October 1, 2005
| Fall Retreat Minutes Hotel at Oldtown, Wichita |
In attendance: Mike Swan, Butler County Community College; Gerard Attoun, Pittsburg State University; Stacy Sparks, Dodge City Community College; Janet Hallford, Hutchinson Community College; Steve Workman, Benedictine College; Kevin Page, Benedictine College; Kara Cunningham, Pratt Community College; Laura York, Garden City Community College; Tiffany Height, Garden City Community College; Lillian Martell, Friends University; Malcolm Gibson, University of Kansas; and Alan Montgomery, Hutchinson Community College. In addition, 15 student editors representing Dodge City Community College, Garden City Community College, Hutchinson Community College, Benedictine College and Friends University attended an editors’ retreat led by Dave Bostwick, Cowley Community College.
Meeting was called to order by President Stacy Sparks. She had everyone in attendance introduce him or herself. Then, the attendees split into two committees – a conference committee led by Kevin Page, and a contest committee led by Gerard Attoun.
After the committees concluded their meetings, the advisers’ retreat continued under the leadership of Stacy Sparks.
Kara Cunningham, secretary, passed out copies of the minutes from the spring meeting to those in attendance and also let the members know the minutes could be accessed from the KACP website. Steve Workman made a motion to accept the minutes as correct. Kevin Page seconded the motion. The minutes were approved.
Stacy Sparks passed out a treasurer’s report and current membership list for Dave Boswick, treasurer, who was leading the student editors’ workshop (see attached). Sparks reported there was $1,800 less in the KACP account this year as compared to October 2004 because KACP gave more money to the Student Press Law Center Defense Fund in 2005. This was due to SPLC not cashing KACP’s 2004 donation. Mike Swan made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report as correct. Janet Halford seconded the motion. The treasurer’s report was approved.
The donation to the SPLC led to discussion regarding the status of the ongoing 1st Ammendment issues affecting Barton County Community College and Kansas State University. Laura York asked the members what KACP should do regarding these situations. Alan Montgomery said he was in favor of a censure for the Barton County case. Malcolm Gibson will contact K-State regarding the situation there. No action was taken.
Stacy Sparks referred those in attendance to review the membership list. Several members volunteered to help call schools that were not KACP members to try to obtain a larger membership. The volunteers were as follows: Kara Cunningham, Barton County Community College; Gerard Attoun, Emporia State University; Stacy Sparks, Independence Community College; Steve Workman, Kansas City Kansas Community College; Malcolm Gibson, Kansas State University; Alan Montgomery, Ottawa University; Janet Halford, Sterling College; and Kevin Page, Washburn University and Wichita State University. Gerard Attoun, 1st vice president, passed out the Oklahoma Associated Collegiate Press contest judge volunteer list. He encouraged members to sign up to help judge the OCP contest since that organization gives KACP $700 for providing judges and also provides judges for the KACP contest. He also passed out the KACP contest volunteer list. Those volunteering include: Alan Montgomery (4-year public newspapers), Janet Halford (4-year private newspaper), and Attoun (online newspapers). Attoun said he would email those members not in attendance to obtain more volunteers for the 2-year public newspaper, yearbook and magazine competitions, as well as the OCP contest.
Attoun reported that the contest committee suggested KACP keep the overall category requirements the same as in past years and not adopt Anita Reed’s emailed proposal for changes. This recommendation is due to three criteria:
- does not limit the publications that publish less frequently from entering,
- contest is less confusing to organize for the contest coordinator and judge, and
- three consecutive issues are more representative of the quality of the publication. No changes were made to the contest.
Attoun reported that the contest committee suggested adding a copy editing category to the contest as per Gwyn Mellinger’s email. The committee suggested the following criteria for the contest:
- an individual not affiliated with KACP will prepare and judge the test,
- it will be judged based on Associated Press style,
- an AP stylebook and dictionary can be used by the contestant while taking the test ,
- the test will be completed during a time limit,
- it would be graded on the ability to edit body copy only, not a headline,
- the test would be administered on-site, during the 1st breakout session at the KACP spring convention, the students would be able to see the results of the editing during the convention,
- each school would be limited to 2 entries, and
- all students would compete in the same category, not to be divided into school type. Lillian Martell agreed to contact a Wichita Eagle copy editor to be a judge. Mellinger will coordinate the contest. Steve Workman made a motion that KACP add a copy editing contest as outlined above. Alan Montgomery seconded the motion. The copy editing contest was approved.
