NorCal Chapter

December 3, 2007
Chapter President: Sam Blanco III
Chapter Officers:
President Elect: Howard Willis
Treasurer: Pauli Watts
Secretary: Diana Garcia
Description: The chapter president shall provide leadership for the respective chapter, act as spokesperson for the chapter, and serve on the Fiscal Affairs and Strategic Planning Committees.
Committee Charges: (from Article III of the WESTOP bylaws) Provide leadership and ensure proper function of chapter. Hold chapter meetings and act as liaison between chapter and WESTOP Board of Directors. Prepare and submit annual budget. Provide chapter reports at Board meetings and to WESTOP website. Serve on the Fiscal Affairs and Strategic Planning Committees.
Chapter Committee Updates:
Professional Development: Committee Chair: Donelle Davis. The PDS took place from September 30 – October 2, 2007. We had 64 registered (54 members and 10 non-members). 11 people attended the new members orientation. The 9 workshops worked out really well and the overall evaluation had positive feedback. Next years PDS will take place at the Napa Valley Embassy Suites.
Resource Development Committee: Committee Chair: Eric Sanchez. Continues to work with Brian Aguilar in fund development opportunities, within WESTOP, and more recently with Angelica Vlalpando from COE. We did raise $714.00 at the PDS for Nor. Cal. scholarships.
Legislation and Education Committee: Committee Chair: Ken Songco. Updates were given on the following: 1) Funding for discontinued UB Programs, under HR 2699 (College Cost Reduction Act). 2) Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill, to override Bush’s veto on the bill. 3) HR 4137 (the College Opportunity and Affordability Act): legislation reauthorizes the 1965 Higher Education Act….another amendments included the extension of TRIO grants from four years to five years. 4) Dr. Linda Byrd-Johnson speaks at SWASAP: Updates on the SSS grant proposal and APR information. 5) State Level update: University of California looks at ending admissions guarantee, and looking at each student’s entire application for admissions. May also eliminate taking two SAT subject tests, reducing the number of SAT exams from five to three. It is expected to go through several rounds of review and comment before it’s submitted to the Board of Regents for a vote.
Membership and Awards Committee: Committee Chair, Diana Garcia. A new members orientation was conducted at the PDS in Lake Tahoe, and 11 people attended. In addition, each of the seasoned veterans who registered was assigned a new member, to mentor throughout the PDS and academic year. Finally, a list of newly funded programs, within the Nor. Cal. Region, was distributed at our last chapter meeting in Chico and members volunteered to contact those new members and welcome them to TRIO and WESTOP.
Student Leadership Conference: At this point in time we do have not have a location and/or date for the SLC. We are still looking for campuses/programs to submit proposals, to host the SLC.
National TRIO Day: Committee Chair: Yvette Santana. The Nor. Cal. Chapter will be celebrating National TRIO Day on Monday February 25, 2008 at the California State Capitol Building. The chapters discussed of having the CAL-Soap programs collaborate in our efforts, to support both State and Federal educational programs. After much discussion and agreement of supporting the request, we will bring in CAL-Soap within our celebration of National TRIO Day.
PDS Site Selection: Committee Chairs: Diana Parra-Villasenor, Diana and Bernadette Rodgers. After much research and hotel visits, the committee chairs have decided to have the 2008 Nor. Cal. PDS at the Napa Valley Embassy Suites. It will take place from November 2nd through November 4th, 2008.
Scholarship Committee: Committee Chair: Jen Dyke. We have awarded six (6) Nor. Cal. Scholarships to the following students: 1) Angelica Galang (ETS DVC), 2) Ada Ocampo (UB Yuba College), 3) Choua Vue (UB UC Davis), 4) Paterra Yang (UB Chico), 5) Jacob Urrutia (ETS UC Davis/Siskiyous), and 6) Kham Vang (UB Alumni Chico. The next scholarship competition will be the WESTOP Leader’s Scholarship.
Technology and Communications Committee: Committee Chair: Raul Pasamonte. The WESTOP website is up and running and the new list serve has also been modified. There was a concern about the Directory, which no longer exists, due to the person who was in charge is no longer in TRIO.
Research: Committee Chair: Bobby Gosal. There was no update given.
Public Relations: Committee Chair: Caren Fernandez. There was no update given.
President Elect: Howard Willis was nominated for President-Elect, which he then accepted and was then voted in unanimously by the chapter.
Treasurer Report: Balance as of December 3, 2007: $33, 526.63
Chapter BOD Concerns from Members:
1. Membership Directory. The directory is not working and the chapter would like one implemented once again. If not online, then a directory mailed out, electronically, or on a disc.
2. Communication from WESTOP. Putting up minutes from the board meetings on-line, even if they are unapproved.

Respectfully submitted by:

Samuel Blanco III, President
Northern California Chapter