December COE Board Meeting

Summary

Governmental Relations

1. What the new congress means for TRiO
1. Means something to COE
2. Jan 4 start in house; not sure in house
3. Bad news: in house, appropriations (Obie is chair) will not go any further on Labor H bill, passed continuing resolution on education program; 110th congress will just extend this resolution till September; TRiO stays where it is at budget wise; Senate should follow suit
4. Good news: have greater access to leadership now; if democrats (which they usually do when have control of both houses) decide to reauthorize to HEA we will have opportunity to offer proposals/ideas for input into HEA;
5. Congress will be in session Mondays – Fridays; will use the increase in time to put ED to the fire;
6. Two large Hispanic and black caucuses will have more influence in this congress; Bobby Scott of Virginia likely to be chairman of the Black Caucuses education brain trust is a friend of TRiO will hear us out; Gwen Moore is now a re-elected member, sits on financial services committee (committee with influence and reach); Barack Obama is on caucus for now;
2. Upward Bound absolute priority (see page 5 of president’s report)
1. Core opposition to priority surrounds loss of protection by legislation
2. Evaluation: two problems, (1) matter of trust: can a body that intends to eliminate UB really devise an objective study? (2) deceptions – recruit with no intent to admit all eligible, turning down eligible students who really need services – lives would be affected;
1. How do we stop it? Intended start summer 07 – logistics may force summer 08; stop can come by way of change of heart with administration, legislatively we need to put use of funds language in appropriations; house is willing to move with this but we need Senate Appropriations Chairs Harkins and Specter on board
2. Need to organize alumni to contact members and express distaste with priority and how it would have excluded them; good time to get press involved
3. COE is working closely with Dr. Hillard from Penn State and Tom Mortensen, senior scholar from the Pell Institute, whose wife happens to sit on Iowa board of regents and will work on her end to discuss this with Senator Harkin’s wife.
4. 5 million for study is coming from TRiO appropriations not ED budget
5. Henry Bonilla of Texas lost his election race but Tom Cole (now NRC chair) has been re-elected in Oklahoma;
3. Appropriations for FY 2008
1. Looks like level funding; should still talk of increases though, hope that use of funds language can be put in CR on February 15th; Look for UB and ETS to be cut again in President’s proposed budget for funds used in new component of NCLB; back home advocacy has to continue;
4. Reauthorization of the HEA
1. Congress very excited to get things done; first focus will be NCLB and its problem with aim to get HEA – Heather doesn’t see that happening till late 07 or early 08; new HEA will include some of Foxx language and other items that were in last version of HEA; can address priority in HEA as well; will be talk of accountability of ED; education and workforce committee in house oversees HEA headed up by George Miller of CA; 21st century competitiveness sub-committee has not named a chair perhaps Len Wosley of CA (not sure how to feel about this); in Senate, Senator Obama has been added to join Mr. Kennedy; no subcommittee here;
2. Other key members: Ron Emanuel of Illinois, Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois is still on Labor, Health…committee
5. Talent Search and EOC
1. Misapplication of PE in competitions is issue here; claim that ED came up with rule that if you did not get point for serving proposed number you could not be eligible for outcome points
2. Vehicles that can be used to combat: (1) legislatively or (2) judicially; COE has secured counsel from law firm to address this and priority; COE not sure which avenue to take congress vs. courts; if go to courts cannot address in congress; congress may be way to go as it may be faster and utilizes resources we already have (members of congress); ED has not responded to request from congress for rationalization of PE; statements were made at SWASAP that lead many to believe that ED used “discretion” in awarding of PE;
6. Democrat messaging for the first 100 days
1. Initial language from democrats regarding higher ed is troubling; no objection to affordability in focus but affordability does not always influence low-income; accessibility would be a good word to add to this; low rates don’t influence low income students; tax credit does not address low income students at all; increase in Pell is a good move for low income student but how likely is it?
2. Key should be to remind democrats of who voted them into office and do these efforts really support those constitutients;
3. Pay go – can’t spend money (tax cut, appropriate or entitlement) without stating how you will find that money; our conversation with democrats now has to be about “now that the tide has turned what will you do about support for TRiO?”;WESTOP needs to be mindful of Speaker Pulosi’s agenda speech where she only makes mention of “middle income” and no mention of low income;

