SIGMAA on Statistics Education Charter (proposed updates, JMM 2010)
Article I. Identification.
Section 1. The name of the SIGMAA will be the SIGMAA on Statistics Education.
Section 2. The purpose of this SIGMAA is to:
1. facilitate the exchange of ideas through meetings, sessions, publications, and electronic media, about:
a) teaching statistics, from introductory service courses through advanced undergraduate courses,
b) the undergraduate statistics curriculum and its role within programs of mathematical sciences,
c) all other issues related to providing students with effective and engaging encounters with statistics in their courses of study;
2. foster increased understanding of statistics among members of the MAA and among broader constituencies, for example by encouraging the publication of expository articles and statistical theory and practice;
3. promote the discipline of statistics among students;
4. work cooperatively with other organizations to encourage effective teaching and learning of statistics.
Article II. Activities.
Section 1. This SIGMAA will engage in activities such as, but not limited to, the following:
a) Hold an annual meeting in conjunction with the Joint Mathematical Meetings
b) Sponsor sessions in connection with the Joint Mathematical Meetings
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 statistics
e) Promote the publication of articles related to undergraduate statistics in MAA publications
f) Encourage similar activities among (regional) sections of the MAA.
Section 2. Relationship with MAA Activities
a. The ASA/MAA Joint Committee on Undergraduate Statistics Education. Opportunities for cooperation between the SIGMAA and the Committee abound. While the Committee’s charge is to address issues of curriculum, pedagogy, and faculty development, the SIGMAA will provide a group that can work at a more “grass roots” level to implement various initiatives. It is also expected that the SIGMAA will provide a means of communicating needs and concerns for the Committee’s consideration. To facilitate this communication in both directions, it is expected that MAA representatives will join the SIGMAA and that SIGMAA officers will attend the meetings of the Committee.
This SIGMAA will also aim to contribute to the work of other MAA committees whose charges concern statistics education. Examples include the Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics and the Committee on Professional Development.
This SIGMAA will also seek to work closely with the analogous group within the American Statistical Association – its Section on Statistical Education, and with similar groups committed to statistics education within other organizations.
Note: An unofficial group that has met at the Joint
Mathematics Meetings and maintained an e-mail discussion list for several years
is the “Isolated Teachers of Statistics.” This group has decided to disband
upon creation of this SIGMAA.
b. Without prior approval of the MAA Executive
Committee, any activities No activity of
this SIGMAA, including publications, wishall
be represented as coming from this SIGMAA and not 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 will be
submitted regularly shall be included in an annual
report submitted by the SIGMAA to the SIGMAA Task Force
MAA Committee on SIGMAAs, with copies to the
chair of the Coordinating Council to which the SIGMAA is assigned.
Article III. Meetings.
Section 1. Frequency and place of meetings. General membership meetings of this SIGMAA shall take place at the January meeting of the MAA. Other activities may be scheduled at the summer MAA meeting and at MAA Section meetings. SIGMAA business may also be conducted by e-mail provided that a quorum is attained.
Section 2. Conduct of meetings. The SIGMAA Chair shall preside over the annual business meeting held during the January Joint Mathematics Meetings. The Chair will circulate an agenda via e-mail 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 SIGMAA before the next general meetings, it can decide to conduct a business meeting over e-mail. The same definition of a quorum applies to any vote taken over e-mail, and again it is expected that ample time for discussion will be allowed. Members will be given at least two weeks to vote on any issue requiring a vote over e-mail.
Section 3. A quorum at membership meetings, including e-mail meetings, shall consist of at least 20 members and at least three officers. At least two of the three officers must be elected, as opposed to appointed officers.
Article IV. Membership.
Section 1. Membership in this SIGMAA shall be open to all MAA members.
Article V. Officers.
Section 1. Elected officers of this SIGMAA will be the Chair, Chair-elect, Past-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. These five officers comprise the Executive Committee. In addition, the Newsletter Editor and Web Page Editor are appointed officers. The Chair, Chair-Elect, and Past-Chair will serve for one year in each office. The Secretary and Treasurer will serve staggered two-year terms. Terms will begin at the conclusion of the January Joint Mathematics Meetings.
Section 2. Duties of the
officers are:
The Chair will preside at SIGMAA meetings, will organize and direct the activities of the group, will serve as liaison with the MAA administration and with other organizations who work with statistics education, and will be the chief spokesperson for the SIGMAA. In this last capacity the Chair will write a regular column for the newsletter and for the Web page to keep members apprised of SIGMAA activities. The Chair also appoints the Newsletter and Web Page editors.
