Graduate Community Initiative Working Group

Graduate Community Initiative Working Group Meeting Minutes October 16, 2007

Attendees: Joe Burke, Edna Dugan, Kent Hubbell, Michelle Leinfelder, Susan Murphy, Brenda Wickes, Donna Wilczynski, and Yu Yu

Progress reports from subcommittees:

Graduate Programming

Kent Hubbell continues to investigate space in Willard Straight Hall for a GPSA office. WSH managers suggested GPSA and SA share an office space but privacy issues and size of current space impede that suggestion. Office space on the 5th floor of WSH is not conducive for use because it does not meet fire code specifications for such use. One possibility is the top floor of Olin Library after renovation is complete. Amy Richter will pursue. Other possibilities to be researched are Hasbrouck and Maplewood.

Another space concern focuses on the needs of graduate student groups and family/partner/spouse connections and trying to bond the graduate student community. How we maximize the use of spaces across campus for graduate community events is still a work in process.

The question was raised as to whether graduate student organizations register (which they do). Perhaps one way to make it easier for grads to find organizations specifically for them is to build into the existing database a check box for GPSA vs. SA. (Turns out that one can search student organizations by Graduate Student or by college, including Law or Vet or JGSM. Do graduate/professional students even access the student activities web page?)

Communication

The key mode of communication under discussion right now is the electronic screens, which are currently being used by others on campus. The Big Red Barn would be an ideal location for a board. Other features that would enhance its use (if they are designed to do so) would be cable, DVD accessible and internet access. Currently the Big Red Barn does not have cable due to the logistics of running a wire from the nearest location, which is Uris Hall. CIT will be contacted regarding internet connectivity and JGSM will be contacted to learn who maintains their boards.

Other modes of communication are the university calendar and determining how to make it user-friendly; the Cornell Daily Sun --- not only ensuring that it is being delivered to places where grads frequent, but also asking for more grad coverage in its pages. Mao Ye’s column is one step toward this goal, but also having one of President Skorton’s columns address the GCI would help; and asking the Cornell Chronicle to include information coming out of the GPSA meetings.

Career Services

Edna Dugan has asked Rebecca Sparrow, Director of Cornell Career Services to develop a charge and a timeline for this committee, and to focus in the next two months on developing a list of recommendations. Edna also talked to Rebecca about working with Amy Augustine Benedict, Director of Career Development in CALS, and Andrea Woodward, graduate student, to work on non-academic career issues, such as providing support for resume and CV writing. This information could be communicated through the Grad Bulletin.

Housing

Brenda Wickes will convene this committee. She will be soliciting membership through the Grad Bulletin and the GPSA. The committee should also have a member of the Campus Master Plan Committee. By December, they hope to have answers on how the students wish to participate in the long-term discussion and what are current issues.

Susan Murphy asked if it was reasonable by the end of the month for committees to answer the following questions: preliminary membership, who is leading the charge, who is participating, have a draft charge, and benchmark a time frame. The group agreed it was.

Other items note in the GCI report: Transportation: The Transportation Advisory Committee has graduate representation. Childcare: Issues are being worked on through the GPSA committee. Diversity: Diversity Working Group has graduate representation. Mental Health: The Council on Mental Health and Welfare has GPSA representation.

Susan Murphy prompted discussion about graduate student health insurance issue, and how, if at all, does it relate to the Graduate Community Initiative.

The consensus of the group is that there is already a mechanism for working on this issue (through the Student Insurance Advisory Committee, on which there is graduate student membership), and that the GCI is working on issues that do not have already defined avenues.

Other Items

Yu Yu shared that the GCI website has been developed. The link was sent out prior to the meeting and the page will be updated as necessary.

Discussion ensued regarding events that would bring the entire graduate population together. The Grad Ball and Graduate and Professional Student Orientation were offered and will remain in conversation as to how they can be used to build the graduate community.

Minutes submitted by D. Wilczynski