Important questions about voting

What are the key dates for the Election?

The new Board will be elected after the final votes are cast at the Annual Members Meeting on Wednesday, December 17.  Members can attend and vote either online via Zoom or in person.

Electronic and paper ballots have been sent to Active Members. The League will resend electronic ballots on December 9. Members can return paper ballots and vote online at anytime after they receive the ballot.  They can also vote at the Annual Meeting. Members can change their mind by submitting another ballot at the Members Meeting. The last ballot submitted will be the only one that counts.

Who are “Active Members”

If you have paid your membership dues or are a Life Member and have attended at least one member meeting or voted in the past two years, you are an “Active Member.” Active Members will receive both a paper ballot and an email with a code for voting online. Active Members can also vote in person or via Zoom at the Annual Meeting in December.

Who are “Members in Good Standing”

Other Members in Good Standing are those who are paid up in their annual dues including Life Members who are no longer charged dues.  These members can show up and vote at the December meeting online or in person. This also makes them Active Members for the next two years.

An email from the League around 6:30 PM on November 17 with the subject line “Important Dates & Election Information for Members” has additional information.

Importance of appointed members of the Board

If you would like to serve on the Board of Control (“BoC”) and are not running in this election, consider applying for an appointed position.  

After the election, the new board appoints three members, chosen from those who sent an application.  The process for sending in an application is described at: https://www.artstudentsleague.org/resources/serving-on-the-board

The League is always looking for candidates to choose from both for the three annual appointments and for other appointments to replace members who step down during the year. Appointed Members are very important to the BoC, especially for filling important gaps. This is often the way new members first serve on the BoC.

Please remember:  the BoC can only choose appointed members from those who apply.  If you are interested, don’t hesitate to talk to any one of us about what it means to serve on the Board.

What does the Board of Control do?

The Board of Control is made up of 12 members including 3 officers, 3 members voted for in the current election for two-year terms, 3 members serving the second year of their term, and three appointed members.

The Constitution and By-Laws of the Art Students League gives the Board of Control ultimate authority for running the school, including the power to hire and fire the Executive Director and power to manage the budget. You can find the Art Students League Constitution and By-Laws at https://www.artstudentsleague.org/resources/league-constitution

The role of the BoC changes to meet the needs of the school.  For example, in cases where an Executive Director was not in place, BoC Members stepped in to take over key duties.

At the current time, with an Executive Director in place and a very strong senior staff, the BoC supports the director deferring operational responsibility to our professional staff. Every year the BoC approves the budget and may modify the budget during the year.  The BoC also reviews and must approve major programs and capital expenditures.

Most of the work of the BoC is done through the Board Committees, including Finance, Building, Membership, Programming, Collections, and Development plus special committees like the one focused on our 150th Anniversary.  Committees include BoC members and senior League staff.  Some may also include members who are not on the Board.

The expertise of members is especially important in such areas as finance, building, fund raising, and marketing.  The committees can also supplement staff to allow the League to take on larger projects, including many associated with the 150^th Celebration.

What doesn’t the Board of Control do?

BoC members do not run the day to day operations of the League.  They go through the Executive Director and staff to address situations that are presented to them.

For example, if members bring a grievance against an instructor, the BoC is informed and may discuss the case but all communications go through staff, at the recommendation of League counsel.

BoC Members are informed but do not play a direct role in situations that lead to a student being expelled from a class or the League.  The BoC may consider also expelling the student from League membership if the situation warrants it; this requires a unanimous vote.

While Board members work with staff on establishing processes for reporting and resolving issues related to the building, classes and other matters, they direct students to go through the appropriate processes rather than handling them directly.

Board members can receive no compensation from the League and are therefor not eligible for paid positions, work study, scholarships, or other direct compensation.

Strict rules also prevent BoC members from getting favored treatment for themselves or others in regard to contracts.

The Importance of Continuity

Continuity of the Board was strengthened by recent changes to the Constitution and By-Laws:

• Extending the term limits for most members from 3 years to 6 years
• Extending terms for regular members of the BoC from 1 year to 2 years; note, the President and VPs continue to have 1 year terms.
• Reducing the number of members appointed by the BoC from 6 members to 3 members.

We have seen the benefits from these changes in programs, such as the work on the 150^thAnniversary that has spanned almost four years, the building project which will require continuity beyond three years, and stronger ties between the BoC and the senior staff.

However, the League is still vulnerable to take-over by a slate of candidates. This can happen if a three member slate is elected and the new officers appoint three additional members who share their views and then appoint one member to fill a vacancy. This provides the new slate with a majority of 7 of the 12 votes and control of the Board.

The new slate would have the power to fire the Executive Director or change the annual budget to allow for a larger, unsustainable draw against the endowment.  We do not feel it would be appropriate at this time.