Columbia University EWB - Executive Board

MEETING AGENDA

February 28, 2010

In attendance: Sonal, Bruce, Bethany, Kevin, Christen, Dhristie, Lucy

1. Updates from PLs

a. Uganda: Cancelled Uganda team meeting on Friday! MFP meeting met anyway. Travel dates: May 25-June 25^th.

b. Ghana: On weds, talked about conference call with professional advisor. They have been sticking to their deliverables schedules. Unsure of what will happen over the summer; it will depend on how much funding they get. Discussed AECOM meeting. They are going to make a needs list next week that they can let people from AECOM help them with their projects.

c. India: Summer trip is quite uncertain. Certainly not an implementation trip. They need to figure out who the travel team is so that they know who to send for CPR training.

- Rosemary Email about Chapter Updates

a. Sonal is forwarding this to us (again). We need to give a detailed update about where each program is at.

- Global Connect Network

2. Debrief AECOM Meeting: Money* Mentorship * Corporate Network

a. We would like to get employees involved in our existing projects, or allow them to start new projects.

b. Each program needs to have a well-articulated needs list. Programs need to have a strategy meeting.

c. Bruce: We learned a lot. We learned what their priorities are for working with a college group. They want to work with EWB to get their employees involved in progress. They are a big company, we are a small student group. Our next step: We need to present our needs that a professional could do that we cannot do for ourselves. At some point, we will have the opportunity to give a presentation. Our focus will be on the problems and the opportunities. We need to be creative and think of what is a possible NEXT project that you can get involved in!

i. Ghana already has two projects that we are heavily invested in. If we can find the right relationship within AECOM, maybe we can start a new project. For now, we will brainstorm.

ii.There are also needs within our current projects. But do they present enough of a challenge for an AECOM employee to get involved in?

d. Yuri is involved in the initiative to get AECOM employees involved with us. She is also involved in the NY professional chapter and was a program manager in college. She is very familiar with the way that EWB works.

e. Sonal: This was our first corporate campaign meeting. We created a powerpoint, beginning with an overview of our entire chapter, then going into details about our individual programs.

f. AECOM doesn’t want to “just give us money,” they want to get their employees actively involved in our programs, which is much better than just a monetary donation.

g. We should find out what exactly AECOM means by “getting their employees involved.”

h. India is looking for a new project, so it would be great to have AECOM employees involved in our projects.

i. Ghana already has a list of “Village needs.”

i. Uganda’s mentor, Joey, is applying for an AECOM grant for summer travel. They will take care of his travel costs.

j. PL’s: Present this to your programs!

h. We will have another meeting with AECOM after Spring Break.

3. CPR Workshop

a. Sarah is meeting with Laura this week to discuss workshop. Does the week after Spring break work? YES.

4. Colorado Conference Meeting

- Goals/Expectations

a. Everybody is registered! Sonal bought her tickets! $316 because she is leaving early.

b. Has anyone applied to the scholarship? It doesn’t take long to apply!

c. After the conference, we will have $300 left for the rest of the semester.

d. People going to the conference will be meeting today to discuss expectations.

e. What does E-Board think that we should get out of the meeting?

i. Be one of the premiere student chapters at the conference!

ii. Meet with other NYC chapters.

iii. Ask the professional chapters who we can go to next in our corporate campaign. Promote our Corporate Banquet.

5. Days on Campus

- T-Shirts

a. Lucy contacted Ben from Greek101. Design isn’t done. It’ll be done by Wednesday.

b. Pricing: As low as possible. It will be cheaper if it says Greek101.

c. For the fine Jersey V-neck, $20.

d. We need FINAL numbers and sizes and number of persons ordering by next week’s e-board meeting.

e. Make sure that there is a link with an image of the shirt in the email sent to the programs.

- Presentation

a. Each program can mention to their teams what they want to present and how they want to do it. How they want to ACTIVELY RECRUIT!

b. How to reach out to CC: Can we present at the CC days on campus?

6. Party Planning

a. Do your homework beforehand.

b. EC 302. Peter’s suite. Starting at 8 PM.

c. Ghana: Main course.

d. Conflict: Naach nation is at the same time. It’s a good time. We are NOT changing our time for Naach nation!

7. Our Website: Stuff to Add. To add stuff, send it to Bruce.

a. Now we are members of MCN (Millenium Campus Networks)-explain what it is.

i. The India team won a $500 grant at the MCN meeting yesterday. The India team went to the meeting and gave a very good presentation of what they were doing.

ii. (Ghana still doesn’t have an MCN representative. Maybe next year they will recruit new members and have enough people to send a rep.)

b. The upcoming Colorado conference.

c. Uganda could explain their summer plans. They have dates and everything!

d. Make the explanation under, “what is CU-EWB” smaller font.

e. Let’s change the picture on the website. Christen has many pictures. Can we get rotating pictures, like on the Columbia web page?

