Winter 2001 p. 5

VASTA Mentoring Program

Reported by Deena Burke, VASTA Board

Cornish College of the Arts

In VASTA’s ongoing mission to grow our organization and to better serve our membership we are beginning to develop a mentoring program for newer voice and speech trainers. This program will provide guidance, feedback, and a supportive ear for newer teachers looking to develop their skills as teachers and coaches. An apprenticeship/internship component of this program may be detailed at a later time. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please fill out the questionnaire (below) and mail (or email responses) to:

Deena Burke
Associate Professor
Theater Department
Cornish College of the Arts
710 E. Roy St.
Seattle, WA 98102
deenaburke@hotmail.com

Please Note:

• Mentors must be current, paid up members of VASTA.
• Questionnaires must be received by July 29th, 2001.

We are also interested in compiling a list of mentors to help members going up for tenure. These mentors would provide guidance and support during this arduous process. If this is of interest to you please include a statement about your interest and how you might help. You will be contacted at a later date for further information and input. Thank you for your time and participation.

(When filling out the questionnaire by hand, please feel free to use additional paper.)

VASTA’s Mentoring Questionnaire

Name:

Institution:

Contact information:

Type of Program (BFA, MFA, PATP etc) and average class size:

Number of Productions produced per year:

Position:

Courses taught: (include title of course and brief description)

Other responsibilities: (things that might help a mentee; coaching shows, etc)

What interests you about becoming a mentor:

Particular strengths you feel you can offer as a mentor: (dialect work, speech work, text work, {particularly classical text} professional coaching, teaching skills, etc . . . List all you feel you can offer.)

Affiliations: (with professional theatres {formal or informal} that might provide opportunities to assist or shadow you as a coach etc. . .)

Are there opportunities for internships/apprenticeships through your institution or other connections you may have:

Additional thoughts:

Do you have or know of a Masters program in Voice, Vocal Pedagogy or related fields? Are you thinking of starting one?

The Board Institutes New Cost-Cutting Policies

Reported by Craig Ferre, Editor

At the November Board Meeting held in Chicago VASTA was described as entering its “teenage years.” It was then noted that as most teens, it now had a license to drive, and further had purchased a car of its own to drive in. Someone observed, however, that that also meant monthly car payments and insurance premiums. VASTA’s new “set of wheels” is the long anticipated journal. The first edition of The Voice and Speech Review marked a significant milestone in the relatively short history of VASTA. A dream of VASTA’s founding mothers, the Review has finally become a reality and a key defining element of the organization. But this important step forward comes with a healthy price tag. The VASTA Board is now faced with the challenge of making the “car payments.”

The main reason VASTA was able to take this monumental leap forward was due to wise fiscal planning and careful attention to balancing the books since its inception. Carolyn Combs, Kate Ufema, and now Lisa Wilson (VASTA’s treasurers and stewards of the funds) must be credited with superb managing of the books and with a watchful eye that has helped keep VASTA on an ever upward, stable financial track. At the Board meeting Wilson’s projected budget figures for 2001 showed a significant gap between income and expenses. The Board was faced with the task of narrowing that gap for the coming year and eventually eliminating it altogether for the future—or (as Wilson warned) there would be no future.

The Board took a number of actions to deal with the situation. First, they approved an increase to membership dues to cover the cost of mailing the Review. And Rocco Dal Vera, the Review’s Editor, pointed out that future issues would not be as lengthy as the first, suggesting a savings on the cost of producing the Review. The Board then decided to cut the cost of the November Board meeting by eliminating the presence of some officers who would then be contacted by a conference phone call at designated times during the meeting. This could have the potential of cutting the cost of that meeting by as much as one-third.

There were several other measures discussed to address the matter not noted here, but they can be reviewed when the minutes are published in the spring issue of the Newsletter. However, there was one other budget cut the Board took that will be mentioned. A decision was made to publish the Newsletter biannually (the Review filling the void left by the elimination of the third issue). Further, permission was given to explore printing on a less expensive grade of paper. The Board also encouraged an effort to reduce the number of pages in the remaining issues of the final cycle of three Newsletters.

Membership Help Needed
VASTA members can help balance the budget. With regard to the Review, contact your institution’s library and request that they subscribe to the Review on a regular basis. And use the Review as a required or supplemental textbook for your classes. Positive and encouraging reports have come from those who have done so as part of their class experience; they say students have found the content stimulating and provocative.

Membership dues comprise half of VASTA’s income. Don’t allow your membership to lapse. Encourage colleagues and associates to join. Those who attend other organization’s workshops and conferences could inform attendees about VASTA and share membership information. Think recruitment of new members whenever possible. To help spearhead our recruitment efforts a new Membership Chair is needed. If you are interested in this position contact Kate Burke (see page 12). You can make an significant contribution to VASTA by assuming this office.

Members should make every effort to attend the summer VASTA Conferences. While they are always a rich learning experience, the Conferences provide the opportunity to experience first hand what makes VASTA the unique organization that it is—the loving, caring, and supportive membership. And while you enjoy the stimulation of the workshops and the warmth of this association, your registration fees help VASTA financially.

Challenging changes are inevitable as VASTA continues to grow and mature as an organization. If our history is any indication, VASTA will continue to expand its scope, vision, and voice. As members we need to be supportive and flexible as we find our way.

© Copyright 1987-2001 Voice and Speech Trainers Association, Inc.