1. Call to Order
A. Welcome and Introductions
B. Parliamentarian
C. Approval of Agenda
D. Approval of Minutes, 2000 Midyear Council Meeting
E. Review of Action Items List
2. President’s Report
3. Recommendations from Standing Committees
A. Executive Committee
B. Financial Advisory Committee
C. Councilor’s Forum
D. OPAE
E. Publications Board
F. Meetings Board
G. National Plant Pathology Board
H. Office of Electronic Communications
I. Headquarters Operations Committee
4. Reports of Ad Hoc and Council Committees
A. Industry Advisory Committee
5. Issues for Discussion
A. Next Step in Governance Revisions
4.
Reports of Ad Hoc and Council Committees (Continued)
K. APS Foundation
5.
Issues for Discussion (Continued)
B. Strategic Plan Implementation and Updating
Addition to Agenda—International Association for the
Plant Protection Sciences
6. Action Items
A. Approval of Biotechnology Position Statement
3. Recommendations from Standing Committees (Continued)
J. Office of International Programs
6. Action Items (Continued)
B. APS Affiliation with International Association for Plant Protection Sciences
C. Items Postponed from Committee and Board Recommendations
7. Welcome to New APS Council and Transfer of Gavel
8. Items for New APS Council
MINUTES OF THE
APS COUNCIL MEETING, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
The meeting was called to order by President N. Van
Alfen at 8:05 a.m.
Present:
N. Van Alfen, D. Jardine, C. Windels, S. Hurtt, N. Keen, E. Stromberg, D.
Beadle, J. Sherwood, G. Shaner, S. Slack, F. Nutter, S. Cantrell, T. Burr, S.
Douglas, J. Loper, G. Chastagner, B. Hillman, R. Gergerich
Absent:
J. Leach, R. Nyvall
Staff
present: S. Nelson, A. Hope, M. Wimer
Guests:
J. MacDonald, G. Tylka, M. Cline
1.
Call to Order
A.
Welcome and Introductions. President Van Alfen
welcomed everyone to New Orleans and had each one present introduce themselves.
He then reviewed the policy to streamline the meeting.
B.
Parliamentarian. C. Windels was appointed
parliamentarian.
C.
Approval of Agenda. The agenda was reviewed (attachment #1). MOTION To approve the agenda. SECOND.
MOTION CARRIED.
D.
Approval of Minutes, 2000
Midyear Council Meeting. MOTION. To approve the minutes as posted on APSnet. SECOND. MOTION CARRIED.
E.
Review of Action Items List.
Secretary
Jardine reported that there were no items left on the actions list from
Montreal or the midyear meeting.
2.
President’s Report
The report began with general comments on the challenges he faced in moving
and serving as president simultaneously. The Society has had a good year for
accomplishments. The priorities set last year from the Strategic Plan have had
solid progress. The priorities were: 1) establishing a process for change to
the governance structure was completed; 2) creation of Meetings Board was
completed; 3) the launching of APSnet III and the Plant Health Progress journal, as well as the creation of an
Education and Learning Center and the development of e-commerce capabilities
were all completed; and 4) develop agreements with the library community for
electronic journal access.
Lower priorities dealt with included the government relations plan (rejected at
the midyear meeting) and bringing new products to completion (we are off to a
good start in the new fiscal year).
The Society has much current financial risk. We ran a deficit for FY 99-00 and
there is a projected deficit for FY 00-01.
3.
Recommendations from
Standing Committees and Boards
A. Executive Committee. MOTION
FROM EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. That a new special Governance Committee be appointed to continue work
on the governance issue. DISCUSSION.
Section C of the Councilor’s Forum report (attachment
#7) will serve as the charge. They are to come back with some proposed
governance models for discussion. The proposed committee will be L. Madden,
chair, J. Loper, J. Fletcher, O.W. Barnett, D. Beadle, L. Sequeira, and I.
Barash. J. Loper summarized the Councilor’s Forum perspective. A broader input
is now needed.
MOTION CARRIED.
MOTION FROM EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. That the president appoint an ad
hoc committee to come back to Council with a proposal to restructure the
National Plant Pathology Board (NPPB). DISCUSSION.
NPPB has proposed a reorganization. N. Keen summarized the outcomes of the
NPPB June meeting held in Washington, D.C. There is still a need to improve
communication linkages between Council and NPPB. It was noted that this
committee and the new Governance Committee should interface. Since O.W. Barnett
will serve on both of them, this should happen. This is a good time for
restructuring since several board changes will be occurring. President Van
Alfen reviewed current and upcoming changes. MOTION CARRIED.
