Governance
Cumulus is a membership Association whose full members—universities and colleges with divisions in art and design—elect a President and Executive Board every three years to guide the Association forward and represent their collective interests. Cumulus full members hold the main decision-making power for the Association and practice principles of shared governance via the General Assembly.
Cumulus is governed by Finnish Law and holds a Service Agreement with The School of Arts, Design, and Architecture at Aalto University in Finland, home of the Cumulus Secretariat which is the management body of the Association.
The Statutes are the official governing document of Cumulus. The Executive Board reviews the Statutes on an annual basis to keep policies reflective of the strategic and dynamic operational needs of the Association.
The General Assembly (GA)
The General Assembly or “GA” is the highest shared governance authority of the association and is constituted by representatives of its full member institutions.
The GA approves the main strategic objectives of the Association as presented by the President and Executive Board. During the annual GA, member representatives approve the Association’s annual budget presented by the President and Board Treasurer, ratify new institutional members per the recommendation of the Executive Board, and vote on policy statements.
The President
The President leads the association as its chief steward and chairs the General Assembly and the Executive Board meetings.
Candidates for the Cumulus presidency are elected by the GA among the leadership of Cumulus full member institutions after serving in the Cumulus Executive Board.
The Cumulus Executive Board (CEB)
The Cumulus Executive Board or “CEB” comprises a group of experienced academics affiliated with a full member institution from Cumulus.
The fundamental responsibilities of the board are to set the strategic objectives of the Association and safeguard its assets, ensuring that the association remains true to its mission and operates in the public interest of the Cumulus membership.
The Executive Board includes the roles of two Vice-Presidents and a Board Treasurer. The President designates these roles, and the Executive Board approves their nomination.
The Cumulus Secretariat
Cumulus is managed by a Secretariat which is hosted in a member institution of the Association.
The Secretariat is comprised of a dedicated team of staff from Aalto University, the current host institution of Cumulus. The Secretariat is led by the Secretary-General who partners closely with the President and Executive Board and actively engages with all member institutions.
