Spring 2009 Core Committee Minutes
March 21, 2009
Chicago O’Hare Renaissance Hotel
Chicago, IL 

(Approved by Core Committee on April 17, 2009)
A summary of actions taken precedes the full minutes.

Summary of Actions Taken

Executive Director Report

1. The request to upgrade the POD website (online membership directory; real-time credit card processing; instant membership activation/renewal; monthly auto-renewal notices; access to wikis and archives) for approximately $10,000, using monies from Special Projects Fund, was approved.

2. The request to change the official POD email address to podoffice@podnetwork.org on April 15 was approved.

3. The request to have Jossey-Bass ship copies of To Improve the Academy to POD members in U.S. who do not attend the annual conference (saving the POD office time & money) was approved. POD office will continue to ship copies of TIA to international POD members as usual.

Conference Committee

4. The Core Committee agreed to participate more fully in the Welcome Reception on Wednesday night at the fall conference.

5. Core Committee acknowledged the Call for 2009 POD-Sponsored Sessions.

6. The request to approve an IDEA Center collaboration on Sunday afternoon after the fall conference where IDEA Center offers a separate Institute, with separate registration and fees, was approved.

7. The request to use $2000 allocated for conference gifts (reduced from the usual $5000) to help pay for food/breaks instead was approved.

8. The request for $1000 for travel expenses and lodging for on-site administrative support person to assist with conference preparation and at registration desk was approved.

Diversity Committee

9. The budget request, as outlined below, was partially approved. Please see explanatory note below in full minutes.
   
   Travel Grants
   Requested: $10,000 (10 grants at $1,000 per grant)
   Approved: $7000  

   Internship Grant
   Requested: $5,000 ($1,000 included for travel to conference)
   Approved: $5000
   Total requested: $15,000

   Total approved: $12,000
     

10. It was agreed that $500 of the $7000 for travel grants (see Number 9, above) come  from the New Jersey Faculty Development Consortium fund, which would allow seven $1000 travel grants.

ECRC

11. Request for new chair acknowledged; Kathryn Plank was appointed as new chair.

12. The request to authorize the Members-Only section of the POD website to include access to wikis (and other web-based resources and document repositories) for POD committees, including Core.

13. The request to start a 6-month long pilot “wikiPODia” (on members-only section of website) was approved.

Graduate Student Professional Development Committee

14. The request to change the committee’s name to: Graduate and Professional Student Development was approved.

15. The budget request of approximately $2000 to allow 10 graduate students to pay $50 registration fee to attend conference was partially approved with $1000 granted.

Grants Committee

16. The budget request for $7000 for the POD Grant Program was approved, using monies from the New Jersey Faculty Development Consortium fund.

Historian

17. The request for guidance for vetting POD history web section was given to the Publication Committee to create a relevant mechanism for vetting content.

18. The budget request for $460  to cover the cost to interview & transcribe eleven  remaining POD presidents was approved.

19. The budget request for $264.90 (reimbursement to attend Southern Regional Faculty & Instructional Development Consortium (SRFIDC) to present “The Oral History of Faculty Development” on March 22 was not approved.

Innovation Award Subcommittee

20. The budget request of $200 to ship POD Lamp and to pay for plaque was approved.

Menges Award Subcommittee

21. The budget request of $600 to cover the Menges Awards for 2009 (3 Awards) was approved.

Professional Development Committee

22. The request to amend the committee’s 2007-12 Strategic Plan was approved.

23. The request to revise and amend the Professional Development Committee’s long-range plan submitted in Fall 2008 was approved.

24. The request for the approval of the revised committee charge and description for the Governance Manual was approved by formal vote.

25. The budget request of $150 for supplies for the 2009 Conference information-gathering activity (banner paper, post-it notes, pens, postage, etc.) was approved.

Publications Committee

26. Niki Young was acknowledged as Vice Chair of committee.

27. There was consensus that all Teaching Excellence essays be made available online, free of charge to the public, with clear usage / creative commons clause. 

28. There was consensus that Jossey-Bass should make back copies of To Improve the Academy available online.

29. There was consensus that the Publication Committee should create a vetting procedure for the creation of enduring content on the POD website.

30. The budget request of $500 for the editor of TIA to pay for professional proofreading on final proof of TIA was not approved.

