Thursday, January 12, 2012

January 2012 OHSU GSO meeting minutes

January 2012 OHSU GSO
MINUTES 1/11/12 5:15PM-6:15PM STUDENT CENTER MEDIA ROOM

MEETING CALLED BY Oregon Health & Sciences University Graduate Student Organization
TYPE OF MEETING Monthly
FACILITATOR GSO President, Derek Musashe
NOTE TAKER GSO Secretary, Cristina Butterfield
TIMEKEEPER GSO President, Derek Musashe
ATTENDEES 18 students and Rick Goranflo

Agenda topics
10 MIN SRF/RESEARCH WEEK UPDATE ALLISON ANACKER, RICK GORANFLO
DISCUSSION Survey went out.
A couple of invited speakers
Trying to get T shirt designer from last year.
Suggested: 2 pots, one for operational (library) and one for students. Advantages: an accountant keeps track, harder to overspend, don’t fundraise (library does it), people get paid (Jackie) to run this.
CONCLUSIONS Results are new. Evenly spread. Students are enthusiastic about attending the way it is but not presenting along with faculty. Half of responses said they have not attended and do not want to attend (can we analyze survey results without input of those not interested).
Try to lump students together in blocks.
Combining everyone’s money will go towards everything including student awards.
ACTION ITEMS PERSON RESPONSIBLE DEADLINE
Attendees in agreement about accepting the suggested 2 pots, letting the library take over fundraising, organizing, planning, etc. BUT making our voices heard throughout the process.

5 MIN STUDENT CENTER UPDATE DEREK READS AN EMAIL
DISCUSSION PAINTING TOMORROW IN GYM.
Events: Film and doc series starting Jan18th. Emails will get sent out.
Stress release day March 15 (guided relaxation, restorative yoga)



10 MIN “OUTSIDE THE BENCH” SPEAKER SERIES UPDATE DEREK MUSASHE, JONATHAN NELSON
DISCUSSION Jan 25 5 or 5:15pm Vollum 1441 Financial advisor to speak about personal finance.
Survey will go out next week concerning personal finance (not taxes).
Tax speaker?
CONCLUSIONS Derek is open to have tax advisor in March.




10 MIN CALENDAR DEREK MUSASHE
DISCUSSION Another Calendar for GSO events?
CONCLUSIONS Sure Google Calendar.
ACTION ITEMS PERSON RESPONSIBLE DEADLINE
Cristina will run a Google Calendar to keep track of speaker events and other GSO events.



10 MIN STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE MOLLY
DISCUSSION Increase in premium will be 3%. Things being done to reduce premium: raise deductable from $350 to $500, raise out of pocket from $1000 to $5000, labs could cost a percentage. Survey went out in Dec. not many grad students didn’t want to give up anything to lower costs.
Rick: Keep in mind that if student fees go up, your mentor is paying more that may make other things suffer like future stipend increases.
Derek: Remember that many students are paying student health insurance out of pocket.




10 MIN GRAD COUNCIL JAMES MCKANNA
DISCUSSION A lot of Grad student related discussion at yesterday’s meeting.
Discussion: Thesis Advisory Committee meetings
We could have a policy that the program enforces committee meetings every six months, rather than allowing/forcing the student to set up the meetings themselves
Could have a structured report that the student has to generate (BEHN does this every quarter)
Currently, first advisory meeting has to happen within a year of quals
Should probably decrease that time
Suggestion: faculty who have a student for more than six years can’t take on another new student before graduating that one
Suggestion: cut the graduate students’ stipend back to pre-qual levels after seven years
Graduate student requesting an extraordinary extension on top of the one-year extension
Thesis committee thinks this is a good idea
Advisor is here, making the plea
Program director thinks this is a bad idea
He is not here, but sent a letter
Approved for four extra months
Looking at policy change: reset the clock when a student transfers from one lab to another





5 MIN NEUROSCIENCE GRADUATE PROGRAM CAREER SERIES MOLLY
DISCUSSION Career seminar series. Get alumni (small pool) to talk about their careers, including alternative careers (Industry, nonprofit, patent law)

Next seminar: Jan 27, 4pm Vollum
ACTION ITEMS PERSON RESPONSIBLE DEADLINE
Please email with alumni lists to get larger pool. Local speaker is better. Attendance has been good. On NGP blog
http://ozone.ohsu.edu/blogs/ngp/

10 MIN SKI TRIP DEREK MUSASHE
DISCUSSION Survey Results
Ski trip is Presidents Day weekend.

CONCLUSIONS More than 50% did not want ski trip. The other half was for the ski trip or revised trip.
Do the same ski trip, don’t subsidize it so much. Cheaper company will come to $125/student.
Minimize GSO allocated funds to compromise between the student split.
ACTION ITEMS PERSON RESPONSIBLE DEADLINE
Email will go out about reservation deadlines.


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