From owner-info@gso.bu.edu Fri Sep 24 16:47 EDT 1999 Received: from gso.bu.edu (GSO.BU.EDU [128.197.60.71]) by cs.bu.edu ((8.8.8.buoit.v1.0)/8.8.8/(BU-S-10/16/98-v1.0a)) with ESMTP id QAA29655; Fri, 24 Sep 1999 16:47:40 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by gso.bu.edu (8.8.5/8.8.5/(BU-S-02/10/97-v1.0)) id QAA03810 for info-list; Fri, 24 Sep 1999 16:47:34 -0400 (EDT) Received: from cs.bu.edu (root@CS.BU.EDU [128.197.10.2]) by gso.bu.edu (8.8.5/8.8.5/(BU-S-02/10/97-v1.0)) with ESMTP id QAA03806 for ; Fri, 24 Sep 1999 16:47:28 -0400 (EDT) Received: from cs16.bu.edu (rip@cs16 [128.197.10.115]) by cs.bu.edu ((8.8.8.buoit.v1.0)/8.8.8/(BU-S-10/16/98-v1.0a)) with ESMTP id QAA29638 for ; Fri, 24 Sep 1999 16:47:27 -0400 (EDT) From: Robert Pitts Received: by cs16.bu.edu (8.8.5/Spike-2.1) id QAA09798; Fri, 24 Sep 1999 16:47:23 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 16:47:23 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <199909242047.QAA09798@cs16.bu.edu> To: info@gso.bu.edu Subject: GSO Committee/Officer/Dept Rep positions open (please forward) Sender: owner-info@gso.bu.edu Precedence: bulk Content-Type: text Content-Length: 9151 Status: RO Please forward to other grads in your dept... Here is a summary of activities from the Thu, Sep 23, 99 Graduate Student Organization meeting. It only includes the portion of the meeting in which we described the committees, officers and dept representative positions we are trying to fill. Please take a look at each committee or position. Each lists an e-mail contact if you are interested. Those committees marked as (new) are brand-new this year and are mandated by our draft constitution (mail steering@gso.bu.edu for information or comments on the constitution). Our next general meeting will be in October (to be announced). We will attempt to finalize membership in committees, officer positions, and dept reps at that time. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- COMMITTEES All the following committees are open to new members. Some list potential future projects, although other projects can always be suggested by students. If you are interested in pursuing a potential GSO project that doesn't seem to fall under a committee listed below, contact questions@gso.bu.edu. Financial, Academic and Research Committee (FAR) ================================================ If interested in this committee, contact far@gso.bu.edu Purpose: This committee is responsible for monitoring the financial health of graduate students, establishing adequate procedures for the handling of grievances, examining the quality of advising and encouraging successful mentoring of graduate students, and insuring that an environment conducive to productive research exists. Past Projects: - Collected information on pay rates at other schools (on web at http://gso.bu.edu/FAR) - Sponsored talk on "Intellectual Property." Current/Future Projects: - Creating policy statement with guidelines for "Advising" at BU. - Organizing seminar on "grant-writing." Funding Committee (new) ================= If interested in this committee, contact funding@gso.bu.edu Purpose: This committee is charged with providing support for basic operating and programming expenses. Duties also include the proposal and maintenance of a budget each year. The chair of this committee is the Treasurer. Future Projects: - Establish a budget for the funds allotted to the GSO by GRS. - Establish a form of funding for the GSO independent of the administration, possibly establishing a small grad student fee. Maintain a budget for that new source of funding. Healthcare Committee ==================== If interested in this committee, contact healthcare@gso.bu.edu Purpose: This committee is responsible for informing graduate students about their healthcare options, primarily by maintaining a repository of healthcare information available to graduate students. The committee also researches ways of improving healthcare for our graduate students and maintains a reasonable presence at forums relevant to student healthcare. Past Projects: - Provided write-ups of health insurance, dental plans, state assistance programs, etc. on the web (http://gso.bu.edu/healthcare). - Provided flyers on alternative health or dental plans (at orientation). - Organized Q&A forum for students with representative from student insurance company and BU's student health services. - Discussed possible improvements to student insurance plan with insurance company representatives. - Present at other healthcare forums at BU. Current/Future Projects: - Continue to update plans on web (those that change each year) and add additional plans. - Expand repository of information into new areas: mental health, wellness, etc. Housing and Community Committee (formerly Housing) =============================== If