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October 9, 2008 Meeting Minutes
Student Advocacy Committee (SAC) FALL 2008
Committee Meeting MINUTES
October 9, 2008: 163 Day Hall, 5:00pm — 6:45pm
In attendance:
➢ Brian Forster, Chair, Student Advocacy Committee
➢ Briony Horgan, Student Advocacy Committee Member
➢ Jay Worley, Chair, Student Advocacy Committee Member
➢ Andrew Davis, Board on University Health Care Services Member
➢ Melissa Hardstone, Transportation Advisory Committee Member
➢ Amy Richter, Child Care Sub-committee Member
➢ Mario Roman, Student Advocacy Committee Member / President’s Council on Alcohol and other Drugs (AOD)
➢ Marques Zak, JA Financial Aid Review Committee Member
Meeting began at 5:15pm
I. Introduction to SAC
a. B. Forster reviewed the creation of SAC and why other committees were incorporated in SAC
b. No grad student on Family Services Committee
c. Introductions
d. A. Davis asked if the Board on University Health Care Services had disbanded. B. Forster said he would verify with Deondra Rose, the GPSA Vice President of Operations.
e. The committee website is up with all past meetings: (http://assembly.cornell.edu/GPSAStudentAdvocacy/Home)
f. M. Hardstone volunteered to check website monthly to verify updates
g. There will be a SAC meeting in November. There will be no December meeting.
b. No grad student on Family Services Committee
c. Introductions
d. A. Davis asked if the Board on University Health Care Services had disbanded. B. Forster said he would verify with Deondra Rose, the GPSA Vice President of Operations.
e. The committee website is up with all past meetings: (http://assembly.cornell.edu/GPSAStudentAdvocacy/Home)
f. M. Hardstone volunteered to check website monthly to verify updates
g. There will be a SAC meeting in November. There will be no December meeting.
II. Working Procedure
a. Need to submit changes to charter by first Spring Assembly meeting (Jan. 26)
b. SAC will meeting in January to finalize the working procedure, decide meeting schedule and procedure
c. B. Horgan offered to help write and A. Richter offered to help review.
d. A. Richter reminded that to make changes to charter, changes need to be proposed at initial meeting and approved at subsequent meeting
e. B. Forster will send out the draft working procedures to SAC for feedback
b. SAC will meeting in January to finalize the working procedure, decide meeting schedule and procedure
c. B. Horgan offered to help write and A. Richter offered to help review.
d. A. Richter reminded that to make changes to charter, changes need to be proposed at initial meeting and approved at subsequent meeting
e. B. Forster will send out the draft working procedures to SAC for feedback
III. Open Forum
a. M. Hardstone asked for clarification on purpose of these meetings. B. Forster confirmed that these meetings are intended to coordinate action in committees, keep updated on committee actions
b. A. Davis asked for clarification on how this committee serves the graduate community. B. Forster clarified that this committee serves as a funnel for other committee actions to greater graduate community, for getting news out, for helping to implement actions that are not being taken care of in committees
c. M. Zak is concerned that JA Financial Aid Review Com. isn’t active — no response from chair on request. A. Richter suggested asking Deondra Rose, Vice President of Operations, to track down the current committee chair. A. Richter also noted that committee meets infrequently
b. A. Davis asked for clarification on how this committee serves the graduate community. B. Forster clarified that this committee serves as a funnel for other committee actions to greater graduate community, for getting news out, for helping to implement actions that are not being taken care of in committees
c. M. Zak is concerned that JA Financial Aid Review Com. isn’t active — no response from chair on request. A. Richter suggested asking Deondra Rose, Vice President of Operations, to track down the current committee chair. A. Richter also noted that committee meets infrequently
IV. Budget
a. B. Forster noted that we have $250, which could be spent on advertising a town hall meeting later in the year.
V. Old Business
a. Letter to administrative offices informing them of switch from Pay/Benefits → Advocacy
b. Mental Health
b. Mental Health
B. Forster read report from Betsy Romero (GPSA SAC member and graduate student representative on the Council of Mental Health and Welfare) on recent committee meeting. Grad student care is not a priority at the moment. Currently, top priority is mental health education campaign.
B. Horgan gave background on issue. A. Richter gave more info on long term care through Gannett (referrals, copay, etc.).
M. Zak asked for clarification on what the specific problems are. B. Horgan added that getting any appointment, even for referral at Gannett takes far too long — understaffed, underfunded.
A. Davis suggested a survey to evaluate grad needs.
B. Forster suggested that we check into results of GS survey last spring
The committee debated how such a survey should be implemented. Questions that should be included:
1. Do you think that mental health services are important for the graduate student body?
2. Do you think your peers would be interested in these services?
3. Which services would be appropriate for GPS?
4. Are you aware of the following mental health services?
2. Do you think your peers would be interested in these services?
3. Which services would be appropriate for GPS?
4. Are you aware of the following mental health services?
Other issues brought up:
o Cost of such a survey may be an issue.
o SAC should meet and discuss said survey with Dean Gaynor and Brenda Wickes
o Risk management office would be interested?
o A. Davis would like us to find out why this is a problem
� Lack of understanding, awareness of GPS needs
� Different GPS schools have different stresses, needs
� Faculty/staff programs as a model? (e.g. Wellness program)
o SAC should meet and discuss said survey with Dean Gaynor and Brenda Wickes
o Risk management office would be interested?
o A. Davis would like us to find out why this is a problem
� Lack of understanding, awareness of GPS needs
� Different GPS schools have different stresses, needs
� Faculty/staff programs as a model? (e.g. Wellness program)
c. Graduate & Professional Student Contact Sheet Feedback (Jay Worley)
Copy distributed to SAC and GPSA Assembly/CoR is still a draft!
