Association of Research Administrators Bylaws
Approved by membership and effective February 14, 2024
Article I. Name and Acronym
The name of this association shall be the Association of Research Administrators. The official acronym of this association shall be ARA.
Article II. Mission
The Association of Research Administrators at The University of Texas at Austin serves its members and advances the research mission at The University through providing opportunities for networking, professional development, information exchange, and informal discussion to improve research administration.
Article III. Vision
To unite and strengthen research administration at The University of Texas at Austin.
Article IV. Core Values
The Association of Research Administrators believes in the mission of The University to advance society through research.
The Association of Research Administrators believes in fostering a sense of community and a diverse professional network to support its members.
The Association of Research Administrators believes in the promotion of education and professional development for its members.
The Association of Research Administrators believes in the sharing of knowledge amongst peers.
The Association of Research Administrators believes in an inclusive environment that encourages informal discussion to improve research administration on campus.
Article V. Membership
A. Any person engaged in the administration of sponsored research programs at The University of Texas at Austin is eligible for membership.
B. There shall be no discrimination, including but not limited to harassment for reasons of religion, age, race or ethnicity, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation.
C. Voting privileges may extend to active members. Active membership may be defined as meeting attendance, committee participation, or engagement with the Association in other ways.
Article VI. Leadership Committee
A. The Leadership Committee shall be elected for a single one-year term by a simple majority of members. Elections for Leadership Committee officers shall occur at minimum one month prior to the beginning of the next term.
B. Leadership Committee officers may be limited to serving not more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same position. Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Leadership Committee. Any vacancy occurring in the Leadership Committee shall be filled, for the unexpired portion of the term, with the input of the relevant committee and by a majority vote of the Leadership Committee. An incumbent leadership committee officer may elect to serve for a second one-year term without membership vote.
C. Outgoing Committee officers will overlap with Incoming Committee officers to provide continuity in order to transition roles and responsibilities.
D. The term of office of the Leadership Committee shall be to serve for twelve months and two transition months.
E. The following officers shall serve on the Leadership Committee and shall be responsible for the responsibilities outlined in Section VII. Future standing committees and committee chairs can be created via amendment.
• Administration Chair(s)
• Resource & Professional Development Chair(s)
• Communications Chair(s)
• Networking Chair(s)
F. Leadership Committee shall convene a minimum of once per month separate from Member Meetings to discuss progress towards the mission and vision of the Association.
G. Leadership Committee shall perform and direct duties necessary to fulfill responsibilities outlined in Section VII.
H. Leadership Committee may appoint ad hoc committees to perform additional tasks specified by members, including but not limited to election facilitation.
Article VII. Standing Committee Responsibilities
Leadership Committee officers may recruit vice chairs and members at their discretion to fulfill standing committee responsibilities. They may meet with committee members on an as-needed basis. Standing committee responsibilities are outlined below.
A. Administration:
• responsible for meeting coordination and association financial administration, including but not limited to Member Meetings and Leadership Committee logistics
B. Resource & Professional Development:
• responsible for initiatives related to the professional development of members, including but not limited to the professional development programming at Member Meetings (for example invited speakers, guided discussion, or roundtables)
C. Communications:
• responsible for outward communication, including but not limited to online presence and branding
D. Networking:
• responsible for member networking initiatives, including but not limited to member appreciation, networking activities, events, and social engagement
Article VIII. Member Meetings
Member Meetings shall be held to provide a forum for networking, professional development, information exchange, and association business. Member Meetings are expected to be held a minimum of eight times per fiscal year.
Article IX. Sanctioned Activities
All actions or events requesting Association of Research Administrators endorsement require approval of a majority of the Leadership Committee.
Article X. Limitation of Liability and Indemnification
The Association of Research Administrators at The University of Texas at Austin, a grassroots organization, is not a primary source of official information nor does the Association establish policy. Rather, ARA provides a channel to information and a forum for informal discussion.
Article XI. Amendments
Any amendment to the Bylaws of the Association of Research Administrators must be distributed to the members for review and feedback at least one month prior to being voted on by the Association of Research Administrators and must be ratified by a majority vote of the members in attendance at a regularly scheduled meeting.
Article XII. Dissolution
The Association of Research Administrators may be dissolved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present at a regularly scheduled meeting.