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The Association for Integrative Studies is about to celebrate its 25th-year anniversary. In the last two-and-a-half decades, AIS has undergone many changes and improvements-including achieving greater national visibility and sponsoring a host of publications and other projects which have helped to raise the awareness of interdisciplinary studies and integrative learning across the country. At the same time that it has embraced change, it has also maintained a remarkable consistency, particularly in terms of retaining a loyal cadre of members as well as a highly effective and devoted executive director.

As AIS moves into its next phase, it is important that it continue to thrive and flourish by attracting talented and loyal members and leaders. In order to help ensure the organization's continued success, the AIS Board of Directors decided in 2002 to undergo a strategic planning process. This process included the following components:

1) Designating the Executive Committee (consisting of the current Executive Director, the president, and two past presidents) to steer the strategic planning process.
2) Creating three surveys-one for current Board of Directors, one for Past Presidents, and another for the AIS membership-and seeking verbal feedback on the surveys from the Board of Directors.
3) Administering the surveys on the AIS website.
4) Conducting benchmarking interviews with leaders of kindred organizations (see Appendix A for interview summaries).
5) Planning a strategic planning retreat for all current Board of Directors, Past Presidents and selected active members to occur in May 2003.
6) Writing a self-study report which includes information from the surveys as well as other AIS documents. The report will be given to retreat participants to review prior to the retreat.

This self-study report is designed to review the current operations as well as some of the strengths and challenges of the Association for Integrative Studies. Its purpose is to aid in making the strategic planning retreat discussions more informed and efficient. The goal of the retreat is to generate a new vision for the future as well as new strategies for addressing some key organizational concerns.
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Founded in 1979, the Association for Integrative Studies is a national, non-profit professional association for interdisciplinary teachers, scholars and researchers. Its mission statement reads as follows:

The Association for Integrative Studies serves as an organized voice and a national source of information on integrative and interdisciplinary approaches to the discovery, transmission and application of knowledge.

The Association strives to:
1. Articulate the nature of integrative studies and to document their importance for higher education and for society.
2. Establish standards of excellence for the conduct of integrative studies in both teaching and research.
3. Maintain a communication network for the exchange of scholarly and pedagogical information on integrative study among faculty and administrators in undergraduate and graduate education in the arts and science and the professions.
4. Enhance research and teaching in integrative studies by promoting the development of interdisciplinary theory, methodology, and curricular design.
5. Facilitate the success of interdisciplinary endeavors by collecting and sharing information on supportive personnel policies, programmatic structures, and administrative methods.
6. Serve as an organized voice and a national source of information on integrative and interdisciplinary approaches to the discovery, transmission, and application of knowledge.
7. Become a broad-based professional home for committed interdisciplinarians.

The Association has a membership of approximately 1200 with 300 active members. (See Appendix C for the Secretary's Report on membership from 1985-2001.) The membership draws mainly from colleges and universities across the United States with selected members from Canada, Europe and other countries. AIS holds a conference each fall and publishes the refereed and annual journal Issues in Integrative Studies as well as the quarterly AIS newsletter. It has sponsored numerous books on interdisciplinarity. It is affiliated with the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and it has held joint conferences with the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE), the Association for General and Liberal Studies (AGLS), and the Society for Values in Higher Education (SVHE).
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• Executive Director (supported by a part-time secretary)
• Board of Directors: Executive Director (ex-officio), President, President-Elect, Vice President for Development, Vice President for Relations, two two-year at-large positions, two one-year at-large positions, Editor of Issues in Integrative Studies (ex-officio), Past-President(s)
• Standing Committees: Executive Committee, Nominating Committee, Boulding Committee, Editorial Board for Issues in Integrative Studies
• Ad Hoc Committees or Task Forces (assigned by the Board)
• Members

B. Members
AIS has approximately 300 active members who became members by paying dues which the AIS Board of Directors determines. Those who pay dues in full are considered active members. Active members have the right to vote, hold office, or sign referendum and nominating petitions. Active members receive the newsletter and Issues in Integrative Studies as well as any other AIS mailings. Membership in the Association corresponds to the calendar year. Individual, institutional and student memberships are available. Individuals or institutions who become members prior to July 1 of any year shall have their membership dated back to January 1 of the same year and are entitled to any publications regularly distributed to individuals during that period. (See Appendix C for secretary's report on membership.)

According to the recent survey of members, most (52%) of the members are in their 50s, and there is an even number of males and females. Less than 1% of those surveyed are under 30. 15% are in their 30s, 20% in their 40s, and 13% are 61 or older. Most (54%) come from doctorate-granting institutions (22% from master's level institutions, 18% from baccalaureate colleges, and 6% from associate colleges). Almost all (95%) come from institutions whose primary mission is teaching or teaching and research. Few (5%) come from research-based institutions.

About half of member survey respondents come from home departments that are interdisciplinary. About 14% of those who do not come from an interdisciplinary home department are affiliated with an interdisciplinary program. 60% regularly teach interdisciplinary courses, and approximately 40% of respondents' highest degree is interdisciplinary. Almost all are members of other professional organizations, and approximately 40% are members of four or more.

On a scale of 1-7 (with "1" representing extremely valuable and "7" not at all valuable), member respondents rated on average the value of AIS at 2.55. Most commented that AIS's greatest value is in advocating for and raising awareness of interdisciplinary studies at the undergraduate level. Many noted that it is the only organization that provides a forum for a self-conscious and explicit discussion of interdisciplinary studies. When asked to state the purpose of mission of AIS, respondents gave answers that clearly related to AIS's stated mission and purpose. Comments such as "to promote and support interdisciplinary teaching and scholarship" or "to serve as a network for those interested in interdisciplinarity" were common.

C. Executive Director
According to the AIS Constitution, the Executive Director is to be appointed by the Board of Directors "for a three-year renewable term and shall serve at the pleasure of the Board." The Executive Director is to be a non-voting, ex-officio member of the Board of Directors.

The Executive Director's responsibilities entail: managing, investing and disbursing the AIS funds, keeping the books, preparing membership and financial reports, supervising the secretary and managing the AIS office, handling AIS correspondence, organizing the mid-year Board of Directors meeting, creating the AIS newsletter, assisting with the format, layout and printing of Issues in Integrative Studies, and organizing the membership tasks (dues notices, members packets, etc.). In addition, the Executive Director is an active contributor in Board meetings and correspondence and serves as an advocate for AIS and interdisciplinary studies. (See Appendix D for a longer description of the responsibilities of the Executive Director.)

The current Executive Director receives no salary or release time for his efforts. His home institution, however, does provide the following in-kind support: computer with a membership database; free server use; telephone; advertising, hiring, sick leave and office space for a half-time Senior Administrative Secretary. For a more detailed discussion of the in-kind support, see Appendix E.

In the survey of current Board members as well as Past Presidents, respondents overwhelmingly applauded the current Executive Director's deep understanding of the AIS history and mission and the interdisciplinary field and profession, his dedication to the organization, his exemplary quality of his work, his ability to follow through on tasks efficiently, and the considerable amount of time he has devoted over the past 25 years to advancing the cause of AIS and interdisciplinary studies. Respondents unanimously agree that he is given autonomy to carry out his responsibilities and that he administers his responsibilities in a superb manner.

Perhaps because of the enormous dedication and extraordinary work of the current Executive Director, none of the respondents believes that it would be reasonable to expect future executive directors to assume the same level of responsibility with present resources, and only 15% thought that someone would be able to do this with even modest increases in resources. Given that the current ED plans to retire in the next six years, this finding is of major concern. In the "comments" section of the survey, one respondent noted that the ED position would not be appealing because it is workload-intensive and lacks clear boundaries. Another noted that commitment of institutional release time and space would be needed, and a new system of hiring, terminating and evaluating an Executive Director must also be created. One respondent in the member survey noted, "Although Bill Newell's tenure has been wonderful, no next person should shoulder his responsibilities."

