From rip@cs.bu.edu Thu Jul 1 14:44 EDT 1999 Received: from csb.bu.edu (rip@csb [128.197.10.4]) by cs.bu.edu ((8.8.8.buoit.v1.0)/8.8.8/(BU-S-10/16/98-v1.0a)) with ESMTP id OAA02722; Thu, 1 Jul 1999 14:43:56 -0400 (EDT) From: Robert Pitts Received: (from rip@localhost) by csb.bu.edu (8.8.5/8.8.5/(BU-C-02/10/97-v1.0)) id OAA11610; Thu, 1 Jul 1999 14:43:53 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 1 Jul 1999 14:43:53 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <199907011843.OAA11610@csb.bu.edu> To: rip@cs.bu.edu Subject: GSO - summary of Wed, Jun 30, 99 meeting Content-Type: text Content-Length: 10437 Status: RO Here is a summary of what we did at yesterday's Graduate Student Organization meeting. Our next general meeting will be towards the end of July (to be announced). --Rob P.S.: The GSO server is currently down, so hopefully this message, which is being sent to all the e-mails on a backup list, gets to all the students currently on our mailing list. Summary ======= 1. Committee Reports Financial, Academic and Research Committee ========================================== Ann Walker reported for this committee. - They have received some additional statistics on grad stipends at a few other schools from third parties. Namely, students at Rice U. in Texas receive $12,000/year; students at UMass Amherst receive between $13,750-$15,200/year. They've also received some information on the healthcare coverage at UMass. - They are also still working on a policy statement for "Advising". ---- One attendee asked what kinds of guidelines would be part of the policy statement on advising. They responded that things like "students being able to meet regularly with advisers" is one example. They also explained that the reason why they are working on the statement is because BU currently has no general guidelines on advising other than that students should have an advisor. Healthcare Committee ==================== Rob Pitts reported for this committee via a summary provided by Jill Orofino . - They now have info on the NAGPS health insurance plan for 99/00: + The premiums stay the same for the 3rd year in a row (exact premiums depend on several factors, see the Healthcare Pages at http://gso.bu.edu/healthcare). + There are increases in coverage for a few services. - The NAGPS plan write-up on the Healthcare Pages now has a chart that outlines the coverage of different kinds of services. - A representative of the NAGPS plan recently informed us that because all plans offered in Massachusetts must meet the state requirements for student health plans, what the NAGPS plan covers in Mass. sometimes exceeds the offerings listed on their nationally- distributed information. Although the NAGPS plan representative didn't have a list of those differences, the committee was able to get a copy of the state regulations from the Mass. Division of Health Care Finance and Policy. They will be reviewing that document in order to update the coverage listed for the NAGPS plan on the Healthcare Pages, i.e., to better reflect its coverage in Mass. ----- Note: The Division of Health Care Finance and Policy is planning to increase those state requirements in December 1999 since they believe some of the current requirements are too low. Such changes would effect plans in Fall 2000. ----- - Lanae DiSilvio at Chickering has forwarded documents outlining supplemental insurance coverage and continuation of coverage (after graduation). The Healthcare Committee is currently reviewing those documents to see if any additional info in those should be included in the write-up of the BU plan on the Healthcare Pages. Housing Committee ================= This committee is out of town for the summer. Liaison Committee ================= Rob Pitts , acting liaison for the summer, reported for this committee. Most of the following information comes from a June 24th meeting with Andrea White (assistant to Assoc. Dean Whitaker). International TF Orientation ---------------------------- For this August 17-24th event, GRS has received confirmation from about half of the expected 40 students. As for providing a social event during this orientation for those students (and possibly some veteran students), Andrea says that it wouldn't require much planning on the our part, but she will not schedule such an event unless a student volunteers to be part of the planning. Regular TF Orientation ---------------------- For this Sept. 1st event, Andrea says that the GSO can send a student (with flyers) during the reception to represent the GSO. GRS would like to expand this event in the future. They also are considering videotaping as part of TF training (something they have talked about in the past). New Student Orientation ----------------------- For this Sept. 7th event, Andrea would like to know whether someone from the GSO would like to say a few words to new students at the reception (as we did last year). New Student Packets ------------------- In the information packets that new students will receive when