Meeting Minutes

I. Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 7:05 pm.

II. Roll Call

Jing Katherine Wang (Accounting), Jon Pressley (Anthropology), Melissa Vandenberg (Art & Design), Chad Erpleding (Art & Design), Will Gillespie (Civil & Environmental Engineering), Sandip Dutta (Economics), Kenny Ruzicka (Forestry), Mike Boggs (History), Branden McCullough (History), Justin Bathon (Law), Gabe Greenspan (Linguistics), Elizabeth Janssen (Linguistics), Marinus van Kuilenburg (Political Science), Aurora Strick (Theatre), Christopher Green (Zoology), Travis Smith (Philosophy), Matthew Borowicz (History), Kevin Menken (Speech Communication), Ben Glaus (Biochem & Molecular Bio).

III. Approval of the Agenda

E. Waltmire moved to add the Fee Allocation Board funding recommendation for the Graduate Philosophy Student Union event to the first item under Old Business on the Agenda. M. Borowicz moved and S. Dutta seconded the approval the amended agenda. The agenda was approved without objections.

IV. Approval of Minutes

M. Vandenberg was added as present under the Roll Call for GPSC meeting minutes of October 5, 2004. M. Borowicz moved and E. Waltmire seconded the motion to approve the amended October 5, 2004 GPSC meeting minutes. The minutes were approved without objection.

V. Officer Reports

A. President: Amy Sileven

1. Library Affairs: B. McCullough attended the Library Affairs Committee Meeting and reported the main point of their meeting was to discuss the library’s groundbreaking ceremony. Also he mentioned the library’s cancellation of some print journals subscriptions related to such topics of mathematics, physics, geology and biology. Some of these journals are being eliminated due to library budget issues. B. McCullough stated that the hardcopies of those journals will not be available but he did not know whether they would available online. A. Sileven requested a list of those discontinued journals. Next B. McCullough stated the committee discussed the issue of library safety. Some on the committee indicated that library safety was not an issue. A. St. Paul said she spoke to Dean Carlson last Monday and relayed the concern that the layout of the library was a problem in that there are dark spaces and that there are insufficient staff to police the building. Suggested ideas for increase safety include open study areas, staff patrols of the building, and the use of securities cameras. They are planning for cabling for the possibilities of new security camera’s based upon incidents might occur. A. St. Paul stated some oppose the use of cameras based on privacy issues raised by their use. She also stated Todd Ziegler, Director of Public Safety, is active security discussions concerning the library renovation. There are no plans to provide constant staff on the upper floors, but it was suggested in committee that staff might be available during certain office hours during the day on certain floors. Saluki patrol occasionally patrols the library. Dean Carlson may attend the next GSPC meeting.

2. Student Health Advisory Board: The committee recommended proceeding forward as soon as possible in requesting domestic partners benefits be recognized under the primary care program.

3. Student Center Board: The board met and considered an amendment to its operating papers reducing the required number of meetings from once a month to twice a semester. The amendment will be voted on at their next meeting. The board also considered the possibility of changing pizza vendors in the student center.

4. Traffic and Parking Committee: The committee considered issues concerning parking restrictions on those who live on campus and have over night parking permits. GPSC members brought up two examples of students living on campus with overnight permits not being allowed to park in the 15 minute parking areas when they attempt to pick up equipment at the Communications Building. There was a miscommunication concerning the Traffic Appeals board meeting times on October 14th. Approximately 15 students were scheduled Thursday morning between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. to appeal parking tickets to the Traffic Appeals Board, but the board did not show up until the afternoon session beginning at 1 p.m. Apparently the board members were not notified about the morning session until a day prior to the meeting date via e-mail. Todd Sigler, director of Public Safety, said those not able to have their cases heard later in the afternoon would have their appeals granted.

5. Fine Arts Fee Committee: The committee declined one application based on it not falling within the scope of Fine Arts activities. One application was approved for $4000. It was for an exhibition at the University Museum. A. Sileven stated that programs funded by the Fine Arts committee should be free to students, and suggested to fine arts fee members should push for free admission.

6. Board of Trustees: Topics of discussion included housing, property, and approving the tuition increase for 2006. A. Sileven stated she spoke against the increase as it related to the non-resident tuition multiplier, which impacts international students, among others. The board approved the tuition increases despite GPSC’s opposition. Board Chairman Poshard he indicated the nonresident tuition multiplier’s impact on international students would be reviewed again next year.

