Final Version: 4/18/08

Scientific and Technical Employee Development (STED)
Conference Call November 30, 2007

Committee members:

Meeting Introduction:

• Bob Hainly opened the teleconference and reviewed the agenda. No additions were suggested.
• Bob announced that John Trommer will assume the note-taking duties for this meeting.
• As a result of John’s January 2008 retirement, this will be his last STED meeting.
• ACTION ITEM – Steve will contact the WRD Program Officers to solicit replacement names for John’s Studies Section Chief position.

Review of the Action Items Log:

• No comments were received.
• If there are action items that appear to be assigned incorrectly or actions have been completed and not marked so, contact Bob.
• Updates as a result of actions during this call will be added and then Bob will send the updated version out to committee members via e-mail.

Comments on the minutes from the October 2007 meeting:

• No comments were received.

Tuition Policy Recommendation Document & Presentation to Senior Staff

• Presentation of policy recommendation will take place during annual face-to-face meeting to be held in January in Reston. All committee members will attend.
• Steve suggested that the committee should be prepared to respond to questions and concerns about the reported strict guidelines issued for development and presentation of TEL courses
• Senior staff will be interested in TEL course usage to date. Steve suggested also including that information in the presentation
• ACTION ITEM – Alan will provide latest TEL course usage statistics to Virginia.
• We will need commitment from the Discipline Offices.
• ACTION ITEM – Franceska and Dave will brief their respective Discipline Office representatives before the Senior staff meeting and request commitment.
• Our goal is to receive an approval or suggestions from Senior staff on our plan to support, promote, and fund the TEL program

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Final Version: 4/18/08

TEL Course Development

• Franceska relayed some information she learned by viewing a PBS presentation on online courses and suggested other committee members view the program
• A general discussion concerning the time investment of SMEs followed
1. Why is a PowerPoint presentation not considered by some as a valid learning tool?
2. Can only Breeze presentations be effective for learning?
3. The WQ Concepts course is taking a lot of time and money to develop. Is this class the top end of the development scale?
4. Alan thinks the use of a highly experienced OED contactor will help this process
5. Alan suggested using the planned Acoustics course TEL development and the OED contractor as an example of how we are proposing to reduce SME investments
• Course-conversion priorities are nearly finalized. WQ Concepts and Hydro-acoustics Introduction are currently at the top of the list.
• ACTION ITEM – Bob will send the list around for one more review and provide the final prioritized list to Virginia as soon as possible.

Face-to-Face Meeting Planning

• Meeting will be held in Reston over 3 days (~16 hours of meeting time)
1. DECISION – Meeting will be held on January 23-25, beginning at 1:00 pm on Wednesday, the 23^rd and ending by 12:00 pm on Friday the 25^th.
2. ACTION ITEM – Steve will notify STED of SS meeting dates and request time on SS meeting agenda as soon as possible
3. ACTION ITEM – Steve will reserve a meeting room for STED committee
4. ACTION ITEM – Bob will work with Steve to secure hotel reservations for committee

• Potential topics for agenda
1. Learning alternatives to TEL course conversion
2. Committee communications – internal and external
3. ASE program
4. Further development of a committee work or strategic plan
5. Surface-water hydrologic technician training curriculum development

Wrap-up

• Draft minutes of this meeting will be distributed for committee review.
• Bob will continue to update action item log and email to STED.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday through Friday, January 23-25 in Reston.

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