Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Business Meeting Minutes

Big Red Barn Greenhouse November 27, 2000 5:00–6:00p.m.

Attendance: 2000–01 GPSA Members 4/24 8/28 9/25 10/30 11/27 1/22 2/26 3/26 4/23 Debbie Anderson P P E A A Virginia Augusta A P P P P Pat Carr P P P P P Stefan Hames P P P P P Sergei Krasulya P P P P P Bhaskar Krishnamachari P P P P P Krysta Levac P P P P P Krista Mowry P P P P P Aaron Saathoff P P P P P John Sebastian P P P P P Lidija Sekaric P P P P P Eric Sprague A A A A A Lakshmi (Vatsa) Srivatsa A On-leave — resigned 8/00 Andrew Thomas A P P A P Lotus Wang P P P A A Jessica Ward P P P Others Present: K. Barnes, P. McPheron, B.Bailey, and M. Carvalho

I. Call To Order

P. Carr, At-Large Representative and President of the 2000–2001 GPSA, called the meeting to order at 5:07 p.m.

II. Open Forum

B. Bailey informed people that the Shadows Program Steering Committee had met and begun planning for the 2001 Shadows Program. The Shadowing period will take place between February 19 — March 2. She said she knows the GPSA has its own initiatives that are similar to Shadows, but wanted to let graduate students know they were also welcome to participate in the Shadows Program.

III. Announcements

None were made.

IV. Approval of GPSA Minutes

The October 30, 2000 GPSA minutes were approved as amended.

V. Committee Reports A. Executive Committee

P. Carr reported that the law school representative has not been coming to any of the meetings. He emailed the representative and the president of the Student Law Association telling them to send a representative. P. Carr told members he has not received a name of a law student or any indication that they intend to provide one. Consequently, they could declare the law seat on the GPSA vacant and open it to At-large at the next meeting.

S. Hames said that the law school has a seminar that conflicts with the 5pm GPSA and COR meetings.

No one in the group objected to declaring the GPSA law seat vacant. They agreed to open the Law seat on the GPSA to At-Large by acclamation.

L. Sekaric, Arts and Sciences (Physical Sciences) Representative and GPSA Vice President, and P. Carr will be meeting with administrators at their monthly meeting on November 28 to communicate on issues and to ask them to report on certain things the assemblies want the administration to address. The November 28 agenda includes:

1) Lake source cooling 2) Diversity reporting — how is it being done? What else is being done besides workshops for staff, etc? 3) Computer system — Project 2000 inconsistencies 4) Faculty participation on committees. H. Mandeville will look at committees more closely — which ones are more relevant to faculty? 5) Fall Creek lead issues 6) Lighting and other reactionary measures to the muggings on campus

A. Saathoff, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (Biological Sciences) Representative, told members that a lighting report was recently completed. It involved a systematic study in which all areas of campus were examined.

K. Barnes, Student-elected Trustee, reported that they have reached out to undergraduate Resident Advisors to show them where lights were out, old routes no longer in use, where more lights should be added, etc. Susan Murphy is working on it — it’s a slow process, but coming.

V. Augusta, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (Social Sciences) Representative, questioned the term “systematic”.

A. Saathoff replied the process was systematic and was not arbitrary.

S. Hames wanted to know if emails would continue to be sent to everybody every time a mugging occurs.

P. Carr pointed out that the incident in which emails were sent out involved a gun and occurred on campus.

P. Carr will be meeting with Dean Cohen on Wednesday and said he had nothing new to report until that meeting takes place.

B. Faculty (Graduate) Fellows Committee

P. Carr reported that he and V. Augusta are working on the Graduate Fellows Program. The timetable has been extended and he expects the program to pilot next year, allowing it to be worked on all Spring.

P. Carr asked how the other pilot committees are progressing.

K. Levac stated that it has been difficult getting people to volunteer for the Panel Discussion Program. Since waiting for volunteers doesn’t seem to be getting results, she said she thinks she will pick people to help before winter break to get that piece done. She believes the timing of the Panel Discussion will coordinate with the Shadows Program.

K. Mowry, At Large Representative and GPSA Secretary, agreed that it was difficult to get people to come forward to volunteer for the Buddy System. She said she will continue to work on it.

C. Other Committees

B. Krishnamachari, Engineering Representative and Dining Committee member, reported that he received over 90 responses to the Dining survey he distributed. He will compile the information.

VI. Unfinished Business and General Orders A. Hillary Ford’s Retirement

P. Carr reminded the GPSA of the resolution the GPSA passed thanking Hilary for her service and work with the GPSA. He thought it would be nice for the GPSA to do something recognizing her again now that she is leaving Cornell.

A member noted that December 11 is the reception for H. Ford and J. Ford.

S. Hames pointed out that H. Ford has done a lot to improve the plight of graduate students and will be greatly missed.

P. Carr said he is speaking at the reception and that he would like to present her with something from the GPSA.

S. Hames suggested giving her a wooden book/clock.

A. Saathoff proposed the idea of a small plaque with an inscription.

K. Levac recommended the idea of a nice photograph of the campus or gorges around Ithaca. It would also be possible to affix a plaque to it with an inscription as well.

There was a vote on the gift. The book/clock passed: Clock - 6, Photograph — 4

The inscription would read something like “with appreciation GPSA” (2000)

Suggestions for an inscription should be emailed to P. Carr and he would follow-up to make sure this is done.