Although the AIS Constitution calls for the ED to be elected to three-year terms, this practice has not been done, as the current ED has served in that role since 1983 (when the position was created). Moreover, although the Constitution describes the role of the ED on the Board as non-voting and ex-officio, most of the survey respondents seem to regard the current ED as a major player in decision making, and one commented that at times tensions have developed between the ED's agenda and that of the Board.

D. Board of Directors
According to the AIS Constitution, the Board of Directors consists of the four officers of the Association (President, President-Elect, Vice President for Relations, Vice President for Development), the three most recent past presidents, four members elected at large from the membership, as well as the Executive Director (ex-officio) and the editor of Issues in Integrative Studies (ex-officio). Two of the at-large positions serve for a two-year term.

The above chart spells out the general Board membership as specified by the AIS Constitution. Other than general descriptions for the two Vice President positions, the Constitution does not specify the specific roles and responsibilities of each of the Board members. Traditionally, one Board member has served as a conference liaison (see Appendix I for job description of conference liaison). The other members have assumed responsibility for varying projects (e.g., chairing ad hoc committees, participating in task force on assessment, editing an AIS-sponsored book, creating materials for the AIS website--including an online graduate directory and guidelines for interdisciplinary general education accreditation).

The AIS Constitution specifies that the Board meet at least once a year, and a quorum shall consist of at least half the members. The AIS nominating committee nominates members of the Board (except the ex-officio positions); those names are then placed on a ballot and given to AIS members for formal election.

According to the survey of Board members, all of the Board directors find the work on the Board, including the meetings, to be highly satisfying and rewarding, and they unanimously agree that the morale of the Board is good. Board members regularly attend the meetings and participate actively in them. 85% believe that the Board officers are well qualified to fulfill their roles. As one respondent wrote, "We have great members-astute, engaged, energetic, thoughtful, effective at brainstorming, generous in spirit and practice, attentive to the needs of the organization in a way that is not narrowly focused on personal agendas." One of the two who felt that the Board could improve in this area noted that only a few who have served have lacked commitment. All of the current members believe that conflict among Board members has usually been resolved in a constructive way; two Past Presidents felt that there was some need for improvement, commenting "some old guard veterans resented changes urged by newer members."

In general, most Board members (60%) believe that they were well qualified to fulfill their role and their roles were reasonable in terms of expectations and were well enough defined. Several (particularly those assuming the editorship or the conference liaison roles) believe that the expectations were too demanding for one person. (See Appendix F for a description of the Editor's responsibilities.) In addition, most believe that Board members would benefit from a more clear indication of the expectations of their role (financial, time, expertise) before they assumed the position as well as from some training for new members. 30% believe that Board members should not be expected to do more, and 40% believe that they could be asked to do somewhat more. Virtually all believe that the Board would benefit from a greater diversity (in terms of racial, cultural composition) of members.

In the AIS member survey, respondents seemed to have a "general" idea about the AIS governance structure and role of the AIS Board. 14% noted that they would like to be more involved in AIS as a Board member or committee member, and 43% want more information about this. One person felt that the Board and other leadership positions seemed "to be rather in-house, with the same names rotating at every conference."

E. Committees
AIS has both standing and ad hoc committees or task forces. The standing committees are as follows:

1) Executive Committee-According to the AIS Constitution, the Executive Committee consists of the four officers of the Association (President, President-Elect, and two Vice Presidents). In reality, it consists of the President, Executive Director, President-Elect and the Past President(s). It exercises most of the major functions of the Board of Directors between the Board meetings. All actions taken by the Executive Committee are reported to the Board.

2) Nominating Committee-Begun in 1991, this committee is responsible for nominating persons to serve in the vacant positions on the Board of Directors. According to the Constitution, it is chaired by the President. With the advice and consent of the President, the Board of Directors is to appoint the remaining 3-5 members of the Nominating Committee. It should consist of 3-5 Past-Presidents or others who have "shown serious commitment to the Association." In practice, the committee has remained fairly stable, consisting of the Executive Director and 3-4 Past-Presidents.

3) Boulding Committee-Created in 1998, this committee is responsible for requesting AIS members to issue nominations for potential Boulding Award winners. The Boulding Award is "to be given to a person who has clarified or expanded the concept and the scholarly or public understanding of interdisciplinarity through a combination of the teaching, scholarship and integrative community involvement." The Boulding Committee consists of three members of AIS who are appointed by the Board of Directors. When feasible, past AIS presidents who have not already served on the Committee will be given priority to serve. Membership changes every three years. Each year, one member will rotate off and a new member is added to maintain the number at three. See Appendix G for Boulding Award Guidelines and Procedures.

4) Editorial Board for Issues in Integrative Studies-Founded in 1991, this committee is responsible for the major policies and editorial standards relating to the journal as well as for identifying referees or serving as referees for submissions. It consists of the Editor, Associate Editor, Editor Emeritus, and eight other members. In recent years, the Editorial Board has met once a year at each AIS conference, with follow-up email exchange.

In addition to standing committees, AIS has formed a number of ad hoc committees and task forces over the past 24 years. These committees are listed in the chart below. In most cases, Board members have chaired the committees (e.g., Assessment); and in many cases, Board members chair and form the entire membership of the committees (e.g., technology, general education accreditation guidelines, syllabi project, and guidelines for interdisciplinary scholarship)

Below are specific collaborations (most often in the form of conference presentations) that Board members have initiated.

F. Summary of the Strengths and Challenges of the AIS Leadership
The AIS leadership enjoys many assets. Among the most notable are:

• A highly effective, knowledgeable, and dedicated Executive Director
• An active, thoughtful, committed and creative Board of Directors
• A thoughtful set of members who have a clear sense of the purpose of AIS and some of whom are interested in assuming more leadership roles and responsibilities
• Good morale among the AIS leadership
• A recent and successful history of committee work that has produced some important papers, publications, guidelines and projects

Some of the challenges or areas for improvement include:

• Upcoming retirement of the Executive Director; and few believe that any one person can assume the current duties and responsibilities of the ED
• Lack of clear evaluation, hiring and termination policies for the ED
• Certain Board roles (Editor of Issues, Conference Liaison) may be overly demanding
• Lack of training for new Board of Directors and little briefing of expectations when nominated
• Lack of clear roles and responsibilities for all Board members (Note: some may see this lack as an actual strength as it allows for greater flexibility)
• Lack of younger members (under 40 years) and prospective leaders of the Association

Board members and past presidents also offered suggestions for future leadership models for AIS. Most suggested that it should include some combination of the following:

• Board where each member has a specific and stable role and set of responsibilities.
• Board which remains primarily advisory in nature but which oversees very active committees with specific goals and tasks.
• Strong executive director to replace the present one and an advisory board.


• A few recommended the consideration of alternative models or collaborative models.

They also offered suggestions for further inducements for board participation:

• Pay travel/lodging at conferences.
• AIS President writes letter to Provost or Deans of Board members explaining their role and the importance of their work on the Board.
• Mentor Board members to convert their work into publications
• More support for presenting at other organizations' conferences
• Release time for Board members with heavy responsibilities (Conference Liaison, Editor)

A. Overview
The AIS Treasurer's Reports from 1994 to the present have shown that the organization has been able to meet all of its expenses. The largest source of revenue comes from membership dues. Over the past five years, the average annual revenue from dues (regular, institutional, and student) has been approximately $20,500 (with a median of $20,600 and a range from $26,905 in 1998 to $14,286 in 2000). Other sources of revenue are relatively minor and include sales of the directory, Issues, and labels, conference revenues, donations and interest. For more detailed information on the expenses and receipts over the past ten years, see Appendix H.

