Texas Student Publications

Board of Operating Trustees

February 8, 2002

Minutes

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

Voting members absent: Doug Toney.

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

Non-voting members absent: Meredith Best, Karen Fastenau, Matt Hammond.

Professional staff present: Mary Felps, Beverly Fisher, John Foxworth, Evelyn Gardner, Jean Hogue, Frank Serpas, Jack Simons, Jerry Thompson.

Visitors present: Laura Cruzada, James Dallas, Melissa Drosjack, Brian Ferguson, Jesse Harris, Jason Hunter, Jonathan Lee, Coleman Lewis, Ryan Pittman, Rachel Stone.

The meeting was called to order at 3:09 p.m. by Craig Daniel, TSP Board president.

I. Consideration of Nominees for the Julia Jeffress Award for Excellence.

Garlock explained there was one item of business for the Executive Committee: awarding the Julia Jeffress Award for Excellence.

MOTION NO. 1: Garlock moved to award the Julia Jeffress Award for Excellence. The motion passed.

II. Student Oral Reports.

A. KVR-TV. Connor said KVR-TV will participate in the campus-wide food drive to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank, scheduled to begin on February 18. Additionally, she reported the staff began televised coverage of basketball games last week and the initial broadcast went very well.

B. The Daily Texan. Maher expressed his happiness due to the larger newspapers which have been published recently. He and Finan are working on ideas for the TSP Handbook Revision Committee to consider.

C. The Daily Texan. Finan was equally pleased with the increased number of pages in recent editions of The Daily Texan. Gardner said national advertising has been slow to improve but the excellent work of the student sales staff has greatly increased advertising sales for local clients. Finan said a packet of information, concerning prior review, will be distributed to members of the Board in a few days.

D. Texas Travesty. Rosen said the January-February issue is currently in distribution and plans for a student election parody are underway, with a 24-page issue planned for March. Three students are dedicated to advertising sales for this expanded issue.

III. Financial Report.

Hogue discussed the financial report with the members of the Board and explained a new format which includes footnotes. Final figures have been calculated for 2000-01 and reflect a $42,000 net loss which will be covered by TSP reserves. Currently, however, the income for The Daily Texan is improving, Cactus Yearbook representation has considerably improved, and KVR-TV continues doing well in production income. Gardner said an increase in Supplemental Services income is anticipated for March as TSP has been selected to print the Explore UT! tabloid. Lawrence said she feels comfortable with the TSP budget as amended earlier in the fall semester.

IV. Certification of Candidates for The Daily Texan Editor and TSP Board Student Positions.

A. Editor of The Daily Texan.

1. Jesse Harris addressed the members of the Board concerning his application for certification. Daniel noted Harris meets all qualifications.

MOTION NO. 2: Rosenzweig moved to certify Jesse Harris to stand for election for editor of The Daily

Texan. The motion passed.

2. Jason Hunter addressed the members of the Board concerning his application for certification. Hoffman initiated a discussion of the grade point average requirement for candidates. Hunter’s grade point average, as reflected on his application for certification, is 2.4897; the requirement is 2.5. Several members of the Board expressed the opinion that the difference in the two figures was inconsequential to Hunter’s certification.

MOTION NO. 3: Rosenzweig moved to certify Jason Hunter to stand for election for editor of The Daily

Texan. The motion passed; Tse objected.

B. TSP Board of Operating Trustees.

1. Coleman Lewis addressed the members of the Board concerning his application for the TSP Board Student Member, College of Communication, Place 2 and 3 positions.

MOTION NO. 4: Zamora moved to certify Coleman Lewis to stand for election for the TSP Board Student

Member, College of Communication, Place 2 and 3 positions. The motion passed.

2. Sergio Chapa was not present. Daniel noted Chapa meets the requirements for the TSP Board Student Member, College of Communication, Place 1 [unexpired term] position. Certification was postponed until later in the meeting.

3. Laura Cruzada addressed the members of the Board concerning her application for the TSP Board Student Member, College of Communication, Place 1 [unexpired term] position. Daniel noted Cruzada meets all requirements for the position.

MOTION NO. 5: Heider moved to certify Laura Cruzada to stand for election for the TSP Board Student Member, College of Communication, Place 1 [unexpired term] position. The motion passed.

Zamora said she called Chapa. He was not aware that status as a registered UT Austin student was required to serve as a student member of the Board. Chapa is scheduled to graduate in May 2002.

MOTION NO. 6: Hoffman moved to certify Sergio Chapa to stand for election for the TSP Board Student

Member, College of Communication, Place 1 [unexpired term] position. The motion passed.

4. James Dallas addressed the members of the Board concerning his application for the TSP Board Student Member, College of Communication, Place 1 [unexpired term] position. During his presentation, Dallas requested to be certified for the TSP Board Student Member, College of Communication, Place 2 [unexpired term] position instead of the TSP Board Student Member, College of Communication, Place 1 [unexpired term] position. Discussion of his request followed.

MOTION NO. 7: Heider moved to approve Dallas’ request and thereby certify him to stand for election for the TSP Board Student Member, College of Communication, Place 2 and 3 positions. The motion

passed; Hoffman objected.

5. Jonathan Lee addressed the members of the Board concerning his application for the TSP Board Student Member At-large, Place 1 position. Daniel noted Lee meets all requirements for the position.

MOTION NO. 8: Heider moved to certify Jonathan Lee to stand for election for the TSP Board Student

Member, At-large, Place 1 position. The motion passed.

MOTION NO. 9: Heider moved to reconsider the certification of James Dallas for the TSP Board, Student

Member, College of Communication, Place 2 and 3 positions. The motion passed.

MOTION NO. 10: Tse moved to certify James Dallas to stand for election for the TSP Board Student

Member, College of Communication, Place 1 [unexpired term] position. The motion passed; Rosenzweig

objected.

6. Brian Ferguson addressed the members of the Board concerning his application for the TSP Board Student Member, College of Communication, Place 2 and 3 positions. Daniel noted Ferguson met all requirements for the positions.

MOTION NO. 11: Tse moved to certify Brian Ferguson to stand for election for the TSP Board Student

Member, College of Communication, Place 2 and 3 positions. The motion passed.

7. Jessica Scott was not present. Daniel reported she had withdrawn her application for certification.

V. Recognition of Student Staff Awards.

MOTION NO. 12: Hoffman moved to adopt the following resolution:

Resolved: That the Board of Operating Trustees commends and congratulates Kristin Finan for winning

the Scripps-Howard Foundation “Most Valuable Staffer” Award; 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.

VI. Approval of January 25, 2002, TSP Board Meeting Minutes.

MOTION NO. 13: Beechner moved to approve the Minutes of the January 25, 2002, TSP Board Meeting.

The motion passed.

MOTION NO. 14: Hoffman moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed.