Graduate Center, CUNY - Doctoral Students’ Council Plenary Minutes for February 23, 2007
Members and Voting Alternates Present:
Biology: Jillian De Gezelle Chemistry: Marie Thomas Classics: Michael Broder Computer Science: Mohamed Saad Criminal Justice: David Caspi (by proxy: Alissa Ackerman), Charles Lieberman Economics: Andrew Bossie
Engineering, Civil: Rouzbeh Nazari Engineering, Electrical: Rex Wong English: Rob Faunce, Tina Meyerhoff French: Chong Wojtkowski
History: David Golland Linguistics: Ji Young Shim Mathematics: Brooke Orosz Philosophy: Christopher Sula Political Science: Zeeshan Suhail Psychology, Environmental: Stephanie Domenici Carbonargi Psychology, Experimental: Kelloir Smith
Psychology, I/O: Lauren Mondo Psychology, Learning Processes: Adrienne Robek Psychology, Neuro.: Robyn Powers Social Welfare: Denise Torres Sociology: Binh Pok (by proxy: Carl Lindskoog) Theatre: Kate Wilson Urban Education: Lynda Kennedy At-Large: Celia Braxton, Ericka Calton, Gregory Donovan, Amber Hui, Patrina Huff, Ian Jones, Amy Meyers, Frank Muscara, Dion Powell, Pamela Proscia, Vincenzo Sainato, Brenda Vollman
Members Absent:
Anthropology: Kate Griffiths, Martha Lincoln Art History: Tara Burk (excused) Audiology: Allison Shapiro Biochemistry: Avalon Garcia
Biology: Adam Kavalier Business: Cary Lange Comparative Literature: Kai Kreinke, Alexander Moudrov Computer Science: Hasan Adekoya Earth/Environmental Science: Angelos Lampousis
Graduate Center, CUNY - Doctoral Students’ Council Plenary Minutes for February 23, 2007
Educational Psychology: Leslie Craigo Engineering, Biomedical: Veronica Lopez (excused) Engineering, Chemical: Mehrdad Kheiripour English: Louise Geddes Hisp./Luso-Braz. L&L: Hyon Kim History: Jameel Haque Liberal Studies: Nazreen Bacchus (excused) Music DMA: Barbara Podgursky Music PhD: Inessa Bazayev, Jason Hooper Political Science: Jen Gaboury, Aaron Ibur Psychology, Clinical: Nora Goudsmit Psychology, Forensic: Ryan Copple Psychology Social Personality: Elizabeth Velilla At-Large: Valerie Futch, Lee Hachadoorian, James Hoff, Lindsay Krasnoff (excused), James Lyles, Tina Lee (excused), Amy Meyers, Frank Muscara, Tieuvi Nguyen (excused), Farishta Satari
Guests Present:
Linda Edwards (Acting Provost) Total Members and Voting Alternates Present: 38
Total Members Absent: 34 Chair: Ericka Calton
Minutes: Kate Wilson Meeting Called to Order at 6:08 p.m.
I.
II.
III.
Invited Speaker: Dr. Linda Edwards, Acting Provost. Dr. Edwards announced results of academic analytic program rankings; a database on faculty productivity; a reception for students recently advanced to PhD candidacy status, 3/21/2007; and a new professional development grant, $1000 cap, for departments. Questioned about how to locate Professional Development courses on the GC website, she asked students to email her a note about this.
Approval of Agenda and Old minutes
B. Vollman moved to approve current agenda; C. Wojtkowski seconded Unanimous approval D. Golland motioned amendments; B. Vollman seconded Unanimous approval C. Braxton motioned approval of agenda; C. Wojtkowski seconded Unanimous approval C. Lieberman motion to approve amendments to 12/8/2006 Minutes V. Sainato second Unanimous approval C. Wojtkowski motion approval of old minutes; B. Vollman seconded Unanimous approval
DSC Standing Committee Reports
Graduate Center, CUNY - Doctoral Students’ Council Plenary Minutes for February 23, 2007
IV.
V.
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A. Community Building – C. Lieberman Report on the meeting held earlier on 2/23, with resulting recommendations for the Plenary: a weekly coffee-hour on Wednesday evenings, conducted by Patrina Huff, at approximate cost of $25/week, or $250 for the semester; purchase (already made) of three (3) coffee-urns (total c. $90); purchases of four (4) couches at c. $400/each for both social rooms; purchase of a ping-pong table. Concerns were raised about needing more “bodies” to run weekly coffee-hour, and ensuring that pool table “doesn’t just sit there,” and for DSC approving purchase of coffee urns de facto.
