Diversity SIG Report Fall 2007
From Extension Collaborative Wiki
Special Interest Group Report Fall 2007
Name of SIG: Diversity SIG
Mission statement: The mission of the ACE Diversity Special Interest Group (SIG) is to promote and support programs by all ACE members to communicate with diverse audiences.
Officers:
Chair: Rebecca McGovney-Ingram
Vice Chair: Myriam Grajales-Hall
Vice Chair-elect: Marusela Anders
Vice Chair-elect 2: Ariel Ginsburg
Summary of SIG business meeting at annual conference
Eleven members of the Diversity SIG met for the business meeting on Monday, June 18th, during the ACE annual meeting.
As our first item of business, we reviewed the results from our first-ever C&A competition, handed our silver and bronze awards, and asked any winners present to describe their entries. Entries into the five classes were as follows:
| Class 41—Writing for targeted publics | 0 entries |
| Class 42—Targeted publications | 6 entries |
| Class 43—Electronic media, audio for targeted publics | 1 entry |
| Class 44—Electronic media, video for targeted publics | 2 entries |
| Class 45—Marketing and media relations program for targeted publics | 1 entry |
The second item of business was to recognize our Diversity SIG Award of Excellence winner Marci Hilt. Marci works as a communications coordinator with the USDA, and has long been involved in diversity both in and outside of ACE.
Third on the agenda was to elect a new Vice-Chair Elect. We had two candidates: Marusela Anders with Ohio State University and Ariel Ginsburg with Oregon State University. Members present voted to elect Marusela as Vice-Chair Elect and to hold Ariel in reserve as our Vice-Chair Elect two. Both will be involved in officer duties during the year, and will lead the SIG well in the future.
Finally, we opened the floor for discussion from the members on things they might want to see changed or done differently in the future. Suggestions included improving the website, more communication between SIG members, and more Diversity information provided to the SIG. An action plan has since been developed to address these issues. Vice Chair-elect 2 Ariel Ginsburg is researching wiki as a new medium for our SIG website. Vice Chair-elect Marusela Anders will ask members to contribute a column to the E-Newsletter providing diversity tips or research.
How are leadership responsibilities being divided among the officers?
| Task | Officer |
|---|---|
| Reports | Rebecca McGovney-Ingram |
| Award of Excellence | Marusela Anders |
| Critique & Awards | Myriam Grajales-Hall |
| Newsletter | Marusela Anders |
| ACE SIG Conference calls | Rebecca McGovney-Ingram |
| Website | Ariel Ginsburg |
How are SIG leaders communicating with members, and on what schedule?
Our E-newsletter is being sent via SIG listserv every two months. Topics include ACE and SIG business, biographies of officers and new members, links to diversity sites, and additionally this year we are asking members to contribute a small column on how they approach diversity in their own work.
How are SIG leaders encouraging members to communicate with each other?
Primary communication continues to be at the annual meeting, but we hope with the new member column in the newsletter, other members will be more responsive/interactive.
What is the status of the SIG Web site?
Although our website is beautiful and functional, it has not been updated in over a year (hosted by A&M). We have asked Vice Chair-elect 2 Ariel Ginsburg to look into switching the site over to wiki so we can maintain and update the site.
What are the SIG’s concerns relative to the C&A program?
This year was the SIG’s first year with C&A classes and we consider it a success! Two primary concerns were voiced by officers and SIG members during the annual meeting.
First, the number of entries in each class seems to be low. Of course this was the first year for these classes, and perhaps many people were unaware of them. The officers hope to encourage members from other SIGs to consider submitting to our classes since they include writing, electronic media, and publications.
Second, entries of this nature tend to be in a language other than English, posing difficulty in finding judges (especially for multiple language pieces). Outgoing Chair LaRae Donnellan proposed that judges for these categories should be paid more for this type of judging. We are in agreement with her on this issue, but have decided to wait another year to have more evidence to present to the board when we propose a higher fee for our C&A judges.
What steps will you take to solicit nominations for the Award of Excellence? How will the SIG select its Award of Excellence winner?
Marusela Anders, our Vice Chair-elect, will solicit nominations in the fall via the E-Newsletter and the listserv. The winner will be voted on by current officers and this year’s winner Marci Hilt.
What steps are you taking to encourage members to submit articles and reviews to the JAC?
Our Chair Rebecca McGovney-Ingram encouraged members at the annual meeting to submit to JAC, and will continue to do this through the E-Newsletter and listserv.