7. Constituency Head Meeting: A. Sileven attended and an issue that was discussed was program changes. All parties agreed that there needed to be more shared governance concerning program changes. A. Sileven said shared governance needs to happen not only at the faculty level but also at the student level. Discussed issue of taking fee money from Auxiliaries to pay for administrative expense with the Chancellor and the Provost. A. Sileven will continue to do research on the issue. She requested Dr. Dietz send her information on the Legislative Audit Guidelines concerning this issue.

8. Ethics Training: A. Sileven stated that graduate students, like all state employees, must complete ethics training required by law. The training consists of a quiz that will continue for the remainder of the year, although there is a progress to change or adapt the quiz to each university. The training should be completed at one’s own worksite and will take approximately an hour. One member asked what would happen if one did not take the test. Another responded that he assumed one would not receive their paycheck. Graduate assistants have until Nov. 17^th to finish the training. Some members said that they had not received a formal letter indicating that they must complete this training.

9. Collective Bargaining Rights: Governor Blagojevich signed a new law giving bargaining right to graduate students working as teacher’s assistants. The law does not grant bargaining right to graduate research assistants. An online petition was started by students from SIUC regarding bargaining rights.

10. A recent Tuition waiver study found SIU Carbondale waives approximately 68% of graduate tuition, Edwardsville waives 43%, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana waives 81%, and Illinois State University waives 62%.

11. A. Sileven reminded committee members of the following meetings: Student Health Advisory Board meets on Oct 21^st at 5, Rec Center Committee meets Nov. 27^th at 9, Planning and Budget Committee meets Oct 28^th, and the Mass Transit Advisory Committee meets in the Wabash room at 2:30 on the Oct 28^th.

B. Vice President of Administrative Affair: Eric Waltmire

1. E. Waltmire asked representatives to provide a letter from either the department or from the student group in the department naming them as their official representative.

2. The Fee Allocation Board met and considered funding requests. Some requests are pending as more information is gathered. However the decision was made to fund the Black Graduate Student Association for $200. The FAB recommended $1500 be allocated to Building Bridges: Faith and Experience Conference hosted by the Graduate Philosophy Student Union.

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

1. Search to fill the Associate Provost position is still in the review process. The pool of Sixty-Nine applicants had been reduced to nine.

2. GPSC’s NBCC conference deadline is Nov. 1^st but will be extended to December 10th. Membership for the Conference committee is open. Sports and Education may be a topic at the conference but A. St. Paul still needs to do more research. Anyone who would like to help, please email Angela St. Paul.

VI. Old Business

A. The Fee Allocation Board’s recommended funding Building Bridges: Faith and Experience Conference hosted by the Graduate Philosophy Student Union in the amount of $1500. This money is to be used for the keynote speaker, travel, advertising, printing of programs, and miscellaneous but not for the cost of food or book purchases. A representative from the Philosophy Graduate Philosophy Student Union informed GPSC members about the event. He stated the keynote speaker is professor Richard Tierney who works in contemporary philosophy and Irish studies. E. Waltmire stated the GPSC funded this event last year and he recommended the council approve the FAB’s recommendation. K. Menken moved and E. Waltmire seconded the motion to approve the FAB’s recommendation to fund the event for $1500. Motion was approved by a vote of 21 in favor, 0 opposed, 2 abstaining.

B. Domestic partnership: A. Sileven asked members to submit additional input on ways recognize domestic partnerships.

C. GPSC Constitution: The proposed amendment was introduced at the October 5^th GPSC meeting. The proposal would amends the GSPC Constitution to allows law students to hold the V.P. of Graduate School Affairs position. The proposal amends Article II Section 2.1.3 of the GPSC Constitution as follows, “The Vice President for Graduate School Affairs shall be the official liaison between GPSC and the Graduate School. The elected officer must be a graduate or professional student…” The proposal also amends Article II – CANDIDATE QUALIFICATION of the Election Bylaws by eliminating entirely section 2.2. The proposal also amends section 2.1, which now states as follows in its entirety:

“GPSC President, Vice President for Administrative Affairs, Vice President for Graduate School Affairs and Graduate Council Representative. Candidates for these positions must be graduate or professional students enrolled and in good standing at SIUC for the term during which elections are conducted. These candidates need not be voting members of the GPSC during their candidacy. (Section 2.2 of the GPSC Constitution requires that GPSC officers not be GPSC representatives during their terms of office. Further Section 2.2.1 of the GPSC Constitution specifies that the Vice Presidents shall be voting members of the Council during their terms in office.)”

The difference between the graduate school and professional school was explained. The amendment was approved by a vote of 22 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstaining.