Purpose of contact sheet is for a central location for graduate and professional students to track down services.
No response from either B. Wickes or any assembly / CoR members yet.
Copy distributed to SAC and GPSA Assembly/CoR is still a draft!
Purpose of contact sheet is for a central location for graduate and professional students to track down services.
No response from either B. Wickes or any assembly / CoR members yet.
d. Geneva Health Care / Health Insurance Feedback & 2nd meeting with Gannett
B. Forster reviewed issue. Geneva students can go directly to Aetna provider - Do we (Ithaca Area) need to get referral to go to a doctor here? Primary care provider can give referrals, but who is the primary care provider? Gannett?
B. Forster reviewed issue. Geneva students can go directly to Aetna provider - Do we (Ithaca Area) need to get referral to go to a doctor here? Primary care provider can give referrals, but who is the primary care provider? Gannett?
Geneva is not mentioned in membership guide
A. Davis asked what about students at other far away Cornell facilities?
Communication is the problem.
J. Worley suggested including Geneva student in SAC meetings
A. Davis asked what about students at other far away Cornell facilities?
Communication is the problem.
J. Worley suggested including Geneva student in SAC meetings
VI. Committees & New Business
a. Status of the different “advocacy related” committees & Feedback from other members
A. Richter: Child Care Services Committee
1. Feedback on new child care center — opened August
2. 25/25/50% of children in center are from student/faculty/staff families
3. Will send resolution through UA about child care grant
a. Student child care grant needs changes
b. Max household income at $60,000
c. Both parents are grad students in sci/eng may max this out
d. Child care at center is $13,000/yr
4. Other options to address Cornell community’s child care needs?
a. Evening care
b. Priorities for student/staff vs. faculty
5. M. Hardstone suggested drop-in services
6. Committees focus is the children, not the parents
7. Difficult to get into center!
1. Feedback on new child care center — opened August
2. 25/25/50% of children in center are from student/faculty/staff families
3. Will send resolution through UA about child care grant
a. Student child care grant needs changes
b. Max household income at $60,000
c. Both parents are grad students in sci/eng may max this out
d. Child care at center is $13,000/yr
4. Other options to address Cornell community’s child care needs?
a. Evening care
b. Priorities for student/staff vs. faculty
5. M. Hardstone suggested drop-in services
6. Committees focus is the children, not the parents
7. Difficult to get into center!
M. Roman: President’s Council for Alcohol and Other Drugs
Committee composed of a wide university representation, focusing on undergrad population
Two issues that were discussed at the meeting:
Committee composed of a wide university representation, focusing on undergrad population
Two issues that were discussed at the meeting:
Amethyst Initiative: 150 university presidents signed initiative to take another look at 21 drinking age and try to lower it to 18. President David Skorton has not signed. Undergrads were in favor of getting Skorton to take another look — start a study?
M. Roman asked SAC how the GPSA should react. A. Davis commented that this doesn’t affect us directly and GPSA shouldn’t get involved with it at this time.
Free Shuttle Services: There is a push to start this free shuttle for students who have been out drinking, that way they can more easily get home when getting a taxi is difficult. The extended after blue light services ends at 2 am. Reasons for this service include: General safety & winter terrain is dangerous. The AOD committee was split on this. Issues included:
➢ Volunteer student drivers & Insurance could be unmanageable
➢ Times of service: Shuttle would run from 10pm-4am.
➢ Shuttle would not just run from downtown/collegetown to dorms, just to where students need to go.
➢ Would need to verify student’s residences to be sure this doesn’t become a drunk bus service.
➢ UB experience: in extremely high demand, not enough buses
➢ Undergrads are not interested in including grads in this effort
➢ Volunteer student drivers & Insurance could be unmanageable
➢ Times of service: Shuttle would run from 10pm-4am.
➢ Shuttle would not just run from downtown/collegetown to dorms, just to where students need to go.
➢ Would need to verify student’s residences to be sure this doesn’t become a drunk bus service.
➢ UB experience: in extremely high demand, not enough buses
➢ Undergrads are not interested in including grads in this effort
Question posed to SAC: Does this affect us?
B. Forster suggested that an Assembly or CoR meeting, ask grad community: is this a service we want?
B. Forster suggested that an Assembly or CoR meeting, ask grad community: is this a service we want?
Meeting adjourned at 6:45pm.
Respectively Submitted,
GPSA Student Advocacy Committee 2008–2009
GPSA Student Advocacy Shortcuts
Contact GPSA Student Advocacy
109 Day Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853
ph. (607) 255—3715