Graduate & Professional Student Council

Meeting of July 27, 2004

GPSC Conference Room at 7:00pm

Minutes

 

I.                   Call to Order

A.     The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm. 

 

II.                Roll Call

 

III.             Approval of the Agenda

A.     G. Hardy moved and K. Blasingame seconded that approval of the agenda. The agenda was approved without objection.

 

IV.              Approval of the July 27, 2004 Minutes

A.     A question of spelling a representative’s name was raised and resolved. The minutes were approved as amended. E. Waltmire moved and E. Jurgens seconded the approval of the minutes from July 13, 2004.

 

V.                 V. Officer Reports

A.     A. President: Amy Sileven         

1.      Committee Reports

a.       Admissions Study & Recommendation Committee: Amy reported the Admissions Study & Recommendation Committee met for the second time at the request of the Chancellor and discussed the Faculty Senate resolution to raise ACT admission scores to 22 and the resulting ramifications.  The committee discussed the admissions process, the admission denial appeal process, among other issues. The committee will meet again next week.

b.      Student Appeals Committee: The Student Appeals committee heard a case and recommend the appeal be allowed and the student be granted a hearing.

c.       Student Health Building: Amy attended the Official Groundbreaking Ceremony on the new student health building.

d.      Chief of Police Interviews: Amy attended candidate interviews to fill the vacant Carbondale Chief of Police position.

e.       Director of Public Safety: Amy attended two open session candidate interviews to fill the vacant SIU Director of Public Safety position.  She will also attend a third session tomorrow.

f.        Director of Public Policy Institute: Amy attended candidate interviews to fill the vacant Director of Public Policy position. 

g.       Naming Campus Facilities Committee:  The matter of naming the Public Policy Institute was presented to the chairman for the committee’s consideration.  The Chair sent a recommendation to the Chancellor indicating the Chair did not think it was within the Committee’s purview to consider the issue.  The Committee did not have guideline to for naming the Public Policy Institute because it is not a facility.

h.       Week of Welcome:  GPSC has been invited to participate in WOW (Week of Welcome).  GPSC had the option of paying New Student Programs some unspecified amount of money to put GPSC inserts in their welcome bags. GPSC voted against allocating money for this purpose because most welcome bags go to undergraduate freshman. 

B.     Vice President of Administrative Affairs: Eric Waltmire

1.      Demonstration Policy: The Demonstration Policy Review Committee met yesterday. E. Waltmire reported that the key issue was whether the Policy should require demonstrators to (1) notify the university of their intent to demonstrate on campus at least 24 hours prior to the demonstration; or (2) obtain the university’s approval at least 24 hours prior to a demonstration.  E. Waltmire stated it appeared as though the committee was in favor of notice only, not approval. Vice Chancellor Dietz suggested that a sub-committee be formed to draft the specific language of the policy.  This language would then be brought back to the full committee for its consideration. The sub-committee’s draft language would likely influence the decision of the next full committee meeting, which occurs on August 9, 2004.  E. Waltmire also stated that there was discussion of creating another free forum area in front of the library. He indicated the VC Dietz thought the sub-committee would have a written policy draft available to the full committee before the Aug. 9th meeting. Currently there are no meetings scheduled after Aug. 9th.  Future meetings will be scheduled by the committee if needed.

C.     Vice President of Graduate School Affairs: Angela St. Paul

1.      Fall Welcome: A. St. Paul informed the Council that she had been planning a Welcome activity and had been contacting various Graduate Depts.  She informed the Council the budget for the Fall Welcome had been increased to include the stadium cup costs. 600 people are expected at the Welcome activity.

2.      Affirmative Action Committee: A. St. Paul attended the Affirmative Action Committee meeting and stated that they discussed procedural issues relating to when a complaint should be filed and whether there should be limitation on time within which a complaint under the anti-discrimination policies of the university.  Also discussed in the committee was whether the university should be required to respond to a complaint within a certain time period. Seymour Bryson set the next meeting for September.  A. St. Paul asked the Council for input on diversity as a possible topic for the GPSC conference.

 

VI.              Old Business.

A.     Fall Welcome Budget: A. St. Paul presented a budget for the Welcome activity at about $4000.  Food-$1200,  Soda- $600, WIDB $100. Flyer printing $150. Cup promotion $1400 (50 cents or less per cup). The council totaled the revisions to 4000. Amy stated last year’s Welcome activity totaled about $2500. E. Ford asked why we were ordering so many cups. Amy again said that they would be handed out all semester, not just at the Welcome. A. St. Paul also noted that they would be hand out at the pre-semester workshops. Amy also raised the question of purchasing other items as an attendance incentive for GPSC representatives. E. Waltmire stated that this was not a good idea, as representatives would not merely attend for a simple reward and that it would only be given to those people that normally attended anyway. The question of food at meetings was also raised. Amy said it might be a good idea to have food at the first meeting. E. Ford stated that food never worked last year as an incentive. Amy stated that she is not opposed to food at the first meeting and that the Council could vote on whether to continue to have food at meeting during the semester. E. Waltmire stated that food was inappropriate and nobody should be coming to meetings for the food or for an award.  A GPSC representative added that food would be a good idea because sometimes he missed meals and liked to have a meal at meetings and that could make things more fun. Amy said that the budget could support food. One Council member stated that sometimes long GPSC meetings would be better if there was food available. Amy requested a motion on having food at the first meeting. E. Waltmire noted that there needed to be a motion on the Welcome activity budget first. K.Blasingame moved to approve the budget of $4000 dollars and G. Hardy seconded the motion. The budget of $4000 was passed. None opposed. The issue of having food at the first meeting was moved by G.Hardy and seconded by E.Jurgens. The motion passed. One opposed.

 

VII.            New Business:

A.     GPSC Event Funding: E. Waltmire gave an overview of the fee allocation board’s method of operation last year. He stated that it had been the practice of the Fee Allocation Board (FAB) to fund events that appealed to graduate and professional student interests and occurred on or near campus.  The FAB attempted to allocate the  Activity Fee money to those events, which engaged a large number of graduate and professional students or those events that were of particular interest to graduate and professional students. He said the FAB did not fund food or door-prizes.  E. Waltmire will inform the Council again about his topic in the fall. Amy said that guidelines were in place to help the Fee Allocation Board carry out its duties. Eric added that representatives could contact him vie email if they had questions or concerns regarding the FAB or the funding process.

B.     Conference Funding: A. St. Paul. requested permission for funding in the amount of $500 for DE advertisements for the GPSC conference. E. Ford questioned if there is even going to be a conference.  Amy stated issue whether or not there would be a conference was not up for debate, there will be a conference, and there was a need for conference DE advertisements.  A. St. Paul. added that her budget request was for several ads of different sizes during the beginning of the semester.  E. Ford asked if this was to increase membership. Amy and A. St. Paul assured him that this was indeed a way to increase membership. K. Blasingame moved to approve the $650 dollars and seconded by E. Jurgens. The motion was passed.

 

VIII.         Roundtable Discussion : None.

 

IX.              Announcements: None.

 

X.                 Adjournment

E. Waltmire moved and K. Blasingame seconded a motion to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 8:10 pm. The next meeting is scheduled for Sep 7, 2004 in the Mississippi Room of the Student Center.