GSA General Meeting

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GSA General Meeting

• January 28th, 2009

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GSA Who we are

• Graduate Student Association
• Student Advocacy
• Serves Northwestern, Evanston, and Chicago
• Strengthening Community
• Officers
• President Harold Hsiung
• Advocacy Chairs Abhishek Mukhopadhyay, (one more
  position available)
• Treasurer Christopher George
• Secretary Luciana Zanella
• Social Chair Alana Glaser
• Service Chair Patrick Ryan
• Communications Chair Paul Thelen

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Graduate Leadership CouncilAnnual Survey
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GLC Annual Survey

• Used to
• Assess graduate students needs and concerns
• Obtain feedback on recent changes to policies and
  initiatives that affect graduate student life
• Sent to all students enrolled in TGS via email in
  November, 2008
• 848 graduate students responded to the survey
• 3,574 total enrolled graduate students

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Graduate Student Contribution

• Teaching
• Research Fellowships
• Outreach Visibility

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Diversity

•  A. International students
• 1. Provide extensive housing information prior
  to arrival at NU
• 2. Offer more meet greet activities during
  orientation tailored to foreign students
•  B. Diversity
• 1. Increase efforts at the department level to
  recruit minority graduate students
• 2. Attract more female faculty in STEM
  disciplines
• 3. Promote NUs commitment to diversity during
  the Welcome Panel at Graduate Student Orientation
• 4 Encourage wider marketing for existing
  multicultural programs in order to attract a
  broader audience

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Building a Better Graduate Student

•   A. Ombudsperson
• 1. Develop an office for an Ombudsperson
• 2. Effectively implement the Expectations for
  Graduate Education document
•  B. Professional Development
• 1. Develop a cohesive and comprehensive strategy
  for graduate student professional development and
  job search support
•  C. Community Building
• 1. Continue the great support of Community
  Building Grants
• 2. Increase graduate student space

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Graduate Student Life

• A. Graduate Student Stipends
• 1. Increase stipend level for humanities
  students
• B. Housing
• 1. Create a comprehensive off-campus housing
  support system
• 2. Services may include
• a. Online apartment listings database
• b. Listings for subletting
• c. Roommate finding
• d. Landlord reviews
• e. Neighborhood guides to Chicago and Evanston
•   C. Transportation
• Intercampus Shuttle
• 1. Add stops to the shuttle route between the
  end of Lake Shore Loyola and Loyola
  Chicago/Main in Evanston
• 2. Initiate weekend service between the
  campuses
• U-PASS
• 1.Continue working with TGS to decide what is
  best for the graduate student body
• 2. Increase U-PASS coverage to 365 days/year
• 3. Minimize the cost burden of activity fee
  increases to the student

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Department Groups

• Form department groups in departments that do not
  have formal groups
• Advocacy of department specific issues
• Strengthening community
• Want to join the committee? mukho_at_md.northwestern
  .edu

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Committee Representatives
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Committee Representatives

• Thanks for your interest!
• Faculty Diversity Committee Rep
• Jenny Korn
• ISEN Committee Rep Initiative for
  Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern
  University
• Sunanda Prabhu Gaonkar

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Advocacy
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Parenting

• Objectives
• Work with The Graduate School to improve quality
  of life and success for students who are parents
  and for their children
• Mary Ann Mason, "Do Babies Matter in Academia?
• http//www.law.berkeley.edu/3133.htm
• Friday, February 13, 530 630 PM
• RSVP http//www.tgs.northwestern.edu/research/nud
  irections/Calendar/mason/.
• TGS Town Hall, "Parenting in the Academy
• Tuesday, February 17, 630 800 PM
• Want to be involved? We are recruiting a new
  Advocacy Chair
• northwestern.gsa_at_gmail.com

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Health Care

• Meetings with SHAC and with NU Health Clinic
  Staff
• Redesigned Evanston Health Clinic website
• http//www.nuhs.northwestern.edu//evanston/default
  .aspx
• Personal Health portal
• Access to exams results
• Schedule appointments
• Communication between patient and doctor
• GSA Health Care Advocacy Committee
• Two officers and four other graduate students
• Meetings once a quarter (see announcements in the
  GSA e-mails)
• Short term objectives better dissemination of
  information
• Health insurance
• Use of the NU Health Clinics

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Service
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Service Events

• Successful event at Campus Kitchens
• Made lunches from dining hall leftovers for the
  needy
• Got to wear hair nets and aprons
• Can contact Joanna Racho (jracho_at_campuskitchens.or
  g) to schedule a time to volunteer
• Blood drive going on now in Norris!
• Received over 200 units of blood last quarter, a
  new record!
• Can sign up online at http//northwestern.givesblo
  od.org
• Free cholesterol check with donation
• Upcoming events Mather Pavilion
• Present your cutting-edge research to a new
  audience
• Engage the elderly with your ideas and show how
  Northwestern is committed to making a difference
• Likely will be on a weeknight with dinner
  provided
• If interested, email me (pryan_at_u.northwestern.edu)
  

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Social
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Social Events

• TGS Night Out
• Tuesday February 10th Firehouse Grill - RSVP
  closed on Jan 16th BUT
• Be alert to upcoming TGS e-mails for the next
  opportunities!
• GSA 5 K Run
• Come out to celebrate Spring and run with your
  peers!

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Treasury
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Financial Seminars

• Investment seminar for risk-averse women
  co-sponsored with GWAN
• Winter term
• Tax seminar
• Discussion about taxes as they pertain to grad
  students
• Mid-March
• More in-depth investment topics
• Understanding different financial instruments
• Spring term possibly

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Public Intellectual Workshop Series

• Teach graduate students skills to effectively
  engage the public
• Teaser talks this year
• Workshop series next year (certificate program?)
• Culminates in talks given to public
• Still in the planning phasesuggestions are
  welcome

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Communications
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GSA Spring Elections

• Elections will take place online the first
  Tuesday in May (May 5th, 2009).
• Officer Positions President, Secretary,
  Treasurer, Operations Chair, Advocacy Chair (2),
  Community Service Chair, Social Chair, and
  Communications Officer.
• Office descriptions are available at
  www.NUGSA.com
• Nominations are due the last Tuesday of April.

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Career/Professional Development

• University Career Services Graduate Student
  Services
• Tamara Johnson, Assoc. Director for Career
  Development.
• Walk-in Hours 11am-3pm, Tuesday-Friday
• Your Needs?
• C.V., Interviewing Skills, Cover Letters, Job
  Search Strategies, Evaluating Academic v.
  Non-Academic Career Choices, Employment Contract
  etc.

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GSA on

• Stay Connected
• This is another tool we may use to keep you
  updated on GSA events and opportunities.
• Advertise
• Let grad students know about events in your
  program/department.
• Meet Other Grad Students

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Other Questions or Concerns?Get
involved!www.NUGSA.comnorthwestern.gsa_at_gmail.co
m