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MINUTES MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SIGMA DELTA CHI FOUNDATION
SEPTEMBER 6, 2005
BY TELECONFERENCE

MEETING CALLED TO ORDER

With President Todd Gillman presiding, the meeting of the board of directors of the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation was called to order at 1:07 p.m. ET Tuesday, September 6, 2005.

ROLL CALL

In addition to Gillman, the following were in attendance: Vice President Betsy Ashton; Secretary Steve Geimann; Directors Irwin Gratz, Mead Loop, Georgiana Vines, Christine Tatum, Fred Brown, Dave Carlson, Al Cross, Guy Baehr, Hoag Levins, Dori Maynard, Jim Highland, Ruth Ann Harnish, Robert Leger, Sue Porter, Tony Mauro and Kelly Hawes. Executive Director Terry Harper; and Director of Development Joyce Dobson were also in attendance.

DISASTER ASSISTANCE RECOMMENDATION

Gillman reminded those in attendance to review the language previously circulated pertaining to release of funds for journalism majors whose education may have been interrupted by Hurricane Katrina. The proposal concerns providing up to $25,000 from the Pulliam General Funds to help students replace journalism textbooks that were lost due to the Gulf Coast disaster. The language is as follows:

“To qualify for the SPJ/SDX emergency book grants, students majoring in journalism and/or communications with a journalism emphasis need only to have the school to which they move send an official letter to SPJ certifying the student's enrollment due to displacement by Hurricane Katrina and request the emergency book grant.”

Discussion concerned promotion in order to reach affected students. In addition to a press release, suggestions included postings to various journalism listserves, to SPJ student members, to Richard Prince at the Maynard Institute, to the Poynter website and to the AEJMC.

Harper reported that SPJ’s legal counsel is coordinating the application process.

It was the feeling of the group that this is both a practical and symbolic gesture and, due to the enormity of the disaster, it would not establish a precedent for other natural disasters. Gillman noted that the amount of the grant can be revisited at a future time but it was felt to act quickly.

Upon proper motion and second from Highland and Brown, respectively, the board voted unanimously to make $25,000 available from the Pulliam General Fund for emergency educational grants as outlined above.

ADJOURNMENT

President Gillman thanked all attendees for their time and participation. The meeting was adjourned at 1:17 p.m. ET.