Over the past five years, the average amount of expenses has been $22,300 (with a range of $9,208 in 2000 to $41,388 in 2002). Expenses include publication of Issues, the AIS newsletter and other publications; services (participation at other professional conferences, special projects or committees, website coordination, consultant training), and operations (Board meetings, office and membership drives). In the past two years (2001, 2002), the treasurer's report has showed a shortfall of $7,501 and $22,316, respectively. These shortfalls reflect expenses for the assessment committee, conference presentations and consultant training. It is also important to note that these shortfalls were deliberate (i.e., done to draw down excess reserves by funding additional projects).

According to the survey of AIS members, 60% of the respondents believe that the present dues are reasonable given AIS's services, programs and publications and its members' capacity to pay. Almost 40% say that they could pay a modest amount more. However, in many of the comments included on the survey, members expressed concern that the current and projected budget cuts at their home institutions may preclude them from joining AIS in the future or attending AIS conferences. As one respondent noted, "We have a $100 cap for memberships at my institution. Thus I pay for AIS out of my own pocket and couldn't afford it if it became much more expensive." Several pointed out that a reduced fee for retired individuals or part-time instructors might be helpful. In addition, many (60%) did not seem to know how their dues were used.

The Board and Past-President surveys revealed that the Board could benefit from more attention to financial planning and development. Most did not feel that they were actively involved in financial planning; nor did most believe that they had a clear idea for how to sustain or increase future financial resources. Also, 40% of Board members and Past-Presidents feel that the present budget does not cover all of the organization's objectives.

B. Summary of Strengths and Challenges
The strengths of AIS's financial resources include:

• AIS has historically been able to provide adequate resources to meet its objectives.
• Most members believe the dues fee is reasonable.

Some concerns or areas needing improvement include:

• Little has been done in the way of financial planning or development for the future.
• Impending and current budget constraints at most colleges and universities may impact members' ability to pay dues and attend conferences.
• The Executive Director and some of the other Board members with demanding responsibilities may need more support in the future in order to do their jobs successfully.
• Many members do not seem to be aware of how their dues are used.

Board members and past presidents offered these suggestions for increasing financial resources:

• Seek out grants.
• Offer shorter papers for sale at conferences or on website.
• Increase membership; hold a membership drive.
• Sponsor workshops and teleconferences.
• Consider more partnerships with other organizations.
• Appoint a person to be responsible for money management.

A. National Conference
Each fall, AIS holds a national conference. The location and host institution change from year to year, although three of the conferences have been hosted by the same institution (Wayne State University in Detroit). The conference typically lasts three days (beginning Thursday afternoon and ending Sunday morning) and revolves around a common theme. The conference often features a keynote speaker, special workshops, plenary sessions, and concurrent sessions along with several meals (dinners, lunches and breakfasts). See Appendix J for a list of past conferences and Appendix K for conference planning guidelines.

The conference is considered by AIS members, Board members and Past-Presidents to be one of the major benefits of the organization. Seventy-one of the 101 respondents in the member survey listed it as one of AIS's major strengths. Many commented that it is extremely helpful in providing a forum for exchanging ideas and bringing diverse people together to collaborate across disciplines. Several noted that it is especially helpful as an introduction to interdisciplinary studies. Given these enthusiastic comments, it is surprising that 65% of the member respondents have only attended 0-1 conferences; only 22% have attended 2 or 3 conferences, and a mere 12% have attended 4 or more. Board members and Past-Presidents overwhelmingly reported that the conference had measurable benefits, was something to which they looked forward, and was generally satisfying to them afterwards. They also believe that it will continue to be useful to members in the future. Although the conference is widely considered to be successful, members as well as Past-Presidents and Board members identified some possible areas of improvement. Some board members noted that the Conference Liaison responsibility is burdensome and intensive. Others also pointed out that the quality of the conference proposal submissions could be improved, and a few commented on a need to create sessions that are attractive to seasoned interdisciplinarians.

In the member survey, some concerns were expressed about the conference fee (several noted that it was prohibitive given recent budget cuts on their campus), the topics of conference sessions (lack of sessions focusing on science, integrative arts, administration, practical rather than theoretical issues, graduate education, assessment using actual data rather than anecdotal evidence), and an uneven quality of presentations as well as uneven quality of the conferences from year to year.

Board members, Past-Presidents and members offered the following suggestions for improving the conference:

• Recruit good presentations, and mentor proposers
• Invite noted interdisciplinary scholars to speak; fewer "call for proposals" sessions.
• Increase the practical, "hands-on" sessions (focusing on teaching, administration)
• Follow up with emails to participants asking for specific feedback.
• Invite former panels to present "follow-up" sessions.
• Continue the recent emphasis on strategic integration and focus.
• Promote Board participation in more sessions; minimize overlap between Board meetings and conference sessions.
• Connect with larger organizations such as AAC&U, AAHE.
• Leave unstructured time for people to meet.
• Have sessions over a span of conferences on interdisciplinary theory, transdisciplinarity, issues in assessment and teaching, science and culture, interdisciplinary administration, ID program design.
• Identify first-time attendees with special badge or ribbon.
• Assign board members (past and present) to mentor new members one-on-one.
• More interactive, and less "show and tell," sessions.
• Expand poster sessions on integrative teaching.

B. Issues in Integrative Studies
Since 1982, Issues in Integrative Studies has been the journal of the Association for Integrative Studies. With the exception of the combined 1984/85 volume, it has been published every year (although never in the year labeled). Nineteen volumes have been published to date. Each issue contains 5-8 scholarly articles. Over the past twenty years, there have been a number of editors and guest editors. See Appendix L for details on the history of IIS editorship.

In the survey of Board members and Past-Presidents, respondents overwhelmingly reported that they understand the journal's purpose and find the content appealing and appropriate for the AIS membership. Approximately 60% of the members reported that they understood the journal's purpose, and 51% find the contents of the journal interesting and important. Approximately 30% said the contents were "only marginally" interesting and important. A little over half of the respondents believe that it is "an effective outlet for scholarship on interdisciplinary studies."

Comments made on the member survey concerning Issues in Integrative Studies were varied. Several noted that although every article is not of interest, many are. One noted, there is "some crucial stuff in there-KEEP ON including seminal standpoint/keystone material." Some of the concerns and comments for improvement were:

• Writing is sometimes dry or dull or too theoretical.
  " Increase the articles that involve practical issues, rather than solely theory.
• Content is not of interest (e.g., would like more articles on graduate education, integration across the sciences and humanities, articles for undergraduate students and graduate students)
• Greater circulation in libraries across the country
• Too many articles written by the "in" crowd; try to expand the authorship
• Try soliciting articles on specific topics from specific individuals

Board members expressed some concerns over Issues and its future. No volume has ever been published within the year the journal is labeled. There has been a lack of submissions-particularly scholarly ones. A few noted that the editorship is a time-consuming responsibility. Providing feedback on multiple drafts of submissions can be labor-intensive. The most recent Editor has had difficulty securing in-kind support from his home institution, making the task of editing the journal daunting at times. In addition, the journal presently does not have a permanent Editor, and at least one Board member mused that the organization may be better served with publishing working papers, books and other smaller projects rather than trying to coordinate an annual journal. Board members and Past-Presidents offered the following additional suggestions:

• Pay the Editor
• Increase number of issues.
• Get easier index.
• More pragmatic articles.
• Introduce assessment section.
• Create a system of clear deadlines, and offer a more aggressive approach to recruiting material.
• Improve the IIS website (http://www.highsouth.com/ais/); add more back issues.
• Work to make IIS more prestigious and visible nationally.

