Graduate Student Senate Meeting Minutes
October 14, 2015
Plaster Student Union 400
Call to Order: 5:00pm
In Attendance: Dr. Julie Masterson, Brooke Bengel, Andrew Schneider, Kristen
Robbins, Angela Porcelli, Tian Zhang, Katie Whipple, Lei Shirase, Henry Alfred, Ivy,
Alana, Monroe, Chin June.
President – Brooke Bengel
 Went to Graduate Council as the GSS representative
 Two events we do every semester
o Interdisciplinary Forum in April
o Outstanding Graduate Assistant Awards
 We select the winner from all nominees the programs send
 Volunteering, Social Events, Fundraising, Speakers, Workshops, Issues on
Campus.
o Missouri State Foundation – the graduate college does not have a
foundation account, but Dr. Masterson wants to start it this year.
Would be a great philanthropic opportunity for GSS to help getting
funding for the graduate students.
 An idea for fundraising is Rent-A-Puppy
 An idea for fundraising would be selling t-shirts
 Katie will ask at ECSL what other undergraduate organizations
do for fundraising
 An idea for fundraising is a “final survive kit” for students
 Send a card to students on the day of their comprehensive
exams from the GSS
o Presentation on transitioning from undergrad to graduate school for
the undergrads contemplating on going to grad school. Current
graduate students would present on this.
o Social idea: get graduate students from different fields to socialize
together. Kristen’s bar rents out the backroom for free and we could
do a meet and greet event there; have to bring outside food.
Vice President – Andrew Schneider
 No report
Director of Programming – Kristen Robbins
 No report
Director of Finance – Tian Zhang
 Tomorrow is the deadline to apply for more money for GSS
o Brainstormed ideas on how we wanted to apply for the money and
what we wanted it to go towards.
Director of Communications – Angela Porcelli
 No report
Faculty Senate GSS Representative – Marcus Shadwick
 No report
SOFAC – Kirk Miller
 No report
Student Government Association - Lei Shirase
 No report
General Council
 Guest speaker: Zak Wilkerson
o Taylor Health Rebuild
o Up for vote on the Homecoming Ballot this year
o $29/semester student fee to support this rebuild
o Offer expanded amenities and support our growing campus size
o Fee will not be implemented until fall 2017
o Vote at elections.missouristate.edu
 Katie Whipple – Attends Executive Council for Student Leaders on GSS behalf
to represent the Graduate Student population on campus.
 Next meeting will be November 11th, but it will be at Uncle Bentley’s bar.
Happy Hour from 5:30-6:30pm. Ott’s pasta catering (fettuccini and spaghetti
+ salad). An invite will be sent out to confirm numbers.
 Policy could come in place on Blackboard that would require courses to
sunset and close on the portal. This will affect graduate students more than
undergrads since we have to take comprehensive exams. A proposal for this
will be available at the November meeting.
 Need to get a social media presence. Create a Facebook page for GSS.
 Graduate Student fee that would support graduate student travel to
conferences that want to attend but not be a presenter. This was tabled for
next meetings, but the executive council talked about trying to implement
something like that which would end up being only $1 a person per semester.
Meeting Adjourned: 6:00pm