Difference between revisions of "GSA Minutes 2011 04-21"

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(AGENDA:)
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==AGENDA:==
 
==AGENDA:==
  
1) '''Officer Elections''' (Bill – President)<br>
+
1) '''EEB GSA Constitution''' (Kasey – President)<br>
All present at the meeting in favor of Bill Ryerson as President, Brigette Z. as Treasurer, and Elizabeth Timpe as Secretary.<br><br>
+
Unanimous vote to resubmit current constitution.<br><br>
  
2) '''Treasury Report''' (Karolina – Treasurer)<br>
+
2) '''T-shirts'''<br>
$634 in account, minus the $53 for pizza, plus ~$80 in petty cash<br>
+
T-shirts etc., in Glastonbury. KP submitted order. Waiting for confirmation from company.  BZ needs confirmation on actual cost.  We will order a few extras for folks who missed out.  Contact BZ if want to order. <br><br>
T-shirt sales VERY successful!<br>
+
How to spend money: Barn Dance, Spring Party, Les Mehrhoff Symposium (see below) . . . <br><br>
+
 
 
3) '''Les Mehrhoff Symposium, May 27th, 2011''' (Beth – CCB Rep)<br>
+
3) '''Updates from GSS''' (Michael/Hayley- GSS reps)<br>
The Center for Conservation and Biodiversity asked for the EEB GSA’s help in running the registration table, cleaning up after morning break, and laying out the breakfast for the Les Mehrhoff Symposium on May 27th. All present at meeting interested in helping (minus AB and CO). Additionally, it was asked if we would be interested in sponsoring/running the poster session (i.e., renting the poster boards, setting up, taking down). ET will contact Dave Wagner and see how many posters are expected before committing (we need a ballpark estimate). <br><br>
+
Someone from GSS who goes to faculty council talked to HKM about work study.  He talked to graduate faculty council.  They got “riled up” and there are rumors that administration might back off of that.  Possible that depts might not have to pay as much.  General feel that administration have been making a lot of financial decisions that affect grad students without asking...may pass a resolution that they can’t do that.  WHAT ABOUT REC CENTER.  Not a huge outcry about massive increase in grad fees to pay for rec center. Increase would start in 2016. BUT it’s a 30-yr increase.  Building costs millions of dollars.  We then have to pay back loan.  Fees collected are 3x cost of building.  HKM says they sound amenable to working with graduate students.  Consensus among EEB GSA: more than we would want to pay.  They SHOULD attempt to mitigate costs to grads.  <br>
 +
MS(faculty rep): rumor from faculty meeting: provost might take % of work study depts owe down to 5% from 20%.  Kentwood Wells has not heard anything official at this time.  Graduate faculty sounds like they’re on our side.  All graduate students are getting a raise next year: cost of living adjustment.  4 or 6%.  Work study will be announced (?) 5/1 for grads.<br>
 +
KP: Any talk about parking being priced for next year?  Plan was tentative as of last meeting KP attended. HKM and MH haven’t heard anything.  They will ask about that the next meeting<br>
 +
Referendum: failed.  (increase of $3 to grad fees to fund GSS events). HKM feels like it will pass eventually.  It was a close vote.
 +
 
 +
<br><br>
  
 
4) '''Grad Symposium Recap''' (Karolina – Grad Symposium Committee) <br>
 
4) '''Grad Symposium Recap''' (Karolina – Grad Symposium Committee) <br>
60-70 people in morning and afternoon, good faculty turnout, everything budgeted for well<br><br>
+
We got our full budget for next year.  Bumped budget back up, but not without concessions.  One block of talks next year devoted to potential graduate student collaborators.  If you DON’T advertise on listserv, they won’t reimburse you.  What happened this year was that the GSS person in charge of approving emails was on vacation this year.  <br>
 +
 
 +
<br><br>
  
5) '''Grad Invited Speaker''' (Bill / Chris)<br>
+
5) '''Faculty Update''' (Manette - Faculty rep)<br>
-This year – Alan Lemon, April 26-28th.<br>
+
What’s happening with faculty hire: Bill Anderegg said no. We don’t know if there’s an official offer letter to Morgan Tingley. Everyone seems hopeful that he will be accepting and will be here. There’s a lot of deliberation going on about what direction to go in wrt new hires.  Will we be able to hire in the future, and if so, how will it work?  2 retirements coming up (Colwell, Silander) and dean has told us that we can’t do replacement hires, so they won’t be replaced, but we may get more people in the global change cluster hire. A lot of discussions about our space crisis and how to accommodate new faculty members with the current space considerations. <br><br>
-Chris O. organizing Alan’s stay. He asked for EEB GSA to get behind him in stirring up interest in the graduate body. Maybe volleyball and Brewpub after his talk on Wednesday.<br>
+
-Additionally, the position of Graduate Invited Speaker Coordinator needs to be filled, as we need to organize next year’s speaker. No volunteers, position still vacant.<br><br>
+
 
 
6) '''Suggestions for ways to get the GSA more involved''' (Bill)<br>
 
-Involvement in Bioblitz?<br>
 
-Friday soup / Friday beer?<br>
 
-Snacks before Thursday seminar – this also serves to attract more grad attendance to the seminar (a recent issue of concern for faculty; see below). <br><br>
 
  
7) '''Other'''<br>
+
6) '''Officer Elections'''<br>
Eric Schultz contacted Bill and addressed the fact that faculty are disappointed in grad student turnout for seminar. <br>
+
Need: president; secretary.  (BZ is rerunning for treasurer: uncontested)
Ways to improve attendance: <br>
+
Nora Mitchell is new secretary. President - ? Send out email asking for nominations for president, then send out an email vote. 
-1st year have to take this seminar for credit? <br>
+
<br><br>
-Lab PIs should restate the importance of going (mandatory)?<br>
+
 
