GSA General Assembly Meeting Minutes

Meeting Date:  October 30, 2007

Meeting Time:  7:05 - 8:34 p.m., HGS 119 A&B

 

 

I.  Additions to the Agenda

 

 

II.  Brief Mentoring Week Update

1.  Monday Workshop - Andy Bellemer

• A panel of 4 graduate students (1SS, 1H, 2 NS) talked about their Yale mentoring experiences.
• Main topics of discussion were: what constitutes good mentoring and what students can do to get the best experience? 
• Positive and negative experiences were related.
• Attendance was approximately 20 people - balanced over the divisions. 
• Panel discussed contingency plans for what to do if one encounters a mentoring problem.  Also discussed mentoring relationships that don’t involve your advisor. 
• The differences between selecting an advisor in the SS, H, and NS were highlighted.
• In NS there is sometimes more impetus to be a good mentor because otherwise you will not have a lab.

 

2.  Summary of Departmental Meetings

 

• BBS and Chemistry on Science Hill was held today. 
• The conversation evolved from general to specifics about what mentors should do.
• Panel consisted of 4 faculty members (2 Chemistry, 1 MB&B, 1 MCDB)
• Attendance was 23 students.
• The different faculty members have very different ideas
• There should be note takers at each of the departmental meeting - such notes can serve as benchmarks for the various departments.
• We plan to compile a university-wide report.

 

 

III.  What is ODEO?  Discussion with Dean John Mangan

• For details, please contact secretary, Laura Thomas
• What are ODEO’s challenges that will help GSA work with you?  The office would want to see someone from GSA start a dialogues with the diversity fellows.  Not sure where this would go - panels?  Other programs?  ODEO would like someone in the GSA to be the liaison to ODEO to meet with fellows.
• Meeting schedule for ODEO fellows:  Meet every Monday morning at 10:30 in HGS 401 or 119, depending on availability.  ODEP would be happy to welcome a GSA member as a guest.  Perhaps a group of GSA representatives could attend initially.  This should happen soon.  Initially, these meeting could involve philosophical discussions, which will hopefully evolve into practical discussions and implementations.  Andy will send an e-mail to ask for volunteers.
• Everyone is welcome to attend ODEO sponsored events and programs.  There is a a bulletin board across from HGS 119 that has events posted.

 

 

IV.  Departmental Meetings

• Cell Biology - Elisabeth Wurtmann and Hannah Chapin - met on Friday with the DGS and 10 students (good attendance)
• Students asked informal questions to DGS. 
• They were interested in opportunities for informal mentoring.  BBS peer programming revival - what can we do on that front?  There is a faculty friend program, through which faculty members are paired for 1^st years.  However, occasionally career outlooks don’t align, or the faculty member is not into the role.  It would be helpful if a program could match you with someone with whom you share scientific interest, but also who knows about your desired career path.  1^st years don’t necessarily know what they want.  More discrete, less random pairing. 
• They are also conducting an outside search for a Chair - students heard from DGS.

 

 

V.  Update on HPV Vaccine and Birth Control (Liz Williams)

• Liz sent an e-mail today regarding the increase in birth control cost.
• Unless you need both cases, you aren’t going to save money with prescription plus. 
• E-mail Liz if you think of anything she needs to look into. 
• The plan is to start with Congress (Hannah Chapin is in touch) and to see if the bill goes through, and, if not, look into a Yale college subsidy.
• The undergraduates are happy with their options regarding the HPV vaccine (YCC) because they are on their parent’s insurance.  But YCC will join us on the birth control issue. 
• Support for the HPV vaccine will probably only be necessary for a few years, as younger girls will be getting it.
• This is a community health issue.
• Hannah Chapin - Congressman Crowley is going to drop the Prevention Through Affordable Access Act, a bill that would enable college health services to receive and distribute lower cost birth control.
• She also contacted Planned Parenthood to see what other universities are doing.

 

 

VI.  Final Announcements

• The Ivy Grad Summit is this weekend.
• Andy Bellemer - Neuroscience 2-4 report was recently mailed to the graduate students in that department.  Computational Biology and Physics have already implemented their outlined 2-4 project changes.  The Deans hope to have a summary of all of the reports prepared by the beginning of next semester.
• The History departments Mentoring Week event will take place tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.

 

Motion to adjourn - 2^nd