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A Brief History of AAIR

2024
November 19
Don Johnston, Life Member (awarded 19 November 2024)
Photo of Don Johnston wearing a red shirt sitting inside with trees out the window behind him.

Don Johnston is awarded Life Membership for his many contributions to AAIR. Life Membership was awarded at the AGM held in Adelaide on 19 November 2024. Don served as our elected Vice President from 2022–2024 (and was re-elected for the 2024–2026 term of office). He was elected Vice President of AAIR from 2016–2018 and was appointed Vice President again in…Read More

2022
December 1
Awards Life Membership To Greg Jakob
Photo of Greg Jakob, AAIR Executive Committee member

Greg Jakob is awarded Life Membership at the AGM held in Sydney, NSW for his many contributions to AAIR. Greg served as AAIR Treasurer from 2018 until 2022 and was an Ordinary Member from 2015 until 2018. Greg successfully steered AAIR through the challenging period of COVID-19, ensuring that AAIR’s financial position remained strong. He enhanced AAIR’s auditing and banking…Read More

2021
December 7
Awards Honorary Membership To Maureen Wood

Maureen Wood is awarded Honorary Membership at the AAIR Forum, Virtual, for her contribution to AAIR.

December 7
Membership approves Institutional membership category

AAIR presented a special resolution to the membership during the AGM on 7 December 2021 to introduce two classes of institutional membership under a new membership category, and the motion was passed. The two classes of institutional membership approved are: Institutional Lite (for up to 5 nominated members – $450 per annum ex-GST) This is designed for small- to medium-sized…Read More

February 16
Activates G Suite for Nonprofits
Google for Nonprofits logo

AAIR applied to be part of the ConnectingUp discounts and donations for not-for-profits program and was subsequently approved for a G Suite account to house all of AAIR’s files.

2020
December 8
Hosts First Online AAIR Forum

Due to the impact of COVID-19, AAIR chooses to host its first online forum. This forum was offered free to members.

2019
November 12
Awards Life Membership to Kathie Rabel
Photo of Kathie Rabel

Kathie Rabel is awarded Life Membership at the AGM held in Hobart, TAS for her many contributions to AAIR. Kathie served on the AAIR Executive Committee for many years as an ordinary member, Vice-President, AAIR President, Immediate Past-President, and Acting President.

2018
July 26
Awards Honorary Membership to Chris Kearns
Photo of Honorary Member, Chris Kearns standing in front of an awards wall

Chris Kearns is awarded Honorary Membership at the AAIR SIG Forum, Canberra, for his contribution to AAIR over the previous ten years.

2017
November 2
Awards Life Membership to Dean Ward
Photo of AAIR life member, Dean Ward

Dean Ward is awarded Life Membership at the AGM held in Alice Springs, NT for his many contributions to AAIR. Dean served as AAIR Secretary for many years.

November 2
Awards Life Membership to Dave Marr
Photo of AAIR Expert, Dave Marr

Dave Marr is awarded Life Membership at the AGM held in Alice Springs, NT for his many contributions to AAIR. Dave served as AAIR President from 2012 until 2016 and was Vice-President from 2008 until 2012.

July 3
Launches New Website
Screen grab of the AAIR homepage (April 2017)

Discussions for a new website began in mid-2015. A design brief was circulated to potential developers by October 2016, a developer was selected, and works began in early 2017.

2016
April 29
Aquires an Actual Address
Photo of a letter slot in a door with the words LETTERS written on the slot

For as long as anyone can remember, the official address of AAIR has been an office bearer’s work or home address (be that the President, Treasurer or Secretary of that time) for the duration of their term of office. This readily became unmanageable and a new permanent Melbourne address has been secured for the Association.

March 8
Ceases publication of the JIR

The Journal of Institutional Research (JIR) was the official publication of the Australasian Association for Institutional Research and was published between November 1991 and July 2014. The JIR officially ceased publication in March 2016, but remains freely available via the JIR archive.

