GSA GENERAL MEETING

MARCH 8, 2007

 

The Executive Committee met from 6:30-6:50 p.m. 

The General Meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.

Members Present (those who signed in): Kumar Bhattacharya, Aaron Pedinotti, Eric Trozzo, Elaine Given, Samantha Lawrence, Brandon Fralix, Malebogo Kgalemang, Brooke Ethridge, Dennis Coyle, Kevin Huvane, Lynne Darden.

Agenda was read and approved by the house.

Area Presentations and General Announcements

Lynne Darden, GSA and GDR liaison officer gave a report on the events of the GDR.

  • The GDR Faculty met twice during the fall semester.  The faculty concentrated on tuition funding for in-coming students, both PhD and MA students. Dean Beach wishes 85% minimum funding for both Phd and MA students.

 

  • Dissertation free years for GDR PhDs are still under discussion. The discussion is pending until MHL and English reviews are completed.
  • Policy Procedures: Criteria for dissertation prospectus are currently under review.  
  • Teaching assistant stipend is currently under review. Intentions to increase the current payment.

 

Issues Raised regarding Division of GSA into GDR and CSGS Associations

a)      Are they going to be two separate entities? What is the current outlook on the association between the two?

b)      What are the students thinking about the interconnection between these two proposed bodies?

c)      Do we exactly know what the budget is? Is it being considered?

d)      How will this process of separation be given shape?

e)      To whom will the GSA report to? Each to the relevant structures.

f)       What if the GDR joined the TSA? Should the TSA to be included in our meeting. Response; it is not the mandate of the GSA to decide; GDR will decide its relationship to TSA. Why not give area conveners more responsibilities. Why is the TSA excluded? Why not make them part of GDR? Have they been a part of this discussion? Response is for GDR to decide whether they want to be part of TSA or remain as a separate entity. Our focus today is whether GDR and CSGS remain as one entity or separate.

 

Suggested That:

g)      Both of them have an executive committee of their own and the presidents of both associations meet for periodic updates.

h)      Suggestion to have a brief  common session between the two student associations.

i)        Suggestion to remain the way we are; and have different counsels.

j)        Suggestion to have voices on the table on how GDR is going to structure its constitution how to keep and maintain the links both traditionally and constitutionally; create a tradition of meeting.

k)      For the future: GDR to have dialogues with TSA and GSA find ways for better coordination among the three.

 

 

Motion Passed and Agreed

GDR association approved to be a separate entity from the CSGS.

The next incoming GSA will draw a new constitution.

 

 

Area Presentations

 

MHL

 Colloquia:

 

21/02 the first one for the semester, Nicole Bennett was the presenter, part of her dissertation.

22/03 Frank will present a chapter from his dissertation

28/04 new science professor will present

Colloquia open to other departments.

 

Review Stuff

Reviewers come on the 12/13 and students/department working hard to put together relevant materials for the survey.

 

Kevin/Brandon: English

  • English review is to be held on the 4th and 5th April. It will include meeting with the students.    The faculty will meet the reviewers on the 5th April.
  • An attempt to bring in an external scholar for a colloquium was made but it was not successful.
  • English lacks a community.

 

Medical Humanities

 

Noted Physician, Author to Speak on March 26.

  • Madison, NJ --  Renowned author and surgeon Dr. Pauline Chen, who is noted for her writings on caring for the terminally ill patients, will deliver this year’s William Campbell Lecture on Science and the Humanities at 7:00p.m. on Monday, March 26 at Drew University. The event, which is presented by Drew’s Caspersen School of Graduate Studies, will be held in the Dorothy Young Centre for the Arts Concert Hall on the school’s 36 Madison Avenue campus. A reception and book signing will follow the lecture. Admission to the event is free and members of the community are welcome to attend.
  • The 2007 William Campbell Lecture on Science and the Humanities is part of a series funded by a generous endowment form William Campbell of the Merck Institute for Therapeutic Research. Dr. Campbell, who is also a faculty member at Drew, established the series to help bridge the gap between the sciences and the humanities.

 

University Senate report given by Elaina Given

 

  • University Senate is meeting again, and will meet every other week for the rest of the semester.

 

  • President Weisbuch’s vision for the Senate: Use October State of the University Address as a starting point to address issues and anxieties from that address.  University Senate is important because representatives from all areas of the university meet there.

 

  • Robin Timmons from CLA is head of Senate until the end of the semester.

 

  • Last Senate meeting, 3/1:

 

  • Diversity Best Practices: under review, but tentative diversity guidelines for all institutional units.

 

  • National Faculty Initiative: To supplement, not replace, current faculty hiring practices.

  

  • Recommended people from the outside for temporary or permanent teaching positions, including post-doctoral applicants.  Still in draft form and needs to undergo legal review, but candidates are already being recruited.  It is a Presidential Initiative project.  

 

Board of Trustees Meeting held in February 2007 by Brooke Ethridge

 

Reported that:

  • The provost gave a report of her impression of Drew and future endeavors.
  • The board of trustees showed keen interest for students.
  • Dr. Mckean appreciated meeting with the GSA and encouraged more meetings and dialogues.

 

Report by Dennis Coyle, Representative for all three schools on the Administrative Expense Committee fiscal Budget

Reported that

  • The administrative expense committee is charged with considering the budget requests for non-academic elements of the University while the second expense committee deals with Academic expense budgets.

 

  • Within the scope of the budget process, there are five committees: two to consider issues related to revenue, two for expenses, and a final committee that will be responsible for reviewing the recommendations of all four committees to formulate a final budget presentation for the Board of Trustees’ meeting in May.

 

  • The Administrative Expense Committee is chaired by Peggi Howard, the Vice President for Administration and University Relations and also has representatives from the staff, faculty, and library. The following groups have or will be making budget presentations to this committee: Compensation; Public Safety; the Child Development Centre; the Bookstore; Food Services; Public Relations; Housing, Conference & Hospitality; Finance; and Facilities.

 

  • “Our began meeting Thursday, 2/2/2007 and have met each Thursday except Thursday since then, and will meet an additional two times after Spring Break. Thus far, we have heard from each of the groups I mentioned, excepting Facilities. Each of our meetings has consisted of a presentation by one or two of the groups followed by a question and answer period offering the members of the committee the opportunity to come to a better understanding of the needs that each group has presented.”

 

  • “In our concluding meeting, we will be prioritizing the requests as high priority/high need, high priority/intermediate need, and lower priority or need and submitting a report of our recommendations to the reviewing budget committee.”

 

Suggested that he is happy to answer any questions about the committee to the best of his ability.

 

 

GSA President’s Report

Reported that

  • The Dean’s reception is going to be held on May 8th 2007.
  • GSA is planning to present T-shirts to grad students who have represented the GSA in different categories and committees as a way of saying “Thank You.”
  • March 20th, President Weisbuch and Dean Williams will meet Graduate students @ 4.30pm.
  • Dates for English and MHL reviews; a mandatory online registration for graduate student.
  • Academic: all incomplete grades will be turned to F grades by the 1st April 2007.
  • Regarding Director of MAT there are four candidates for interviews.
  • Regarding the review, the tentative end date will be 30th June,

Next GSA meeting, 11th April @ 6.30pm

Agenda;

  • To discuss student achievement and GSA will bring proposal of names. Further information can be viewed at the GSA link.
  • After GSA meeting, President will call for nominations for both GSA and GDR executive committees.

 

Meeting adjourned at 2100hrs.

 

Malebogo Kgalemang