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UGGS GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING
September 9, 1998
UMC 158B

1.   Approve funding for NAGPS conference
We renewed our membership with NAGPS, giving us benefits including
discounted auto insurance policy, health insurance policy benefits, access
to Student Advantage membership card, 20% discount on membership to
Chronicle of Higher Education, etc.  NAGPS has asked us to distribute
brochures on the CU campus--how many do we feel we can realistically
disseminate?  
Tim Benner voiced an opinion that the CHE benefit would be especially
helpful--maybe we can distribute some to each rep as well as to all of the
grad secretaries.  SA is not a very good organization, however.  A few
years ago they distributed free cards on campus, and it proved to be not
very organized.  
One reason that NAGPS needs to have these pamphlets distributed is so that
they can say that they have a voice on any given campus.  
Chaz Teplin wondered if it would be possible to send a mass email?
Jennifer Simpson replied that the organizations want their information
distributed via paper.
Rene Olsen felt that the auto insurance would be beneficial for most.  
Everyone agreed that we should not take any brochures from SA.
Matt Beasley felt that the UGGS office should keep a central supply, and
that each grad dept. should keep a few on hand.
Tim announced that the info is also on the NAGPS web-site.
Jennifer felt that between three and five hundred would be sufficient.
The primary mechanism of distribution would be through graduate
secretaries.
The NAGPS conference this year will be in Braintree, MA from Nov. 19-22,
1998.  For the last four or five years we have sent students to this
conference.  They get to know the NAGPS Board of Directors (Jennifer is
one, Tim is going to be chair of Bills and Resolutions committee, and
Jennifer Overbeck is the National Diversity Coordinator.)  
Who, and how many people do we want to send to the conference this year?
Neither Jennifer Simpson nor Jennifer Overbeck needs to pay registration
fees because they are involved in NAGPS already.
Jennifer Simpson would encourage new members to attend this conference in
order to renew and continue the NAGPS connection.
Tim, Jennifer S., and Jennifer O. will be going.  How much should we
contribute?  Jennifer S. recommended funding Tim completely, because he
has no other source of funding.  
Conference registration is $250.   
 NAGPS has yet to send out their conference information.  In the past, the
total cost of the conference was around $600 (includes meals, lodging,
airfare) per person.
Any money we contribute to travel expense for Jen S. or Jen O. is money
that NAGPS doesn't have to take out of their budget.
Participants usually leave the night before the conference begins.  The
conference deals with issues on legislature affecting grad education,
campus life, workshops, etc.
Is there anyone who would like to go?
Matt wondered how many people do most grad schools send?
It depends on the size/budget of the school.    The average is from 2-5
people.  It is a nice opportunity because Jen S., Jen O., and Tim are
already familiar with NAGPS people, process, etc.
Matt suggested that we send Tim and another person fully funded, and then
fund half of both Jennifer Overbeck and Jennifer Simpson's travel
expenses.
Jennifer S. agreed with this statement.
Matt Beasely made the motion to fully fund two people as well as either
Jennifer Simpson or Jennifer Overbeck.
Motion passed 16-0-0.
Matt expressed an interest in attending the conference.  If there are
multiple people who would like to go, the assembly can vote on it at a
future meeting.
Steve Caulk made a motion to wait until next week to decide who will
go--so that people can check out the web page and decide if they are
interested.  The vote of who will go will be on next agenda.



2.   Financial report
UGGS has three primary accounts with SOFO--UGGS auxiliary, GSAC auxiliary,
and GSAC agency.  Auxiliary accounts are comprised of student fees (.40
cents per student in UGGS account, totaling $19,000--GSAC gets money from
UCSU totaling $13,000).  Student fee money cannot be spent on certain
things--alcohol, gifts, honorariums, etc.  The UGGS account money carries
over from year to year, the GSAC account does not--it must be spent at the
end of the year or we lose it.  At the end of the last fiscal year we had
about $20,000 accumulated in the UGGS account.  The GSAC agency account
can be spent on anything.  This money is accumulated through donations,
etc.--we have about $250 in that account.  
We pay office coordinator and the officers as well as the phone and other
operating expenses.  
Student Group funding comes from 1/4 of our total budget (@$8,000).  This
is a limit, not a goal! NAGPS dues, conference registrations, the
donations to the Commission on Student Parents, Fall Picnic, Round Table
Dinner, Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week, pizza for
meetings--all come out of the UGGS account.  
We do have some money available for student groups who ask for money.
This is for student groups, not individuals--who want to host a campus
event, or attend a conference, etc.  The funding guidelines were revised
this summer, adding more specifics, so everyone should read them in full.
We have three funding cycles throughout the year--two in Fall and one in
Spring.  The funding committee decides which to recommend, etc, and then
the General Assembly makes the final funding decisions.  The first
deadline is the 21st of September at 5pm--no late or incomplete requests
will be accepted.   

