School of Social Work GSA
MINUTES
OCTOBER 14, 2014
5:30PM
684 BALDY
MEETING CALLED BY
Chelsea Colon
TYPE OF MEETING
Open Meeting
FACILITATOR
Chelsea Colon
NOTE TAKER
David Youhess
ATTENDEES
Officers: Chelsea Colon, Marna Metcalf, Carla Kuhl, David Youhess,
Student Attendees: Alla Kazakhian, Brenda (last name missing)
AGENDA TOPICS
TOPIC 1
Officers Review of Minutes
Approval of Minutes from Sept. 24 (4-0)
TOPIC 2
Open Time for attending students to raise issues or concerns
Attending student discussed the challenge she’s experienced with some faculty members. There is a
perception among some students that not all Faculty teach from a trauma -informed perspective. She’s
observed some faculty “forcing opinions on students” and that the t rauma-informed care is not coming
through in the teaching.
Carla shared that these concerns have also been voiced by others in her classes as well.
CONCLUSION
TOPIC 3
We will note the concerns and share them with our faculty advisor and during our
upcoming meeting with the Dean.
Roswell Platelet donation update
Carla talked to our contact at Roswell, Anita and she is “thrilled” with the process we’ve developed to share
names of potential volunteers. The process is such that we will ask for volunteers then share the names with
Anita for her to follow up with more details.
So far, 6 students have volunteered.
CONCLUSION
TOPIC 4
We will continue on as we have with this process.
October Volunteer Opportunity: Ronald McDonald Donation Drive
Chelsea made flyers which look great! She will post it on the SSW Facebook page and will email students
via the list_serv.
Carla and David recommended highlighting the “1-time” nature of the volunteer/donation opportunity as this
will likely speak to students sensibilities given their present time committments .
We also discussed purchasing a more permanent bin to put in the lounge that will make it convenient to
transport collected items for now and in the future. (i.e. bin with wheels).
We will aim to start this on Oct. 20 th.
CONCLUSIONS
Carla will look into purchasing a donation bin with wheels for a permanent home in the SSW
lounge.
ACTION ITEMS
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
DEADLINE
Identify potential products for donation bin and bring pictures
for us to review
Carla
Oct. 21
TOPIC 5
Setting up GSA website
Chelsea got an email from the GSA webmaster which said that we cannot have a SSW website independent
of the overall GSA structure.
A website would allow us to post information regarding volunteer opportunities, minutes from open meetings
and another documents related to promotions we might be doing
CONCLUSIONS
We want to move forward to creating a website by reaching out to the GSA webmaster.
ACTION ITEMS
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
DEADLINE
Contact the webmaster to ensure we can have access to
create connected to the overarching GSA structure.
Chelsea
Nov.
TOPIC 6
Self-Care Workshops
Guided mediation by Elaine Hammond
 Elaine needs us to decide on a data ASAP:
 It would need to occur on a Wed. at 12:30 in 684 Baldy
 We will propose Nov. 12 th as the date to run the mediation and hold Nov. 5 th as a backup/alternative.
Promotion of UB Wellness’ Stress-less workshop:
 The workshop will be on Tues. Oct. 28 th at 12:45-1:30pm in 684 Baldy.
Other ideas:
 Another idea Marna discussed was to promote a “stress-less” cooking class in partnership and led
by UB Wellness. The workshop would involve 2 sessions, 1 learning to cook a healthy meal, the
other led by students. We would then share the meal together.
 Discuss the desire to get student feedback.
CONCLUSIONS
We are moving forward with Guided mediation by Elaine as well as promoting the Stress-less
workshop conducted by UB Wellness.
ACTION ITEMS
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
DEADLINE
Follow up with Elaine to confirm date
Carla
Oct. 28
Send out Stress-less workshop on list_serv
Marna
Oct. 15
Purchase water for Stress-less event
Create survey-monkey survey to query students’ interest in
cooking class
Carla
Oct 28
Marna
?
TOPIC 7
Grad Speaker
Chelsea: Provided update from Kathryn Kendell including:
 We need to have a bio & headshot for the selected speaker by Feb 1 st so the program is ready to
print
 We need to rent regalia for the speaker which the club pays for.
 In years past, a choice has been provided for students in the form a survey
Carla: Our contacts at Jericho fell through. We’ve tried to contact them multiple times and received no
feedback. We are going to move on to prospect elsewhere.
Chelsea: Contacted Mark about a potential speaker (Dan Frontera) and will follow up to receive share more
information including Data/Time/Place/Expectation of being a speaker. She will also let him know that will be
talking with other potential speakers and that students will ultimately be given a chance to share their
opinion.
Marna: Contacted Harry Schultz, but was unable to reach him. She will follow up again as well as contact
the organization, Push Buffalo to prospect for speakers.
David: Will follow up with Arlene Kaukus, current director of UB Career Services and previous CEO of the
United Way in Buffalo to see if she has any ideas about potential speakers.
We reviewed the survey results from the students again which received a high response rate. It incidated a
preference for someone who is 1) A leader of nonprofit, 2) Leader in Healthcare, 3) Veteran. We will
continue to keep this in mind.
CONCLUSIONS
This remains a top priority and we need to continue to focus on identify possible speakers
with enough time for students to vote and provide feedback.
ACTION ITEMS
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
DEADLINE
Follow up with Dan Frontera
Chelsea
ASAP
Follow up with Harry Schultz
Marna
ASAP
Reach out to Push Buffalo to prospect for potential speakers
Marna
ASAP
Reach out to Arlene to prospect for potential speakers
David
ASAP
TOPIC 8
Communication to Students and Attendance at future meetings
We discussed the importance of encouraging students to attend our future open meetings so we can know
their interests and points of concern and ultimately better represent them
We discussed that we could do a better job communicate to students what it is we do for them, as well as to
provide a concrete agenda ahead of time and identify a topic for each open meeting. We hope that by doing
so it will connect with students and their personal areas of concerns, motivating them to attend meetings.
We decided our next topic for student feedback and open forum will b: “Are Faculty Trauma -Informed in the
Classroom?”
CONCLUSIONS
Send out more target emails promoting future Open meetings that provide tangible topic
areas of focus
ACTION ITEMS
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
DEADLINE
Send out email via list_serv promoting next meeting.
Carla
1 week ahead
of Nov. Open
meeting
1. Plan to create another survey in a few weeks to gather data on what SSW students
would like to see from their GSA
OTHER NOTES
 How can we be most useful to students? And how can we make sure that
-ANDwhatever put our energy into, students will want to do?
LINGERING FUTURE
 Could we run professional development or networking opportunities—i.e.
AGENDA ITEMS
a panel discussion from Social Workers?
FROM Oct 14
MEETING
2. David will explore whether it is possible for him to attend the Faculty meetings on
behalf of the GSA.