MINUTES

 

Public Affairs Student Association

Monday, September 9, 2009

12:00 p.m.

Freeman Commons

 

Present:           Megan Evans, Luke Hollenkamp, Aaron Jefferson, Anne Johnson, Cardessa Luckett, Noel Nix, Abdul Omari, Ken Savary, Rebecca Weinbar, Cynthia Yuen

 

Absent:           Adrienne Alexander, Sarah Berke, Jasmine Blanks, Nick Petersen, Ken Rodgers, Kelly Wilder

 

Guest:  Mandy Stahre, COGS President

 

1)    New Business

a)    Graduate School Update – Mandy Stahre (COGS President)

i)      COGS = Council of Graduate Students and holds a seat on the Graduate and Professional Students Association (GAPSA) which oversees all.  Questions?  Ask Luke.

ii)    Regarding Graduate School restructuring last February:  At this point more questions than answers.  Last spring the Committee on Graduate School Restructuring made recommendations, had student input from GAPSA President Kristi Kremers and former COGS VP Boyd Cothran, but felt like decisions were already being made or were already in Provost SullivanŐs hands.  Currently, work groups are being formed to deal with specific restructuring issues.  COGS is pushing for student positions on all work groups (currently being pulled from COGS membership, given the short notice); not yet sure if theyŐre in.  Other issues:

(a)   All masters degree students to be moved out of grad school – tricky to discern between terminal and professional masters degrees.  Programs will have to opt in/out.  CSOM only school ready to make move now.

(b)  Many programs donŐt yet have additional staff but would still have to follow same rules/regs.

(c)   Suggestion to HHH:  press Dean Atwood.  Are we out of grad school?  Are we staying in?  Make sure heŐs engaged/knows answers to our questions.

(d)  Search for new Grad School dean in motion, likely to be internal person.  Tim Mulcahy is interim dean.  No students on search committee yet.  New dean to be named in November.  Lots to be happening in next few months.

(e)   First COGS meeting on Tues. 9/22.  COGS leadership meeting with various administrators before; goal is to keep all students informed. 

(f)   What can you do?  Get on a committee!  See email from Senate Committee on Committees to apply.  Check out Senate/Committee minutes.  Email committee staff person Gary Engstrom any questions on anythingÉ

(g)   Email Luke, degree rep, COGS Senator Devin Driscoll, cogs@umn.edu, etc. for more information/updates

(2)  Luke:  advantages and disadvantages to being in/out of graduate school.  PASA in touch with Rebecca/Katherine/Julie, etc.  Lots to come.  Lots of politicsÉ.

(3)  Noel: we have mix of independently/non-independently accredited degrees – more complication.  Also, potential to start PhD degree in future would be an issue as well (in terms of identifying as graduate vs. professional school). 

(4)  Action ˆSet up bi-weekly meeting with dean – Luke/Abdul to lead

 

2)    Approve Last Meeting Minutes

a)     July 22, 2009

i)      Minutes approved

 

3)    Old Business

a)    Orientation

i)      Thanks to all PASA volunteers from Katherine and Rebecca.  They couldnŐt have done it without you!

 

b)    Individual Updates and Initiatives – All (Present)

i)      Luke – spent summer meeting with Mandy to discuss reorganization, how PASAŐs positioned, etc. Had successful DC alumni happy hour.  Key card access:  need to be authorized in front office – will send out email shortly.  Student list servs are update, degree list servs arenŐt yet but will be within two weeks once course lists are finalized.  Rebecca to let us know once theyŐre live.  Wants to make changes to constitution to ease transition between PASA administrations.  Looking to make updates to PASA on the web, facebook, etc.  Also hopes to get more HHH representation in broader university community.

ii)    Anne – Connect 2 Community lunches on 2nd and 4th Wednesdays in community businesses.  Will have staff/faculty invited too.  Hope to advertise for entire first semester.  Basketball with Coyle youth will continue – still tying down dates.  Will start girls games and also mix up Coyle/HHH-ers on teams. Also working on CHANCE meetings.

iii)   Abdul – interesting summer.  Meet with Dean Atwood re. tuition increases and grad school restructuring.  Summer BBQ was a huge success!  Possible Timberwolves game event to come.

iv)   Aaron – planning first annual speaker series:  executive director of African development corporation; research director for womenŐs group; an HHH prof; etc.  Likely to be held in Wilkins (but we might have to pay?  Rebecca to check).   Diversity committee to meet on Friday at 11am to discuss series.

v)    Noel – Sidekick program; liaising with SPO (which doesnŐt have funding); tour event with Aeon; will have potluck on Friday; light rail pub crawl will happen again; planning month is October.  Seeking funding for APA national conference in March in NOLA.  Had informal conversation with Julie Harrold re. tuition increases, how to mitigate, etc.  LetŐs freeze the rates!  Tshirts.  Looking to have meeting with Ted Peck in International Fellows office and Aaron to discuss how to better engage fellows in HHH. Josh Pearson has space reserved for pre-game tailgating -- all students invited.  53 incoming MURPs = class sizes an issue. 

vi)   Megan – Helping to plan Staff Appreciation Day.  Will also be finalizing meeting date with Abdul.  Response to Doodle request by Friday! 

vii) Cardessa – Staff Appreciation on 9/28.  150-200 people; will be catered by UDS and EinsteinŐs; note cards to note what we are all appreciative of; will be welcome/introduction for new students/staff/faculty, etc.  Degree reps have been solicited to deliver vignettes on impact of staff/faculty.  Door prizes to be offered raffle style.  Will also highlight research centers, recognize key staff, sponsor table settings, etc. 

viii)         Ken –Helped with redesign of HHH web site – still in progress.  Rest of sites will be updated by Halloween.  PASA blog should probably turn into social networking site.  Now HHH video editor – bringing human touch to site! 

ix)   Cynthia – HHH nights over summer were after softball and were ok.  Please attend any events you plan.  Starting banquet site search.  Will also host welcome back BBQ at Nomad.  LetŐs use them more!

x)     Rebecca – winding down from orientation.  (Good work!)     

 

c)     Individual Updates and Initiatives – Absent

i)      Kelly – Planning upcoming STEP happy hour and possible water event at Gustavus during Nobel conference.

ii)    Nick – Attempted to spend down budget surplus but unfortunately we were not able to spend entirety.  Will work closely with each committee chair to ensure money is spent effectively, appropriately, and in a timely matter for current budget.   

iii)   Jasmine – Will hold international experience panel with students whoŐve done interesting things abroad, have applied for/received grants for international work, etc. Others besides Paul Walters, Renee Anderson, Sean Fahnhorst, Sarah Berke, Andrea Mosher to include? Send Jasmine suggestions. Will be looking to spend $75 on refreshments.  Overseeing business cards process.

iv)   Sarah – Wants to continue representing student voice on faculty curriculum committee, will host feedback information sessions if major curriculum changes are proposed/implemented, will hold more lunch meetings for student input, etc.  Wants to implement wiki for students to share unofficially advice/tips about courses and related activities.  Will volunteer for any future events. 

v)    Dri – 67 new students for sidekick program – only 35 second/third years.  Need more!  Will have kickoff event in next two weeks after matches are released next week.  Trying to match 1-1- based on interests, etc.  Also planning to have another topical discussion event – possibly around health care reform – in the next couple of weeks at lunch time. 

 

4)    Next Meeting

a)     TBD – Megan and Abdul.  Stay tuned!

 

5)    Meeting adjourned, 1:10 pm