Rural Women’s Studies Association Triennial Conference

July 26 – 28, 2012, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

Meeting Minutes

July 28, 2012

I.Welcome

Deborah Stiles, Co-Chair, welcomed everyone to the business meeting.

II.Nomination of Officers for 2012-2015

Co-chairs:

Rebecca MontgomeryKatherine Jellison

Secretary:

Margaret Thomas Evans

Treasurers:

Debra Reid & Jenny-Baker Devine

International Membership Coordinators:

  • Canada – Margaret Kechnie
  • Europe – Margreet Van der Burg
  • Africa – Olubunmi Ashimolowo
  • US – Viviane Holmes
  • Pacific – Kate Hunter

Graduate Student Coordinators:

Rachel Kleinschmidt & Rebecca White

Webmaster:

Katherine Jellison

Newsletter Editor:

Rebecca Montgomery

Fundraising:

Cynthia Culver-Prescott

Grassroots Outreach:

Viviane Holmes (Chair)

Maize Hought

Olubunmi Ashimolowo

III.Treasurer’s Report

A.Debra Reid provided an Income and Expense Report. The Fund Balance on December 31, 2011 was $12,164.85.

$1,800 was used from the Jensen Neth fund for travel for international participants.

The 2012 report will be available in the Newsletter after the end of the financial year.

B. A motion to raise membership dues was brought forward by Rebecca Montgomery and seconded by Jeanie Whayne.

Graduate students/farmers/independent scholars will continue to pay $10 per year.

Full-time Faculty will pay $25 per year.

Sustaining membership will pay $50 per year.

If dues are paid through 2015, the change will go into effect in 2015.

IV.Publishing of Conference Proceedings

A discussion of publishing conference proceedings included suggestions that a collection of essays be compiled. It would be peer reviewed.

Cambridge Academic Press is one possible publisher.

Carmen Harris is also going to check alternative publishing venues.

Coeditors: Jeanie Whayne and Jenny Baker-Devine

V. Conference 2015

  • Rebecca Montgomery passed around a brainstorming handout. The conference will be held at Texas State University in San Marcos. San Marcos is between San Antonio and Austin. Both cities have airports that we could fly into. Transportation from the airports to San Marcos would be necessary. There are hotels reasonably close to campus. Bus or car transportation would also be necessary for travel to campus venues. Late February 2013 was suggested as a good time of year to be in Texas.
  • A speaker on sustainable agriculture was suggested. Students from TSU should be invited to attend.
  • Conference theme ideas were discussed –Local is Global was suggested. Local musicians, artists, community based groups and grassroots organizations should be encouraged to participate.
  • One local topic to consider is fraking and research, environmental science.
  • We should adopt a community research network. We also need to be aware that academic language can be alienating. Be aware of this when we invite participants.
  • Women’s Agricultural Network and Fisheries and Forestry groups could be asked to give informal presentations.
  • We should put a community based individual in all sessions – be inclusive. This should be in the call for papers.
  • We should also invite Young Farm Women groups. Reach out to the local communities and bring them in.
  • There should be more conversation time, longer sessions – some directed and some informal.
  • Round tables and networking.
  • We could offer varied length sessions and opportunities for young academics to present work.
  • Bring in speakers/discussion leaders.
  • Consider including oral history as a session.
  • Include post session surveys and post conference survey.

Program Committee for 2015

Elyssa Ford

Meredith Quaile

Margreet Van der Burg

Cynthia Culver-Prescott

Olubumni Ashimolo

Teresa Konechne

Viviane Holmes

Local Committee

Rebecca will organize

VI. Pre-Conference in Nigeria

Ten to fifteen delegates from RWSA could visit the University of Agriculture in Abeokuta, Nigeria for a pre-conference plenary in 2014.

Funds would need to be raised to provide grants for participants.

VII. Sustaining the conversation

We should keep talking to each other. H-Rural and H-Women were suggested as possible spaces to talk.

VIII. Close

Margreet Van der Burg thanked local organizers and gave flower bouquets.