Minutes for CSUN Conference Meeting 2006

Minutes for CSUN Conference Meeting 2006

ATHEN Meeting - March 22, 2006
Ron provided overview of ATHEN for attendees.
History - Started at CSUN 2002

E-Journal

  • Suggestion for publication review committee
  • Need guidelines for editorial review

Teresa, Gaier and Dan Berkowitz volunteered for editorial team

First issue of e-journal is now out, next issue in July (professional development)
Note: Important to set standards for publication and writing of e-journal

Next issue will be "What's happening in AT in Europe" in July.
To be sent out just prior to large conferences

Group Introductions

members from following institutions attended
About 80 members
Harvard Graduate School of Education - Eileen Berger
Boston U. - Dann Berkowitz
Colorado State U. - Howard Kramer
City of U. of N.Y.
U. of Wisconsin, Madison
U. Wisconsin
Stanford University
U. of Colorado, Boulder
N. Carolina State U.
Southwestern CC
U. N. Dakota
U. of Washington
U. of Washington
HTCTU CCC
Helen Ostrander -Mission College
CSU System
Ventura College
Laurie Vasquez - Santa Barbara City College
E.A. Draffan, U.K.
NC State University

NOMINATION OF OFFICERS:

Nominations for secretary - Laurie Vasquez, unanimous
Nominations for treasurer - Frank Post, Eileen Berger
Unanimous for Eileen Berger
Nomination for Vice- President, Dan Comden,
Nomination for 2nd for Vice-President, Pratik Patel
Nomination for President, - Ron Stewart

RESULTS of NOMINATIONS

Ron Stewart - President, AHEAD E-text Solutions
Dan Comden - West Coast Vice - President, University of Washington
Patik Pratel - East Coast Vice President,
Treasurer - Eileen Berger, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Secretary - Laurie Vasquez, Santa Barbara City College

Members reviewed responsibilities of maintaining treasury now overseen by Eileen.

AHG conference in November

  • Suggestion to have it be official ATHEN conference
  • Need to do a bylaw change to make it the official conference
  • Need to choose a focus and be responsible for that
  • Howard offered to run a track at CSUN by ATHEN

    • INTEREST GROUPS

    Suggestions for CSUN 2007 include a strand on innovations (Virtual labs, DAISY production, Math and Science, Centers of Excellence, (E.A. and Ron, )

    Sean suggested ATHEN work groups to better cover the expansive areas of knowledge:

    Working Groups: - made need a bylaw change per Dan, put some structure to it.
    At November meeting, groups were formed.
    Web (Sean and Dan),
    Alt media (Ron, Gaier),
    Assistive technology (Theresa and ?)
    Learning technologies group (Saroj Primlani)

    Each of the groups would update information on the website

    AHEAD has approached EDUCAUSE about a relationship

    Ron & Terry Thompson discussed EDUCAUSE issue. Apparently EDUCAUSE does not view accessibility of technology as a priority. There was a discussion among members re: best practices approach for gaining entry into EDUCAUSE in order to effect change.

    ATHEN and AHEAD

    According to Ron - if ATHEN wants to subsume ourselves to AHEAD we could do it tomorrow. Marla Roll posed question about the need to be separate from AHEAD? Is it too soon?. According to Ron - AHEAD does not want to recreate something that already exists (CSUN training) and needs to understand the difference between what CSUN offers and what our profession needs.

    ATHEN AND EDUCAUSE

    AHEAD looks to ATHEN as a repository. Separate organizations. AHEAD tried to form a partnership with Educause. Scott Lissner is charged to pursue this partnership. AHEAD is ramping up to train DSS folks. AHEAD is doing regional trainings. James Bailey already doing training for DSS folks. Ron is Chair of National E-Text Solutions group.
    Mary - Educause partnership needs to go through CIO's. Develop a set of talking points.
    Look to institutional wide policies. Educause does annual survey of colleges. Insert questions re: AT. Blog on accessibility at Educause.

    Educause - how do we effect change in large national groups that affect the work we do?
    Workgroup for further investigation - Laurie, Mary Cheng , Terry Thompson, Howard Kramer, Saroj, Dann B.
    Need to liaison with other organizations.
    Recommendation - put some meat into it and use it as a model for future partnerships
    Ray Kurzweil is a keynote, for Educause (call Rick Plescia)
    When is the conference?
    One recommendation for Educause is to donate one page of their program to accessibility

    New Business

    Dan C. spoke on behalf of Howard Kramer and asked that ATHEN members be officially involved in promoting and procuring speakers for Accessing Higher Ground 2006. Ron had previously proposed that AHG become the main ATHEN conference each year. With this proposal – ATHEN would become a major sponsor of AHG annually.
    Marketing ideas: ATHEN members get AHG discounts, ATHEN seen as conference sponsor, Gaeir motioned that ATHEN partner with AHG for procurement of presenters for AHG 2006. Seconded and motion passed with membership vote.
    Sean asked for members to contribute content to the website by:

    • Dialoguing with focus groups.
    • Conducting research/surveys done by individual campuses
    • Case studies

    E- Text survey

    Terry Thompson was asked about doing this again for 2006/2007. Conference presentations - especially those done at AHG - will be posted on the website.

    Submitted by Laurie Vasquez, Secretary

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