- Confirmation of Future Meeting Dates (all passed without objection)
- Second Quarter: May 30th, 2024 from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM (first hour for headshots/social)
- Third Quarter: August 15th, 2024 from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
- Fourth Quarter: November 14th, 2024 from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
- Additional details about headshots
- Taken at beginning of next meeting
- For the Fall 2024 Community Program Guide, since not everyone has a high-quality, professional headshot
- Headshots will be given to Advisory Council members and can be used for other purposes (social media profiles, vitae, etc.)
- A backup date will be set, if necessary
- Advisory Council members can choose to opt-out, though it is strongly preferred that they participate
- Spring 2024 Progress Report (Daniel)
- Hops and Harmonies is slated to be a tremendous success (63 registered at the time of the meeting)
- Psychology of a Serial Killer is turning out to be another tremendous success (67 registered at the time of meeting)
- All programs, across the board, have increased numbers of participants.
- Question: Are there any programs that aren't doing so well?
- Every program is reaching about 10 - 20 registrants during the month before it occurs, which is also when we start advertising outside of the Community Program Guide.
- Most of this progress is thanks to our Advisory Council members, who have made tremendous efforts to distribute the Community Program Guide and tell others within the community about the Academy of Lifelong Learning. Thank you, Advisory Council members!
- Community Program Guide Progress Report
- There were ~460 guides remaining, out of the 1,500 that were printed.
- Of these guides, Program Coordinator Daniel would like to retain 70 (a box) for future speaking events throughout the semester.
- This leaves ~390 left to distribute.
- Advisory Council member Chris Houchens states that the Charleston Carnegie Public Library is most of the way through their second box. He anticipates that they will be able to go through a third box.
- This will mean that ~390 guides will remain and that there will be ~320 to distribute.
- Other Advisory Council members report that they have been checking back on the spots that they distributed to and are having to restock at certain locations
- Locations that were mentioned that needed to be restocked included:
- First-Mid
- Lincoln Garden Family Restaurant
- Charleston Carnegie Public Library
- Again, the success of these efforts is due mostly to the efforts of the Advisory Council. Thank you!
- Committees
- Promotion Committee: Shelley Crouch, Alice Shonk, Ann Spear, Terry Smith, [Brenda Crimmins]
- Fundraising Committee: Carolyn Stevens (unavailable until mid-March), Roxanne Frey, Jamie Willis, [Rich Wandling]
- While there are plenty of committee members, it is noted that any additional help would be appreciated.
- Volunteers to be added are denoted with brackets above. Brenda is not volunteering, but we will keep her on the mailing list and she will help when she can.
- Polls will be sent out at 2:00 PM, around the end of the meeting, for each committee to agree to a time/date for their first meeting
- Help for Hops and Harmonies is solicited (pouring/delivering beers, collecting admission fees at the door, collecting donations, filling in where otherwise needed)
- Volunteers will be fed and allowed to taste the beers.
- Rich Wandling, Brenda Crimmins, Judy Brown, and Terry Smith volunteer.
- Volunteers may show up anytime after noon, but between 5 - 6 PM on the 29th of February will be most helpful. The event will take place at the Charleston Country Club.
- Thoughts on an SMS reminder system for Academy Events (including events in the guide and Advisory Council meetings, among others) are solicited.
- It was explained that this involves having individuals opt-in. Opting out is easy, by just sending a text that says "STOP". Individuals who opt-in will be manually tagged for the courses that they register for and automated reminder messages will be sent to those with certain tags.
- Roxanne Frey asked about the cost of such a system.
- Most had positive things to say about doing things this way.
- This method avoids the rigor of manually sending e-mails for reminders, which is a very flawed method.
- Suggestions for Fall 2024 Community Program Guide
- Daniel introduces list of Road Scholars and explains that one may be picked for Fall 2024 since we will be having Chris Vallillo visit us using an ArtsTour & Live Music grant. Chris is booked up through the Road Scholar Speakers Bureau.
- Daniel states that November will be Native American Heritage Month and that it may be meaningful to select a speaker that is related to that.
- Daniel states that outside of EIU's Giving Day, which takes place in the summer, the Day of Giving (or Giving Tuesday) is celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Daniel would like to do a fundraiser on that day, which is December 3rd, 2024. He suggests something simple that involves families, such as having local families come to donate and get a picture with someone dressed as Santa.
- Fall 2024 Community Program Guide suggestions are turned over to the Advisory Council membership.
- The conversation begins with Road Scholar Kim Sigafus's presentation Singing Bird and the Importance of Native American Women in Illinois History.
- Many seem to like this suggestion for November
- It is suggested that this could be used for Women's History Month, next March if we cannot book Kim for Fall 2024.
- Another suggests Ernest Whiteman's Road Scholar program, No One Ever Sees Indians: Native Americans in Media. This is, perhaps, relevant because of the new Hulu series Reservation Dogs.
- It is mentioned that a program about the Trail of Tears could be relevant and interesting.
- Others suggest that we should host Untold African American Stories, which is done by Mary Frances, a Road Scholar. This may be meaningful for February.
- Others said that they would like the presentation that Road Scholar Norman Moline does, The National Park Service in Our Region: Places to Experience Our Cultural History.
- Enthusiasm is expressed for the presentation Latin Hip Hop as a New Poetry by Road Scholar Maria Johnson.
- Daniel clarifies that the Academy may only host two Road Scholars per year (one per Spring/Fall semester).
- It is suggested that some of these presentations could be brought in through a collaborative effort between the Academy and other departments on campus, who may use gift funds to help advance partner programs.
- In the case of Latin Hip Hop as a New Poetry, organizations like LASO (Latin American Student Organization) may be interested.
- The discussion turns to asking other departments for presenters who want to showcase new projects/work.
- Roxanne Frey mentions that faculty lectures are occurring on Thursdays at Booth Library. She suggests that this may be a good place to solicit presenters. (Later research revealed that this series is called Authors@EIU)
- It is suggested that Bill Passalacqua of Bill Poss Music may be able to host a songwriting workshop for adults, children, and teens. Contact information is relayed to Program Coordinator Daniel. Bill's organization is a 501(c)(3) that has conducted similar workshops at Casey, IL's library with a turnout of around 20.
- Members discuss the value of technological help. Chris Houchens volunteers that the Charleston Carnegie Public Library offers one-on-one technological help as well as workshops for those who are interested.
- It is mentioned that agism (read: not aging) would be an interesting topic to present.
- Rich Wandling mentions that he vaguely recalls a presentation done at the Lifespan Center by the Academy about aging. He later revealed in an e-mail that it was in the Fall 2019 semester and included topics such as common myths about older adults, the effects of ageism, the impact of language, and advocacy/how to be an advocate.
- Future presenters could include those from Social Psychology and Gerontology backgrounds.
- Dancing is mentioned as another topic of interest (salsa, square dancing, line dancing, or any form)
- It is mentioned that this may be best done as a series.
- In the leadup to the election of 2024, it is mentioned that it may be a good idea to have presentations about topics such as the electoral college.
- Discussion occurs about maintaining civil discourse and avoiding hostile environments when discussing political topics.
- Having discussion groups with a slated topic is discussed briefly.
- Daniel mentions that future meetings may use the OWL Camera so that members who cannot attend in person are more likely to be able to. Meetings will still occur in person and will be the same. This will just allow the addition of remote participants if necessary.
- The meeting is adjourned at 2:06 PM.
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