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MT ASPIRE Indian
Advocacy Committee End of Year Report
September 23, 2004
Submitted By: Angelina Levandowski, Committee Chair
In April, 2004 the Indian Advocacy Committee had
two very productive meetings. During the meetings we accomplished three
main tasks. The first item of business we accomplished was selecting a
new chairperson. Arleen Adams stepped down as chair of the committee
earlier in the year. The committee decided that Angelina Levandowski
would chair the committee.
Secondly, the committee
brainstormed a draft of a vision statement to define the purpose and
duties of the committee. Throughout the year the committee discussed
and revised the statement through e-mail and will finalize the vision
statement at the regional conference in Jackson Hole, WY. Currently,
the draft of the vision statement states:
“The diversity issues
faced by Native Americans have not often been addressed within our
mainstream communities. The vision of the Indian Advocacy Committee (IAC)
is to promote Native American awareness on higher education,
governmental relations, sovereignty, Native American community building,
tribal colleges, governance, curriculum development, and policy. In
addition, IAC hopes to build a bridge through resiliency awareness,
networking and professional development, between Native American
institutions and mainstream institutions.”
Thirdly, the committee
would like to offer a professional development workshop at the next MT
ASPIRE state meeting in April, 2005 addressing issues facing Native
Americans involved in TRIO. Finally, we would also like to communicate
with legislators the impact TRIO programs have working with Native
American students.
We will continue working on these projects at the regional
ASPIRE meeting in Jackson Hole, WY.
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Aspire 2003 Conference Indian Advocacy Committee
Montana Region
The following is
the email listing for those who participated in the “Indian Advocacy
Committee” meeting on 9/30/03 at the ASPIRE conference in Grand Rapids,
South Dakota. This listing will be forwarded to the committee chair,
Arleen Adams, who was unable to attend. As stated in the meeting,
Angelina will be contacting Arleen to set up regular communications
among our committee.
The topics discussed:
Situations Often
overlooked: Working with Indian youth that do not live on the
reservation; Working with Indian youth in detention centers who need
guidance.
Brainstorm:
-
Use funding to
bring leaders to state meetings to present workshop or offer
workshop at breakout session.
-
Who do we talk
to to plan regional breakout meeting?
-
How do we, as
a committee, stay in contact & continue discussions/solutions.
-
We need to set
up a monthly broadcast email topic, exchange phone numbers, elect
people in charge ect.
-
Angelina
volunteers to be co-chair of committee; she’ll talk to Arleen about
suggestions.
-
What are some
ideas to celebrate TRIO Day?
-
Send email to
senators on what TRIO means to your organization; set up
communication system among committee members to gather TRIO Day
activities
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Membership Committee
Report from ASPIRE-MT Membership
Committee
Last spring at our state meeting
in Helena, which engendered much forward progress in our contacts with
Montana legislators, membership committee chair Ruth Ann Shope stepped
down and Charlene Herron, at Flathead Valley Community College/SSS, took
over the leadership of a supportive committee.
the committee discussed, at that
time, the need to inform and encourage Montana TRiO staffers of the
importance of their membership commitment to the success of TRiO
programs. We discussed the possibility of giving members a symbol of
their commitment in the form of an ASPIRE pin. The committee felt it
was the responsibilities of project directors to promote as well more
contact about membership probably in the form of a new member packet.
The committee felt very strongly that commitment to ASPIRE membership
was a sign of professionalism to our students.
This September, reminder
postcards were sent to people who were not listed in the ASPIRE
Directory as current members. Some of these folks may have been waiting
for conference to join but we hope the gentle reminder about
togetherness was appreciated.
At the October conference in
Rapid City the committee met again to discuss ways to accomplish theses
former goals within our limited budget, to explore having a newcomer
meeting at state conference, and to investigate increasing and expanding
student membership and participation.
The state membership budget line
was increased for this year. You have information on where ASPIRE pins
can be purchased, please contact Charlene Herron at 406.756.3888 or
cherron@fvcc.edu.
