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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Lesson 2: Formats of Minutes

By Leo Yu(Office: OEE1014; Phone: 3411-5803; email: leoyu@hkbu.edu.hk)

14-17 May 2002

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Outline

• Presentation of Group 1

• Critique by Group 2

• Types of Minutes

• Obligatory vs. Optional Components

• Layout/Typography

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Types of Minutes

• Formal– Minutes of …

• Action-minutes (resolution-based)• Record-minutes (discussion-based)

• Informal– Record of Meeting of…– Notes of Meeting of …

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Basic Information (1)

• Name of the Committee/Department• [B] – missing (PERS/GAO?)

• Title (Type & Nature of the meeting)• [C] – ‘Notes of Meeting for University Bookshop’• Sequential (e.g. 1st/2nd; 2001, 2002)• Once-off/Irregular (esp. Record of Meeting)

• Date/Time/Venue• Linear [C]• Point [A]

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Basic Information (2)

• Roll Call– Present:

• Name • with/without title/rank• Affiliation

– Absent:• Apologies• Apologies for absence• Absent with apologies

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Basic Information (3)

• Chairman (Chairperson/Chair)

• Secretary• Recording Secretary (Member & RS) [B,C,D,F]• Recording Secretary (In attendance) [A]

• In attendance

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Obligatory Components

• Confirmation of Last Minutes

• Matters Arising (from Last Minutes)

• Main Items

• A.O.B.

• Adjournment

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Confirmation of Last Minutes

• Omitted (if for the 1st meeting/Informal meeting) [A,B,C]

• Proposed by… and seconded by…

@ How to deal with the mistakes?

…subject to the following amendments:

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Matters Arising

• Matters Arising

• Matters Arising from the Last Minutes

• Reference (Item xxx) [E]

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Main (Discussion) Items

• Follow the sequence of the agenda

• Categories• Reports• Discussion

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

A.O.B.

• A.O.B. / Any Other Business

• If no AOB, this part can be omitted

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Adjournment

• There being no other business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at (time).

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Optional Components

• Date and Time of Next Meeting

• Signature by the Chairman

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Typography (1)

• Columnar for Action-minutes • the use of table: 2 columns

• Numbering• 1 -> 1.1 -> 1.1.1• For headings as well [#B]• For each point [#A]

• Bullets• ‘-’ [A]

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Typography (2)

• Indentation• A,D• [#C,E,F)

• Margins

• Date/filename/revision• (LCDept): 1st departmental meeting 2001-2)• 22 September 2001 (FINAL)

• Drafting parties

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Typography (3)

• Filing reference• Place it in the header

• Page no.

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Homework

• Download the Word file of Ex. 1 from the course room

• Correct the minutes

• Submit a hardcopy to me next week in class