COE Board Meeting

1. Board Orientation and Retreat
1. Thanks and success
2. Bylaws
1. Committee will review Bylaws and make note of questions/concerns/proposed amendments.  Committee will research recommendations made by 2005-2006 Bylaws Committee.  Committee will have any proposed bylaws amendments to the Chair by the end of February.
3. International Task Force
1. Summer program will be June 11 and July 3; application deadline Jan 15th; Fulbright Semester Abroad - eight TRiO students and one non-TRiO low income student were selected to participate in the program taking place in South Africa in Spring 2007
2. Staff development and exchange program will be conducted in October 2007.
3. Plans to create a DVD to highlight the events and showcase the educational value of the study abroad programs
4. Leadership Development
1. Board forum was a success
2. Ticklers for the Leadership Summit will be coming soon
3. Registration for the Leadership Summit will be an online registration process
4. The dates for the Leadership Summit are March 10 – 11
5. Encourage new regional officers to attend
5. National TRiO Day Committee
1. Encouraged to continue the national day of service
2. Encourage alumni participation
3. Media kit to be available by end of January
6. Personnel Committee
1. Re-evaluate evaluation tool
2. Will provide salary comparison for Evaluation/Compensation Committee
3. Update regarding complaint from former staff: insurance company took control of complaint and deemed it best to settle the complaint; decision to settle was based on cost effectiveness; settlement was for $100,000; no admission of guilt was made nor required
4. Personnel policies and procedures will be reviewed to address appropriate protocols
7. Professional Standards
1. Planned session on CAS at Policy Seminar
2. Further collection of data on CAS mentioned in recent grant applications
8. Resource Development
1. Phone-a-thon was a success
2. Fairshare presentations have been held at 8 events/states
3. Fairshare subscription package was sent out in December
4. Solicit support from board members at national, regional and state levels
5. Four of ten regions are at 50% to date, two are at 49% to date, 76% of institutions are currently council members
6. Fairshare progress is updated monthly by COE
7. 44% of board and committee members have pledged or donated to fairshare this year
8. A one-pager will be developed that specifies advocacy on behalf of TRiO
9. Fairshare formula is being reviewed for equity
9. State Initiative
1. Discussed awarded RFP’s and potential outcome updates and monitoring of progress
2. Discussed promotion of alumni chapters
3. Discussion on using remaining funds to open up new RFP competition focusing on alumni
10. Strategic Planning
1. Primary outcome to make members aware of council’s strategic plan;
2. Emphasis on utilizing technology
3. Would like to report on committee/council progress
11. Technology and Education
1. Conducting a tech assessment at two levels one for techies and one for novices to inquire about needs
2. Development of COE database/server for alumni
3. New board members will be obtaining access to Weboard; Link from council’s homepage to Weboard; board members will have access to all committee’s information on Weboard
4. 1775 members on Councilnet;
5. ASPIRA Tech Tools conference; more information coming
12. TRiO Achievers and Alumni committee
1. Nomination forms are already on website
2. Nominations will be due in June
3. Will be noting region that brings most alumni to policy
4. Will be holding second alumni reception at COE National Conference

 

President’s Report

1. environment we are working in is changing
2. not all of it is government relations
3. every state has increased it’s funding for higher education (according to Chronicle of Higher Education); time for us to leverage those state opportunities
4. emergence of access industry
1. focus on pre-college education as opposed to college persistence and retention
2. this focus is resulting from recent publication on country’s lagging globally in higher education
3. we must now compete for recognition and support; no longer the only game in town
4. national College Access Network Conference in Los Angeles on October 7-10; TRiO professionals encouraged to attend
5. TRiO advantages: our age and history; more diversity; we have an advocacy component; other access program’s lack of advocacy arm limits their ability to access public resources; alumni potential
5. alumni as resource
1. first annual alumni reception was a huge success
2. alumni are ready to contribute, we just need to ask them
3. have alumni news/events?  Forward those on to Nikki Youngblood
4. alumni database is growing; regions should forward names/contact info of regional TRiO Achievers to COE
5. policy Seminar is next push for alumni
6. development
1. COE is going to start leveraging 501.c.3 status
2. know of alumni who can make resource development on a national level realized, please contact COE
3. move towards endowment

Finance Committee Report

1. Auditors Report: went smoothly, COE spent excess of $500,000 in grant funds resulting in having to do only one audit according to OMB circular; two other reports were generated; internal controls very sound and are operating effectively, no fraudulent concerns
2. two individuals will be invited to participate in investment fund sub-committee; looking for individuals with investment experience

Treasurer’s Report

1. year ending June 06 = 96% budget for revenue, 93% of total expenses
2. FYI’s:
1. No finalized quarterly report for first quarter; timing of events made information synchronization difficult
2. Comparison of 06 to 07 budgets; shift in percentages of budget; huge increase in general income percentage