C. AIS Newsletter
The AIS Newsletter has been in existence since 1979. Beginning in 1983, and at the request of the President, the current Executive Director took over the management and editorship of the newsletter in order to provide greater consistency and stability; and from that time forward, it has been published quarterly. It contains book reviews, short articles on topical issues, conference announcements, job openings and other communications from the AIS Board of Directors to its members.

In their survey, all of the Board members and Past Presidents reported understanding the newsletter's purpose and finding the content appealing. 80% of respondents in the member survey reported consulting or using the newsletter, and 45% listed it as AIS's major strength. 60% find the content interesting and important. One respondent noted, "To me the newsletter is the most important communication between AIS and its membership." Several pointed out that the book reviews are particularly useful. And the majority of respondents believe that the newsletter's visual layout is appropriate.

Some of the respondents suggested that the announcements of interdisciplinary events could be expanded, and more information on what members are doing would be valuable. One suggested that more experimentation with content and visual layout might be appropriate. Other suggestions include:

• Create a column on integrative "cutting edges."
• Include brief "show and tell" pedagogy tips.

D. Website
The AIS website was first created in 1996. AIS hired consultants to design the original page and organization. In the early years of the website, it was coordinated by one board member with student assistance. In 1994, a small committee for technology was created to provide additional support. As technology use has expanded, the need for website support grew beyond what a single Board member could reasonably do alone. As a result, in 2002, AIS hired a Website Coordinator to handle the maintenance and redesign of the website.

Currently, the website home page (http://www.units.muohio.edu/aisorg/) contains ten major links: Introduction to AIS; What's New?; The AIS Organization; AIS Annual Conference; AIS Publications (including a link to Issues); Interdis Email List; Interdisciplinary Connections; Feedback; Interdisciplinary Consultants; and Doctoral Program Directory. For a more complete overview of the website contents, see Appendix M.

Board members and Past-Presidents report that the website's purpose is clear, and it is organized effectively. Most (80%) believe it is visually appealing. 44% of members believe that the website provides relevant information (18% think it needs improvement in this area, and 35% don't know.) Several respondents commented that until recently, it was frequently out of date, and others noted that they have yet to access it. Some of the members' as well as board members' comments for improvement include:

• Increase the number of back issues of Issues that are available online.
• Improve and expand the amount of materials on the website.
• Visual layout seems bland.
• Expand job placement role of website.
• Make sure the AIS website is linked to other organizations' sites; build more links on the AIS site as well.

E. AIS-Sponsored Publications and Working Papers
Over the past 25 years-and particularly in the past 5 years-AIS has sponsored or AIS Board members and Past Presidents have produced an impressive array of books and working documents on interdisciplinary topics. Since 1998, there has been an edited volume on interdisciplinary pedagogy, an anthology of key essays, and edited book on K-16 education, an edited book on general education, and a published guide to resources. Board members and AIS committees have also created guidelines for assessment, guidelines for accrediting interdisciplinary general education programs, guidelines for interdisciplinary scholarship, and a directory of doctoral programs. See Appendix N for a more complete list.

F. Summary of Strengths and Challenges of AIS Publications and Services
For a small organization, AIS has an impressive array of services and publications. Some of the particular strengths include:

• Annual conference that seems particularly welcoming and appropriate for new members and that offers a wide range of learning opportunities;
• Annual journal, Issues in Integrative Studies, which most members believe is appropriate and interesting;
• Quarterly newsletter that is used by most members;
• Newly updated website;
• Impressive output of high quality publications and working documents.

Some concerns or areas of improvement include:

• Perceived lack of human and financial resources to fully support all of the services offered (especially the conference liaison work and the editorship of Issues);
• Difficulty receiving quality submissions for Issues.

Current Issues, Concerns and Hopes

The Board, Past President and member surveys all asked for respondents to articulate the critical concerns or priorities that AIS will or should face in the next 5-10 years. The most common responses were:

• Building a larger membership base, particularly younger ones;
• Creating national visibility for and acceptance of interdisciplinary studies and AIS;
• Securing strong AIS leadership and a new model of leadership to accommodate the retirement of the current Executive Director;
• Recruiting quality submissions to AIS conferences and Issues in Integrative Studies;
• Promoting ID scholarship in general;
• Expanding financial resources for interdisciplinary studies and for AIS;
• Expanding the focus of AIS to include graduate education, K-16 concerns, integrated science and arts, professions, international links, community colleges, interdisciplinary areas (women's studies, American studies, etc.);
• Offering greater opportunities for different institutions and programs to collaborate and share resources;
• Helping to increase the standards for and rigor of interdisciplinarity (by working toward more widely accepted paradigms of ID theory and research, facilitating research via ID partnerships and teams, demonstrating outcomes of ID teaching, maintaining a shared bibliography, articulating best practices).

Retreat Outcomes

A strategic planning retreat was held on May 16-18, 2003 at Shaker Village in Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. The retreat participants consisted of 19 current AIS Board members, Past-Presidents and current members. The participants were:

1. Connie Ramirez, Past-President (retreat facilitator)
2. Stanley Bailis, Former Editor of Issues in Integrative Studies
3. Guy Beckwith, Member
4. Nelson Bingham, Past-President
5. Beth Casey, Past-President
6. Hue-ping Chin, Member, 2002 Conference Organizer
7. Sharon Cogdill, Board Member
8. Michael Field, Past-President
9. Joan Fiscella, Past-President
10. Chris Frost, Member
11. Pauline Gagnon, Board Member
12. Carolyn Haynes, President
13. Cheryl Jacobsen, President-Elect
14. Francine Navakas, Board Member
15. Bill Newell, Executive Director
16. Marcia Seabury, Vice President
17. Don Stowe, Vice President
18. Rick Szostak, Board Member
19. Jay Wentworth, Editor of Issues in Integrative Studies

Retreat participants generated strategies in three main areas: (1) governance and management of the organization; (2) future mission and experimentation; (3) publications. Below is a summary of decisions made in these three areas.

Governance and Management
After considerable discussion, retreat participants decided to move the organization toward a less hierarchical and more team-based, "flatter" governance model. This move would aid in involving more AIS members in leadership and help to fill the enormous gap that will remain once the Executive Director retires. By moving toward this model in the near future, AIS can utilize the expertise of the present Executive Director to mentor new leaders and experiment with new governance models before any permanent changes need to be made. It also allows AIS to embody in terms of its organizational structure the collaborative, integrative values its mission espouses.

Participants agreed to expand the Board of Directors modestly and to involve AIS members in teams or circles with specific areas of focus or interest. Circles would ideally involve 6-8 persons with differing talents and skills. Each circle would generate or be assigned a topic or issue, create action steps and a time line, and produce a tangible outcome (e.g., report, working paper, publication, conference session, website). Circles that are especially active or longstanding may be invited to send a representative to Board meetings (if one of the circle members is not already on the Board). Ideally, these circles would eventually constitute the major form of leadership of the organization.

