Meeting Minutes - December 05, 2011

* Meeting convened in the Monroe Hall, Room 110 at 6 pm

Reports

    Graduate Student Insurance - Jonas Hart
        * At a meeting last month, Aetna made a presentation to University representatives about 2012-13 insurance changes. Student plan rate will increase to approximately $2500 per year (11.3% increase). Grad students usually have plans paid by departments.
        * The plan includes emergency travel assistance (for example, political and disaster evacuation expenses covered)
        * Interesting numbers: grad students account for 77% of their enrollment, 3,000 out of 3900 students
        * This year:  mandated federal changes coming down in December. For example, preventative care must be covered free of cost-sharing.
        * Aetna discussed the potential removal of continuation plans (after graduation you can still get 6 months of coverage)
        * Aetna also mentioned that a chunk of grad students are currently not covered by them.  Unsure if they are opting out; possibility of audit was mentioned.
        * More detailed reports available by getting in touch with Jonas Hart.  Reports include aggregate statistics, such as medications use by the student population.

      Committees

          Initiatives Committee - Elizabeth
              * Parental Accomodation Policy
          - A draft document of a proposed Parental Accommodation Policy was distributed to the Council
          - Goal is to approach the administration with tentative Grad Council support, so as to initiate a discussion about approving such a policy
          - the policy proposed in the document compares similarly to peer institutions, such as Duke and Cornell
          - motion to tentatively support and approach administration with policy document passes without opposition
               

          Social Committee (Katie)

              * Social Committee wants to promote “Grad Student Activity Groups” – a way for grad students to connect with other grad students who have interests in similar activities.  If Grad Student come up with ideas for groups, Grad Council will advertise via Connections email.  A web form exists to let Grad Students notify Grad Council of interest.
              * Suggestion made to put a link to the web form permanently on the Grad Council website
           

          Huskey (Research) Committee (Shawn)

              * Huskey Exhibition Reminder - date is March 21
              * Please casually mention to faculty and postdocs that they should “save the date” for the Exhibition (they can serve as judges).
           

Funding Proposals

      English Department Graduate Conference, "Exploring I-Lands: Borders, Identity and Myth"
          * $500 requested, motion to fund, seconded, passes unanimously
       

      12th Annual Robert J. Huskey Graduate Research Exhibition

          * $2150 requested, motion to fund, seconded, passes unanimously
       

      Something Wicked That Way Went: Monsters and Monstrosity in Classic Antiquity (Classics Dept.)

          * $1000 requested, motion to fund at $500, seconded, passes unanimously
       

      GBS Symposium

          * $3950 requested, motion to fund at $500, seconded, passes unanimously
       

      Food for meetings

          * Fund for the semester, $150/meeting ($450 for the semester).
          * Motion to approve funding, seconded. Unanimous approval.
       

Dissertation Year Fellowships

      * There is still confusion as to the future of the dissertation year fellowships.  Some Council members think that they still exist, while others think that they have been eliminated.  This is an important issue for graduate students that should be clarified.

Closing

      * Next meeting: 06 February, 6pm. Monroe 110.

Meeting adjourned.