Graduate Community Initiative Working Group

Graduate Community Initiative Working Group Meeting Minutes October 2, 2007

Attendees: Kris Corda, Cathy Dove, Edna Dugan, Kent Hubbell, Michelle Leinfelder, Brendan O’Brien, Sunny Power, Susan Riley, Cecelia Sander, Janet Vertesi, Ira Wasserman, Brenda Wickes and Yu Yu

Edna Dugan welcomed attendees and reviewed the meeting agenda on behalf of Susan Murphy. Introductions were made around the table.

The overall task of the GCIWG is to present a roadmap of responses to President Skorton by December. Meetings are scheduled bi-weekly throughout the year. Sunny offered to move meetings to the Graduate School GC room, 3rd floor Caldwell Hall beginning October 16th. Donna Wilczynski in Susan Murphy’s office should modify Oracle meeting location.

Review of what has been discussed so far and goals for this semester

• Office space. Kent Hubbell announced working towards GPSA office space in Willard Straight Hall. Perhaps shared with SA. Alternative space in Grad School or Barn?
• GPSA CoR meeting space in Memorial Room. GPSA to continue to use BRB.
• A Graduate Community Center beyond the barn, while needed, is longer term.
• Graduate Programming Space. Graduate programming and activities space still in Barn only. Need further discussion of programming and space alternatives, short and long term. Brenda Wickes and Kris Corda to convene Grad programming group to identify possible synergies. Will want representation from SAO, professional schools, student groups, residential programs and others. Please send contacts for interested parties to Brenda Wickes at bw32.
• Communication. Discussed use and locations for video monitors/eboards like at Robert Purcell Community Center to promote communication of grad/prof. announcements on programs, career services, meetings, GPSA, etc. versus traditional bulletin boards. Both have issues of maintenance and visibility as well as strategic location/usage. Kent talked about new initiative at WSH with the Johnson School. Kris Corda discussed limitations and locations within the BRB and desire to maintain the aesthetic of the BRB. Kris will spearhead getting information on systems in use at Appel and RPCC. Kent will get her information on the WSH system.
• Subcommittee on Communication. Led by Michelle as the chair of the GPSA Communication Committee. Need to identify other members.
• Communication Committee tasks:
• To develop ways/ideas to foster communication across fields and professions for grads and prof. students.
• To ensure information about services, resources, programs and opportunities for graduate and professional students is accessible and well disseminated.
• Talked about using GPSA website as one point of dissemination. Grad Web site and various lists as others (BRB, GradCareer-l, GradpartnerFamily-l, Grad Bulletin to DGS/GFR) Other venues?
• Defined difficulty in constituting multiple workgroups/committees to address/respond and define roadmap. Utilize GPSA CoR to solicit student input. Need to separate operations of GPSA committees from GCA workgroup and roadmap but still include graduate and professional student representation and input.

Career Services: Convening a subcommittee to define the needs for graduate students and understand the resources in place and additional resources (if any) that are needed

• Career Services Subcommittee. Edna has spoken with Rebecca Sparrow and Brenda Wickes. Has some of committee constituted. Brenda will follow up with Rebecca and Edna to convene.
• Committee will focus on nonacademic or post-academic career services. Academic career services primarily addressed through the fields, colleges and departments.
• Career Resources Center. A dedicated person focused on graduate students. Brenda works on Career Services limited time. Demand is high for academic and nonacademic career support. 37 student requests in one week. University Career Services does work with graduate students already as do many of the college career offices as well as Grad school but services are limited and not well communicated.
• Need communication and strategy to develop much needed resources and supports

Discussion of housing issues: current year issues, information from a recent study done by the Real Estate Office (information to be distributed at the meeting), plans for the future.

How do we engage students in the long term planning?

• Edna reported that Residential Initiative construction was ahead of schedule and all transfer students would be out of Hasbrouck this year. Question remains if that means Hasbrouck will return to predominately graduate and family housing.
• Edna presented housing study that showed graduate student responses to a survey conducted by the Real Estate office. Response to be used by Campus Life along with Master plan to develop long term housing plan for grad students.
• Discussed Maplewood and Maple Hill expected life and need for alternative housing development.
• Cathy Dove presented other needs for housing within the campus portfolio: high end housing for professional and temporary programs.
• As Campus Life currently houses only 14–17% of graduate students, need to involve Off-Campus Housing Office and others in discussion, response and planning.
• Brenda tasked by Sunny on behalf of GCI and Graduate school to convene Housing subcommittee. Self and other nominations for committee welcomed.

Other topics:

Brenda announced development of GradCareers-l and Gradstudent family-l to help facilitate information/communication.

Brenda reported 37 plus student families received child care subsidies via Child care grant application. Yu Yu presented schematic on the Master Plan and spoke about T-Geis study, current ride share program for graduate students.

Yu Yu also shared an article on health care/insurance related issues for spouses of graduate students and a discussion ensued on the issues of a limited insurance pool and resulting high insurance costs.

Brendan O’Brien will follow up with Janet Vertesi and Michelle Leinfelder and GPSA to discuss services via ISSO for international students, to be included then in the roadmap/response.

Items for next meeting:

• Reports on subcommittees
• Further discussion on short, medium and long term plans

From previous minutes:

Long term Initiatives

• How to fit into long-range Campus Master Plan overall.
• Integrating the graduate and professional student experience.
• Accommodation Leave Policy
• Childcare. Costs for graduate students, limited space and mechanism in place to ensure spots held for graduate students.

Minutes presented by Brenda Wickes