The Communications Committee met via telephone conference beginning at 2 p.m. (central time) July 11, 2007, with Debbie Archer presiding. Others attending were Bob Reynolds, Anne Young, Gloria Mosby, Dee Shore and Frankie Gould.
Minutes from our most recent meeting, posted on the Web site, were approved without changes.
Debbie said that Dee Shore had been nominated to fill the term of Anne Young as vice chair and called for other nominations. Bob moved that nominations be closed. Debbie seconded the motion, and Dee was elected.
The committee then discussed agenda items for our August meeting in Louisville, KY. We will have 1.5 days to meet as a committee. Gloria indicated that the overall conference schedule is available on the SR-PLN Web site. Suggestions were as follows:
- National marketing initiative. As a member of a national extension marketing and communication committee created by the national Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP), Frankie Gould said she would like to discuss the committee's survey related to how to best market and promote Extension nationally. The results will be shared with ECOP at its upcoming meeting, and she requested 15 minutes or so on the communications committee's agenda to share those results and the marketing initiative's next steps. Frankie also mentioned that the national marketing committee has issued a request for proposals from private agencies to help determine a national marketing plan that can lead to templates and other materials useful at the state level.
- Moodle. Bob suggested that the committee be introduced to this new course management software being used by eXtension. He indicated that he could get more information and let Debbie know how much time to allow for this topic.
- eXtension. Debbie said she had asked Terry Meisenbach to provide an eXtension update, and he indicated that if he was not able to provide such an update that another eXtension leader would be able to. Frankie is on eXtension's marketing committee, and she indicated that several new developments could be addressed. Debbie said she'd touch base with Terry to discuss this further.
- SR-PLC representative. Gloria said our committee needs to elect a new representative to the SR-Program Leadership Committee. That representative must be from an 1890 institution.
- State reports. Meeting participants agreed that they would like to see the committee return to live state reports. Bob suggested that these be delivered on a tight schedule, and he said he would ask Nina Boston to make available for this year's reports the form that we used last year to submit the state reports.
- Journal of Extension . Gloria said that submissions to the Journal of Extension from 1890 institutions is low, and she would like to take about five minutes to discuss this during the meeting in Kentucky.
- Communications tour. Debbie said that Haven Miller is looking into communications tour options in the Louisville area, and she plans to follow up with him when he returns from vacation.
Debbie said that she would use these ideas to create a tentative agenda to share with the committee soon. Gloria encouraged those planning to attend the conference to make their hotel reservations now.
The committee adjourned at 3:25.
Respectfully submitted,
Dee Shore