Spirit of POD Subcommittee

31. The budget request for $70 to purchase award (base for celestite crystal) was approved.

President’s Budget 2009/2010

32. The proposed 2009/2010 budget was approved.

MINUTES

Saturday, March 21

Present: Virginia S. Lee, President; Matt Ouellett, Past President; Mike Theall, President-Elect; Tuesday Cooper, Chair of Finance & Audit Committee; Hoag Holmgren, Executive Director; Barbara Millis; Leslie Ortquist-Ahrens; Michael Reder; Catherine Wehlburg; Douglas Reimondo Robertson; Kathryn M. Plank; Wayne Jacobson; Peggy Cohen; De Gallow; Joy Morrison; Dieter J. Schönwetter; Frank Tuitt; Niki Young

Absent: Julie-Ann McFann

Welcome and agenda overview by Virginia Lee

Budget overview including review of structure and function of budget spreadsheet; budget planning process; discussion of anticipated 20% decline in conference attendance and impact on revenue; review of Budget Narrative, by Virginia Lee

The approval of the October 2008 Core meeting minutes was acknowledged.

The E-minutes, detailing the decisions made by Core and/or the Executive Committee from November 2008 through March 2009, were approved.

Executive Director Report

1. The request to upgrade the POD website (online membership directory; real-time credit card processing; instant membership activation/renewal; monthly auto-renewal notices; access to wikis and archives) for approximately $10,000, using monies from Special Projects Fund, was approved.

2. The request to change the official POD email address to podoffice@podnetwork.org on April 15 was approved.

3. The request to have Jossey-Bass ship copies of To Improve the Academy to POD members in U.S. who do not attend the annual conference (saving the POD office time & money) was approved. POD office will continue to ship copies of TIA to international POD members as usual.

Conference Committee

4. The Core Committee agreed to participate more fully in the Welcome Reception on Wednesday night at the fall conference.

5. Core Committee acknowledged the Call for 2009 POD-Sponsored Sessions.

6. The request to approve an IDEA Center collaboration on Sunday afternoon after the fall conference where IDEA Center offers a separate Institute, with separate registration and fees, was approved.

7. The request to use $2000 allocated for conference gifts (reduced from the usual $5000) to help pay for food/breaks instead was approved.

8. The request for $1000 for travel expenses and lodging for on-site administrative support person to assist with conference preparation and at registration desk was approved.

Diversity Committee

9. The budget request, as outlined below, was partially approved. Please note that the sole reason for the Core Committee not granting the Diversity Committee the full amount of its requested budget was the anticipated decline in revenue for the 2009/10 fiscal year based on a 20% anticipated decline in conference attendance.  The decision not to fund the committee’s full request in no way represents a reversal of or diminishment in POD’s commitment to the principles of diversity.
   
   Travel Grants
   Requested: $10,000 (10 grants at $1,000 per grant)
   Approved: $7000
    
   Internship Grant
   Requested: $5,000 ($1,000 included for travel to conference)
   Approved: $5000
    
   Total requested: $15,000
   Total approved: $12,000
    

10. It was agreed that $500 of the $7000 for travel grants (see Number 9, above) come  from the New Jersey Faculty Development Consortium fund, which would allow seven $1000 travel grants.

ECRC

11. Request for new chair acknowledged; Kathryn Plank was appointed as new chair.

12. The request to authorize the Members-Only section of the POD website to include access to wikis (and other web-based resources and document repositories) for POD committees, including Core.

13. The request to start a 6-month long pilot “wikiPODia” (on members-only section of website) was approved.

The committee will “seed” some of the wikiPODia topics with content from senior POD members. There will be increasing clarity regarding the roles and responsibilities of the wikiPODia editors as the project unfolds.

Finance and Audit Committee

New chair identified as Niki Young.

Committee will review plans for funding and revenue generation implications after Spring Core meeting when budget is finalized; committee will revise activities for 2009/10 to include: draft a proposal for implementation of the new F&A guidelines based on special projects proposed by other committees; and draft policy considerations for Core discussion/review around program funding guidelines and include a rubric.

Graduate Student Professional Development Committee

14. The request to change the committee’s name to: “Graduate and Professional Student Development Committee” was approved. 

15. The budget request of approximately $2000 to allow 10 graduate students to pay $50 registration fee to attend conference was partially approved with $1000 granted.

Grants Committee

16. The budget request for $7000 for the POD Grant Program was approved, using monies from the New Jersey Faculty Development Consortium fund.

There will be more follow-up and tracking of grant work and outcomes. There was discussion about and agreement that we should not fund internal grant proposals this year (committee work, Core member requests) when using New Jersey Faculty Development Consortium monies.

Historian

17. The request for guidance for vetting POD history web section was given to the Publication Committee to create an appropriate mechanism for vetting content.

