The AIA Board of Directors convened December 5–6, 2002, in Washington, D.C., to consider financial policy, strategic planning through 2005, awards, the national component management report, public policy, nomination and election procedures for national Institute officers, an agreement toward international licensure, and appointments to office. Following are highlights.

Revised Reserve Policy
The Board approved a revised Reserve Policy, and directed the AIA secretary to develop language in the Institute Governance Policies to require that unrestricted investments equal 33 percent of the Institute’s total annual budgeted revenue. In current terms, that would be approximately $12.5 million. Compliance with this requirement must be achieved by the end of 2004. The new policy also will require total net assets to equal 20 percent of annual budgeted revenue. At current budget levels, that would be approximately $7.5 million. This requirement is to be achieved no later than December 31, 2007. Should reserves fall below either of the two stated standards once those goals have been achieved, the succeeding year’s budget will include a minimum contribution to reserves equal to 2.5 percent of budgeted operating revenue until the minimum reserve levels have been restored.

Financial Report
The Treasurer's report noted that, as of October 2002, revenues from membership dues and convention receipts were on budget or better, while product marketing revenues were a bit below budget. Overall revenues at that point exceeded expenses by a comfortable margin, and resulting total net income amounted to a little more than $5 million (or 5.8 percent ahead of plan) through the first 10 months of 2002.

The AIA is in a better cash position than in 2001 and only recently began using its line of credit this year, with a balance of $500,000 as of early December, compared to a balance of $2 million on the line of credit just one year ago.

Proposed Strategic Plan and Operating Plan and Budget
The Board discussed and adopted the proposed AIA 2003/2005 Strategic Plan and the proposed AIA 2003 Capital Budget, and endorsed the AIA 2003/2004 Operating Plan and Budget prepared by management.

Selection of 2003 Award Recipients
Institute honors for 2003 include:
• The Miller/Hull Partnership LLP as the recipient of the 2003 AIA Architecture Firm Award
• Marvin J. Malecha, FAIA, as recipient of the AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education
• The Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA) as recipient of the 2003 Whitney M. Young Jr. Award
• C. James Lawler Jr., FAIA, as recipient of the 2003 Edward C. Kemper Award.

Management Report
Regarding the Membership Pilot Programs approved at the 2002 AIA convention in Charlotte, “Broadening Membership and Strengthening the Institute (AIA),” the Institute issued a call for proposals for membership pilot programs in 2002. To date, 24 proposals have been received and are under review. (There is no specific limit on the number of programs that could be adopted, although there is a limit on budgeted funds.) Decisions will be announced soon.

The Convention Advisory Committee is to establish a future vision of the convention and develop a standard framework to define the relationship between convention host components and the national component at future conventions.

For the AIA Contract Documents, GhostFill, the company selected to do the programming on the new electronic format (EF) software for AIA Contract Documents, is preparing the scope of work, template design, and other factors involved in the software development. Budgeting for AIA Contract Documents includes funds for marketing and promotion, education programs designed to promote cooperation among components, and an effort to work—through local components—to provide AIA Contract Documents at no cost to colleges and universities for teaching purposes.

More than 64,000 AIA members have reported approximately 1.1 million learning unit hours for the year 2002 (through November 30).

The Board reviewed the history of component revenue sharing and there was a reaffirmation of the commitment by the national component to increase EF Contract Documents revenue shared with participating components to 25 percent of revenue above the first $6 million achieved by the national component each year. Revenue sharing will be a topic of ongoing discussion for the Component Business Development Task Force.

Public Policy Review
In its ongoing responsibility to review all Institute public policies, the Board approved these revised public policies concerning licensing (first reading):
• Licensing: A Basic Policy
• Licensing: Accredited Degree Programs
• Licensing: Board Structure and Composition
• Licensing: Enforcement
• Licensing: Interrelationship of Architecture and Engineering
• Licensing: Corporate Practice
• Licensing: Exemptions
• Licensing: Use of the Title Architect and Its Derivatives
• Licensing: Mandatory Continuing Education
• Licensing: Definition of Architectural Practice.

The Board will consider the second reading of these public policies in March 2003.

The Board also approved the sunsetting of one public policy, Licensing: Maintaining Practice Competence.

Proposed Revisions to Voting Procedures at AIA Meetings
The Secretary’s Advisory Committee made recommendations concerning electronic voting at future Institute business meetings (including the annual AIA national convention). The Board supported an amendment to the Bylaws that would permit electronic roll-call votes or any other voting method approved by the Board. That proposed amendment will be brought before the AIA national convention delegates in San Diego in May 2003.

Revisions to Election Campaign Procedures
The Board approved the following changes to the Rules of the Board governing election campaigns by candidates for AIA national office:
• There will no longer be nomination speeches for candidates for first vice president/president-elect at the national convention.
• The Rules of the Board will conform to the Bylaws so that convention delegate counts will be calculated 60 days before the start of the Institute annual meeting.
• The Institute Secretary may announce the deadline date for the submission of nominating petitions of candidates in any December issue of AIArchitect.
• The Institute will have greater flexibility in providing an online candidates’ forum.
• Candidates for AIA national office will have greater latitude to accept non-campaign speaking engagements as long as they are not introduced as candidates and do not conduct campaign-related activities of any type in connection with those engagements.

The Board declined proposals to announce vote tallies for candidates following elections or provide for certain component-sponsored campaign appearances by candidates for first vice president/president-elect.

Long-Range Strategic Planning Process and AIM Transition
The Board discussed possible scenarios for future long-range strategic planning. This subject will be revisited during the Board’s meeting in March 2003.

ACE-NCARB-AIA Accord Signing
As a result of mutual discussions to develop an agreement “. . . containing criteria, procedures, and measures for mutual recognition . . .,” officers of the AIA, the Architects’ Council of Europe, and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) signed an “Accord on Co-operation and Professionalism in Architecture.”

Annual Reports
The Board received an activities and strategies report from the American Architectural Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer Ronald E. Bogle. Associate Director Suzanna J. Wight, Assoc. AIA, reported on the accomplishments of the National Associates Committee and plans for an Associate membership survey, the 2005 Internship Summit, and increased Associate involvement in the AIA professional interest areas. Public Director Barry Z. Posner, PhD, shared his thoughts about his first year of service on the AIA Board of Directors. National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB) Directors Ronald L. Skaggs, FAIA; Thomas L. McKittrick, FAIA; and Robert A. Odermatt, FAIA, led discussion on issues to be addressed during the 2003 NAAB Validation Conference.

The 2002 AIA College of Fellows Chancellor C. James Lawler Jr., FAIA, highlighted the work of the College of Fellows during the past year. AIA President Gordon H. Chong, FAIA, presented a Board citation for outstanding service to Lawler.

The presidents of the collateral architectural organizations—the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), NAAB, and NCARB—responded to Board-member inquiries.

The Board received an update concerning the AIA/McGraw-Hill alliance, including a report on new developments in Architectural Record, McGraw-Hill sponsorship of a “Conference on Innovation” in 2003, and a report on the Business Week/Architectural Record Awards program.

Appointments and affiliation
In other action, the Board appointed:
• D. Susan J. O’Brien, AIA, as the chair of the National Ethics Council (Council) for 2003
• Ronald P. Bertone, FAIA, and Brian P. Dougherty, FAIA, to their second three-year terms as members of the council
• Phillip T. Markwood, FAIA, as a new member.

The Board also approved an affiliation agreement with the Society for Design Administration.

Copyright 2003 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.