i snipped and answered in line.
What is this new organizational structure's relationship to AoIR working groups?
No specific relationship. These are more ad hoc.
Umm, you can't really be more ad hoc than a working group. the working group is only determined by its mission. these look to have more than a mission.
Is AoIR going to become some sort of research consultancy, where AoIR produces research instead of the members producing research?
No. I don't know where this question is coming from. Please refer to the terms in the CFP.
This question is whether this will be considered a published paper's series of AoIR, commissioned by AoIR and published by AoIR. If that is so, then AoIR is producing research, which is a significantly different project than any of its former projects. Promoting research is somewhat different than producing research. Producing research seems to be the direction this is going. That is fine, but you might have to update the mission and bylaws, because neither mention this type of activity in any way. They talk of promoting, disseminating, etc.
Who decides who gets to be on which project, given the natural tendency for some projects to be more interesting than others?
Anyone who qualifies (a student and a member) wants to participate in s GSRT will be able to, so it's self-selection. Many hands make light work. In the case of topics that may not seem interesting I will likely ask people to step up. I have faith that those who volunteer for the GSRG will during the year feel obligated to be a member of a GSRT. Overall, I will manage the project as Grad rep.
How does this fit with the mission and bylaws?
Looks like it fits right in there to me, do you have some specific concerns that this project steps out-of-bounds in specific or in general?
it transforms the organization from one that promotes the research of its members to one that produces research under its own auspices. it is a minor change, but unaccounted for in the mission or bylaws. I think. It depends on how narrowly or broadly you read the terms. The difference in my mind, and this is just me probably, is at what point does AoIR now become something more like Pew Internet and American Life project in publishing data and reports. Is that the sort of work that will eventually be performed. jeremy hunsinger jhuns@vt.edu www.cddc.vt.edu jeremy.tmttlt.com www.tmttlt.com () ascii ribbon campaign - against html mail /\ - against microsoft attachments http://www.stswiki.org/ sts wiki http://cfp.learning-inquiry.info/ LI-the journal