To help move toward this more team-based model of governance, retreat participants agreed to the following changes:

• Add the following By-Law to the AIS Constitution: "The Board of Directors has the authority to experiment with the governance structure of the Association for a period of no more than three years in preparation for proposing possible Constitutional changes."
• Include a short summary of the retreat outcomes in the next AIS newsletter.
• Give current AIS Secretary (Denise) increasingly more responsibility related to office management. Consider increasing her position from ¼ to ½ time. Eventually, hire an Office Manager instead of a secretary who would assume responsibility for all bureaucratic and routine tasks associated with the organization (conference planning, website, membership, record-keeping, etc.).
• Over the next 3-5 years, the Executive Director will gradually transfer duties to appropriate persons on the Board or to the Office Manager. ED serves as mentor and guide over the next 5-7 years.
• Revise the AIS Constitution to reflect a modestly expanded Board of Directors composition as well as the elimination of the Executive Director (effective when Bill retires) and an increase in the Past-President term from 3 to 4 years. These Constitutional revisions will be published at least 30 days before the 2003 AIS Conference.
  1. President
  2. President-Elect (when there is one)
  3. Vice President for Relations
  4. Vice President for Development (one of the VP's will assume the secretary role)
  5. Immediate Past President
  6. Former Past President-serves as treasurer
  7. Newsletter Editor
  8. Issues in Integrative Studies Editor
  9. Member with expertise in information technology (If we can't locate a person with this knowledge, then this position remains unfilled.)
  10. Member with expertise in fundraising (If we can't locate one, then this position is unfilled.)
  11. Member who serves as the Office Manager Liaison (added if no existing Board member is able to do this)
  12. Four At-Large Positions-each would help to facilitate a circle. Circle topics would be scholarship, teaching and learning, and administration. One would be open, subject to the determination of circle members.
  The Executive Committee will consist of the President, President-Elect as well as the most immediate two Past-Presidents. Board members #9, 10 and 11 may not be additional members if one of the other, existing Board members is able to fulfill their roles.
• Hold an open business meeting at the 2003 AIS Conference in which the President presents the outcomes of the retreat and the new proposed Constitutional changes.
• Each year, the Board will select one of its members to host the Board of Directors mid-year meeting for the following year.

Publications
Retreat participants agreed to increase the visibility of the organization by slowly putting all regular AIS publications (Issues in Integrative Studies and AIS newsletter) online and by increasing the resources and information offered on the AIS website. Below is a summary of next steps:

• All back issues of Issues in Integrative Studies will be put on the IIS website, beginning with 1999 and working backwards. Back issues will be stored on two servers, and hard copies will be archived.
• Completed articles for Issues in Integrative Studies will be posted on the IIS website as they become available, until such time as the print version of the journal is published. All issues of the journal will also be posted. The Board of Directors will review the policy for password protection of past journals.
• The AIS website will eventually create a site for interdisciplinary job postings.
• The AIS newsletter will also be made available online. For the next two years, members will be able to choose whether they wish to receive it in print or electronic form. This choice will be made available on the dues notice. After two years, the newsletter will only be available online. The Board of Directors will review whether the newsletter will be password-protected.
• The 2003 issue of Issues in Integrative Studies will be edited by Roslyn Abt Schindler and Stuart Henry. The 2003 journal will feature articles from presenters at the 2003 conference. From 2004 onward, Issues will be edited by Joan Fiscella and Fran Navakas.
• The Board of Directors will consider instituting a voluntary sliding scale for membership dues (e.g., $40 for retired and assistant professors, more for associate and full professors).
• Board members will solicit ideas from AIS members for articles and information for Issues and the newsletter. "Circles" will also be used to generate material.
• Using the IDS PhD Directory, more concerted efforts will be made to reach out and involve graduate students and graduate faculty members in conferences, website job postings, and article authorship.
• Book reviews from past AIS newsletters will be archived on the AIS website.
• Find ways to galvanize more online conversations between conferences (e.g., threaded discussion forum for circles, guided discussions on INTEDIS). Eventually, consider possibility of creating one-day workshops, online mini-conferences, etc.

Mission and Ideas for Future Experimentation
Revise the mission statement as follows:

• Strike the word "national" entirely from the current mission statement.
• Eliminate the sentence: "Establish standards of excellence for the conduct of integrative studies in both teaching and research." Insert instead: "Promote and pursue practices and standards for the conduct of integrative studies."
• Change the phrase "committed interdisciplinarians" in item #7 to read "reflective interdisciplinarians."
• The mission statement occurs in two places on the AIS website. One of them has six items listed on it, and the other has seven. Make both of the mission statements read the same, with seven items listed.
• Consider the following experimental circle topics:
  o Exemplars for lively interdisciplinary teaching, scholarship about teaching
  o Interdisciplinary "breakthroughs" in which a problem is discussed that was originally handled disciplinarily and reached a dead-end and then was solved using an interdisciplinary approach. One example could be the breaking of the Mayan code. This could lead to a book.
  o Disciplinary 'Color Wheels' that visually displays the (sometimes overlapping) relationships among disciplines
  o Create a theme or question (e.g., What's the relationship of myth to history?)
  o Other circle topics: assessment, pedagogy, innovative conferences, administration, ID teaching and research connected to the public world, ID course design
• Consider creating a "Council of Elders" circle which consists of long-time AIS members who still want to be involved.
• At conferences, give special ribbons to new members of AIS rather than Board members in order to help seasoned members identify and connect with new members.

Appendix A: Summaries of Interviews with Benchmark Organizations

Interview with Dr. Richard R. Guzman, North Central College, Immediate Past-President of The Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs (AGLSP), May 2003

1. What is the mission of the organization?
To nurture and extend the graduate liberal studies movement by providing a national organization where established programs can exchange ideas about curriculum, teaching, and administration; to help newer programs to mature; and to urge the development of new programs. Central to the graduate liberal studies movement is the importance of interdisciplinary study.

2. How many members does the organization have? How many are active? Has your membership been growing, declining or staying the same over the past five years?
152 members (101 full, 51 associate), of which roughly 90 are quite active. A slight decline about two years ago, but more associates are applying for full membership and their seem to be a dozen or so new programs seeking associate membership.

3. Can you describe its governance structure? Does it have a board, an executive director, committees, etc.?
Has president, vice-president/president elect, secretary-treasurer, and a six member board of directors. Also, an executive assistant housed at the University of Delaware.

4. What is the role of the executive director? How is this person compensated?
Executive director takes care of the day to day activities of the organization, including overseeing the association's web page and coordinating the workings of the officers and board of directors. Main event is the creation of the presidential newsletter and helping coordinate the yearly national conference. Is compensated on an hourly basis (at least $10.00/hour, but am not sure).

5. How much time does this person devote to the organization each week? Is this person evaluated regularly? Is there a limit on the term?
Ten hours a week. No limit on term in office. Regular yearly evaluation.

6. Does the organization have staff members? How many? What are their roles? How much do they work? Do they work on an hourly or a salary basis?
No other staff except executive assistant.

7. What is the purpose of the board?
To decide on association issues such as budget, state and nature of journal and other publications, and workings of its various committees: membership, national faculty award, program development, outreach, nominations. Has major authority on the host, place, theme, and structure of national conference, which is the association's major yearly undertaking. Discusses how to promote interdisciplinary study.

8. Do board members have assigned roles and responsibilities? If so, what are they? Approximately how much time do board members spend on the organization? Are any compensated for their duties? How long is each board member's term?
Each member of the board is assigned to each of the committees of the association, and, as such, acts as a liaison to the board. Each also has major responsibilities to make presentations at the annual conference's PRE-conference workshop where newer programs and universities contemplated graduate liberal studies programs come to find out how to best start and run a gls program. AGLSP officers serve 2 years, board members 3. None are compensated, except that during the Spring board meeting their hotel and major meals are paid for by the association. The board meets twice a year-once during the conference(usually held in October), once in the Spring (March to early May).

