[UCIMC-Tech] Re: [IMC-Shows] Steering Minutes, 3/5/2009

[Nicole Pion]

Thank you for these notes, Stephen and thank you to all who made this a very
productive Steering Meeting.

As mentioned in the notes, I am renewing our staffing and membership
handbooks.  I would like it if each working group could send me a few
sentences on:
1.) How to get involved with your working group
2.) Overview of what your working group does
I will include this information.  I have emails, websites and meeting times
already, but please let me know if there has been a recent change to any of
these (for example, I know that the librarians changed the times they meet -
can you remind me what this is?).

Thanks so much!

Nicole

On Fri, Mar 6, 2009 at 7:06 PM, Stephen Fonzo <fonzo.stephen at gmail.com>wrote:

> *IMC STEERING MEETING, 3/5/2009
> Hosted by Shows Group
>
> Present:
> *Ed Hawkes - Shows; meeting facilitator
> Martel Miller
> Brian Dolinar
> Chris Evans - Building Manager
> Joy Davis - Finance; Bookkeeper
> Tom Garza - WRFU
> Carly Nix
> Rachel Hess - Artists
> Nicole Pion - VISTA
> Stephen Fonzo - VISTA; Production; note-taker
> Chris Ritzo - Librarians
> Bill Mullins - Books to Prisoners (B2P)
> Jason Keist - Program Development Intern
> Bob Illyes - Print
> Larry Keller
>
>
> *Agenda:
> *IMC Staffing (original proposal as sent for the Shows Group facilitator
> to present at the meeting is quoted in full at the end of the minutes).
> SUMMARY: a) Ensure that volunteer members of the IMC can be present in the
> main space to greet visitors, answer questions, recruit new members, and
> watch the building during prime hours. b) Create a structure (staff
> trainers, coordinators, sign up form online) that enables individuals to
> easily volunteer to staff the building.
>
> *Discussion:
> *1.) Ed Hawkes introduced the Staff proposal, with clarification from Joy
> Davis, Stephen Fonzo, Jason Keist and Nicole Pion, the members who drafted
> the proposal.
>
> 2.) Bob Illyes expressed that making staffing a requirement of membership
> is punitive, and that this has created tension in the past.  He agreed that
> staffing is needed, however, and expressed interest in helping to coordinate
> it.
>
> 3.) Bob noted that staffing is somewhat dependent on upgrades to the
> Library portion of the main space.  Chris Ritzo confirmed that the
> Librarians are already currently updating the space by reorganizing shelves
> and books, creating a digital catalog, and making plans to add more desks, a
> table, and at least 2 new computer workstations.  Librarians are having
> bi-monthly workdays on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month.  Stephen
> Fonzo noted that the front foyer (where there are fliers near the office
> doors) is a key area where there can be a desk and computer next to the
> black merchandise tables, for use by staff, and agreed with Bob that the
> table in the Library would also be useful for staff and library visitors.
> *
> *4.) Brian Dolinar mentioned that he was staff coordinator in the old IMC
> space, and that in addition to it being a smaller, more manageable place,
> there were incentives created at the time that helped encourage members to
> staff:
>
> Kid's Hour - developed by Ken Urban, this was a time when there were
> activities for children, and there would be a group of adult members present
>
> Regular coordination and staff training - orientation to the IMC and how to
> greet visitors, give tours, answer questions, recruit membership, etc.
>
> Nicole Pion and Joy Davis: informed group that they are working on the
> membership manual.
>
> Jason Keist: suggested that each working group notify its members and
> mailing lists about the need for staff and the availability of training.
>
> Bob asked what the prime hours are for visitors, confirming that prime
> hours are pretty much all day during Monday to Saturday (10am to 8pm,
> depending on when working groups meet); obvious exceptions are Shows/events
> (which require staff, anyway), meetings, and some public workshops.
>
> Chris Evans and Chris Ritzo: Following Jason's suggestion, added that each
> working group, along with the building manager, should draft a list of
> manageable tasks that need to de done and which can be done by staff and
> visitors (under guidance by staff).
>
> Joy emphasized the need for staff and posed the question: Does the IMC want
> to be open (with listed open hours) and staffed, or locked?
>
> Jason answered that it sets a bad precedent for the building to be closed
> to the community during prime hours.
>
> Nicole reiterated from the original proposal that project staff
> (bookkeeper, VISTAs, interns) are not the same as building staff and that
> their work (grants, training, development, outreach, media production,
> facility improvements) is impeded by acting as surrogate building staff -
> and that if the building is to be open for more hours than it is currently,
> we need actual volunteer staff in the main space/library.
>
> 5.) Bob reiterated that this will depend on improvements to the space by
> the Librarians group, and assured Chris R. that the Librarians have a
> certain degree of independence in changing the Library space.
>
> The group as a whole discussed the basic items needed for there to be
> effective staff in the main space:
> - large table
> - desk(s)
> - computer workstation(s)
> - phone (needs to be locked away when staff are not present so that
> loiterers do not use the phone)
> - training/orientation
> - sign up system (online calendar form)
>
> Stephen reiterated that these efforts should not be placed solely on the
> Librarians group, but that others who are interested should assist or
> contribute.  Tech is already helping, and plans are already underway to add
> more desk space and securable computers.  Other working groups (Shows, RFU,
> and Production) are planning weekend workdays, as well, at which all are
> welcome to help.  Nicole, Chris R., and Stephen recently had a workday for
> UIUC student volunteers that involved projects to assist Librarians, RFU,
> and B2P).  These workdays are great ways to staff, orient and welcome new
> members.
>
> 6.) Bill Mullins suggested that we create an online sign-up form/staff
> calendar on the main IMC web site, modeled after B2P's volunteer sign-up
> calendar (http://www.books2prisoners.org/google_calendar.php).  This would
> avoid the problem of a physical log being kept or managed by one person,
> getting lost, etc. and will be available on the public computers in the IMC
> library (and really, any computer with Internet).  Stephen volunteered to
