Penobscot River Educational Partnership

A school/university collaboration serving the Penobscot River Valley

Vision and action through collaboration

Minutes of the January 24, 2006 Business Services Subcommittee

Individuals Present:  Robert Cobb, Mike Cyr, Kelly Clenchy, Daniel Innis, Lester Young, Emil Genest, Ann Dechesne

Minutes:

The meeting began at 9:00 a.m. with brainstorming regarding possible initiatives to be undertaken by this committee.  Discussion focused on surveying parents and students within PREP Schools regarding what is valued in an education as well as identifying satisfaction measures.

Discussion focused on the need for random samples, phrasing of questions, who to be questioned including recent graduates.  Daniel Innis is currently working with Union 87 to develop some key questions to help focus a survey within that school unit.  By early March, he would be able to share this work with the total business subcommittee which would then decide how to more forward as a larger unit.  Also discussed were future connections with Walter Harris at the Center for Research and Evaluation in the College of Education and Human Development.

A second area of possible collaboration discussed was purchasing, especially in areas of fuel, paper and photocopiers. These products would lead to a relatively simple process for collaboration.

Also discussed was the upcoming meeting on February 15 of business service providers within superintendent’s offices.  Emil, Dan and Owen will facilitate an afternoon session when these key individuals come together to plan future efforts at providing efficiencies within school business functioning.  Key staff from the College of Education and Business will attend this meeting.

The next meeting of this subcommittee was scheduled for Tuesday, February 28^th from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. at the United Technology Center in Bangor.

Respectfully Submitted,
Owen P. Maurais