2023-09 Meeting

Agenda

Announcing Moallem's Retirement

• Carefully crafted message highlighting the long and fruitful partnership between us and wishing him best going forward

Grading

• In lieu of a cantor for this semester (potentially this year), who will be responsible for grading?
  • What criteria can we establish?
  • What about Oral Exams and Exit Exams?
    

Academic Affairs

• Need to discuss clear guidelines on handling things like:
  • Missing Oral Exams
  • Failing a class (not submitting > 1 assignment)
  • Repeating a Semester (Spring vs Fall - what does Oral Exam look like if a student failed the Spring but passed the Fall? Does it make sense that they would be tested on Spring assignments and THEN repeat the Spring?)
    

Course Development

• Follow up on Liturgics Course
  • Did Fr Victor start recording the next lectures?
  • Do we have assignment/exam for the course?
• Suggestions from students
  • One student was looking for a resource for the service of the deacon - when to hold the censer and how, holding up the cross, etc. The things HE Metropolitan Youssef was mentioning during his lectures at convention. Is this something we can develop a course for?
• Look into alternative LMS's
  • Canvas?

Admissions

• We are now able to accept new admissions in the Spring. We can start to advertise for this, and collect $300 for the Spring semester (which will not include a convention)

Cantor

• Discuss who we can get and pros/cons
• Potentially reach out to a Moallem

Didymus

• What does Didymus look like for us? What is the format, frequency, modes of contact, etc.
  • Is our program plan acceptable to Didymus Cairo?
• Which Cantors can we recruit?
  • What will we pay them?
• What will be the cost?
• Do we maintain two programs side by side?
• Share findings from ACTS Info Session

Advertising and Social Media

• Needs a dedicated servant
• That servant needs to understand the program, be able to answer questions, attend the meetings, etc.
• Instagram, Twitter, Facebook
• What does Advertising look like with the Didymus Route

Committee Member Roles

• Establish dedicated roles for each person (e.g. "Curriculum Development" - "Public Relations" or "Social Media" - "Admissions and Academic Affairs" - "Instructor Liaison") to help with separation of responsibility
• Identify how many additional servants we need for Asaph

The Role of Asaph in the Diocese

• Is HE interested in their being a central organization for deacons, hymns classes, hymns, etc. in the diocese (or in Florida)? Does Asaph want to attempt to fill that gap or play that role?
  • Deacons Coordinators group/conference/meeting
    • Similar to the one for Servants Coordinator... HG Anba Basil mentioned to me in 2022 that he would be interested in starting something like this for Deacons Coordinators
  • Standardization of hymns
  • Hymns Contests (versus what is coming out of the SMF Books which is so sad...)
  • Hymns Camps
  • Priest Hymns

Resolutions

• We will not be accepting any new admissions for the Spring or Fall
• We hope to announce Didymus plans by May/June 2024
• Didymus
  • One program with an audit option
  • Auditors view Asaph material (Moallem Hany) and do not have any deadlines or assignments to submit. Auditors are welcome to submit hymns for review. Their hymns will be reviewed by committee members, not by moallems.
  • What transition incentives can we offer to students who have just finished Year 1 of Asaph?
  • Next step is to meet with Moallem Magdy again to discuss:
    • Format, frequency, modes of instruction, etc.
    • What is $25 per lesson? Is that per teaching lesson?
• How can we make Asaph a resource for the diocese for learning specific seasons of hymns (using the Moallem Hany videos)? For example, offer individual classes for each season that are offered for deacons to learn the hymns needed to lead in their church or priests to send their deacons, etc.
  • Offering of Incense and Offertory; Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Faithful; Nayrouz and the Feasts of the Cross; Month of Kiahk; Nativity and Theophany; Jonah's Fast and Great Lent; Holy Week of Pascha; Holy 50 Days; Apostles Fast and Veneration; Annual Sunday Psalmody; Weekday Praises

Committee Member Roles

• Admissions and Academic Affairs - Martina Sidhom
  • Responding to Emails about academic affairs (where am I, how can I graduate, can I repeat a course, etc.)
  • Handling Admissions, Priest Recommendations, etc.
• Teaching Assistants
  • At least two for the four Cantors (may need to expand in time)
  • Communicate with the Moallems, 
• Public Relations
  • Social Media
  • Advertising
• IT and Technology - Morcous Wahba + Michael Malak
  • Setting up the website
  • Editing and uploading videos

Actions

• Morcous to carefully craft message about Moallem Hany's retirement and send in group for review
• Nader to grade submitted hymns assignments based on criteria:
  • Pronunciation
  • Tune
  • Rhythm
  • Tempo (Consistency)
• Fr Matthew to reach out to Moallem Pola Magdy to ask if he can help with grading oral exams and exit exams over zoom this year (before we even start Didymos)
  
• Fr Matthew to follow up with Fr Victor regarding the Liturgics Course
• Morcous to look into alternative LMS's and hosting a Canvas instance
  
• Martina to reach out to Maria Habib regarding dedicating to being the Public Relations, Social Media and Advertising person for Asaph. 
  • Fr Matthew to reach out to Mareena Hanna if Maria is unable to, or would like to split the load.