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28 February 2003
uwRyan.com This website is meant to provide value to UW student by delivering information. It shares its name with the column that I write for Imprint. Please provide feedback on what I write as well as give me suggestions of topics to cover. You can send e-mail to me to ryan[at]uwryan[dot]com.
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Imprint Publications must face challengesYou can choose who will lead the corporation
Readers of Imprint see the product of the editorial work every week as they read the paper; this product is something that you can observe and judge directly. The organizational and administrative operations are not so obvious to judge. Aside from there not being a tangible product regularly delivered to members, another factor is that stories about Imprint itself are rarely reported. This is one exception where I will review some things that have happened in the past and what general challenges a new group of directors as well as leaders of the organization, will face in the coming year. Today is Imprint's annual general meeting. This is when Imprint's members, most undergraduate students, make decisions for the organization, including who will lead the organization for the coming year. At least that's what is supposed to happen. For the past two years directors and officers were not elected at the AGM. Two years ago, in 2001, the meeting ended prematurely when quorum was lost. That means that some people left and there were fewer people than necessary to conduct the meeting. Three weeks later Imprint held another meeting and elected a new board. Last year, 2002, no one stood for election at the AGM and the meeting ended with no one to vote for. At another meeting four and a half weeks later, members elected this year's directors. Those elections didn't determine the board for the whole year though. After about four months Stephen Lockwood, secretary and director, and Julian Ichim, staff liaison and director, resigned. At the end of September, the remaining directors appointed Kourtney Short to the position of secretary and she resigned about a month later. Finally, a few weeks ago, Phil Weiner resigned as treasurer. In the fall, Tim Mollison was appointed secretary and Geoff Eby was appointed staff liason. So, in the time since the last election, four people have left and the remaining board has two elected directors, two appointed directors and one vacancy. Succession is a big problem. With terms of office of only a year and a high turnover in Imprint and in the changing student population, the knowledge of the volunteer staff and of members is important in ensuring some succession and organizational memory. Since we do not know who will hold a position until shortly before it is filled, information that an incoming director should know should be widely available. This includes standard documents as well as news and current issues. The role of the board of directors is a subject of ambiguity for directors. Each of Imprint's directors is also an officer. This causes more confusion because, by title, the directors have the responsibilities of the board and of executives in the corporation. Directors must be prepared to either apply the time necessary to fulfil their responsibilities or delegate the decisions that they are not able to make. Delegation of tasks, decisions and research can go to full-time staff, committees or volunteers. People can often get distracted by minutiae and sacrifice higher priorities or things that they solely have the responsibility to do. Any board should determine which decisions they must make and make them. Today you may have the chance to elect Imprint's board of directors, but that depends on whether or not you show up to the meeting. |