Minutes of the 2012 Executive Committee Meeting

The Executive Committee meeting at the Annual Convention was held on Friday, November 9, 2012, at the Netherland Plaza Hilton, Cincinnati, OH. President Craig Dionne, called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. The following report has been filed by the Executive Director on behalf of the Executive Committee:

1. 1. Approval of minutes of 2011 meeting. The minutes of the 2011 meeting were unanimously approved.

2. 2. Report on elections. Prof. Samuel Cohen was nominated for President. EC members were asked to supply nominations for future EC members, as we will need at least 6 new members for 2013 and beyond.

3. 3. Report on membership. Total membership numbers (658) are down slightly from 2011, but up from 2009 and 2010. The EC discussed raising membership rates again, at least for those employed full-time, keeping rates in line with those of other regional MLAs.

   Discussion ensued about how to attract members, both graduate students and (especially) professors, to generalist conventions. Several strategies were proposed, including: organizing panels and discussions around a keynote speaker; emphasizing the convention theme; more aggressive across-the-board recruiting; ensuring that each panel has at least one professor; using the Sith Lord model, i. e. having professors explicitly recruit other professors.

4. 4. Report on convention. Convention registrants this year numbered slightly over 600 (563 pre-registrants, plus a significant number of on-site registrants).

   For future conventions, the EC discussed the possible elimination of Sunday sessions, as well as the possible addition of Thursday sessions, and another plenary event (a speaker, a performance) on Thursday evening.

   The EC noted the necessity of clarifying what departmental memberships are, what local institutional sponsors are, and what benefits each receives, pointing out that the present scheme is confusing and somewhat ineffective. The point is to make these kinds of support both cost-effective and attractive to potential sponsors/members.

5. 5. Report on publication. The JMMLA is now nearly caught up, and will be back on schedule by the spring of 2013. The plan is to initiate moving towards (or at least adding) an e-journal in the course of 2013. It was agreed that the EC should take a stronger role in serving as the editorial board of the journal.

6. 6. Future conventions. The 2013 convention will be in Milwaukee; the hotel contract is not yet signed, but will be before the end of 2012. Dates will most likely be 7-10 November.

   Future sites were discussed, with Detroit receiving considerable support from the EC.

   The EC noted the desirability of continuing to recruit allied organizations to hold their meetings under the MMLA umbrella, as this benefits all parties concerned, logistically, financially, and intellectually.

7. 7. Financial report. For fiscal year 1 July 2011-30 June 2012, a report prepared by Bernadette Steele was received unanimously. Support and revenue totaled $82,717.96, while expenses totaled $80,031,45 for FY 2010.

   Our financial situation continues to improve; we are back in the black. However, we still need to increase revenues.

   The EC noted and deplored the fact that the Executive Director, Prof. Posner, continues to serve without compensation, as he has done since January 2010.

8. 8. Standing committees. Program committee: Craig Owens, Sam Cohen, Hilary Nunn, David Posner, Andrea Kaston Tange.

   resolutions: Craig Owens, Craig Dionne.

9. 9. Informal theme for 2013. Prof. Samuel Cohen (in absentia) proposed "Art and Artifice" as the theme for the 2013 conference.

10. 10. New business. Prof. Posner reminded the EC of his plan to step down as Executive Director, no later than 30 June 2013. A successor has yet to be named, but will come from the faculty of the Department of English of Loyola University Chicago. The EC noted the issue of Prof. Posner having served for several years without compensation, and Prof. Maisier proposed that an ad hoc committee (consisting of herself and Profs. Kaston Tange, Cohen, Dionne, and Nunn) should take up this issue with Loyola administration.

    The EC agreed that the capital campaign should be continued and reinvigorated, as the MMLA's financial situation, while sound, needs to be strengthened further.

11. 11. Adjournment. Meeting adjourned 11...