Graduate and Professional Student Council
Meeting
of September 7, 2004
Mississippi
Room, Student Center, 7:00 PM
Meeting
Minutes
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM
Dan Hechenberger (Curriculum and Instruction), Will Gillespie (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Sandip Dutta (Economics), Keith Russell (English), Michelle Ngan (Food and Nutrition), Matthew Borowicz (History), Branden McCullough (History), Mike Nguyen (Linguistics), Elizabeth Janssen (Linguistics), Aurora Strick (Theatre), Evan Smith (Cinema and Photography), Ben Glavs (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), Anil Mehta (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Kenny Ruzicka (Forestry), Abdel Mounaim Lahrech (Economics), Erin Logan (English), David Leitner (English).
E. Waltmire moved to add an Introduction of Student Trustee as (D) under the officer reports. M. Borowicz moved and A. Strick seconded the approval of the amended agenda. The agenda was approved without objection.
M. Borowicz moved and A. Strick seconded the approval of the minutes. The minutes were approved without objection.
1. Admissions Study and Recommendation Committee: The Committee on Undergraduate Admissions reviewed and endorsed a resolution recommending that no changes be made to the admission policy without additional attention on the issue of recruitment and retention. The committee specifically endorsed a proposed change but cautioned against the use of a specific matrix that categorically denied applicants. The committee asked that several variables be used in course of reviews including ACT and SAT scores, high school GPA, improvements in high school GPA from year to year, letters of recommendation, participation in extracurricular activities, any extenuating circumstances. The committee also recommended the Office of Undergraduate Admissions be the offices responsible for reviewing applicants that do not meet the admissions standards. The committee requested the Provost provide periodic updates to the Faculty Senate on undergraduate admissions with at least one annual report. The committee also recommended students not meeting the university standards, unsuccessful in appeal, be allowed the option to take a summer admit course. Successful completion of the course would permit their admission. The committee recommended changes not be made unless Chancellor commits at least 1 million dollars to recruitment, retention, and assisting those students admitted below the standard.
2. Student Center Board: The board met today. The University Bookstore’s sales were up. The Student Center eliminated the photo processing service at Information Station. The Student Center is considering the addition of a DVD rental machine. A Starbucks Coffee store was moved into the Student Center this past summer. McDonalds’ sales were up over summer, hitting record highs. There were restroom upgrades, remodeling in the Renaissance room, increased sales through Ticketmaster, and increased use of debit dawg accounts. Saluki Express now provides service to Murphysboro. The Bookstore did not make a profit last year, but sales of used textbook have increased and they are optimistic about a profitable year.
3. Chief of Police Interviews: Steve Odum is now Chief of Police in Carbondale.
4. Director of Public Safety Interviews: Tom Ziegler was appointed Director of Public Safety.
5. Director of Public Policy Institute Interviews: Interviews
are completed. The committee met today
to send recommendations forward to the public policy institute for work and
those recommendations would be pasted on to the Chancellor. A new director of the public policy
institute might be announced within the next month.
B. Vice President of Administrative Affairs: Eric Waltmire
1. E. Waltmire welcomed new and returning representatives to the Council. E. Waltmire gave the Council and overview of the purpose and history of the Fee Allocation Board (FAB). He stated that it had been the practice of the 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.
2. Liquor Advisory Board: The Liquor Advisory Board recommended denial of Wal-mart’s application of a packaged liquor license because there were no liquor licenses available under the cap. The Carbondale Liquor Control Commission subsequently denied Wal-mart’s application. The Board recommended approval of a restaurant liquor license for Casual Dining of Carbondale, LLC d/b/a Houlihan’s Restaurant and Three Paesano Restruant d/b/a Alongi’s, soon to open in Carbondale.
C. Vice President of Graduate School Affairs: Angela St. Paul
1. The Fall Welcome Back Bash/Luncheon, which occurred on the Thursday prior to the beginning of the semester from 11 to 2 p.m. outside Lawson Hall, was a success, with a turnout of about 400 students. GPSC had budgeted $4000 for the event, and its actual cost totaled about $2500. Many graduate students attended the event, which occurred during the graduate assistant training workshop. Cups and meeting information were distributed, and students got to meet other graduate students.
