Parents Council Minutes March 2015

Spring 2015 Business Meeting: March 7, 2015
Marcum Hotel & Conference Center
BUSINESS MEETING:
In attendance: Baudry Young, Rebecca; Bothast, David; Brown, Pat; Caro, Laurie & Joe;
Clendenen, Patty and Pat; Coffin, Steve; Curme, Michael; Fears, Gwen; Goldman, Michael;
Gunkel, Kelley & Tom; Irwin, Jane; Joseph, Mag & Richard; Kalan, Julia; Kohlberg, Suzanne;
Lubeck, Kim & Larry; Lynch, Brian; Maller, Trisha; Manney, Kathie & Tim; Mooney, Jodi & Mike;
Odle, Kevin; O’Leary, Chris; Pontious, Mark; Schmitt, Kathy; Shwayder-Coffin, Patti; Trafficant,
Cyndi; Vacchiano, Lori & Tom; Walsh, Angela; Winemaster, Adrienne
Breakfast and presentation: Sexual Assault and High Risk Drinking Prevention Efforts on Campus – Rebecca
Baudry Young (Office of Student Wellness, baudryrm@miamioh.edu) & Becca Getson (Sexual Assault
Response Coordinator, getsonra@miamioh.edu)
o Miami students are similar to the national average regarding being perpetrators or victims of
sexual assault, but are six percent (6%) above the national average for high risk alcohol use (to
the point of blackout) during first six weeks of college.
o Alcohol is almost always involved in sexual and interpersonal violence situations.
o Miami students over-estimate the percentage of students that drink alcohol on a regular basis,
causing students to feel the need to drink to fit in, especially during the first six weeks of their
college experience.
o Efforts to educate students about norms of student body alcohol use, safe drinking habits,
bystander intervention, and resources for victims/survivors of violence.
o Launch of Miami’s It’s On Us campaign (national campaign to stop sexual and interpersonal
violence).
o Rebecca Baudry Young also provided an update regarding Miami’s Alcohol Task Force, which
recently submitted findings and recommendations to President Hodge.
University Update: Mike Curme (Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students):
o First Year Experience Course Pilot with plans for full implementation by Fall 2016
o I am Miami initiative and ways in which the initiative assists Miami community in embracing
institutional values.
o Alcohol Task Force and the need to look at this as a long-term and continuous process. Mike
Curme advocated for changes such as banning large communal “tubs” of alcoholic drinks in
Oxford, as well as education efforts around responsibility of house party hosts for serving
minors.
Proposed Bylaw Changes: Mark Pontious (Director of Parent & Family Programs):
o Update titles of positions and the Family Fund, as well as further define qualifications to be a
member of the Council. Changes passed unanimously.
Discussion of Council Focus Team Topic Establishment: Tom Gunkel (National Co-Chair) reviewed the
tentative proposed sections (from October 2014 minutes).
o Career Development, Out of State Parents & Students, Health & Wellness, Parents Council
Members as Ambassadors, and Development
o Pat Clendenen suggested combining Out of State focus under Parents Council as Ambassadors.
o Jodi Mooney suggested also combining development topic under the Ambassador area.
o Tom Gunkel and Mike Mooney spoke about decreasing/examining the legacy funding from
Family Fund to campus entities with goal of impacting greater populations rather than one or
two students at a time.
o Proposed 25% of Family Fund monies to be used for Legacy funding, emergency funding,
etc, and 75% to be put forward for impacting areas in line with Focus Team initiatives.
o Mike Mooney spoke about possibility of also addressing mental health under a Health and
Wellness Focus Team.
o Tom Vacchiano asked about the overall purpose of the Council – Is it a sounding board for the
University or is it a group of “doers”? Tom Gunkel responded that the Council is a mix of both
and is a catalyst for action.
o Tom also discussed the need to better disseminate the actions and impact of the Council to all
families of Miami students. Tom asked if this effort should be a separate Focus Team or have
people in each team? He suggested utilizing the expertise of Council members in marketing
area.
o Patti Shwayder-Coffin recommended housing it under the Parents Council as
Ambassadors group, as it fits in well with that aim.
o Tom Vacchiano spoke about importance of Parents Council communication coming from
the Council (Chairs), not from Miami administrators.
o Tom Gunkel discussed how the institutional diversity initiative should still be important to the
Council. Jodi Mooney discussed looking at “diversity” more as intercultural competence rather
than just increasing numbers of “diverse” students.
o Chris O’Leary discussed the importance of not trying to address too many points under each
Focus Team or nothing new will happen.
o Mike Curme mentioned the success of the Bridges Program in bringing diverse students to
Miami. Council members could impact the program financially, but also by raising awareness of
the program to high schools in their home areas.
o Council decided upon three proposed Focus Areas: Career Development, Parents Council as
Ambassadors, and Health & Wellness.
o Council members divided into three areas for an hour discussion of selecting Team
Chairs and Spokespersons, measurable goals and timelines, in addition to plans for
communicating and continuing work between Council meetings.
