Graduate and Professional Student Assembly
Council of Representatives
Notes
Big Red Barn
March 8, 2004
5:30–7:00 p.m.

Attendance:

Present: Larry Boyd, Harley Etienne, Brian Holmes, Gavin Hurley, Joan Moriarty, David Schmale III, Susannah Schmid, Cate Taylor, Kurt Massey

Excused:

Unexcused: Curtis Jirsa, Dan Marques, Timothy McConnochie, Mark McGuire, Anne McNeil, Farbod Raiszadeh, Karen Trainor, Ariana Vigil

Others present: S. Braig, D. Agruss, H. O’Neil, B. Goehring, D. Nowak, E. Coryell, D. Heard, J. Nelson, A. Beggs, V. Blodgett, P. Dusseau, A. Rachamim, A. Poduska, R. Bhattamishra, T. Wall, S. Munro, E. Stephens, K. Crowley, E. Furlan, G. Dahlberg, T. Bishop, T. Tseui

I. Call to Order

D. Schmale called the meeting to order at 5:37pm. He introduced the executive officers for those unfamiliar with them. He also introduced VP Murphy and Rebecca Sparrow of Career Services, here to talk about the CINTAS situation.

II. Discussion with Susan Murphy & Rebecca Sparrow

VP Murphy introduced herself. She said they are in charge of event managers, people hired to assist during events that will have a large crowd or events that are controversial. Administration figured the event with CINTAS would need event managers, so they were hired. They will no longer hire event managers from the same unit that is associated with the event (the event managers were staff of Career Services). They will also no longer let event managers have prior knowledge of the attendees of the event. She discussed a letter written to Hillary Corrigan in response to what happened with CINTAS in December, which a copy was handed to everybody present at the meeting.

Rebecca Sparrow from Career Services spoke of what her office does. She read their mission statement. She said that on-campus recruiting usually applies to and serves undergraduates and not all employers interest all students. She said they have guidelines for employers to follow, including EEO and advertising opportunities. Some events are open while some are closed to the public. Event managers are called if an employer draws controversy, as CINTAS was expected to do. She listed some changes that are being made as a result of the CINTAS event in the fall. Software that allows students to sign up for information sessions has been disengaged. They are in the process of developing a clearer policy page on the web for employers. She also listed other services that Career Services offer, including advising and career fairs. She mentioned there will be a career fair for non-profit organizations tomorrow afternoon in Statler. She emphasized that Career Services are making strong efforts in not just focusing on undergraduates; they are trying to provide uniform services all over campus to all students, undergrad and grad. She also talked about the usefulness of CornellTrak, an online website that offers jobs, internships, and connecting with alumni.

V. Blodgett said Career Services mainly focuses on non-academic professions, not professorial job searches.

D. Agruss asked for clarification of the staff member that searched a database for students that may cause problems — he asked is this a common practice? Why did the event manager do such a thing?

VP Murphy said she thinks the staff member did it so that she could do the best job she could. The event manager misinterpreted her role as event manager, and for that VP Murphy takes partial blame.

L. Boyd said that the students feel the office completely handled the situation incorrectly. As a soon-to-be alumni who will most likely come back to recruit, if this kind of thing happens, then he won’t return to recruit. Another point he brought up is that business graduates are having problems tapping into Cornell networks, i.e. accessing alumni networking.

Rebecca Sparrow said business students can register with CornellTrak, which is not restrictive. Only people who are alumni can access the big alumni database.

A student asked what kind of database was searched?

VP Murphy said that if you upload a resume, you are searchable.

III. Announcements and Reports

A) Assembly Updates
G. Hurley said they passed the GPSAFC funding guidelines at the last GPSA meeting. He thanked the GPSAFC for their work.

B) Elections

G. Hurley said that at the next COR meeting, next year’s assembly members will be elected.

C) Call to Engagement
H. Etienne said he is chairing the ad hoc committee for the Call to Engagement. He called attention the draft letter included with the agenda to be sent to President Lehman which acts as a non-response letter.

D. Schmale thanked Harley and the committee for putting this together.

A student said he feels it’s important to focus on international students and reach out to them, especially Muslim students and those from developing countries.

H. Etienne said one amendment to the letter is to add the integration of undergrad and grad students, as seen with the trustee election.

D) Pay and Benefits
C. Taylor introduced herself as the chair to the committee. They are trying to get a meeting with Dean Power about dental and vision insurance. They are interested in getting information from people who have had problems with the current dental and vision plans. She asked people to get information from their department and email to her, CJT23@cornell.edu or DEN2@cornell.edu .

E) Other Committee Updates
B. Holmes said he is the chair of GPSAFC and they are having a big funding workshop this Thursday, March 11, 5–6pm, Room G10 in BioTech for all groups. Emails have gone out and will continue to go out.

D. Schmale said he went to the Ivy Summit a few weekends ago in Philadelphia with some other GPSA members and they are currently drafting a resolution about international students that ties in all of the university’s interests.

IV. Business of the Day

A) Committee Resolution
B. Holmes said during committee hearings, H. Etienne pointed out that the charter’s standing committee descriptions said that the committee chair and members are appointed and approved by the GPSA. It doesn’t specify what it means. The resolution suggests giving the elections committee a clear charge, trying to reach out to more constituents and make GPSA more accessible and getting people involved in the decisions made. The resolution makes the secretary chair the internal operations committee. He went over other changes made, which are in the resolution.

V. Adjournment

D. Schmale adjourned the meeting at 6:30 to hold the Trustee Candidates Forum.

Respectfully submitted,
Tyng Tsuei
Office of the Assemblies