R. Faunce motioned to divide the question B. Vollman motioned for de facto approval of purchase of coffee urns D. Golland seconded; nanimous approval C. Lieberman motioned to approve purchase of 4 couches Clarification of approximate total, with moving fees, c. $2000 Sainato seconded. 35 for; 3 opposed C. Lieberman motioned to approve purchase of ping-pong table, c. $300 B. Vollman motioned to lay the question of the purchase on the table K. Wilson seconded tabling 36 for; 3 opposed C. Lieberman motioned to allot $25/weekly for coffee-hour M. Broder seconded 34 for; 4 opposed
B. ScholarshipDevelopmentCommittee–L.Kennedy
MISSING THIS REPORT
C. HealthIssuesCommittee–D.Santiago
MISSING THIS REPORT
Old Business A. Elections – B. Vollman
Clarify routes of voting: through DSC website, email, paper ballot (mailed) Confirmed that update on the December Constitutional amendments (on media board article) will be mailed with the election ballots
B. MediaBoardElection–DSOseatnominations
Lauren Mondo nominated Mary Ignati R. Nazari nominated David Golland C. Wojtkowski nominates Celia Braxton D. Golland withdrew Nominations accepted unanimously
Adjunct Project Report – Carl Lindskoog The Adjunct Project coordinator reported on giving testimony to state government in Albany; on PSC negotiations, reporting as top concerns health insurance and wage rates; on work with PSC part-timer group, seeking help recruiting campus organizers. Questions raised about health insurance stipulations, with concerns about summer teaching not counting; comparison drawn to full-time faculty being paid extra for teaching summers. Next Adjunct Project meeting after the first Friday PSC meeting in March. Co-chair for Student Affairs Report – Chong Wojtkowski
Graduate Center, CUNY - Doctoral Students’ Council Plenary Minutes for February 23, 2007
A. Report on recent DSC Spring coffee hour B. ReportonupcomingcampusvisittoQueens C. ReportonupcomingDSCspringparty,3/16/2007,7-11pm D. Explained new Chartered Organization newsletter
VII. Co-chair for Communications Report – Ericka Calton A. Explain DSC listserve via Google.com. Explained its configurations, choices; plan to
post a link to listserve on CUNYDSC.org. Discussion of whether it can be forward to bulk list; discussion of whether department reps sift digest emails, or forward whole. Raise the issue of APOs who neglect to forward GC messages. Desire expressed for “email forwarding” for GC Outlook email program; discussion of possibilities (popserve) and complications.
B. EncouragesubmittingarticlestotheAdvocate VIII. Co-Chair for Business Management Report – Brenda Vollman
A. Report numbers of grants requested/awarded. Clarify the question of refreshments for Cultural Affairs (precluded) vs. Professional Development (not specified). Recommend submitting much earlier than event; turnaround approximately 1-2 weeks. Discuss relation to new Provost grants to departments.
B. ReportonBudget–willprovideproposalfor2007-8budget.Invitesuggestionsfrom Reps.
C. Suggestsincreasingdepartmentalallocationspersemesterto$3/studentor $180/minimum per semester. Clarify that unspent funds revert to the State. Suggestion raised that Childcare center needs money.
B. Vollman motions to increase allocations in 2007-8 R. Faunce seconded
D. Golland requested clarification about whether amount was specified in DSC constitution and recommends just voting on entire budget in later plenary, rather than on a separate motion.
B. Vollman withdrew motion
IX. U.S.S. Report – Rouzbeh Nazari A. Reported that there was not quorum to vote on the Master Plan. Discussion about USS
proposed fee increase. X. Graduate Council Proxies – Ericka Calton
A. DSC needs 2 proxies for upcoming Grad Council meeting. XI. New Business
A. Research Foundation – Stephanie D. Cabonargi Report on Research Foundation processes. Since RF dog-ears funds for new GC faculty, S. Cabonargi would like to propose analogous funds for GC students, and seeks ideas. Suggestions of liaison for student research projects; for designing workshops by discipline areas (e.g., humanities). Clarification about why not use as grants for conferences.
B. Library Photocopying issues – R. Faunce. Ad hoc committee to handle problem of defunct card reimbursement, will meet library representative Julie Cunningham. Complaint about “secret policy” on card refund: students can turn cards into library for refund.
C. GCEmailIssues–PamProscia(?).
Graduate Center, CUNY - Doctoral Students’ Council Plenary Minutes for February 23, 2007
XII.
1. Spam -- Complaint about “Proof point” emails in GC Outlook email, which report Spam checks. Note that other CUNYs regulate Spam without cluttering in-boxes. Suggestion to route those messages to trash folder.
2. Discussion of lack of printer paper in library, especially Sunday. Will talk to Bob Campbell. Discussion of overlap of oversight by IT, Library, and Tech-fee committee. D. Golland recommends a student to cross-over in all committees. Celia Braxton volunteers to serve on Library Committee.
3. Interlibrary Loan – complaint on difficulty returning ILL books Announcements
A. Ballot Stuffing party March 23 – B. Vollman B. RemindertoDSCrepstonotifyifyoucan’tattendplenary–E.Calton
C. Vollman motions to adjourn; C. Wojtkowski seconded Unanimous approval