GRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL NOTES
September 11, 2008
6:30 PM – 7:00 PM, Medical Research Building III, Room 1220
- Welcome
- Approval of September Agenda
– Approved
- Approval of Minutes from July Meeting
- Election of At-Large Members
- Officer Reports
A. President: Jon Ahlbin
a. Graduate Development Network Update
i. Applying for NSF Graduate Research Fellowships, Sept. 14, 3:00 PM, SLC Board of Trust Room
ii. Grant & Fellowship Workshop, Sept. 20, 8:30 – 3:00 PM, Buttrick Hall – Natalie Inman
– Learn how to get your own funding to get out of being a TA or Research Assistant
– All graduate students are eligible, as well as post-docs and young faculty
– More workshops coming in the spring semester, also Prof 10, focus groups
iii. Workshops on Writing the Dissertation Proposal (8:30 – 11:00) & Writing the Dissertation (1:00-4:30), Oct. 21, 101 Buttrick Hall
iv. Women in Academia, Oct. 31, 12:10 – 1:30 PM in SLC
– Informal meet & greet (all students, not just women) for networking
v. International LENS Film Series, Sarratt Cinema
– Frequent (weekly?) short foreign films and discussion – free!
b. Two reps. needed for Student Health Insurance Advisory Committee
– Come talk to Jon if you’re interested
c. Free Ride now extended to grad students, just swipe your student ID on the bus
B. Vice President of Academic Affairs: Molly Brown
a. Graduate Student Research Day, March 30, 2009 in SLC
– Way to present your research to the campus community
i. Faculty advisory panel
– Part of effort to get more students (via the faculty) involved in the GSRD
ii. Keynote speaker
– Decided to get Susal Basalla, on non-academic careers for graduate students
b. Maternity Policy
– Not all departments currently have a formal policy
– Seeking volunteers to draft a university-wide policy
c. Center for Teaching Update
– Just moved to new space at the corner of 19th and Edgehill
– Reminder, have a teaching material library available for use
– Upcoming workshops on discussion leading, writing a teaching statement, evidence-based teaching, the CfT Teaching Certificate Program
C. Vice Presidents of Social Affairs: Megan Johnson and Josh Barnett
a. Update on success of graduate student orientation social
– Fabulous turnout, much fun was had
b. Upcoming activities
i. Check the website for specific dates: studentorgs.vanderbilt.edu/gsc
– First Tuesday of the month – GSC happy hour at Sam’s in Hillsboro, 6-8 pm
– 9/16, 10/7, 11/4, 12/2
– October – Corn Maze at Rippa Villa
– 10/18 – Sweeney Todd at TPAC, email for tickets coming out soon
– 10/28 – Avenue Q, tickets $10
– Predators games – 10/30 (vs. Oilers), 12/4 (vs. Avalanche)
– Email Megan Johnson (megan.e.johnson@vanderbilt.edu) with special events going on around town, will be posted to the GSC website
– Not GSC, but through Vanderbilt can go to movies at the Belcourt (FlickX) and get cheap performance tickets
D. Vice President of Community Affairs: Kimberly Boelte
a. Item drive for Safe Haven Family Shelter, Sept. TBD
b. Possible future events
i. Oct. – Step Out to Fight Diabetes
ii. Nov. – Nashville Rescue Mission
iii. Dec. – Gift drive for children
c. Individual opportunities
i. Office of Active Citizenship, www.vanderbilt.edu/oacs
ii. Hands on Nashville, www.hon.org
– Contact Kim if you want to help
E. Treasurer: Samrat Chatterjee
F. Secretary: Laura Williams
a. GSC listserv
G. Honor Council President: Jonathan Wellons
– Discussing creating an Honor Code Cheat Sheet (heh)
– Need volunteers to help translate it into different languages
– Process – a claim is made, investigation is done, hearing is held
– One case ongoing, always need volunteers for conducting investigations and being on hearing committees
H. Webmaster: Alli McCoy
VI. University Committee Reports:
A. University Parking Committee: Kimberly Boelte, Molly Brown, Samrat Chatterjee, & Jonathan Wellons
– First meeting at the end of September, give any complaints to the GSC committee members to bring in front of the Parking Committee
B. Student Recreation Center Committee: Josh Brooks & John Mackert
C. Calendar Committee: Jonathan Wellons & Carrie Whiting
D. Religious Affairs Committee : Jennell Talley, Alli McCoy, Mekeal TeShome, & Elizabeth Weber
E. Student Health Insurance Advisory Committee: Need two reps
F. Graduate Development Network: Jon Ahlbin, Molly Brown & Steve Smartt
G. University Library Committee: Josh Barnett
H. Center for Teaching Advisory Board: Molly Brown
– See above
VII. Old Business
A. Graduate student meal plan
a. Flex meal plan currently priced at 10 meals for $81.94
– www.vanderbilt.edu/dining/flexmeals.php
b. Surveys to be sent out to collect data to create better plan
– Piloted on the Special Ed department, will be sending out a survey to each department rep for dissemination to all students
– Early results show that people would be interested if the price was better
VIII. New Business
IV. Call for Initial Concerns and Upcoming Events
B. Graduate seminar on equity and diversity – Carolyn Cusick
a. Oct. 3-4, 2008
b. Organized by the Graduate Students of the Department of Philosophy, called “Transforming Knowledge”
c. Based on a survey report done by the philosophy grad students on why certain groups aren’t getting PhDs in philosophy
C. Border Crossings: Boundaries of Cultural Interpretation – David Wiseman
a. Oct. 16-18, 2008
b. Organized by the Graduate Students of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese
X. Call for Announcements:
XI. Adjournment
Next Meeting:
Thursday, October 9, 2008 @ 6:30 PM
Medical Research Building III Room 1220
Please pass along the above information to other graduate students in your department