9. Do board members receive any training?
No formal training, except by experience. Officers are chosen for their expertise in gls programs, and so are board members, so much is learned and passed on by example and association. The board has always seemed to me to be a very genial and close-knit group, while at the same time exhibiting a rigor and depth of thought about interdisciplinary study. By the time I became president, for example, I had been a board member for three years, hosted the annual conference, and been vp for two years-a six-year training period.

10. How are board members recruited and selected?
Nominations committee, with much oversight and input from the board, mounts a slate of candidates for vacant positions each year. Attention is paid not only to a person's ability to contribute to AGLSP, but also to his or her experience in a local program, on insight, and on balance of gender and of geographics. We try to have representatives from the East, Midwest, South, and West/Southwest.

11. Does the organization have committees? Who constitutes the committees and gives them their charge? How many committees are there? What is their purpose? Are they ad hoc or standing committees?
See above in #7. Nominations fills national positions for officers and board members. Membership reviews applications for membership. Outreach recruits new members, encourages growth of new programs, and establishes contacts between like-minded national organizations like AIS, ACTC, etc. National Faculty Award selects winner of that award each year based on outstanding teaching, scholarship, and service to graduate liberal studies. Program Development reviews and awards grants to help gls programs carry on cooperative ventures to further gls and interdisciplinary studies. Site Selection does initial work on choosing host and site of annual meeting. The board as a whole reviews and works with the university chosen to host the annual meeting.

12. What services, programs, events, publications does the organization produce each year? What is the purpose of each? How is each doing? Is each one cost effective?
Puts on the annual meeting for the purpose of gathering gls programs together to year important ideas, problem solve, strengthen the gls movement, provide practical help and advice in starting and running gls programs. Both old, new, and contemplated programs benefit greatly. Publishes the Journal of Graduate Liberal Studies, a journal to showcase the best student work in gls programs around the world. Also publishes and carries on statistical analysis of gls programs and the whole movement (analyzing such things as program size and administration, enrollment trends, etc.), and occasional papers on such topics as financial aid for gls students. Compiles books containing essays and syllabi on specific topics such as technology, science, and gls; visions of the good society; the nature of interdisciplinary study, etc. Provides grants to help a group of gls programs carry on joint ventures that further and strengthen gls programs and interdisciplinary study. Maintains a web site and list serve so programs can communicate year-round. Carries on the process of membership, which includes recruiting association members, and providing experienced site visitors when associates wish to move to full membership. These site visits not only help the program grow in its curriculum and administrative processes, but also help highlight gls programs within their home institutions. This process often results in better institutional support and understanding of the role and nature of gls programs in particular universities. Provides a constant source of advice and support for any and all problems that occur in any of its member programs, including such things as encouraging to program concepts such as a doctorate in liberal studies.

13. How do you recruit new members?
Through word of mouth and initiative of association's most active members. Also, the outreach committee helps coordinate separate initiatives and attempts to become aware of potential new fields of opportunity-i.e. schools or school systems we know are contemplating gls programs.

14. Where do your primary sources of funding come from? Do you have a plan for increasing or sustaining funds?
Membership dues and conference proceeds. Have just begun talking about other funding sources, corporate and governmental.

15. How much does it cost to join the organization? What services, resources come with membership?
Dues are $150 a year. A copy of the journal, plus all services mentioned above in # 12 come with membership.

16. How much is the additional cost of attending your conference? How long is the conference? What meals are included?
Conference fee is usually around $300, which includes all meals, except Friday evening, and begins with dinner-reception-plenary on Thursday evening, and ends with lunch-final plenary on Saturday. Pre-conference begins early Thursday morning and costs an extra $100 on average, with lunch on your own. Special outings, if any, cost extra.

17. Does your organization assess programs and services regularly? Does it regularly survey members? How do you go about performing these assessments?
It's about time to do another association wide survey/ assessment. It's often hard to get responses, so we may at least begin this task at a conference in the near future instead of just relying on mail. Assessment is usually by questionnaire. Some assessment info is gathered from the experience of those veteran individuals in AGLSP who conduct the site visits required for full membership.

Interview with Dr. Marvin Kaiser, Executive Director, Society for Values in Higher Education, conducted by Michael Field on November 20, 2002.

1. What is the mission of the organization?
SVHE is deeply committed to the intersection of values and higher education through study, dialogue, and action.

2. How many members does the organization have? How many are active? Has your membership been growing, declining or staying the same over the past five years?
The active membership has been stable at approximately 1,200 for the last few years.

3. Can you describe its governance structure? Does it have a board, an executive director, committees, etc.?
It has a 20 member Board of Directors, an Executive Committee of 4, an Executive Director, and 8 committees.

4. What is the role of the executive director? How is this person compensated? How much time does this person devote to the organization each week? Is this person evaluated regularly? Is there a limit on the term?
The Executive Director is responsible for the overall administration of the organization. He/she sets and pursues strategic goals, and reports to the Board. Compensation consists of a stipend of $1,000 per month, which is contributed to the ED's retirement account. There is no regular schedule of evaluation.

5. Does the organization have staff members? How many? What are their roles? How much do they work? Do they work on an hourly or a salary basis?
There are two salaried staff members in addition to the Executive Director. One is assigned 50% time, the other 80%. There is one work-study student as well.

6. What is the purpose of the board?
The Board governs the organization and board members serve as liaisons to the membership. The Board sets the direction and raises funds.

7. Do board members have assigned roles and responsibilities? If so, what are they? Approximately how much time do board members spend on the organization? Are any compensated for their duties? How long is each board member's term?
Each board member is assigned to at least one committee. Members of the Executive Committee spend about 5 hours per week. There is no compensation for board members, but they do have expenses reimbursed for the winter meeting of the Board.

8. Do board members receive any training?
The only training they receive is a brief orientation when they join the Board.

9. How are board members recruited and selected?
They are chosen by the nominating committee and elected by the membership.

10. Does the organization have committees? Who constitutes the committees and gives them their charge? How many committees are there? What is their purpose? Are they ad hoc or standing committees?
There are eight standing committees, with obvious functions: Executive Committee, Development and Projects, Finance, Membership, Nominating, Program, New Teachers Workshop, and Communication.

11. What services, programs, events, publications does the organization produce each year? What is the purpose of each? How is each doing? Is each one cost effective?
Publications: Soundings and the Newsletter. Major projects/events: Annual summer meeting; Annual New Teachers Workshop; Democracy Project (grant funded); NEH summer workshop (funded by NEH).

12. How do you recruit new members?
New members are recruited through personal contacts of members, and through the New Teachers Workshop.

13. Where do your primary sources of funding come from? Do you have a plan for increasing or sustaining funds?
SVHE has developed a plan for fund raising. This was a requirement of their continued support from a private foundation. Funds are generated through dues, the summer meeting, and fund raising. The latter consists primarily of the Annual Fund, the Legacy Campaign, and grants.

14. How much does it cost to join the organization? What services, resources come with membership?
Annual dues range from $50-$135, depending upon income. But be aware that individuals cannot simply decide to join. They must be nominated and accepted as Fellows by the SVHE Board. Members receive a subscription to Soundings and the Newsletter, and reduced registration fees for the annual conference.

15. How much is the additional cost of attending your conference? How long is the conference? What meals are included?
The cost of all food, lodging and registration is approximately $300 per person or $1,000 for a family of four, not including transportation. The SVHE meets on a college campus, and most people stay in college housing and eat cafeteria meals. It is common for Fellows to bring spouses and children to the meeting.