interested in this committee, contact housing@gso.bu.edu Purpose: This committee represents the housing interests of our graduate population. In addition, the committee investigates the concerns of graduate student welfare in regards to safety and other related matters. Past Projects: - Created and maintained the Housing Pages (http://gso.bu.edu/housing) with information to assist grads in finding housing. - Worked towards getting new students access to computer accounts before they arrived at BU so that they could access BU's online Off-campus Housing listings. Current/Future Projects: - Add additional information to the Housing Pages. - Expand beyond issues of just "finding housing" implied by this committee's new name and additional purpose. Liaison Committee ================= If interested in this committee, contact liaison@gso.bu.edu Purpose: This committee acts as liaison between grad students or the GSO and the administration. The chair of the committee is the Vice-President. Past Projects: - Brought grad student issues (e.g., extension of library privileges) to the attention of administration of GRS. - Acquired money from GRS for GSO projects/events. - Planned joint GSO/GRS events. Current/Future Projects: - Acquire a new lounge for all grads in GRS and for GSO events. - Work with the Funding Committee to establish a small grad student fee to fund the GSO. - Publicity Committee (new) =================== If interested in this committee, contact publicity@gso.bu.edu Purpose: This committee is responsible for (or assists with) the dissemination of information from the GSO. It maintains the GSO web site and mailing lists, assists other committees with their web pages, and assists with both paper and electronic advertisements. It is also responsible for taking minutes at GSO meetings. Social Committee ================ If interested in this committee, contact social@gso.bu.edu Purpose: This committee plans, promotes and runs social activities benefiting graduate students. Past Projects: - Organized pub nights, dim sum, billiards nights, bowling, etc. Current/Future Projects: - Continue to plan monthly social events for grads. - Possibly organize intramural sports, etc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- OFFICERS All the following officer positions are open to candidates. Contact questions@gso.bu.edu if you are interested in any of them. President ========= Duties: - Run General and Special GSO meetings. (General meetings are where all committees get together to report on their progress. Special meetings are called when an issue important to grads arises.) - Provide general leadership: + Stay in touch with and motivate committees on a monthly basis. + Resolve serious disagreements among members (i.e., build consensus). + Act as a main point of contact for the GSO. + Work to advance the growth of the GSO. Vice-President ============== Duties: - Chair the Liaison Committee. - Run Department Representative meetings. (Dept Rep meeting will be held at least once a semester.) - Stay in touch with committees on a monthly basis, to facilitate the Vice-President's role as a leader of the GSO. - Assume the position of leadership in the absence of the President. Treasurer ========= Just a special name for the chair of the Funding Committee. The duties of the Treasurer are those of the Funding Committee. Committee Chairpersons ====================== Each committee will have one person as their chair. Duties are: - Run respective committee meetings. - Delegate committee tasks. - Stay in touch with the President and Vice-President on a monthly basis. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVES As this is a new academic year, dept rep positions in each dept are open. Contact questions@gso.bu.edu if you are interested in being a department representative. Each degree-granting program or department in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences is entitled to choose representative(s) to the GSO. Those reps should be students in that dept. The number of reps a dept may have depends on the number of its students registered in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences; programs with up to 50 students are entitled to elect one rep; 51-100, two reps; more than 100 students, three reps. Duties: - Attend GSO Dept Rep meetings (held at least once a semester) as well as Special meetings (called when important issues arise). Attending General meetings, where committee report on their progress, is optional. - Represent the interests of their dept's grads to the GSO (they also represent grads in general). - Disseminate information from the GSO to grads in their dept. - Assist with promoting the participation of their dept's grads in the GSO or GSO events. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------