President John Bergman called the meeting to order at 4:35 p.m. following NREM Internship Day. 

Minutes
The minutes from the September 15, 2005 meeting were unanimously approved as written following Terry's motion and Emily's second.

Alumni Council Report
Terry was unable to attend the Alumni Council meeting on January 21. The following information comes from the meeting's minutes. At Council, Tom DeWeese noted that three trustee terms ended December 31, 2005 (a short time after the Council meeting, Marianne Glick, Barbara Gaylor and Frank Hancock were appointed to these openings). The new athletics director, Tom "TC" Collins, began work at Ball State on January 9, 2006. Don Park, vice president of University Advancement, announced his retirement, effective June 30, or upon the hire of a new vice president.

Ed Shipley answered questions about the new basketball ticket sales policy (effective next season). He noted that many universities have similar plans that relate seating and contributions to athletics or the university. Essentially, a benefactor will be given priority in obtaining and keeping preferred seats in the arena.   Total assets for the Ball State Foundation in 2005 were $172,942,643. It was noted that the number of alumni donors increased in 2004-2005 by eight percent and gifts for 2005-06 are up 66% from this point in 2004-05. Ed reviewed the Alumni Involvement Index for 2005 for the Council. The index, established in 2001, is a means to measure participation of alumni and friends with the Alumni Association.

The next two Alumni Council meetings will be Saturday, April 29, 2006 and Saturday, September 9, 2006 (followed by Ball State vs. IU football).

Departmental Report
Hugh reported that the Mortensen Fellowship is now endowed. The first award will be made for the upcoming academic year. In other news, the department recently held a faculty retreat for strategic planning and assessment. The department is considering a name change to increase marketability and presence. A Google search on "environmental management" brings up mostly regulatory agencies. A search on "environment and resource sciences" would have a greater impact for the department as it brings up educational results.   The earliest any name change might take effect would be the 2006 fall semester. A ripple effect from the name change might involve some curriculum adjustments. This could slow the process slightly.

Thad stated that the proposal for an interdisciplinary program in homeland security was submitted to the dean in October. After concerns about administering the program were addressed (it will be an NREM program) and a couple of minor adjustments were made at the request of the dean, everything is back on track. The proposal will be heard by the curriculum committee in the near future. 

Old Business
Career Day. Hugh reported that Career Day went very well. He said that attendance was down slightly with approximately 40 attending.

Archives. Sue reminded the board to submit any original items (letters, awards, mail pieces, and memorabilia) related to their service on the NREM Alumni Society to her. The items will be archived at Bracken Library.

New Business
Membership. The board unanimously agreed to accept Jason Hignite's resignation following Tim J.'s move to approve and Dean's second.  Jason's term was completed in December and, given all his traveling for work, he did not feel he had enough time to commit to the board of directors. The board entertained nominations for Jason Hignite's position and Jason Massey's recently vacated position. Following a vote, it was agreed that Sue would send a letter to two potential members to invite them to join the board. John B. said he would contact those who have missed two or more meetings to determine their commitment.

Internship Day.  The board agreed that Internship Day was very successful. Records indicate that 124 students attended. Slightly more than half of the student attendees were NREM affiliated. Twenty-three organizations were represented, including the NR Club, and several others submitted materials for a table display. Thirteen of the exhibitors were Ball State alumni.

Bike Trip. Denise is working with Cardinal Greenway to arrange the same bike route previously considered by the board. The ride will begin at the Muncie Depot and continue to Medford. Those who want to continue on to the reservoir may do so on their own.  It was decided that reservations may need to be taken online to appropriately gauge refreshment needs at the Medford stop. However, a sign-in at the Depot may also be effective. The bike ride will be held on April 8 in order to include students. April 9 is a rain date.

Earth Week. Hugh noted that Earth Day is Friday, April 21, 2006. The tent will be open from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and the departmental awards will be held at 4:00 p.m. The NR Club will be sending out invitations for the departmental awards. Terry requested that board members try to come early and attend this to show support for the students.  Hugh is trying to finalize Gloria Flora of Sustainable Obtainable Solutions to be the keynote speaker for Earth Week 2006. The keynote will present at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19.

Awards.  Tim J. reported for the awards committee and submitted three candidates for recognition at the NREM Alumni Awards Dinner on April 21. The recipients were unanimously approved by the board. The Award of Merit will be given to Kyle Johnson, '01. The Award of Achievement will go to Sheryl Myers, '71MA76. The Award of Distinction will be presented to Dr. Charles Mortensen.   Several nominations were made for the 2007 awards as well.

River Clean-Up. John noted that two river clean-ups approximately 4 months apart (May and September) are required for the board's adopted area of the river.  It was decided that the board will clean-up on May 20 and everyone can bring their own sack lunch.  On September 16, all NREM alumni will be invited to participate.  There was some discussion on changing the route based on the new location of the White River Canoe Company. However, the additional miles might be a deterrent to participants. John M. is working on the details and the information will be distributed via e-mail to the board in March.

Involvement. Emily noted that new trail maps were coming out for the state. She mentioned that the board could try various areas for future activities – go to where the alumni are. Thad suggested the Monon Trail might be a nice location given the amount of alumni in the area. John M. said that he still liked the idea of "Behind the Scenes" at the zoo or a similar activity that would involve kids. John B. and Terry will talk with Paul Grayson at the Indianapolis Zoo about this potential activity. Terry said that he liked the "bring a buddy" idea to increase participation at NREM alumni events.

Next Meeting
The meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m. The next meeting will be held on Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 3:00 p.m. in the Alumni Center. The pre-game rally and a night home football game will follow.