AECT Board of Directors

Board Meeting Conference Call

November 16, 2005, 3:00 p.m. Eastern

Attending:

Phil Harris, Executive Director*

Wes Miller, President*

Ward Cates, President-Elect*

Lois Wilkins, Secretary-Treasurer*

Dick Cornell, International Division Representative

David Winograd, Distance Learning Representative

Charlie Reigeluth, Change Division Representative

Mary Herring, Teacher Education Representative

Mary Beth Jordan, School Media & Technology Representative

Karen Kaminski, Management Representative

Ana Donaldson, Board Representative at Large B

Rob Branch, Appointed Affiliated Organization Representative

Hans Wennberg, ECT Representative

(*Executive Committee)

Unable to attend:

Sharon Smaldino, Past-President*

Barbara Lockee, Theory & Research, Representative

Bill Sugar, Multimedia Production Representative

Scott Schaffer, Training & Performance Representative

Jim Ellsworth, Board Representative at Large A

Trey Martindale, Design & Development

Wes Miller called the meeting to order at 3:04 p.m., November 16, 2005.

I. Approval of the Agenda – Mary Beth Jordan moved approval of the agenda. Dick Cornell seconded the motion. The motion carried.

II. Approval of minutes – Lois Wilkins moved the minutes of the October 22, 2005, be approved as corrected. David Winograd seconded the motion. The motion carried.

Action items:

III. Approval of the Convention Attendance Cancellation Policy

Discussion:

Phil Harris reported the number of convention registration cancellations, no-shows and early departures due to weather-related issues in Orlando. The board discussed issues related to adopting and publicizing a policy guiding refunds and credits, and the related issues of presenters who do not attend but whose presentation is included in the program. The proposed policy, which includes credit toward the next convention, is more generous than other organizations’ policies. A committee to look at special consideration requests will be part of the process.

David Winograd moved acceptance of the policy with a change from “refund” to “cancellation” in the title of the policy. Mary Beth Jordan seconded the motion. The motion carried.

The complete Conference Attendance Cancellation Policy is at the end of the minutes. It will appear on the registration form online for the Dallas websites and may be included on the division websites.

IV. Approval of the Group Discount Policy

Ward Cates explained the proposal and rationale for it:

The idea is to provide group discounts that are revenue positive and reward organizations for thinking about the growth of AECT. The proposal is designed to tie new member recruitment to group rates. The discounts would not apply to workshops, meals or published proceedings, but only to registration fees. This system would reward even small institutions.

Ward Cates moved we adopt the recruitment group rate. Mary Beth Jordan seconded the motion.

Discussion: the policy would be promoted by Wes Miller, posted on the website for the Dallas convention and on Ward’s blog, and sent out to all convention planners and division representatives. With this policy, anyone can create a group. Greater growth in institutions with one member would be anticipated. The process would have to be part of the online registration. It would apply to registrants paying the full convention fee (which does not include student, retired or electronic members, who already pay a lower rate). Former members would be eligible if their membership had lapsed for three years or more.

Mechanics of the policy would have to be worked out; the policy does not specify them. Further definition of “group” is necessary.

Dick Cornell called the question.

With the proviso that “group” be defined more closely, the motion to adopt the Group Rate Conference Registration Policy passed. The executive committee is charged with the task of defining the term “group.”

The proposal appears at the end of the minutes.

Information Items

V. Dallas convention update

Ward Cates reported that the Dallas convention planners going to Dallas Dec. 8-20. One of the issues they will check is Internet connectivity at the convention hotel.

Other convention plans include creating and disseminating documents and/or videos on how to write a good proposal and how to make good presentations.. Ward will be meeting with Ned Shaw to work on promotional designs including graphic identities for the divisions. Trey Martindale is working on technology, and Tom Hergert and Ward are working on planning and software possibilities. The featured research program will be sent to program planners; and there will be a website for conference planning soon (possibly a blog format with interactivity).

VI. Orlando convention report

Phil Harris reported that there were 993 paid registrants and100 others, including workshop and keynote presenters and graduate student volunteers. Almost 1100 people attended, the highest in five years. Phil has gotten 15 emails from attendees who had a lot good to say about experience. The biggest complaints were the absence of wireless and the overflow hotel. There is a larger number of hotels within walking distance in Dallas. A financial report will be made at the December board meeting. Preliminary statistics show that convention revenue goals were met.

