Learner Autonomy AILA

Draft Bylaws AILA Research Network on Learner Autonomy

Anita Wenden and Sara Cotterall, former conveners and founding members of the AILA Scientific Commission on Learner Autonomy, have drafted bylaws for our new Research Network on Learner Autonomy. Please read them carefully and address your comments, questions, and/or concerns to the current conveners.

Membership of the ReN.

1. Criteria for joining

1.1. Prospective members should be involved in teaching and/or research that includes learner
autonomy and/or one of its subfields - learner independence, self-access learning, learning
strategies etc.

1.2. There is no membership fee

2. Benefits

2.1. Only members whose membership predates the election by at least one month can nominate and
vote for a convener.
2.2. In the selection of papers for inclusion in the ReN's conference programme, members will be given
preference so long as their proposal is relevant to the ReN's programme theme.

Conveners

Number of Conveners

3.1. The ReN is headed up by two conveners.

4. Term of Office

4.1. Conveners are elected for a 3 year term (to coincide with the AILA Congress).
4.2. Conveners may stand for re-election for a second term.

5. Responsibilities of Conveners

5.1. Liaising with AILA - providing annual reports of activities, discussing the ReN symposium, providing
membership data etc.
5.2. Organising the ReN symposium at the AILA Congress (every three years)
5.3. Producing an annual newsletter. Back issues of the newsletter can be seen on the Scientific
Commission's website at http://geocities.com/ailasc . There has been no newsletter since 2002.
5.4. Working with the membership - recruiting new members, maintaining the membership database,
responding to queries from members and other interested parties, publicising ReN activities and
autonomy-related publications etc.
5.5. Managing ReN projects (maintaining the website, initiating and overseeing AUTO-L discussions,
maintaining LAPI)

In the past, selected tasks (e.g. the design and maintenance of the website, maintenance of the learner Autonomy Project Inventory (LAPI), the organisation of the symposium at the three yearly AILA congresses etc.) have, on occasion, been delegated to other Network members.

6. Election of Conveners

6.1. An election is held every three years to coincide with the AILA Congress. (In the past elections
have been held during the Congress, by snail mail and e-mail before the Congress and most
recently by e-mail after the Congress).

7. Nomination of Candidates
7.1. Only individuals whose membership of the ReN predates the election by at least one month are
eligible to nominate a convener.

8. Criteria for Nominees

8.1. Nominees should be members of the AILA Research Network on Learner Autonomy. Nominees
should be able to demonstrate a commitment to the field of Learner Autonomy through their
research, teaching, conference presentations and/or publications.

8.2. It is desirable that the two conveners represent different parts of the world, in an effort to reflect
ReN membership and to expand activities into different parts of the world.

9. Responsibility for Running the Election

9.1. The convener who stepped down the previous term (e.g. Sara Cotterall ran the 2005 election having
stepped down in 2002) is responsible for running the election, i.e. soliciting nominations, sending out the ballot, tallying the returns, informing the membership of the result of the election.