In addition to assisting the Chair, the Chair-Elect will serve as Program Coordinator for the SIGMAA’s sessions in the Joint Mathematics Meetings. In this capacity the Chair-Elect will propose sessions after consulting with other officers and will arrange for their implementation.
In addition to assisting the Chair and Chair-Elect, the Past-Chair will serve as the Nominations Officer, working with the rest of the Executive Committee to select a slate of candidates for the two offices (Chair-Elect and either Secretary or Treasurer) open in any year. The Past Chair will solicit suggestions and volunteers for serving as officers from the membership.
The Secretary will keep a record of the affairs of the SIGMAA, handle correspondence, and submit written reports to the MAA as required.
The Treasurer will be responsible for all finances of the SIGMAA and for preparation of financial reports as required.
The Newsletter and Web Page Editors will be responsible for dissemination of information to the SIGMAA membership through their respective media.
Section 3. Elections, Appointments, and Terms of Office
1. Nomination and Election
of officers will take place by electronic
e-mail ballot of the membership. By the end of October
1 the Past-Chair will select two
candidates for each of the two open positions and
the MAA will distribute an electronic
ballot to members via e-mail with instructions for voting by December 15
October 31. The e-mail
electronic ballot will indicate that write-in
votes are permitted. A minimum of 20 members must vote for each position. The
winner will be the candidate receiving the most votes. The Past-Chair will be
responsible for overseeing the tabulation of the ballots. Ties will be broken
by a fair, unbiased random device supervised by the Past-Chair
MAA.
If the minimum number of 20 members does not vote, the current officers will remain in office until a quorum is achieved.
2. Should an office other than Chair become vacant midterm, the Executive Committee of the SIGMAA, in consultation with the most recent Nominating Committee, shall appoint a member of the SIGMAA to fill that office for the remainder of the term of office. Should the office of Chair of the 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.
Note: The use of the term “e-mail” throughout this document shall be understood to refer to any widely accepted form of electronic communication. Members may always request hard copy rather than e-mail notification regarding election ballots and/or proposed charter changes.
Article VI. Finances.
Section 1. 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. The amount will be determined by the membership,
with the initial amount of this dues supplement will being $10 per
year. The manner of collection and disbursement of these funds will be
determined by the MAA Executive Committee. This SIGMAA
may formally request a change of this amount by sending such a request to the
MAA Executive 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 og the dues supplement.
Section 2. This SIGMAA shall submit an expense budget for
each calendar year to the Chair of the MAA Budget Committee
MAA Director of Programs and Services by
no later than October 1 March 15 of the
preceding year. It shall include the projected cost for all planned SIGMAA
activities, including cost of receptions, space, equipment, et cetera at
meetings, national and otherwise. The budget is subject to the approval of the
MAA Budget Committee, MAA Executive Committee, and MAA Board of
Governors as part of the overall MAA budget.
Section 3. The 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. No officer or member of this SIGMAA may
apply for a grant to support this SIGMAA’s activities of enter into any contract
to support such activities of to provide services without specific approval in
writing by the president of the MAA or designee thereof. If this SIGMAA wishes
to apply for external funds, it shall coordinate this activity with the MAA
Subcommittee on Externally Funded Projects and go through the standard
procedures for applying for external funding under the auspice of the MAA.
This 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.
Section 2. Neither this SIGMAA nor any officer not any representative thereof shall have any authority to contract debts for, pledge the credit of, or in anyway bind the MAA.
Article VIII. Changes.
Section 1. Changes to the Charter may be proposed by 2/3
vote either of the members present at a general meeting or of the members voting
if the vote is taken by e-mail, provided that a quorum exists. Notice of the
proposed changes must be sent to the membership via e-mail, allowing at least
one month for discussion. The proposed changes must then be submitted for
approval by the MAA Executive Committee. Changes to
the 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 them be submitted for
consideration to the Committee on SIGMAAs, which will 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 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.
Section 1. This SIGMAA shall be dissolved for either of the following reasons:
a) Failure to maintain at least 30 members for two consecutive years
b) For reasons agreed to by a majority vote of the Board of Governors.
Section2. If dissolved, any unspent funds of this SIGMAA shall be returned to the MAA’s general fund.