Minutes of May 2009 phone conference

From Extension Collaborative Wiki

NCERA 209 May 2009 Phone Conference

Attendees: Faith Peppers, Jason Ellis, Beth Forbes, Martha Filipic, Frankie Gould, Elaine Edwards, Ruth Borger, Pat Melgares, Bill Hallman.

Update on document:

Update: Approval was granted. We can’t update the official name and description on the NIMSS site until the project is up for renewal next year. The new description has been added under reports for your reference. It is also available on the eXtension Wiki site.

Team Updates and Next Steps:

Objective Team Updates:

1) To create a culture of strategic issues management within our institutions.

Leader: Marcus Ashlock

Team members: Traci Naile, Tanner Robertson, Chris Sigurdson

2) To link current research into the development of best communication practices for land-grant institutions.

Leader: Pat Melgares

Team members: Elaine Edwards, Jason Ellis, Mark Tucker, Martha Filipic, Joan Thompson

3) To enhance institutional communication capacity at land-grant institutions

Leader: Linda Benedict

Team members: Frankie Gould, Faith Peppers, Dwayne Cartmell, Kris Boone

Function Team Reports: Current State of Knowledge team (Dwayne Cartmell (L), Mark Tucker, Jason Ellis, Joan Thompson and Marcus Ashlock (L)) – This team will assess current state of knowledge and available research. They will determine research needs, and develop research projects to provide a foundation for developing best practices and training materials.

Last Report: Research – M. Tucker was the only representative from this team present. He hasn’t heard from the research group. He will follow up to check and see what’s going on. And, he will solicit a timeline from the group so other teams can begin planning action steps based on the research.

Update: Jason – talked about coordinating a meeting but haven’t actually had one. May be able to do some follow up in Des Moines.

Outreach/Community of Practice (Martha Filipic (L), Virginia Morgan, Beth Forbes, Dee Shore) – This team will develop and manage an eXtension CoP for issue management. They will develop other communication tools to help keep the group and others informed of our progress, findings and activities.

April Report: eXtension CoP – 10 people have joined the group; Martha will reissue the invitation to join. It’s discouraging when people don’t respond to the invitation.

Next step: draft a set of easy to understand instructions on using the site to share information. Martha also suggests that we again poll the group to make sure everyone still wants to be a part of this group. Members of the group who don’t have an eXtension ID need to establish one so you can join the group.

Update: Hasn’t called committee together, but has updated the eXtension Web site and made directions on how to update the site so the group can help update the site in the future. They will share with the group so anybody can add their updates. There are still several people on the project who don’t have an eXtension ID and cannot log on to the CoP. We don’t know if this indicates you are no longer interested in being a part of the committee or if you just haven’t gotten around to it, but it would be helpful if you are interested if you get an ID.

Toolkit Team (Pat Melgares (L) Elaine Edwards, Ruth Borger, Frankie Gould, Becky Koch) – This team will survey institutions to develop a toolkit of useful materials and develop tools needed.

April Report: Tool Kit Team – Elaine – waiting for more direction before asking for samples.

Update: No activity right now until they get the research in.

Training Team (Faith Peppers (L), Frankie Gould (L), Linda Benedict, Chris Sigurdson, Beth Forbes) - This team will develop training curriculum, coordinate and deliver a series of training sessions for communicators, administrators and media on issue management based on the findings of the research team and the best practices developed by the group.

April Report: Training Team – Spokesperson training, being prepared to offer through eXtension; ACE double session to introduce the concept of issue management and dealing with the issue of budget reduction.

Update: Proposed professional development sessions to eXtension; waiting for response.

Questions:

Sonny – (1) The group had questions about funding. Do we have funding for this project? How much? How is it to be used? How do we access it? Or, if we don’t have funding, is it part of our mission to seek funding and should we set up another team to begin working on that?

Answer: Really there is no funding other than travel funds that the AES directors pay for your travel. However, I think it is incumbent on us to seek support from both AES and CES directors for this effort. I will send an email to my cohorts and see what they say – but do not hold your breath.

Part of your mission is also to seek funding – either working with others on your campuses to be part of grants or to seek collaborative grants on your own.

(2) Can we issue an invitation to Robin Adams to join the group to represent the 1890 institutions?

Answer: Yes, we can invite her. Go ahead and do so. And let her know how to get on the NIMSS system and also select the appropriate objectives, etc. She can contact me if she has questions.

Martha: Updated membership in teams on the eXtension site. Go see where you are assigned or volunteer for a committee.

Reminders and other business:

We discussed on the last call that all participants not assigned to a committee should let me know by today what committee they would like to serve on. Get list. Those not responding will receive an email next week notify them what committee they have been assigned to.

Our next call would be June 5. Since many of us will b en route to the ACE/NETC meeting, I suggest we either meet for a quick update at some point during the ACE meeting or meet mid-month in June to cover the June and July calls since it will bump against the July 4th holiday. Update: We decided that since the calls are helping us gain momentum for this project we shouldn’t skip June. Faith will check to see when time is available for us to do a June call after the ACE meeting. July will remain scheduled for July 3.

Several members of this group will be attending an APLU – AHS meeting in Chicago May 26-27 to talk about addressing issues as a system. If you are attending this meeting, please email Faith and let her know. We will make a list of all the project members that we know are going, have a conference call mid-May and hammer out the best way to present what we are doing in this project to the group and how it will benefit the effort they are making at this meeting.