THE BARRETT HONORS COLLEGE

At Arizona State University

Honors Parents June 22, 2002, Meeting

MIKE WIECZOREK presided and opened the meeting at the Coffee Plantation at 9:10 a.m.

CHRISTY SOUTHERGILL began by updating the parents on the BHC FRIENDLY FAMILIES BUNCH. Local BHC families are encouraged to contact families of local incoming BHC freshmen to encourage involvement and perhaps, even to invite them over to visit. Out of town BHC families are encouraged to contact the families of incoming BHC freshmen in their area. There are already volunteers to participate in the New York, Milwaukee, Seattle and Chicago areas. This year there will be approximately 766 incoming freshmen and the BHC is continuing to accept applications. This number will continue to increase slightly until tuition is due and then drop slightly. Christy’s impression for this year is that the in-state numbers are up slightly from previous years and the out-of-state numbers are down a bit. This is to be expected after September 11th and with the present state of the economy. Approximately 60% of incoming freshmen are from the Phoenix area. Lynn Silber commented that she also has an incoming freshman student and, even though the BHC is continuing to take applications, there is no guarantee that they will get housing in Center Complex. Christy explained that the residential life application deadline was earlier than that for the BHC application. After the deadline, the available rooms in Center Complex were released to be filled by other students. A preliminary list of the 360 incoming students was passed around for volunteers to contact. Most volunteers chose to contact those in their zip code area and/or their home state. Volunteers for the Friendly Families Bunch are still needed.

Mike asked if ASU was giving tuition waivers to those directly affected by September 11th, as several other schools are doing, but Christy had not heard of that program.

Christy next discussed the role of the TRULY TERRIFIC TELEPHONE TREE. Joy Kockerbeck and Susan Blanchard will continue to keep the telephone tree. Christy would like this committee to grow to about a dozen volunteers. Phone calls are an opportunity for personal contact with people who might like to volunteer to help with a specific event. The TTTT will be used to provide information about upcoming meetings and events, but will also be used to volunteers for specific events.

Christy then distributed an updated HONORS PARENTS 2002 – 2003 CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES. The ASU Parent Association sent postcards to incoming freshmen advertising the time for the Honors Parents break out room during the Welcome Week ASU Parent Association Reception in August as 6:00 p.m., rather than 7:00 p.m., as planned. Christy mentioned that both the ASU Parents Association and Honors Parents would be using postcards to direct people to the appropriate web sites for event registration, rather than using the mail for registrations. Christy next asked whether Honors Parents wanted to host a reception for the December 19th graduation. The consensus was to host an hors d’oeuvres reception at Center Complex the evening of December 18th, since approximately 40% of the spring 2002 graduates attended their reception. Charles Shafer volunteered to find corporate sponsorship to fund the commencement receptions. Depending on the funding, Honors Parents will decide whether to host another reception or a barbecue for the spring commencement.

Next Christy asked for volunteers to begin signing up for the fall events. The first activity is WELCOME WEEK. Janey Swanz is in charge of the week for the BHC. Parents and BHC students will man the booths in the Center Complex courtyard most of the day on August 21 and 22. A tented canopy will provide some shade. The students will help with moving in to the residence halls. The Honors Parents will sell polo shirts and provide information, especially on this organization, the Welcome Week parent receptions, and the contact information bookmarks.

Christy passed around a mockup of the Honors Parents brochure that will be mailed to the families of incoming freshmen. Rodney Fowler, Christy’s able associate, has given it a new look. It was approved with minor suggestions.

Christy then discussed the format for the two Welcome Week parent receptions – one hosted by Honors Parents only and the other in collaboration with the ASU Parents Association. We want to work more closely with them this year. We would like parents of BHC students to know that there are two organizations; dues are paid to join the ASU Parents Association, but not Honors Parents. The Honors Parents reception on August 22 for parents of incoming freshmen will be held at the South Mountain Environmental Education Center. Christy would like HP to be more visible in the community and this also gives us the opportunity to showcase the valley. The City of Phoenix will sponsor, so there will be no room rental fee. HP has 269 mugs remaining and will give them away at this reception and also sell polo shirts. Dave Ryan and Lynn Silber suggested that there be a program, rather than just mingling. It was decided that the program would include the following: Lynn Silber would talk about the history of Honors Parents; Dave Ryan would present on frequently asked questions; students would discuss some of their experiences; BHC advising staff would discuss what’s available; Honors Devils and Honors College Council would talk about opportunities. Honors Parents need to think of questions that parents of incoming freshmen would ask and send them to Christy so that Dave can put together a presentation. It was also suggested that some music students play background music for the reception. Suggestions for food were to use food made by volunteers, to use party trays from the supermarkets, and Dave Ryan suggested that we contact local restaurants to provide hors d’oeuvres in exchange for promoting their businesses. Christy and Mike agreed to write the initial letter to several restaurants and then follow up with a phone call. Christy also would recruit a coordinator and check with the conference center to make sure there is a kitchen.

This year, rather than having committees with large responsibilities, Christy would like HONORS PARENTS COORDINATORS and volunteers for specific activities because this would maximize recruitment opportunities. Parents who would like to coordinate a specific activity can contact Christy.

HONORS PARENTS MEETINGS are planned for September, November, January, March, and May. Christy plans to bring a special speaker to each meeting. Suggestions for speakers included incoming ASU president, Michael Crow, and topics included career counseling and how to do an honors thesis or project.

Christy and Rodney will publish the HONORS PARENTS NEWLETTER, Honors Parents News and Views. It will be published online on the first of October, December, February, April, and June. The deadline for article submission will be two weeks prior to the publish dates. There will be two List-serv databases – the Honors Parents List-serv that will include parents of all honors students and a Local Parents List-serv, which will provide information, like directions for local meetings.

There will be two JULY MAILINGS. Addy is mailing information to incoming freshmen and Christy has asked to include the Honors Parents brochure, a contact form, and a letter from Mike Wieczorek. A separate bulk mailing will be made to parents of current BHC students.

It was agreed by all present that the NEXT MEETING should be on Saturday. July 20, 2002 at 9:00 a.m. at the Coffee Plantation.

David Halberstam is the Centennial Lecturer for this year and will speak on November 20, 2002. There is a link on the Honors web site to his biography. Volunteers will have special polo shirts to wear for this event.

Mike adjourned the meeting at 11:15 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Marcy Díaz, Secretary