CUNY DSC December 1st, 2006: Steering Committee Minutes Draft

Steering Committee members present:
Brenda Vollman (BV); Charles Lieberman (CL); Ericka Calton (EC); David Golland
(DG); Aaron Ibur (AI); Rouzbeh Nazari (RN); Kate Wilson (KW);and Chong
Wojtkowski (CW)

Steering Committee members absent:
Michael Broder (MB); Zeeshan Suhail (ZS) [non-voting ex-officio]

BV called meeting to order 12/01/06 at 5:59 PM; CL minutes

I. Approval of Agenda (amended)
CW motion to approve amended agenda; DG 2nd
Unanimous

II. Approval of Old Minutes (amended)
AI motion to approve amended minutes
CW move to table until January meeting; DG 2nd
Unanimous
III. Old Business
a. BV: outstanding receipts
i. BV: SC members 2nd their own check requests
ii. BV: SC members 2nd signature on check requests in BV box during office
hours
b. AI: Article XI
i. language approved by AI
ii. DG summarized Article XI in regards to following positions to be changed
from Media Board members to advisors
1. Webmaster
2. Advocate Editor
c. CL: Community Building Committee (CBC)
i. CL discussed pool table donation possibility; movie night; additional
comfortable seating (chairs or couches)
ii. CW discussed lighting in rooms 5414 & 5409; room design
iii. BV recommends all interested parties discuss further with CBC

IV. Student Affairs Report (CW)
a. Business/Holiday Cards
CW motion to approve $175 for holiday cards from SC discretionary fund; EC 2nd
Unanimous
b. Student Involvement in Departments
i. some departments are alleged to have been noncompliant in conducting course
evaluations
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CUNY DSC December 1st, 2006: Steering Committee Minutes Draft
ii. CW will conduct a survey to determine how widespread the problem
iii. CW will survey to determine if students are being given appropriate
representation on committees
c. Holiday Party Duties
i. CW asked for volunteers for party
ii. BV volunteered for beverages
iii. EC volunteered for decorations
iv. AI, DG, & CL volunteered for set-up
v. music will be handled by SC

V. Communications Report (DG)
a. Webmaster Bylaw Amendment and Acting Chair Bylaw Proposals
i. Webmaster Bylaw Amendment Proposal. Prompted by our ongoing
discussion of the relationship between the DSC webmaster and the DSO
Media Board, and with the issue brought to the fore by Camille Tipton’s
resignation as webmaster, Chong, Brenda, and I would like to recommend that
we reconsider the role of the DSC webmaster and amend the website bylaw
(#11) as necessary. The idea is that the DSC website, unlike The Advocate, is
not a DSO medium but rather a DSC project, more like the Adjunct Project.
The website is, after all, for the DSC, meaning student government, unlike the
newspaper, which is only indirectly supervised by student government. The
content of the website is not editorial but informational, and the informational
content is determined by the DSC, through the Steering Committee. In
contrast, the newspaper has both editorial and informational content, and such
content (except for the DSC page) is determined not by the DSC but by the
newspaper staff. And so the recommendation is that the bylaw be amended so
that hiring, supervision, and termination of the webmaster be a DSC Steering
Committee function, organized by the Co-Chair for Student Affairs, rather
than a DSO Media Board function, organized by the Co-Chair for
Communications. This will require changes to the bylaw’s title and sections
11.1, 11.2, 11.5, and 11.6.
ii. Acting Chair Bylaw Proposal. While statute and Robert’s Rules stipulate that
the Media Board and DSC standing committees shall select their own
chairpersons, in reality the Co-Chair for Communications serves as the de
facto chair of the Media Board, the Co-Chair for Business Management serves
as the de facto chair of the Professional Development and Cultural Affairs
Committees, and Steering Committee members, volunteering at the joint
meeting in May, serve as de facto chairs of the other three standing
committees (Health Issues, Constitution and Bylaws, and Community
Building). I was talking this over with Brenda last month and we would like to
propose that we codify the reality not by forcing the de facto chairs
permanently on their respective boards/committees, but rather as “acting
chairs” until (and unless) the board/committee should choose to formalize that
person as chair (or elect someone else). The need arises from the fact that the
boards/committees take office in June but do not meet until the fall semester,
and sometimes issues arise in the late spring or summer which require
board/committee action. Board/committee action does not take place
spontaneously, but is organized by a chairperson. The current system works
well but without this new bylaw, actions taken under it could be challenged.
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CUNY DSC December 1st, 2006: Steering Committee Minutes Draft
b. USS/BOT Report.
i. The University Student Senate and the Board of Trustees spent the bulk of
their November meetings dealing with the renewal of the Chancellor’s
Compact. At the USS, I opined that the Compact has largely benefited the
students of the Graduate Center and that we have been adequately and
regularly consulted on how the additional student services funds will be spent.
At the Board, the student trustee expressed concern that this has not been the
case throughout the university, and the faculty trustee, who will be the DSC
guest speaker in December, expressed concern that part-time students (who
are ineligible for TAP) will have to pay the full cost of any implemented
tuition increase. The Compact, which is actually called the CUNY Budget
Request (because it is the official budget request that CUNY will be making
of the state legislature), was approved unanimously by the Board. I have the
materials presented to the USS and to the Board if anyone would like to look
them over.
ii. The Board named as Distinguished Professors the following faculty members:
William B. Rossow, Electrical Engineering, CCNY; Ruth Stark, Chemistry,
CSI; Wayne Koestenbaum, English, GC; Godfrey Gumbs, Physics and
Astronomy, Hunter; James Lynch, Criminal Justice, John Jay; and Morris
Rossabi, History, Queens.
iii. The Board approved the following honorary doctorates, to be granted by John
Jay in May, 2007: Taylor Branch, Doctor of Humane Letters; Patricia
Cornwell, Doctor of Letters; Richard Delgado, Doctor of Laws; Paul Farmer,
Doctor of Science; and Deborah E. Lipstadt, Doctor of Humane Letters.
c. Media Board Report. The Media Board currently has four applications for the
position of DSC Webmaster, all of whom are qualified. The deadline is December 7.
Interviews will be held at a special Executive Session of the Media Board on
December 15, at which time a decision will be made. Chong and Ericka have
graciously agreed to handle any emergencies which may arise between today and
February 1, although it is possible that the new webmaster may start early if
necessary.