Attoun also reported that the contest committee did not suggest adding additional categories for investigative and/or in-depth reporting. This discussion was a continuance from the spring advisers’ meeting where adding additional categories was suggested. The committee thinks investigative writing could be entered in the series writing or news writing categories, and that in-depth reporting could be entered into news writing, feature writing or sports writing categories. The committee recommends not adding these categories because it believes the number of entries in these categories would be small. Attoun will rewrite the series and news writing categories to encourage investigative writing. However, entries that are investigative will not carry more weight than other entries in these categories during the judging process.
Attoun had members review the Student Work Report that accompanies overall (newspaper/yearbook/magazine) entries. The committee suggested the following changes: 1) remove the business management category, 2) add a copy editing category, 3) add “or will be disqualified” to the top of the work report, and 4) remove the questions regarding brands of computers used, programs used, and who sets type. Alan Montgomery made a motion to approve these changes. Steve Workman seconded the motion. The changes were approved.
Additional discussion regarding the contest followed. Kevin Page suggested that schools be required to type individual entries and the entrants’ list to reduce misspelled names on award certificates. Malcolm Gibson suggested emailing contest changes to the membership, and Laura York suggested that a letter needed to be sent to the judges that stated if entries did not abide by contest rules, they may be disqualified. Attoun will be responsible for making the changes to the contest and alerting members and judges of the changes.
Kevin Page, 2nd vice president, reported that the KACP spring convention would be April 9-10, 2006 at the Wichita Airport Hilton. He said bids will be sent to the Hyatt, Oldtown Hotel, Hilton and Marriott hotels in Wichita for the 2007 and 2008 conventions. The hotel bids will be for a block of 40 rooms for approximately 200 attendees. The members determined possible dates for these conventions as follows: April 15-16, 2007 (1st choice) or April 22-23, 2007 (2nd choice), and April 6-7, 2008 (1st choice) or April 13-14, 2008 (2nd choice). Laura York will send Page a former KACP bid request letter and conference document template.
Page then reported that the conference committee suggested the following schedule for the 2006 convention:
Sunday, April 9, 2006
- 3-5 p.m. Registration
- 4-5 p.m. Publication Critique
- 5:30-7 p.m. Awards w/snacks (soda, finger foods)
- 9 p.m. Advisers’ Reception
Monday, April 10, 2006
- 8-8:50
a.m.
- KACP Adviser Business Meeting
- Copy Editors’ Contest
- Break-out session
- Break-out session
- 9-9:50 a.m. Plagiarism session
- design session
- photography session
- 10-11:20 a.m. Keynote
- 11:30
a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- writing session-led by the Wichita Eagle copy judge
- design session
- photography session
- 12:30-2 p.m. Awards Luncheon
The changes from the previous year’s schedule were pointed out including the following: changing the time of the publication critiques and KACP adviser business meeting, adding the copy editing contest, and having Sunday’s meal be finger foods.
The keynote speaker will receive a $500 honorarium, room and meals during the convention. Malcolm Gibson will secure the speaker by Nov. 1, 2005. Some the of the conference committee suggestions for keynote include the following: Bill Kurtis; Arthur Sulzberger, NY Times; KU Alum writer @ Daily Show; Jim Richardson; Ben Bradley; John Siegenthaler Jr.; Gene Polinsky, First Amendment Center & Freedom Sings; and Bill Snead, Lawrence Journal World.
The conference committee suggested a variety of speakers for the conference. Speech topics included: photography, infographics, opinion writing, design, technology and plagiarism.
Kara Cunningham agreed to again coordinate the publication critiques.
Stacy Sparks led a discussion of old business. She reported that Anne Christen-Bullers had again volunteered to coordinate the Jackie Engel Award. Sparks then asked the attendees if KACP should again contribute to the Student Press Law Center. Steve Workman made a motion that KACP should donate $2,000 to SPLC. Laura York seconded the motion. The donation was approved. Workman then made a motion that $1,000 be donated by KACP to the College Media Adviser’s Legal Defense Fund. Kara Cunningham seconded the motion. The donation was approved.
Sparks opened discussion of new business. The attendees discussed having the 2006 Fall Adviser’s Retreat at the Oldtown Hotel in Wichita again. The preferred date would be the last weekend in September. Kevin Page will try to lock-in the room rate for under $100 right away as the hotel plans to increase room rates. Kara Cunningham briefly notified the members of a plagiarism violation that happened at Pratt Community College last year that resulted in a KACP award. She returned the award, briefed the membership on the action the Beaver Tale took, and apologized on behalf of the Beaver Tale staff. The members then discussed punishment for such violations. They determined that no action would be taken against the school in terms of its ability to enter the KACP contest.
Laura York made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Many members seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully
submitted,
Kara Cunningham, KACP Secretary
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