Graduate Center, CUNY - Doctoral Students’ Council Plenary Minutes – March 24, 2006
Members and Voting Alternates Present:
Anthropology: Tina Lee Biology: Adam Kavalier, Selena Ahmed Biochemistry: Jianghua Yin Business: Kate McPadden Chemistry: Marie Thomas Classics: Pat Brooks Criminal Justice: Charles Lieberman, Brenda Vollman Earth & Environmental Science: Lee Hachadoorian Economics: Francois de Paul Silatchom French: Chong Wojtkowski Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Literature: Hyon Kim History: David Golland, Kevin McGruder Liberal Studies: Cam McDonald Linguistics: Alexandra Ioannidou Mathematics: Hieu T. Nguyen Music PhD: Megan Jenkins (by proxy: Jason Hooper) Physics: Huafeng Xie Political Science: Jen Gaboury, Annelies Kamran (alt.) Psychology Biological: Alicia Walton Psychology Forensic: Virginia Fineran Psychology Learning Processes: Adrienne Robek Speech and Hearing Sciences: Jung Moon Hyun Theatre: Kate Wilson At Large: David Aliano, Celia Braxton, Moira Egan, James Hoff, Patrina Huff, Aaron Ibur, Matt Lau, Nelly St. Maurice, Zeeshan Suhail, Joseph Valley, Michael Westbrook
Non-Voting Alternates Present:
Classics: Paul McBreen
Members Absent:
Anthropology: Andrea Morrell Art History: Daniel Quiles Chemistry: Hasan Yumak Comparative Literature: Joanna Guittari (excused) Computer Science: Sumon Azhar
Educational Psychology: Kallen Tsikalas, Leslie Craigo Engineering Biomedical: Ericka Calton (excused) Engineering Civil: Rouzbeh Nazari (excused) Engineering Electrical: Muhammad Salim
English: Adriana Tomasino (excused) German: Marie Giurrieri Music DMA: Barbara Podgurski (excused) Music PhD: Dan Partridge
Philosophy: Jennifer Jensen, Christopher Sula Political Science: Christopher Poulios, Aleta Styers (excused) Psychology Clinical: Nora Goudsmit Psychology Developmental: Aloka Star Felty Psychology Environmental: Stephanie Domenici (excused) Psychology Industrial/Organizational: Marissa Agin Psychology Social Personality: Valerie Futch Social Welfare: William Cabin Sociology: Emily Mahon, Antonia Levy Urban Education: Donal Mulcahy At Large: Samrat Singh Batth, Ian Jones, Binh Pok (excused), Pamela Proscia, Thomas Rodman, Spencer Sunshine, Nelson Tiburcio (excused), Camille Tipton (excused)
Guests Present:
GSUC Acting Provost Linda F. Edwards Dion Powell
Total Members and Voting Alternates Present: 38. Non-Voting Alternates Present: 1. Members Absent: 34. Guests present: 2. Quorum established to conduct business.
Chair: Chong Wojtkowski Minutes: Lee Hachadoorian
The meeting was called to order at 6:10PM
I. Invited Speaker: Dr. Linda Edwards, Acting Provost Provost Edwards presented five items of good news. 1. $2 million in funding has been allocated for tuition remission at the in-state level for any PhD student who teaches at CUNY. This applies to the student’s first 10 registered semesters. DSC Co-chairs should thank Vice Chancellor Malawi. C Braxton asked about students who due to family obligations, the need for full-time work, or other time constraints, take longer than 5 years to finish. Provost Edwards responds that CUNY is going with 5 years of funding to make the university comparable with other doctoral-granting institutions; further, that students should have progressed to Level 3 by year 5 and Level 3 students have lower tuition 2. The New York State budget looks good for CUNY this year. If we get the money we hope for, we expect to make additional money available for dissertation support, career development, and libraries. 3. President Kelly has been fundraising and we expect to offer more 5-year support packages to incoming students. 4. We expect to have the “mantrap” [airlock] system in place for the ADA-compliant doors after April 4.