16. Does your organization assess programs and services regularly? Does it regularly survey members? How do you go about performing these assessments?
There is no systematic, formal evaluation. Informal evaluation occurs regularly at the annual meeting.

Appendix B: AIS Constitution and By-Laws

To go to the portion of the AIS web site that contains the constitution and by-laws click here.

Appendix C: Secretary's Report on AIS Membership

The decline in active membership in 1999 and 2000 was due at least in part to new secretaries who failed to send out dues reminders. That situation was rectified in 2001, with the hiring of a more experienced "senior administrative secretary." The last membership drive in 1985 involved mailing to over 15,000 members of kindred organizations and increased membership by 173.

Submitted by William H. Newell, Executive Director

Appendix D: Executive Director "Job" Description

Prepared by Bill Newell for the Association for Integrative Studies Retreat at Shakertown
May 16-18, 2003

The ED position can be split analytically into three levels of responsibilities: Office Manager, Executive Committee Member, and Profession Advocate. Daily lived experience, however, mixes them along with my other professional responsibilities to the extent that it is difficult to assign relative weights among them, much less estimate time/week expended on each. However, since deliberations at our retreat are dependent on such estimates, and vague or mildly inaccurate information is better than no information, I have made some guesses.

As OFFICE MANAGER, I oversee day to day operations of the AIS national office, physically located in 26 Peabody Hall (downstairs from my office). When we are blessed with a competent senior administrative secretary, as we have been for the last three years, that means to a considerable extent conferring with her about tasks at hand and those coming up, though there are some tasks (in bold) that only the ED should handle. On average, these Office Manager activities may take 5-10 hours a week (though maybe only 1 hour/week in the summer).

A. Membership

• Dues Notices (draft three notices/year, duplicate and fold, stuff and mail)
• Memberships (up-date database, stamp and deposit checks)
• Send out new member packets, update contents
• Prepare reports for two Board meetings
• Prepare lists of institutional members annually for journal and conference o Maintain stocks of business envelopes, stationery, and labels
• Acquire/update and maintain stocks of book fliers and membership brochures
• Occasional mass mailings (secure mailing labels, draft letters, duplicate, stuff)

• Identify books, programs that merit reviews/descriptions; identify/recruit authors
• Compile information on web-sites, conferences, jobs, journals, etc.
• Lay out, proof-read newsletter, negotiate with printer, stuff, mail
• Maintain stocks of masthead and large envelopes

• Format, lay out, negotiate with printer, print mailing labels, stuff, and mail
• Mail out back volumes on demand

• Work with nominating committee to identify candidates for office
• Secure bios, prepare ballot, duplicate, stuff, mail

• Write checks, balance check book
• Keep books (monthly and annual cash receipts and expenditures)
• Prepare reports for two Board meetings

• Respond to email queries for info on AIS, IDS, consultants
• Interact with ED's and presidents of kindred organizations

• Check room availability and officers' schedules, set dates, reserve rooms
• Identify caterers, select menus
• Compile arrival/departure schedules, set up airport transportation, room keys
• Purchase breakfast items, coffee, pop, wine
• Set up meeting room; shlep computer, coffee maker, wine glasses
• Take minutes, email draft, revise, email to Board and past presidents, hi-lite

• Provide mailing labels from kindred organizations to hosts
• Take newsletters and journal, membership brochures to conference
• Provide list of institutional members and list of all active members
• Post conference announcement on Events in Academe (Chronicle of Higher Ed)
• Take minutes, email draft, revise, email to Board and past presidents, hi-lite

• Sign up and remove listserv members
• Post referred information to list

• Monitor computer equipment and upgrade as needed
• Update office procedures
• Rearrange/reorganize office periodically

As EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER (along with the president and two past presidents), I confer (usually via email) regarding current initiatives, personnel matters, upcoming and future conferences, possible new initiatives, agendas for up-coming Board meetings, and administrative issues that arise. These may take 5-7 hours a week (and 1-2 hours/week in the summer).

As PROFESSION ADVOCATE-there must be a better descriptor-I monitor the publications and announcements of a variety of kindred professional associations to identify possible collaborations. I also monitor a range of publishers' catalogs, the New York Times Book Review section, and newspapers to keep abreast of intellectual trends that could benefit from an interdisciplinary approach, or that are already taking a de facto interdisciplinary approach. This may take 1-2 hours a week year-round.

In addition to my duties as Executive Director, I am frequently asked to serve as a CONSULTANT, EXTERNAL EVALUATOR, OR KEYNOTER (even though I scrupulously point inquirers to the list of consultants on the AIS web site). Of those requests, perhaps one third each (very roughly) are attributable to my scholarly publications, my reputation as a founder of the profession, and my position as Executive Director. In the last couple years, I have spent roughly 15 days a year on other campuses; for the decade before that, I spent 5-7 days a year.

Appendix E: Miami University's In-Kind Contributions to AIS

Prepared by Bill Newell for the Association for Integrative Studies Retreat at Shakertown
May 16-18, 2003

When then-president Tom Murray asked Bill Newell to assume the responsibilities of AIS secretary, treasurer, and newsletter editor (i.e., de facto ED) starting in 1983, Miami University's School of Interdisciplinary Studies (SIS) began the practice of providing a computer and secretarial support, and covering the costs of duplication and postage for the newsletter. After four years, cost subventions began to be eliminated one by one as AIS became more financially secure; AIS started paying for supplemental student assistance in1989, and secretarial assistance was reduced starting in 1991 and terminated in 1995. (The Institute in Integrative Studies took up the slack during those years.)

After Nancy Wadleigh completed her undergraduate and graduate degree and left the position of AIS secretary in 1997 that she held for a number of years, AIS experimented for three years with using graduate students in technical communication as secretaries: Miami University provided the tuition waiver while AIS covered the stipend (which amounted to well over $8000/year). When that approach proved ineffectual and too costly, in 2000 Miami University designated the AIS secretary (up-graded to Senior Administrative Secretary) as a Miami University staff position; the Personnel Office took over the advertising, hiring, sick leave, and all paperwork for the position, and the cost to AIS was reduced to under $4000 a year.

Even today, however, SIS provides the membership database computer that acts as a server, and Miami provides a free server for the main AIS web site. When SIS and AIS moved back into Peabody Hall in 1996 after its two-year renovation, SIS provided AIS with a separate office and telephone (after 13 years of sharing them with Bill Newell) which it still retains.

Miami University made one a major one-time financial contribution to AIS that deserves recognition here. In 1986, Miami paid American Printing Company almost $10,000 for the printing and binding of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Programs: A Directory, which AIS published. This was essentially an interest-free loan without collateral. As proceeds from sales of the book came in, AIS paid Miami back and then enjoyed a significant surplus for several years thereafter.
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Appendix F: Editor of Issues in Integrative Studies Job Description

Proposed by Jay Wentworth
May 2003

The basic process is to thank the writer for the article and give a brief summary of the process the article will go through, so s/he knows what to expect. Then I read the article, and if I don't reject it outright (for being inappropriate for our journal or unsalvageable), I try to find appropriate reviewers, i.e., people with expertise in the subject matter and with enough interdisciplinary background to judge the article's value to non-experts and to the understanding of interdisciplinary processes and theories. I send it on to at least two reviewers. When the reviews come back, I reread the paper and compare my views with those of the reviewers. Most reviews are negative, so I try to discover the main issues and write a long letter to the author suggesting a rewrite that would be more acceptable. If the reviewers' comments are judicious, I send them as they are; if they are not positively put, I edit them before sending them to the author. When and if a rewrite comes, I reread and decide whether I need to have someone else read it (often the Associate Editor at that point). If the rewrite is not up to snuff, but I still believe there is a good article there, I return it to the author with new suggestions, and we continue until the project is completed or one of us gives up. If the rewrite IS good, I edit it and give it to the professional copyeditor so that I can send all Author Queries at the same time. Often there are several exchanges here before the piece is in printable form.