3.   Goals for the year
What would we like to see this assembly doing this year?  In the past we
have coordinated many events (Fall Picnic, Salsa dance, Swing night, etc)
which bring grads together and give people fun, cheap activities.  We'd
also like to concentrate on issues in the community and on the campus as
well.  Anyone who has ideas please share them with the assembly!  That way
we can talk more next meeting about what we would like to spend money on,
charge admission to (to defray expenses, generate revenue) etc. 
Matt B. felt that fostering graduate community is important.
Chris Hirsch mentioned having a Casino Night.  She also mentioned putting
together a "community resource" booklet for grads.
Michelle Woodward liked the idea of an orientation package as well as
something which might get the UGGS name more visible, especially for the
continuing graduate students.
Mike asked about the gowns for PhD's at commencement (blue and gold)--is
there anything that we can do to get "classier" gowns?  
Alex Cruz replied that these colors were chosen a long time ago--for
historical reasons, possibly.  
Jim Williams (Dean of the Libraries) is the Commencement Coordinator-he
may have the answer to that question.

A good portion of the next meeting will be spent discussing this issue so
that we have concrete goals for the year.  Please be thinking about these
issues, and mention this in your department so that we can get a sense of
what is important to the grad community.

Reports

--Grad school
Alex Cruz reminded the assembly that the Dean's Small Grants deadline is
October 2, 1998.  There will be a grant writing workshop on September 15,
1998.
Mary Lowe (x27401) is the Fellowship Coordinator at the Graduate School.  
The City of Boulder is putting together a commission on affordable
housing, and they would like a graduate representative on this committee.  
We should start thinking about the TA Awards as well. 
 

--UCSU
Kari Klein reported that the UCSU Execs have a column in the paper every
week which we have access to.
CU is putting together a commission to discuss the possibility of every
incoming student having a computer in the near future.
UCSU is going to try to change the constitution due to the UMC Expansion
issue (there was only a 15% voter turn-out on this issue.  The national
average for college voting turnout is about 8%, so we are actually above
the average.)  They want to reduce the number of votes required to pass
referendum.
The Student Odyssey Project has been getting feedback from faculty, staff,
and students regarding the University services and processes.  There are
various committees and student input has been minimal, so a "student
meeting" has been put together for Wednesdays at 4pm in the Aspen
Room--anyone interested should try to attend these meetings so that there
are more involved beside Jennifer Simpson.  Please tell Jennifer if you
are interested so that she can forward info to you.

--Commission on Student Parents
Christine Hirsch reported that the Boulder Valley School District and CU
normally start school at the same time, but this year there was a week
discrepancy.  Student parents were forced to find sitters, day care for
their children for this week.


--Boulder Faculty Athletic Committee
Tim Benner reported that they are trying to get some better PR.  They are
looking at a policy which states that a coach is not allowed to contact an
instructor or professor about a student.  The people from Academic Support
are the ones who are supposed to contact professors on behalf of a coach.
Some coaches would like to be able to contact professors personally.  A
straw poll showed that most UGGS members felt that this was a bad idea,
especially considering that there is already a committee set up to deal
with this issue.  
Christine H. stated that it puts the teacher in an awkward position to
have to talk to a coach about a poor student to try to change a grade.
She felt that GPTI's and TA's should be able to contact the coaches,
because they are not accessible.
Rene felt that there is a gender issue involved.
Pete Colarco felt that you cannot have the communication going one way--us
talking to coaches and not the other way around.  

--Committees
Michelle Woodward said that the Faculty Assembly committees are not full
yet, and so she will send out an email.  If you are serving on a committee
or you have in the past, please stay in touch with her so that she knows
what is going on.

Meeting adjourned at 7:20pm.


Our next meeting will be on September 23, 1998
6pm
UMC 159B
______________________________________________
Katherine Soscia, Office Coordinator
United Government of Graduate Students
University of Colorado at Boulder

UMC Room 327       Campus Box 207
(303) 492-5068     http://uggs.colorado.edu


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