Meeting

Where	Loren Eiseley Branch Library, Lincoln
When	10:00AM - 12:00PM

Minutes

Academic Freedom Coalition of Nebraska

Board Meeting Minutes

July 8, 2006 at Eiseley Branch Library

Present:

Peggy Adair, legislative liaison

Dwayne Ball, representing ACLU Nebraska and the Nebraska Association of Scholars

Karen Buckley, AFCON secretary and representing Nebraska Educational Media Association

Jim Bunstock, representing Nebraska Writer’s Guild

Joanne Chapuran, representing the Nebraska High School Press Association

Nancy Comer, representing the Nebraska State Reading Association

Jodene Glaesmann, representing the Nebraska Library Association, Intellectual Freedom Committee

Bob Haller, president

Dick Herman, representing Nebraska Press Association

Mel Krutz, representing Nebraska Center for the Book

Laurie Thomas Lee, UNL Faculty Senate

Cathi McMurtry, treasurer

Dave Moshman, AFCON policy coordinator

Doug Paterson, UNO Faculty Senate

Mary Reiman, LPS media services

Opening Haller called the meeting to order at 10:07 a.m.

Minutes: (Buckley) Minutes of the June 10 board meeting, taken by acting secretary Dwayne Ball, were distributed. The minutes were approved, following a motion by Paterson and second by Herman.

Treasurer’s report: (McMurtry) The treasurer’s report, showed a balance of $1476.01, with 38 individual members and 14 organizational members current with dues. The treasurer’s report was approved, upon a motion by Adair and a second by Herman.

President’s report: Haller is still trying to recruit, the social scientists, Kearney Faculty Senate and the science teachers as organizational meetings. He e-mailed two of the groups but received no response. More follow up is planned. Haller also stated his interest in the recent No Child Left Behind report, which said Nebraska was not in compliance with the national legislation and would be denied funding as a result.

Policy Coordinator: Moshman noted that the Linocln Journal Star’s recent series on Lincoln Public Schools’ comprehensive sex education did not generate any objections in letters to the editor.

Newsletter: The deadline for the next issue of the Sentinel will be about Aug. 20. Haller also noted that the AFCON website has been updated.

Membership Reports:

Krutz reported that the annual meeting for the Nebraska Center for the Book will be held Sunday, Nov. 5 at 2:00 p.m. at the Center for Great Plains Studies with Dr. John Cole of the Library of Congress as the key note speaker. Please come.

The Nebraska Book Festival will be held on Oct. 6 -7 at Wesleyan U. AFCON will have a non-profit information table there. Needed: help in attending it--anyone?

Paterson said that faculty members at UNO have been questioning why two faculty members were not reappointed. The decision by the UNO Academic Freedom Committee not to have hearings to examine the two cases stunned some members.
Comer noted that the State Reading Association met June 17. She has written an article emphasizing AFCON activities relating to teachers that will be printed in the Nebraska Reader.
Chaperon said that the Nebraska Highs School Press Association summer workshop is scheduled for July 24-25.
Glaesmann noted that the NLA/NEMA fall conference will be Oct. 25-27 at the Omaha Quest Center. AFCON traditionally has a table at that conference.

New Business:

It was reported that the Nebraska Congressional Delegation is very concerned about Nebraska being targeted by the No Child Left Behind Act. Reiman said that she would forward any letter or statement AFCON would make to an aide to Sen. Nelson. Haller distributed a memorandum addressed to all Nebraskans from Doug Christensen, Commissioner of Education for the State of Nebraska regarding “Statement of the Commissioner of Education Regarding State’s Assessment System and its Compliance with the Requirements of No Child Left Behind.” Bunstock moved, and Moshman seconded, that Haller write a letter in support of Christensen and that the letter could be approved by e-mail, since the next meeting would not be for two months. (This has since been done and Haller followed up forwarding Christensen’s response, thanking AFCON for its support.)
Paterson would like to have an agenda item in an upcoming meeting regarding the Omaha Public Schools and the recent legislation to divide the district into three separate districts.

Legislative Report/Ad hoc Committee on Student Rights Legislation: (Adair) Adair, Moshman and Haller met with Sen. DiAnna Schimek to discuss the Student Rights Legislation. Schimek suggested eliciting support from the Nebraska Associations of Schools Boards and of School Administrators.

Adair noted that there are 40 state sections on how to punish students and no state sections on student rights

Old Business:

The question was asked if AFCON could continue to offer free or reduced rates to certain groups (such as student associations) without a change in the by-laws. Since the by-laws don’t require set dues, the AFCON board is empowered to set dues. A motion by Ball and seconded by Adair was passed, allowing student organizations to pay $20 dues annually and individual students to pay annual dues of $5. Members also approved Ball’s amendment to exempt Fine Lines Journal from dues in exchange for advertising.

Adjournment: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 11:54 a.m.