From rip@cs.bu.edu Fri Dec 5 17:03:10 1997 Received: from cs16.bu.edu (rip@CS16.BU.EDU [128.197.10.115]) by cs.bu.edu (8.8.5/8.8.5/(BU-S-01/27/97-fc1)) with ESMTP id RAA20189; Fri, 5 Dec 1997 17:02:52 -0500 (EST) From: Robert Pitts Received: by cs16.bu.edu (8.8.5/Spike-2.1) id RAA01695; Fri, 5 Dec 1997 17:02:39 -0500 (EST) Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 17:02:39 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <199712052202.RAA01695@cs16.bu.edu> To: aasa@bu.edu, alistair@bio.bu.edu, amgomez@bu.edu, atrochio@bu.edu, btnoren@bio.bu.edu, byrnea@bu-ast.bu.edu, cchamber@bu.edu, celatka@chem.bu.edu, crampton@bio.bu.edu, crichard@bio.bu.edu, desrosie@chem.bu.edu, dkmciver@bu.edu, elioff@chem.bu.edu, ganne@bu.edu, garethr@math.bu.edu, ggarber@buphy.bu.edu, herbert@bu.edu, imlac@bu.edu, ingalls@ninkasi.bu.edu, jric@bu.edu, jwillis@bu.edu, kim1@bu.edu, kpetersn@bu.edu, krlynch@bu.edu, landy@bu.edu, marcusp@bu.edu, mghayes@math.bu.edu, mhmann4@bu.edu, mparks@bu.edu, mramage@crsa.bu.edu, mslobodk@bu.edu, mwalker@bu.edu, rbresler@bu.edu, rcabana@bu.edu, rip@cs.bu.edu, rolvera@bu.edu, salzmann@bu.edu, scarella@bu.edu, stephr@math.bu.edu, susanlee@bu.edu, tdwalker@bu.edu, th@math.bu.edu, thomsons@bu.edu, wenner@bu.edu, yfederow@truckee.bu.edu Subject: Grad Assoc - summary of Thu, Dec 4, 97 meeting Status: RO Here is a summary of what we did at yesterday's meeting. Our next meeting will be just for those planning this semester's pub get-together and will be on Thu, Dec 11 at 6:15pm. - Get-together at pub this semester. Mike Hayes (Math) and Jen Wenner (Earth Sciences) presented issues with using the pub. Basically, for this semester, we will not reserve the pub, but will invite all grad students to meet there on Mon, Dec 15th at 5pm. We will be contacting each of you personally and have flyers to put up early next week. Here are the issues that prompted this decision: - We could rent the pub on the weekend. We were originally told this would cost $200, but the estimate was upped to $400. This is the cost for the pub to be opened and staffed on a weekend. - In order to cover such a cost, we could ask department chairs/admins to contribute. This would be acceptable to Assoc. Dean Whitaker, as long as the money does not go for "refreshments." - Because of the increase in the fee estimate, and limited time to accumulate money from depts., renting some place will be done in the Spring. For this semester, we will just have grad students meet at the pub on Mon, Dec 15th at 5pm (i.e., it won't be reserved for us). At this get-together, we will have short flyers describing what the grad assoc is about. - For a get-together next semester. We would like to: - Have something early in the semester (and thus, the planning will have to be done early). - Look into places to rent (there may be cheaper places than the pub). - Send letters to depts. asking for money to support the cost of renting the place. - Gary Garber (Physics) presented information about the Yale grad assoc. One of the important issues brought out by his research is whether a group wants to be a "union" or a "political organization" (also, "social organization" can be an aspect of the group). This Yale group is currently not recognized as a union. They are recognized by the National Labor Relations Board as teachers, but not so by the local courts. Gary will continue his research on this group by contacting them and he will provide an outline of other important goals/aspects of the Yale group that he presented (at a later date). Yvonne Federowicz (Geog) will research the National Labor Relations Board, and what kind of authority they have, for some future meeting. - Goals for next semester. - Send questionnaires to every grad student to see what kinds of concerns they have. This will help us to find out if there are concerns we have not thought about, and to PRIORITIZE goals. - Spring get-together. - Sports teams? Intramurals? - More participation and visibility for the group. - Followup to meeting with Dean. - Mike Ramage (Earth Sciences) sent a followup e-mail to Dean Berkey asking him if he considered any of the issues we presented (since we had not heard from the dean yet). The dean's response was: "I think we did a pretty good job of discussing all the issues at our meeting." Essentially, it seems he has no response. This seems contradictory to what he said at our meeting. He said they would look into a few issues and that he wanted to make sure he had our names in order to respond to us. - Mike Hayes had some contact with Assoc Dean Whitaker when he was looking into renting the pub. This contact seemed to be positive, so we may want to keep in contact with Whitaker. - Mike Ramage (Earth Sciences) gave me a flyer about a BU Chapter of "The American Association of University Professors." This seems to be an organization for faculty. Anyone who wants a copy of the flyer can request one from me. - Chris Richardson (Bio) presented some information about mistreatment of immigrants. You should contact him (crichard@bio.bu.edu) if you'd like the details. --Rob