2009-02-06: Winter 2009

Minutes, Winter 2009 (DRAFT)

Fishcamp, CA

Present: Ellen Berg (Sacramento), Rhonda Dugan (Bakersfield), Matt Jarvis (Fullerton), John Korey (Pomona), Josh Meisel (Humboldt),
Kathy Naff (Chair, San Francisco), Ed Nelson (Fresno), Gene Turner (Northridge), Lori Weber (Chico)

Note: A quorum was not present. Those items thought to require formal Council ratification are:

Item #2
M/S/P to approve the attached budget for AY 2009-2010.
Item #3
M/S/P to reverse an earlier decision to increase funding for the Student Research Conference. This amount will remain at $2,300
Item #4
M/S/P to eliminate the Saturday workshops at the Fall and Winter meetings as a cost-saving measure, holding these meetings for one day only.
Fall and Winter meetings will alternate between the Bay Area and the Los Angeles Area.
Item #10
M/S/P to approve the recommendations of the Field Committee.
Item #15
M/S/P to elect Ellen Berg as Council Chair for AY 2009-2010, and to add her to the Executive Committee for the balance of the current year.

These items are shown in boldface type where they appear below. Kathy Naff will contact those not in attendance.
Any measures to which there are no objections will be considered approved.

  1. The minutes of the Fall 2008 meeting were approved.


  2. Because of the current budget crisis, the Executive Committee (Kathy Naff, Lori Weber, Ed Nelson, and John Korey) had to agree to
    several budget cuts for the current year. Travel was reduced from $15,000 to $7,500. Campuses will be reimbursed or travel to only one business meeting during the current academic year. The $4,500 allocation for Web services was waived by Andrew Roderick.
    The SDA initiative ($6,250) was discontinued.


    M/S/P to approve the attached budget for AY 2009-2010. Gene Turner suggested that we try to come up with more precise
    estimates of travel costs for next year and make any revisions to the budget that may be appropriate.
    The suggestion was also made that the Chair should be funded for two meetings, and that campuses with unusually high travel
    costs should also be given additional consideration.


  3. M/S/P to reverse an earlier decision to increase funding for the Student Research Conference.
    This amount will remain at $2,300.


  4. M/S/P to eliminate the Saturday workshops at the Fall and Winter meetings as a cost-saving measure,
    holding these meetings for one day only. Fall and Winter meetings will alternate between the Bay Area and the Los Angeles Area.

    Representatives able to do so will be encouraged to get together for dinner on Thursday and/or Friday evenings. The Council will explore
    ways to allow those unable to attend business meetings to participate as much as is feasible though video conferencing, the Internet, etc.


  5. Lori Weber will talk with Andrew Roderick and John Stiles (UC Data) about the possibility of moving our SDA datsets to the Berkeley SDA site.


  6. We need to encourage librarians on our respective campuses to become more familiar with the social science databases though such
    means as workshops, brown bag lunches, etc.


  7. In coordination with the Chancellor's Office, the Council will send out a letter regarding subscription renewals
    to campuses in April or May in order to give them time to plan ahead for next year.


  8. It is important that we keep the SSRIC mailing list up to date. Representatives can do this for
    their campuses by going to the SSRIC Web site (http://www.ssric.org), logging in, and making needed changes.
    Contact Andrew roderick if you encounter difficulty doing this.


  9. Ellen Berg passed out flyers for the Student Research Conference and will send another email about the Conference to the "long list
    (i.e., the complete SSRIC mailing list.


  10. M/S/P to approve the recommendations of the Field Committee.. The Committee (Ed Nelson, non-voting chair, Sociology, Fresno),
    Alexandra Cole (Political Science, Northridge), Greg Lewis (Sociology, Georgia State), John Tinker (Sociology, Fresno) recommended that
    the question credits be awarded to Edward Lascher (Public Policy and Administration, Sacramento) and John Korey (Political Scince, Pomona);
    that the Field Fellowship competition be reopened; and that, if Field will not agree to a postponement of the Field Fellowship award,
    it be awarded to Richard Lippa (Psychology, Fullerton).


    In 2006, Field changed its sample frame from Random Digit Dialing (RDD) to sampling from voter registration lists. While we understand
    the very real advantages of this approach, we are concerned that limiting the Field Poll to registered voters only substantially
    limits its value as a social science resource, especially in disciplines other than political science, and to political scientists doing
    research focusing on voter participation. The Executive Committee will write to Mark DiCamillo expressing the Council's concerns.


  11. The deadline for applications for financial suppprt for attendance at the ICPSR Summer
    Program was postponed to Monday, March 2. Lori Weber will contact Pat Jennings and ask her to send an
    email to the long list as soon as possible encouraging applications.


  12. Ed Nelson has agreed to edit a newsletter publicizing our activities and resources. The first publication will be or not later than the
    2009 Fall Semester.


  13. John Korey will set up a new page on the Web site providing links to the various datasets that we currently offer as part of
    modules, exercises, textbooks, etc. As stand-alone datasets, they will be referred to as "instructional subsets."


  14. Workshops. We need to work on several things to increase the value and visibility of our workshops and workshop materials:
    1. Develop a workshop focusing specifically on social science data in the classroom and will preview it at the Fall meeting (Ed Nelson, Lori Weber, John Korey).
    2. In describing workshops, use the term "Faculty Outreach Education Programs," since this seems to be a popular buzzterm at this time.
    3. Start a FAQ page on the SSRIC Website, and an online form that can be used to collect and respond to questions.
    4. Video-record each workshops and post to Website.
    5. Provide links to other relevant resources.
    6. On individual campuses, ask public affairs department to interview campus rep about SSRIC.


  15. M/S/P to elect Ellen Berg as Council Chair for AY 2009-2010, and to add her to the Executive Committee for the balance of the current year.

Recorded by John Korey