GRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL MEETING NOTES
February 21, 2008
6:30 – 8:00, Medical Research Building III, Room 1220
I. Approval of February Agenda
– Approved
II. Approval of Minutes from January Meeting
– Will be approved later via email
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)
– Right now in Women’s Center’s court
– Busy right now with Eve Ensler stuff
– Planning in March/April, good because new officers will get experience helping
b. Results from the “bus” experiment
– Experimented on Monday, 2/11
– All but one card work, not sure why that one didn’t
– Start using the bus, most should work
– Let Josh/Steve work if it doesn’t so they can figure out whose doesn’t (class thereof)
– Steve’s caveat: there is no official program to cover the fares, but it seems to be working
– If you can’t, raise point that most others can
c. Visit from James Lang, Graduate Student Research Day Speaker 2008
– Capstone of GSRD, 4pm March 31
– Should be an excellent talk, Lang is very engaging and talks about first year professor experience
e. Goals for the next GSC
– Josh has a transition plan to make sure we don’t lose momentum from now to next year
– One big current issue: getting grad student meal plan/cheaper meals on campus
– Keep in mind what we’ve done, where we want to go
– Easier to get things started in the summer when people aren’t as busy
i. Announcement of offices available for 2008-2009 GSC
f. Possible speakers to hear from for rest of year
i. March: Susan Barge, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
– Head of college halls, coming to discuss how to integrate grad students into the new commons and future building/expansion projects
B. Vice President of Academic Affairs: Sarah
a. Academic Committee
i. Graduate Student Research Day: March 31, 2008 in the Student Life Center
– Thanks to everyone who has forwarded the call for abstracts to their departments
– Josh will send out again, please print it out and post it where grad students will see it around your department
– sarah.kersh@vanderbilt.edu
– vandygsrd@gmail.com
ii. ABSTRACT DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 29, 2008
– Already have more submissions for this year than any other year
– Want to have a wide representation of abstracts to showcase quality of grad student work, draw in more people (who aren’t presenting) to attend
– Remember to forward emails to your department!
iii. Needs from the Academic Affairs Committee
C. Vice Presidents of Social Affairs: Megan and Josh
– Great attendance so far this year,
a. Upcoming Preds game
1. March 13th
– Probably selling tickets on March 3rd, same time as Rent tickets
b. Upcoming Happy Hours
– Will email when there are plans, switching between the Flying Saucer, Dan McGuiness, and Sam’s
c. T-shirts for sale: $5/each. First VU graduate student shirt in history.
d. Rent: March 30
e. VandyLAN Collaboration
– This Friday, 2/23, encourage attendance among your department, 7-midnight in Featheringill
– Collaborating with Vanderbilt Computer Society
– Been going on for about 8 years, once a semester – 350 attended in the fall
– Has been mainly undergrads, trying to increase grad student/faculty
– $1000 worth of door prizes (no skill needed), tournament prizes, grand prize is a PS3
D. Treasurer: Ingrid
a. AcFee Process Update
– AcFee application going well so far
– Ingrid attending meetings to find out how to fill out our applications
– Now listed as a Special Interest group, new allocation process
– Final application due 2/28, will get feedback from committee beforehand on ways to improve our application
E. Secretary: Laura
F. Honor Council President: Erica
– Thanks to everyone who served this morning on Honor Council hearing
– If you would like to be on Honor Council core, email Erica to join
– If you’re already on it, help Erica out!
G. Webmaster: Alli
– Abstract submission materials now on the website
– Also GSRD posters on the website, can download from there to post them
V. University Committee Reports:
A. University Parking Committee: Erica Bowton, Molly Fricke, & Amy Pyle
– New F lot open at Natchez and Blakemore
– Street in front of Blair now will be Zone 3
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
– Insurance will go up for next year, about 4.5%
– Want input: possibility of choosing changes to plan
1) Cover pregnancies (currently only not covered if you come to school pregnant)
2) Increase outpatient mental health coverage
3) Change preexisting condition waiting period to 6 months
– Decisions will be made next week at meeting, so speak up if you have an opinion
– Email Josh or Alyson
G. Graduate Student Professional and Personal Development Committee: Josh Brooks & Steve Smartt
– Prof 101 (how to prepare for your first year of professorship), received a university grant so will now be offered for the next 3 years
– Expanding into Job 101 for more general job opportunities, how to find a job & apply
– Grant-writing workshop also fully funded to have one each semester, available to all disciplines
– Vandy professionals plus external grant evaluators
H. University Library Committee: Josh Barnett
I. Center for Teaching Advisory Board : Sarah Kersh
VI. Old Business
– Have not yet spoken to director of Student Health about issues, but will discuss at next meeting
VII. New Business
A. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
a. Honor Council Vice President
– Nominated: Jim Segedy (elected)
b. Honor Council President
– Nominated: Jon Wellons (elected)
c. Webmaster
– Nominated: Alli McCoy (elected)
d. Secretary
– Nominated: Laura Williams (elected)
e. Treasurer
– Nominated: Samrat Chatterjee (elected)
f. Vice Presidents, Social Affairs (two)
– Nominated: Megan Johnson (elected), Josh Barnett (elected)
g. Vice President, Community Affairs
– Nominated: Kim Boelte (elected)
h. Vice President, Academic Affairs
– Nominated: Molly Brown (elected), Hui-Yiing Chang
i. President
– Nominated: Kirsten Helmke, Jon Ahlbin (elected)
B. The process of GSC Turnover
– Josh wants this year to be a good transition
– Current officers are currently writing transition documents about their positions
– Also think about who you would like to represent your department (this could be you again!)
– Also extends to currently unrepresented departments, if you know anyone in one of them
VIII. Call for Initial Concerns and Upcoming Events
IV. Call for Announcements:
A. Business cards for graduate students: talk to your DGS!
– Biomedical currently has a good deal, could maybe extend to other departments – $18 for a box of 250
– Have DGS talk to Kim Petrie (kim.petrie@vanderbilt.edu), deal ends March 7
– DGS will get the bill and must guarantee they will pay for any that students are paid for
– From Steve: Graduate Education Week, one morning in April (April 2?) will have a grad student poster session with students from across the state to present results to legislators
– Can have one rep from Vanderbilt
– Anyone who is interested, contact Josh and he will pass it on to Steve Smartt
X. Adjournment
Spring meetings:
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
(Turnover meeting for the 2008-2009 GSC)
Please pass along the above information to other graduate students in your department.