CUPPA Alumni Association Board Meeting Minutes

November 18, 2008 - 6:00-7:30pm
412 S. Peoria, Great Cities Institute 


Present:
Joseph Selbka
Abraham Deletioglu
Peggy Laemle
Karen Berthiaume
Elvira Reyes
Belinda Burgess
Katie Tully
Jennifer Tammen
Mary Wells
Anna Kulseth-Williams
Ja'Net Defell
Ruth Broder
Marcus Davis
Bob Rice
Emily Tapia Lopez
Staff Present:
Jodi White Jones
Michael Pagano

  • President’s Welcome: Bob Rice
  • Dean’s Welcome and Report
    • Still uncertain about funding
    • $1.8 billion deficit in Illinois
    • Calling for mid-year rescission
    • 30% reduction in funding since 2003
    • Assistantships are dwindling
    • Call for internships, part-time jobs, leads for funding, scholarships
      • Try to pair recruitment candidates with CUPPA Alumni positions
      • If you know of any jobs or internships, let Jodi know
    • Call to invest in higher education
      • Either money or employment resources
    • Potential raise for tuition differential from $2,000 to $2,500 a semester (about $11,000)
      • Commitment to keeping full-time faculty rather than adjunct professors
    • Want to guarantee a strong academic reputation
    • Bob Rice encourages donations to UIC CUPPA program 
  • Approval of 09/02/2008 minutes

Committee Reports
Professional Development (Marcus)

    • Experience UIC Day check-in
      • Great panels, not enough students
      • Need to make sure to market our events. Everyone on board should make an effort to get student and alumni involvement
      • Aired on CAN TV and a podcast on CUPPA website
      • Some grad students presented
      • Next time provide more time for Q&A
    • Marcus has proposal for charrette for next year – he will email proposal out
      • Outputs: storyboard, report, plan, etc.
      • Good opportunity to raise funds so that students can win prize money
        • How do we raise funds?
        • $1,000 (1st  place), $500 (2nd), $250 (3rd)
        • Mid-late October - After midterms, before Thanksgiving
        • Engage Representative Riley
        • Three students (1 PA, 1 MUPP, 1 Alumni mandatory), three or more students. Ideal to have three teams
        • Alumni commitment would be about 10-15 hours over three weeks
        • Send ideas/comments to Marcus
        • Let Marcus know if you are interested in trying to raise money
  • UPPSA is working on streetscape charrette

Professional Development

  • Potential collaboration with Women in Planning and Development for various Burnham events
    • Do we want to pair with them on some of these events?
    • Good opportunity for membership and marketing
    • Helene will look into potential partnership

Special Events

  • Holiday Party
    • Moira has sent email, 20 RSVPs, attendance exceeds holiday party RSVPs
    • Send invite to friends and alumni
    • Good networking and recruiting opportunity
  • Alumni Achievement Award
    • Annual award to alum or someone who has given to the college
    • Board asked to attend event
    • Only open to board + significant others and friends, key faculty and staff from college
    • Bob offered to hold event at his house but still looking for someone else to host
    • Talk to Anna if you can host. Need location near public transit and good parking
    • Ideas for Award:
      • Peter Skosey, founder of UIC CUPPA Alumni
      • Thomas B. Smith (former adjunct professor) now works for Duncan Associates used to teach land-use planning – could
      • Bob Kunze – alumni, former DPD
      • Bob will send nomination letters via email and we will vote that way. Deadline by beginning of next week, vote by Christmas 3rd.

Membership and Marketing

  • Goals:
    • Provide quality events
    • Maintain level of membership
    • Tangible benefits from UIAA benefits
    • Connect people through facebook, linked in, some type of network + meet up more casually
      • Try contacting people directly

Alumni Connection Committee

  • Angela provided great write up
  • Use this list to contact alumni