VI. Business Report (BV)
BV motion to approve up to $210 for DSC representatives’ business cards; DG 2nd
Unanimous
a. Stipends
b. Office Hours
i. BV requests SC hold office hours in December during Finals Week
ii. BV requests SC volunteer to set up for plenary and SC meetings
c. Spring Coffee Hour & Party Dates
i. BV suggests Thursday, March 1st for the Spring Coffee Hour (3:30-5:30 PM)
ii. BV suggests Friday, May 4th for the Spring Party
d. Spring Meeting and Party Duties
i. BV asked for volunteers for first SC meeting on January 26th
ii. EC volunteered as chair; KW minutes; MB food
VII. New Business
a. Co-chair Transition (BV)
BV motion for $250 honorarium to co-chair for communications elect for January; AI 2nd
Unanimous
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CUNY DSC December 1st, 2006: Steering Committee Minutes Draft
i. DG volunteered to assist new co-chair in transition
b. International Student Advocacy (RN)
i. RN states international students represent 25% of GC community
ii. RN requests a committee be created for international students
iii. CW states this is a Student Affairs issue
iv. RN propose helping to inform international students in GC
v. suggestions include:
1. help acclimate international students to US system, including social
interaction and dialogue
2. promote grants for international students
3. include adjunct project coordinator in process
c. Steering Committee/Representative Gap (KW)
DG moves to capitalize the “g” in gap for the Agenda (VII sub c); CW 2nd
Unanimous
i. KW discusses the issue of the gap between the SC & other DSC reps and how
we can close the gap
ii. CW recommends the SC send goals as reps to CW
d. USS Delegate (CW)
i. (CW) Effective Immediately, ZS resigns from USS; election on 12/8
ii. CL recommends that the December 8th elections be held in the following order:
1. Co-chair for Communications
2. USS representative
3. Steering Committee vacated seat(s)
4. Media Board vacated seat(s)
e. Other New Business
EC motion to reconsider motion to use discretionary funds to pay Co-chair for
Communications elect for January; RN 2nd
Unanimous
BV motion pay Co-chair for Communications elect for January from stipend fund; AI 2nd
Unanimous
i. DG reported on Executive Committee meeting
1. DG request consideration of “student lunch”
2. EC will take “student lunch” issue to Health Issues Committee

VIII. Announcements
a. Patrina Huff joins the SC meeting at 7:15PM to announce that she will run for the
vacated position of co-chair for communications
b. AI resigns, effective January 1st, 2007, from his position as a DSC representative, SC
Member, and Media Board representative because he will be teaching on Friday
nights during the Spring 2007 Semester and not be able to attend the scheduled
meetings.

IX. Adjournment
DG motion to adjourn meeting; KW 2nd
Unanimous
BV adjourned meeting at 7:59 PM
respectfully submitted by CL
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