MOTION FROM EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. That O.W. Barnett be appointed
interim chair of the NPPB. DISCUSSION.
A. Vidaver must step down to avoid conflict of interest as she assumes her new
role as chief scientist for the National Research Institute. MOTION CARRIED.
MOTION FROM EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. That the Meetings Board be given a
specific charge to develop and conduct workshops, short courses, meetings, and
on-line events and provide opportunities for networking to foster professional
growth and continuing education of members. DISCUSSION. The courses where we have attempted to reach a broader
audience have not been financially successful. There was discussion on how
current offerings might change. We need to target members, but nonmembers would
be welcome. N. Van Alfen reviewed how the short course idea was modeled after
what the American Association of Cereal Chemists does. We do not have the
industry base seeking these types of workshops that they do. MOTION CARRIED.
B. Financial Advisory Committee
J. Sherwood distributed the unaudited budget (attachment #2). There is an approximately $83,000 deficit. There were many year-end expenses for Plant Health Progress and some delayed marketing of APS Press items. The FY 00-01 budget was distributed (attachment #4). J. Sherwood reviewed specific items in both the FY 99-00 and FY 00-01 budgets.
We have finally received an audited financial statement from the International Association of Plant Pathologists (ISPP). There finances are now at a Canadian bank and we should receive annual statements.
MOTIONS FROM FAC
1)
APS
Short Courses are charged to become financially “breakeven or better” after
expenses for overhead.
2)
APS
Short Courses are charged to reach this financial goal within three years
beginning FY00-01 with annual reviews of the progress toward this goal.
3)
Phytopathology News should shift from print
delivery to on-line delivery with a charge for printing, postage and handling
for those that want a printed copy (NB: with current technology this would be a
printed PDF file)
4)
APS
to provide $1,000 to CAST to join their Initiative on Biotechnology.
DISCUSSION. The change in Phytopathology News would save about
$30-40,000. There were questions on the impact of this motion on emeritus
members as well as what the fee would be. J. Loper indicated the Phytopathology News Advisory Committee
was meeting later and these items would be discussed. There appears to be some
resistance to on-line only availability. There was discussion of the Phytopathology News survey currently
being conducted. There are also some constitutional issues on its availability.
Discussion on motion 2 centered around whether the
stated period should be less than three years. MOTION TO TABLE. SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED.
The APS print directory was discussed. Of 700
printed, only 116 were sold in 1999. Advertising has also been lost. Seventy-two
copies have been sold in 2000 to date. MOTION
FROM COUNCILORS FORUM. That the APS Membership not be printed in 2001 (will not be on the membership invoice).
After this, the Membership Directory will be printed on plain paper and consist
of an alphabetical listing from the IMIS database as a simple black and white,
stapled directory. DISCUSSION. The
cost will be $20.00. Concern of the cost was expressed, but this reflects
closely the cost of using the IMIS database, staff time, and printing. Fifty
copies will be run for starters. A. Hope indicated that the search capabilities
can be improved for the on-line directory. MOTION
TO TABLE. SECONDED. CARRIED.
J. Loper addressed the changes in the committee
appointment process. The past procedures were reviewed. The current procedures,
passed by email ballot were then reviewed. Committee chairs have been notified
of the changes. Council use to approve all committee appointments. This will no
longer occur. MOTION FROM COUNCILOR’S
FORUM. Council approval of appointments of members to the general policy
and subject matter committees will not be required in 2000-2001 or thereafter. DISCUSSION. This change fits in with
the effort to streamline Council meetings. MOTION
CARRIED. ACTION: The secretary will make the appropriate changes in the
Manual of Operations.
MOTION FROM
COUNCILOR’S FORUM. That Long Beach, California be the site for the APS Annual Meeting in
2004 and that this will replace the earlier approval by Council of Spokane as
the meeting site for 2004. DISCUSSION.
The change is due to the cost and availability of flights into Spokane. MOTION CARRIED.
Councilor’s Forum is charged with evaluating member services. Each year
they target a different membership group. For the upcoming year, S. Hurtt, F.
Nutter, and S. Cantrell will review service to international members. Next
year, post-docs will be the target group. R. Gergerich reviewed why
international members are being targeted this year. This relates in part to
changes in the APS European Office. They are looking at what services might be
offered by the European Office. This also fits in with the Headquarters
Operations Committee’s (HOC) international efforts. These were reviewed by C.
