Minutes of the November 10, 2016, meeting
of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges Board of Directors
Attending: President Patricia Stark, Santa Barbara City College; President-elect Judy House, College of the Sequoias, Visalia; Southern California Rep Patrick Schmiedt, Citrus College, Glendora; Northern California Faculty Rep Cindy McGrath, Los Medanos College, Pittsburg; Student Northern California Rep Michaela Payne, City College of San Francisco; Four-Year Rep. Waleed Rashidi, CSU Fullerton; Communications Director Alicia Edquist, Cerritos College, Norwalk; Industry Rep Jorge Medina; CNPA Services Inc. Administrator Joe Wirt. Absent: Student State President Laura Tapia, Riverside City College; Student Southern California Rep Evan Solano, Citrus College, Glendora.
Stark called the meeting to order at 4:35 p.m. After amending the Oct. 6 minutes to add minor detail that had been lost in a digital recording glitch, she asked for approval. McGrath moved; House seconded; passed.
Stark then introduced Waleed Rashidi from CSU Fullerton, the new four-year rep.
Edquist and Schmiedt provided a follow-up report on the SoCal regional conference, which had been held Oct. 29 at Cerritos College in Norwalk. Attendance, including speakers and volunteers, was 226.
Cindy McGrath likewise recapped the NorCal Conference, held Oct. 15 at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg. Attendance, including speakers and volunteers, was 201. Payne reported that the student roundtable that she and Tapia led at NorCal was focused on inspiration and motivation – less on pointing out negative topics. Financial reports on the two conferences will be provided at the December board meeting.
Stark told directors about a proposal from Chapman University in Orange to invite JACC to site its SoCal conference Oct. 13-14 at Chapman. SoCal JACC faculty members approved the proposal, and Stark said a planning committee was forming.
Stark recapped the work by a contractor to renegotiate with hotels that will host the JACC State Conventions in 2017 (Sacramento) and 2018 (Burbank) and utilizing both hotels for succeeding years.
Medina, speaking highly of the SoCal Conference, reminded directors of the spirit and legacy of JACC’s brand. He emphasized that the inclusion of JACC alumni strengthens its events and provides value that other college journalism events do not provide. Stark said the JACC student’s interests and needs differ from a university student’s. She also noted that JACC events are largely adviser-driven and -coordinated.
Rashidi said some university students might have an interest in JACC events, but he said his upper-division students are more graduation- and career-focused. McGrath said Associate members have brought students as ambassadors at their tables, but they do not attend the conference sessions.
Stark, calling time, asked directors to resubmit the topic for the December meeting.
Wirt then recapped staff’s work on: filing of JACC’s 2016 taxes, renewing JACC’s annual liability coverage for its four events, securing late dues payments, handling regional conference payments and bills, and ordering more award plaques. Remaining JACC T-shirts are mostly large to larger sizes.
Stark noted the need to enlist new directors as board incumbents term out this spring.
She then proposed that JACC consider pre-empting scholarships until the organization retires its debt. McGrath favored reducing number and amount, but not eliminating scholarships. House concurred and suggested underwriting by an outside benefactor. Stark reminded directors that administration of the scholarships is an additional, overlooked task. House said the scholarships make JACC look good in the eyes of campuses and administrations. Stark said the board would revisit the topic following review of its profit-and-loss statement in December.
Stark said the next meeting would be at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1. With no further business to discuss, she ended the meeting at 6:05 p.m.
–Respectfully submitted by Joe Wirt, CNPA Services Inc.