Rates for the Dallas convention will be discussed in December.

For future conventions, Rosen has a new property in Orlando with wireless available at no cost. Major hotels in Anaheim have complimentary wireless.

The Dallas convention hotel, the Fairmount, had made a flat rate offer of $4000 for internet everywhere we want it.

VII. Division reports/elections

Management – Karen Kaminski: officers are meeting to talk about next elections (in January).

Distance Learning – David Winograd: DL is using its listserv to recruit candidates for the division elections.

Change – Charlie Reigeluth: Change is in the process of recruiting candidates for office.

Teacher Education – Mary Herring: Teacher Ed has scheduled a conference call later in the month.

School Media & Technology – Mary Beth Jordan: the division is in the process of putting its report together.

International – Dick Cornell: International is the process of putting a timeline in place.

Design and Development – Ward Cates for Trey Martindale: D&D is actively seeking candidates for office.

January elections will include elections for division representatives if their terms are completed in October, 2006. Those elected become board rep designees and are invited to attend the board meetings.

VIII. Board assignments to committees

Wes Miller needs an awards committee chair. Joanne Bentley has agreed to chair the leadership committee. New board members are to let Wes know which committees they are interested in.

IX. Good of the order:

A committee that wants to change its name should submit a proposal to the board. Initially, the executive committee will consider the request.

The full board meets third Wednesday of each month.

The next division reports are due in March, for presentation to the board at its March 15 meeting.

X. Adjournment.

Mary Herring moved that the meeting be adjourned. Ward Cates seconded the motion. The meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m. eastern time.

AECT Conference Attendance Cancellation Policy (11/2005)

There will be no penalty for cancellations received on or before the date 10 days prior to the first day of an annual conference. The full amount paid minus a $30 administrative fee will be refunded.

No refund will be issued for cancellations received less than 10 days before the first day of the annual conference. However, a credit for basic registration fees will be applied toward the following year's annual conference. In light of the commitment AECT must make to the hotel/conference center for meal and ticketed functions, we are unable to give future credit for these items.

Late requests for refunds due to a family emergency will be considered on a case-by-case basis. *

All cancellations must be sent in writing via fax, e-mail, or regular mail to the AECT Office.

AECT is not responsible for problems beyond our control such as weather conditions, campus conditions, transportation, the inability to present when scheduled, etc. No refunds will be given in these situations but credit for the following year's convention may be offered.

*we plan to create a small review committee to cover those requests

Proposed Group Rate for AECT Conference Registration

Proposed:

To create a group rate that favors recruiting new member registrations. Groups that bring in new full member registrations are eligible for discounts. A group would get a 2.5% discount for all members of that group (including the new member) for each new full member registration they brought in.

Rate Rules

1. Only full member registration may be discounted. Student, international, electronic, and retired member registrations (and any other special registrations) are already reduced as low as they can be and therefore are excluded from any additional discounts, including these group rates.

2. The group rate is calculated on the amount of registration. Thus, Early Bird registration would be reduced by application of the group rate percentage and normal or on-site registration would be similarly reduced.

3. Group rates do not apply to workshops, meals, printed copies of the Conference Proceedings, or other similar items.

4. Lapsed members —those whose membership had expired and not been renewed— could only qualify as “new” members after a three-year lapse. This would prevent intentional lapses for the purpose of obtaining lower group rates.

Rationale:

This approach bases discounting on generation of new revenues (new full member full conference registrations), thus expanding actual income, not simply rebating registration fees from AECT to a group. It expands membership and places the incentive for recruitment on the membership. And it offers this discount to all groups, regardless of size, thus rewarding each individual recruitment, not simply rewarding registered groups for their size.

Of course, there would be a point at which new member income would be offset by the amount of the discount. The table below uses the $280 conference attendee expense supplied by Phil Harris and the registration figures for Orlando 2005 to illustrate the estimated impact of this proposal on convention income. The breakeven point appears to be around 20 for both Early Bird and Regular registration. As the table illustrates, it is unlikely there would be a negative impact on convention registration revenues, despite the group reduction, since it seems unlikely many groups would reach the breakeven point. The perception, however, would be that groups that recruit new full members get discounts.