See you all in the spring.
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Government
Relations Committee
Report from ASPIRE-MT Government Relations Committee
(GRC)
Submitted by Ray Carlisle, Chair
- Statewide statistics:
For the second year, the GRC collected Annual Performance Reports (APR)
from a majority of MT TRIO programs. These reports were used to prepare
a PowerPoint presentation highlighting the educational outcomes
attributable to TRIO programs in our state. Dan Benge completed most of
the work for this task.
- Montana TRIO Fact Book:
A 20-page Montana TRIO Fact Book 2004 was compiled and printed
highlighting facts about each type of TRIO program including their
outcomes, student stories illustrating the impact of the programs, and
statewide statistics on funding. The Fact Book was completed in time to
be given to our congressional delegation during Policy Seminar and for
distribution at the spring conference of ASPIRE-MT in April of 2004.
This book was a true committee effort, but Amy Verlanic and former UB
student Adam Munson coordinated layout and printing.
- Policy Seminar:
Dan Benge and Brian Pilcher capably represented Montana at the COE
Policy Seminar in March 2004.
- MT TRIO Achievers
Luncheon: the GRC
coordinated with the ASPIRE-MT State Meeting Committee to invite four MT
legislators to attend our MT TRIO Achievers Luncheon at the ASPIRE-MT
spring conference in April. The legislators met the five Montana TRIO
Achievers, heard them speak at the luncheon, and were given a copy of
the Montana TRIO Fact Book 2004. Each was introduced to the members
attending the luncheon. Joyce Kronholm coordinated the MT TRIO
Achievers selection process and the luncheon.
- Reauthorization:
Congress has apparently decided not to complete reauthorization of the
Higher Education Act during this session of congress
- Grants:
The ASPIRE-MT GRC received $1,000 from ASPIRE and $500 from the Council
for Opportunity in Education State Initiative Committee to help pay for
the Montana TRIO Fact Book and the cost of MT TRIO Achievers attendance
at the luncheon. Montana is featured on COE’s State Initiative website.
Coming in 2004-05:
- State meeting in Helena:
legislators reception
- Reauthorization of Higher
Ed Act?
- MT TRIO Fact Book 2005
- March 2005 COE Policy
Seminar
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Report from
ASPIRE-MT Government Relations Committee (GRC)
At the October 2003 ASPIRE
conference in Rapid City, the MT ASPIRE Government Relations Committee
identified five areas that may require action from Montana ASPIRE.
1. Statewide statistics: following
up on an action decided upon last spring, the Committee collected Annual
Performance Reports from most TRIO programs in Montana and has compiled
some statistics that reflect the statewide impact of our programs. Dan
Benge did the lion’s share of this task and completed a PowerPoint
presentation in time for sharing at the statewide Montana Education
Association Conference. We would like to keep this data up-to-date, so
the committee will ask project directors to submit a copy of their APR
to the MT ASPIRE President every year after they have sent the report to
the U.S. Department of Education. We’ll all have to remember to print a
copy after submitting the report online. A statewide TRIO report could
have many uses, especially in our work with the state legislature and
the Board of Regents.
Note: a copy of Dan’s
PowerPoint presentation can be downloaded
here.
2. Reauthorization: if congress
continues to move forward with a bill to reauthorize the Higher
Education Act this year, we may need to be prepared to take action
quickly in support of or opposition to various reauthorization
proposals.
3. Appropriation for TRIO: as
always, congress will take action on a bill to appropriate money for
Labor, Health & Human Services, and Education, which will include money
for TRIO. If we have a chance to affect the amount of our
appropriation, it will come between now and the Christmas recess.
4. Policy Seminar: MT ASPIRE needs
to be adequately represented at the COE Government Relations and Policy
Seminar in March of 2004. Those who represent us (Brian Pilcher, ASPIRE
President, will be one) may need help from us gathering information to
share with Senator Baucus, Senator Burns, and Rep. Rehberg.
