Committee Chair:

Anita Blanco

Committee Members:

Brian Aguilar-            

Caren Fernandez-    

Karmi Minor-Flores- 

Damien Pe?a-          

Keith Powell-            

Ken Songco-            

 Board Member/ NorCal Chapter

Board Member/ NorCal Chapter

Board Member/ PIC Chapter

Board Member/ SoCal Chapter

Board Member/ CenCal Chapter

WESTOP Member/ NorCal Chapter

Description of Committee:

Pursuant with WESTOP Bylaws Article VIII, § 8.10 (a) (5), the Communications Committee is responsible for creating, editing, and producing any type of media or brochures as well as all major publications for general association use. 

Specifically, the overall functions of the Communications Committee shall be in accordance with WESTOP Bylaws Article II, § 2.2 (a), (e), and (h) in its charge to establish a communication network among educational equity personnel, as well as monitoring and disseminating timely information relating to issues of educational access.

Assigned Objectives:

Status of Progress & Activities:

• Form a committee with regional representation to aid in carrying out prescribed and subsequently discovered duties.

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• Committee representation from Nevada is still missing.

• Prepare and submit a revised Committee budget at the May Board Meeting and subsequent revised budgets for Board approval (if applicable).  The budget must include both expense and revenue. The Chair will consult with past committee chairs as necessary.

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• Done.  A new revised budget was submitted and approved during the August Board Meeting in Mesa, Arizona.  This request reflected shifting $1000 from the Public Affairs budget to the Communications budget, per collaboration with the Public Affairs Chair, Keith Powell.

• Ensure that the membership is consistently informed in various capacities about regional news and information pertinent to the association.

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• Conceived the “WESTOP OneStop”.  This will be a bi-weekly, e-mail based, e-news medium that will report pertinent news as it pertains to WESTOP and educational equity.  This has been delayed twice and now slated for dissemination as once for this Fall and once for next Spring.

In addition, a MySpace group was created for WESTOP.  The intent of this mechanism is to provide a means for members to network and engage socially with each other.  This will be unveiled by the end of this semester.

• Focus on the development of a “media relations” program for the Association to use at both the regional and chapter level with each Chapter reporting at least one TRiO/WESTOP related media release.

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• The creation of the previously mentioned “WESTOP OneStop”, will help in facilitating Chapter media releases.  In addition, the “2006-2007 WESTOP Public Relations & Marketing Plan” (a.k.a. PRM) will address Objective IV of the Communications Committee. This is still on track for completion by the end of November 2006.

• Coordinate planning, design, and creation of a “WESTOP TRiO Alumni Storybook” to be utilized at the regional and chapter level.

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• The “WESTOP TRiO Fact Book” is being designed in collaboration with the WESTOP Legislation & Education Committee.  This is still on track for completion by January 2007.  The content needed for this has been determined.  As such, some of the information and data needed for this will be solicited during the next 2 months.

• Serve as the Communication Network Officer to inform the membership of vital issues by use of the WESTOP website, listserv, and other mediums.

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• The Communications Committee will take the lead in communicating the 2 upcoming issues of the changes to the Bylaws and the transition to the Service Council.

• Become functionally familiar with WESTOP Bylaws Article XII, § 12.2 “Procedure for Submission of Proposals for the Amendment of Bylaws” as it pertains to the Communications Committee. 

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• A concrete plan to address the transition of this committee to the WESTOP Service Council still needs to be discussed and developed by the committee.

• Revise, as appropriate, and publish with the assistance of the Public Relations committee any media regarding WESTOP.  Assist all committees in development and use of Association materials to meet respective committee objectives.

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• The Communications committee developed a basic information sheet on WESTOP per request of the Legislation & Education Committee.

In addition, a WESTOP Conference advertisement was created, submitted, and appeared in the 2006 COE Conference Registration Book.

• Perform any other duty and/or task as assigned by the President or Board resolution that is related to the overall purpose and good of the Association.

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• At the request of the WESTOP Legislation & Education Committee, assistance will be provided for revision of the “WESTOP Blueprint for Action” now that the Elections have occurred. 

• OTHER-  Based upon various needs expressed in Objectives I-IX, the development of a WESTOP Photo Archive will enhance communication and marketing efforts, as well as assist in the pictorial documentation and historic preservation of WESTOP.

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• Have begun taking photos of WESTOP events, meetings, etc.

Action Items and/or Motions:

None.