MINUTES
Graduate & Professional Student Assembly
GPSA Discussion Meeting
Monday, January 21st, 2013
Bache Auditorium, Malott Hall
5:30–7:00 P.M.

I. Welcome and Introductions (00:00:13)

1. Introduction of voting members, 1 min.

Voting Members Present: N. Baran, G. Danies Turano, J. Drewes, T. Gandhi, J. Hill, M. Holden, W. Kreuser, H. Liu, A. Moore, R. Moore, E. Newbury, M. Paine, E. Smith, M. Tootill, M. Dumas, E. Rager

Voting Members Absent: J. Hill

II. Approval of the Minutes

1. November 26th, 2012, 1 min.

The minutes from the November 26th meeting were approved with no dissent.

III. Presentations (00:04:11)

1. Greg Eells, Ph.D., Associate Director of Gannett, and Director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), 35 min.

G. Eells said he is trying to make Gannett counseling more accessible. Cornell’s mental health framework seeks to: 1) foster a healthy educational environment; 2) promote life skills and resilience; 3) increase help-seeking behavior; 4) identify people in need of care; and 5) provide mental and medical health services, among other things.

CAPS sees over 3,000 students and has 35 professional staff members. Over the last few years, they have added Saturday and evening hours, added FSAP into the administrative unit, and designated more time for walk-ins & brief assessments (on-line scheduling). They are also continuing to support initiatives like Let’s Talk.

Counseling and Psychological Services for graduate and professional students include:

• Individual psychotherapy and medication management
• A variety of graduate student groups
• Let’s Talk sites in Caldwell, Law School, Vet School, and Business School
• Community Consultation with the Graduate School
• HLOA preserve funding

N. Baran asked if CAPS sees staff as well.

G. Eells said yes, the FSAP sees post-docs, faculty and staff in a separate office.

E. Newbury said that she is concerned with the lack of counseling assistance available for students during the summer and the winter.

G. Eells said graduate students frequently have to change counselors because of expiring counselor contracts, so issues of this nature are an inevitable problem for CAPS.

E. Newbury asked if there are plans to increase the CAPS staff over the summer.

G. Eells said that CAPS counselors present students with options over the summer to either continue with CAPS counselors or perhaps seek counseling elsewhere in the community. They don’t have any current plans to increase the actual number of counselors though.

C. Yu asked why students would choose to seek CAPS over EARS.

G. Eells said it is up to the student and depends on what level of counseling they are seeking. However, EARS will often consult with CAPS if students are coping with some more serious issues.

W. Kreuser asked about ways to make people in the graduate student community feel more connected in order to improve mental health.

G. Eells said it is difficult to find a stable social balance because the graduate and professional community is so diverse. However, good options are to get involved with the Big Red Barn and the GPSA and other groups. GPSA members should share their experiences with their peers in order to encourage greater social interaction.

G. Danies Turano asked if there was a survey that Gannett could have its counseling visitors fill out so that CAPS could know how to improve their services.

G. Eells suggested creating a mental health survey that is not specific to Gannett, but is much broader.

M. Holden stated that most people leave during winter break. However, what services are available for those who stay at Cornell over break?

G. Eells said that CAPS is still open over break and are only closed for about a week.

Y. Izrayelit asked if Eells thinks CAPS is being adequately promoted among the graduate and professional community.

G. Eells said that oftentimes at Cornell, graduate students feel isolated, so it is difficult to reach out to them, but he feels that overall their outreach efforts have been effective. He also described the Notice and Respond program. This program demonstrates appropriate ways to respond to a person in distress through video scenarios targeted towards either students or staff.

2. Report by the Representative to the Dining Committee (M. Holden), 15 min. (00:28:50)

M. Holden said he presented last semester about his resolution for a new dining plan for graduate students. The new meal plan:

• uses your ID card like a debit card
• gives an 8% tax discount at Cornell dining establishments
• gives an additional 5% discount at the Big Red Barn (13% total discount)
• can be used at many on campus vending machines
• gives the Big Red Bucks discount at “all you care to eat” locations
• has no administrative fee!

To apply for this new plan, go to http://living.sas.cornell.edu/dine/mealplans/apply-for-a-meal-plan.cfm and be sure to select “meals by design” after you hit “Apply.”

An audience member asked if this plan would be available during the summer.

M. Holden said there are plans in the works to purchase a supplemental summer plan.

M. Paine said that after you pay the initial $50 to apply for the plan, you can load the card with any increment of money.

IV. Old Business (00:34:30)

1. Resolution 12, A Resolution to Amend the GPSA Charter to Ensure Representation of Students at Cornell NYC Tech and Geneva Campuses (N. Baran), 20 min.

N. Baran said it is reasonable for students at the Tech and Geneva Campuses to have additional representation on the GPSA. This resolution would create field representative positions for their elected representatives.

M. Paine said he will be going to the Tech campus to meet the new tech students and discuss how they can get involved with the GPSA.

G. Danies Turano said she thinks it would be a good idea for multiple people to be visible on the video feed if meetings are opened up to representatives in these distant campuses.

E. Newbury said she agrees with the spirit of this resolution and its efforts to make the GPSA a more diverse and inclusive body.

The resolution passed by a vote of 15–0.

V. New Business

M. Paine said there are currently two voting member vacancies. These vacancies are open to field representatives from any department. David Bunck and Christine Yao were nominated. As there were no further nominees, both nominees were approved by a voice vote.

VI. Reports of Officers and Standing Committee, 15 min.

1. Executive Committee (M. Paine) (00:48:54)

M. Paine also noted that there would be elections for voting member positions on April 15th and 29th. There will also be a housing focus group held at Hasbrouck on Tuesday, January 22nd dealing with on-campus housing. Three off-campus housing events will be held as well, including an upcoming event on Wednesday, January 23rd at St. Luke’s Church. Each of these events is at 4:30 and should last about one hour.

M. Paine also explained how, in order to improve the GCI process, the executive board would like to introduce each new topic area as a separate resolution so that everyone can have their say on the specific elements of the GCI.

2. Appropriations (W. Kreuser) (00:56:22)

W. Kreuser said the byline funding process begins next week. Contact him or the staff in the office of the assemblies for assistance on obtaining funding for your groups.

3. Communications (M. Cerroni) (00:57:25)

Send items to M. Cerroni for the GPSA Buzz.

4. Finance Commission (V. Pagay) (00:57:34)

V. Pagay said the Finance Commission will be meeting on February 8th. Contact him if your group needs money for an event occurring prior to that meeting.

5. Graduate & Professional Student Programming Board (K. Roosa & G. Danies Turano) (00:58:29)

G. Danies Turano said the Programming Board is hosting a Grads’ Night Out this upcoming Friday. They will be emailing a poster to GPSA members in order to spread the word. She also urged GPSA members to “like” the GPSA and the Programming Board on Facebook.

6. Student Advocacy (Y. Izrayelit) (01:00:20

Y. Izrayelit said the Student Advocacy Committee would be meeting this Thursday in the Physical Sciences Meeting.

VI. Open Forum, 3 min. (01:01:00)

C. Yao said those interested in applying for a Graduate Resident Fellow position should contact her for information on these positions.

M. Paine adjourned the meeting at 6:40pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Allison Bazinet