April General Body Meeting
April 3rd, 2023, 6:00-7:30 PM
Newcomb South Meeting Room
1. Greetings, Call to order
2. Large Group (30 min) – China Schertz and Tyisha Hawthorn Townhall
a. Task force: set of recommendations ready for Provost Baucom May 4th, short-term solutions like clarity w.r.t. deadlines, long-term solutions about how to simplify the departments so that the entry of stipends is a less onerous piece of work
b. GSAS is in the process of redisigning the system through which we keep track of funding info. Currently in a gigantic excel spreadsheet; new Senior Finance Generalist has created a new smartsheet, integrated system for requests for changes in funding rather than everything stored in email.
c. Release of new recruitment fellowships: President’s and Provost’s recruitment fellowships. Using in same way as Dean’s Doctoral fellowship program, also changed the system for offering fellowships; decentralized process to give departments more autonomy and flexibility.
d. College Foundation Board of Trustees meeting – launching a major campaign to raise endowments that are available for graduate student support. If this is successful, we will roughly double the amount of endowment suport available for graduate stduents in arts and sciences.
e. Summer funding? Summers attached to the yer that follows them rather than the year that was just passed. If you have questions or problems with a payments, please reach out to yoru DGS or feel free to reach out to Evan Barrow directly, glad to take care of things as quicly as possible. Wage and stipend payment calculator works for the summer.
f. Status of sixth year funding: certain departments guaranteed, others have no guarantee? Math, stats, politics, econ and history. Still some sixth year funds available through Jefferson Scholars Foundation. Jefferson Dissertation Year Awards. Dissertation Completion Fellowships are no longer offered due to expieration of the funding.
g. Transition between fellowship and TA-ship is a huge problem that results in gap in pay. What is the task force doing to address this? Challenges in terms of formalities. However can definitely improve communication so people can at least plan for that gap and it doesn’t surprise them. Possible solution is to create funding letters for students that get sent out automatically so they know their situation and their schedule. Gives some clarity. If you have other ideas, Dean Scherz would love to hear them. Would also like to push SFS to move the cap on no-interest loans which can also be a helpful stop-gap when this problem occurs. Head of UVA finance is in the meetings working with everyone.
h. Fate of the task force? Will wrap up with a set of recommendations in May, and then they will keep following through.
i. Has just one grad student on the task frce been enough, or would it be good to have more? Only one rep from most places, otherwise would be bogged down.
j. Is it safe to assume we can talk to our DGS’s about sixth year funding? Yes, main point person is DGS, they will know what hte story is in your department. If you’re finding that you are not getting the help you need, reach out to Dean Scherz office.
k. We really feel inflation every year. Have yall thought about ways to address that, or are you thinking about COLA? In our current ifnancial modeling for the first time, but will be difficult to implement with current constrained research. Work with the college foundation board will become important when it comes to sustaining this. COLA will be universal, not at department discretion.
l. Risk of eliminating programs? No. Thinking about where departments have common elements; are there courses that lots of students in different departments need to take and might fruitfully take together. Can we combine classes like critical theory, poststructuralism, methods in textual analysis.
m. One possibility: moving to biannual admissions schedule is another possibility, still being able to have a cohort of people who know each other and are in the same stage, also a real advantage for departments because it diminishes their labor tremendously.
n. Hopes to have more interactions between students and Dean’s office, has been difficult to make this happen as they are currently withotu administrative support, but something we can look forward to 23-24!
o. In the process of redesigning graduate student orientation; would like to take a lot of the talking head time and create an online video library of the talks, use orientation to be more about connection and community, landing in this place and being ready to do the work ahead.
3. GSAS Business (20 min)
a. GBM Survey (Louisa, 5 min) - thank you so much, reach out to lousia if want to discuss the feedback, have ideas
b. GSAS Spring Grants (Eric, 5 min) - Spring Grant applications are live, forward reminder to your departments. Grant applications are due this Friday.
c. Funding Requests (Max, 10 min)
i. Spring Research Grants: $6500 requested will exhaust reminder of research and social’s budget with about $300 or so left over in those pools. Approved
ii. English and WGS hosting an academic conference on English women writers in Late May, currently
iii. ENVSCI spring fling, limited to that department and whatever plus-ones they invite: funded
iv. Sri Lankan Student Association: Asking to support a traditional Sri Lankan New Years celebration, requesting funding for food. Approved.
v. Budget points: about $800 or so left in finance committee fund for anyone who wants to ask for $ for dept. Or intramural events, researhc had $300 left as a buffer, social is fully exhausted.
vi. Motion moving about $400-500. Passed, pizza $$$ reallocated.
4. For the Good of the Order
a. Addendums will be discussed for May meeting: constitution and bylaws reform, specifically. Please show up in May so that we can pass this! Aaron may send around a summary sheet highlighting some significant changes
b. College foundation just had their bi-annual trustee meeting and have comitteed the next 7 years towards raising money for graduate education. So much excitement and dedication on the admin side to continue supporting us.
c. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZdvjOfGqzRD2Ay0Oce16dtLAIahGn1FNG1sbUPRfLLo/edit#gid=0
5. Elections
a. Recognizing AY22-23 officers.
i. ty for flowers :^) -Louisa
b. Motion for VP finance to become finance chair
c. Executive Board
i. President:Eric and Max nominated, Max wins
ii. VP Administration
1. Louisa nominated. approved VP admin
iii. VP Communications
1. Jemima and Brielle nominated, Jemima wins
i. VP Finance: Tyler and MJ nominated, Tyler wins
d. Comittee Chairs
i. Social Chair – Brielle confirmed
ii. Graduate Education chair- Ian and Aaron become co-chairs
iii. Research Chair – Zoe is research chair.
e. Ex- Officios
i. Honor Representatives – Adrian, incoming masters student in Stat. Deepika also nominated.
1. Adrian former chief of support and access services on student council
2. Council chair of OYFA
3. Adrian will serve, Deepika will think about it
ii. UJC Representatives – Viranga and Monica nominated, confirmed
iii. Student Council Representatives – Karl confirmed