[IMC] TODAY! Important IMC 'Visioning Retreat"

[Danielle Chynoweth]

UCIMC Members and Supporters:

The purpose of this email is to invite everyone who has an interest in
the future of the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center (UCIMC) to
participate in a "Visioning Retreat" that has been scheduled for
Sunday, September 16 from 1:00-5:00 in the Sun Room of the IMC (first
floor). The retreat will be followed by a potluck dinner to which
everyone attending the retreat is invited--and asked to make a
contribution.

The UCIMC is at an important juncture. About a year ago, we
reorganized the governance system and decided to experiment with an
expanded role for the Board of Directors. Ten (10) Board members were
elected to serve one-year terms with an expectation that the
experiment would be evaluated at the end of this period. During the
year, four Standing Committees were established (Finance, Personnel,
Building/Facilities and Fundraising), all of which functioned
productively. In June, a Program Committee was established to serve as
a vehicle for organizing programmatic initiatives both within and
across Working Groups and outside of them.

The retreat will begin with a brief update of developments that have
occurred through the work of  the above committees and the Board. This
will set the context for the visioning process.

To prepare for this process, participants are being asked to give some
advanced thought to the to the following challenge, “Describe what you
would like to see the UCIMC be--or look like--over the next 2-5 years
by listing specific features that you would like included in the
organization and/or its activities.” These might include programming
features, structural or governance features, staff-volunteer
relationships, relationships with other community organizations, etc.

>From the responses to this challenge, retreat organizers will take
participants through a series of structured planning activities to
identify a set of priority "goals" for the UCIMC and then strategies
for achieving them. Please join us in this important endeavor. Thank
you.
Gary Storm, Board President