2025-2026 MELA Minutes

• Do we want to keep the current textbook language as written? • Do we want to revise it to include specific language about e-books? • Or do we want to remove portions of it altogether? • Are there still colleges shipping physical textbooks back and forth? Yes, some courses are still using physical textbooks. Northwest mentioned that they still use some physical textbooks. In that case, they will retain the existing textbook policy language. Under the bylaws, they added language in the Officers section. This addition is intended to reinforce the importance of officer participation in meetings and organizational responsibilities. The new language provides guidance that: • If an officer is unable to attend, they should designate someone to fulfill their responsibilities during that meeting. This clarification helps ensure continuity and accountability within leadership roles. They also added language specifying that the President is responsible for attending meetings, as that expectation was not previously stated. They removed duplicate language under the officer duties. Specifically, there was a repeated reference to “discharging the duties of the President.” Since we already include language stating that another officer will stand in for the President, when necessary, the duplicate wording was removed. They also clarified responsibilities related to technology support, as that role has been handled by MCCB. There was a suggestion from one of the colleges about potentially removing the Strategic Planning section. The Administrative Committee discussed this with Dr. LeBrun, and their recommendation was to retain the Strategic Plan section. It serves as a guide to ensure that committees are aligned with and meeting the needs of the consortium. Response: • • Officers are expected to attend meetings regularly.