> plan and implement this with help from Jay Schubert and Josh King.
>
> 7.) Brian and Chris R. raised the issue of whether or not staff need to be
> members.  It was consensed that while staff should be members, IF an already
> active IMC member is present to supervise (i.e. volunteer workdays) and
> train, then volunteers do not have to be members - after all, we want new
> people, and not everyone joins immediately or has plans to join, but they
> still contribute.  All formally recognized, scheduled staff will be trained
> members.  Brian offered to train, as did others.  Consensus that members
> would be contacted by their working groups with requests to staff, be
> trained as staff, and if, desired, to train.
>
> 8.) Several asked whether or not this was a proposal for a separate working
> group (called "Staff") or a general call to encourage all existing groups to
> staff (lowercase "s").  Stephen explained the proposal in greater detail,
> adding that it had only been sent to Shows.  The plan, as proposed, was not
> to create a separate working group, on the basis that all groups have a
> vested interest in welcoming and increasing new membership, knowing what
> other groups are doing, and being stewards of the building.  Voices in
> support of not creating a separate group offered additional reasons: a) it
> would create another meeting, likely to have poor attendance because there
> are so many other meetings and people are already committed to specific
> projects; b) there is already a mailing list if we need one; and c) the
> online sign-up portal (ala B2P) will make for simple self-managed
> scheduling.  The mailing list will be low-traffic as it will only contain
> messages about training staff, member manual info, and requests from the
> online sign-up module.
>
> 9.) All agreed that spokespersons from each working group need to pitch the
> need for staff to their members.  The pitch should focus on the necessity of
> more traffic from local citizens, more income from events and donations, and
> more membership to sustain the existence of the IMC during a critical
> economic bind.
>
> 10.) Conversation moved to doors being left unlocked.  Specific areas of
> concern are the basement (Elm St and Cherry Alley), the stairwell door to
> the basement, and the glass door to WRFU and the private offices on the
> first floor.  Finance representatives reminded everyone that re-keying had
> already been approved several months ago, along with key contract that
> requires working group representatives to sign off that a member does in
> fact need a key - and that the timeline is now Spring Break.  Working groups
> agreed that they will remind their membership to not leave doors unlocked,
> and that a keylist or keystaff (modeled after B2P) might be appropriate for
> all groups.  It was concluded that not all members need keys, because the
> building is often open during the time of their activities.  Staff, however,
> will need to be trained, sign key contracts, and have access in order to
> make the building open.
>
> 11.) Books To Prisoners announced their upcoming Book Sale - April 3,4, and
> 5.
>
> 12.) Stephen announced multiple volunteer workday opportunities:
>
> Saturday, March 21 - RFU: Tech maintenance and cleaning; music collection
> and Automation management; training; and Finance/Outreach planning session
> Sunday, March 22 @ 2:30pm - Shows: painting; equipment repair and
> inventory; cleaning; training
> Every 2nd and 4th Saturday - Librarians: help organize and catalog
> collections while improving the working/meeting/staffing area of the first
> floor.
>
>
>
> *Original Staffing Proposal (sent 3/4/09):*
> Shows Group,
>
> I hope by now you have received most working group's monthly steering
> updates.  If not, let me know and I will remind them.
>
> Now that Steering does not include lengthy updates, we are able to include
> more general discussion, project and vision planning, and IMC-wide
> business.  There is one agenda item that has been brainstormed by several
> individuals within the Finance and Community Connections groups, as well as
> the VISTAs - to re-implement Staffing at the IMC.  We propose that the IMC
> as a whole begin developing a plan to have volunteer Staff who can be
> present, greet visitors, answer questions, and make the building open and
> available at various hours throughout the week.
>
> I capitalize Staff because it used to be a working group, but it need not
> take on that identical form to be effective.  It doesn't seem to me that it
> is necessary that it be a formal group with meetings, but instead that IMC
> members (no matter their working group) be encouraged to volunteer some
> period of time (1 hr/week; 4 hr/month) when they can be present in the 1st
> Floor/Library area, working on their own things but also greeting guests and
> watching the space.  We can talk as a group about to what extent this should
> be a requirement of membership.  All working groups should to be involved to
> some degree.
>
> Based on my observations, Staff as a group has not existed in any active
> form since I began volunteering at the IMC in August 2007.  I believe that
> due to its absence, there has been an expectation, spoken or unspoken, that
> some project-oriented volunteers (like the VISTAs or Bookkeeper) are a
> substitute for the Staff group.  It is important for all at the IMC to
> understand that while Nicole, Jason, Joy and I are volunteer staff
> (lowercase "s"), we were brought to the IMC for specific purposes and tasks
> - such as grant writing, bookkeeping, program and outreach development,
> training, documentation, and long-term facility improvements - that do not
> inherently include the roles previously fulfilled by the old IMC Staff
> group.  We want to make it clear that we are not trying to avoid helping
> others at the IMC, but that we would like a structure in place that
> encourages others to also help around here.  Think of this way - if we were
> not here, there would not be a dedicated and organized grants, program, and
> media development effort, but there would still need to be Staff.
>
>
> --
> Stephen Fonzo
> Media Training Advisor
> AmeriCorps CTC VISTA
> Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center
>
> _______________________________________________
> IMC-Shows mailing list
> IMC-Shows at lists.ucimc.org
> http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/imc-shows
>
>


-- 
Nicole Pion
Outreach and Development Adviser
AmeriCorps CTC VISTA
Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center
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