April 9, 2012

I trust this message finds each of you well and ready for AERA 2012 in Vancouver. In preparation for the conference please remember that you will need a passport to enter Canada and return to your home country, and if you haven't already done so you will need to check with your cell phone provider to negotiate a short term contract for use of your cell phone out of country. Check the weather for conditions. For those of us living in more temperate climates the weather in Vancouver may be a bit cooler, don't forget to pack warm clothes.

Our SIG Business meeting is scheduled for Sunday, April 15, 6:15-7:45 p.m. in the Sheraton Wall Centre, Fourth Level - South Galiano. Please plan to attend. In addition to a short business meeting Lance Steven Vikaros (Teachers College, Columbia University) will present "Using Knowledge Visualization to Understand and Assess Systems Thinking." This should be a very important and timely topic for the SIG membership.

As an update on the SIG election, I have worked with AERA Membership, Constituent Relations, and Governance office concerning our SIG ballot. We had only one candidate each for the SIG Chair and Secretary/Treasurer offices. I was instructed to secure additional candidates, rather having our elections in the first round. As you know, the SIG was contacted asking for additional candidates late fall 2011 with the advice of AERA Membership, Constituent Relations, and Governance office that we would participate in the March 2012 special election. Unfortunately we did not secure additional candidates for either position in time for the March special election. I have since uploaded our SIG ballot for a second special election in May 2012. We currently have three for the Program Co-chair position. I would ask that SIG members consider nominating additional candidates for the SIG Chair and Secretary/Treasurer offices.

As well, I have worked with an attorney on retainer for AERA, who is responsible for reviewing all SIG bylaws for AERA. I have worked with the attorney for the past seven months, reviewing his edits and responding to his queries, and the bylaws are now awaiting approval by AERA. This has been a long process and my understanding is that once approved, then the SIG can move forward with revisions/additions to the bylaws as need arises. Upon my query concerning changing bylaws at this time, I was informed that it would be problematic and that waiting until the SIG bylaws were approved was the recommendation at this time.

I look forward to seeing each of you at AERA. Safe travels to Vancouver.

Take care and be well,

Patrick Jenlink, Chair
Systems Thinking in Education SIG