Minutes
Graduate & Professional Student Assembly
Discussion Meeting of the GPSA Advisory Body
November 2, 2009
Art Gallery, WSH
5:30–7:00 P.M.

I. 5:30 - Welcome & Introductions, Last Discussion Meeting review, Overview of agenda

E. Gutierrez welcomed everyone and began the meeting at 5:30 p.m. She reported Kent Hubbell was absent from today’s meeting, and briefly went over the agenda.

II. 5:32 - Executive Updates (8 minutes)

Executive Vice President: Erica Gutierrez (Blog/Survey/GPSA Logo Design Competition)

E. Gutierrez said the survey has been out for two weeks or so. She urged people to take it and urge colleagues to take it. Thus far, they have had around 130 respondents.

She reported there will be a GPSA Logo Design Competition, as the GPSA is looking to reinvent their image. Any people who are artistically or visually savvy are encouraged to submit an entry. Themes from the year include participation, sustainability, and diversity. The logo will be on the web as well as any GPSA merchandise.

Vice President of Operations: Brian Forster (CALS Dean/Website/Committee Reports)

B. Forster did not give an update and instead yielded his time to S. Murugesan. Srich Murugesan, head of the GPSA Events Committee, said the Events Committee has a blog page on the GPSA blog. They will be updating that as well as the Facebook and welcome suggestions.

III. Other Updates

Student Trustee: Mike Walsh (Board of Trustee Visit)

M. Walsh said that the Board of Trustees had their October meeting in Ithaca, October 22 and 23. There was a masters program in Information Science created. Additionally, the board endorsed the Climate Action Plan.

IV. Slope Day Programming Board Presentation / Activity Fee

Explanation of the Activity Fee: Dave (3 min)

There was a presentation from the chair, vice chair and administrative director of the Slope Day Programming Board. They said the lowest allocation of the activity fee they would accept without charging grads for tickets would be $3.24. Currently, the GPSA Appropriations committee recommends an allocation of $2.82. If they charged the grad students for tickets, they noted the price would be less than for alumni or guests, and pro-rated based on the amount given.

B. Forster asked if the Slope Day committee met with the graduate students appointed by the GPSA Operations & Staffing committee. The Slope Day representatives said they did not. B. Forster said that regardless of the outcome, graduates should always be members on the committee.

V. Old Business: Cornell Cinema Update/Questions

Mary Fessenden, director of Cornell Cinema, provided the advisory body with an article from the Cornell Daily Sun in order to clarify false information. There was discussion, and Mary took questions. It was noted the graduate student ticket price could remain the same even if the undergraduate price goes up. The new prices would likely begin on July 1st.

R. Desai, the SA liaison to the GPSA, said that all information was considered at the Student Assembly hearings, and gave a differing opinion on the Sun article.

M. Walsh called for orders of the day. N. Evensen said he had a motion to return to the Orders of the day, and asked if there was a second. A. Sikora seconded. The Assembly voted 12–0−0 to move on.

VI. Discussion of the Activity

Dave Walden - Chair, Appropriations Committee - Activity Fee

D. Walden reviewed the process of setting and voting on the Activity Fee. He asked how many people took the GPSA survey and it was determined about half of the members had. He recommended they all take it in order to have their opinions known. He reported when they last looked at the survey, 71% were in favor of Cornell Cinema. For the Slope Day Programming Board, 43% were in favor, while the other 57% thought it to be too high. 60% of people were in favor of raising the activity fee to 76 dollars.

Break-out Sessions (30 minutes)

The GPSA Advisory Body broke into small groups led by members of the Appropriations Committee to discuss the Activity Fee. The meeting resumed at 6:47 p.m.

Debrief (10 minutes)

The groups all explained their opinions on the activity fee in general as well as for Cornell Cinema, Slope Day, and Athletics specifically.

M. Walsh thanked everyone for their hard work, in particular Dave Walden. He said that he thought the fee was very well thought out. The members agreed.

D. Walden encouraged everyone who hasn’t yet to please take the survey.

VII. New Business

Jolyon Bloomfield - Member, Ad-hoc Sustainability - Lights Off, Cornell Resolution

J. Bloomfield explained the resolution, how it came about, and what the benefits of it were. There were questions from the audience, and a brief discussion. This will be revisited at next meeting.

VIII. Open Forum

N. Evensen said that the next voting meeting is two Mondays from now on November 16th. At that meeting would be the vote on the activity fee. B. Heavner encouraged people to please use the blog. Voting members have posting access.

IX. Motion to Adjourn

B. Forster motioned to adjourn the meeting. A. Sikora seconded. E. Gutierrez adjourned the meeting at 6:58 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Brittany Rosen