Board of Directors

Minutes from the Board of Directors' Meetings
Thursday, April 10, 2008 – Kona, HI

1. Call to order – 12:20pm by Joy Brittain.

1. Board Roll Call – quorum (Marsha Dupree absent):
1. Recognition of guests: Hector Acosta incoming AZ president, Elvie Tyler incoming PIC president, Gilbert Acuna incoming SoCal president, Matt Benny incoming Parliamentarian, Anita Blanco PR on current SC, Brian Aguilar on current SC, and Stephen Domingues, SC.

1. E-mail regarding student status:
1. President received letter from a WESTOP professional who works full-time in TRIO and is a student, and asks for board to consider changing the policy of registration discount for students.
2. Discussion of units of FT student, FT status can be different based on post-bac programs, can be 6-9 units in graduate, minimum 12 for undergrad. Not aware of other similar organizations that allow/offer this discount.
3. Refer to membership committee to research other organizations for consideration.

1. Membership:
1. Discussion of institutional membership and rate. 557 members (234 IM and 317 SM), and includes IM’s.  Change the rate and/or change to tier-level rates.  Would need to do a Bylaws change if going to tier-level rates.
2. $16,100 in IM, and 19,645 in SM.  Last year $27K in membership.
3. Should we change course of action, or the rates/tiers?  Question is should we keep the same rates, and should we change to tier system?  Would this improve our membership income?
4. Discussion on keeping the membership rates/options that same to allow more time for evaluation of these changes.  Len Woods would not like to allow more time on this, and the institutional membership needs to be considered.  Could possibly refer to membership committee to solicit feedback before making bylaws changes.  Could not change it into a tier system until next year, after Bylaws change.  Would be 2009-2010 if so (tiering).
5. How would we communicate to the membership and what would be the timeline (Silvester Mata)?  Possible survey to distribute to membership.
6. Membership is growing, and we will run into the possibility of having too many costs versus income from membership (ie many people eligible to have membership rates for conference).  Also we need to think about the “value” of what members get.  Len Woods felt that we cannot continue being a “cheap” organization.  We already give a good value for what we have to offer.  Stephen Domingues stated that there is a political and institutional consideration – especially at institutions and programs where costs are going up.  However, meals and costs for conferences, etc.. are going up.
7. What was the outcome of other ed equity memberships last year?  Also look at how many institutional members took advantage of conference registration.
8. This goes along with what was shared with the past-presidents and Holman awardees lunch – communication improvement, and also the organization providing pro devo for members to become better professionals.
9. Move to increase the institutional membership rate to $400 by Tomasa Mauricio, Silvester Mata second. President recommendation to send to membership committee, to report by May 1st for recommendation to FAC.  Then FAC would bring to full board by May 15th.  Suggestion to also consider increasing the single membership. Motion and recommendations has been moved to committee (membership).

1. Budgets for 2008-2009 (FAC quorum):
1. Review of chapter budgets discussion – Pacific Islands, SoCal, Arizona, NorCal, Nevada, CenCal.  Motion to accept budget from Leonard Woods and Silvester Mata second. Approved
2. WESTOP budget discussion in detail -  Motion to accept 2008-2009 budget as discussed by Heba Griffiths, Len Woods second.  Approved.

1. New business
1. None

1. Adjournment – Motion to adjourn by Lydia Perez, second by Len Woods. Board is officially closed at 3:38pm.

Addendum to Minutes:

On July 23, 2008, via e-mail discussion, Joy Brittain made a motion to change membership rates for the 2008-2009 year.  Michelle Scott second.

Individual membership:
-paid before Sept 1-$65
-paid between Sept 2-Dec 31-$80
-Paid after Dec 31-$100
-all new professionals $65 with proof of hiring date

Institutional Membership:( the voting will have to stay at
6/institution per by-laws)

1 project ($250)
2 projects ($500)
3 projects ($700)
4 projects ($850)
5 projects ($950)
6+ projects ($1000)

Student Membership remains the same (once again per by-laws)

- Matt Benny, Parliamentarian, organized an electronic discussion/voting procedure on this issue between July 24, 2008 and July 29, 2008.  At that time (July 29th) I called
for a vote, due by Friday August 1 at 5:00 pm.

- Discussion took place, and concerns included:

1. Tier rates problematic due to tracking and number of voting members per institution.
2. Wanted membership rates to stay the same, and have Board discussion before moving forward.

- As of the Friday, August 1, 2008 at the 5:00 pm voting deadline, only four of eleven votes were cast. We needed six to meet quorum. This means that the motion is dead as no
quorum was been established.

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