5. The funding cap on CUNY GC dissertation grants has been removed The plenary applauded all the good news.
Provost Edwards ask for some feedback on whether GC should continue printing student handbooks (which she clarifies is not the bulletin, which lists programs and classes). We currently print 7000 each year at a cost of $5000. Some students said a printed manual is still pretty useful. Some students felt online version is not only adequate but preferable. Provost Edwards said it was possible to maintain a printed version but print a reduced number. By straw poll, an overwhelming majority feel continuing to print some handbooks is good.
Grad Council needs quorum. If you are a student member please come. If you know your student rep, please ask him or her to come.
Satisfactory progress reports did not get sent out last June. A new trigger is set in that a student must pass 2nd exam by 10 semesters in order to be considered as maintaining satisfactory progress.
II. Approval of February Minutes: Motion to approve C Lieberman; second B Vollman; motion passes unanimously
III. Approval of Agenda: Motion to approve C Lieberman; second D Golland; motion passes unanimously
IV. Steering Committee Membership (D Golland) A Tomasino resigned her seat on the Steering Committee. At the SC election held during the May 2005 plenary, M Egan placed 7th in the running for 6 seats. The SC appointed M Egan interim SC member and asks the plenary to appoint her for the remainder of this SC term. K McGruder so moves; second J Sramek; motion passes unanimously.
V. Old Business (D Golland) We need nominees to fill vacancies on the current Cert Committee. C Braxton nominates T Lee. Second C Lieberman. Approved unanimously. M Egan nominates Sharon Lerner (staff) and Elise Perram (staff). Z Suhail nominates Ruth O’Brien, EO Political Science. A Kavalier nominates Richard Chappell, EO Biology as alternate. Votes are Sharon Lerner (16), Elise Parram (15), Ruth O’Brien (9), Richard Chappell (4).
D Golland moves that Cam McDonald be marked excused absence for Nov 2005 and Dec 2005 plenaries; and the Jen Adler be marked excused absence for Nov 2005 and marked dropped (resigned) for Feb 2006 plenaries. Second L Hachadoorian. Motion passes unanimously.
VI. Co-chair for Student Affairs Report (T Lee for S Domenici)
1. The Albany report went well. Thanks to all who attended. The budget situation currently looks good.
2. Stef is currently keeping her eye on funding issues--the writing fellows budget and mid-level tuition funding.
3. The orange list on Stef's door contains those chartered orgs who owe here rosters. If you know anyone involved in the following orgs who are in danger of being rechartered, please let Stef know: ACM, Culture Club, DSA, Black Students' Alliance, Language Studies, Post Colonial Studies Org, 20th Cent Studies Group.
4. The bar at the GC was short lived. 5. To those who ordered business cards but have notreceived them: They will be
coming. Stef will be contacting you soon to pick them up. 6. Please let Stef know if you have served as a DSC rep for 2 or more years. Dave
will send a reminder email.
VII. Co-chair for Business Report (T Lee) T Lee presented the budget (attached) and asked the representatives to look it over and be prepared for a vote next month. She pointed out the proposed increase in Steering Committee stipends to $250 and said that it came mainly from office expenses.
A Kavalier asks about unused program allocations; can they be added to the following year’s allocations? T Lee says unused allocations go into the General Fund. Last year they went to Travel & Research.
J Hoff asks can writing fellowships include tuition remission. T Lee says the Co- chairs will bring this up with President Kelly.
T Lee reads proposed Bylaws #15 and #16 (attached).
VIII. Co-chair for Communications Report (D Golland) Clarifications on the difference between Grad Council and Doctoral Students Council. Grad Council passed amendment that DSC Rep is automatically Grad Council alternate unless otherwise specified.
The ADA-Compliant door issue has been resolved as indicated by Provost Edwards.
CUNY Board of Trustees considered a new BA/BS online program in Communications and Culture at the Grad Center offered through the School of Professional Studies. The University Faculty Senate opposed the creation of this program. BOT voted to create the program.