2015
November 9
Approves New Tagline
Photo of clouds and the AAIR tagline, Supporting Effective Decision Making'

A survey is conducted of all subscribers to the AAIR mailing list posing the question: ‘Do we want a tagline and if so what should it be?’ Suggested taglines are considered by the Executive Committee who decides on their five preferred taglines. Members are requested to vote for their favourite tagline from the five suggested taglines. The clear winner, “Supporting Effective…Read More

October 1
Introduces PayPal
PayPal logo

After many years of not offering credit card facilities, the Association establishes a PayPal account and re-introduces a merchant facility via PayPal. The approval process takes approximately three months.

May 23
Hosts Strategic Planning Workshop
Photo of a napkin with vision, mission, goals etc. written on it in a flowchart

The Executive Committee meets over the weekend of 23rd and 24th May at the Holiday Inn, Mascot to finalise AAIR’s business model, mission, vision and values.

2014
July 2
Publishes final edition of the JIR

Volume 19, Number 1 is the last published volume of the Journal of Institutional Research (JIR).

July 1
Introduces LinkedIn page
Photo of person installing LinkedIn app

AAIR creates a LinkedIn company page, and two showcase pages for the Data Warehousing, Business Intelligence & Analytics SIG, and the Load Management SIG.

2013
April 30
Offers Fellowships for the first time
Photo of a woman thinking with thought bubbles above her

For the first time, AAIR offers its members two different Fellowships to assist them in their professional development: the Raj Sharma Fellowship; and the Zimmer Travel Fellowship. These are to be offered annually.

2012
November 20
Introduces Retired Member Category
Photo of the back of a man reading in a cafe

At the 2012 AGM held at Terrigal, NSW, the AAIR membership approves a set of rule changes which includes the addition of a new category of membership called ‘Retired Member’.

November 14
Awards Life Membership to Roni McDowell
Photo of life member Roni McDowell

Roni McDowell is awarded Life Membership at the AGM held in Terrigal, NSW for her many contributions to AAIR.

August 15
Introduces Twitter page
Picture of the Twitter bird with a 't' on its wing

In August 2012, AAIR creates a Twitter account, with the first tweet going out on 15 August 2012.

2011
November 10
Awards Life Membership to Wendy Marchment

Wendy Marchment is awarded Life Membership at the Annual Dinner at the Gold Coast Forum held at Seaworld for her many contributions to AAIR. Wendy served as President from 2002 until 2006.

June 23
Sends first Mailchimp test email
Picture of the MailChimp email client monkey

AAIR began using MailChimp as its mail client in June 2011, and sends its first test email to the Executive Committee.

April 4
Introduces Facebook page
Photo of a mobile phone with Facebook login screen and scrabble letters spelling 'social media'

An AAIR Forum Facebook page is born. It is developed and maintained by Leishman Associates, the event managers for AAIR.

2010
November 12
Rebrands and launches new website
Screen grab of AAIR website in 2010

The AAIR Executive Committee allocate funds to rebrand the Association and to develop a new and improved website. The new logo, brand and website are launched during the 2010 AGM.

November 10
Celebrates 21 Years
Photo of a woman reading a book with the AAIR Annual Forum 2010 logo on it

At AAIR’s ‘Coming of Age’ forum in Geelong, Victoria, AAIR celebrates its 21st Forum, the first being held at Central Queensland University, Rockhampton in 1990. Rob Toutkoushian, the Immediate Past President, Association for Institutional Research (AIR) joins AAIR in Geelong for our celebration. A number of key members are asked to relate their own Coming of Age IR stories.

2009
November 12
Awards Honorary Life Membership to Nick Booth
Photo of Honorary Life Member, Nick Booth

Nick Booth is awarded Honorary Life Membership for his many contributions to AAIR especially as Membership Secretary, Treasurer and Webmaster for a number of years.

October 9
Hires an Executive Officer
Computer illustration of an executive officer at a desk with laptop and many folders

AAIR hires its first Executive Officer to relieve some of the burden on the Committee, and boy has she kicked some goals!

August 27
Establishes Government Reporting and Load Management SIGs
People at a conference with a banner displaying the AAIR logo

From 2009, the Government Reporting and Load Management SIGs begin meeting with their Data Warehousing colleagues holding a combined Forum under the AAIR umbrella.

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