5. Use of $1,000 for State
Initiative: the ASPIRE region has voted to give each state association
in our region $1,000 to use for a State Initiative. An example of what
this money can be used for is the reception we had at the state
association meeting last April in Helena. Since the MT legislature
won’t be in session this spring, the Government Relations Committee will
work with the MT ASPIRE President to identify a good use of these
funds.
The chair of the MT ASPIRE
Government Relations Committee for 2003-04 will be Ray Carlisle.
Members include Dan Benge, Becky Davis, Bob Haddock, Angelina
Levandowski, Mary Lukin, and anyone else who’d like to join.
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Planning Committee
Montana Chapter of
ASPIRE State Meeting
Jackson Lake Lodge, Moran, WY
Meeting I: 3:30- 5:00,
Sunday, 10/03/04
Note: The Sunday
minutes were lost when the laptop the disc drive failed. Please contact
us to restore anything from your report that is not in the minutes.
Apologies from Mica and BKP for any omissions.
BKP Pilcher (BKP)
calls the meeting to order. He reads the minutes from April meeting and
they are approved. Thanks are received from Estelle Hill, who received
$750 from the Montana Chapter of ASPIRE to participate in a study abroad
program.
BKP gives an update on May Regional Board Meeting: He encourages
attendance at regional business meeting and calls attention to regional
development paperwork in the registration packets. He encourages State
Chapters of ASPIRE to increase membership to a minimum of 50% of TRiO
personnel or 10% above current membership levels. There is also a need
to provide for student memberships.
Nominations for President Elect
and Secretary Treasurer are entertained. RuthAnneShope nominates Wallace
Bearchum for President elect. Seconds. Wallace accepts his nomination.
Angelina Levandowski nominates Mica Slaven-Lamothe for President Elect.
Mica is given until the Tuesday meting to decide if she will accept or
decline the nomination.
Michelle Watson is nominated for secretary-treasurer. She accepts the
nomination. There are no other candidates and BKP entertains a motion to
elect her by acclimation. The motion carries.
Committee chairs give their reports:
Membership- Charlene Herron
Meeting Planning- Dan Benge distributes a survey (yellow) and asks for
input on the state meeting next April
Development (Fair Share)- Linda Ornowski
BKP asks members to consider a change from election of state officers at
the fall meeting to election at the spring meetings to allow new
officers to plan ahead of time to attend the new board training offered
before each fall conference. The dates of the terms would not change. We
will vote on this at state meeting on Tuesday.
BKP announces there is a need for members on regional committees.
The membership broke out for committee meetings. The membership to
reconvene at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
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Meeting II: 4:30-6:00
pm, Tuesday, 10/05/04
Rene Dubay distributed packets of information about P-20, a
pre-K-through-grad school initiative. Rene will be staffing the
committee on dual enrollment. Ray Carlisle is involved in the strategic
planning process and explained that it is vital that MT ASPIRE/TRiO
stakes a place at the table early in the process. Robyn Wingo of EOP at
UM-Western announced she is on a P-20 sub-committee looking at the MT
writing assessment requirement and she is working on a project offering
training to help students prepare for writing assessments; she will make
more information available at the April state meeting.
Mica Slaven thanks Angelina Levandowski for the nomination and says she
would accept a nomination to serve in the future but believes it is
unnecessary to spend time voting when someone has already accepted a
nomination to serve as President Elect. Ray Carlisle makes the motion to
elect Wallace Bearchum as President Elect by acclimation. Rene Dubay
seconds.
Wallace Bearchum introduces himself as an ETS coordinator from Lame Deer
and a Northern Cheyenne tribal member and makes a statement of looking
forward to serving as President Elect.
Michelle Watson thanks everyone for her new role as Secretary/Treasurer
and thanks everyone in Billings for their support and mentorship.
