Meeting+2008+Jan+16


 * Agenda for Class Meeting 2008 Jan 16**

Notes will be added during and after the meeting.


 * Objectives**
 * List and understand steps in process
 * Define study area
 * Detail learning needs
 * Establish key milestones

12:30-13:00 (latest) **Conversation with students from last year** This is time for open discussion among students in this year's and last year's class. Evan and George will leave the room so discussion can be frank and open. Ask lots of questions.

13:00 **Assign Roles** We'll need to do this each meeting - Evan and George will do it this time to demonstrate. See the [|meeting tips page] for more information.

george: Note-taker: keep track of what we're doing and ensure that notes are entered here (can be done live and afterwards) Evan: Facilitator - keep us on time and on task

13:00 **List and understand steps in process** Having looked at the UFORE manual(s) and perused past reports, let's come up with a list of steps we have to take. We can list them right here for now and move them elsewhere later.

Major steps are
 * NOTES**
 * select study area
 * stratify or not?
 * generate sample points
 * collect data
 * send data to Syracuse and wait for return data
 * generate report from return data

13:40 **Select study area** If we didn't do this on Tuesday, how will we make that decision? What are the factors that will influence our decision? How do the steps in the process help with this decision (if at all) Make the call.

Much discussion on this, centering on
 * NOTES**
 * what's most important to Raleigh
 * time / resources available
 * transportation / logistics
 * pre-stratification v not

Ultimate decision was to attempt 100 plots across the whole city using randomized grid and post-stratification. Reasoning was that
 * without specific guidance from Raleigh, felt a city-wide approach was better than a single district or just the parks
 * random sampling allows flexibility on the back end to post-stratify by various criteria, recognizing that we are giving up some precision by not pre-stratifying (pre-strat by land use was under consideration) (there were a couple of fairly strong dissenting opinions that we really should pre-stratify)
 * strong student desire to do entire city and willingness to go the distances involved
 * belief among students that 6 teams doing 16 plots each was achievable within the semester

14:00 **Break**

14:10 **Detail learning needs** Let's visit the learning needs page and see if we can organize / enhance it. We want to also work on getting things in a logical order - which things do we need to get done sooner? which can wait?

Major learning needs, in order of priority, are
 * NOTES**

Field Safety Protocols (asking permission, etc) || 3 || Statistical concepts || 4 ||
 * __Need__ || __Priority__ ||
 * How to do plot measurements || 1 ||
 * GIS || 2 ||
 * GPS / PDAs
 * Conceptual background

Several teams formed to start gathering information: Determine how to deal with the issue of identifying trees during winter Initial report to class Tues 22 Jan
 * Dendrology Team: Lisa, Mary, Trent**

Drafting information to give to property-owners when asking access permission Initial report to class Thurs 25 Jan / complete before Parks meeting Tues 29 Jan
 * Protocol Team: Bethany, Hannah, Sarah**

Write up field safety guidelines
 * Field Safety Team: Evan, Chris, Lee**

14:40 **Establish key milestones** What can we add to the project milestones page? What timeframes? Can we identify which steps depend on other steps and which can be done in parallel?

See major learning needs Targeting week of 4 Feb to begin collecting data
 * NOTES**

15:00 **Wrap up** Review action items / assignments

Ran out of time for this - see items above Teams formed with report dates Hess to check into getting reimbursement for mileage
 * NOTES**

15:15 **Class ends**