Windels. HOC will look at how we liaison with AACC in Europe. They will be
strategizing what we can do. There was discussion on how APS and AACC
international efforts differ or are the same.
Abstract publishing is still an issue, but there is
no current action being taken.
The issue of market branding was discussed in the
context of marketing APS to APS members. An example of what AACC does was
shown. A. Hope further reviewed AACC actions. They are trying to be consistent
in looks, messages, logos, etc. Staff would like APS to follow this example. G.
Tylka spoke in favor of the identity issue using the Soybean Cyst Nematode
Coalition as an example. ACTION. A
committee will be appointed to look at this identity issue. E. Stromberg will
be chair. S. Hurtt and F. Nutter will also serve. Members of OPAE and
Headquarters staff will also be invited to serve on the committee.
There are a number of members rotating off the board
and they are actively looking for replacements. C. Curtis has agreed to replace
J. Carroll as the youth liaison. MOTION
FROM OPAE. That C. Curtis be appointed to the OPAE board. MOTION CARRIED. L. Madden is still
considering the offer to chair the Communications Committee. The APS
Biotechnology Statement will be on Wednesday’s agenda.
Break
at 10:00 a.m.
Reconvened
at 10:17 a.m.
MOTION FROM
PUBLICATIONS BOARD. That A. Biggs be appointed editor-in-chief of Plant Disease with the
following Senior Editorial Board: Benny D. Bruton, Kira L. Bowen, Patrick D.
Colyer, Leslie L. Domier, Thomas C. Harrington, Mary K. Hausbeck, Peter J.
Landschoot, Ching-Hsing Liao, Gary P. Munkvold and Katherine L. Stevenson.
Features Editor: Ned Tisserat. Plant Disease Notes Assigning Editor: Tony
Keinath.
MOTION
CARRIED. MOTION FROM PUBLICATIONS BOARD. To approve D. Haas, J. Kronstad, J. Schoelz,
J. Stougaard, and M. Udvardi as senior editors of MPMI. MOTION CARRIED.
Software for manuscript tracking is being evaluated
by staff. The Publications Board is encouraging quick movement on this. ACTION: An ad hoc committee (proposed
by FAC) should be appointed to look at new products. This committee should not
include any current editors-in-chief, but should include several past
editors-in-chief. President Van Alfen noted that the Publications Board is
empowered to proceed as they see fit.
Most of the action so far occurred around the midyear meeting when it
was created. Most communications have been by email. The first face-to-face
meeting of the board will occur here in New Orleans. They will be involved with
the Committee Chairs Meeting. They will also spend some time focusing on short
courses. S. Slack reviewed how smoothly last years Program Committee operations
went.
See section 3A above.
H.
Office of Electronic
Communications (OEC)
Plant Health Progress, the Education Center and
APSnet III are all up and running
now. They are circulating a call for proposals pamphlet (attachment #4) and a Partner Pamphlet (attachment #5). The purpose of the Partner’s Pamphlet is to remove
the burden of funding from the editor-in-chief.
MOTION. That the Electronic
Technology Advisory Committee (ETAC) be disbanded and absorbed into OEC. Their
original role was to beta test products but this can now be done with ad hoc
people. MOTION TO TABLE. SECONDED.
MOTION CARRIED.
OEC will be dealing with policy issues for new areas
and products. They do not anticipate any major new expenditures in the near
future. There was general discussion on the positives of Plant Health Progress. A major marketing effort is now needed.
There was discussion on why the APS logo does not appear on these new
brochures. It was noted that we do not want to scare non-pathologists off. The
logo will appear on the home page. There was discussion on how we need or want
to interact with other societies. It needs to go beyond joint meetings. S.
Hurtt voiced the concern that we need to be sure APS gets the necessary credit
for the journal. There will be a presentation on PHP at the business meeting and in Phytopathology News announcing the journal to the membership.
C. Windels reported that the committee has been very
busy this year compared to recent years. They are working more closely with
AACC. Three items have come out of this closer working relationship. 1) There
has been a reorganization of headquarters staff. She reviewed the background on
the reorganization and the newly established organization. 2) The European
Office (see Sec. 3 above) and 3)
Technology issues and staffing. Conference calls have been set up to deal with
international and technical issues. They will meet again in September at
headquarters. S. Nelson provided more information about the changes at
headquarters citing interactions with the brewing chemists as an example.
4.
