GRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL Minutes of the Graduate Student Council General Meeting University of San Diego Tuesday, December 11, 2012 6:00pm – 8:00pm In Attendance: Rebecca Aaron-Albanese Lindsey Ball Britainy Birkhoff Lana Blank Thomas Bobo (late) Nicholas Franco Farheen Kaka Lauren Kawano Justin Logan Annie Reyes Julio Rios Michael Ross Lindsay Sharon (late; email notification prior) Gina Stavrakakis Rob Thibaut Brianna Tracy Meghan Tracy Hayley Umayam Sean Horrigan Megan Kennedy Not In Attendance: Katharine Petrich Leonie Sandelbaum Daniel Shehan Time & Place: A meeting of the Graduate Student Council (GSC) was called to order at 6:20pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at the University of San Diego. Nicholas Franco chaired the meeting. Action Items Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes Britainy Birkhoff moved to approve the meeting minutes from the previous meeting of the GSC. Rebecca Aaron-Albanese seconded. All in favor. Action Item(s): Approval of meeting minutes Responsible: All GSC members Councilor Affirmations All GSC members present at the meeting completed an affirmation that did not previously have one on file. Action Item(s): Councilor affirmations Responsible: Brianna Tracy (Secretary) Graduate and Law Student Activity Fee Proposal Committee Franco gave a final update on the progress of the Grad and Law Fee Increase Committee consisting of Justin Logan, Britainy Birkhoff, Lindsey Ball, and Brianna Tracy. The group has submitted thoughts and comments on questions regarding the fee increase and will meet to discuss the issue further. Franco overviewed the disbursement of the graduate and law student activity fees as it currently stands and the proposed adjustments. The proposed model is that 30% of funds be allocated to the GSC and 20% to Professional Development and Research and 50% to the graduate associations respectively. In the future, the fee will increase in relation to the lowest tuition increase of a given association. In the current proposal, the GSC would no longer ask individual associations for event sponsorship. This version of the Graduate Student Activity Fee Resolution was presented to the Board of Trustees on November 29, 2012 by Franco. Points of Discussion: Intersession Fee: o Councilor Lana Blank – Have there historically been activities or events planned during Intersession? Franco – Not by the GSC. Resolution: o Councilor Gina Stavrakakis – Can we have a breakdown of what the fees currently are and what they will be under the resolution as it stands? Vote to approve or disapprove: Blank motioned to strike intercession fees from current Graduate Student Activity Fee Resolution, Lindsey Ball seconded removal of the intersession fee. Did not pass. o Breakdown of GSC councilor votes available in ‘GSC Members Fall 2012.xls’ Justin Logan motioned to approve the Graduate Student Activity Fee Resolution, Aaron-Albanese seconded. Passed. o Breakdown of GSC councilor votes available in ‘GSC Members Fall 2012.xls’ Action Item(s): Graduate Student Activity Fee Resolution Outcome: Intersession fee stands as is; Current proposal of the Resolution approved GSC Budget Allocation Proposal Franco gave a brief presentation entitled “Proposed Perpetual Budget Allocation” (see proposal at end of these minutes). Vote to approve or disapprove: Birkhoff motioned to approve the GSC Budget Allocation proposal, Justin seconded. All in favor. Logan motioned to approve Honoraria for GSC Executive Council members (Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary), Aaron-Albanese seconded. All in favor. Action Item(s): GSC Budget Allocation Outcome: Approval of the GSC Budget Allocation and Honoraria for GSC Executive Council members Spring Meeting Dates and Retreat GSC Spring meeting dates will be decided upon via GSC Executive Council availability and general councilor Doodle Poll. The Executive Council will decide upon meeting times available to them and a Doodle Poll will be sent out before the GSC Retreat (January 22, 2013) for councilors to vote on monthly meeting times. Vote to Approve or Disapprove: Tracy motioned to move Retreat from Jan. 21 to Jan. 22, Lindsey Sharon seconded to move retreat to Jan. 22. All in favor. Action Item(s): Exec Council availability and Doodle Poll Responsible: Brianna Tracy (Secretary) Graduate Student Perspectives for SACBOT Carmen Vasquez asked for graduate student perspectives to be presented at SACBOT. Group decided to table until later (possibly GSC Retreat in January 2013). Kennedy will put together a group. Action Item(s): SACBOT Perspective to be put in Retreat Agenda Responsible: Kennedy Other Business: Dan Shehan will serve as the GSC representative for the Board of Trustees’ Academic Affairs Committee. Current GSC funds at about approximately $33,000 (Farheen Kaka) GSC and Associated Students Advocacy o Updates on Dr. Lyons’s decision about Tina Beattie Hayley Umayam reported on the open forum. Aaron-Albanese and Franco reported about the dialogue. o University of San Diego Task Force on the Bestowal of Institutional Honors and Honorary Affiliations for non-USD Employees and Students January Retreat: Monday, January 22 from 5:30pm – 9:00pm in SLP 412 Birkhoff motioned to adjourn meeting at 7:42, Stavrakakis seconded. All in favor. GRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL Proposed Perpetual Budget Allocation1 December 6, 2012 OPERATIONS Annual Retreats (4%) $1,027.44 General Meetings (6%) $1,541.16 Total (10%) $2,568.60 PROGRAMMING AND EVENTS Graduate/Law Student WRRF (10%) $2,568.60 Fall Events (20%) $5,137.20 Spring Events2 (35%) $8,990.10 GSO Event Funding3 (20%) $5,137.20 Chair’s Discretionary Fund4 (5%) $1,284.30 Total (90%) 1 2 3 4 $23,117.40 Dollar amounts have been calculated by applying the resolution’s methodology to 2011-2012 FY enrollment numbers. The End-of-Year Event will receive 25% of the total budget, totaling $6,421.50. Additional funds will be added to this budget item from the GSC’s rollover funds—5% of the total rollover (e.g., 5% of the current ~$15,000)—until the total rollover amount reaches the GSC-approved minimum rollover amount. Honoraria for the Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary shall come from the Chair’s discretionary funds, totaling $450: $200 for the Chair; $150 for the Vice Chair; and $100 for the Secretary.