they arrive in the Fall, the GSO can include an updated flyer (Andrea would prefer to have a copy by the 3rd week in July). Also, we now have a sample copy of the packet that GRS sent to new students in May. New Student Computer Accounts ----------------------------- BU has just sent some initial information to new students (e.g., getting a BUID, etc.) GRS expects that instructions on how to get computer accounts over the summer will be sent by mid-July. GSO budget from GRS ------------------- Andrea re-affirmed that placing $1,000 in her budget for the GSO this coming academic year should be no problem. When asked whether some of that money could be used for things like photocopying access, she said we should construct a budget of things we need and submit it to her. Dept Admin List --------------- Andrea has just given us a new list of Chairs, Directors of Graduate Studies (DGSs), etc. for each dept (since some of those will change in the Fall). Library Privileges ------------------ On the issue of better borrowing privileges for grads, Assoc. Dean Whitaker has said, "I have raised this issue (and several others) with the Library. No outcomes yet...." Because of the importance of this issue (especially to students in the Humanities), a group of English grad students is pursuing ways to get privileges improved. The Liaison Committee has met with Aimee Trochio , a grad rep from English who is currently representing those students on this issue. She is very interested in hearing from other students wishing to assist with the process. We have given her contact information for Chairs/DGSs in each dept and statistics about different kinds of grads. Namely, those statistics were: ------ (All numbers refer to registered students in GRS in Spring '99, part- or full-time. These statistics were provided by Janette Countryman in Financial Aid.) Total students: 1564 Breakdown: Non-degree : 16 Just Masters: 394 PhDs : 1154 Breakdown: MA/PhD : 539 Just PhD : 615 TFs: 344 RAs: 278 Continuing Study: 533 (this includes *anyone* on continuing study, but most will be students at the advanced stages of degree work) ------ These statistics may be used to help argue for increasing library privileges for all grads (or for a subset, if they are not able to get the increase for all grads). I.e., they give some measure of how many additional students would have better borrowing privileges, and thus, affect library circulation. Currently, this group of English students is considering talking to a friendly contact in GRS about the feasibility of improving library privileges. Grad Student Lounge ------------------- On the issue of finding a better room that the GSO can use to meet and that can be used as a general lounge for grads in GRS, this committee has asked other student groups (via the NAGPS's mailing list for Northeast schools) about what such facilities they have at their own schools. They've received some information; e.g., BC and Harvard both have houses for grad/GSO use. They will continue to gather more information and may use it to argue for the need for more space; however, they may wait until Fall to do so, since some space use by depts will be reorganized over the summer. ---- On the issue of teacher training, one attendee mentioned that BU has a "Center for Teaching Excellence" that can provide instructional packets for new teachers and that videotapes and reviews a teacher's style upon request. Social Committee ================ Cassandra Celatka and Amy Tapper were present for this committee. There was no new information for them to report. Steering Committee ================== Jen Wenner reported for this committee. During this meeting the "Meetings" and "Dept Reps" articles of the constitution were approved. Interested parties can learn more about those by contacting steering@gso.bu.edu. 2. Increasing Student Participation in the GSO We briefly discussed some ideas to increase dept representation to the GSO for the Fall, namely: - One attendee said that their dept administrator suggested the possibility of paying dept grad reps/reps to the GSO. Normally, depts receive discretionary funds that they can use to pay continuing study fees, etc. for some students. It would have to be clear to depts, however, that these reps would be employed to represent the interests of students, not of the admin/faculty of their dept. One attendee was concerned that some dept reps might be paid under such a system and others would not. - Other attendees reinterated the idea of going to each dept again and talking to students. They suggested that depts often have meetings with their grad students early in the fall where this could be done. Also, they thought that dept chairs/admins may be able to recommend motivated students in their depts. - Another reinterated the suggestion of holding GSO meetings in a location closer to some of the Humanities depts since attendance is mostly from students in the Sciences. We decided to start to formulate this plan for the Fall at the next general meeting.