2. Nostram Bucinam Canimus Conference: This is the second annual conference. GPSC is sending out flyers to all graduate departments at SIUC, SIUE and medical school. There is no registration or submission fee. The target presenters are SIU students who have already or are planning to present papers nationally. The deadline for submissions is November 1, 2004. A. St. Paul sent around a sign-up sheet for those interested in helping on conference committees.
3. Library Addition Groundbreaking: A. St. Paul attended the event and met the governor.
4. A. St. Paul attended the Graduate Council meeting, where discussion included the fact that the enrollment of graduate students is down due to visa issues and decreased 601 registration due to the zero balance restriction. They also talked about research and development for the school. SIU broke the top 100 with 52 million dollars in development, which is one of the goals for Southern at 150. Another item on the agenda was the possibility of increasing graduate assistantship pay, which are far less, for example, than the National Science Foundation grant of 12 fellowships at $30000 a year. The Council is looking at how graduate assistantships can be increased and become more competitive.
D. Introduction of Student Trustee: Ed Ford
1. E. Ford discussed the role on the Board of Trustees, his own role as intermediary between Board and students.
VI.
Old Business There was no old business.
VII.
New Business
M. Borowicz, K. Menken, A. Mounaim Lahrech and B. Glavs were nominated as GSPC representatives to the Graduate Council. D. Hechenberger moved and seconded by A. Mehta the election of those representatives. The motion was approved by acclimation.
This committee meets with the GPSC officers before the GPSC meetings to set the agenda for the meetings. S. Dutta, D. Hechenberger and T. Smith were nominated. M. Borowicz moved and K. Menken seconded the election of those representatives. The motion was approved by acclimation.
The Board of Trustees did approve extending university benefits to the domestic partners of employees. Graduate assistants are not considered employees for this purpose. GPSC discuss whether domestic partner benefits should be extended to students as well, specifically with regard to providing primary, not extended care, health benefits for a fee. Coverage for children is not part of this proposal. The matter was discussed, concluding with the need for representatives to discuss this further with their constituents. Amy offered to bring the Board of Trustees domestic partners policy to the next meeting.
Amy stated that the constitution needs revision, particularly in the area of compensation to the officers. At issue is the problem of summer enrollment requirements, department funding limits, and law school rules, which prevent law students from receiving tuition waivers and assistantships, all which have caused problems for GPSC. The graduate school and departments can potentially influence GPSC by limiting who can receive tuition waivers. E. Waltmire suggested assistantships for officers be eliminated in order to circumvent these problems. E. Waltmire did not suggest increasing the current stipend. A suggestion was made that a scholarship be set up, but the initial fees to start up an endowment and the way accounts have been set up make this problematic. Another issue is whether law students be allowed to serve a V.P. of Graduate Affairs or represent GPSC on the Graduate Council, the GPSC constitution currently forbids this. Last year the Graduate Council voted to grant the Law School representation on the Council. The issue will be discussed more at a future meeting.
A. Sileven asked all the members to fill committee interest forms. She also offered clarification about the duties of various committees.
M. Ngan moved and E. Logan seconded a motion to continue the practice of having food at GPSC meetings. E. Waltmire opposed the motion, noting that the cost averaged $100 to $175 per meeting. He indicated student’s activity fees pay for this food expense, and it is therefore inappropriate for GPSC to use the money to feed itself. Amy noted that at the end of last year there was over $40,000 left in the budget. E. Waltmire again noted that this is more of a philosophical opposition than one based on budget; this was further emphasized by other members. E. Logan noted that departments hold luncheons, which are also funded by student fees, and several other members pointed out that the meeting time is during dinnertime, and that food for members is not unreasonable. The motion passed with 13 for and 7 opposed.
VIII.
Roundtable Discussion-None
IX.
Announcements:
Amy offered attendance incentives to members who attend 6 or 7 meetings this semester. Those who attend 13 or 14 will also receive something. Active participants who bring reports from committees will also receive gifts, and door prizes will be given at the end of each meeting. Door prizes were awarded to two members.
X.
Adjournment
A motion to adjourn was made and seconded. The meeting adjourned at 8:46 p.m. The next GPSC meeting will occur on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 at 7 p.m. in the Mississippi Room of the Student Center.