Minutes from meeting of
January 28, 2002

Visitors

Lori Nicolaysen, Career Services (funding request)
• four career panels for non-academic career options for MA/PhDs
• requesting $505.21 to assist in funding these panels
• there has been some budget cuts and they are seeking an extra $1000 as a sponsorship that will help offset the revenue shortfall
• Possible upcoming speakers: authors of "So What Are You Going to Do with That?"
Graduate Labor Action
• classified staff is looking to unionize
• problem with VA being a right-to-work state which bars collective bargaining
• classified staff may be affiliating with Communications Workers of America (CWA)
• CWA is very interested in workers in VA, particularly employees of UVa
• no guarantee that we would go with CWA
• had an initial meeting
• what might happen: probably won't see immediate action like at say NYU, probably a smaller group will begin the process
• GSC could endorse or remain neutral
• what can the union do for us given that we cannot collectively bargain; the union can organize so that it can claim to speak for a percentage of the population; media attention/ campaign; PR team & legal assistance
• CWA is interested in us so they can increase their power in Richmond and work on achieving "meet & confer" status if not collectively bargain
• can help us connect to the greater community
• Should grad students unionize? Is it a logical thing to do?
• Do we go with CWA or someone else or who?
• What relationship should we have with GLA?
• Weds meeting, Cabell Hall 345, 5:30
• What about disparity of 'salaries' between departments? One of the resources that affiliation would give us would be research tools and expertise.
• Biosciences in sticky situation b/c they don't face the same problems as other departments in terms of benefits and pay, but there is a concern not to hurt themselves either. Shouldn't be too much of a problem b/c their money is federal funds and their standards are set by NIH.
• Equity is not the issue, but competitiveness with other universities
• What about grad students who are not funded? At Yale, they decided that grad students are a labor pool that can be drawn upon at any time.
• there may be no immediate return for us
• What have other universities gotten from unionizing?
• What about other universities in right-to-work states? UT-Austin?
• get the Union people down here to talk with us & convince us
Office of Orientation (7:30 pm)
• working on creating Handbook for Grad Students
• link to transfer student handbook
• fran@virginia.edu - email suggestions; office is on Poe Lane
• Possible funding of $1000

Secretary's Report

• Dec minutes approved

Treasurer's Report

• we have $8000

Honor Report

• possible amendment allowing kids to leave for 3 semesters including current if they admit guilt prior to going to trial was quashed by two votes

StudCo Report

• no rep

President's Report

Buildings and space: possible expansion of Newcomb Hall; firm investigating grad needs as well as student body at large; project has no money
• Blue Room? Still don't know where the room is - 3rd floor of Newcomb - go to far right; right of Newcomb Ballroom, could be formal lounge with the piano; what about Garrett Hall lounge?
• Trying to claim some space in the New New Cabell
• Encourage people to respond to the upcoming email survey
• South Lawn Project
Structural changes: change roles to Pres, VP, & Treasurer

Old Business

• SHIC: people are attending meetings, can't tell us anything due to confidentiality; balancing cost/ benefit; presenting both options of 1 & 2 tier plan
• Athletic department: Daryn spoke with someone in Athletics; wants to know how many grad students will be here during the summer; will try to figure out how much it costs to keep gyms open and then relation of those costs to per student; Looking for nice round number or free; working on gaining entrance to athletic events after coursework complete

Treasurer's Report

• everything is the same
• if we don't give out a large amount of money, even incl the orientation book, we will likely have $2K from this year and we still have $12K

Party: Thurs., Feb. 21st (9-2)

• ask Darden for costs of DJ & tips $500
• ask Bio Sci for $300 for gallery and tips
• $5 for two beers
• contact med school

New Business

• Faculty Senate Fellowships: post flyers in departments
• ITC Dial-in accounts: send letter, but to whom? can't get faculty senate to make a resolution; three people from ITC will meet students in Wilson 301 6:30 Feb. 7th; created TTSP fellowships, but then took away off-grounds access; Kelly proposes an email campaign or messenger mail

Departmental Concerns

• Josh - Astronomy Dept problem - 10 million grant to buy into large telescope project - problem with Native American tribes; previous problems with environmentalists concerned about red squirrel; San Carlos Apache Reservation; telescope site is on sacred site; Tribal Councils tend to be neutral, but the Apache Survival Coalition is pressing the issue. The San Carlos Apache say this group does not represent them. Their lawyer contacted StudCo to encourage StudCo to get the University to force the Astronomy Dept. to drop the project. Josh argues that the fact that an outside group can come in and force a dept to abandon a project sets a dangerous precedent for university research interests. Consult astro dept website for more info. Lawyer for the other side may come to us; misrepresent the facts; reports based on topography

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