Funding Proposal: Representatives from the German department and the History department requested $1775 for the fifth annual German department graduate conference, titled "Crossing Borders." Discussion centered around the request of $1800 for the category of travel grants to presenters. A motion was made to delay further discussion until January, when the conference organizers will be better able to judge how much money they will need for travel grants. Another motion was made to fund the conference at $900 on the condition that the organizers request more funding from other sources, especially the History department and other UVA departments with Germanists; and that the organizers return next semester with an estimate of necessary travel grant funding based on accepted proposals. This motion was seconded and carried.
President's Report: Julie Theoret (Math), President, reported that NAGPS information is on reserve in Alderman and Clark libraries.
Ann Stinehart is working on the Funding Request Form on the web.
Suggested dates to invite the tax speaker are February 3rd and 11th at 6pm.
Grad Night, the informational meeting for undergraduates, has been moved to November 12th; Julie asked for and got two more volunteers to participate.
Julie has a meeting with Sajeena Gevarghese, Student Council President, to work on the day care project. Discussion of ways to foster better day care at the University included the fact that the Women's Center maintains a list of babysitters, that the University's existing day care facility is overbooked, that reimbursement might be a good system of support, and that some institutions provide low-cost day care through their Psychology (i.e. child development) or day care certification programs.
The following additions to the Funding Request Form were suggested and adopted: 1) an in-depth follow-up report from the the organizers of projects we've funded; 2) the total budget of the project as well as the total amount requested from Grad Council; and 3) all requested, received, and pending funds from other sources.
Amy Campbell, grad rep to Student Council, will send us a message to be distributed to our departments concerning her correct e-mail address.
We'll organize the inter-departmental Bar Night for December 3rd, emphasizing publicity via e-mail and flyers.
Kathy Nixon reported that she is in the process of assembling the Publishing Forum. She asked that anyone interested in helping her on the committee e-mail her or Julie. Decisions to be made include the date, the format, and whether to invite representatives from nearby journals only.
The Orientation Committee asked that suggestions for improving graduate orientation be sent to Oliver Wilcox (Govt. and Foreign Affairs).
The Salary Survey Committee reported that it has had one meeting and formulated a preliminary draft of a survey. A final draft of the survey will be e-mailed to Grad Council representatives by the end of November or the beginning of December; if changes are needed they can be made by hand. The Committee decided that the best way to conduct the survey would be to have representatives contact their own department; departments without representation will be assigned. If any representative should wish not to survey their own department, they can decline to do so.
Other Business: Tiffany Gagliardi reported that when President Casteen came and spoke to the Student Council, both he and his assistant, Amy Cronin, expressed their support for an increase in TA salaries. Tiffany will meet with Amy Cronin sometime near the third week in January; if any of the representatives would like to accompany her, e-mail Tiffany.