Council for the Arts - History
Council Room E15-205 Cambridge Telephone Fax
for the Arts Massachusetts Institute Massachusetts 617/253-4005 617/258-8631
at MIT of Technology 02139 617/253-2372

CONSTITUTION

Council for the Arts at MIT



ARTICLE I

NAME

This group shall be called "The Council for the Arts at MIT." It is referred to in its Constitution as "The Council."

ARTICLE II

PURPOSE

The Council is established for the purpose of helping to foster the arts at MIT, including the visual and literary arts, dance, music, theater, cinema, and photography, but not exduding other art forms. Its function is to act as a catalyst for development of a broadly based, highly participatory program in the arts, firmly founded on teaching, practice, and research at the Institute. In keeping with this purpose, the ultimate goal is the enhancement of arts within the MIT community and the greater facilitation of communication between MIT and the arts community of the Greater Boston area. The Council seeks to support MIT in providing its students, faculty, and staff with a collective experience in the arts that will match and complement the depth and insight of their experience in science and engineering.

ARTICLE III

SYMBOL

The symbol of the Council is a logotype in red and blue in the design below:

ARTICLE IV

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Members of the Council shall be appointed by the President of MIT for a term of up to three years. Members shall be eligible for reappointment, but no member shall serve for more than three consecutive terms except at the discretion of the President of MIT.

Section 2. The numbers shall not exceed 100, except that the Executive Committee (see Article V, Section 1c), by a two-thirds vote of its full membership, may authorize additional members with the approval of the President of MIT.

Section 3. Members of the Council who have made extraordinary contributions to the enhancement of the arts at MIT may upon their retirement form the Council be appointed to life membership by the President of MIT upon recommendation by the Executive Committee.

Section 4. Ex Officio members of the Council will include the following administrative officers of MIT: President, Provost, Associate Provost for the Arts, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Science, Dean of the School of Architecture and Planning.

Section 5. An annual meeting of members of the Council shall be held on a date and place to be designated by the Executive Committee.

Section 6. Special meetings of members may be held upon call by the Associate Provost of the Arts of MIT or the Executive Committee or upon written request of ten members.

ARTICLE V

COUNCIL STRUCTURE

Section 1. Chairman and Executive Committee

a. The chief executive officer of the Council shall be the Chairman, appointed by the President of MIT, upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee of the Council. He/She will also serve as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Council. The Chairman shall be appointed for a three-year term, renewable once.
b. The Vice-Chairman of the Council shall also be appointed by the President of MIT, upon recommendation of the Executive Committee of the Council, for a three-year term, renewable once.
c The Executive Committee of the Council shall be composed as follows: Associate Provost for the Arts, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Chairmen of the Standing Committees of the Council (see Article V, Section 6), and an Office of the Arts staff member appointed buy the Associate Provost.

Section 2. The Executive Committee shall determine which projects and programs will be funded by the Council after consultation with the Associate Provost for the Arts.

Section 3. Meetings of the Executive Committee may be held at such times as the Committee shall determine. Meetings may also be held on call from the Associate Provost for the Arts, the Chairman of the Council, or on written request by three or more members of the Executive Committee. Notice of such meetings shall be sent by mail to each member of the Executive Committee at his/her residence or place of business at least seven days prior to the meeting, or given personally or by telephone at least twenty-four hours in advance of the meeting.

Section 4. A majority of the Executive Committee then in office shall constitute a quorum.

Section 5. A record of the meetings of the Council and of the meetings of the Executive Committee shall be kept. A Secretary pro tempore may be chosen by the Executive Committee.

Section 6. The Council's work shall be undertaken through its several standing committees, which may consult with professional experts appointed by the respective committee chairmen, and whose designations are as follows:

a. ANNUAL MEETING COMMITTEE
This Committee shall plan and organize the Council's Annual Meeting on the date and place designated by the Executive Committee.

b. DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
This Committee is charged with securing financial resources for the projects and programs of the Council. The activities of this Committee will be coordinated with those of the Institute resource development programs. All gifts, grants, and bequests for the Council's activities shall be made to Massachusetts Institute of Technology and accepted and managed in accordance with its standard procedures.

c. GRANTS COMMITTEE
This Committee shall review requests for funding that may be presented by individuals or groups at MIT or by other Council committees. Upon evaluation of these requests, the Committee shall make recommendations for funding to the Chairman of the Council or to the Executive Committee.

d. LIST VISUAL ARTS CENTER ADVISORY COMMITTEE
This Committee is charged with review and support of exhibition and collection policies and programs of the List Visual Arts Center. To carry out this objective, the Committee will work closely with the director and staff of the List Visual Arts Center.

e. MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
This Committee will be responsible for recommending new Council members to the Executive Committee.

f. MIT MUSEUM ADVISORY BOARD
This Committee is charged with review and support of exhibition, collection, and conservation policies and programs of the MIT Museum. To carry out this objective, the Committee will work closely with the director and staff of the MIT Museum.

Section 7. The Chairmen of the Standing Committees shall be appointed by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee in consultation with the Associate Provost for the Arts, for a two-year term, renewable twice.

Section 8. The members of the Standing Committees shall be chosen by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VI

RESIGNATIONS

While all members of the Council for the Arts and its Executive Committee serve at the pleasure of the President of Mall any member of the Council may resign at any time by submitting a written resignation to the President.

ARTICLE VII

AMENDMENTS OF CONSTITUTION

Section 1. The Constitution may be amended at any meeting of the members of the Council by vote of two-thirds of the membership attendance or by mail, provided that the proposed amendment has been sent to all members of the Council at least fifteen days before the meeting.
Section 2. This Constitution and any amendments thereto shall become effective on approval of the President of MIT.

ARTICLE VIII

RATIFICATION

The Constitution of the Council for the Arts at MIT was ratified by unanimous vote at the Seventeenth Annual Meeting on October 20, 1989.


Mission statement for the Council for the Arts