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Society of Professional Journalists
IUP Chapter
Meeting Minutes
April 21, 2006
Commonplace Coffeehouse

Convened:

5 p.m.

Present:

Jenni Easton
Elizabeth Gaffron
Ashley Gurbal
Bill Harder
Rose Huber
Dave Loomis
Melissa Turley

Elections:

The unopposed slate of official an unofficial chapter officers for the 2006-2007 academic year was elected. The officers are:

Official:

Bill Harder, president
Jared Stout, vice president
Rose Huber, treasurer
Elizabeth Gaffron, secretary

Unofficial:

Emily Jo Nichelson Boots, first alternate officer (as needed, except office of treasurer)
Kendra Sledzinski, social chair
Margaret Harper's son, John, mascot

The slate of candidates was elected unanimously 9-0, including one absentee ballot.

Business Agenda for 2006-2007 academic year:

• Recruiting: SPJ chapter membership should grow.
  
• The chapter should recruit from the Communications Media Department.
  
• The chapter will lose seniors, including Jenni Easton, Ashley Gurbal, Melissa Meadath, Melissa Turley.
  
• Margaret Harper and Dave Loomis will be recruiting among Cook Honors College newcomers in the fall.
  
• Recruiting also should be done among freshmen entering in the fall. SPJ chapter members also should be present at Journalism Department recruiting events, including the annual high-school event sponsored by The Indiana Gazette.
  
• SPJ chapter should consider forming committees: Committees could include Recruiting, Investigative Journalism, Curriculum, Symposiums & Job Fairs, Conferences & Awards (“Bling”), Outreach.

Discussion:

• The SPJ chapter should become involved in departmental and universitywide issues involving journalism.
  
• The Curriculum Committee should play a role in departmental curriculum-overhaul decision-making at least as prominent as the Lasting Impressions public-relations club's role.
  
• The chapter should get involved in hiring decisions of faculty members in the Journalism Department.
  
• Loomis will represent the chapter in asking the Journalism Department's Web designed, Carlo Leo, to create a Web site for SPJ.
  
• IUP President Tony Atwater should be recruited to participate in chapter functions, as the chapter has volunteered to participate in Atwater 's ongoing series of Journalism symposiums, exemplified by his inaugural fall 2005 journalism symposium and his Sago symposium in March 2006.
  
• The relationship between The Penn and the SPJ chapter should be addressed. Similarly, the “civic project,” involving The Penn, SPJ members and the Loomis News Reporting class, should be advised, with consideration given to expanding the project's focus beyond the IUP Student Government Association, to include issues of class lengths, APSCUF contract bargaining, State System of Higher Education issues, Council of Trustees issues, Student Cooperative Association board meetings, etc. Additional concerns expressed in this discussion included the management of The Penn and its 2005 design change without consultation with the news staff. Such issues may be issues for the SPJ chapter to address. The Penn's finances may be reconsidered by the Student Co-Op Association board this coming summer, at the end of the current fiscal year. At that time, the long-range plans – primarily financial plans -- for The Penn may be addressed and re-structured.
  
• Meeting times for chapter business should be reconsidered, as Friday, 5 p.m., is not convenient for all members.