Reports of ad hoc and
Council Committees
They are changing chairs. MOTION. C. Becker will replace B.
Carroll as chair. SECONDED. MOTION
CARRIED. There was an update on the IAC request for an industry spot on
Council. They have been invited to sit in on all Council meetings. To have a
voting seat would require a constitutional amendment. N. Van Alfen reviewed his
participation in a conference call with IAC. He suggested that future presidents
regularly attend their meetings.
The Private Practitioners Committee is charged to address the issue of certification.
The certification program is administered through the American Society of
Agronomy and ARCPACS. Although we participate in the program, we are not deeply
involved. There is a small fee for our participation. The question is whether
APS should continue to offer certification. The Private Practitioners Committee
will hold a workshop here in New Orleans. W. R. Landis will provide a written
report following the workshop. President Van Alfen encouraged Council members
to attend if they have an interest.
The request for this policy came from the IAC. They
are seeking guidance in this area. President Van Alfen indicated he has had
difficulty writing a charge. He recommended that perhaps IAC could be asked to
write their own charge since they have the concern and will ultimately accept
or reject the policy. The question was raised as to whether they have a clear
picture of the type of requests to come? It was noted they would know better
than anyone else. There was general discussion on how industry handles and
tracks requests and donations. There is some concern on groups soliciting funds
on behalf of APS without Council knowledge. This solicitation policy committee
should be a subset of IAC, staff and Council. ACTION. S. Slack will appoint an ad hoc committee to develop a
policy on fund solicitation from industry.
Adjourned
for lunch at 12:10 p.m.
Reconvened
at 1:10 p.m.
4A (con’t)
M. Cline is substituting for B. Carroll who is ill.
IAC has had regular phone meetings throughout the year. They would like to do a
survey of industry members. They would like to do some restructuring of IAC,
the Sustaining Associates and the Industry Committee. They envision some sub
working groups to handle programming, funding, policy and annual meeting
events. They hope the survey would bring these things to fruition.
They are looking to be more
public. As an example, there would be industry items in Phytopathology News. There might also be an industry update page on
APSnet or in PHP. There could even be virtual seminars on topics like “What do
you do in industry?”
5. Issues for Discussion
A.
Next step in governance
revisions.
See Councilor’s Forum report
(attachment #7) and previous discussion above.
4.
K. APS Foundation
This item was left off the
original agenda and was added by consent. C. Coakley referred people to the
report available on the Council page of APSnet.
They received $88,000 in donations in 1999 compared to 33,000 in 1998. There
are now 21 named travel scholarships. They asked each scholarship applicant to
give three ideas on how to improve APS, the annual meeting, or the field of
plant pathology. They have collated these comments and will begin to address
them. O.W. Barnett will need to be replaced on the board. This is a board
appointed position.
5.
B. Strategic Plan
Implementation and Updating
There were four priorities to be addressed. 1) Establishing a process for change to the governance structure was completed. 2) Creation of Meetings Board was completed. 3) The launching of APSnet III and the Plant Health Progress journal, as well as the creation of an Education and Learning Center and the development of e-commerce capabilities were all completed. 4) Develop agreements with the library community for electronic journal access. This process is just now getting under way.
Two other areas were addressed as well. Potential
plans for governmental relations were explored with the result of voting
against a Washington presence. Out of this came the need to restructure the
NPPB. Bringing new products to completion to increase cash flow was also
addressed.
There was discussion on volunteerism as it relates to the Strategic
Plan. We need to recognize the time and resources being committed by
volunteers. This could be done by badge ribbons at the annual meeting. We also
need to publicize opportunities for volunteering as well as volunteer
accomplishments.
S. Slack noted that we should continue to monitor
the progress of the priorities currently be acted on. Three priorities to be
addressed in the upcoming year are 1) linkages to other societies, 2) the
European office and 3) Volunteerism. Time will need to be taken at the midyear meeting
to review the Strategic Plan. S. Nelson noted that changes in staff and their
roles are related to the Strategic Plan. S. Nelson presented some observations
from working with other groups. Governing bodies should spend 2/3 of their time
on strategizing for five years and beyond. Eighty percent of the knowledge base
you need to go forward will come from outside your discipline. Some major
trends to deal with include globalization, consolidation, technology and
instant access. A governing structure must allow for quick adaptation as well
as helping to support groups dealing with emerging issues. The necessary
support staff for this work is also needed. A part of every Executive Committee
agenda needs to be reserved for looking ahead or brainstorming.
