posted
This week I had a meeting with Ann Wylie, Dean of the Graduate School. We talked about, among other things, reports of systematic abuses by departments that either implicitly or explicitly require their graduate employees to work far more than 20 hours a week on a regular basis. As you may or may not have heard, Dean Wylie herself is very concerned about this issue and has asked the Graduate Council to formulate a mechanism by which current University policy on this issue can be firmly restated to all departments and colleges. However, I asked her what could be done about departments and colleges known to be in violation of these protections against abuse. What teeth could we put into current policy? To that end, she has given me an open invitation to coordinate a group of graduate students to come see her under the condition of anonymity. If these students can soundly present to her where the problems are, she will personally meet with the relevant Deans and Dept. Chairs and impress upon them the seriousness of the situation. If you or your colleagues are in a work situation that routinely requires more than 20 hours a week, please see me after the meeting today.
The Executives will be hosting two focus groups on what form private housing developments should take in order to best suit possible graduate student tenants. These focus groups will be held on the 8th and 30th of November. We only just got the final confirmation on the focus group to be held this coming Monday and desperately need individuals willing to attend. The group will meet here in Stamp from 4 to 5:30 PM. If you would be willing to attend this session, I would greatly appreciate your help. Please see me after the meeting.
I want to take a min. to let you know where the Executive team is on accomplishing its strategic goals for the year:
We wanted to increase Voting Departmental Representative participation from by 75%. We did that by the first meeting of the year.
We wanted to conduct execute outreach programs to non-departmental graduate organizations. In the coming weeks I will be meeting with all the Presidents of all the registered graduate student organizations in an attempt to bring together the leadership of these groups to discuss the future of the Graduate School and to see in what ways the GSG can help these organizations accomplish their goals for this year. I expect that this will be a helpful collaboration. I will also, hopefully, be meeting with the GALOL leadership in the very near future.
We promised to fight to redirect funds collected from the graduate technology fee towards graduate-based technology initiatives. With the help of several administrators and dedicated graduate students from outside of the GSG, we have accomplished this goal. Right now, every college on campus as a Technology Advisory Committee on which graduate student representation is mandatory. A similar committee will soon be forming to oversee campus-wide technology initiatives.
We promised to fight to redirect funds collected from the graduate student union fee towards graduate-based initiatives. This past week, in consultation with Vice President Lopez, I appointed Susannah Berwager as our new Representative to the Union Advisory Board. I am confident that she will help us pursue programming initiatives that will benefit graduate students.
We promised to execute comprehensive evaluations of ongoing GSG projects to determine the viability of continuing these programs. We’ve done that in regard to Grad Pub with great success and have placed the evaluation of GRID in the hands of this Assembly.
We wanted to improve and develop public relations mechanisms for the GSG. Under the leadership of Vice President Foster, we have accomplished that goal. I know that the Communications Committee will be working hard to develop further improvements to our systems.
We wanted to secure a Graduate Beat Reporter at the Diamondback, and actively court a more positive and open relationship between the Diamondback and the GSG. Again, Vice President Foster has accomplished these goals on our behalf.
We wanted to implement the new GSG Plan of Organization. Thanks to Vice President Lopez, we have the first-ever functioning GSG Committee system. We have accomplished this goal as well.
As promised, we’ve held biweekly Executive Committee meetings without fails since July 7, we’ve published all available information on Executive compensation, we’ve made available detailed Executive time sheets so that you can keep tabs on what we’re doing on your behalf, we’ve appointed a GSG Presidential Advisor on Senate-Related Issues, we’ve met with representatives of the SGA and the Undergraduate Senators to build a more cooperative relationship, and thanks to the hard work of several Vice Presidents, particularly Vice President Grant, we’ve developed and executed an Assembly orientation program for the first time in anyone’s memory.
Our one outstanding goal for this year is the securing of ex officio seats on several Senate Committees. However, Vice President Lopez and I recently submitted letters and legislation to the Chairs of the relevant committees and the Chair of the Senate. We will be closely monitoring developments on this front.
Not what we’ve accomplished the bulk of our goals for this year, we’ll be meeting to develop a new goals for the spring semester and will have those to you as soon as we have them nailed down. If you have suggests for things you’d like us to tackle, please let me know.
Posts: 258 | I am: Graduate Student Government President | Registered: Oct 2001
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quote:We promised to fight to redirect funds collected from the graduate technology fee towards graduate-based technology initiatives. With the help of several administrators and dedicated graduate students from outside of the GSG, we have accomplished this goal. Right now, every college on campus as a Technology Advisory Committee on which graduate student representation is mandatory. A similar committee will soon be forming to oversee campus-wide technology initiatives.
Doc, is this really true?
The final version of the Implementation Plan for both School and College Tech Fee Advisory Committees (S/CTFACs) and the Campus TFAC (CTFAC) has not yet been issued, and the admins on the Tech Fee Working Group have not been too forthcoming about indicating how each School and College is doing what with regards to student input.
Maybe you guys have gotten some good information, but the Working Group certainly has not, even after repeated requests for information.
Posts: 578 | I am: PhD, CMLT | Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
To the best of my knowledge, this is an accurate reflection. I will, however, direct the staff to look into it just in case.
[ November 09, 2004, 10:01 AM: Message edited by: E. L. Doc Hunter ]
Posts: 258 | I am: Graduate Student Government President | Registered: Oct 2001
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I would bet that the schools and colleges have circumvented whatever directive the Provost gave them last spring, so it'll be great to check up!
Posts: 578 | I am: PhD, CMLT | Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
To add to Doc's prior posting about our success.
We did accomplish our goal of increasing attendance at GSG meetings at the first meeting. But more importantly we've been able to maintain high attendance (at least 30 reps at every GSG meeting, plus student group reps, execs and guests).
We saved Grad Pub, and are currently working on making it better. Our communications and social and sport committees will be working to create a special web page just for Grad Pub, advertising our social events, and coming up with new social and sport events to encourage graduate student interdepartmental socializing.
I'm really excited about the future of the GSG. We have some excellent committees working on some really important issues, and I think that Doc Hunter was definitely accurate in his prediction that 2004-05 will be the "Year of the Graduate Student".
Posts: 71 | I am: Senator | Registered: Nov 2001
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