8. Brochures

a. Getting reimbursements. Hand in receipts to Kevin. We printed 30.

b. We should just print them ourselves.

9. Global Connect Network

a. We received an email from them.

b. It is an online networking program.

c. It sounds like a disconnected version of MCN, which we just joined.

d. Group consensus: No.

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Columbia University EWB - Executive Board

MEETING MINUTES

February 21, 2010

In attendance: Sonal, Sarah, Bruce, Kevin, Bethany, Lucy, Christen

1. Updates from PLs.

Uganda-Possibly (most likely) have a new professional advisor! There are many professionals interested in mentoring them. Working on TACS (due March 14).

Ghana-We have a professional advisor, but she lives in California. Had a conference call w/ professional advisor. Finding necessary building codes for building a latrine over the summer. Came up with design (and are fleshing it out and improving it) for a new latrine, and plans on how to improve the old latrine in case they cannot raise the money to build an entirely new latrine. They do not have the blueprints yet. They found someone who is good at CAD and will make blueprints for them. Currently they are planning to send an implementation trip, June, and an assessment trip for the water project in late July, early August.

India-In the Civil Lab, working on a prototype. We have a biomass stove prototype and are working on the low watt cooker. They still need a soil expert to help them with the soil. Contact at RIT: Many senior design teams are working on testing biomass stoves as their projects.

2. Colorado Conference

Looking into sponsorship from the Engineering Student Council. We have written them a letter.

We are also appealing to ABC.

We should send out an email telling people when to book their flights.

How many people do we have RSVP’d and confirmed? 10

3. PR

4. Survey

Results are in! Some new people have added their opinions, and:

Not very informed about the activities of the Eboard

Not very informed about the activities of the other projects

Beyond Borders: Good reviews.

How can we get people informed about the activities of E-Board?

Ideas: Invite program members to sit in on our meetings. But program members have enough meetings to go to already. E-Board should go to the meetings. –PL’s describe E-Board meeting at the beginning of their project meetings. –Have E-Board members come in and make their announcements themselves. –Invite people from all projects to work on planning training sessions.

How can we keep people informed about the activities of other programs?

Ideas: Send a program rep. from one program to present at another project’s meeting. –Have more potlucks!

5. Days on Campus
Need to do:
Projects need to prepare presentations (2 back to back presentations)
PR materials to give out

Equipment/AV we need to request: LOUD sound system.

Nice Table at the Activities Fair

Our discussion:

Ghana should involve its freshman, many of whom were recruited after seeing the DOC presentation.

Showing prototyping process. Bring in a prototype. Do we need to advertise?

Talk about what we’re doing now. Problem-solving.

We can show THE video. In the future, we would like a shorter, updated, version of the video. Anthony Yim made the original video.

Howabout if we set up the prototypes outside of the ramp lounge room?

6. Traing Sessions

CPR raining: How many people does each team want to train? Uganda needs to have a designated, CPR-trained person by March 14 for their TAC! Each team will need 1 or 2 people trained (depending on how many trips they are sending). Sarah is starting on this ASAP.

7. T-Shirts

We aren’t allowed to use our d(earth)/dt logo.

When do we want the T-Shirts by? By the conference! That is March 11^th.

8. Web-site

A. Dr. Lambrech suggested that we keep our website looking new. Have a new look at least every 6 weeks. E-Board decided to spend about 5 minutes of each meeting updating the website.

B. Sponsors: Our sponsors are listed in an obscure section of the web-site. EWB University of Madison-Wisconsin has their sponsors prominently listed on their web-site. We should make a spot for corporations who sponsor us to be promoted.

9. March 6 Potluck

Come at 7:30, dinner at 8. Sonal will create Facebook event. What is E-Board’s contribution?

Bethany

Questions for Kevin:
Status of Ads on Website Project: To maintain professional appearance, we will not have ads on our website, unless they are ads for corporations that are sponsoring us.
Jin’s Reimbursement status: Kevin is looking into Jen’s check. He is clarifying complications with donations. He has to send everything at once. Still waiting.

Co-sponsoring with ROOTed: Go ahead and book them a space!

