Graduate Community Initiative Working Group

Graduate Community Initiative Working Group Meeting Minutes November 27, 2007

Attendees: Kris Corda, Cathy Dove, Edna Dugan, Bob Harris, Michelle Leinfelder, Susan Murphy, Brendan O’Brien, Sunny Power, Janet Vertesi, Brenda Wickes and Donna Wilczynski

Committee Reports

Housing Committee This committee has collected information from campus constituents and are at the point of consolidating the information to share amongst members. Next steps are to review all data by the next meeting. A December 15 deadline is still possible.

Student Life and Programming Committee This committee reported good representation from across the university attending their meetings where they are a lot of ideas are being generated. They are experiencing good collaboration and communication about campus happenings, but have not reached the point of building programs. Ideas on building programs are to be sent to the committee by mid- to end of December.

The Program and Communication Committees are working together. Michelle Leinfelder has sent out a communication survey. She will send it out again for those who might not have received it.

At the Ivy Summit, seven schools were represented to learn how graduate programs are organized. At the Graduate Career Consortium, eleven schools were represented. Good information was gathered at both events.

The Program Committee is looking into Graduate Orientation, looking to make changes so that it encompasses the entire graduate community, not just new students.

Career Services This committee is gathering information about career services on campus devoted to graduate students, while building on best practice services that happened a few years ago. They are looking at eight schools to learn what types of programs, workshops, functions they have and how we compare. They have recognized a communication issue whereas people do not think there are services available, but actually there are. Next steps for this committee is to try to assess the gaps between what Cornell would like to be doing and what is actually being done. They are determining what is short, mid- and long- term goals and unlocking the communication issue.

The university events calendar has been revised so that it is searchable for people looking for graduate events.

Other items

A recurring concern expressed at GPSA and other meetings is mental health issues within the graduate and professional student community. What is available to support this community? Information regarding the Let’s Talk Walk In Consultations and Gannett’s Counseling and Psychological Services was shared.

Maintenance of the GCI website was discussed. Susan Murphy will discuss with Sunny Power the issue of the Graduate School assuming this responsibility. ‘ ’ ‘ Next meeting′ ’

Committees to provide updates at the December 11, 2007 meeting.