Texas Student Publications

Board of Operating Trustees

March 23, 2001

Minutes*

* Minutes for the March 23, 2001, TSP Board Meeting were approved by majority vote at the April 27, 2001 Meeting with one amendment. Please see April 27, 2001, Minutes, MOTION NO. 11 for the content of the amendment.

Voting members present: Sara Beechner, George Castillo, Craig Daniel, Dave Garlock, Don Heider, Ariel Santschi, Natasha Solce, Senyo Tse, Doug Toney.

Voting members absent: Stephen Little, Natalie Mayrath.

Non-voting members present: Margarita Arellano, Jenny Hager, Michael Hoffman, Jennie Kennedy, Kathy Lawrence, Rosa Madriz, Cecily Sailer, Stephen Silver, Ben Stroud.

Professional staff present: Mary Felps, Richard Finnell, Beverly Fisher, John Foxworth, Evelyn Gardner, Danny Grover, Jean Hogue, Dan Knight, Steve Metze, Douglas Plummer, Jack Simons, Jerry Thompson.

Visitors present: Matt Hammond, Shawn Rosenzweig, Daily Texan student staff members.

The meeting was called to order at 3:10 p.m. by Natasha Solce, TSPBoard president.

I. Report of the Executive Committee.

Garlock reported the Executive Committee met earlier in the day to discuss the monthly financial report for February and the TSPBudget for 2001-02. During the discussion of the 2001-02 proposed budget, Hogue explained that a computer error had not included an expense of $16,000 which needs to be added to overall expenses to cover long distance telephone charges.

MOTIONNO. 1: On behalf of the Executive Committee, Garlock moved to include the $16,000 expense

for anticipated telephone expenditures and, with the addition, approve the TSPbudget for 2001-02. The

motion passed.

II. New Business.

A. TSP’s Business Relationship with Orange magazine. To begin the discussion, Lawrence explained to the members of the Board that advertising space was sold by the advertising sales staff of The Daily Texan for the most current edition of the magazine. This cooperative effort in funding the publication involved the College of Communication, the Student Services Fee Committee, and advertising revenue from Texas Student Publications. Garlock, faculty adviser for Orange magazine, explained the project of a student-produced magazine needs more time to further develop before any formal relationship between TSP and Orange magazine can be considered or discussed. Further, he feels any commitment TSPestablishes with the publication at the present time should be very short term, perhaps only one year in duration and involve only the services of TSP’s organized sales staff.

In further discussion, Solce expressed concern that working in this manner with Orange magazine could set a precedence for other student media projects which, if adopted, might distract the focus of The Daily Texan sales staff from its primary assignment of selling advertising for The Daily Texan. Additionally, Beechner questioned if the time and effort devoted to Orange magazine sales could be better utilized on other media which are official entities of TSP.

MOTIONNO. 2: Toney moved to approve the sales arrangement between The Daily Texan advertising

staff and Orange magazine whereby advertising sales would be conducted for the next printed issue of

Orange magazine by The Daily Texan advertising staff. The motion passed.

B. Discussion of Elected Editor Strategy. Solce began the discussion by saying there was not a final report from the committee appointed in the fall to examine the selection of editor of The Daily Texan. Further, she said the committee and the members of the Board need more information before proceeding with further discussion such as a student referendum dealing with a TSPBoard-appointed editor and that all parties interested should prepare a sample TSP Handbook chapter for Board members to consider and evaluate which would reflect the necessary changes to the selection process. Further discussion continued. Toney said he feels there is no necessity for a student referendum as such action would create an emotional reaction when, in his opinion, the issue should be an administrative issue between the TSPBoard of Operating Trustees and the Board of Regents. Matt Hammond, student government president-elect, agreed with Toney saying the membership of the TSPBoard, as elected by the student body, sufficiently represents the voice of the students.

MOTION NO. 3: Garlock moved for the members of the TSP Board to make a decision on the issue to

either appoint or elect the editor of The Daily Texan. The motion did not receive a second and died.

Further discussion continued.

MOTION NO. 4: Beechner moved to assign the director of Texas Student Publications, after consulting all

viewpoints, to draft a proposal concerning the selection of editor of The Daily Texan with recommendations

for members of the TSPBoard to consider prior to the next TSPBoard meeting in April. The motion passed.

C. Addressing Concerns of Board Member’s Actions and Committee Functions. Solce requested she would prefer for members of Board committees to handle their assigned tasks and bring recommendations forward for all members of the TSPBoard to discuss and consider. In her opinion, Solce feels involving all members of the Board on committee assignments prevents effective committee function.

III. Approval of Minutes, January 26, 2001, TSPBoard Meeting.

MOTION NO. 5: Castillo moved to amend the Minutes of the January 26, 2001, TSPBoard Meeting to

reflect that the application of Brian J. Ferguson had been rejected for certification by the members of the

Board because Ferguson had not “completed at least one semester as a permanent staff member of The

Daily Texan in news, sports or on the copy desk” as required by the TSPHandbook of Operating Procedures

and due to the fact that his application had been received by the Office of the Director after the published

deadline. The motion passed.

MOTION NO. 6: Castillo moved to amend the Minutes of the January 26, 2001, TSPBoard Meeting to

reflect that Brian J. Ferguson attended the meeting as a visitor of record. The motion passed.

MOTIONNO. 7: Castillo moved to approved the Minutes of the January 26, 2001, TSPBoard Meeting

as amended. The motion passed.

IV. Approval of Minutes, February 9, 2001, TSPBoard Meeting.

MOTIONNO. 8: Castillo moved to approve the Minutes of the February 9, 2001, TSPBoard Meeting as

submitted. The motion passed.

V. Monthly Reports.

A. Stroud reported a total of 2,000 hits to the Texas Travesty web site in the one week period since the new web site was launched.

B. Garlock asked about the press run for The Daily Texan. Lawrence reported the daily number of copies had been reduced by 3,000, for a daily total of 27,000 copies per day, while adjustments were being made in circulation patterns.

C. Madriz said KVRX was noted one of the top five radio stations in Austin in a recent Austin Chronicle poll; the KVRX news staff covered the men’s final swim competition; and, the most recent KVRX compact disk was mentioned in an article in CMJ magazine.

D. Finnell reported TSP media had been awarded the Sweepstakes Prize by Sigma Delta Chi/Society of Professional Journalists in Region 8 competition.

E. Silver said the results of a recent viewer poll have been returned and are currently under evaluation. Even though no results are ready for presentation, response to the survey seem positive. Additionally, he reported the KVR news staff claimed first or second place in all news competition categories of the Sigma Delta Chi/Society of Professional Journalists for Region 8 and that the staff is still conducting negotiations on the contract with Burly Bear broadcasting.

F. Lawrence, in reference to the TSPmove to the Student Health Center, said current discussions lean toward the possibility of some offices of TSPmoving to the renovated facility, but at present there are doubts the entire organization will move. Concerning applications for managing editor for The Daily Texan, Lawrence suggested that applications for both summer and fall be considered for appointment by the members of the Board at the April meeting. There were no objections to this plan of action.

Solce adjourned the meeting.