GSA Meeting
Agenda
- Teresa Betts corrections to minutes: Nick Konidaris suggests Teresa make adjustments and submit them for approval. Teresa Betts motions to make adjustments to minutes and then circulate for approval, 17 approval, 0 opposed, 0 abstentions
- No new reps
- CPB rep not here to be confirmed
- Pandemic Planning Meeting (Nick Addelman): Still at Phase 3. Most of the meeting was on how we are copying the UC Davis plan with a very changes to make it appropriate for UCSC. Will farm out sections to departments. Committee head is resigning, might be disoriented
- TAPS Committee (Firas Khatib & Lucas Cantin): New ZIP car program. Can rent cars for short term, $8/hr. TheyÕre going to expand the campus: problems signs (i.e., how do you find the womenÕs center), flow with infrastructure (i.e., peds vs. cars). Meeting in a month, if grads have issues they can address them then. 20% Bio-diesel public transport and a couple of natural gas bike shuttles. Chelsey Juarez suggests that we set up a TAPS interest committee after todayÕs meeting to discuss things (especially since their budget is coming up). Insurance? TAPS only pays extended warranty, but weÕre suppose to have good coverage now.
- Committee on Teaching (Carly Friedman): Want to make changes on grad student instructors. Suggesting new grads have a faculty mentor. In the general school year, they want to make it that weÕd need special approval for classes that are big enough to need TAÕs. For grad students that want to be instructors they would need special approval if they want to have a TA for a large classÉ Chelsey Juarez questions, ÓIsnÕt this policy already in place?Ó TheyÕre planning a symposium in February on teaching, they want a grad to be one of the 3 presenters (someone who has a lot to input on being a TA). Email cfried@ucsc.edu. Nick suggests maybe GSA should make a formal statement about the special approval of classes. Teresa Betts proposes to work with Carly Friendman to draft a resolution by Tuesday. Nick Konidaris says itÕs not clear we can come up with a solution for this in one night. Carly Friedman says itÕs not clear that next Tuesday would have any impact because theyÕre going to send out an email tonight: last chance to make a comment. Teresa Betts says they can still make a statement about this, despite not having input into the email that goes out tonight. Nick says itÕs not logical that grads should need special approval to teach large classes. Making this requirement just creates more obstacles. Firas Khatib (via Chelsey Juarez) motions that we say in a unified voice that we are against placing the cap and Carly Friedman would write this and send it out tonight. 13 in favor, 1 opposed, 2 abstaining, Motion Passes.
- Social Committee (Chelsey Juarez for Kelly (not present)): GSA party this quarter, Dec 7th. The Halloween Dance thing will be next quarter
- Money for webmaster, Chris France. Teresa says the money will come from rollover. Nick adds that this is a lot of necessary work because the website is a mess and Chris France had to fix it from the ground up. Motion by Teresa Betts to pay Chris France $300 for the webmaster, 2nd, discussion that Chris France is in the process and will be paid upon the completion. Chris France only requested $100, but committee reps decided that wasnÕt enough and we should pay him more. 17 in favor, 0 opposed, 0 abstentions. Motion approved.
– Chris France is open for input, email him. There are 2 new Google Calendars: GSA Events and UCSC Social events. In the future there will be links to embed ICal and RSS feeds. Kirsten Howely asks the reps to email us with their committee meetings and events (email kirsten@ucolick.org or chris@physics.ucsc.edu). One rep asks about the committees, info is not updated. Chris France referes rep to Nick Reynolds.
- It would be nice if we could have a more professional email for people to email concerns. He says it would be nice to have some rules set up: how often the password is changed, who has access, etc. UCSC email addresses are free. Nicks Konidaris asks someone to motion for the email address GSA_GSHIP@ucsc.edu. Teresa motions, motion is 2nd. Motion for the email address: 17 in favor, 0 opposed, 0 abstentions. Teresa Betts asks if Nick Konidaris will train someone to take his position for when he leaves. Nick Konidaris says we should add someone now. Chelsey Juarez says itÕs appropriate that Nick Konidaris bring this to the council since peopleÕs medical history will be communicated via email
- UCSA meeting here. One thing that came out of the Grad Prof committee is post cards with a place for students to write their name, email, address, comments. Nick Reynolds sent out an email suggesting grads write about their financial aid story. This is important because the budget is coming up. The finance committee approved the preliminary budget for $70.5 million by either additional funds from the state or fee increase.
