Graduate
and Professional Student Council
Meeting
Minutes for August 28, 2007
Kaskaskia
Room, Student Center, 7:00 PM
I. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 7:02 PM.
II. Introduction and Welcome
GPSC is a constituency group that represents graduate and professional students. GPSC is funded through the Student Activity fee and GPSC uses the fee to sponsor activities and professional development for graduate and professional students. The President of GPSC is Steven Middleton and he works with the SIUC administration and nominates students to serve on committees . The Vice President for Administrative affairs is Sara Samson and she manages the day to day operation of the GPSC office and oversees the fee allocation board. The Vice President for Graduate School Affairs is Shelly McGrath and she oversees the GPSC representatives on the Graduate Council. Graduate Council a constituency group dealing with graduate education issues such as setting curriculum, changes in graduate programs, and the addition of degree. The Graduate Council consists of graduate faculty and four members of GPSC. To be a member of GPSC you must be elected or appointed as a representative by students from you academic department, college, or school. If a Unit Student organization exists, you will need a letter from the student president of the unit student organization. If no student organization exists, then you will need signatures from 10 students in your department. However, if there are less than 50 students in you department, you will need signatures from 20% of the students in your department. Unclassified students need to have 20 signatures from unclassified students.
III. Roll Call
Trey Gossett (Art and Design), Ed Ford (Educational Psychology), Tim Hudspeth (Law), Sumi Rebeiro (Law), Alex Strong (Philosophy) , Gediminas Markevicius (Physics), Mike Stahl (Zoology), Janet Mayher (Anthropology), Kristina Dzara (Sociology), Kyle Stevens (Law), Claudia Torre-Ambriz (Art and Design), Andrea Jones (Law), Cord Wittig (Law), Jennifer Mulnix (Educational Psychology), Christopher Jenkins (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Sara Samson (Vice President for Administrative Affairs), Shelly McGrath (Vice President for Graduate School Affairs).
IV. Approval of the Agenda
Sara Samson proposed adding fee allocation board recommendations. The agenda was approved as amended.
V. Approval of the Minutes from July 10, 2007
The minutes were approved as presented.
VI. Officer Reports
A. President: Steven Middleton
1. During the Summer Board of Trustee’s meeting, GPSC presented a letter to the Board of Trustees stating GPSC’s disapproval of the increased cost of library renovations. However, The Board of Trustees passed a resolution in favor of increasing the allocation to the library renovation. GPSC is accepting nominations for the dean search committee for the College Mass Communication and Media Arts. Let Steven know if you are interested. Any graduate or professional may serve of a search committee, they do not have to be a member of GPSC.
B. Vice President for Administrative Affairs: Sara Samson
1. GPSC was allocated less money this year because Student Development changed they way they allocated the activity fee money. The Activity fee was previously allocated to GPSC and USG based on the number of students in each group. However, the fee is paid on a credit hour basis. Student Development now allocates the activity fee money based upon the number of credit hours . Because of this change, the amount of money that GPSC received was significantly reduced. In prior years our budget was around $100,000, but this year the GPSC budget is around $80,000.
2. During the summer meeting we proposed 4 options to the council to account for the reduction in our budget. The council chose to allocate $25,000 for professional development and $15,000 for events. This budget reduced the amount allocated for professional development from $150 to $125.
C. Vice President for Graduate School Affairs: Shelly McGrath
1. The next Graduate council is on September 6, 2007.
VII. Committee Reports
A. Campus Safety: Ed Ford
1. The Campus Night Transit Service will now serve both male and female students. The Service will now be managed by Campus Police instead of the Student Center. The service will now utilize one van instead of two cars. The committee will be monitoring the cost of providing the service.
VIII. New Business
A. Fee Allocation Board Recommendations
1. The Fee Allocation Board recommended funding up to $360 for the Keynote speaker lodging and funding up to $100 for advertising for SIUIS. The Fee allocation Board recommendation was not approved. The Council recommended that up to $460 for travel expenses for the Keynote speaker. The Council’s recommendation was approved 14-1.
2. The Fee Allocation Board recommended funding up to $500 for referee fees and $50 for Ruggapalozza. The Fee allocation Board Recommendation was not approved. The Council recommended funding up to $400 for referee fees and $50 for advertising. The council’s recommendation was approved 14-1.
B. GPSC Welcome Back Get Together
1. The Council voted to hold a Welcome Back Get Together at Copper Dragon and fund the event up to $750.
C. Excecutive Board Nominations and Elections
1. Cord Wittig, Kyle Stevens, and Tim Hudspeth were approved by acclamation.
D. Graduate Council Nomination and Elections
1. Claudia Torre-Ambriz was approved by acclamation.
IX. Roundtable discussion
No discussion.
X. Announcements
No announcements
XI. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 PM.