On Wednesday, March 25th, the TIRF Board of Trustees convened for their Spring 2015 meeting. With an action-packed agenda, Board members discussed a number of critical activities and issues pertinent to the future success of the Foundation and its mission.
One agenda item Board members discussed was future directions in the TIRF-Routledge co-publication series, entitled “Global Research on Teaching and Learning English.” Two volumes have been released to date, and we are currently exploring future publication topics. We remain ever grateful for the opportunity to work with Routledge/Taylor & Francis in this way.
Regarding TIRF’s fiscal situation, two important agenda items were addressed. First, the Foundation recently underwent an audit process, which involved hiring an independent auditor to review TIRF’s accounting systems. It was revealed that TIRF has continued to manage its records effectively and is in full compliance with the laws that govern nonprofit organizations. Second, TIRF has made a decision to establish an hoc development committee that will dedicate its efforts to fundraising. The charges made to this committee include determining opportunities to forge new partnerships with corporate sponsors, improving upon relations with long-standing donors, and recommending other creative ways to generate revenue for TIRF to expand the reach of its mission.
Several other notable agenda items addressed at the meeting included a discussion on mentoring junior researchers, collaborating with the TESOL International Association, and possible changes to TIRF’s mission. First, with our dedication to research on language education, the Foundation’s Trustees are continuing to explore ways to better serve the novice researchers of the wider language education community around the world. Second, as TESOL is one of TIRF’s long-term partners, we are continuing to work with leaders at TESOL to establish activities that will benefit our organizations’ various stakeholders. As shown in the photo below, Rosa Aronson, Executive Director of TESOL, and Sarah Sahr, Director of Education Programs, joined TIRF Trustees to discuss future collaborative efforts. Lastly, TIRF Trustees are considering an expansion of the Foundation’s mission to allow for a focus on issues in language education beyond English. There are a range of concerns to consider when making such a decision, and we will continue to explore whether such a change would be in the best interest of our stakeholders and of the use of our resources.
