JACC Faculty Meeting
SoCal Regional Conference
CSU Fullerton
Gabrielino Room
Oct. 18, 2014
Meeting called to order at 12:15 p.m.
Kelly Goff (KG) took roll.
Patricia Stark (PS) thanked KG for her work on the member list sent out to all and the list serve purge. The list serve is now comprised of just member advisers. She also thanked Walter Hammerwold (WH) and Judy House (JH) for coming down from NorCal for the board meeting and conference.
Tech committee report: We passed on this in the interest of time.
Introductions and discussion: People introduced themselves and gave a brief update of their program. Most discussion centered on the status of Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT), challenges and changes at various programs, current and upcoming job opportunities and recently completed projects, such as digitizing Santa Monica College’s student media archive.
President’s report: at 12: 42 p.m., PS addressed the state of the JACC union. The organization, a non-profit corporation, is out of compliance with the state and has been for many years. The board is working very hard to get the organization on track financially, including taxes, and administratively, including policies, procedures and foundational documents.
After the board was elected in April, it became aware that JACC had fallen behind on filing the paperwork necessary to maintain our non-profit status with the Franchise Tax Board (FTB). As a result, taxes have accrued. As of today, JACC owes approximately $9,000 in penalties and taxes. During prior years, all this fell to Timi Poeppelman (TP) to deal with. PS asked her to turn it over. PS filed a statement of information with the state and is waiting on documents from the IRS that come snail mail, 6 to 10 weeks. JACC in a holding pattern until the info comes in from IRS. The next step will be filing with the FTB and then hope for a favorable outcome. If no favorable outcome, we’ll have to hire a CPA. PS and KG are working through it. Also, KG will provide monthly financial reports so the board can get a handle on the budget, develop a plan.
Record keeping is also out of compliance. The IRS has a list of documents (meeting minutes, contracts, resolutions, guidelines, constitution, bylaws, etc.) that need to be at the ready at all time, to be provided when asked. We don’t have them. PS is developing all of this in a Google Docs corporate folder, split into private and public areas. PS asked that people please respond to her when she asks for information they may have. PS called the situation serious and made a point of asking again for help and cooperation from the membership.
PS said TP and KG have worked way outside their job descriptions, becoming the go-to people for everything. She said they’re in the line of fire and it has created tension. They’ve been the ones handling everything and have received all the heat for the mess. This board has to sort all that out.
Being out of compliance means board members lose their limited liability, so PS said she needs members to step up. PS said the board is willing to do the work, but we can’t have business as usual at JACC. We have to reorganize. Advisers have to carry some of the weight. How that will play out in weeks and months ahead is unclear but know that it is coming.
At NorCal, PS, WH and JH will meet with Joe Wirt from California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA) who has proposed taking over the handling of many JACC administrative tasks. They will report back.
Alpha Smarts are being looked at. Things will be changing, so prepare. The board will not make changes in this area before NorCal, but after that, change is coming.
Policy Committee report: Kate McLaughlin (KM) reiterated the changes to the constitution made during the summer and sent out twice to the membership on the list serve. Additional changes to the constitution will also be coming during the next several weeks, including clauses on ethics, confidentiality and executive session, and duties of the president with regard to financials and administrative tasks. The timeline on approval of the finalized constitution will be discussion at Pismo Beach followed by a general membership vote to approve at State in April 2015.
Some comments/suggestions from the members on the proposed constitution to date:
- Reconsider the student shadow duration of one year. It might be problematic. Maybe change it to months or make someone else responsible for shadow duties.
- The Nominating Committee is important. Members felt that they’d get more involvement and buy in from advisers if there was more of an effort to recruit and cultivate that involvement.
- Concern over the proposal to go dark for regionals. CSU Fullerton isn’t a viable venue for fall ’15 due to construction, so next year’s SoCal may go dark for that reason alone.
New business: We need a publications contest coordinator, a communications director, an industry rep and a four-year rep. In 2015, the secretary will be stepping down, so we’ll need that position filled as well.
WH invited people to send a short bio to the board to nominate the two board reps prior to the Nov. 6 board meeting as that is when the board will vote to fill those spots.
Discussion of:
- Background checks on JACC employees, board members, volunteers, etc.
- JACC’s ability to pay the $9K bill should it come due.
- Four-year faculty rep.
- Advisory Committees are good places to find an industry rep.
- Duties of the industry rep: What are they asked to do?
- The plans behind the JACC reboot.
- Everything is fluid as the new board tries to get a handle on all that needs to be done.
Meeting adjourned at 1:28 p.m.