Annual General Meeting Association for Experiential Education

1. Annual General MeetingAssociation for Experiential Education November 6, 2010 Las Vegas, NV

2. Agenda • Welcome, Introductions and Agenda Review  -  Christian Itin (5) • State of the Association- Paul Limoges (10) • Treasurer’s Report -  Mike King(10) • Questions(15) • Annual Vision Project – Tom Lindblade & Andrew Bobylia (10) • Looking Toward the Future – Paul Limoges (10) • Questions (10) • Farewell and Thank-you To Board Members Ending Their Terms - Laurie Frank – Past President • - Mary Pat Sullivan – Member at Large • Welcome Board Members Whose Terms Are Beginning! - Mary Breunig – President Elect • - Liz Spellman – Secretary Elect

3. State of the Association November 2010

4. ENDS: Global “The Association for Experiential Education exists to expand educators and practitioners capacity to enrich lives through the philosophy and principles of experiential education”

5. Membership State of the Association

6. Memberships Total parent membership increased 3.6% over last month and 10% of last year. We bottomed out in November 2009 in parent memberships (1024). And the 2-year high was 1228 in October 2008.

7. Membership

8. Membership: Regions

9. Memberships • A postcard to market all regional conferences, International Conference, REAP, Program Evaluation Service and Digitization of the JEE was produced. • Created ROI for AEE membership • The Ambassador Program is going full blown (expired members and new) • AEE is increasingly more present in social networking platforms (Facebook 2,290 compared to 1,627, Twitter 600 compared to 326, and 466 on LinkedIn)

10. Conferences State of the Association

11. International Conferences

12. Conferences: Regions

13. Conferences • China Conference with Gung-Ho (200) • All regional conferences generated a surplus in 2010 • TAPG: 90 attended the Best Practice Conference in Ohio • Attendance at regional conferences as a whole was up close to 10% (953 including REAP) compared to 2.5% in 2009

14. Accreditation State of the Association

15. Accreditation

16. Accreditation • Development and pilot of Program Evaluation Service • Now offering a 10 year continuing accreditation for programs that meet eligibility criteria • Developed a new model (“linked” accreditation) for programs that are already accredited with another agency (COA, Joint Commission, etc)

17. Publications State of the Association

18. Publications • Hired new Publication and Communication Coordinator • Contracted new Copy Editor for the JEE. • Contracted new JEE Editors. • Published 4 issues of the JEE. • The JEE became digital (last 3 years) with reference links.

19. CORE: Research & Evaluation State of the Association

20. CORE: Research & Evaluation • Launching 4 white papers • New Distinguished Research Award • REAP is now a CORE event • Established firm liaisons with JEE, SEER, Accreditation, TAPG and REAP • More funding opportunities on the website • CORE has been very focused on disseminating information to members through networking opportunities, AEE web site and Facebook • Site has been updated with upcoming research & evaluation-related conferences & journals

21. Financial Update 2010 Annual Conference Las Vegas, Nevada Presented by AEE Board of Director Member and Treasurer Mike King (Mount Berry, GA)

22. Financial Picture Impacted by: • The past year’s Economic Realities • Less revenue than in past years • Financial Realities • Significant cost controls and expense reductions to meet • budgets and maintain services and member benefits • Continued management of the past decentralized • and unsustainable business model

23. Financial Picture Impacted by (cont.): • Rapid succession of CEO’s and finance managers over the past decade is beginning to stabilize. • AEE is a relatively complex organization for its size • 24 complex and very different cost centers

24. History: • The last year to end in “the black” was 2004 (except for 2007 when we received the technology grant) • Results: gradually depleted reserves • Actions: Increased cost management measures

25. Financial Review

26. Year to Date Summary • We had a loss for 2009 – • a portion of which reflected the shift in depreciation and amortization reporting (reflecting a change in the accounting process in 2008). • YTD 2010 Revenue: • We are about 9% behind of where we thought we would be • Conferences are doing well • Membership trends are headed in the right direction • The auction is the next big piece to continuing this trend for 2010

27. Year to Date Summary (cont.) • YTD 2010 Expenses: • we are about 6% under where we thought our expenses would be

28. Year to Date Summary (cont.) • We on the cusp! We are positioning ourselves to make it over the hump! • YTD 2009 we had $33,000 cash on hand • YTD 2010 we have approximately $50,000 in cash available • YTD 2009 we $18,000 in credit card debt and $300 per month interest • YTD 2010 we have paid off all credit card debt

29. Year to Date Summary (cont.) • YTD 2009 we had to sell some securities to assist with cash flow • YTD 2010 we have not had to sell any securities • YTD 2009 our investments were losing ground • YTD 2010 our investments have rebounded and are gaining

