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President John Bergman called the meeting to order at 4:35 p.m.
Minutes
The minutes from the November 30, 2004 meeting were unanimously approved as written following Terry's move to approve and Jason's second.
Alumni Council Report
Terry reported that Alumni Council had not met since the last meeting but will meet on January 29, 2005. The council will be looking over the new budget and will meet President Gora at a lunch prior to the game.
Departmental Report
Hugh thanked the society for their participation for a great Internship/Career Opportunities Day. He reported that 128 students were in attendance. The department distributed a survey to the students who attended and will report on the results at the next meeting.
The department recently held a faculty retreat where the strategic plan and curriculum were discussed. One objective of the department is to increase the number of NREM majors from eighty to one hundred.
Regarding curriculum, the department is considering a content based exit exam for seniors. Danesa suggested that some individuals are not good test takers so an exam might not reflect their skills or knowledge. John B. noted that if it were a requirement for graduation that the test might scare some away from majoring in NREM. Hugh said he did not believe it would be a graduation requirement. It would be a manner to gauge what the department was teaching successfully and so on. The faculty will benefit the most from this exam. However, he asked the board their thoughts on what would encourage students to take this exam and to take it seriously? Is there enough information gained to make administering the test worthwhile? Thad added that the department did not want students to study for this. The department just wants to find out what students are retaining. The question then becomes, if it is not a requirement what is the student's incentive to take it? Emily suggested that it be called a faculty evaluation and students will participate. Danesa agreed and said that if it was explained that the test was a tool for the department then students will be willing to take the exam and take it seriously. Amanda said that the exam could be used as a resume builder. The society discussed awarding a "certificate of competency" or awarding prizes to everyone who participates with more significant prizes for the top scorers.
Hugh requested that the board send him any quotes on their experiences with the department so that he could use it for publicity on the department's bulletin board. These quotes will also be put on the web. In other departmental publicity, Dr. Van Meter is filming the promotional video for the department. Upon completion, the video will be made available on the website and perhaps to high schools and groups of that nature.
Membership Update
Mike Scanlon was nominated for an opening on the NREM Alumni Society. Following Thad's motion to approve and Terry's second the motion unanimously carried. Sue will contact Mike.
Internship/Career Opportunities Day – Tuesday, January 25, 2005
John B. reported that Internship/Career Opportunities Day was outstanding and he thanked the board for their support. He was also pleased with the great participation from exhibitors and with how long the students stayed inside to visit with them. Danesa suggested that the NR Club have a booth next year in order to raise awareness and recruit members. Hugh agreed and said that there might be other appropriate student groups who could have a booth as well. Amanda requested that class year be placed on the nametags next year to identify alumni participants.
Awards Dinner – Friday, April 22, 2005
The Awards Committee met on January 12.Following Terry's move to approve and seconds from Emily and Denise the award recipients were unanimously approved. Ted Levin, '70 will receive the Award of Distinction and be the keynote speaker. He has been confirmed to attend. Former NREM Alumni Society member, Stan Lengerich, '86, was selected for the Award of Achievement. The Award of Merit will be presented to Ted Bohman, '97 and Jessica Huxhold Fliss, '98. Amanda will work on Ted Levin's introduction. She has marked some passages in his book, Liquid Land, that she thinks will be appropriate for the occasion.
There was some discussion on having a book signing with Ted Levin at the Awards Dinner as well as at the Earth Day festivities. One possibility would be to have the bookstore come to a signing prior to the reception at 5:00 or 5:30 p.m. The other possibility is to see if the bookstore and Ted Levin will be able to stay after the Awards Dinner.
Annual Outings
Bike Trip. The Cardinal Greenway Bike Trip is scheduled from 1:00-4:00 p.m. on April 30, 2005. After much discussion, it was decided that the trip would begin at the Depot and turn around at the New Medford Silo. Roundtrip this ride would be approximately 5 miles. Those who wish to can turn back at the Silo and the more ambitious riders can continue on to the reservoir. The publicity will request that riders bring their own lunch in order to picnic at the gravel lot in New Medford and will encourage riders to have helmets, water and maybe a power bar for the ride. The NR Club, Alumni Association or St.A.R.T. will assist with a refreshment stop halfway between the Depot and the Silo.
Adopt a River. John M. is going to start the Adopt a River application. If all goes well, the group will participate in their first clean-up on May 21, 2005. Amanda will check on partnership opportunities with Schwartz's for canoes. Mike will provide a truck and waste disposal for this trip. The second clean-up is scheduled for September 10, 2005 in conjunction with the White River clean-up.
Float Trip. The second annual float trip is scheduled for July 23, 2005 in Perkinsville. The fall back launch is Daleville.
Miscellaneous
Mike reported that Jerry Hartley is back on
Upcoming Events
- Cass County Basketball Watch Party in Logansport on February 12, 2005. Please visit http://www.bsu.edu/alumni/events/casscountyparty/ for more information
- Northeastern Indiana TGIF at
- Science Central Winter Break (Fort Wayne) on February 27, 2005. Please visit http://www.bsu.edu/alumni/events/sciencecentral/ for more information
- NREM Alumni Society Awards Dinner on April 22, 2005
- NREM Alumni Society Cardinal Greenway Bike Trip on April 30, 2005
- NREM Alumni Society Adopt-a-River Clean-up on May 21, 2005
- Alumni College will be held on June 11, 2005. Please visit www.bsu.edu/alumni/events for more information
Next Meeting
The meeting adjourned at 6:40 p.m. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, June 8, 2005 at 5:00 p.m. at Mounds State Park.