There was discussion on partnering using the example of how APS, ESA,
and ASPP worked together on the topic of on-line subscriptions for libraries.
On 1 Jan 2001, libraries will be offered the option to take journals on-line.
The price has been set. There is a sliding scale based on audience size. A.
Hope gave more details on electronic journal usage including archiving. We will
use existing copyright laws rather than any special contracts. There was
discussion on whether or not library fees will need to be adjusted to offset
losses of subscriptions at that institution. For now, there will be an
on-line/print bundle offering of the journals.
The question arose as to
whether or not we need a visioning committee for electronic products to
libraries? There may be some standing committees that could address this. ACTION. S. Slack will appoint an ad hoc
committee to address relations with other societies, particularly regarding
electronic publications. This committee should act quickly with focused
recommendations. There are now models from other societies to look at. ACTION. Executive Committee will set an
agenda item for strategic discussions at each meeting.
C. APS Role in
Agricultural Biotechnology Discussions (procedure for formulating policy).
There is no formal mechanism for policy formation outside of the NPPB. Most of our policies have been set reactively rather than proactively. The NPPB needs to anticipate needed policies and take the time to develop proposals for Council to react to. There should be a charge to the restructured NPPB to develop policy-making strategies in this area. Currently we react through letters from the president, often without discussion. M. Cline presented an industry view on policy and its development.
We need a policy on how we make comments on issues.
To date, NPPB has brought some issues to us for approval (e.g. Bioterrorism).
There was some concern about our current methods of making policy. There was
significant discussion on policy and position statements. We need to ask groups
who represent us on issues to alert us when we need to develop a position and
make sure there is adequate lead time. It was suggested that perhaps each
committee could identify one or two key issues for Council to consider for
position or policy statements.
S. Hurtt discussed the
ethics emphasis in the Agriculture Research Service (ARS) and related it to the
point that the president should consult with Council before releasing position
statements requested by the NPPB or others. There was more discussion on this
matter. The problem is that turn-around time is often near immediate. Often the
NPPB does not have time to fully deliberate the issue. Again, our emphasis
should be on looking forward and identifying issues so that we can have
positions already in place. It was noted that we need better communication with
Council membership before, during, and after positions are issued.
OPAE is proposing the
position statement, “The American
Phytopathological Society supports biotechnology as a means for improving plant
health and increasing plant productivity.” M. Cline provided some
background on how the statement was developed. Globally, other groups are
taking a position on biotechnology and we need to do so also. OPAE was looking
for a focused statement pertinent to whom we are. They also wanted it to be
quotable as a sound byte. There was discussion on the use of the word
biotechnology in the statement versus the term, genetic engineering. M. Cline
and D. Beadle will take it the Biotechnology Regulations Assessment Committee
for discussion and approval. M. Cline noted an on-line article she had seen on
the use of biotechnology in plant pathology. Final action on this item will be
taken on Wednesday.
Meeting adjourned at 3:10 p.m.
Reconvened at 8:10 a.m. on 16 Aug 00.
Present: N. Van Alfen, S. Slack, D. Jardine, C.
Windels, N. Keen, S. Cantrell, D. Beadle, R. Gergerich, J. Sherwood, F. Nutter,
E. Stromberg, S. Douglas, T. Burr, G. Shaner, S. Hurtt, S. Coakley
Incoming members present: J. Fletcher, b. Christ, M.
Matheron, R. Ploetz
Staff: S. Nelson, A. Hope, C. Ash, M. Bjerkness
Guests: J. Amador, G. Tylka, L. Apple, K. Brownell,
R. Bennett
Absent: R. Nyvall, J. Leach, B. Hillman, J. Loper
Addition to the agenda.
L. Apple was provided time
to address Council on the International Association for the Plant Protection
Sciences (IAPPS) (attachment # 8). L.
Apple reviewed the history of IAPPS development as well other similar groups.
The association was launched in 1999. The idea is to be similar to AAAS. There
will be individual members, affiliates and associates (e.g. CIAT, CYMMT). The
Global Crop Protection Society in Belgium is providing some funding. It is a
legalized corporation headquartered in North Carolina with 501 C tax status.
