September 14, 1999
Call to order: ~ 7:05 p.m.
Visitors:
Mazen I. Saah. Ph.D., Assistant Director for the Graduate Arts & Sciences Office of Career Planning and Placement. Mr. Saah replaces John Portmann. He plans on restructuring his office so that it supplement the academic job search.
Mr. Saah plans on contacting all GSAS departments via their chairmen and taking an advocacy role for helping graduate students find employment outside of academia. He asked for help in learning more about individual departments, and generally, he would like to get feedback from the GSC in his work. He also displayed a database of former professional students currently in school.
Introductions
A number of new representatives showed up at the meeting it would help to have a list of the names but I do not have it. Please feel free to add or correct the spelling of your name if you were at this meeting.
Chris Palma, President, HIC, Astronomy
Patrick McGuinn, Treasurer, Government and Foreign Affairs
Elena Murgu, Secretary, HIC, Physics
Todd Price, HIC, Spanish
Richard Pierce, Student Council Representative, Microbiology
Nicole Zehfuss, French Department
Joshua Kempner, Astronomy
Eric Smith, East Asian Studies
Mieka Brand, Anthropology
Jeryn Woodard, Art History
Secretary's Report
Elena Murgu replaces Chris Palma as GSC secretary.
Treasurer's Report
The treasurer, Patrick McGuinn, announced that we have approximately $6500 in funds for the semester. During his meeting with Dean Huskey he learned that our funds come from a $2 student activity fee. Patrick suggested that we ask for an increase in the student activity fee since a $2 fee per semester will not meet our funding needs in the future.
Discussion: Chris pointed out that in the past the sole purpose of the GSC was to distribute the fund from the student activity fee. Until last year, the GSC did not solicit the GSAS body. The GSC had a high budget last year due to the funds accumulated over the years. As a result, a number of proposals were funded. In order to continue funding and advocacy activities we would need to increase the student activity fee.
Nicole mentioned that we could consider the Student Council as a source of funding as well. It was agreed that it would be more constructive to ask people to apply directly for funds from the Student Council instead of asking the GSC seek funds from them.
Rich and Elena agreed that the student activity should be increased to $5. No final action/proposal was offered in regard to this point.
The social gathering for the incoming graduate students was considered a success. Dean Huskey secured the financing for this event. There was some money left from this event, and it was agreed that Patrick should bring this up with the Dean.
The question of what we may spend our funds on lead to the question of funding departmental events.
Chris, Patrick and Rich mentioned that in the past we have not funded honoraria, food and the like, in accordance with the Board of Visitors requirements for the Student Council funds. It is not clear whether these rules apply to our funds. Patrick agreed to clarify this issue.
As far as funding departmental events, the GSC agreed that our funds should be used primarily for funding interdisciplinary events.
Mieka mentioned that it would help to state this specifically in our funding applications. She also suggested indicating to possible applicant where they could find funds for departmental events.
Eric agreed that banning food requests is not a bad idea, Patrick suggested that we try to fund events which are not likely to be funded anywhere else.
Chris concluded this discussion by pointing out that indeed our rules are not clear enough, that the GSC is at a crossroad, and that we are forced to handle issues we have not encountered before.
President's Report
Chris Palma, President, gave an overview of past year's activities of the GSC. He pointed out that not until last year did the GSC become an advocacy graduate student body, and that he would like to see the Council concentrate on advocacy for graduate students from now on.
A. Health Insurance:
Discussion: Patrick brought up the close relationship between QualChoice and UVa as well as the fact that QC's current contract with UVa ends this coming year. He thinks the GSC should formally lobby for an open, competitive bidding of health care providers at UVa.
Eric suggested that we look into communicating with the Board of Visitors.
Discussion: Todd brought up the difficulties in getting the survey completed for a reasonable price and within an acceptable time with services from the Center for Research Survey. Jeryn indicated that an electronic survey is not likely to be constructive. Eric also mentioned the difficulties interdisciplinary programs have in receiving any type of funding. Chris suggested that the shorter the survey, the more responses we can expect, and that the priority at this point is getting the survey out as soon as possible.
B. GianLuca:
Chris gave a brief overview of the conflict GianLuca had with QualChoice after his child was born. He suggested writing a letter supporting him.
Discussion: Mieka pointed out the difficulties one encounters when using the University health service with a plan other than QualChoice. Patrick thinks we should write a letter that would open the bidding process for health insurance providers using the above case as an example. Eric suggested that unless we get the response we are looking for from the administrators we should go to delegates.
Patrick brought up the possibility of bringing this issue in front of the Student Council, and that we could talk to the Board of Visitors as well.
Chris agreed to write a letter in which the GSC supports GianLuca.
C. " Make a Difference Day"
Volunteers are needed to help plan this event which will consist of doing community work. Bill and Eric offered their help.
D. Graduate Student Research Exhibition
Chris suggested organizing an event at which people working on their dissertations could present their work. A panel consisting of faculty and graduate student judges would evaluate the presentations/poster and give monetary awards.
All supported this idea. Chris suggested April 2000 as a tentative date for this event. No further details were discussed at this time.
Honor, Judiciary, and Student Council Reports
Richard Pierce, the Student Council representative reminded people that they are welcome to inform him of any issues they wish to have brought in front of the Student Council. During their past meeting there was not discussion of issues relevant to the graduate student body.
Old Business
Enforcing the policy of requiring a report on how the GSC funds where spent of all groups that where approved funding by the GSC. Oliver brought up this issue the last meeting of the Spring 1999 semester.
Discussion: Patrick indicated the need of a report indicated when the funds were allocated, and how the money was spent. Rich suggested fixing a deadline date for reports based on the date of the event being funded. That lack of compliance with the request for a report should result in no future funding.
New/Other Business
Mieka pointed out that most GSC members are subscribed twice to the NAGPS mailing lists. Chris offered to try to figure out where and why the redundancy occurs.
As far as better dial-in connections are concerned, Nicole and Chris pointed out that faculty alone have not had any success in persuading the University officials to improve these, and thus it is unlikely that we would have any better success in this regard.
Department Concerns
Jeryn is organizing a Halloween party for the Art Department. She would like to extend an invitation to the entire graduate student body.
Meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.