30. Year to Date Summary (cont.) • YTD 2009 we had not reached our budgeted revenue for the international conference • YTD 2010 we have exceeded our budgeted revenue for the international conference • YTD 2009 some regional conferences were in the red • YTD 2010 ALL regional conferences were in the BLACK

31. Fiscal Management Steps: Continued implementation of changes in business model and practices: • effectivecost control measures • additional revenue generation strategies • Continued monthly meeting of the Financial advisory committee • improved monthly financial reporting • and board oversight procedures

32. Financial Directions: Continued: • Implementation of consistent fiscal practices • Monitoring of monthly financial updates and quarterly reports. Balance Sheet Profit and Loss Statements • Development of new revenue streams • Clarification and improved communication of volunteer policies for increased fiscal management

33. Financial Report Summary • We have maintained client services at a quality level association wide. • We have increased the variety, quality, and the quantity of services in many areas • As an association we must ALL: • continue to manage expenses through association-wide cost control measures • continue to seek new sources of revenue

34. Financial Report Summary • We have been struggling with our fiscal health. The battle has been to fight off fiscal illness. • We are turning the corner and are getting better. We are not fiscally well YET! • If we all aggressively work together we can achieve a consistent level of fiscal fitness!!

35. Questions and Answers

36. Purpose of the AVP • Examine the Ends of the Association with a goal of clarifying the ways in which the organization is headed. • We were agreed that this sub-end needed exploration: “This community is inclusive of diverse peoples and professional practices and collaborative with other communities, all within reasonable means.”

37. Annual Vision Project • Goal 1 – to understand the “community” of experiential education • Objective 1 – Identify the professional associations and/or major organizations that reflect the various members of this community. • Objective 1.1 – make a list of professional associations or major organizations we believe reflect experiential education or are in some way linked to experiential education • Objective 1.2 – Identify contact information for each organization.

38. Objective 2 – Make contact with board members (or staff) from these associations. • Objective 2.1 – Each Board member will be responsible for making contact with a specified number of organizations • Objective 3 – Identify a key set of questions to ask each organization that helps us understand • Objective 3.1 how they understand experiential education, • Objective 3.2 How they understand their relationship to experiential education • Objective 3.3 How they understand their relationship to AEE • Objective 3.4 which other organizations they think are a part of the community. • Objective 4 – understand their missions, vision, ends what their purpose is especially as it relates to experiential education.

39. Goal 2 – Develop an enhanced capacity for collaboration within the “community” of experiential education. • Objective 1 – Explore shared elements of purposes between our organization and theirs. • Objective 2 – Identify areas of potential collaboration that would enhance the mission or ends or our organization and theirs • Objective 3 – Identify potential barriers to collaboration • Goal 3 – Explore sustainable ways that we can all contribute to the promotion, growth and development of the methods related to experiential education • Objective 1 – identify ways that we can build lasting partnerships. • Objective 2 – identify next steps in building these partnerships.

40. The AVP Process Step #1    Organizational Identification--Each Board member identifies 10-20 organizations that are in some way related to the philosophy or methods of experiential education (at least 5 should be based outside of the US).  This list should ideally include a web URL and additional contact info (obj. 1.1 – 1.2) Step #2   List Consolidation--Lists are consolidated into one list.  Each board members sends their list to the AVP task group – a spreadsheet or wiki will be developed – prior to the Feb board meeting (obj. 1.1 – 1.2) Step#3   The board narrows down the list to 24-36 organizations at Feb Board meeting - This is based on a group discussion of shared interests (obj. 1.1 – 1.2) Step #4   Identification of key questions-- Identify a key set of questions to ask each organization that helps us understand the community. (Goal 1 obj. 3.1-3.4  & 4, Goal 2 and Goal 3)     

41. Step #5  Organizational Research is assigned--Each Board member assigned 2-3 organizations to research before the summer  board meeting. (obj. 2.1) •  Step #6.    Research is compiled by the AVP task group via a spreadsheet, wiki or some other format. (Goal 2) • Step #7 Research is examined and explored at the summer BOD meeting. (Goal 2) • Step #8  Collaborative decisions are made--Board comes up with the initial three/four collaborative projects or organizations to partner with. (Goal 3) • Step # 8   Collaboration is pursued--Board pursues strategies which may include: • a.  Board to Board Contact • b.  CEO to CEO Contact • c.  Combination of CEO and Board Contact (Goal 3)

49. Next Steps in AVP • Define “Communities” of Experiential Education • Deepen explorations of “collaboration between organizations and AEE • Explore the definition of EE within this exploration.

50. Looking Towards the Future Las Vegas Conference