There are eight regional divisions. They will seek projects of common interest
in third world countries with projects similar to ARS. Example projects would
be white fly and potato late blight at CIAT. They have a 16 member governing
board. He reviewed regions and host institutions and coordinators. They have a
contract for Crop Protection to be
the official journal. Membership details are in the attachments. There will be
country representatives to make up the boards. They hope to publish global pest
reports. They have a web site. They will also put out white papers. N. Van
Alfen reviewed the background of last year’s discussion and vote. This would be
an affiliate member that Council would appoint a representative to. There was discussion
on possible conflicts with Crop
Protection, but there does not appear to be any. S. Nelson wanted to know
how the affiliates would be listed? Is their implication that affiliates
support their positions? The answer was only with the affiliates consent. MOTION. That Council appoint a
committee to explore the benefits and consequences of affiliating with IAPPS
and report back to Council with a recommendation at the 2001 midyear Council
meeting. SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED.
6.
Action Items
A.
Approval of biotechnology
position statement.
Greg reviewed details of the
original statement and how input was gathered during the meeting. He reviewed
some of the comments gathered (attachment
#9). MOTION FROM OPAE. To
approve the revised biotechnology position statement. DISCUSSION. The purpose of the statement was questioned. It was
indicated that this could be a topic sentence for NPPB work. It would also be a
catch phrase for OPAE materials. We could also use it as a response if APS was
asked for their position on biotechnology. The statement presented is
proactive, not reactive. There was a discussion of concerns from the IPM
Committee on what would be addressed in the white paper. MOTION CARRIED.
3.
J. Office of International Programs Report.
They are encouraging foreign
members to be more active in the society. There was a report on a pamphlet
funded by Council last year (attachment
#10). They were pleased with the booth location this year. The booth was
upgraded using Council funds. OIP is sponsoring a symposium on Wednesday
afternoon titled, “Promise or Threat of Genetically Modified Organisms in
Global Agriculture.”
The Library Assistance Program is continuing. This
program provides journals overseas to libraries who cannot afford them. They
are mostly back issues from members.
There is an OIP Travel Fund to support travel to the
annual meeting for scientists from developing countries. This was set up with
matching funds from the APS Foundation.
The JANE Fund was very
successful this year in attracting twelve proposals. S. Fernandez received
$10,000 for a late blight oospore study. Roger Hull, an OIP sponsored nominee
was elected as a Fellow.
OIP is
considering cosponsoring the Caribbean Division meeting. They are seeking APS
funds to support speaker travel to a symposium at the meeting. They would also
take the OIP booth. MOTION FROM OIP. That
$1,000 be appropriated for travel support of a speaker to the meeting. DISCUSSION. This is a one-time request.
The Caribbean Division is key in getting greater international activity in APS.
S. Cantrell noted this is the 40th anniversary of the Caribbean
Division. They would like a symposium on the history of the Caribbean Division.
Some retired members are not likely to have travel funds. There was more
discussion on whether members should receive travel funds. MOTION TO TABLE. SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED.
6. B. APS affiliation
with International Association for Plant Protection Sciences.
Referred
to committee for action at midyear.
C. Items postponed from committee and board recommendations.
Items from OEC.
MOTION FROM OEC. That the Electronic Technology Advisory
Committee be disbanded and absorbed into OEC. MOTION CARRIED.
MOTION FROM OEC. To approve new members of the OEC Board (attachment #11). DISCUSSION. OEC will structure the terms to be staggered. MOTION CARRIED.
ACTION: Change the Manual of Operations to
reflect that the Editor-in-Chief of APS Press no longer sits on OEC.
OEC supports the
electronic publication of Phytopathology
News except for individuals who specifically request a paper copy.
Items from the
NPPB. The NPPB requests Council to appoint members for an interim term
while the restructuring of the board is studied and completed. There was
discussion of the status of the biological warfare statement. They would like
to send it to the International Society of Plant Pathology for use
internationally. MOTION FROM THE NPPB. That
a letter from the president stating our position on biological warfare be sent
to ISPP asking them to adopt our statement for use internationally. DISCUSSION. They have not requested
this. The pros and cons of the appropriateness of this action were discussed. MOTION CARRIED.
There was a discussion on
the Interagency Commission on Microbial Genetics; A. Vidaver is a member. They
deal with what types of funding are available and what organisms will be
sequenced. O.W. Barnett read a support letter from the Biochemistry, Physiology
and Molecular Biology Committee. There are also
letters of support from the Mycotoxicology Committee and the Mycology and
Genetics Committee. The Bacteriology and Virology Committees are considering
it. Plans are in the discussion phase. There would be a major support campaign.
O.W. Barnett also indicated a legislative alert is needed on IFAS funding.
