JACC General Assembly Meeting
State Convention
March 28, 2009, 4:45 – 6:15 p.m.
DoubleTree Hotel, Sacramento
I. Call to Order
JACC Faculty President Jay Seidel called the meeting to order.
II. Roll Call (One student and one faculty member from each college must be present. Colleges with absent delegates will forfeit their on-the-spot awards.)
Communications Director Rich Cameron took roll. A faculty and student representative from each college attending the convention were present except for Sacramento City College, which had no delegates present. Secretary Beth Grobman distributed new directories to faculty.
III. Reports
A. State Faculty Report – President Jay Seidel
Seidel said that the students had been successful in electing three new student officers for the upcoming year. All attending delegates received four handouts: an agenda, an income/expense report for the general fund and two recommended measures from the Executive Board for a vote.
B. NorCal Faculty Report – Vice President Dympna Ugwu-Oju
Ugwu-Oju said that the NorCal conference will be held on Nov. 7 at San Jose State University and that volunteers are needed, especially to help with judging. Those willing to volunteer to be judging proctors should talk to Beth Grobman, who will be the NorCal judging coordinator.
C. SoCal Faculty Report – Vice President Danny Edwards
Edwards said that the SoCal conference will be held Oct. 23-24 at CSU Fullerton. Delegates at the prior SoCal faculty meeting decided to cut back on the food the Friday night of the conference in order to save money.
D. Communications Directory – Rich Cameron
Cameron said that he’s received reports from students that the Web site is difficult to navigate. He asked for JACC members to contact him to give him specific suggestions on how to improve the site. His e-mail address is: rich@rcameron.com. Cameron said that JACC has two Facebook accounts: JACC Journalists and Journalism Association of Community Colleges.
E. Events Coordinator Report – Timi Poeppelman
Poeppelman said that she is still investigating potential sites for the convention in 2012, including Ontario, Calif. and Burbank. San Diego, which was discussed earlier, no longer looks viable.
F. Treasurer’s Report – Jacque Thomley
Treasurer Thomley presented an Income/Expense report for the General Fund (which is separate from the convention fund and the regional funds). For the period July 1, 2008 – March 28, 2009, JACC expenses are $4,814.67 and Business and Operations Expenses are $18,079.49, resulting in a deficit of $10,594.16. She expects a larger deficit by the end of the fiscal year. The report also showed the possible effect on the bottom line if the dues were raised to $300, $400, and $500. At $500 (a $300 increase), the bottom line would be a positive $2,500.
IV. Motions
A. Language Change
The Executive Board brought forth to the General Assembly a recommendation for a change to the JACC Constitution regarding student officers and ethical adherence as follows: Approve recommended wording* to include clarification that JACC board members must adhere to the JACC Canons of Journalism and the consequences of violating them. The Board requested the addition of this language because a former student board member had been found guilty of plagiarism in the college’s newspaper. Patricia Stark called the question. The motion passed unanimously with a ballot-box vote.
* Recommended wording is:
Under Article III, Sections 1 and 2, add the following to the end of each paragraph: and adhere to the JACC Canons of Journalism. Under Section VII, add the following to the end of the paragraph: Directors may also be removed for not upholding the JACC Canons of Journalism.
B. Dues Increase
The Executive Board brought forth to the General Assembly an increase in annual membership fees to $500:
Recommendation by the Executive Board to increase annual membership fees from $200 to $500 to cover operating cost of the organization.
The Board recommends adoption of this measure as a way to meet the rising operating costs of the organization and to maintain its standard operation.
Adoption of this recommendation would allow a projected net income of $2,500 annually, moving it from the current $10,594.16 deficit and making the association solvent.
Further, the Board requests adoption of this increase to the membership fees as an alternate to raising the individual delegate fees at the annual conference, and will replace the previously approved surcharge.
Discussion included debate on both sides.
PRO:
(1) It would balance the budget,
(2) dues haven’t increased in 8-10 years although expenses have increased,
(3) the Board has already taken many steps to limit expenses and generate funds (such as Poeppelman donating her Lake Tahoe cabin for board meetings to save on hotel costs and two attempts at dinner/auction fundraisers,
(4) JACC would still be a bargain at the increased fee, and provides more services than similar organizations,
(5) The convention income can’t help support the organization because it breaks even (makes about $15,000 in Sacramento and loses about $15,000 in L.A.).
CON:
(1) Some colleges couldn’t afford the higher dues and would drop out,
(2) A dues increase of this magnitude would affect the smaller colleges more.
(3) Dues shouldn’t be raised; instead expenses should be cut. Suggestions included eliminating the two breakfasts at the convention and asking the Board to meet by teleconference instead of in person;
(4) Members don’t want to vote to raise dues when they haven’t seen a convention budget and a more detailed accounting of all the funding.
Poeppelman, Cameron, Thomley and Seidel spoke about the budget and how the books are being kept. The accounting procedures are in the process of being switched to a new accounting system and a full report is not yet available. Also, it is impossible to present a convention budget report at the convention, as all invoices will not be in for several weeks. The Board looks at the convention budget at its June meeting. Thomley said her goal is to offer budget transparency.
Mary Mazzocco called the question. The motion passed 70 to 17 with a ballot box vote.
Suggestions given before and after the vote included:
Toni Albertson asked the Board to consider how JACC will make sure that colleges don’t leave JACC because of an inability to pay higher dues. She also suggested that colleges with more money could help out colleges with less money.
Cameron said that he could include this item on the standard JACC dues invoice.
Juan Gonzales wanted the Board to come up with ideas for hardship cases, and suggested that colleges that couldn’t afford the higher dues could ask for donations, and those donations could go straight to JACC and be earmarked to help a certain college with its dues.
Alan Lovelace asked for an assurance that the dues not “be blown”, requiring the Board to come back in a couple of years asking for another raise in fees.
Mary Mazzacco said that journalism programs were more likely to get additional funding from their administration if they sold the administration on the positive aspects of JACC membership, rather than approaching the challenge expecting a negative response.
Anne Belden suggested meeting every year in Sacramento, since it is cheaper than L.A.
A student suggested that Board members ask students to help fundraise.
A student said that JACC members were writers, and “we should be able to write ourselves out of this (problem).”
V. Adjournment
Stark moved that we adjourn the meeting. Several people seconded; motion passed.
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