Texas Student Publications

Board of Operating Trustees

September 28, 2001

 

Minutes

 

 

Voting members present: Craig Daniel, Dave Garlock, Don Heider, Michael Hoffman, Stephen Little, Natalie Mayrath, Shawn Rosenzweig, Senyo Tse, Amanda Zamora.

 

Voting members absent: Sara Beechner, Doug Toney.

 

Non-voting members present: Meredith Best, Caroline Connor, Kristin Finan, Kathy Lawrence, Rosa Madriz, Marshall Maher, Trevor Rosen.

 

Non-voting members absent: Margarita Arellano, Matt Hammond. 

 

Professional staff present: Mary Felps, Richard Finnell, John Foxworth, Evelyn Gardner, Danny Grover, Jean Hogue, Dan Knight, Steve Metze, Doug Plummer, Frank Serpas, Jack Simons, Jerry Thompson, Joan Whitaker.    

 

Visitors present: Ge Chen, Nicki James, Juan Rodriquez,  Brian Wellborn.    

 

The meeting was called to order at 3:12 p.m. by Craig Daniel, TSP Board president.

 

I. Recognition of Students Who Won Awards.

 

Daniel recognized students from TSP who won awards in Southwestern Journalism Congress competition, the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence competition, and the National Newspaper Association Better Newspaper contest.

 

            MOTION NO. 1: Hoffman moved to adopt the following resolution:

 

            Resolved: That the Board of Operating Trustees commends and congratulates:

 

            (a) The Daily Texan staff and individual staff members for awards received at the 2001 Southwestern

            Journalism Congress,

 

            (b) The Cactus staff for awards received at the 2001 Southwestern Journalism Congress,

 

            (c) The Cactus staff for completing the 2001 yearbook on schedule,

 

            (d) The Daily Texan staff and individual staff members for awards received in the 2000 Society

            of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence competition,

 

            (e) The Daily Texan staff for awards received in the 2001 National Newspaper Association Better

            Newspaper contest; and

 

            Resolved, That the Director be authorized to place house ads in The Daily Texan and other student

            media, subject to available space, expressing the sense of the Board of Operating Trustees in this

            resolution.

 

            The motion passed.

II. Report of the President.

 

Daniel referred to his written report distributed with the meeting agenda. He discussed his appointments to TSP committees and the letter he wrote to Dr. James Vick, vice president for student affairs, and Mary Knight, budget director. Concerning the letter, Daniel said he would keep Board members informed of further developments. Finally, Daniel opened discussion concerning HoffmanÕs suggestion to create an email group list for TSP Board members. Discussion followed. Daniel requested a motion concerning the email group list but no motion was offered.

 

Hoffman called attention to the open meeting booklets he distributed before the meeting began and Lawrence introduced Ge Chen from the Dean of Student Office who attended the meeting in the absence of Margarita Arellano.

 

III. Approval of April 27, 2001, Minutes.

 

Hoffman noted that one change to the April 27, 2001, TSP Board Minutes, requested at the August 24 meeting, had not been made: ÒUnder item II-a, insert ÔBest had completed 59 hours of college work.Õ after ÔBest did not meet requirement III-2 which stipulates applicants must have completed at least 60 hours of college work.ÕÓ

 

            MOTION NO. 2: Rosenzweig moved to approve the Minutes of the April 27, 2001, TSP Board meeting

            as amended. The motion passed.

 

IV. Approval of August 24, 2001, Minutes.

 

To more accurately reflect HogueÕs comments when discussing financial matters at the August 24, 2001, meeting, she requested ÒFurther, Hogue expressed concern dealing with changes ...Ó  be stricken from the Minutes and replaced with ÒIn reference to utility expenses, Hogue noted that changes had been made ...Ó

 

            MOTION NO. 3: Hoffman moved to approve the Minutes of the August 24, 2001, TSP Board meeting

            as amended. The motion passed.

 

V. Report of the Executive Committee.

 

Garlock reported the Executive Committee had met earlier in the day and, in addition to appointing him chairman of the group, discussed the items listed below.

 

a. Preliminary report for 2000-2001 year-end. Hogue reviewed a preliminary year-end report for 2000-2001 with the members of the Board.

 

b. Update on Daily Texan circulation. Lawrence reported the press run for The Daily Texan was set at 27,000 copies per day with a 20 percent return rate. Following September 11, however, returns dropped substantially and, as a result, the press run was increased to 30,000 copies for Friday, September 24. Serpas discussed his newly-implemented tracking system which records the number of returns on a box-by-box basis.

 

c. Lease renewal for 2421 San Antonio. Lawrence reported the lease for 2421 San Antonio, which is currently occupied by the advertising staff, will expire in November. The Executive Committee discussed the lease at length and requested Lawrence compile additional information before making a decision on renewing the lease.

 

VI. Monthly Reports.

 

a. Report of the director. Lawrence referred to her written report distributed with the meeting agenda and had nothing to add. Little asked about the ÒWhereÕs BevoÓ promotion in the Texan. Gardner explained how the promotion works and reported there were 75 entries for the first week of the 8-week program.

 

b. KVRX. Madriz opened discussion concerning the loading dock door in the Student Health Center which has been reported and repaired but still does not close properly. Lawrence urged Madriz to let members of the full-time TSP staff know and the door will be repaired or replaced if necessary. Madriz announced all members of the Board were invited to attend an open house at KVRX following the meeting.

 

c. KVR9. Knight reported the KVR9 staff has experienced an increase in requests for outside production work which should reflect favorably on KVR9 income figures. Further, he said, despite a new staff, the quality of news casts and volleyball programs has remained high.

 

d. Daniel urged all members of the Board to have their Cactus Yearbook portraits taken and congratulated the staffs of all TSP media on the coverage of the events of September 11.

 

VII. Consideration of Liz Carpenter Award for Excellence.

 

Lawrence referred to her written report submitted to the members of the Board with the meeting agenda.

 

            MOTION NO. 4: Zamora moved to instruct the director to proceed with the staff of the UT development

            office to develop the proper wording to establish the award. The motion passed.

 

            MOTION NO. 5: Heider moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed.