GSA Regular General Meeting

4:15-5:15 PM; Monday, October 6, 2003
Governor's Room, Union Building 3.116

MINUTES

a. Secretary, Joyce Banks. Joyce Banks (Secretary) urged those representatives who had not already done so to print out or pick up an official membership certification form to be filled out, signed, and submitted either via campus mail or in person at the next meeting. A representative questioned why this procedure could not be conducted online in order to save paper. The Secretary noted that problems encountered in the Spring with a similar type of online form had caused them to require paper submission. The ability to submit online in the future would be explored.

b. Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies, Victoria Rodriguez. Vice Provost and Dean Victoria Rodriguez (Faculty Advisor) took the floor to update representatives on activities in the Office of Graduate Studies. The Tuition Committee is in the process of finalizing its recommendations and will be giving them to Dr. Faulkner October 7th after which they will be publicly presented to the University community.

President Faulkner has formed a Committee to explore benefits and has asked her to chair this committee. Other members are GSA Co-Chairs Marian Barber and Don Drumtra, Kyle Cavanaugh (Human Resources), Dr. John Dollard (Office of Graduate Studies), Dr. Peter Green (Graduate Assembly Chair) and Irene Owens (School of Information Faculty). This committee has met three times and is in the information gathering stage. They are collecting information on what other institutions offers for benefits packages and studying other options with the current company, Mega.
On the affirmative action issue, Dean Rodriquez explained that the administration is crafting a policy in relation to fellowships that can be offered to prospective graduate students. As mentioned previously, Darlene Grant is now in charge of Recruitment and Outreach in the Office of Graduate Studies. They were excited to go forward with new criteria for Admissions but a lawyer pointed out that any changes to criteria had to be published one year in advance. Therefore, there will be an unexpected delay in going forward with new criteria. There is a meeting this week with UTSystem lawyers to see if this delay will apply to fellowships and financial aid in addition to admissions.

Questions from the Assembly: Paul Navratil (Graduate Representative from Student Government) asked whether they are considering replacing current graduate student employee insurance with Mega’s student plan. Dean Rodriguez said they are exploring many options. One of these might be to offer a different kind of Mega plan that would become available to all graduate students, but it is too early in the process to say what may happen with Mega or otherwise.

Peter Haney (Anthropology) What is the timeline for the Benefits Committee to make recommendations? Dean Rodriguez: They are aiming to have it in place by the end of November. There will be meetings with the GSA and public hearings as with the tuition proposal. They want to provide students ample opportunity to give their input. At present they are stalled trying to get detailed information from various insurance companies.

Nachi-ket Kharalkar (Electrical and Computer Engineering) What can she tell us about what graduate students should expect to hear regarding tuition? Dean Rodriguez: She cannot comment on this issue because the committee has elected to have only two spokespeople: Brian Haley from Student Government and Provost Ekland-Olson. Erik Malmberg (Electronic Resources Coordinator) Do we know when the decision will become publicly accessible? Dean Rodriguez: After tomorrow’s meeting between the Tuition Committee and President Faulkner. Nachi-ket Kharalkar: Will an increase be effective in the spring? Rodriguez: Yes.

Sylvia Gale (English) What type of policies are they hoping to put in place to address Diversity? Dean Rodriguez: They are proposing something similar to Longhorn Opportunities Fellowships currently offered to undergraduates. One possible fellowship type will be named “Diversity Fellowships” and can be utilized by different departments in such a way that they will be specific to how to enhance diversity in that field. They want to target specific populations but have to be careful to do this within the limits of the law. Another possible way of addressing diversity is via a program called the Research Internship Program where faculty are asked to say when they make appointments how that appointment will help create greater diversity in their field.

c. Treasurer, Dan Gilman. Dan Gilman (Treasurer). There have been some questions about the budget for 2004-2005. Dan urged that if representatives have questions, they should contact him to join the committee so that they can be become part of how it is shaped. Right now the committee is only 3 people (Don Drumta, Abram Weas, and Dan Gilman). The budget is also in flux because they are finding out on a weekly basis about the continued impact of on-going budget cuts. The Finance Committee is interested in shifting Student Development Funds that have been used in the past on social events into instructive or educational outlets for student activism. Secondly, they are interested in creating Tuition Waivers for excom members rather than pay stipends that are too high a percentage of the GSA’s operating budget. In the future he would like to have the budget worked out much earlier but for now it needs to be tabled.

d. Electronic Resources, Erik Malmberg. Erik Malmberg (Electronic Resources Coordinator) He is scheduling 2 informal forums to educate GSA members about how to use Blackboard for GSA business. These forums are: October 16th from 5-6 pm and October 21st from 4-5 pm in the GSA office (MAI 2403). A representative asked if they will need to check Blackboard, the GSA website, or both to stay current with GSA information? Erik: Either will work—they both have the same information.

a. Approve GSA Objectives for 2003-2004. (Don Drumtra) Discussion: Don Zinman (Government) Can the GSA lobby government officials? Marian Barber (Co-Chair) answers that this is a good question that we should ask Dean Rodriguez to check into with the University’s lawyers. Joyce Banks (Secretary) We understood in the spring when the legislature was in session that if no University resources are being utilized then it is appropriate to educate government officials on behalf of the GSA. The issue should be explored further, though.

The Objectives passed unanimously.

b. Survey of Graduate Students Task Committee (Erik Malmberg). Tabled.

c. Approve 2004-2005 proposed budget. (Dan Gilman). Tabled.

d. Approve Resolution in Support of the Student Bill of Rights.

This resolution was approved with one nay vote and no abstentions.

e. Approve Resolution in Support of the Honor Pledge. Rusty Ince (Cabinet of College Councils) spoke about the Honor Pledge. SCC has been working on this issue for four years. Their desire was to come up with something that would be workable for the entire university community. In several weeks they will bring it before PSAC and after that it may change. Questions: Mary Ettle (School of Information) asked for clarification about which part is the actual pledge. Abram Weas (Finance Committee) What will this do? When will it be implemented? Rusty: they plan to institute it at matriculation. Most students who cheat don’t know that they are cheating so this will clarify the rules that already exist, but won’t be legally binding. The plan is to have them sign something that is not legally binding. Ken Ward (LLILAS) How is this any more than fluff since there are no consequences? Kathy Thomas (Special Education) There is a body of research that indicates that making people aware of issues has, in itself, a positive impact. Ruby Jones (Slavic Language) Too many students claim to not know what plagiarism is. This will tell them what cheating is. Alissa Carter (Educational Administration) This is a first step that can be built on. Abram Weas (Finance Committee) How will this increase awareness? Erik Malmberg (Electronic Resources Coordinator) is on a committee that is working on these issues. He would like more people to be involved in deciding how it will be distributed and used. Don Zinman (Government) had no problem with the resolution but wants to point out that the University’s resources are better directed toward educating students on what constitutes cheating. Jean Love El Harim (Comparative Literature) it is a great first step to encourage people to have more discussion. Sylvia Gale (English) What are the plans to go beyond the pledge. Erik Malmberg: They are discussing how to post it, get it to faculty, encourage faculty to engage in dialogue about academic integrity in class. Marcus Glodek (Philosophy) Will the signed statements be kept on record? Could students be discriminated against using this? Rusty: They are working on this part, but remember that it will not be legally binding. Ken Ward (LLILAS) The academic integrity criteria are already clear and he thinks this pledge is unnecessary. Rachel Mitchell (Music Theory) if people don’t sign the pledge will they be penalized? No.

The motion passed with 20 yay votes, 9 nay votes, and 3 abstentions.

a. Approve Amendments to Constitution and Bylaws to add SCC and SG as nonvoting ex-officio members to GSA (Erik Malmberg). The changes to the Constitution consist of fixing grammatical errors, changing titles to make the Constitution current with university administrative structure, to change the official title of the GSA’s Publicity Coordinator to Public Relations and to make the executive officers of SG and SCC ex-officio non-voting members of the GSA.

The motion passed unanimously.

b. Consider (introduction) and approve Resolution Urging the University of Texas at Austin Administration and Others to Consider the Financial Well-Being of Graduate Students. Discussion: Joyce Banks (Secretary) This resolution is constructed to make those administrators responsible for setting tuition aware of the different nature of graduate student demographics, recruitment, and retention. A majority of dialogue surrounding the tuition increase has centered on keeping the cost of education affordable for the in-state undergraduate population. Don Drumtra (Co-Chair, graduate student representative to the Tuition Committee) states that the resolution is essentially ineffective since the recommendations of the Tuition Committee are already set and are being presented to President Faulkner on October 7th, 2003. Don expressed that a resolution such as this can have an impact on the Board of Regents, but it needs to be reworked before taken forward. He moves to table the resolution.

A motion to table the resolution is passed with 29 yay votes, 5 nay votes, and 2 abstentions.

c. Discuss sending GSA representative to NAGPS (National Association of Graduate and Professional Students) conference. Tabled.

d. Discuss resolution Concerning the Protection of Students' Civil Rights in the Wake of Passage of the USA PATRIOT Act. Tabled.

e. Discuss resolution Supporting President Faulkner's Commitment to Diversity in Admissions. Tabled.

f. Other new business. Tabled.

a. Next meeting: First Monday, November 2, same time, UNB 3.128.

b. Financial Presentation. Following this Meeting, 5:15 - 6:00 PM, Kevin Hegarty will make a presentation on the Financial Condition of the University.

c. Other announcements. Melissa Midkiff (Special Events Coordinator) announced the Glow Bowl social tomorrow night. Pizza and two soft drink tickets will be offered to graduate students in attendance in addition to free shoe rental, bowling or billiards.

Marian Barber (Co-Chair) asked representatives to University committees to remember to send reports to Blackboard and urged all members to read reports and resolutions posted prior to the general meeting.