Obsidian/.archive/2.1 GSA Meeting Notes/2024-09-18.md

Attendance

• Dane Sabo
• Mithin Nair
• Lauren Wewer
• Zach Harris

Discussion

Catch up to speed for Mithin and Dane about GSA Future

Seminars

From previous survey, there is a concern from faculty that the correct population of students is not being captured. We need to figure out the best way to get feedback from these groups:

1. Caucus idea
   1. 1 student from each group
   2. Pipeline between faculty and students.
   3. Groups are heterogeneous
2. GSA runs a couple grad seminars
   1. Run the survey
   2. explain what GSA does
   3. Town hall
   4. Without naming names.
   5. Communication is a big problem. Students aren't aware enough of the support lines when things aren't going well with their advisors. Students don't know about the graduate coordinators (These are tenured people that have been here a while...)
   6. If GSA runs event, we are the present face for problems to be articulated to. Caucus idea has challenges with getting groups accurately represented, but it is a more controlled and structured environment. Perhaps there are training opportunities for the moderators here. The challenge that the faculty has is that there are a lot of avenues for reporting, but they are not being used. How do we ensure participation but preserve anonymity? GSA does not present the information. People get paid to do that. There must be communication from the faculty about how they're receiving feedback and what they're going to do about it. Is there enough bandwidth to cover all the possible issues in one seminar?
3. Membership requirements A couple of topics:
4. Lab Safety
5. Facilities
   1. What resources do students have
6. union
7. Faculty analysis of results, new survey. Timeline: 3 seminars a semester, starting this semester
8. Introduce GSA
9. Lab Safety? EHS rep come talk about something.
10. Survey feedback and new survey.
    1. Faculty feedback on what questions they want Food comes through Brian Jessica can get us access to TopHat for attendance

Donut Hour

Comment is that why are we doing donuts on Thursday and Fridays?

• Simple answer: People cannot discuss at seminar.
• But also, resource expenditure needs to be justified.
  • How do we get people to stay?
  • Need some numbers. How long are people actually staying.
• There was a mess.
• Students lead cleaning things up.

Catch up to speed for Zach about our events

1. MoonTree 2. Dane or Mithin explain
2. Halloween
   1. Social event / costume party?
3. Christmas

Other Things

A union Q&A event could be a good thing to host. It is important to make sure the students are well informed about the upcoming election. If people complain, this is a information session not a recruitment seminar. The vote is already coming.

Action Items

From Last Time (09.13.24)

Lauren

• Set up (this) meeting ✅ 2024-09-18 Mithin
• Draft email for MoonTree ✅ 2024-09-20
• [-] Send out this email ❌ 2024-09-18 His outlook is broken. Must resolved Dane
• [-] Figure out who can make us a poster for MoonTree
• Talk to Bob (Dr. Parker) about beer tasting ✅ 2024-09-25
• Schedule next GSA meeting ✅ 2024-09-25

New Items

Zach Talk to Gleeson

• QE Exam Support group in addition to Donut Hour ✅ 2024-09-20
• [-] Union info session, with perspective of informing students (Faculty union issues) ❌ 2024-09-20
  • No. Union Busting
• [-] Talk about bigger rooms for seminar ❌ 2024-09-20
  • [-] Lecture halls across Benedum Patio (157/158) ❌ 2024-09-20
• [-] Ask Brian where our money lives. Candy?

Others

• Get table cloths (Contact Jessica or Heather) Tara is gone. [completion:: 2024-10-01]
• Come up with a plan for Halloween event so Zach can pitch it. [completion:: 2024-09-30]