GPSG Minutes February 20, 2007

Groups in attendance:

Present	ABGS, ACGS, AGITS, ASPE, CIGSPA, ED-LEAD, EGSA, GASP, GHA, GPHA, GSA, GSWA, GTU, IOPGA, MASS, OSGA, SPIE, SPO
Absent	GPPA, MBAA, MGSA, MPASG, MSGO, EMGT

Motion to waive reading of the minutes: APPROVED

Motion to approve the minutes: APPROVED

GPSG requests that organization folders be emptied of their contents at every senate meeting.

• This week’s folder: minutes from 2/6/07, Graduate Student Forum flyer, Vice Chancellor Search information.

Treasurer’s Report:

• Budget Hearings will be held on February 23 and March 2
• Vote on Line Item Transfer
• Budgets/Charter due dates coming up! Feb. 22 for budgets. Feb. 23 for charters

Secretary’s Report:

• Volunteer requirements can be:
• An event specifically sponsored by GPSG OR
• An event planned by your chartered organization that SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTS the community outsider your organization (on and/or off campus), and must be pre-approved by GPSG

Graduate Research Fair:

• No new information here. The Research Fair will be 3/31/07 from 9:30 to 4:00 p.m. at the College of Ed. Contact Theresa at gpsgvicepresident@email.uncc.edu if you would like to help out.

Graduate Student Forum:

• Chancellor Dubois, Provost Lorden, and Dean Reynolds will be attending the Graduate Student Forum February 27^th from 4:30-6:00 p.m. in SAC Salons D&E.
• Pizza and drinks will be provided by GPSG.
• You can submit questions ahead of time to Leigh Ann at gpsgpresident@email.uncc.edu

New Charters:

• Submissions for new charters are due Friday, February 23.
• Volunteering as a member of the Special Topics Committee and reviewing new charters earns a volunteer point for your org.
• Meeting will be Thursday, February 27 at 5:30 in the GPSG office (Cone 369-I)

Vice Chancellor Search:

• Graduate student input is wanted for the search for the new Vice Chancellor of the Graduate school. This position is significant for GPSG, as the Vice Chancellor is our main support and sponsors our organization.
• Open Forum #1 will be Monday, February 26^th from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the College of Health and Human Services, Room 376.

Needs of GPSG:

• Leigh Ann and I met with Michele Howard and Chuck Lynch to talk about how we can have better representation at the UNCC campus. Because GPSG is the main source graduate and professional students have to voice their needs, we have been concerned this year by disproportionate opportunities to voice these needs on campus committees like the Board of Trustees. Some of the things we mentioned would be beneficial for GPSG were:
• Regular meetings with GPSG officers
• Closer ties to higher administration
• Possibly dividing undergraduate/graduate fees in the future
• GPSG priority scheduling for Senate meetings (SGA gets this already)
• Grad Student listserv
• Assistance with the mentoring program
• Professional development workshops
• Further suggestions from the Senate included:
• Better communication with SGA; this applies to lack of SGA consultation for things like the recent football survey and the Noble Niner initiative
• Possible graduate student exemption from fee increases if a football team is passed
• Equal library opportunities for graduate students (faculty and staff can get articles scanned and emailed to them by the library; don’t have to pay for printing)
• Carrels for graduate students; we have more intense research and therefore more books.
• Parking priority for TA’s; those who teach classes should be treated as staff

Meeting with Ben Comstock:

• Leigh Ann met with Ben Comstock, SGA president, to discuss communication problems that have historically been a problem between GPSG and SGA.
• Noble Niner:
• Cameron Young’s pitch to the GPSG Senate for the Noble Niner Initiative demonstrates some of the communication problems that exist between our two student governments. The project received support from Faculty Council
• Remember, if this is to be posted in every classroom on campus, it is likely that graduate students will be paying for it as well.
• Student Fees:
• Grad students pay CAB fees, and even though it is the Campus Activity Board, it largely targets undergraduate students and funds few events (if any at all) that are of practical interest to graduate students
• Recreational Services charges $39 per student per year for programs like intramurals that graduate students very often don’t have time to participate in.
• Possible solutions?
• GPSG could have a representative sit in on the SGA meetings and report back to GPSG (and vice versa with SGA)
• SENATE SUGGESTIONS: SGA and GPSG exchange meeting minutes on a regular basis.

Graduate Tuition Increase:

• Reports of both 5% and 6.2% increases in tuition have been reported as possibilities for next year, and would apply to graduate students. The University Times newspaper released on 2/15/07 reported that the increase would break down as follows:
• 25% towards student financial aid to ensure no student currently on financial aid will be effected
• 25% to increase faculty salaries to assist the university in its overall goal of reaching the 80th percentile
• 50% will go towards improving university advising via creating a "university college" for undecided undergraduates and to look into more modern ways of improving retention rates
  
  

Coffee Breaks:

• How did “Sweets on GPSG” go?
• The Senate indicated that there was interest for future coffee breaks
• Representative suggestions indicated that Monday was not a good day for graduate students to meet for coffee breaks, but that Prospector Café was a good location
• There were also suggestions that times for coffee breaks be a little later, as most students have night class and getting coffee beforehand would be more convenient.

Good standing:

• As voted on at the 5/25/06 senate meeting, in addition to volunteering, organizations must do these things to maintain good standing in GPSG:
• Register with Student Organizations in August
• Send e-version of constitution to Student Organizations
• Check Cone Center mailboxes regularly (every 2 weeks)
• AGITS, GPHA, MASS, MGSA, and SPO all have FULL mailboxes

Important dates for Spring:

• Graduate Student Forum 2/27/07
• Graduate Research Fair 3/31/07
• GPSG Officer nominations due 4/3/07

Student Football Vote:

• Over 30% of the student body has cast their votes regarding football, but SGA is looking for a 50% turnout
• Make sure the graduate voice is heard in this poll

Announcements:

• Check your mailbox in the Cone Center
• Contact Liz about volunteer credit at gpsgsecretary@email.uncc.edu
• Budgets are due February 22!
• Organizations must (re)charter with GPSG by February 23!

Motion to Adjourn: APPROVED

Recorded by Liz Smith

Organization Name	Reading/ Approving Minutes	Line Item Transfer
ABGS	Y	Y
ACGS	Y	Y
AGITS
ASPE	Y	Y
CIGSPA	Y	Y
ED-LEAD	Y	Y
EGSA
EMGT	Not Present
GASP	Y	Y
GHA	Y	Y
GPHA	Y	Y
GPPA	Not Present
GSA	Y	Y
GSWA	Y	Y
GTU
IOPGA	Y	Y
MASS	Y	Y
MBAA	Not Present
MGSA	Not Present
MPASG	Not Present
MGSO	Not Present
OSGA	Y	Y
SPIE	Y	Y
SPO	Y	Y