Charlene Herron of Membership committee reports there are currently 145
ASPIRE workers in Montana and 77 ASPIRE members, which puts us at 53%
membership. She proposes that we adopt two of the regional membership
guidelines: 1) that the past president becomes the Membership committee
co-chair (BKP agrees) and that we combine the Membership and Development
committees.
Dan Benge of the Meeting Planning committee collects the yellow surveys
and asks that those who have not completed a survey to mail theirs to
him as soon as possible. He offers thanks to Robbie Sullivan (not
present) for standardizing the nomination process for TRiO Achievers;
the nomination forms and criteria sheets are disseminated.
Dan and BKP review the cost of the April state meeting last as $90 per
participant up to 3 participants per program and additional program
workers at cost. Dan asks if members prefer a flat rate of $75 per
participant and after some discussion it is decided that spring meeting
registration will remain the same as last year.
Dan previews the tentative agenda for discussion; the tentative dates
are Tue-Wed April 5th and 6th 2005. The location
selected is Jorgenson’s, because Jorgenson’s is a popular spot for the
legislators to go. Alan Thompson will try to get the same band to play
for the Legislator’s hour as in 2003.
Dan announces the committee is pursuing Tom Mortenson of the Pell
Institute as guest speaker for the April state meeting. He will speak
for free but MT Chapter of ASPIRE would need to meet his travel costs.
Rene may be able to assist with this. The intent is to have Tom speak in
the morning for MT Chapter of ASPIRE and once more in the afternoon at a
more public venue, such as Helena College Of Technology (HCOT) and
invite educators and P-20 stakeholders. In this light, Dan proposes the
theme of the conference to be Access to Higher Education.
Current needs for the conference are: assistance for Michelle Watson
with registration, a coordinator for the TRiO Achiever’s luncheon, and a
workshop session coordinator. Amy Verlanic remarks that Jorgenson’s
gives a kickback on the number of rooms rented, so for attendees to
consider staying there as a contribution to MT Chapter of ASPIRE.
Linda Ornowski of the Development committee reports that a new way to
reach regional Fair Share id called Project Membership. The hope is that
this will satisfy the requirements to qualify as a project expense, such
as COE membership.
Ray Carlisle, chair of the Governmental Relations committee, announces
that he is coming up on his three year chair term. They would like a
new chair to come forward in the next year. The committee is producing a
new MT TRiO fact book and the work on that will begin in January. They
have received a one-time COE initiative grant to fund the new fact book.
Angelina Levandowski, Co-Chair of the Indian Advocacy committee reads
the vision statement written by the committee this year. One of the
goals of the committee is to promote awareness of native American/Indian
student perspectives and needs, and to ensure that there are training
opportunities for those working with Native students at all conferences.
None were offered this year at regional ASPIRE.
BKP urges ASPIRE members to work with the SAF on College Goal Sunday
(contact Garth Ferro: (406) 444-6597).
Amy Verlanic announces that there are two suitable locations in Missoula
for the 2006 regional ASPIRE meeting and requests feedback for the idea
of hosting it there.
BKP gives the treasurer’s report. We spent $1100 more than we had come
in, due in part to the $750 we voted to contribute the Estelle Hill’s
travel. MT Chapter of ASPIRE currently has $2880.52 in the budget, which
puts us close the year-end target budget of $3000.
Proposed By-Laws change to electing officers in the spring instead of
the fall. Bud Sathers moves. Second by AM.
BKP thanks all for the marvelous opportunity to be State President and
says he learned very much and it was an honor. He looks forward to
continuing this work in the committees. Dan Benge presents BKP with a
plaque of recognition.
Dan remarks he is looking forward to doing the hard work ahead.
Arleen Adams will be leaving TRiO in a year when she finishes with the
SKC training grant.
Rob Rust moves to adjourn. BKP seconds. The meeting is concluded.
Respectfully submitted,
Mica Slaven-Lamothe MTS
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