-Grads such encourage lab mates to attend?<br>
+
7) '''Fundraising Idea''' (Alyssa Borowske)<br>
-Seminar snack – graduate students in the hosting lab will bring snacks and coffee to the (grad lounge/bamford/collections library) before seminar. This will start next week with Alan Lemmon. <br><br>
+
Sock factory in VT (Alyssa B) Sock factory- “best field socks I’ve ever had” (AB) we can get them for $2/pair.  Even if we sold them for $5/pair, will make a profit.  They are 2nds, but military socks.  Have a box of socks in AB’s parents’ house.  Possibility for fundraising.  <br><br>
 +
 
 +
8) '''Green Grads Meeting Next Week''' (Hayley - GG president)<br>
 +
Check website/ask Hayley for details. <br><br>
 +
 
 +
9) '''Other''' <br>
 +
Dustin & Nora proposed idea: grad student handbook is really old; need to get together with beer, pizza, and editing.  Kent Holsinger wants to make a departmental standard.  Those requirements should be on the websites. Maybe wait until fall for updated departmental requirements?  Or just edit most important sections. <br><br>
 +
 
 +
 
  
Meeting started at 5:30.<br>
+
Meeting started at 5:18.<br>
Meeting ended at 6:25.<br>
+
Meeting ended at 5:52.<br>
Minutes by Elizabeth Timpe <br>
+
Minutes by Jessie Rack <br>
  
 
[[Category:GSA Minutes]]
 
[[Category:GSA Minutes]]

Revision as of 22:06, 18 April 2013

EEB GSA Meeting – 21 April 2011

Attendees: Alyssa Borowske, Veronica Bueno, Lauren Jones, Karolina Fucikova, Brigette Zacharchzenko, Alex DeFrancesco, James Mickley, Maria Pickering, Kathryn Theiss, Chris Owen, Elizabeth Timpe

AGENDA:

1) EEB GSA Constitution (Kasey – President)
Unanimous vote to resubmit current constitution.

2) T-shirts
T-shirts etc., in Glastonbury. KP submitted order. Waiting for confirmation from company. BZ needs confirmation on actual cost. We will order a few extras for folks who missed out. Contact BZ if want to order.

3) Updates from GSS (Michael/Hayley- GSS reps)
Someone from GSS who goes to faculty council talked to HKM about work study. He talked to graduate faculty council. They got “riled up” and there are rumors that administration might back off of that. Possible that depts might not have to pay as much. General feel that administration have been making a lot of financial decisions that affect grad students without asking...may pass a resolution that they can’t do that. WHAT ABOUT REC CENTER. Not a huge outcry about massive increase in grad fees to pay for rec center. Increase would start in 2016. BUT it’s a 30-yr increase. Building costs millions of dollars. We then have to pay back loan. Fees collected are 3x cost of building. HKM says they sound amenable to working with graduate students. Consensus among EEB GSA: more than we would want to pay. They SHOULD attempt to mitigate costs to grads.
MS(faculty rep): rumor from faculty meeting: provost might take % of work study depts owe down to 5% from 20%. Kentwood Wells has not heard anything official at this time. Graduate faculty sounds like they’re on our side. All graduate students are getting a raise next year: cost of living adjustment. 4 or 6%. Work study will be announced (?) 5/1 for grads.
KP: Any talk about parking being priced for next year? Plan was tentative as of last meeting KP attended. HKM and MH haven’t heard anything. They will ask about that the next meeting
Referendum: failed. (increase of $3 to grad fees to fund GSS events). HKM feels like it will pass eventually. It was a close vote.



4) Grad Symposium Recap (Karolina – Grad Symposium Committee)
We got our full budget for next year. Bumped budget back up, but not without concessions. One block of talks next year devoted to potential graduate student collaborators. If you DON’T advertise on listserv, they won’t reimburse you. What happened this year was that the GSS person in charge of approving emails was on vacation this year.



5) Faculty Update (Manette - Faculty rep)
What’s happening with faculty hire: Bill Anderegg said no. We don’t know if there’s an official offer letter to Morgan Tingley. Everyone seems hopeful that he will be accepting and will be here. There’s a lot of deliberation going on about what direction to go in wrt new hires. Will we be able to hire in the future, and if so, how will it work? 2 retirements coming up (Colwell, Silander) and dean has told us that we can’t do replacement hires, so they won’t be replaced, but we may get more people in the global change cluster hire. A lot of discussions about our space crisis and how to accommodate new faculty members with the current space considerations.


6) Officer Elections
Need: president; secretary. (BZ is rerunning for treasurer: uncontested) Nora Mitchell is new secretary. President - ? Send out email asking for nominations for president, then send out an email vote.

7) Fundraising Idea (Alyssa Borowske)
Sock factory in VT (Alyssa B) Sock factory- “best field socks I’ve ever had” (AB) we can get them for $2/pair. Even if we sold them for $5/pair, will make a profit. They are 2nds, but military socks. Have a box of socks in AB’s parents’ house. Possibility for fundraising.

8) Green Grads Meeting Next Week (Hayley - GG president)
Check website/ask Hayley for details.

9) Other
Dustin & Nora proposed idea: grad student handbook is really old; need to get together with beer, pizza, and editing. Kent Holsinger wants to make a departmental standard. Those requirements should be on the websites. Maybe wait until fall for updated departmental requirements? Or just edit most important sections.


Meeting started at 5:18.
Meeting ended at 5:52.
Minutes by Jessie Rack