2006 Annual Conference

1. 1634 registrants
2. submitted evaluations indicated high points of the conference as the TRiO Achievers Luncheon and Dr. Mitchem’s plenary; low points being the Newcomer’s activities

2007 Annual Conference

1. looking for subcommittee chairs
2. will be held in Chicago from 9/5-9/8

AEEE

1. 2007 Annual Conference on April 22 – 27 in White Plains, NY at the Westchester Marriott

ASPIRE

1. 2007 Annual Conference in Denver, CO September 19-24
2. Regional incorporation will be changing to North Dakota; state incorporation will be explored
3. Creation of regional motto to use this year: Stand Up For TRiO

ACPT

1. Regional TRIO Alumni society has been established
2. Puerto Rico’s Secretary of Education prepared letter of support for all Upward Bound Programs that were competing in the 2006 UB grant competition
3. Regional Conference will be May 16-18, 2007 at the San Juan Hotel and Casino

MAEOPP

1. Region held three student conferences with over 1400 total participants
2. 2005 Emerging Leaders class premiered regional video and 2007 Emerging Leaders class was introduced at 2006 annual conference – there are 18 participants in the class
3. Institute of Management and Institute of Research and Evaluation were held at MAEOPP Annual Conference
4. Regional TRIO Day plans will include community service
5. 2007 Annual Conference scheduled for November 4-7 at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois

MEAEOPP

1. TRIO Day 2007 will be celebrated at regional Student Leadership Conference
2. West Virginia completed a statewide CAS effort with 24 of 29 programs in the state fully implementing the CAS standards
3. Region voted in April to offer institutional memberships as well as individual memberships
4. Region offers funds for students to study abroad
5. Regional conference to be held March 25-28, 2007 at the Chesapeake Hyatt Resort in Cambridge, MD

NASP

1. Region considering moving from two regional conferences to one
2. Tadd Wheeler, a SSS participant from Lower Columbia College was awarded the Jack Kent Undergraduate Scholarship – the largest and most competitive scholarship available to community college students in the US
3. Region conducts a peer monitoring program that conducts peer reviews of TRIO programs in the region – seven projects in the region were reviewed in 2006
4. NASP leadership and COE staff held an informal discussion at fall conference to promote understanding of role of COE and the region’s relationship to COE
5. Region has funds set aside to assist regional presidents, state presidents and alumni attend the 2007 Policy Seminar
6. Region also has funds designated to sponsor/support students in study abroad program

NEOA

1. Region has developed a Corporate Development Committee
2. Region’s Leadership Institute this year will consist of 12 participants
3. Region has set aside funds to support once member to participate in COE International Staff Exchange

SAEOPP

1. 2007 conference will hold a CAS Standards workshop
2. Region was awarded eight new ETS projects and lost eleven
3. Regional Emerging Leaders Institute will be held in February
4. Region maintains funds in budget to support study abroad initiatives

SWASAP

1. Five hour pre-conference workshop on CAS Implementation was held at 2006 annual conference
2. University of Washington TRIO Training group held one pre-conference workshop and one technology based workshop at the 2006 annual conference
3. Regional Emerging Leaders Institute participants planned and implemented the SWASAP Student Leadership Conference in October 2006
4. Region will continue to support students to attend COE’s study abroad opportunities

WESTOP

1. In conjunction with the University of Washington TRIO Training Grant, two supplemental evening technology workshops will be sponsored by WESTOP at the TRIO Training in La Jolla, CA in January 2007
2. Regional annual conference will be held February 18-21, 2007 at the San Francisco Airport Hyatt in Burlingame, CA
3. In CA, Senator Barbara Boxer is offering certificates of recognition to all CA TRIO participants; many thanks to TRIO professionals in CA for their continued advocacy work
4. Region may consider implementing a group/project membership option into Bylaws
5. Using funds secured from the COE State Initiative grant program WESTOP will host a summit at the annual conference for TRIO leaders, political and community leaders in CA to discuss the educational climate in CA and the role TRIO can play in education in the state
6. The AZ chapter of WESTOP will utilize funds secured from the COE State Initiative grant program to create a TRIO Fellowship program to advocate and promote TRIO alumni in the state; NV also secured COE State Initiative grant funds to host a TRIO Day celebration
7. Region is designing a “Blueprint for Action” that can be used to develop advocacy strategies in their communities as well as regionally, the blueprint will contain local action plans, “how to” guides and a calendar for action

Old Business
None

New Business
President’s and Chair’s report will be put into PDF format.

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