Members present (12): Joe Corrado (1st VP), Colin O'Donnell (2nd VP), Pam Lannom (past president), Roger Ruthhart, Lois Self (executive secretary), Jim Killam (communications coordinator), Lonny Cain, Rich Rostron, Rick Nagel, Pete Nenni, Randy Swikle, John Etheredge.

Members absent (7): Tom Martin (president), Jim Slonoff (treasurer), Jay Dickerson, Jeannine Otto, Greg Rivara, Wally Haas, Sharon Boehlefeld.

Corrado, for Martin, called the meeting to order at 9:55 a.m.

Treasurer's report:
No report (Slonoff absent). Report forthcoming at January meeting.

Executive secretary's report:
Self said contest went well other than one small glitch: a winning entry was judged in the wrong circulation category. If necessary, a duplicate award will be given for that category. The error did not change point totals enough for any sweepstakes results to be affected.
NIU's journalism enrollment continues to grow, especially in the broadcast sequence. A search to replace departed professor Angela Powers has been revised; an acting visiting associate professor position will be available for 2005-6. One a new department of communication chair is named, search statuses for the following year will become clearer.
Self, whose term as department chair ends in 2005, also noted that she may ask NINA this spring for a letter of support for journalism education at NIU - just to keep the association with NINA as a visible priority during the search process.

President's report:
Corrado, for Martin, proposed the following slate of officers for 2005:

President: Joe Corrado
First vice president: Colin O'Donnell
Second vice president: Greg Rivara
Past president: Tom Martin
Treasurer: Jim Slonoff
Executive secretary: Lois Self
Communications coordinator: Jim Killam

The 2005 officers were approved unanimously (Lannom motion / Nenni second). The election of an at-large board member to the executive committee will take place at the January meeting.

Eight board members whose terms expire at the end of 2004 were reappointed to three-year terms (Self motion / O'Donnell second). They are: Pam Lannom, Lonny Cain, Wally Haas, Jeannine Otto, Randy Swikle, Roger Ruthhart, Greg Rivara and Pete Nenni.

Another vacant board seat exists in the wake of Owen Phelps' resignation. Suggestions / nominations should be sent either to Corrado or Martin.

Committee chairs will be:

Program: Colin O'Donnell
Education: Greg Rivara
Membership: Tom Martin
Resource: Jim Killam

The board approved these chairs (Etheredge motion / Nagel second)

Committee members so far:
Program: Pete Nenni, Roger Ruthhart
Education: John Etheredge, Rick Nagel
Membership: Lonny Cain, Jim Slonoff
Resource: Randy Swikle, Lois Self, Rich Rostron
Board members who could not attend today's meeting should let Corrado know on which committee they'd like to serve.

Corrado, as incoming president, thanked outgoing president Martin for a successful year. The board voted a resolution of commendation to Martin for a job well done (Self motion / Nagel second).

Board meeting dates for 2005 were set. They are:

Friday, Jan. 21
Friday, April 1
Friday, Aug. 5
Thursday, Oct. 27 (dinner meeting)
Friday, Dec. 2

The Spring Conference will be held Friday, April 22, probably at either NIU's Hoffman Estates or Naperville campus. Fall Conference will be held Friday, Oct. 28, at NIU-DeKalb.

Program Committee report:
O'Donnell and the committee will explore several options for the Spring Conference. Member feedback has indicated a desire for more interactive training, and also some type of newsroom management training.

Education committee report:
No report.

Membership committee report:
No report.

Communication coordinator / Resource committee report:
Killam and Self plan to meet Dec. 11 with representatives of the Kettle Moraine Press Association, a high-school journalism organization in Illinois and Wisconsin.
The winter newsletter will be out by mid-December.
The high school scholarship packet will be ready for the education committee by the next board meeting.

Minutes of the Oct. 21 board meeting were approved (Lannom motion / Self second)

Old business:
None.

New business:
Swikle reported on several issues discussed at an Illinois Press Foundation board meeting this week.

• Newspaper postal rates are about to rise dramatically - possibly by 20 percent over the next three years. This could be devastating, especially for smaller newspapers.
• The Illinois First Amendment center has hired a full-time First Amendment ambassador, thanks to a grant from the McCormick Foundation. This person will work out of the Illinois Press Association office in Springfield. The center will place a particular focus on high schools and middle schools.
• The McCormick Foundation plans to open a First Amendment museum in Chicago within about 18 months.
• The IHSA now recognizes journalism as part of a list of statewide contests. Regional competitions will begin taking place in the 2005-06 school year. Cathy Sullivan of Harrisburg High School is overseeing this project.

Also, Randy has written a column on the importance of school newspapers. It will run in
NINA's winter newsletter, and also will be available for newspapers to use.
A board discussion ensued about finding ways to teach school administrators the importance of First Amendment education and practice.

Shop talk:

Nenni: Two high school football teams from the Daily Herald circulation area went to the IHSA Class 7A title game. The paper provided expanded zoned, mirrored coverage, along with cheer cards that proved immensely popular as keepsakes.

Swikle: Next fall, the national convention of the Journalism Education Association / National School Press Association will be held in Chicago. More than 5,000 students and advisers will attend. Illinois newspapers may be asked to donate promotional items for adviser bags, and also may be asked to donate to the Student Press Law Center.

Ruthhart: The Argus is dealing with a high-school newspaper censorship case in Rock Island.

Nagel: The Beacon News and several sister papers are bringing a new computer/design system online in June. It's a Unisys-integrated system that uses Adobe InDesign and InCopy.

Cain: The Daily Times is getting involved in a community drug task force. Numerous community ideas have surfaced, including a Web site and/or TV documentary created by teens.

Rostron: Rich brought several of his community college students to the Fall Conference, and Tom Hallman made a huge impression on them.

Killam: The Northern Star won Best of Show at the National College Media Convention in Nashville. The Star's Web site won an Online Pacemaker award, considered the collegiate equivalent of a Pulitzer Prize. And NSRadio, the paper's online-only station, took second place Best of Show for best broadcast.

Self: The Communication Department's main server was hacked this week by someone using an IP address in Germany.

Corrado: The Sun has begun using correction forms for employees and supervisors, in order to track errors and make improvements.

Next board meeting: Friday, Jan. 21, 2005, at the Northern Star office, Campus Life Building, NIU.

Meeting adjourned at 11:35 a.m.

Minutes submitted by Jim Killam, communications coordinator, 12-10-04.


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