Sarah

Bruce

Dhristie

Christen

Travel Fundraising night at Campo: The E-Board thinks this is an excellent idea. Cover charge, drink specials, dancing. Party with the Engineers! Step 1: Pick a date. Right before/right after Spring Break. We decide on the weekend of the 26,27,28. Step 2: Invite the other engineering groups to attend. We’ll invite CC too. Step 3: Use our awesome tag-line: “Keep spring-break going!” Step 4: Delegate promotion of the event to the travel team.

CPR Workshops

Warning to other Teams: TAC write-up to travel has extensive health requirements. You should look into it now!

Lucy

African Cultural Festival: March 20-25. Maybe Uganda and Ghana would like to join it. In the Bronx. Would we like to set up a table?

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Columbia University EWB - Executive Board

MEETING AGENDA

February 14, 2010
In attendance: Sonal, Bruce, Kevin, Bethany, Lucy, Dhristie, Christen

Happy Valentine’s Day
1. Updates from PLs
- Program Decision on MCN (Millennium Campus Networks).

India-will assign one person to interact with MCN. They are on board with the idea of joining it.

Ghana-They don’t know who will be willing to be the point person. No one really responded when MCN was mentioned. Lucy will more directly address the question on Wednesday’s meeting.

Sonal-It makes sense if each program signs their own contract with MCN.

MCN: No real cons. It just takes up time to go to their meetings and network.

-Team Updates:

Uganda-Conference call with Peter Wall. Discussed water distribution project. Starting to prototype designs for first flush and distribution system. MFP: Got batteries in. Are going to begin testing.

Sonal: Prototyping. India got a contact from RIT, whose Senior design project is testing a smokeless stove.

Uganda-We are getting space in the Civil E lab.

2. Updates on Colorado Conference
10 people going right now. We are spending $2800 of our allocation to send them.
3. Debrief Meeting with Dr. Lambrech

Bruce: very useful advice from Dr. L for corporate Campaign. She could look over our materials and our letter to the companies. She’d be willing to look over anything that we want to send out.

Sonal: Her message was “How you present yourselves is very important.” Now Bruce is working on the brochure. Individual projects should make brochures: keep the same format as Bruce’s brochure.
- Task List

4. Debrief PM Meeting

Bethany, Sarah, Sonal, and the PM’s were in attendance.

Training sessions requested: CPR, PRA, Prototyping, Computer programs: water flow, data analysis, Business Plan, Soil. Need dynamic, interactive, technical, hands-on workshops. Preferably focusing on the countries that we work in.

How to raise money to reimburse the travel teams?

Currently, it’s whoever can afford to go, goes.

Programs want monthly budget statements!

Fund-raising Banquet: Everyone likes the idea!

But how would we get the companies to come?

i.Job fair: Probably not.

ii. Awesome guest speakers (professors and the Dean), and meeting EWB students: Excellent draw.

iii. How do Professors get funding? Many times, from corporations!

Have a preliminary meeting with all departments concerned: The dean, the alumni office, etc.

Be well-versed in our programs.

4. Analyze results from survey.
A. Is there a bias in that highly involved people answer the survey? How do you personally define “Very highly involved”?

B.The “Not well informed about the workings of my project” is probably weighed down by Uganda. They are working on better-informing their general membership.
C. Our CAD and GIS skills are very low.

D. Beyond Borders

i. E-Board’s Comments: Lucy-If we are trying to make it more like a conversation, it needs to be done differently. Sonal-To have a successful conversation, we need to have a more targeted audience. Dhristie-It was good that it was more open to everyone, because many people came and learned about EWB.

ii. Comments from Survey: We should have more structured presentations, with powerpoint.

E. We think the T-shirt idea is genius! Let’s get American Apparel. We can sell the t-shirts.

i. Special E-Board Apparal? Jackets, buttons, sweat-suits. I think we are kidding.

ii. Individual Project shirts? We need them for our conferences.

iii. Rough Quote for T-shirts: $12.50! Customink

5. Website

6. Emails
- Lilay Berhane: Working in South America. Alum.
- Hermann Mazard (Haiti Relief)
- Laura Taylor (TFA) : She wants to come to our meetings and present. Do programs want her to come and speak? Ghana: We have no graduating seniors. Tell her: if you are doing a larger presentation, we will advertise for you.

7. Poster for Conference

8. Business Cards

9. Corporate Campaign

Christen: Campaign last year was very polished, but the passion was lost from our presentation. We need to make sure to convey this when we meet with our companies.

Dhristie: When we send letters to our companies, can we send a photo? –Bruce: Well, we are sending a beautiful color brochure.

Lucy: Let’s talk to village copier about getting letterhead.

10. E-Week

We’re not doing any special EWB events for E-Week.

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