Minutes
Graduate & Professional Student Assembly
Voting Meeting of the GPSA Voting Body
Monday, February 15, 2010
Big Red Barn
5:30–7:00 P.M.

I. Welcome and Introductions

The meeting was called to order at 5:31 p.m. Guests were introduced.

1. Roll Call for the GPSA Voting Council

Representatives Present: T. Balcerski, C. Clarke, N. Evensen, B. Forster, M. Genkin, E. Gutierrez, B. Heavner, C. Heckman, C. Mansfeldt, S. Murugesan, S. Petraitis, E. Strong, D. Walden, S. Zhang

Representatives Excused: L. Schneider, A. Sikora, B. Webb-Binder Representatives Unexcused: J. Beekman, D. Patel

II. Presentation: Paul Streeter, Vice President for Planning and Budget, “Reimagining Cornell/Operational Excellence”

The task force that he co-chaired revolved around changing the budget model. He came today to discuss what they decided and the reasoning behind it. Provost Fuchs charged their group in June to examine the way in which resources are allocated. Currently, the university has at least 4 different budget models, and they want to move to a single budget model. Most of the re-structuring is within the undergraduates. The task force recommended pooling of undergraduate tuition. That’s a big recommended change. P. Streeter explained how graduate and professional school tuition works. They didn’t recommend the change in pooling graduates because of the nature of the graduate school.

A major theme they adopted was to treat similar responses in similar manners. As it is, most responses depend on the type of college. They want to treat issues based on the nature of the expense not of the college. The Provost needs money to advance the institution. They recommended a sort of taxing on tuition to provide a subsidy. Undergraduate, graduate, and professional school tuitions will still remain separate but all programs would be eligible for support based on the greater good of the university.

The next thing they want to focus on is cost savings as part of the “re-imagining” effort. Their focus is identifying cost saving opportunities as far from the academics as possible. Examples include procurement, selecting and pricing vendors, energy costs, energy conservation, IT support, human resources, financial management and transaction, and processing. Their objective is achieving 90 million dollars of savings. The current deficit for this year was 68 million dollars. Taking no action next year, the 68 million dollar deficit would likely increase to 85 million. We are going to lose 18–20 million of NYS support. They authorized reducing the amount drawn from endowment. If no action was taken this year, they would be at a 150 million deficit. The immediate goal is to get to the low thirties next year.

P. Streeter then took questions from the group.

III. Old Business

1. Approval of minutes

B. Heavner asked to change a word on page four. B. Forster motioned to approve minutes with the amendment. C. Clarke seconded. There was no dissent. The minutes were approved.

2. Executive updates: President, Executive VP, VP of Operations

President — Nighthawk Evensen N. Evensen said the decision regarding NAGPS is laid on the table until next year due to lack of interest. Executive Vice-President- Erica Gutierrez E. Gutierrez said they set a date for the Town Hall — Monday, March 1. C. Masnfeldt is mostly responsible for organizing. S. Murugesan has started promoting it on Facebook. They gave an overview of what the Town Hall was. M. Walsh then explained the Graduate Community Initiative (GCI). Vice-President of Operations — Brian Forster B. Forster said that Alternative Breaks is looking for grads willing to drive to different places over break. If you are interested, look at what B. Heavner posted on the blog.

3. Standing Committee Updates: Advocacy, Events, and Finance Commission

Ad-Hoc Committee - Mike Genkin They explored some options in terms of getting their questions out via other places doing surveys. It doesn’t look like a realistic option. A graduate survey goes out every five years and won’t again until 2014. The Health Survey has a very strict format. They may wind up asking for money from the GPSA for incentivizing. Their rationale is to get better information on consumption of services that the GPSA funded groups’ provision. They want to collect information themselves rather than be dependent on groups to get information from a representative body of students. Advocacy — Cresten Mansfeldt They are preparing for Town Hall and intend to survey students as they enter. Events - S. Murugesan Grad Ball is Friday, April 23rd in the Memorial room. There is a fundraiser for Haiti on February 20th that has a $5 dollar cover.

4. Proposed Charter Amendments

a. R.6: Increased collaboration with Cornell Cinema

B. Forster said it is the same resolution presented at last meeting. There have been no changes. There was a Point of Information asking how Cornell Cinema plans on complying with the amendments such as surveying. B. Foster was hoping that once the representative from the GPSA was identified and started meeting with them, the detail would be worked out then. Chris from Cornell Cinema said they wanted to ask people as they come in. This year there is a real possibility there will be ticket price differences between grads and undergrads. Then they will have hard data about it based on that. C. Mansfeldt motioned to close debate and vote. S. Murugesan seconded. There was no dissent. By a vote of 12–0−1, the resolution passed.

b. R.7: Geneva Experiment Station representation

Based on the discussion last time, there were two amendments. They identified the fields and specified that a person already holding a seat from another field may not hold a seat. T. Balcerski was also added as sponsor.

