Graduate and Professional Student Council

Meeting Minutes for April 8, 2008

Kaskaskia Room, Student Center, 7:00 PM

I. Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 7:06 PM.

II. Roll Call

Ed Ford (Educational Psychology), Jennifer Mulnix (Educational Psychology), Tim Hudspeth (Law), Kyle Stevens (Law), Lance Camp (Law), Cord Wittig (Law – proxy Josh Garrison), Sumi Rebeiro (Law), Kristina Dzara (Sociology), Mike Stahl (Zoology), Gargi Bhattacharya (Psychology), Nathaniel Taylor (History), Alex Strong (Graduate Council), Janet Mayher (Graduate Council), Claudia Torres-Ambriz (Graduate Council), Jonathan Remo (Graduate Council), Sara Samson (Vice President for Administrative Affairs), Shelly McGrath (Vice President for Graduate School Affairs).

III. Approval of the Agenda

A. A motion was made to add a moment of silence for Huaijun Meng.

B. A motion was made to discuss the GPSC party.

C. The agenda was approved as amended.

IV. Approval of the Minutes from February 5, 2008

The minutes were approved as presented.

Following the approval of the minutes, the Council observed a moment of silence in remembrance of Huaijun Meng.

V. Officer Reports

A. President: Steven Middleton

1. The President and Chancellor have met to discuss the issues regarding the Chancellor’s job performance. The issues should be resolved in 1-2 weeks.

B. Vice President for Administrative Affairs: Sara Samson

1. Budget Report: GPSC started with $79,000 from the student activity fee and $6,000 carryover from last year. We currently have $36,000 in activity fee money and $2,000 in carryover money left.

C. Vice President for Graduate School Affairs: Shelly McGrath

1. The fellowship issue has been resolved. Service is now required so the fellowship money will be treated as graduate assistantship income, making the students eligible for financial aid.

VI. New Business

A. GPSC Party -

1. The party will not be held this semester. The council will plan over the summer and hold a party in the fall.

B. Fee Allocations -

1. Midwest Applied Psychology Conference – Approved funding for this event in the amount of $500 for speaker travel and $50 for advertising on the condition that advertising is completed, approved, and distributed by June 27, 2008. 19-0.

2. Japan, China & India: The Rise of America’s Strategic Competitors – Approved funding for this event in the amount of $250 for speaker hotel expenses on the condition that advertising is completed, approved, and distributed at least one week prior to the date of lecture. 17-0.

C. Vote on Approving Fee Increases -

1. Graduate Tuition Increase: 0-17

2. Business Administration Differential Tuition: 1-14-2

3. Student Services Fee: 0-16

4. Facilities Maintenance Fee: 5-9-3

D. Constitutional Amendment -

1. The Council discussed a proposed amendment to the GPSC constitution regarding qualifications to be a GPSC officer.

E. Officer Nominations -

1. President: Steven Middleton

2. Vice President for Administrative Affairs: Kyle Stevens

3. Vice President for Graduate School Affairs: Claudia Torres-Ambriz.

4. Graduate Council: Jennifer Mulnix, Jonathan Remo, Gargi Bhattacharya.

VII. Roundtable Discussion

A. None.

VIII. Announcements

A. Trey Gosset has his thesis presentation Friday at the glove factory.

B. Whole trout will be on sale on the ag lawn for $4-5 a pound in the near future.

C. Robert A. Levy, the attorney who helped file the D.C. gun control case, will be speaking in the Law School auditorium on April 9 at 12:15.

IX. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned.