CUNY Graduate Center
Doctoral Students’ Council
Plenary Agenda

February 29, 2008

Call to order – 6:27 PM

Chair: Rob Faunce

Minutes: Nancy Medina

Present: Gregory Donovan (GC), Rob Faunce (RF), Allyson Foster (AF), Adele Kudish (AK), Nancy Medina (NM), Denise Torres (DT), Brenda Vollman (BV)

Guests: Carl Lindskoog, Sean Murray

Absent: Alissa Ackerman (AA), Anton Masterovoy (AM), Danielle Wu (DW)

1. Approval of Agenda  

RF – motion
AF – 2nd
Unanimous consent
  
II. Approval of Old Minutes   

AK - Motion
NM - 2nd
Unanimous consent
  
III. Old Business  

a. GC Email Task Force (GD): Plan to have personal email linked to gmail.cuny.edu will be presented to plenary – Bob Campbell will speak at plenary.
b. Nurse Practitioner – RF – two strong candidates still in interview process

IV. New Business 

a. At-large slots (RF): Three open at-large slots. BV asked if community outreach is doing anything to this respect and will ask DW. AF recommended Neil Meyer (English), Taylor Kennamer (English); DT recommended Larry Ianotti (Social Welfare)

BV – Motion
DT – 2nd
Unanimous consent

b. Proposed bylaw changes (RF): Handout by RF – James Hoff: Advertisement Dollars to Advocacy – committee had issues with language he was using. GD proposed increasing outside speaker fee within bylaws from $300 to $500.
Raise for co-chairs from $500 to $700.
Change bylaws #s: 3.6, 9, 13, 15, 18.
Must be presented at plenary for review then ratified at following plenary.
AK: Is proposal to allow for alcoholic beverages?

7:07 to 7:32: Executive session while discussing student employees

c. Departmental reps (RF): Five reps removed by SC due two unexcused absences. All five were contacted. Three asked to be reinstated and two resigned. EOs will be asked for recommendations. Monica Steinberg reaffirmed as Art History rep.

GD – Motion
DT – 2nd
Unanimous consent

d. Email (handout) from Zeeshan Suhil discussed (RF): Are we interested in joining coalition?

AK: we needed more time to research Zeeshan
BV: Need proposal stating what coalition is about
RF: Not comfortable in saying DSC supports this unless brought to plenary
GD: stated we should solicit more info from Zeeshan

AF - motions to table the issue
GD – 2nd
Unanimous consent.

e. NYS lobbying efforts (RF): Sean and Carl updates:

Sean on Spitzer’s Commission on Higher Education (chaired by Assembly woman Glick): needs of GC not addressed in report
Sean testified on health insurance issues and arranged meetings with politicians (Farell, Glick, Schneiderman, Lavalle, Johnson, Spitzer…) – need more people to attend meetings. Told them we’re being exploited and want to attach ourselves to committee, want health insurance like SUNY’s… Sean stated we need more people to attend these meetings with politicians and that he was consistently told letters from students are needed to get point across.

CL: Health insurance issue is time sensitive and need letter writing campaign and for DSC to give more support
BV: Timeline?
CL: No set data.
NM: Deadline for final report by commission?
CL: Report is separate but budget is being worked on now
S: Set up letter writing at lounges – I have letterheads to be used.
NM: We need form letters or templates for students
CL: DSC should pass resolution to get involved
BV: What exact action are we supposed to do?
CL: Letter to all CUNY faculty
S: Advertising - buttons, bibs
RF: Allocation of funds for campaign, start publicizing. (RF hands out notice from Assoc. Provost title: Health Insurance Coverage for Doctoral Students at the CUNY Graduate Center – dated: February 29, 2008

BV: Motion to approve $5000 from discretionary funds
RF: Amend to $500 tonight and $500 at plenary
RF: 2nd
Unanimous consent

