GRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL MEETING NOTES
January 17, 2008
6:30 – 8:00, Medical Research Building III, Room 1220
I. Approval of January Agenda
– Approved
II. Approval of Minutes from December Meeting
– Approved
III. Election of At-Large Members
IV. Officer Reports
A. President: Josh
a. Upcoming seminars on Sexual Harrassment (co-sponsor: Women’s Center & Opportunity Development Center)
– Aiming for March/April
b. The Vanderbilt “experiment” to determine bus ridership problems
– Have a way to determine who isn’t getting free bussing so we can get it for everyone
– Five groups of people, need volunteers to go try (and have lunch!)
– Josh – US grad students, service free stipend, pilot direct deposit
– Training grant, US, service free – Megan, Alli, Amanda, Laura
– International paid on international payroll through HR – Fazal
– US in TA position paid a TA salary – Isi, Natalie
– RA position on RA grant – Jonathan, Jim, John
c. National Conference on Graduate Student Leadership review
– Attended in November, reporting now because of long December meeting
– Sarah and Kelly presented, Josh facilitated
– Good experience, renewed sense of what goals of grad student experience are
– Shared ideas with other graduate student leaders, 16 universities attended
– Many have graduate student life centers, people paid to facilitate graduate student programming
– Have since had discussions on how to get a facilitator for us, coordinate things between GSC and varied university offices
d. Increasing participation in the GSC events
e. Update on dining plan options for graduate students
– Introductory offer for faculty/staff has since disappeared
– Now have $6.50 ($7?) meals (instead of $5), may make some headway on getting access
– Can support by emailing/sending letters to dining services showing interest; Josh will email with name of who to contact
– Points to make: faculty have a good offer, grad students can’t afford to eat meals in campus dining facilities
– Do not want it to become mandatory!
– No formal survey of interest has been done, but informal questioning has been positive, brought up by many students in front of the GSC
– Bring it up to your constituents, email Josh as you find results so he can gauge interest
f. Goals for the next GSC
i. Announcement of offices available for 2008-2009 GSC
– Elections for president, VP academic affairs, VP community affairs, VP social affairs, treasurer, secretary, webmaster, president of graduate honor council, vp of graduate honor council
– Some officers are interested in returning but others are not, so there will definitely be room for new officers to continue building the GSC
g. Possible speakers to hear from for rest of year
– Josh attempting to get someone from Dining Services to come and speak (see subheading e above)
– Susan Barge, Associate Provost of College Halls would like to speak
– Gauge interest in being an academic RA – live in dorms, mentor undergrads for upperclassmen
B. Vice President of Academic Affairs: Sarah
a. Academic Committee
i. Graduate Student Research Day: March 31, 2008 in the Student Life Center
– Speaker – James Lang, author of Life on the Tenure Track, March 31, 2008, 4pm
– Start talking up now, will have posters next meeting
– Have help in financing – have over $1000, need $2000
– Also need panel moderators – introductions, facilitate discussion
– Giving away two conference travel grants as door prizes
ii. Upcoming Deadlines
– Deadline is 2/29, can submit for a poster or a presentation
– Presentations are 15 minutes with 5 minutes for questions, if you have multiple related projects can submit as a group to form a panel
– Pass information on to fellow students, DGSs – encourage others to participate!
iii. Needs from the Academic Affairs Committee
– Where to flyer – email Josh and Megan of where your department looks for flyers to make event announcements more effective
– Can also volunteer to help put them up (please?)
C. Vice Presidents of Social Affairs: Megan and Josh
a. Upcoming Preds game
1. January 31
2. Feb. 7
3. March 13th
4. Tickets will be sold in advance to ensure people who want to go can get a ticket; limit 4 per person
– $10, buy next Tuesday 1/22
– Opened up to law and med students
b. Upcoming Happy Hours
– 2/13, Flying Saucer, 5-7 pm
c. T-shirts for sale: $5/each. First VU graduate student shirt in history.
5. Rent: March 30
– Have 75 tickets, 6:30pm matinee, $20 each
d. Other ideas
– Many people got to see Steve Smartt’s band play – maybe set up a group in the future?
– Tickets for Il Travatore in April
– No date yet for spring social
– More: Pool, roller skating
– Next Monday, 1/21 – MLK Jr. candlelight vigil with OBGRADS
D. Treasurer: Ingrid
a. AcFee Needs
– Passed out proposed budget for our AcFee application for next year
– Includes current budget for comparison, asking for increases in many areas due to increasing success of GSC events
– Ingrid would love help with the application (join her committee!), also welcomes suggestions for additional items
E. Secretary: Laura
F. Honor Council President: Erica
– Have two ongoing cases, would like some help
– Investigations, sit on panels
– If you’re on the committee list, respond to Erica’s emails! (or email her to get on the list)
G. Webmaster: Alli
V. University Committee Reports:
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
– Grad students on the back burner while dealing with admissions
– 16,000 applications for 1500 freshman spots, working on how grad students can help with this
F. Student Insurance Advisory Board: Josh Brooks
a. What isn’t offered that you want to be offered-time to make small changes…
G. Graduate Student Professional and Personal Development Collaborative: Josh Brooks & Steve Smartt
– GradSTEP – Saturday 1/19 – 8am, sponsored by Center for Teaching
– Josh has gone in the past, had good experience and highly recommended
– Future program on dissertation proposal writing (in addition to current dissertation workshop)
– Past success of Prof 101
H. University Library Committee: Josh Barnett
I. Center for Teaching Advisory Board : Sarah Kersh
J. Oak Advisory Board: Josh Brooks
– Committee has been dissolved
VI. Old Business
A. Update from our meeting with the Chancellor and the Provost
– Josh spoke with iChancellor Zeppos to reiterate things brought up last month
VII. New Business
A. Discussing the role of a graduate student government in the development of the graduate community-what is missing from the graduate student experience?
– Think long-term as well – not just next year but coming years after
– Met many current goals of continuing grad student speaker, e.g. expanding and strengthening Grad Student Research Day – where now?
– Will have a discussion of this next meeting
VIII. Call for Initial Concerns and Upcoming Events
– Identity theft concerns – not just the voter laptop theft, but also university systems use SSNs frequently
– Issues at Student Health?
– Divinity school/Dept of Religion fundraiser/party on Feb. 1 at rectory
IV. Call for Announcements:
A. REMEMBER: Elections will be held at the next meeting
X. Adjournment
Spring meetings:
Thursday, February 21, 2008 @ 6:30 in Medical Research Building (MRB) III, Room 1220
(February meeting is Graduate Student Body Elections)
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.