October 2009 Board Minutes Steinhart Room, Wick Alumni Center
Members Present: Jim Kendrick, Jim Carr, Delivee Wright, Herb Howe, Max Clegg, Dan Lutz, , Tice Miller, Walter Mientka.
President Lowell Moser called the meeting to order at 1 p.m. at the Wick Alumni Center. Directors and officers present.
The minutes of the September board meeting as posted were approved without change.
Andrea Cranford, representing the UNL Alumni Assn., was present. She announced the dates for Masters Week to be November 4-7, with a welcome reception to begin the observance. Nominations for Alumni awards are due December 1. A new Alumni Association staff member, Brooke Janousek, was introduced.
Following approval September 24 of establishing Collegial Membership in the Emeriti Assn., Jim Kendrick proposed the following wording to be included in the constitution and by-laws:
Membership shall consist of dues-paying Emeriti of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and dues-paying Collegial Members. Membership is complimentary for a full calendar year after obtaining Emeritus/a status from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All members are franchised to vote on matters affecting the Association. Honorary (non-voting) Life Membership is granted to surviving widows and widowers of UNL Emeriti. Collegial Membership may be granted by the board of directors of the UNL Emeriti Association to any person holding Emeritus or Emerita status from any university/college.
Howe moved for approval of the Collegial Membership definition, seconded by Clegg, carried.
Treasurer’s report: Walter Mientka. He reported that, as approved during the September 8 board meeting, he formally requested the transfer of $5,000 for operating expenses, and $3,000 for the purchase of two library display cases, from our UNL Foundation Spendable Amount total. He subsequently heard from Ms. Tinkler, our Foundation liaison contact, who indicated that the documentation he submitted for the Request for Transfer of Funds, was in order and he would soon receive the checks for deposit in our Association bank account. The formal treasurer’s report is posted on the website.
Zelma Wisherd cemetery headstone funding: A total of $525 in contributions has been received so far, leaving a balance of $175 to complete the project. Moser will send out a reminder to the listserv.
The current plan for alternating Tuesdays and Thursdays for monthly membership meetings was discussed. Some members continue to prefer a definite day for each month, as opposed to the alternate day approach. Some members believe the alternate monthly meeting day approach is not working as anticipated. Following the meeting, Mientka developed a statistical analysis, e-mailed to board members, comparing attendance at Tuesday vs. Thursday meetings for the period January 22, 2008 through September 2009. For the 2010 spring semester beginning in January, membership meetings at the UNL East Union are scheduled on an alternate Tuesday-Thursday basis. No formal action was taken. In scheduling monthly membership meetings, dates of Foundation and NU President-sponsored meetings must be considered.
Howe moved that the January 2010 New Emeriti luncheon (formerly held at the Champions Club), be held at the East Campus Union beginning at 11 a.m., with a wine and cheese reception, followed by the usual luncheon and program. Motion seconded and approved.
The procedure for new officer elections will be reviewed at the October membership meeting.
Robert Fuller, whose schedule did not permit his attendance at the board meeting, submitted the following written report on the Emeriti in Action project:
An order has been placed for the display cases. Max Clegg has been asked to construct plaques for each of the cases, and to consult with a library representative regarding the plaques.
About a half dozen responses to the Emeriti in Action flier have been received. Each member of the board is expected to contribute an item for the display…either one of their own, or a contribution recruited from someone else. A description of a given contribution can be e-mailed to Fuller at rfuller@neb.rr.com.
In a written report, Fuller, chair of the nominating committee, said he had not received any additional nominations for officers or board members. The board in session requested Fuller to transmit a message to the organization’s Listserv, announcing the present slate of officers to be elected, explaining the election process, and encouraging additional nominations.
Committee Reports:
Membership Relations – Tice Miller.
Tour of Haunted Attic – Temple Building—10 a.m. October 27 EC Activity and schedule – Kay Rockwell (absent). 9-Mile Prairie Tour cancelled.
Faculty Senate activities – McShane not present but forwarded a report on the Ayers committee charge, conclusions and recommendations.
The committee had two charges:
1. To determine whether the principles of academic freedom had been violated in the Ayers cancellation. We determined that they had.
2. Make what we thought might be suitable recommendations should such circumstances arise in the future.
We tried not to blame persons, because that was not in our charge and the evidence we had was not sufficient for us to be comfortable doing so, even if we had been asked.
We made no specific recommendations about whether Ayers should be re-invited That also was not in our charge, and in our view, that is an academic judgment properly to be made by the appropriate professors of the College of Education and Human Sciences.
If anyone wants a copy of the full report, I will forward it to them electronically on request.
Website – Kendrick – no report; experiencing problems with computer.
Membership – Melvin Thornton. Not present, but submitted the following report:
As of October 6, 2009:
Total of 796 names on the database. This includes 207 annual members; 143 life members; 29
new – 2009 members; 23 new-2010 members; 131 surviving spouse/partner members; and 264
others.
List of Emeriti for Memory Moments: Dave McGill, Charles Mignon.
There being no further old, unfinished or new business to consider, the meeting was adjourned at 1:50 p.m.