D. FY 06-07 Fees: A. Sileven asked for suggestions and stated she would bring in more information it becomes available.

VII. New Business

A. Program Changes and Shared Governance: The council was presented the “Proposal for Reconsideration of Writing Studies, GA Training, and Ph.D. Degree in Rhetoric & Composition,” which was presented to and approved by the English Department Faculty. The proposal puts the Ph.D. degree in Rhetoric & Composition on a three year probation, during which (1) the Rhetoric & Composition faculty are encouraged to develop a record of scholarship appropriate to the offering of a Ph.D. at a research university; (2) postpone making a tenure-track hire in Rhetoric & Composition during the period; (3) transfer all responsibility for direct Writing Studies and GA training to a Committee of Writing Studies and term appointed Director. The graduate students in the program were not allowed to provide feedback on the proposal. Appointment of such a director is a concern to the GA’s in the department, as the term faculty member would not be an effective member to represent graduate students. The problem in the program lies in that there is not enough faculty to maintain administrative functions and that burden has been shouldered upon the graduate students. Members stated that a tenured professor advising graduate students would be preferred due to the tenured professor’s experience. A. Sileven stated the proposal from the Dean of the English Department was that the Ph.D. in composition be gradually eliminated; the first step is putting the Ph.D. degree on probation. A member requested a resolution be drafted on the issue. A member suggested the resolution maintain the focus on education including having a tenured professor advise the graduate students in the program. It was also suggested that the university create guidelines for eliminated degree programs. A. Sileven described the imbalance of faculty and students in the Rhetoric & Composition program and stated she will begin a draft of the resolution based upon suggestions and comments. The discussion will be revisited next meeting

B. GPSC’s NBCC conference: No submissions have been received for the conference. A. Sileven suggested extending the deadline and approval of additional funds for advertising. Member expressed concern that some fellow graduate students are reluctant to submit a paper that has been presented another conference. It was suggested that students in the history department were discouraged from presenting papers that have already been presented or where selected for presentation at a future conference. However the point was made that the point of this conference was to share the work that had been completed. Other indicated it was not clear whether graduate students could submit papers to the GPSC conference, which were not presented elsewhere. A. Sileven stated the conference was open to abstracts as well as published and unpublished papers. M. Borowicz made a moved and J. Pressley seconded a motion to prove up to $2,000 for conference advertising. A. St. Paul. asked to include half page adds for two days and mailings throughout campus. A. Sileven stated that the ads should run an entire week. One member suggested that ads appear in other publications like Night Life. Then it was suggested that the ad run in the DE for four days. It was suggested that the papers accepted for the conference could be combined in a conference publication. A. Sileven stated that they might be able to ask alumni for donations. Another member suggested a Best Paper Competition. A. Sileven said that may or may not be a possibility and she could ask the Vice Chancellor. She also said as the conference evolved, she hoped that GPSC be allowed to contact alumni related to a particular student’s field and ask them for support. Some members spoke against allowing undergraduate submissions because some undergraduate work is not strong enough. A. Sileven stated that some undergraduates were capable of doing excellent work but the Undergraduate Student Government was not interested in participating. The motion to locate up to $2000 for conference advertising was approved by a vote of 14 in favor, 7 opposed, 1 abstention. B. Glaus moved and B. McCullough seconded a motion allow anyone to submit and participate in the conference. B. Glaus indicated opening the conference to everyone would increase participation. Questions arose as to whether the Undergraduate Student Government would contribute funding if it was open to undergraduates. One member noted that undergraduates could get practice for future graduate school by participating in the conference. A. Sileven said that USG probably would not be able to provide funds as most of their budget has gone to RSOs. A. Sileven and M. Kuilenburg stated the focus of the conference is to promote and share graduate work. E. Waltmire suggested the reason the council was thinking of opening the conference to non-graduate student was that we have not received any papers for this conference. Furthermore, if no papers have been submitted maybe the council should reconsider holding the conference and maybe it should be canceled. A further conversation ensured about the purpose and scope of the conference. The motion to open the conference to everyone failed by a vote of 4 in favor, 16 opposed, 3 abstaining. The conference will continue to receive only graduate student submissions

VIII. Roundtable Discussion

B. McCullough suggested the next GSPC meeting on November 2^nd be canceled due to the election. E. Waltmire suggested GPSC could cancel the meeting and still meet the constitution requirement of six meetings per semester. The Council, by a vote of 18 in favor, 2 opposed, 2 abstaining, approved the rescheduling of the next GPSC meeting in order that it not occur on election day. A. Sileven stated she would try to reschedule the meeting if there where rooms available in the student center. Members would be notified of the changes.

IX. Meeting Adjournment

The motion to adjourn the meeting was moved and seconded. A. Sileven adjourned the meeting at 9:35.