B. Heavner moved to table pending further discussion to membership changes. C. Mansfeldt seconded. The motion failed.

T. Balcerski said they should welcome people. Constitutions change. Just because things might change, doesn’t mean they couldn’t change it now.

B. Forster motioned to close debate and move to a vote. S. Murugesan seconded. At least 12 votes are needed to pass this charter change. By a vote of 10–2−1, the motion did not pass.

IV. New Business

1. R.8: Approval of Big Red Barn rejuvenation proposal

The proposal was explained. The maximum number of people allowed in the building by the fire code is 165. The heating system isn’t adequate. The workers at the Barn were told there is a five-year plan to extend this building. But because of the financial crisis, the Barn employees don’t know how or when it shall happen. The employees would like to promote or initiate a renovation of the Big Red Barn by themselves. They seek to ask the graduate alumni to donate money to rebuild the Big Red Barn.

B. Forster said this resolution is not asking the GPSA for money, but instead asking to approve the proposal attached to the resolution, from the Big Red Barn employees, so when members of the Big Red Barn go to graduate schools or alumni to present their proposal, they can say that the GPSA has looked at and commented on this.

Questions and discussion followed.

T. Balcerski motioned to vote. S. Murugesan seconded. By a vote of 10 — 0 — 2, the resolution passed.

2. R.9: Supporting the creation of a student judicial council

Alex Cowen, SA Parliamentarian, explained the resolution. The sponsors fielded questions. B. Heavner moved to close debate and vote. C. Clarke seconded. By a vote of 11 — 0- 1, the resolution passed.

3. R.10: Including environmental sustainability in the strategic plan

C. Mansfeldt motioned to extend the meeting until 7:10 p.m. C. Clarke seconded. E. Gutierrez said the resolution on sustainability had come in response to draft outlined. They feel the environmental sustainability aspect hasn’t been articulated enough. They wanted to put together a resolution. She explained the UA is working on something similar. She then explained the resolution. C. Mansfeldt amended wording and punctuation.

D. Walden motioned to close debate and move to a vote. S, Murugesan seconded. By a vote of 12–0−1, the resolution passed.

4. R.11: Resolution on GPSA position on the strategic plan

E. Strong said that this resolution re-examines the GCI. It engages it in a constructive way and aligns the documents. He explained the resolution. B. Forster asked to amend the resolution to add Chris Clarke to the list of sponsors. It was accepted as friendly.

S. Murugesan motioned to close general debate and move to a vote. B. Forster seconded. By a vote of 11 — 0 — 1, the resolution passed.

5. Discussion of potential changes to funding guidelines (Rep. Clarke)

He has been meeting with people about potential changes to the activity fee. The easiest way is to receive permission to change the requirement of an even whole number to just a whole number. That is a smaller change. The next is more abstract. They want continuity in terms of what groups get for the activity fee and having a written record, with the Appropriation Committee recommendations. They also want to change language in the process to emphasize the GPSA’s responsibility to balance fiscal responsibility with the desire to further increase the byline process by maximizing benefit. The next step is updates. He might have a resolution by the end of the semester for the change of the activity fee to a whole dollar amount.

C. Mansfeldt cautioned him to make sure he presents the resolution early enough to account for the two meeting necessary to make a Charter change.

6. Discussion of potential changes to GPSA membership (Pres. Evensen)

N. Evensen said he is concerned about the integration between the two GPSA bodies, the Voting Council and the non-voting membership (called the Advisory Body). He does not believe the Advisory Body is given the capacity to advise. The Advisory Body of the GPSA is billed as a representative student government that does not have any institutional capacity to represent or govern. He wants an institutional structure to allow for better integration of the two bodies. He feels they are missing out in not tapping the knowledge or opinions of the Advisory Body as much as possible. N. Evensen feels they are not engaging them.

T. Balcerski suggested thinking about peer groups on campus, namely the SA, UA, IFC, etc. M. Walsh recommended they look over the history of the GPSA. Ari and the office have agendas and minutes for GPSA meetings online back to 1998, and further information in the office. The reasoning for the current allocation of seats on the voting council is in the minutes from 2002. There are a lot of questions that need to be asked but a lot of answers that may already be written somewhere.

V. Adjournment

C. Mansfeldt motioned to adjourn. D. Walden seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 7:10 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Brittany Rosen