Presiding: Barbara Wallraff.
Attending:  Jessica Lipnack, Tamara Bliss, Nick Peterson, Michael Brower, Michael Vickers, Matthew Derr, Andrea Gwosdow, Janet Chumley, Jeff McConnell, Barbara Formaniak Turner, Jan Nicholson, Ed Bing, Jodi Solomon, Masha Etkin, Roy Crystal, Nick Kaufman, Barbara Schram, Stan Morse.

1. INVITATION TO JOIN A NATIONAL SUPPORT ANTIOCH COLLEGE WEEKEND, AUG. 17-19 AND DISCUSSION OF THE COLLEGE REVIVAL FUND.

A large amount of time at the meeting was involved in discussing the implications of a call for us to hold a fundraiser and of the Antioch College Alumni Association’s COLLEGE REVIVAL FUND.

The  fundraiser was set to precede the next meeting of the University Board of Trustees.

Questions raised:

In what ways is this fund in competition with the College’s own fundraising efforts?

Is this effort anything like the one a few years ago in which a large sum of money was raised by alums conditional on the college becoming once again a  stand-alone entity? The money was then lost to the college and the project left a lingering sense of  distrust of independent alumni efforts.

To what extent does this parallel fundraising effort suggest a lack of confidence in the Board of Trustees?

What will the money be used for?

What will happen to the money if the college does not in fact reorganize?

Is this fundraising tied to an effort to reverse the Board of Trustees’ decision regarding suspending operation of the college?

Decision

With broad participation in the discussion we could not really come up with answers to any of these questions and therefore reached the following decision:

We will hold an event on that August weekend in solidarity with the other Alumni groups around the country who are mobilizing support for the College (whether supporting the reversal of the current decision or the planned eventual reopening). Rather than as a fundraiser, we envision the event as a “teach-in,” to help alums become aware of all the reasons for the decision to suspend operations and to raise their commitment to keep working for to a future for the college, with a large role in that envisioning process being given to the Alumni Board who represent us.

The event has not been totally firmed up, but we think it will be held at the Walnut Hill School, where planning-group member Matt Derr is assistant headmaster, in Natick, on Sunday, Aug. 19th, probably at 5:00 pm.  Planning-group member Ed Bing will check with a member of the Board of Trustees he knows to see if this trustee can be there to answer the many questions we all have.

We envision a format in which we might break into small groups to learn about plans for and share ideas about our wishes for the revived Antioch; Tammy Bliss will facilitate.  A notice will be sent out alerting everyone of the definite time and place. In the meantime we will collect your questions about the future of the College. Please email them to Nick Kaufman at nick.

Also, if you know of Alums who do not get our notices, please email their names and email addresses to Barbara W.

2. UPCOMING EVENTS

1. 2nd Annual Gathering of Cape and Island Antioch Alums on Martha’s
Vineyard, Saturday,  Sat. Sept 8th, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the home of Zee and Bill Gamson.  For info email mvob9barb. We will use this time for filling in alums on what has transpired about the college suspension.  Steve Lawry is tentatively expected to attend.

3. Joint event with Antioch New England on the topic of  Environmental Advocacy on Oct. 14th from 3:00 pm to 5:00pm.    Event will be held at Tufts U., and the panel will include ANE President David Caruso and Steve Chase, the Director of ANE’s Environmental Advocacy and Organizing Program. A possible focus could also be to help our Alums (and ANE’s alums and current students) see how Antioch values shape ANE as well as the College.  Mike Brower will firm up the program and draft the invitation in late August.  More details will be announced later.  The college will send out paper invitations to supplement our emails.

3. DISCUSSION AND ADOPTION OF RESOLUTIONS

The following resolutions were passed unanimously at the meeting of the
Greater Boston alumni planning group held July 16 in Brookline, Mass.:

a. Resolved: That Antioch College should have its own Board of Trustees with the power to hire and fire the College president and to raise and control funds for the College.

b. Resolved: That the financial and other information that led the Antioch University Board of Trustees to decide in favor of suspending operations of the College should be made publicly available and explained.

c. Resolved: That the Alumni Board and representatives of the alumni chapters should be constructively involved in deliberations about the future of the College, starting with the special meeting in August of the Board of Trustees, and that the Board of Trustees move toward greater transparency in future deliberation and actions. Need to include original drafts of the resolutions.

4.  HANDOUTS DISTRIBUTED

1. WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP ANTIOCH COLLEGE

2. Statement re Antioch Financial Records by Tom Faecke, Antioch University Chief Financial Officer regarding erroneous report of “accounting irregularities”

3. Antioch New England Graduate School Commencement Address, by Steve
J. Trierweller, PhD.

5.  PLANNING GROUP MEETINGS

1. Teleconference to touch base and discuss the next Board of Trustees’
meeting set for August 29 at 7:30 pm. Barbara W will look into the means for teleconferencing.

2. The next meeting was set for Tuesday, Sept 18th, 7:00 pm, again at Barbara W’s.

Last Modified : July 25th, 2007 Filed under : Boston Navigate : Previous post / Next post