Focus Team Reports/Plans:
Health & Wellness (Laurie Caro is Chair):
o
o
o
o
o
Members: Lori Vacchiano, Kathie Manney, Julia Kalan, Mike Mooney, Mag Joseph,
Suzanne Kohlberg, Kelley Gunkel, Mike Curme, Rebecca Baudry Young
Primarily focused on high risk alcohol use: parental involvement and establishment
owners in Oxford.
Form a better partnership between Miami and Oxford establishments.
 Less serving of underage students and of cheap alcohol prices ($1 beers, for
example) that encourage overconsumption.
 More development of non-alcoholic activities for students.
Parental involvement
 Communicate via email (to parents and students) prior to first fall semester: “If
you drink, here’s how to do it responsibly”.
 “Own” the above-average blackout number when talking with parents. The
more they know about it, the more likely they may be to dissuade their
students.
 Consequences and process if student gets in trouble with alcohol and how to
respond as a parent.
Put information about alternate healthcare on Miami app when Health Center is closed.
Parents Council as Ambassadors (Kevin Odle is chair):
o
o
o
o
o
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Members: Pat Clendenen, Trisha Maller, Jodi Mooney, Patti Shwayder-Coffin, Kim
Lubeck, Adrienne Winemaster, Tim Manney, David Bothast, Michael Kumler, Gwen
Fears
Immediate goal – Develop “elevator pitch” about what Parents Council is, stands for,
does for Miami students, etc.
 Utilize staff members who interact with us to get basics, then tweak.
 Call on March 31 for the forming of this speech. Product by April 15.
 To be sent as “Parents Council Corner” within existing monthly parent
newsletter, eeweemakiki.
Become more connected with extended Miami community (regional alumni orgs,
current students in their home areas).
 Connect parents with others in their geographic region.
 Connect parents with alumni groups/events in their geographic region.
Publicly endorse initiatives to hopefully lend more credibility to the initiative and raise
general awareness of Council.
Increase communication within Council.
Identify current needs of out-of-state students.
Career Development (Tom Vacchiano is Chair, Brian Lynch is spokesperson):
o
o
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Members: Tom Gunkel, Brian Lynch, Angela Walsh, Jane Irwin, Joe O’Leary, Michael
Goldman (Director of Career Services), Larry Lubeck, Tom Vacchiano, Peter Kalan, Mark
Pontious
Mike Goldman stated that one of the biggest needs is to increase employer footprint in
places where Miami does not have established corporate relations: Boston to DC,
Atlanta, Denver to Aspen Colorado, Portland to Seattle, and Los Angeles to San Diego.
We have increasing numbers of students and parents, plus more and more alumni in
those areas.
Work to influence more employers to hire from Miami (across majors, especially
Creative Arts and Humanities) or at least post positions on Miami’s Career Link.
 Possible strategies:
• Replicate regional career fairs in Cleveland and Minneapolis.
• Creative Arts students “showcase” in Chicago this April. If successful,
could replicate in NY, others.
 Tasks:
• Focus Team members look at their own companies and boards of other
companies on which they serve to encourage recruiting at Miami. Utilize
elevator speech (from Council as Ambassadors)
• Mark Pontious and Chris O’Leary to find Council members who live in
target regions areas or with target companies to strategically involve in
efforts.
• Follow-up Conference Call.
Closing notes and adjournment
o If Council members know of any incoming families who should be considered for Parents
Council, please notify David Bothast/Michael Kumler as soon as possible.
o Future Meetings:
o Fall 2015: Friday, October 16 – Saturday, October 17
o Spring 2016: Friday, March 11 – Saturday, March 12
o Daylight Savings starts tonight. Don’t forget to turn clocks ahead.
o Meeting adjourned at 11:45am.