Fulbright Association
Science & Environment
 





Fulbright Association
666 11th Street, N.W.
Suite 525
Washington, D.C. 20001
Phone: (202) 347-5543
Fax: (202) 347-6540

Standing Rules on Fulbright
Association Task Forces

Part I. Formation of Task Forces
The Fulbright Association Board of Directors must approve all proposals for the formation of special interest groups, which will be known as task forces.  To be considered by the Board of Directors proposals must meet the following requirements:
A) A leadership group of at least 15 Association members in good standing must contact the national office and receive information on preparing "a request for expression of interest (in a proposed task force) by the membership."
B) The leadership group of the proposed task force must prepare a request for expression of interest by the membership for publication in the association's newsletter.  The request for expression of interest should be no longer than 1,000 words and must contain brief statements of:
  1. the names and affiliations of the proposed group's organizers;
  2. the perceived need for the formation of the group within the Fulbright Association;
  3. how the task force will further the association's mission of protecting and promoting the Fulbright
        Program;
  4. the benefits the group would bring to the membership and to the Association at large;
  5. the proposed activities of the group (in conformance with Part IV of these Standing Rules).
For each request for expression of interest, the national office will provide:
a) standard language on the responsibilities of task force membership, including:
  1. participation in annual or other task force meetings;
  2. reporting of relevant project or other information to include in the association's database for task force networking;
  3. provision of articles for Association publications;
  4. service as a speaker or resource for chapter or other programs;
  5. payment of task force fees, in addition to Association membership dues;
  6. maintenance of Association membership;
b) an expression of interest form with instructions for completion and a statement of the responsibilities listed in point 6 above;
c) instructions on returning the expression of interest form and notification of the deadline for doing so.
C) Within 75 days of the mailing date of the newsletter containing the request for expression of interest, the national office will verify membership status of respondents, tabulate results, and communicate results to the leadership group.
D) If at least 100 members return valid expression of interest forms and interest seems to be sufficient in the judgment of the Board of Directors, the leadership group will schedule a presentation of its proposal for the formation of the task force at the next meeting of the Board of Directors or of its Executive Committee.  In addition to information contained in the request for expression of interest and the report on membership response to it, the leadership group, in consultation with the national office, must prepare and present a one-year income and expense budget (see Part VI.)
E) At least one member and no more than three members of the leadership group must make the presentation and be available to answer questions.  The Board of Directors will vote in private on the formation of the group and will communicate its decision, and the reasons for it, in writing to the leadership group no later than 15 days after the date of the presentation.
F) If 100 members fail to return expression of interest forms by the prescribed deadline, the national office will notify the leadership group.  The leadership group must wait one year before publishing another expression of interest in the newsletter, but may continue its organizing efforts without support of staff.
Part II. Governance
Task forces approved by the Board of Directors shall be governed by the Board of Directors of the Fulbright Association and must conform to all policies and procedures of the Fulbright Association.  The task force chairperson will be appointed by the President of the Association's Board of Directors and will be approved by the board.   A leadership committee composed of no more than 15 people, including the chairman, a vice chairman, and secretary, shall be constituted to develop a plan of activities and refine the task force budget in consultation with the national office (see Parts IV - VI), to monitor the group's performance and results, and to report to the Board of Directors.   The leadership committee must meet at least once annually.  Minutes of all meetings, including conference call meetings, must be submitted to the Board of Directors.
Part III. Relations with Other Elements of the Association
A) The task force exists at the discretion of the Board of Directors and reports to it.   The name of the task force must indicate that it is a part of the Fulbright Association.  Its name must be approved by the Board of Directors and all references to the task force must use its official name.  Task Forces may not develop independent logos or other expressions of a separate identity.
B) The Fulbright Association national office will provide support to task forces in the
  1. Supply information on preparing an expression of interest by the membership (Part I);
  2. Edit and prepare the expression of interest by the membership for publication in the newsletter;
  3. Tabulate results of the response to the expression of interest by the membership and communicate response to the leadership group;
  4. Coordinate communications between the leadership group and the Board of Directors;
  5. Review proposed activity plans and budgets (see Parts IV - VI) for conformance with Fulbright Association policies and procedures; conformance with the published expression of interest by the membership and the response to it; and for financial and programmatic feasibility;
  6. Data entry for project interests of task force members and potential task force members and other task force data base maintenance tasks (i.e., address changes, payment of task force fees);
  7. Data base searches and production of labels for mailing to task force members;
  8. Bookkeeping for task force fees and expenditures;
  9. Review and consultation on any special project grant or other funding proposals;
  10. Preparation and mailing of separate renewal notices for annual task force fees.
C) Task Forces are expected to serve chapter, as well as national, Association interests by communicating with chapter leaders, offering speakers for chapter programs, and encouraging members in task forces to support and participate in local chapters.
Part IV. Activities
Fulbright Association task forces allow for specialized informational exchange among Association members, networking, specific educational programs, and avenues in addition to local chapters for participation in the Association and for development of new leadership.   Task Forces also have a responsibility to recruit interested alumni who are not members into Association membership and to recruit interested non-alumni as associate members.
Upon approval by the Board of Directors, the leadership committee of the task force will submit to the national office a plan of activities for the coming year and a proposed income and expense budget (see Parts V and VI.) Task Forces may undertake the following activities:
A) Periodic preparation, production, and dissemination of information related to the task force topic for task force members through the vehicles of fact sheets, newsletters, or electronic means;
B) Planning and conducting a concurrent session at the annual conference;
C) Planning and conducting at least one business meeting, including a meeting of the leadership committee;
D) Organizing, publicizing, and operating a speakers' bureau of individuals with expertise on the task force topic for Fulbright Association chapters;
E) Developing membership recruitment campaigns to increase the number of Association and task force members. Membership recruitment materials must be developed with, and approved by, the national office before dissemination.
Part V. Financing
The financing of task force activities shall occur through the payment by members of a $5 annual task force fee which shall be in addition to payment of annual or life membership dues.  Membership in the task force is open only to members in good standing of the Association.  Task force fees will be collected by the national office and maintained in a separate account.
Gifts, grants and in-kind contributions may also be used to finance task force activities, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.  Any fund raising proposal must be reviewed and endorsed in writing by the task force's leadership group and by the Association Executive Director and then approved by the association's Board of Directors before submittal to outside funding sources.  Project grants must recover all Association overhead expenses related to the project.
Part VI. Budget Development
Task force budgets will be developed on a calendar year basis to conform with the association's budget cycle.  The annual task force core income budget will be based on the estimated number of task force members times the $5 task force fee. Task Forces must propose balanced budgets.  Any in-kind contributions proposed for the task force budget must be supported by written letters of commitment from the individual or institution providing the in-kind contribution.  The letter of commitment must specify the type and amount of the contribution and in the case of institutions, be signed by an individual with authority to commitment the specified resources.
Part VII. Performance
The operations of task forces will be reviewed at least annually by the Executive Director and the Board of Directors against the following factors:
A) completion of the activities proposed in the annual activity plan
B) interest of the membership as expressed by payment of task force fees;
C) participation in task force activities;
D) task force success in recruiting new members into the Fulbright Association
Part VIII. Dissolution of Task Forces
The Board of Directors may dissolve a task force at its discretion, as informed by the annual report of the task force chairperson.

Part IX. Pilot Phase

For the first 18 months after adoption of these standing rules no more than two new task forces may be formed for a total of four Fulbright Association task forces, including the association's existing task forces to be operated in conformance with these standing rules.