GSA Minutes 2007-09-20

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GSA Meeting Minutes
20 September 2007

Attendance: 24

Called to order 5:35pm

Officer Elections

Elections were held for all currently active GSA Officer positions. Results of the elections have been committed to the main GSA page.

Jessica Budke mentioned that there are officer job descriptions listed on EEBedia, as well as a list of students who most recently held offices. If you have been elected to a new position, you should check with the former officer about the responsibilities for your new job.

Is the EEB graduate student phone list organizer an official position? Lori Benoit currently holds the position. It was decided that the job is not official, but quite important, and that Lori will continue to fill the position.

EEB Departmental Seminar Lunch Coordinator

It was suggested that we establish a position to ensure attendance at the graduate student lunches that typically occur on the day of the departmental seminar. Opinion was mixed as to whether such a position was necessary, since most seminar speakers are sponsored by a faculty member who has graduate students in their lab.

Tsitsi McPherson has recently taken on the job of announcing the lunches and encouraging attendance, in response to minimal attendance at past lunches. The speakers are very interesting people to talk with!

Jessica pointed out that the grad students have a consistently reserved slot in which to meet with the seminar speaker, and someone should show up.

Tsitsi mentioned that there may be money, like $20 per week, to provide some kind of food at the lunch with the seminar speaker.

Tobias Landberg noted that labs with many graduate students have a less difficult time getting attendance for lunches with speakers that they invited. Other faculty with fewer graduate students have a harder time.

Other Notes

Faculty Representative Notes

Nanci Ross updated us briefly on the most recent faculty meeting. One topic was the replacement of the TLS greenhouses. There may be a new building on the same site with research greenhouses on the roof. Until then the TLS greenhouses will be relocated. It may be 200 years until that gets done, as they don't even have money to tear down TLS at this point. Carrie Fyler pointed out that in 200 years, the billion dollars they need won't be all that much money.

Gene Likens

Kathryn Theiss mentioned that Kent Holsinger suggested a welcome event for Gene Likens, who will be visiting again this fall and conducting two courses. Perhaps an evening presentation (e.g. Monday Evening Seminar) prior to when his classes start. Nanci suggested that we invite him out for a drink. Molly Letsch mentioned that the Nathan Hale bar on campus rents its facilities for such events, complete with drink tickets, etc. Tobias suggested a field trip to Hubbard Brook[1].

Purchasing

Tsitsi mentioned that there are still many sources of confusion with respect to purchasing. Nic Tippery said that these issues should be posted to EEBedia so that as we figure out how to do things, that future grad students will have the information available to them. Some of the financial issues have already been posted on EEBedia here.

Upcoming Events

We will be soliciting t-shirt ideas soon. Consider entering a design. Buying t-shirts affects our pizza fund, so much that you might say they are tightly correlated.

The Fall Barn Dance is coming up rapidly. Stay tuned for updates.


Adjourned just before 6:00pm, as promised by Jessica.

Minutes committed by Nicholas Tippery (GSA Secretary).