RF: Motion to move Business Report from VII to V
2nd: BV
Unanimous consent

V. Business Report (DT): DT gave out 2009-2009 budget.

GD: On WebConsulting/Hosting – name should be changed to Domain Registration/Hosting. If needed money can come from Discretionary funds. On Elections – printing/postage not $2,500; may not need to mail anymore
BV: Countered that we’re undergoing change to email
DT We should leave money for that in case next SC wants to make changes and printing is not just for post cards
RF: Slash to $500 and next year’s SC can change it again
BV Strike extra $100 to SC members since automated voting doesn’t require much work
RF: Co-chairs still doing a lot of work. Give SERC members stipend since they’re working on election duties
GD Not sure SERC needs a stipend since all templates created this year should be usable again next year.
RF: Bylaws can change this
DT: SC raise?
BV: Hard sell to get SC raise. Advocates increase for co-chairs and Adjunct
DT: Postage?
RF: Slash to $500
GD: I agree
DT: $2000 can go back to Scholarship Fund
BV: I agree
RF: Need to propose budget…
BV: Final version by October 1st.
RF: Add $775 to SC & Co-chair budget ($40,800 total). Reduced printing can be added back to Scholarships
DT: $4,800 debt - Where will we get if from?
BV: Take $1000 from Discretionary acct. and re-write Constitution to allow this
AK: Do we need $10,000 for Social? Only one person showed up during the time I tabled. What did we spend $500 on. Can we bake?
BV: Hard to get members to table let alone bake…
GD: What about coffee-hour, community bldg, offsite campus visits – this is from three separate budgets
BV: What does Comm. Bldg do? We should strike it.
GD: Strike Comm Bldg and coffee-hours and move offsite campus visits

RF - Motion to send to plenary $3,800 reduced from Chartered orgs
GD - 2nd
Unanimous consent

BV: Pull $4,000 from Medical Test Subsidies
DT: Reminder: Jane, at plenary, suggested Health Insurance fund so we can use money for this
BV: We get more money than goes to Wellness
AK: Where does $96,000 go?
BV: Health issues. The line “Wellness” may need to be changed
AK: Do we need $2,000 for supplies? Webmaster budget?

8:24PM – 8:40PM EXECUTIVE SESSION to discuss student employees

RF – Motion to present budget to plenary
AK – 2nd
Unanimous consent

AK left at 8:40
No quorum – meeting informal

GD - Motion for remaining two reports to be amended in minutes NM via email
NM – 2nd
Unanimous consent

RF – Motion to Adjourn
DT – 2nd
Unanimous consent

Adjourned: 8:47PM

************************************************************************
Amended reports:

VI. Student Affairs Report (GD):

The nominating period will conclude at midnight on March 3rd. So far about 70 nominations have been made online. Over the next month, while Student Affairs certifies the nominees, we should develop a GOTV strategy as well as a plan for creating the 60+ online ballots. The voting period will begin on April 1st - as should GOTV.

The spring party will follow are next plenary meeting (3/14). Denise has graciously setup a Google document to help organize SC duties for the event.

There have been some problems with the DSC Google Calendar, everyone is urged to make sure that changes to office hours, room reservations and events are made in the appropriate category to reduce confusion.

VII. Communications Report (RF):

I attended a public hearing on Tuesday, February 19, at 5pm, in the Courtroom, Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St, Brooklyn, NY. on discussion of actions taken at 80th St and by the CAPPR (Committee on Academic Policy, Program and Research) regarding not only resolutions on joint degrees at CCNY and Hunter, but also moving Engineering programs entirely to CCNY. We have not received any notification that these actions were ratified at their February 25 meeting. I attended

Postcards have been sent, emails delivered, and excitement brewed regarding the online voting platform, https://eballot3.votenet.com/dsc/. I have been sending weekly reminders to departments and to our Plenary in hopes of spreading the word about these important nominations.

The Media Board meets again March 7 at 6pm in room 5489.

I have been participating, along with Matt Schoengood, Elise Perram, Mary Clancy, and Denise Torres, in interviews for the Nurse Practitioner position. We hope to tender an offer very soon, and resume service ASAP at the Wellness Center.

VP for IT Bob Campbell (or proxy) will be our March 14 Plenary speaker, along with Dr. Dan Lemons, Acting Associate Provost and Dean for Doctoral Sciences, Matt Schoengood, VP for Student Affairs, and John Flaherty, Director of Security and Public Safety.

It is imperative that all meetings of Standing Committees post their agendas and meeting dates at least seven days before the scheduled events, and post their minutes within seven days of the meeting. It is also imperative that quorum be reached and maintained.

As chair of the Graduate Council Committee on Committees, I am aware that there will be student openings for all standing committees (Curriculum and Degree, Information Technology, Library, Research, Structure, Student Services, and Committees). I will be soliciting for new potential members via departments and through our Plenary, and urge anyone interested in serving, or interested in knowing about these committees, to contact me.

VIII. USS Report (AF): Nothing to report. 

VIII. Committee Reports

Cultural Affairs and Scholarship Grant Committees (DT): More requests coming in and we are close to being out of funds. Should we consider special allocation?

NM: International & Out-of-State Issues – Gathering info on housing allotments/scales for grad students. Will be sending out survey to all EO’s and assts to forward to their students re: voicing concerns/issues.