I'd say that from the time you have all your articles accepted until they are ready for the printer is probably 4-8 weeks, depending on how much copyediting and finish editing you have been able to do as you go along and how much is left at the end. I've always had a lot at the end because the copyeditor preferred to do everything at once because I was her only customer using APA. This is not good! Try to keep up! After you have printable copies, we send them to Denise Brothers-McPhail, in Bill Newell's office. She puts the issue on PageMaker and sends us a full hard copy of the number; she is very fast, but our schedules do not always coincide, so it is hard to tell how long this phase will take. The PageMaker version requires several proof readings by different people. This edited 'galley' is sent back to Denise, who makes the changes and sends the copy to the printer.

A second part of the job is to work with the "webster" to get the appropriate material on line. (Note: The IIS webster is currently Peter Montaldi in Boone, NC who runs a web business. He bills AIS whenever he does any significant work on the site.) I have always wanted to get material up as it is approved, but since the copyeditor works only with the whole issue, that hasn't worked out yet, but it could and, in my opinion, should.

There is an Advisory Board made up of people with whom I consult at the conference in October and by email when questions of policy arise.

This is a job for an organized person who can respond quickly and do the editing, find reviewers, correspond with writers, and so on in timely fashion. There can be as many as a dozen articles in different stages, so there can be a lot to keep track of. Unless one is supremely confident, having only one's own judgment to go on is difficult, so having an Associate Editor with whom to discuss difficult issues is good. The job is quite do-able with 1/4 release, an Associate Editor, and a professional copyeditor.
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Appendix G: The Boulding Award Guidelines and Procedures

For the By-Laws of the Association for Integrative Studies

The Boulding Award is to be given to a person who has clarified or expanded the concept and the scholarly or public understanding of interdisciplinarity through a combination of the following: teaching, scholarship, and integrative community involvement. The award is to be given to one whose writings or professional performance has made major, long-term contributions to the concept or the enactment of interdisciplinarity. The scholarly or professional work of winners of the Boulding Award for sustained excellence in interdisciplinary work will manifest such qualities as the following:

• Create demonstrably important, but unexpected or new connections between disciplines or professions.
• Create major institutional or social change or awareness based on the conscious promotion and a deep understanding of interdisciplinarity.
• Create widespread and demonstrably crucial new understandings or redefinitions of interdisciplinarity.

Membership on the Boulding Committee
The Boulding Committee consists of three members of the Association for Integrative Studies (AIS) who are appointed by the AIS Board. When feasible, past AIS Presidents who have not already served on the Committee will be given priority to serve. Membership on the Boulding Committee will change every three years. Each year, one member will rotate off and a new member will be added to maintain the number at three.

Procedure

1. Each year, members of the AIS may nominate Boulding Award candidates to the Boulding Committee. They will be asked to submit a brief rationale and background along with the name. The AIS Board and the Boulding Committee will encourage nominations for the Boulding Award from the AIS membership through notices in the newsletter and via the website.
2. Boulding Committee members should refrain from nominating candidates for the Award until their service on the committee is done. Committee members are ineligible for the award until their service on the Boulding Committee has concluded.
3. Beginning February, 2002, and continuing each year, the Boulding Committee will review the nominations and:
   o Recommend up to three nominees to the Board, along with its reasons. The Committee will decide whether or not to rank these names. In any year, the Committee may decide not to recommend anyone.
   o For informational purposes, make an annual report of persons nominated from the membership.
4. The Board will decide whether or not to make the award to a recommended candidate.

Appendix H: Treasurer's Report

Appendix I: Job Description for Conference Liason

At Large Member: Liason to Hosting Institution for the Annual AIS Conference
Association for Integrative Studies

Provided by Fran Navakas and Roz Schindler

Overview: The conference liaison is the conduit between the Board of Directors and the host institution regarding the annual AIS Conference, a primary vehicle for promoting, defining, and furthering the mission of the Association for Integrative Studies.

Job Responsibilities:

1. The conference liaison is responsible for keeping current and for recommending and coordinating changes to the AIS Conference Planning Guidelines. The liaison provides a final version to the Executive Secretary and to the President for posting on the AIS web page and for distribution to potential hosting institutions.

2. The conference liaison works with the Board to identify and cultivate partnerships with colleges and universities that are candidates for hosting AIS conferences. The liaison works with the Board to assess and respond to proposals to host the AIS conference during several stages in the conference vetting process: the preliminary proposal, the Board's decision making regarding rejection of the proposal or support for entering the second phase of the application process, review of a proposal endorsed by the chief academic officer of the proposing institution, rejection, or acceptance and prioritization of the proposal in the short and long-term planning of the AIS. The President of the AIS communicates the results of the review process to the chief academic officer of the proposed institution.

3. The conference liaison is the primary Board contact in the planning of the AIS conference. In that role the liaison communicates regularly with the host institution in keeping with the timetable and set of tasks outlined in the Conference Planning Guidelines. The liaison provides a conduit between the Board and the host institution in developing the theme of the conference, consistent with AIS goals and the host institution's special contributions. The liaison works with the host institution in promoting the timely planning for transportation, lodging, book table, keynoter, the Call for Papers, proposal review, organization of the conference schedule and program, assigning moderators, advertising the conference (with the exception of placing ads in the Chronicle for Higher Education and in the AIS Newsletter, now completed by the Executive Director), communication with potential registrants, and assessment over the two year period during which the conference comes to fruition. The liaison brings questions from the host to a steering committee of the Board and on occasion to the Board at large regarding strategies, recommendations in changing practices, and problem solving needs, when they merit wider discussion.

The conference liaison provides a report on conference planning at the annual and mid-year meetings. The liaison and the conference host bring to the Board the conference proposal at the annual meeting two years prior to the conference. The liaison provides a status report on conference planning, to include the report from the host institution, at the mid-year meetings prior to the scheduled conference. The liaison brings to the Board either within a meeting or through electronic means, the Call for Papers provided by the host institution for review and approval prior to its distribution at the AIS Conference one year before the host institution's scheduled conference.

The conference liaison visits the host institution site in the spring prior to the fall conference. If the host institution's committee is inexperienced or has little AIS experience, a second Board member may participate in the proposal review either in person or through electronic means. Typically the visit occurs from a Sunday night through Tuesday midday, with proposals provided to the liaison, along with an evaluation rubric, prior to the visit or the first session. The visit involves review of conference proposals in conjunction with the host committee, a tour of the hotel site-accommodations, meeting rooms, dining facilities, typically in the company of the hotel liaison, a tour of the immediate vicinity of the conference, brainstorming and problem solving regarding conference logistics, and meetings with college or university administrators or faculty to assist the host in promoting the conference internally.

4. At the conference the liaison serves as a resource person for potential conference hosts, typically making a brief presentation at "Getting Acquainted with AIS" workshops and providing updated information from the Guidelines (the Introductory Section) for distribution with other AIS materials. The liaison also monitors conference logistics to assess with others the implications of strategic decisions regarding content, scheduling, and other conference planning matters. Recognition is provided for the conference hosts during the conference itself (primarily through the President of the AIS).

5. The conference liaison assists the Board in assessing the quality of the national conference and in making strategic decisions about the short term and long term trajectory of future conferences.
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Appendix J: List of Past AIS Conferences