Karen Thurmond, Chair, The University of Memphis

Maura Reynolds (Publications Chair), Hope College

Elaine Borrelli, Society of Women Engineers

George Steele, Ohio Learning Network

Jose Rodriguez, Florida International University

Yolanda Mathews, The University of Memphis

Remy Sotto, Pima Community College

Leigh Cunningham, Executive Office Liaison

Absent:

Doug Waddell, Florida State University

Sarah Bedingfield, New Hampshire Community and Technical College

Discussion Materials:

• 2007 Chair Report to the Board (included WAB member list)
• Webinar development timeline
• Lists of suggested topics (Webinar participants and Best of Region Presentations)
• Karen is working on compiling data that has been collected via Webinar evaluations and Technology survey and will share with WAB as soon as she has it ready.

General Discussion:

The Advisory Board reviewed the list of topics for the Webinars that has been collected from various sources. This is the same list we have been using and addending for the last year. Discussion ensued about the future of Webinars as a professional development delivery method. We talked about frequency of Webinars, the production schedule and the effort of the Executive Office for the Webinar schedule we have this year. The sentiment of the group was that a trend for declining numbers of participants is inevitable. What to do then, since we believe that the Webinar is a viable option for some advisors and groups of advisors? We talked a lot about slices of content rather than the whole pie. We agreed that we had been presenting whole pies, and that we would like to begin to present slices. The Commissions and Interest Groups have been asked to submit topics from their membership. (Some did hand them in during the conference; a follow up to CIG chairs will be made.) These topics could be used to define the slices of the topics already on the list. The further inevitability is that when the topics become slices, the number of participants will also decrease. This notion drove us to discuss other ways to deliver Webinar type content. We talked about the “straight to disk” possibility which would allow us to record a presentation and deliver it for purchase rather than for live Webcast. This could be done through a members-only website as enhanced membership option, and offered for sale or download for others. This option would allow for the decreasing number of live Webcasts on popular topics to be supplemented by sale and download of niche topics. It was generally agreed that we have too many live Webcasts this year which monopolize the time of the EO staff, particularly in the registration process and resourcing the technology skills of members. We also talked briefly of pushing the tools available in the Wimba room, and utilizing the option to record ahead of time some of the content, or to perform a version of the presentation for the CD and Pocket Guide, and then utilizing the options in the Wimba room in the live broadcast. Bottom line: the live broadcast and the CD and Pocket Guide don’t have to be the same thing.

Specific Recommendations:

• Develop a specific mission statement for Webinars (this work will begin at once via the wiki).
• Reduce live broadcast schedule back to 5 events for the 2008-09 season – live broadcasts topics should have broad appeal
• Create additional CDs or DVDs (this may be a good place to make the transition to DVD to allow for more complex content) of more focused material, in smaller slices (30-45 minute segments), that would be distributed on disk only and that could sell for less (like the Foundations series).
• Continue to develop Pocket Guides of content that lends itself to such.
• Work on more specifically identifying target audiences and market accordingly.
• Continuously be researching future trends. Elaine Borelli discussed research that she has been reviewing that suggests we are “moving toward the sunset of this medium.” We need to be prepared to move forward, particularly with more interactive media.

Action Items:

• Leigh will add URLs for previous Webinars to the wiki for committee review.
• Karen will contact members re our next steps.