Friday September 8th, 2006, 3:30 pm
In attendance: Paul Mages, Sarah Jamieson, Erika Lok, Geoff Bradley,
Heather Major, Mike Silvergieter Simon Goring, Suzanne Tank, Bradley
Davis, Craig Losos, Brendan Connors, Mathias Schuetz, Raul Ursic, Rana
Marab, Carolina Perez, Dawn Cooper, Keith Tierney, Brad Kennedy, Daniel
Duan, Maxence Salomon, Clea Moray, Erica Jeffery, Jason Catterson, Nicole
Tunbridge.
1. Welcome
• Keith Tierney welcomes all.
2. Claim our semester’s $200.
Motioned by Paul Mages, seconded by Raul Ursic.
Carried
3. Claiming of meeting expenses.
Motioned by Simon Goring, seconded by Brendan Connors.
Carried
4. Logo contest –grad directory update, info
• Keith gave information for the logo contest. The logo, which
will be featured on this years caucus directory, has to be in two-toned
colour. The prize is the prestige of having your art shown.
• For more information, please contact Theingi Aung (tsa@sfu.ca).
• Get artistic ? !
5. Treasurer’s report
• We have $1500, plus $200 for beer and chips for meetings. We
are down $1000 and we still have to host a speaker this year. Should
put some thought into fund-raising.
• Our treasurer, Theingi, sent the information to Keith, which
he will report on next meeting.
6. Social coordinator report
• A social coordinator position was created to help organize the
major social events put on by the grad caucus throughout the year (Christmas
party, Grad Symposium, and Summer BBQ). Nicole Tunbridge has volunteered
for the position.
• Someone suggested that it might be better to have a small committee
in charge of social events in general, or have a committee for each
event, as done previously. Each event will have its own adhoc committee,
but the social coordinator will act as the leader for all of these committees.
Motion to have Nicole Tunbridge as our new social coordinator. Moved
by Keith Tierney, seconded by Jason Catterson.
Carried
7. Election of a Forum rep.
• This is the first time that we have had a forum rep. Forum is
group that is supposed to advise the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS)
board of directors (BoD) on the concerns of the membership. There is
supposed to be reps from all caucuses and departmental student unions.
Forum is there to act filter through all of the concerns and bring the
important ones to the attention of the BoD. It is a way of communication
between the general SFSS membership and the BoD. Grad students historically
have communicated to the BoD through the Graduate Issues Committee (GIC).
However, with all the upheaval lately, it is advisable to have a rep
in all the places that we can. Clea Moray was nominated by Keith to
be our forum rep.
Motion to have Clea Moray as our new forum representative. Moved by
Nicole Tunbridge, seconded by Sarah Jamieson.
Carried
• Clea Moray will represent the BISC grad caucus in forum. If
you have any concerns to be brought forward to the SFSS, please contact
Clea (cmoray@sfu.ca).
8. Search committee positions
• The department is looking to hire new faculty. We have one student
on each search committee:
1. Dawn Cooper, microbiology
2. Geoff Bradley, biological control
3. Mark Warwas, molecular toxicologist
• The searching won’t be starting until November. More information
will be made available as it becomes known.
9. News from committees
a. Graduate Issues Committee
• Raul Ursic:
• Last GIC meeting, the president of the SFSS was present to answer
questions regarding what happened this summer. Overall, it was an unsatisfactory
meeting. Everything is still in the dark, and the process itself is
messy. As a recap, someone was fired, there is an investigation going
on, and basically, a war has started in the middle of it. Most grad
caucuses have expressed a vote of non-confidence, and there is movement
looking to impeach members of the SFSS BoD. There is a petition going
around to hold a special general meeting, in which three sets of resolutions
will be voted on. The first deals with the impeachment of members of
the BoD, and the other two relate to rules, which will give the GIC
more autonomy. If they get enough signatures and are able to get the
meeting, they will need a quorum of 500 people. They will need a 3/4
majority to pass the motions. The long-term plan is for grad students
to have their own society separate from the SFSS.
• The extended health plan hasn’t been touched. A reminder
that if you need enrollment forms please contact Raul (rursicbe@sfu.ca).
Someone asked if there was a blackout period in the health plan at the
beginning of the semester, but someone mentioned that they were able
to claim things just fine, although we are not sure if new people will
have to wait a bit.
• Next GIC meeting is on Wednesday, September 13th, and it is
open to whoever wants to attend. GIC meetings are normally held the
first Wednesday of each month in the grad lounge in the Maggie Benston
Center.
b. Scholarship Committee
• Erica Jeffery and Brandon Connors:
• Scholarship Day will be held on Thursday, September 14th in
the Education Building. You can get information about NSERC, SSHRC,
CIHR and MSFHR. Please see the posters located around the department
for more details.
• All NSERC applications are due Tuesday, October 3rd, except
for those applying for a post-doc application. We are not sure when
those are due, or if they have to go through the school or directly
to NSERC, but Erica and Brandon will look into it. Information will
be available on Scholarship day in the afternoon. If you need help,
contact either Erica (erica_jeffery@sfu.ca) or Brandon (bconnors@sfu.ca).
• Applications for private scholarships will be due on Saturday,
September 30th. More information will follow.
c. TSSU
• Paul Mages:
• There are new log books/agendas available for TA’s and
TM’s. They are the same as last year’s and there are some
available in the mailroom. There is information on your rights as a
TSSU member, as well as a way to keep track of your hours. There is
a contest at each end of the semester for $125. All you have to do is
to log in your hours and turn in the pink sheet found at the end of
the book.
• There is an idea being passed around to look into bringing the
grad students under the wing of the TSSU, to unionize grad students.
This is because theoretically grad students might have more grievances,
due to issues like working overtime and such. More information will
be available as it comes to pass.
• As far as the SFSS events are concerned, the TSSU is supporting
the grad students, as well as the other SFSS workers unions. They are
right in the trenches, so to speak.
• A reminder that if you are a member of the TSSU, you do get
your provincial medical service plan covered by 100%. There is a basic
medical plan available thorough the TSSU, but most go with the grad
health plan. Reminder that if you are TA’ing this semester to
make sure you keeping track of your hours. If you have any questions
regarding the TSSU, please contact Paul (pmages@sfu.ca).
10. Other business
• Brad Kennedy reported that the mentorship program went well
despite delays caused by the fire alarm. Most people got connected with
their mentors, and the rest are in the process of contacting each other
through e-mail. Everyone was great ?.
• The second half of the missed orientation might be rescheduled,
possibly before the welcome party on September 22nd.
• There will be no NSERC Travel Awards this year. According to
the letter sent out by the Dean of Grad Studies, John Driver, the money
for these awards comes from the overflow from scholarships of people
who finish early. However, there have been less people finishing early
in the past years. He suggested that if you need money for travel, to
look for other sources.
• The chair of the DGSC, Dr. Larry Dill, will be coming to talk
to us all at the next caucus meeting. Please bring any questions that
you may have.
• Someone suggested that we should start our own forum. This will
involve one person collecting all of the BISC grad e-mails, and take
them to Dave Carmean, who will set it up. These forums have been done
in the past quite easily, and we have faculty support. If you would
like to take part in this forum, please send your e-mail address to
Sarah Jamieson (sjamieso@sfu.ca).
• Reminder that there is a social today at the pub, hosted by
the TSSU and GIC at 4pm. There will be free pizza and cheap beer. We
can also stop by the MBB social, on now ?.
11. Motion to adjourn meeting.
Motioned by Simon Goring, seconded by Paul Mages.
Carried
• Meeting adjourned.
