Graduate Student Assembly - General Assembly Meeting Minutes

Meeting Date:  September 19, 2007

Start Time:  7:07 p.m.  HGS 119 A&B

End Time: 8:37 p.m.

 

 

I.  Additions to the Agenda

 

 

II.  Brief Announcements

• Open House for graduate Students at the Yale University Police Department (see handout) - Lisa Brandes has requested that some GSA members attend on Thursday, September 27 at 5:00 p.m.
• Meeting with Bill Rando regarding Mentoring week on Tuesday, September 25 at 3:3) p.m.
• Vice Chair Andy Bellemer sent and e-mail inviting potential individuals interested in becoming departmental or at-large representatives to the meeting - all these individuals please introduce yourselves to him at the conclusion of the meeting.

 

 

III.  At-large Representative Amendment to the By-laws:  Official Wording

           

            Vote whether to approve:

           

            A.6
            Each fall, the Elections Committee will arrange elections for at-large representatives.  Each            division will be allotted the same number of at-large representatives. At-large representatives           will be elected by the registered students in their divisions.

 

Motion to vote - 2^nd - 27 FOR the wording as is.

 

 

IV.  Report on Library - Chair Bobbi Sutherland

• Cross Campus Library is re-opening on Thursday, October 18 at Midnight (gathering at 11:00 p.m.
• The ceremony will include:

·         Contests with prizes

·         Re-enactment of Sterling procession

·         A receptions (possibly non-alcoholic) - the library café will be catering

·         GSA could potentially sponsor an after-party (official or unofficial) at GPSCY?

 

 

V. Elections for University Committees (see handout)

• Those interested in becoming at-large representatives (eventually) may nominate themselves and provisionally run for seats on committees, but the official attainment of these seats is contingent upon these individuals winning the at-large representative seat once the election takes place.

Steering Committee Election

• Determines the direction and agendas of the GSA.
• Meets biweekly, on weeks opposite of the General Assembly Meetings, on Wednesday afternoons at 4:30 p.m.
• Consists of :
• Chair (Bobbi Sutherland)
• Vice Chair (Andy Bellemer)
• Treasurer (Sara Nichols)
• Secretary (Laura Thomas)
• Two representatives from each Graduate School Division
• Social Sciences (2)
• Humanities (2)
• Natural Sciences (2)

 

·               Conference Travel Fund Director (Dennis Mishler), Publicity Chair (Nick Goodbody), and Webmaster (Eli Kim) - provided that the addition of these three new officers is acceptable to the Deans.  This does not violate the Charter.

 

§         Nominations

·         SS:  Erich Round (Linguistics), Rashad Ullah (Linguistics - provisional at-large rep)

·         H:  Claire McMurray (French), Stephen Gosden (Music), Matt Gunterman (History of Science and Medicine

·         NS:  Ian Simon (Microbiology), Bryan Woods (Geology and Geophysics), Hannah Chapin (Cell Biology)

 

§         Speeches

§         Vote

·         SS Steering Representatives:  Erich Round, Rashad Ullah

·         H Steering Representatives:  Matt Gunterman, Claire McMurray

·         NS Steering Representatives:  Hannah Chapin, Ian Simon

 

 

Provost’s Committees

 

1.  Advisory Committee on Resources for Students and Employees with Disabilities (1 seat)

            Gwendolyn Bradford (Philosophy) - win uncontested

 

2.  Advisory Committee on Environmental Management (1 seat)

            Nominations:  Hannah Chapin (Cell Biology), Sean Johnson (Forestry and Environmental   Studies)

           

            Vote:  Sean Johnson (Forestry and Environmental Studies)

 

3.  Work-Life Committee (1 seat)

            Andrew Davis (Astronomy) - win uncontested

 

President’s Committees

 

1.  Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility (1 seat)

            Table until Andy hears back from the organizer of this committee.

 

2.  Committee on Racial and Ethnic Harrassment (1 seat)

            Table until Andy hears back from the organizer of this committee.

 

3.  Advisory Committee on Library Policy (1 seat)

            Stephen Gosden (Music) - win uncontested

 

4.  University Tribunal (1 seat)

            Dean appoints.

 

 

Secretary’s Committee

 

University Securities Committee (1 seat)

            This committee no longer exists

 

 

University Committees

 

Yale University Health Services Member Advisory Committee (1 seat)

            Elizabeth T. Williams

 

 

Graduate School Committees

 

1.  Committee on Regulations and Discipline (3 seats)

            Nominations:

                        SS:  Florian Ploeckl (Economics), Erich Round (Linguistics)

                        H:  Gwen Bradford (Philosophy)

                        NS:  Andrew Davis (Astronomy), Sara Nichols (Computational Biology), Tim                                  Guasco (Chemistry)

            Vote:

                        SS:  Florian Ploeckl

                        H:  Gwen Bradford

                        NS:  Sara Nichols

                        Alternate SS:  Erich Round, Rashad Ullah

                        Alternate NS:  Andrew Davis, Tim Guasco

 

2.  Dean’s Advisory Committee on Student Grievances (3 seats)

            Nominations:

                        SS:  Kerra Bui (Psychology), Erich Round (Linguistics)

                        H:  Nick Goodbody (Spanish and Portuguese)

                        NS:  Jennifer Baka (Forestry and Environmental Studies), Tim Guasco                                             (Chemistry), Kathryn Wilkinson (Immunobiology)

            Vote:

                        SS:  Kerra Bui

                        H:  Nick Goodbody

                        NS:  Kathryn Wilkinson

                        SS Alternate:  Erich Round, Rashad Ullah

                        NS Alternate:  Jennifer Baka, Tim Guasco

 

3.  Advisory Board for Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity

            Table until next meeting.

 

4.  Graduate Teaching Center Advocate (1 seat)

            Nominations:  Chris Crick (Computer Science), Elisabeth Wurtmann (Cell Biology)

            Vote:  Elisabeth Wurtmann

 

5.  Grievance Board for Student Complaints of Sexual Harrassment (3 seats)

            Nominations:  Jennifer Baka (Forestry and Environmental Studies, Tim Guasco       (Chemistry), Stefanie Lapetina (Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry), Bryan Woods        (Geology & Geophysics)

           

            Vote:

                        Student 1:  Jennifer Baka

                        Student 2:  Stefanie Lapetina

                        Alternates:  Tim Guasco, Bryan Woods

 

 

VI. Preliminary organization of internal committees/sign-up

 

***  An e-mail will be sent to the GSA General Assembly for internal committee sign-ups

***  Sign-up sheet for internal committee membership was sent around at this time

 

The Elections Committee will not meet.

Internal Committees meet as often as needed.

 

 

VII. Liz Williams - Yale University Health Services Member Advisory Committee Meeting Briefing       

     

      YUHS wants to know what our issues are, particularly those regarding appointment access,       communication, what services you want.

     

      Issues mentioned at meeting:  Birth control is getting very expensive, Dental Plan (said Benefits           office deals with Dental)

 

      E-mail Elizabeth T. Williams with these issues

 

      Andy will send out a reminder e-mail about this

 

 

Laura: send an e-mail to Eli including which departments have no representatives and a list of all election winners

The website should include a timestamp

 

Motion to adjourn - 2^nd