- Voter registration drive. In January there is going to be a week of action drive. If youÕre interested in doing voter registration talk to Teresa Betts
- SOCC: Chelsey Juarez thanks GSA and reps who asked their dept for money for this event. It was at capacity. A lot of successful workshops came out of that: Chelsey Juarez will type up the results from these workshops and give them to the webmaster to post on the GSA website. We had a party afterwards with a lot of other UC students and a great time for networking. We got a lot of positive feedback about the party.
- The University Diversity Dinner (Nov 28th) is coming up and the deadline to RSVP is tomorrow. We will meet before (4:30-5:30) hand to organize our thoughts (using results from SOCC as a springboard) and then discuss them (5:30-7) with Chancellor Blumental, Dean Sloan, etc over dinner. WeÕve had 50 RSVPs and weÕd like to increase that number to 80. You only need to be interested in increasing diversity at UCSC to attend. FRIDAY IS THE LAST DAY TO RSVP.
- Chelsey Juarez has received multiple calls about the LRDP from the Sentinel and Student Affairs. Chelsey Juarez told them she has not had a chance to talk to the GSA and doesnÕt have enough information. Chelsey Juarez asks if we want to have a productive Town Hall meeting. Rep asks about what came of the Tent University? Chelsey Juarez says Berra wrote the ÒProtest Response ReportÓ. Chelsy asks if want to have a Town Hall meeting on LRDP? Teresa Betts says sheÕd like to motion for this provided we can get better representation (i.e. ALMA and more of the people involved in asking the questions) and have a town hall meeting in a timely fashion to discuss LRDP and people in the trees. Firas Khatib suggests we have this discussion during a GSA meeting, Chelsey Juarez says there wonÕt be enough time for this at a meeting. Teresa BettÕs motion seconded. Discussion: what will be accomplished during this town hall meeting? Who would be allowed to Town Hall Meeting? Chelsey Juarez says grads and the people we invite. Matt Corales asks if there are any grad students in their group? This is unknown. Some buildings were locked down because of the protest, and this affects grad students. Firas KhatibÕs (BME) department is unhappy about the lockdown. Rep asks what is the goal of the Town Hall Meeting? Chelsey Juarez says (from what she hears from the group) itÕs a chance to talk about grad student issues surrounding this event, and a chance for her to be better informed to communicate to people calling her for a comment. Teresa says sheÕs concerned that things should not be said in the name of the GSA since it may not be representative of everyone. Firas Khatib asks if there will be a representative from the protestors? Nick Konidaris says if we have someone from the protestors we need to communicate that to the administration, but we shouldnÕt have one because it will be hard to do this in a timely fashion. Teresa Betts agrees with Nick Konidaris and that we shouldnÕt have representation from the protestors. Nick Addleman points out that this is not a discussion to reconcile this protest but to address the issues of grad students. Protestors have pamplets and website if we want more information from them. On the motion on having a closed Town Hall Meeting (grad students and invited guests), 12 in favor, 1 opposed, 3 abstentions.
- Chelsey Juarez will send out information about sending Bob Hastings an email that only affects the Fall quarter about dispersing money in smaller quantities over the fall quarter. Chelsey Juarez will circulate the idea and weÕll discuss this next meeting. Reps should get input from their department so we can discuss this next meeting.
- Carlo Moreno from the Columbian Research Cluster. Group of grad students who do research on the displacement problems in Columbia. They have put together a speaker series with the theme ÒUS intervention in ColumbiaÓ ... and their affects on the community. They have gone around to their departments requesting monies. Carlo is asking the GSA for $200 to fund this series. The money will be used to fly speakers in, food at the events and setup costs. Event is open to all grad students. This is completely run by grad students. Kirsten asks that Carlo emails dates to GSA to put on calendar. They have one more speaker scheduled this quarter and one for next quarter. So far theyÕve gotten monies from Anthropology, Enviromental Studies, Politics, DANM, but have exhausted these resources. Firas Khatib motions that we give him the money, seconded, 14 in favor, 0 oppositions, 1 abstention. Motion approved. Carlo MorenoÕs Email: crmoreno@ucsc.edu