TEI-C Board Minutes: 17 July 2026

Attending: Elisa Beshero-Bondar, James Cummings (chair), Dimitra Grigoriou, Magdalena Turska, Diane Jakacki, Gimena del Rio Riande

Regrets: none

Agenda Items:

  • Approval of minutes:
    • DJ and DG approve
  • Treasurer report:
    • DJ would like to refrain from publishing openly the exact numbers at this moment
    • DJ worked with our accountants (Virtual) and going over Wild Apricot (membership software).
    • Over past 6 years we were annually over budget [details removed]
    • There may be outstanding fees for the 26 conference
    • JC suggests and DJ strongly postulates we don't pay conference subsidy unconditionally or at all
    • JC will modify hosting page to indicate conference subsidy is paid afterwards for documented expenses if the conference does not break even.
    • DJ: increase in fee would bring us [ a small increase ]
    • Largest spending items:
      • Council
      • Journal (for proofreading and copy editing)
      • Operational expenses (Virtual for a large amount annually) but DJ's opinion is we need them at the moment, so it's not viable to cancel that contract
    • We don't have strict annual budgets with clear thresholds for fiscal years.
    • Vancouver is ridiculously expensive, both travel and accommodation, we expect over [Large amount] USD as costs, spring F2F was [Much smaller amount].
    • Council does need support for travel and sustenance, they cannot be asked to cover the costs themselves.
    • Between current institutional support and expected costs it is not viable to sustain the bi-annual council meetings, journal and the conference like before.
    • Without radical moves we have a clear and relatively close time we run out of money.
    • We need to think about priorities incl P6.
    • JC: historically in the past Council/Board had institutional backing and often these institutions were members at higher tiers. This allowed for the level of expense cover we had. At the moment this is not the case.
    • JC suggests possible financial reductions include:
      • Reduce council to 1 F2F meeting per year. (have a Virtual F2F at the other point)
      • Pay Board travel to the TEI Conference (where necessary) but don’t pay accommodation or anything else. Just flight. [This was roundly not supported as not paying for accommodation would be a barrier for some attending.]
      • Seek high cost memberships…
    • GR: ask for larger grants e.g. with Open Science, for the infrastructure and proposes the Board devotes time to seek such funding
    • GR: suggests that some services (like proofreading) may be possible to get cheaper in SA
    • MT: suggests that the same can be perhaps possible for the administration/accounting
    • JC: received advertising for alternative membership management software
    • JC: Council members were looking at creating some sort of prospectus to be developed into a funding bid/project
    • JC: financial report should not be kept to the end of AGM, but precede any other discussions
    • Discussion of the Board expense coverage proposal. Sidetracked by discussion is willingness for attending the in person Board meeting obligatory: conclusion it's not.
    • Proposed expense cap: not more than... In some locations/times a hard cap may be impossible to fit without going into hostel accommodation.
    • DG: maybe we can have some sort of budgeting system that looks at total expenses, without fixating on single factors.
    • EBB: many conferences require membership for conference attendance. Second: food expenses in many institutions are only covered up to per diem cap.
    • DJ: membership conference discount is checked vs membership fee. The calculation is designed to make the membership worthwhile.
    • MT: suggests to remove the pro-rated policy for bundle memberships because then getting it just before the conference results in being paid for only the final 3/4 months of the year
  • Elections 2026:
    • One email went out prematurely, despite following the exact same procedure. For some people the messages land in spam. Committee will send out voting reminders. The voting will close 4 days before AGM.
  • Rahtz Prize 2026:
    • DJ has been unable to get to it yet, JC suggests we just don't do it this year.
    • EBB suggests doing it quickly. And in writing, to not drown voices in real time conversations.
    • MT suggests to not do it this year as a token on reducing costs. Many agree.
  • TEI2026:
    • JC will come up with the start of Google Slides for an AGM / Members Meeting Slide Deck, SIG Reports, etc. and share.
  • Council Report:
    • Council puts in writing its perspectives about motivation and benefits of P6.
    • Please work on your tickets as the refrigeration is fast approaching.
    • DJ: can we put a number on P6? How much would that be?
    • JC: depends on the funding programme as well. P6 must be externally funded primarily.
  • Infrastructure Group:
    • Is meeting today
    • Discussing server migrations, process updates for maintaining TEI services / Guidelines releases, etc.
  • Membership Drive:
    • Work through some of the other suggestions, inc ‘We Are TEI’ posts [Move to discussion on Slack]
  • AOB:
    • Discussion of using AI tools for the meeting notes for Board and/or Council. Dismissed for the Board for the time being
    • JC has made a [Leaflet for DH2026] (link removed) – Please rewrite and improve! Printing copies soon.
  • Next Meeting: Friday 21 August 2026, 2pm UK Time. (Though Meeting AT TEI2026 as well, and Board-Council meeting there)