The Darfour Rally Committee intends to organize students and faculty to attend a rally on April 30 in Washinton, DC organized by Darfour.org. D Golland offers the following resolution for consideration:
“Resolution Urging Divestment from Sudan
Whereas the government of Sudan continues to aid, and abet, encourage and allow, the Janjaweed militias’ campaign of ethnic and racial violence in the western region of Sudan, known as Darfur, as well as the eastern border region of neighboring Chad, using 80% of its oil revenue to purchase weapons, and
Whereas the President of the United States has called the violence in the region “genocide,” and
Whereas several publicly-traded (NYSE) companies continue to do business with the government of Sudan, thereby indirectly funding the genocide, and
Whereas TIAA CREF continues to hold shares in these companies,
Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved, that the Doctoral Students’ Council, City University of New York, strongly condemns the actions of the Sudanese government and its affiliated Janjaweed militias in Sudan’s Darfur region and Chad’s eastern border regions, and urges TIAA-CREF, the trustees of the City University of New York, and the members of the Foundation Board of the Graduate School and University Center to publicly divest all holdings from PetroChina (China), Siemens AG (Germany), Alcatel SA (France), ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Tatneft (Russia), Sinopec (China), Alstom (France), Lundin Petroleum (Sweden), and Total SA (France), and any mutual or other fund which may have holdings in the aforementioned companies, until the end of the genocide in Sudan.
Explanation: In 2000, during Sudan’s Civil War, TIAA-CREF publicly divested (sold all of its shares) in Talisman Energy, a Canadian oil company providing revenue to the Sudanese government which was being used in the war. Other major pension funds and individual investors soon followed, and Talisman’s share price dropped 35%. The company quickly pulled out of the Sudan. It is hoped that similar actions on the part of TIAA-CREF will result in the above-named companies ceasing business with Sudan until the genocide stops.
The CUNY trustees and GSUC Foundation Board members represent the public and corporate face of the college and university. Some or all of them may have investments—either directly or through funds—in the above-named companies, which would reflect poorly on the college and university. By divesting, these individuals would be making a public statement that the actions of these companies, in doing business with Sudan at this time, are inconsistent with the values of the City University of New York and the Graduate School and University Center.”
[End of text of resolution.]
B Vollman asks for off-campus signup sheets. A Kavalier asks if electronic version can be emailed.J Sramek aaasks if other universities have similar investment
campaigns. Not yet known. C Lieberman asks if information in resolution has been documented from independent sources. B Vollman moves to approve resolution. Second C Lieberman. Motion passes unanimously.
IX. Health Services Committee Report (C Braxton, C Wojtkowski) The Health Services Committee intends to organize to be present at the Wellness Center Festival
There has been some discussion by the University about making student health insurance mandatory
X. USS Report (C Lieberman) USS Delegate has continued to oppose USS vote to raise student activity fee. K Wilson asks is there any way to remove the corrupt USS leadership by activity at the local campuses. C Lieberman says local campuses comprise and support the USS.
XI. Grad Council / College-Wide Committee Reports No business
XII. New Business A. New Bylaws (L Hachadoorian)—Committee has not yet met, nothing to report. B. StudentLoans(MEgan)—Variablerateloansmovetofixedrate,butratesmay
be higher, so pay attention to your loans and keep your eye on the possibility of
consolidation. C. Financial Aid (A Kavalier)—Financial aid checks come too late. Why can’t the
GC send money before semester starts, even early enough to help with moving expenses of new students? J Gaboury was told by Financial Aid this is a problem due to students getting the money but then dropping out of school. A Ibur says this is an institutional problem in that departments are given too much time to decide on fellowships, but no university gives money before the semester starts. A Kavalier asks that anyone with further concerns about financial aid email him at Adam_Kavalier@mac.com.
XIII. Announcements A. T Lee states Movie Tickets are available for $3 starting March 31 B. CriminalJusticeColloquiumonRace,SociologyandCrimeatJohnJay
announced by B Vollman and C Lieberman D Golland moves to adjourn; second J Hoff; motion passes unanimously