B) Resolution supporting the UA Transportation Resolution

P. Carr said the University Assembly passed a resolution asking to have one of the three Cornell-affiliated Board members be a UA designee. The UA is asking the constituent assemblies to support the resolution and P. Carr stated that the SA has already given their support. He clarified that the UA is asking the assemblies for a sentiment of approval.

K. Levac clarified that it technically hasn’t passed the UA yet because it is pending Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) approval. She noted that TAC has some issues with the resolution, but the UA could still pass it without TAC approval.

S. Hames thought it would be good to have the assemblies present a united front.

The GPSA gave unanimous approval to the sentiment of the UA Transportation Resolution.

C) University Calendar

P. Carr told members that the University Calendar is the same one that had been brought to earlier GPSA and COR meetings. Voting on the calendar has been postponed because the SA had issues with Labor Day and some other federal holidays. The SA has been working with some faculty members regarding the concerns, and the GPSA has been waiting for this process to conclude. The discussion to amend the calendar included having no lecture on Labor Day, but to still hold labs and recitation sessions.

A motion was made, and seconded, to discuss the years 2002/03–2004/05 of the University calendar.

S. Hames expressed his strong objection to working on Labor Day.

J. Sebastian, Arts and Sciences (Humanities) stated that the freshman writing seminars have problems with canceling classes.

L. Sekaric said that basically the only people working are the TA’s because the faculty won’t have to teach on Labor Day.

P. Carr interjected that not teaching does not automatically mean that they have the day off.

K. Mowry commented that there was an undue burden on graduate students. She felt this constituent group is affected more than any other.

J. Sebastian said that it is not undue, it is “unfair”. He discussed the fact that on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, nothing was open or available on campus. It is difficult to carry on work when everything around campus is not open; none of the support systems are available.

B. Krishnamachari commented that these kinds of concerns regarding the libraries were brought up at former meetings. He wondered if anything has happened with this.

L. Sekaric responded that library forums are going on and they would welcome graduate input. She will forward more detailed information to the gpsa-l listserv. The GPSA could also invite the university librarian to a meeting.

S. Hames said that in the past the university has gone ahead and published the calendar without approval by the assemblies.

A. Saathoff felt that it should be that either everyone has to show up to work on Labor Day, or else no one. He felt it wasn’t fair that double standards exist.

P. Carr stated that the GPSA options are to oppose the compromise, approve the calendar, or not approve the calendar. The Labor Day issue originated with the SA and the GPSA jumped on it. He asked what the GPSA wants to do. He added that the SA is postponing this indefinitely.

K. Mowry asked what happens when assemblies don’t approve the calendar? Graduate students are often required to work through spring break and no one is making an issue with that. Labor Day is a graduate student issue because undergraduates can choose whether to go to class or not. TA’s have less choice and would face bigger repercussions.

V. Augusta stated that a trade off would be to come back earlier.

K. Mowry said that other schools don’t have the same kind of Fall Break schedule as Cornell, with Monday and Tuesday off.

S. Hames proposed a solution of having make-up classes.

L. Sekaric said that probably nothing else would happen if they don’t approve the calendar. It’s more of a statement.

A. Saathoff stated that the GPSA should figure out if they will or will not approve the calendar and make a formal statement.

P. Carr re-stated that the GPSA is opposed to the halfway compromise.

S. Hames said he thinks that the GPSA should oppose the calendar. This happens every year and the administration always says it is too much trouble to change it.

V. Augusta presented the idea of allowing graduate students the option of taking Labor day off and working the following Saturday. This would result in getting a 3-day weekend and having the next week operate from Tuesday to Saturday.

P. Carr asked how this would benefit the graduate students?

V. Augusta responded that grads would get a long weekend like everybody else.

B. Krishnamachari suggested that it would create other problems since it could be unfair to students who don’t want to work weekends.

J. Sebastian pointed out that room scheduling would also be a problem. Graduate students would still end up working the extra day, while everyone else would still have Monday and Saturday off.

S. Hames remarked that the introductory biology and chemistry classes have complicated experiments and they are set in their ways.

B. Krishnamachari clarified that the issue is not really about approval of the calendar, it’s about the fact that TA’s have to work an extra day.

L. Sekaric stated that TA’s would be stuck teaching classes while other members of the professional faculty will be off.

A member asked if the Educational Policy Committee (EPC) has the power to change this.

S. Krasulya, Engineering Representative, suggested Cornell push back its finals.

K. Mowry asked if the EPC meetings are every other Wednesday. She wasn’t sure.

Members weren’t sure.

S. Hames said that if Monday is added it becomes a calendar issue. They could have classes end on a Monday versus a Friday.

P. Carr asked if the GPSA should vote now? Or, should he write a letter to B. Cooke?

K. Mowry asked if they would include the alternatives and ideas discussed in the letter as well?

S. Hames suggested writing a stern letter objecting to the compromise and objecting to the calendar.

Motion to approve the University Academic Calendar failed: Approve — 0, Against — 9, Abstaining — 2.

P. Carr said he would convey this objection to the appropriate people.

VII. New Business

No new business was reported.

VIII. Adjournment

P. Carr adjourned the meeting at 6:11pm

Respectfully Submitted, Melissa Carvalho, student clerk