18. The budget request for $460  to cover the cost to interview & transcribe eleven remaining POD presidents was approved.

19. The budget request for $264.90 (reimbursement to attend Southern Regional Faculty & Instructional Development Consortium (SRFIDC) to present “The Oral History of Faculty Development” on March 22 was not approved.

Innovation Award Subcommittee

20. The budget request of $200 to ship POD Lamp and to pay for plaque was approved.

It was agreed that there should be more historical and organizational context and intention surrounding the use of the POD Lamp during the award ceremony.

Membership Committee

Report by Julie-Ann McFann, Chair, presented by Catherine Wehlburg. Ambassador program has been revitalized. Member survey is being developed. Sample (not to be circulated) member survey questions were shared.

Menges Award Subcommittee

21. The budget request of $600 to cover the Menges Awards for

2009 (3 Awards) was approved.

Professional Development Committee

22. The request to amend the committee’s 2007-12 Strategic Plan was approved.

23. The request to revise and amend the Professional Development Committee’s long-range plan submitted in Fall 2008 was approved.

24. The request for the approval of the revised committee charge and description for the Governance Manual was approved by formal vote.

25. The budget request of $150 for supplies for the 2009 Conference information-gathering activity (banner paper, post-it notes, pens, postage, etc.) was approved.

Therese Huston and Dan Wheeler will be organizing the 2010 Organizational Development Institute.

Publications Committee

26. 26. Niki Young was acknowledged as Vice Chair of committee.

27. 27. There was consensus that all Teaching Excellence essays be made available online, free of charge to the public, with clear usage / creative commons clause.

The committee will discuss the Reading Packets (comprised of TE essays) and make a recommendation as to whether or not they should also be made available, free of charge to the public, with clear usage/commons clause.

28. There was consensus that Jossey-Bass should make back copies of To Improve the Academy available online.

29. There was consensus that the Publication Committee should create a vetting procedure for the creation of enduring content on the POD website.

30. The budget request of $500 for the editor of TIA to pay for professional proofreading on final proof of TIA was not approved.

Small College Committee

Committee is working on a database of small colleges; requested information from POD regarding Wikis and plan to implement the wiki idea this spring using Wetpaint. Committee will link to the POD wiki when it is ready. Submitted updated Web information.

Spirit of POD Subcommittee

31. The budget request for $70 to purchase award (base for celestite crystal) was approved.

President’s Budget 2009/2010

32. The proposed 2009/2010 budget was approved.

There was discussion/concern about making the budget process more transparent. It was suggested that the budget process be discussed at the next Core Meeting. Should we use an earlier year-end date to allow more time for proposed budget development? Should the F&A Committee be actively involved in proposed budget development? It was also suggested that the 2009/10 budget be reviewed again in October at the Fall meeting.

Reports from Core Subcommittees (Corporate Sponsorship; Volunteer Work vs. Compensated Work; POD Leadership Model; Collaborations with Other Organizations)

Corporate Sponsorship

The Houston conference team is currently working on securing sponsorship for 2009 conference and will vet sponsors through the Executive Committee; Virginia Lee volunteered to lead the long-term activities and development of the group.

Volunteer Work Versus Compensated Work

We still need guidance for a policy; we can use the newsletter to highlight the work of certain individuals or committees; we can make better use of letters of recommendation and appreciation, 

POD Leadership Model

Subcommittee will continue to investigate leadership issues. There was discussion about creating more transparency regarding how to become involved with leadership in POD (perhaps offering a TIG on this subject at the conference). How do we elect the POD President and how is the process tied to our Core values? Survey of past presidents and discussion about clarifying and developing committee structure should be continued.

Collaborations with Other Organizations

Collaborations should be in accord with Strategic Plan and core values of POD; subcommittee will continue to investigate guidelines for collaborations with other organizations and will send to Executive Committee for review before sending to Core.

Co-sponsorship with California Institute  of Integral Studies (CIIS) of Expanding the Circle: Creating an Inclusive Environment in Higher Education for LGBTQ Students, Virginia Lee

There was agreement that POD’s co-sponsorship of this event is desirable and in accord with POD core’s values of inclusivity; the question of co-sponsorship will be moved forward by the Diversity Committee.

NCATE Proposal, Mike Theall

There was agreement that Mike would continue discussions with NCATE and pursue more details regarding a possible collaborative project between POD and NCATE.

Reflections on the Past Year, Virginia Lee

Wrap Up, Presidential Transition, Adjourn.

(minutes prepared by Hoag Holmgren, Executive Director)