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I. Public Attendance

A. At any open session of the Board of Trustees of Anne Arundel Community College (“Board”), the general public is invited to attend and observe.

B. No member of the public attending an open session may participate in the session.

C. A copy of these Procedures will be posted on the Anne Arundel Community College’s website and will be included in the Board agendas.

D. The Board chair shall read a statement at the beginning of each Board meeting that provides that the meeting is being recorded and that members of the public may only record, photograph, televise, or broadcast the meeting in accordance with the Board’s Procedures of Public Meetings.

II. Disruptive Conduct

A. A person attending an open session of the Board may not engage in any conduct that disrupts the session or that interferes with the right of members of the public to attend, observe or listen to the session, including but not limited to, visual demonstrations, such as the waving of placards, signs, or banners; verbal interruptions, such as speaking in a loud voice that can be heard by others, yelling, outbursts, or using obscene or profane language; or otherwise causing a disturbance the interrupts or impedes the ordinary conduct during the open session.

B. The Chair of the Board or designee may order any person who persists in conduct prohibited by these Procedures or who violates any other regulation concerning the conduct of the open session to be removed from the session and may request police assistance to restore order.

C. The Chair of the Board or designee may recess the session while order is restored.

D. If an open session of the Board is held via electronic means, the Chair of the Board or designees may mute any or all persons attending the open session who are not members of the Board or individuals requested to participate in the open session by the Board to avoid any disruptions.

III. Recording an Open Session

A. “Record” or “Recording” means to cause (sound, visual images, data, etc.) to be registered on something (such as a disc, magnetic tape, electronic file, etc.) in reproducible form, including audio, video or digital recording, photographing, broadcasting or televising.

B. By participating in an open session as a member of the Board, Board members are deemed to have consented to the Recording of the open session by the Board and/or any member of the public, including any representative of the news media, subject to the terms and conditions of these Procedures.

C. If a member of the public, including any representative of the news media, wishes to Record an open session of the Board, the person must notify the Board by submitting an email to boardchair@aacc.edu at least two (2) business days prior to the open session, unless good cause is shown as to the reason the email was not sent timely. The email must include the following:

1. The name, telephone number and email address of the person;

2. A statement of the person’s intent to Record an open session;

3. The manner in which the person intends to Record (i.e., audio, video, or digital recording, photographing, broadcasting or televising);

4. The date of the open session the person intends to Record;

5. Attached of an acknowledgement signed by the person, stating that the person has reviewed these Procedures and agrees to abide by these Procedures. A form acknowledgement is included as Appendix 1 to these Procedures.

D. A member of the public, including any representative of the news media, may Record discussions of the Board at an open session by means of any type of device or equipment as long as the device or equipment does not create an excessive noise that disturbs members of the Board or other persons attending the session.

E. The person Recording the proceedings may not use cameras or other types of devices or equipment that flash or use excessively bright artificial light that may disturb members of the Board or other persons attending the session.

F. The Chair of the Board or designee may restrict the movement of a person who is Recording the proceedings of the Board if such restriction is necessary to maintain the orderly conduct of the session.

G. A Recording of an open session made by a member of the public or representative of the news media, or any transcript derived from such a Recording, will not be deemed a part of the official record of any proceeding of the Board.

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Dr. Dawn Lindsay

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