President Van Alfen asked if Council is in support of microbial genomics. We
need to know this for when action is needed. There was general discussion on
making sure plant pathogens are considered for sequencing. A list of current
pathogens being considered was read.
MOTION. That Council charge the NPPB with taking the lead in organizing an
initiative to pursue funding for sequencing of plant pathogens including 1) the
development of criteria for selecting high priority organisms to be sequenced
and 2) tentative candidates for a high priority list of organisms. The NPPB
will report progress/recommendations to Council by the midyear Council meeting,
2001. SECONDED. DISCUSSION. It was
asked who requested such a list. O.W. is unsure but will find out. There was
discussion on the criteria for selection. MOTION
CARRIED.
On the bioterrorism issue,
progress is unclear. NPPB continues to work in this area.
Culture collections were
discussed. Are bacterial collections being lost when people retire? There is
some international concern. R. Cook thinks the ARS Peoria lab could become a
collection site. ACTION. President
Van Alfen charged the NPPB to draft a letter on bacterial collections.
The NPPB sponsored
discussion on the NRC report went very well. It was suggested that perhaps a
“hot topic” should be discussed annually. President Van Alfen reviewed
Saturday’s actions on the NPPB. ACTION. The
president will appoint J. Sherwood and B. Carroll as interim members for one
year.
The Private Practice
Committee held a workshop on certification. They had been charged to recommend
continuation of the certification program or not. The question to be answered
is should we withdraw from the Certification Advisory Council (CAC). C. Ash provided
background on the CAC. She provided information on the proposed fee structure
for membership. It should have minimal impact on APS. The Private Practice
Committee supports maintaining affiliation. No action is needed to maintain the
status quo. Financial issues related to CAC membership were tabled at the FAC
meeting.
Break at 10:10 a.m.
Reconvened at 10:30 a.m.
Leadership Workshop. J. Fletcher gave a review
of the 4-year history of the workshop and its purpose. This year a new format
was used. There was an advanced workshop following the morning general
workshop. The topic of the afternoon session was “How to get what you want out
of a meeting.” There was a good diversity of attendees. Many committee chairs
attended. The evaluations were good. It was noted that attendance has been down
the past two years. There may be several reasons for this. Timing may be one.
Attendees generally have to come in a day early and so have increased travel
expenses. The other reason is we may have exhausted a large part of the
interested pool of people. Questions on the minimal number of people for
continuance and funding for the extra session were referred to the Meetings
Board.
MOTION. Move to untable all general item motions. SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED.
MOTION. To approve the Manual of Operations as revised. MOTION CARRIED. ACTION. The secretary will update the MOO after
each Council meeting. There will continue to be a full review every three
years.
MOTION FROM COUNCILORS FORUM. That the APS Membership not be printed in 2001 (will not be on the membership invoice).
After this, the Membership Directory will be printed on plain paper and consist
of an alphabetical listing from the IMIS database as a simple black and white,
stapled directory. DISCUSSION. There
was a brief discussion on costs. MOTION
CARRIED.
MOTION. To remove FAC motions from the table. SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED.
MOTION FROM FAC. APS Short Courses are charged to become
financially “breakeven or better” after expenses for overhead. DISCUSSION. Will annual meeting
workshops be included in this charge? Fees are currently charged. The Meetings
Board will be charged with oversight of fee setting. Workshops need to break
even overall, not each one individually. MOTION
CARRIED.
MOTION FROM
FAC. APS Short
Courses are charged to reach this financial goal within three years beginning
FY00-01 with annual reviews of the progress toward this goal. DISCUSSION. None. MOTION CARRIED.
MOTION FROM
FAC. Phytopathology News should shift from print
delivery to on-line delivery with a charge for printing, postage and handling
for those that want a printed copy (NB: with current technology this would be a
printed PDF file). DISCUSSION. Is
the technology for electronic subscription available to all members, particularly
foreign and emeritus? There were questions on interpretation of the member
benefits section of the Constitution. M. Bjerkness reviewed past surveys and
the current Phytopathology News
survey. This current survey is still ongoing and there has been only a 6%
return to date. Editor-in-chief R. Nyvall was contacted during the meeting and
replied that electronic only distribution would be “unmitigated disaster.”
$20,000 is being removed from the 2001 budget. Outsourcing has been
discontinued. They rebid the printing and saved considerable money. Each
edition will be limited to a maximum of 16 pages. The bottom line is still bad
because the classified income was moved to Placement Services. M. Bjerkness
gave an analysis of the Phytopathology
News budget (attachment #12). It
was pointed out that although the newsletter is included with dues, the amount
allocated for the newsletter goes into the member services line item. THE QUESTION WAS CALLED. MOTION DEFEATED.
