12/03/04 Steering Committee Minutes
Doctoral Students’ Council
The Graduate Center, CUNY

Chair: Tina Lee
Minutes: Paul McBreen
Other members present: Celia Braxton, Camille Tipton, Tomo Imamichi, Eric Doviak, Moira Egan, David Golland
(non-voting) Stephanie Domenici Cabonargi
Absent: Aleta Styers

Meeting called to order at 6:10 p.m.

I. Approval of agenda: under condition that Old Business would be rearranged addressing items not in need of S.
Domenici-Cabonargi’s presence.

II. Approval of minutes: pending two corrections.

III. Old Business

a. DSC Promo: Banner, post cards: Paper vs. cloth banner discussion; printing services. C. Tipton: We should
have contest and make a temporary banner. We need to set a date for submissions for logo: March 1 decided
upon. In announcement: “all submissions will be property of DSC.” The electronic submissions must be in
exact pixel size: 100 x 100 pixels. DSC promotional items: Discussion of DSC logo contest was revisited. S.
Domenici Cabonargi discussed printing options as well as banner material. C. Tipton suggested a temporary
banner with a more permanent one to be made after the contest. M. Egan makes motion: the logo contest is to
be announced in the Advocate, on the DSC website, and at the upcoming plenary on December 10, 2004. The
winner will be voted on by the steering committee with the artist receiving an honorarium of $150. The
motion is seconded and receives unanimous approval.
b. Coffee hour/holiday party: general agreement that budget constraints and too little time for
planning rule out a party. Date set for upcoming coffee hour.
c. Website: C. Tipton discussed revamped DSC website. PDF converter software mentioned as a time-saving
measure for webmaster: minute-takers could convert minutes to PDF and send that file to her instead of
having her do this. M. Egan clarifies that JAWS can not read this at present.
d. Benchmark for satisfactory progress: P. McBreen spoke in favor of this being placed on agenda of
upcoming plenary meeting and asked that it be given quick approval at plenary.
e. Graduate Council by-law issue: P. McBreen stated that the by-laws of Graduate Council (under Sec. 2:
2.1A) should include a short sentence stating that the student and faculty members are voting members even
though this is understood to be the case. The other members are clearly delineated as either voting or non-
voting members.
f. Presidential Search Committee: P. McBreen asked for others to circulate requests for nominations and
qualities which students would like in a new GC President. The members spoke of nominating former US
President Bill Clinton. John Kerry also mentioned.
g. Health services committee update: C. Braxton suggested $8.50 as a one-time, “stop-gap” fee which would
cover the costs of one year. This would buy time during which other measures could be determined. The
students can be polled to see if they would agree to this one-time fee while a more permanent facility is
arranged. E. Doviak suggested that the wellness center be funded on a real, constant level reflecting a “heal
cost index.” Medicare for instance may have this sort of index which would provide an actual measure for
determining future costs. The appropriate question for a website poll determined to be, “Is the wellness center
your primary health care provider?” C. Tipton stated that the question must be answerable with “yes” or “no”.
A future poll question decided upon: “Did you know that free services are offered at the wellness center and
ob/gyn exams are available?
h. USS update: D. Golland asked M. Egan to chair the scholarship committee and she agreed. D. Braxont was
asked to be on the audit committee or facilities committee. T. Lee may become a member of the curriculum
committee.

IV. New Business
a. Graduate Council: P. McBreen relayed the opening remarks made by President Horowitz at the recent
Grad Council meeting (Thursday, December 2, 2004) regarding the budget requests made by the Board of
Trustees to Albany. Tuition increases were not ruled out by her or by the trustees at a recent reception held by
the trustees for USS representatives. A legislative agenda must be drafted for effective letter-writing or
activism. P. McBreen agreed to question President Horowitz and Steve Gorelick regarding the most effective
language to use on whatever items the DSC drafts (postcards, letters, etc).
b. Online registration: S. Domenici Cabonargi invited Vincent De Luca (Registrar’s office) to the upcoming
plenary to give a demonstration of the new, on-line registration.
c. Postings in the glass cases of our mission. On-line registration must be posted too.
d. Update on Adjunct Project activities: M. Gluzman unable to attend.

V. Announcements.
a. A. Styers is making a stipend schedule with paydates
b. D. Golland wants to invite a BOT member to plenary. He is advised to check agenda availabliltiy
beforehand.