinator will also perform other duties as may be directed from time to time by the Executive Committee.
    E. Secretary / Treasurer. The Secretary/Treasurer will keep records of official meetings of the UR SIGMAA and its Executive Committee, and will hold and disburse funds as directed by the UR SIGMAA Executive Committee. Other duties include keeping a record of the affairs of UR SIGMAA, handling correspondence, preparing written reports for submission to the MAA as required, being responsible for all finances of the UR SIGMAA and for preparation of financial reports as required by the UR SIGMAA Executive Committee. The Secretary/Treasurer will also perform other duties as may be directed from time to time by the Executive Committee.
    F. Electronic Resources Coordinator. The Electronic Resources Coordinator will be responsible for dissemination of information to the UR SIGMAA membership, primarily through electronic media. The Electronic Resources Coordinator will assist the Secretary/Treasurer, as needed, with correspondence, and with recording and disseminating the activities of the UR SIGMAA. The Electronic Resources Coordinator will also perform other duties as may be directed from time to time by the Executive Committee.
  3. Elections, Appointments, and Terms of Office.
    A. The Executive Committee will appoint a Nominating Committee of three members. When possible, the immediate Past Chair will chair this committee. The committee will solicit nominations and volunteers from the membership for future officers.
    B. Election of officers will take place by electronic ballot of the membership. By October 1, the MAA will distribute to UR SIGMAA members via email to the UR SIGMAA listserv a link to the electronic ballot with instructions for voting by October 31. The electronic ballot will indicate that write-in votes are permitted. The winner will be the candidate receiving the most votes. Ties will be broken by a fair, unbiased random device supervised by the MAA. Paper ballots will be provided by request only.
    C. All UR SIGMAA Executive Committee members shall serve terms of three years effective with officers beginning their terms in January of 2014. Terms will begin at the conclusion of the January Joint Mathematics Meetings. After the initial term of officers, terms will be staggered so that elections are held for no more than two officers in any year.
    D. Should an office other than Chair become vacant midterm, the Executive Committee, in consultation with the most recent Nominating Committee, shall appoint a member of UR SIGMAA to fill that office for the remainder of the term of office. Should the office of Chair of the UR SIGMAA become vacant midterm, the Executive Committee shall appoint a member of the Executive Committee (to include the ex officio immediate Past Chair) to fill the office of Chair for the remainder of the term and, should this appointment create a vacant office, shall fill the vacant position according to the rules just given.

Article VI. Finances

  1. Dues. An annual MAA dues supplement shall be assessed each member of this SIGMAA. This fee will be used to support in part the activities of this SIGMAA, and the manner of collection and disbursement of these funds will be determined by the MAA Executive Committee. The initial amount of this dues supplement will be $12 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 will forward a recommendation to the MAA Executive Committee. The MAA Executive Committee may also initiate a request for a change of the dues supplement.
  2. UR 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.
  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

  1. UR SIGMAA may write grant proposals to be submitted by the MAA. The SIGMAA will follow the policies and procedures of the MAA for all such submissions.
  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

  1. Changes to this Charter may be proposed by this SIGMAA if a recommendation for such changes is supported by a two-thirds majority of the members voting. The proposed changes must then be submitted for consideration to the Committee on SIGMAAs, which will forward a recommendation on approval to the MAA Executive Committee.
  2. Changes to this Charter may also be initiated by the MAA Executive Committee, which will forward such a request to the MAA Committee on SIGMAAs. In turn the Committee on SIGMAAs will work with the SIGMAA to develop specific new language for the charter that is acceptable to the SIGMAA. The Committee on SIGMAAs will 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

  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.
  2. If dissolved, any unspent funds of this SIGMAA shall be returned to the general fund of the MAA.

Updated March 6, 2025