MOTION FROM
FAC. APS to
provide $1,000 to CAST to join their Initiative on Biotechnology. DISCUSSION. None. MOTION CARRIED.
MOTION FROM OIP. That $1,000 be appropriated for travel
support of a speaker to the Caribbean Division meeting. DISCUSSION. None. MOTION
CARRIED.
7. Welcome of New APS Council and Transfer of Gavel.
President Van Alfen gave final comments on the efficiency of Council and thanked everyone.
The 1999-2000 APS Council adjourned at 11:30 a.m.
The 2000-2001 APS Council meeting was brought to
order by new president, S. Slack at 11:30 a.m.
Present: S. Slack, D. Jardine, N. Van Alfen, R.
Ploetz, S. Hurtt, N. Keen, M. Matheron, S. Cantrell, D. Beadle, R. Gergerich,
F. Nutter, J. Fletcher, B. Christ, J. Andrews, S. Coakley
Staff: S. Nelson, A. Hope, M. Bjerkness
Absent: R. Nyvall, J. Leach, J. Loper, G. Shaner, B.
Hillman
8.
Items for New APS Council
ACTION. President Slack appointed an ad hoc committee to recommend a structure
for the NPPB and review their charge as written in the MOO. They are to report
by the midyear Council meeting, 2001. Members are: J. Sherwood, chair, O.W.
Barnett, B. Carroll, S. Tolin, G. Tylka, and R. Cook. J. Sherwood and B.
Carroll are also appointed as interim members of the board for one year.
ACTION. A special committee known as the Council Structure Committee is
appointed for up to three years. Members are: L. Madden, chair, J. Loper, J.
Fletcher, O.W. Barnett, L. Sequeira, J. Barash, and D. Beadle. (see section 3A for the charge).
ACTION. The ad hoc Constitution and Bylaws Revision Committee is reappointed
for another year. They are to make a final report by the midyear Council
meeting, 2001. Members are: C. Windels, chair, R. Gergerich, M. Wimer, E.
Stromberg, and J. Fletcher.
ACTION. The policy for solicitation of funds is referred to the IAC with a
report due by the midyear Council meeting, 2001. S. Coakley will represent the
APS Foundation, M. Bjerkness will represent staff, and N. Keen will represent
Council.
ACTION. An ad hoc committee to study linkages and partnering was appointed. The
committee is to devise a plan on who we want to link and partner with in the
future. Members are: C. Windels, chair, N. Van Alfen, J. Fletcher, A. Hope, M.
Wimer, J. MacDonald, G. Shaner, and S. Nelson. This committee will in part
address items 1-B, 3-A, part 4, and 5-D of the Strategic Plan. They are to
publish a white paper on who and how we want to make alliances with. This is
time sensitive because of electronic library subscriptions. The report is
needed by the midyear Council meeting, 2001 or possibly by 1 Jan 2001.
Recommendations are needed, but also longer range visions on how to proceed.
ACTION. Secretary Jardine will complete his term in Salt Lake City. Nominations
for a replacement will be needed by midyear Council meeting.
6.
B. APS Affiliation with
International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences.
This item is referred to Councilor’s Forum in place
of the previously approved committee (see Addition
to the agenda, above). A. Hope is to get information on the constitution
and governance of IAPPS. They are to report at the midyear Council meeting,
2001.
8.
Items for New APS Council (con’t)
Strategic Plan comments. Linkage issues are now
very important with the next meeting to be held jointly with the Society of
Nematologists and the Mycological Society of America. Volunteerism is also an
issue. Guidance in this area should come from Councilor’s Forum.
N. Keen indicated that the
department heads have requested reinstitution of the salary survey. This will
be an item on the FAC agenda. Cost estimates are needed from staff. S. Nelson
indicated that there might be an opportunity for an interdisciplinary survey
using PHP as a vehicle to distribute
information. There was more discussion on the department head’s group
relationship to APS and Council.
In regard to program
planning and the policy on funding speaker travel, does it include funds from
outside of APS? This issue will be referred to the Meetings Board to bring
recommendations to Council.
The midyear Council meeting will
be 23-25 Feb 2001 in St. Paul.
President S. Slack adjourned the Annual Meeting of
APS Council at 12:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Douglas J. Jardine
Secretary, APS