2/27/09 - Board Meeting Minutes

Baylor University Alumni Advisory Board 2/27/2009 Meeting, 1424 Washington Ave.

Attending:

Art Bishop

Sue Bishop

Robert Springer

Matt Pranter

Tom Moore

Ana Marie Whiteside

Joe Whiteside

Jim Bain

Jay Pulliam

Josh Talbert

Eric Abercrombie

Stacy Atchley

Comments and Meeting Highlights:

1. Attendees agreed that for alumni advisory board members to be energized to actively participate and contribute, they need clearly stated departmental needs they can act upon, and departmental activities (technical and social) they can rally around, e.g., the current science symposium and fieldtrip.

2. Attendees all agree that it is not the departments job to organize or run the board. The department's job is to facilitate activities for participation, and at these activities, to communicate needs that the board can mobilize to support.

3. All agreed that to assist the board in self-organizing and insuring high attendance at board meetings, the Department of Geology should provide the board with an alumni (and board member) roster and associated contact information so that they can self-police attendance, membership and participation. In addition, the board requests a departmental calendar of activities be provided for each semester and/or academic year.

4. Robert Springer was nominated and unanimously voted by the attendees of this meeting as the next board Chair.

5. Jay Pulliam did an excellent job of promoting his geophysics proposal. After much discussion on how, if at all, the board could support Jay's proposal, Stacy Atchley summarized that funding for the several new positions would likely exceed the board's fundraising capability, and that funding would necessarily need to be provided by Baylor. The boards role would likely be in rallying support, via communications to the Baylor administration, emphasizing the necessity of the proposed positions.

6. Eric Abercrombie summarized recent alumni gifting (Carlisle magnetometer to the Thomas W. Goforth Paleomagnetism Laboratory, Connie Hudson OT Hayward Excellence Fund), and discussed the status of the Spencer-Jenness Geology Library Endowment and Geology Resource Endowment Fund. Eric indicated that the Spencer-Jenness fund is actively accruing spendable income, and that the Geology Resource Endowment Fund would reach a spendable balance with additional gifting of $100. In response, board members promptly offered up cash and checks. Eric collected $1000.

Respectfully submitted,

Stacy Atchley, Associate Chair