RAC Task Group 1 (Administration) Conference Call

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

2:00 – 3:30 P.M. Eastern time

Toll Free Number: 1-888-537-7715
Passcode: 30425035 #

Meeting Notes

Participants:Moy Biswas, Gary Frederick, Barnie Jones, Alison Hardt, Chris Hedges,Skip Paul, Steve Pepin, Amy Schutzbach.

Decision and action items are underscored.

Past Meeting Minutes

A motion (Amy/Skip) to accept the revised minutes was approved.

Current Activities:

1. Review of Peer Exchange Information on the website page and proposed changes.

The updatedPeer Exchange procedures have been posted along with a summary of the major differences between the old and new procedures.

2. NCHRP role in maintaining AASHTO manuals and guidelines.

As noted previously, the Standing Committee on Highways (SCOH) identified a similar activity in their new strategic plan. The SCOH activity is being led by Kevin Keith with Skip serving as a RAC liaison. It is unlikely that the activity will begin for about a year. The Admin task force will present the issue again during the leadership meeting in Kansas City, and discuss whether it might be prudent to make a recommendation that SCOR develop its own position before the SCOH activity gets underway.

3. SCOR Strategic Plan

The revised SCOR strategic plan has been posted on the RAC/SCOR website at:

4. Methods for tracking progress of Task Forces progress

Steve Pepin needs to work with Rick Collins to identify the issues and how the Admin Task Force can be of assistance. In the meantime, RAC/SCOR web administrator Natassja Linzau is sending a bi-monthly email reminder to task force chairs to update their status reports.

5. Mentoring Programs

Skip is developing recommendations for formalizing the RAC mentoring process and for developing a parallel process for SCOR. In essence, when a new RAC member is appointed, the regional chair will contact one of several volunteer mentors. The mentor will contact the new member and cover the material in one or more of the RAC 101 segments in an informal manner. If approved by the RAC Officers, mentors will be asked to spend time with new RAC members at the Kansas City meeting, especially those who will not be able to attend the RAC 101 session on Monday morning.

6. Items for RAC leadership

Skip will present a proposal for a RAC mentoring process after it has been reviewed and accepted by the Admin Task Force members.

7. RAC Summer Meeting - July 26 - 29, 2010.

RAC 101 course

Skip has reviewed the current RAC 101 PowerPoint presentation and broken it down into six segments. He will be looking for volunteers to speak on each segment during the RAC 101 session at the RAC meeting in Kansas City. Skip will be updating the slides as needed. There have been at least eight new RAC members appointed since last year’s meeting, but it is not clear how many will be able to attend the meeting at all, or be there on Monday morning when RAC 101 is scheduled.

Several task force members agreed to assist Skip as speakers for the RAC 101 sessionincluding Moy (TRB state rep role), Gary (Seven Keys), Chris (TRB resources),Amy (new RAC member handbook), and Barnie(peer exchange). Barnie offered to review the PPT slides for the peer exchange component of RAC 101. Moy suggested it would be helpful to get the names of RAC 101 speakers in the program to assist with travel permission.

A meeting of the Admin task force is planned for the afternoon of Monday, July 26 in Kansas City.

SCOR 101

Chris has distributed a proposed outline for a revised SCOR new member handbook that could form the basis for a SCOR 101 presentation to new members. The outline is based in part on conversations held with new SCOR members at their March meeting. It is clear that more explanation is needed on the NCHRP procedures, especially on the process used to discuss and select NCHRP projects at their annual spring meeting. Admin TF members are invited to review the draft outline and provide comment for additions or revisions by June 15.

8. Next Conference Call - June 29, 2010 @ 2:00 p.m. EDT

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