GRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL MEETING NOTES
December 13, 2007
6:30 – 8:00, Medical Research Building III, Room 1220
I. Approval of Agenda
– Accepted with change to item IV (September to November)
II. Welcome and Introductions
a. Nicholas Zeppos: Chancellor of Vanderbilt University
– Intention to focus on improvement of PhD programs
– Most important part of the university is the quality, diversity, and strength of the faculty
– Thinks we’re doing well in this regard
– Also made great progress in research funding (proxy of faculty quality)
– Put emphasis on placement and future of grad students after leaving Vanderbilt
– Working towards expanding graduate programs, especially interdisciplinary, listen to students to find where interests lie and where professor are going to be needed 20 years down the road
– Do current hiring practices meet student needs re: programs and course offerings?
– What are the knowledge and information needs of the campus and what spaces are needed to meet them?
– Use of Commons as a space for discussion and sharing of ideas
– Racial diversity in PhD students and tenture-track positions
– Taking an aggressive stance in recruitment and retention in these positions
– Working with departments, curriculum and academic culture must support this diversity
– Working on “increasing the pipeline” to recruit from a broader spectrum of candidates
– Graduate student community building
– Any plans for getting a centralized space?
– Buttrick Hall space doesn’t seem to be drawing people, so not sure how it will work
– Possibility of building in to revamped library plan
– Interested more in building a physical graduate student residential community
– How can graduate students make their voices heard?
– Both Zeppos and Hall open to contact from students
– GSPPD exists as a resource to make things happen for grad student concerns
– Believes campus has become more centralized, not less
– High expectation for accountability of programs, want departments to take responsibility
– Focus on building great programs, getting students to completion, and getting good jobs
b. Dennis Hall: Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Education
– Oversees research, libraries, university press
– Update on graduate education at Vanderbilt
– Overall and minority applications are up (6.6% and 63% from last year, respectively)
– Number of grad students, PhDs awarded, and external funding up, admissions more selective
– Every PhD-admitting college has increased numbers
– Number of earned doctorates comparable to Washington University
– From these numbers, if we had double the resources, would we double our PhDs?
– Probably not, put more effort into what we have than into expansion
III. State of the University presentations by Chancellor Zeppos and Provost Hall
– Under item II
IV. Approval of Minutes from November Meeting
– Approved
V. Election of At-Large Members
VI. Officer Reports
A. President: Josh
a. Discussion of changes to the Activity Fee allotment process
b. Free-Ride Bus System Progress—the experiment
– Testing next week to find out exactly who can ride
c. Changes to the Graduate Student Council Speaker
– Not Frank Warren
– Have a list of names, going through schedules now and will announce when we know who it is
d. Seminars on Sexual Harrassment in February (co-sponsor: Women’s Center)
– Getting information together now, planned for mid-February
– Intra-student and professor-student situations
e. Seminar on Filing Income Taxes in January (co-sponsor: Graduate School)
– GS will actually not be co-sponsoring because they can’t give tax advice
f. National Conference on Graduate Student Leadership review
a. Updates from the delegates
– Discuss more next month after full comes out
g. Update on progress regarding protection of Student Academic Contributions
h. Elections ‘08
– Will need a new president especially, but welcome to run for any office
B. Vice President of Academic Affairs: Sarah
a. Academic Committee
i. GSRD: March 31, 2007
ii. Reaching out to different departments to increase attendance
– Help Sarah get a list of department heads so people can find out about what’s going on
– Spread the word yourself to members of your department
– Trying to get university community as a whole to recognize grad students and contributions
iii. Call for abstracts going out in January; due Feb. 29, 2008
– Papers and posters
– Email Sarah if you have questions
C. Vice Presidents of Social Affairs: Megan and Josh
a. Recap of November/December events
– Since last meeting, have had Preds game, bowling, tailgating, and Happy Hour
b. Plan for Spring Semester 2008
– Already a bunch planned, dates will go out next semester
c. Ideas for next semester from the representatives
– Making tshirts so we can be more easily recognized at events
– Passing around an order form, please note your size and check your department
– Should be available at January meeting
D. Treasurer: Ingrid
– Attended AcFee meeting last night to ensure that we have funding for next year
– Committee members (still space on it!), Ingrid will be contacting on meetings next semester
– Trying to get our funding changed so it’s not allocated by undergrads through AcFee anymore
E. Secretary: Laura
– If you said you’d write any articles for the Wiki, please do it.
F. Honor Council President: Erica
G. Webmaster: Alli
– Busy getting hitched – congratulations Alli and Jake!
VII. University Committee Reports:
– Tabled until next semester
A. University Parking Committee: Erica Bowton, Molly Fricke, & Amy Pyle (+1 empty position)
B. Student Recreation Center Committee: Josh Brooks & John Mackert
C. Calendar Committee: Amy Pyle & Rory Pruitt
D. Religious Affairs Committee : Jennell Talley, Alli Beck, Mekeal TeShome, & Elizabeth Weber
E. Freshman Commons Committee: Josh Brooks
F. Student Insurance Advisory Board: Josh Brooks
G. Graduate Student Professional and Personal Development Committee: Josh Brooks & Steve Smartt
a. Be on the lookout for “Job 101”
H. University Library Committee: Josh Barnett
I. Center for Teaching Advisory Board : Sarah Kersh
J. Oak Advisory Board: Josh Brooks
VIII. Old Business
A. The use of the faculty/staff meal plan at Peabody (and in general)
– Talking to Dennis Hall and dining staff to get it worked out
– Need manpower and people willing to follow up on things
B. Intellectual property updates next semester
IX. New Business
X. Call for Initial Concerns and Upcoming Events
XI. Adjournment
Spring meetings:
Thursday, January 18, 2008 @ 6:30 in Medical Research Building (MRB) III, Room 1220
Thursday, February 21, 2008 @ 6:30 in Medical Research Building (MRB) III, Room 1220
Thursday, March 20, 2008 @ 6:30 in Medical Research Building (MRB) III, Room 1220
Thursday, April 17, 2008 @ 6:30 in Medical Research Building (MRB) III, Room 1220
Please pass along the above information to other graduate students in your department.