Council of Graduate Students General Assembly Meeting October 18 th 2007

Agenda Overview  Approval of September Minutes  Officer Reports  P&R Council Seats and Senator  Central Corridor Resolution  Issues for discussion GAPSA membership definition Changes of TA responsibilities in CLA Technology availability Film/Social Committee Public Safety

COGS Executive Committee  President: Carol Powers, Applied Plant Sciences  Executive Vice President: Bryan Gordon, Linguistics Bryan Gordon  Vice President for Internal Relations: Eric Grashorn, Physics & Astronomy  Vice President for External Relations: Matt Kaplan, Rhetoric  Vice President for Finance: Andy Exley, Computer Science  Vice President for Communications: Jenny Corcoran, Soil, Water & Climate  Past President (ex-officio): Aeleah Soine, History  Parliamentarian: open position Policy and Review Council Chairs  Languages, Literature and Arts: Eden Kaiser, Linguistics Eden Kaiser  Biological Sciences: Geoff Hart, MICAB  Health Sciences: Sarah Stoddard, Nursing  Engineering, Physical, and Mathematical Sciences: Scott Johnson, Computer Science  Social Sciences: Eli Meyerhoff, Political Science  Education and Psychology: Caroline Hilk, Education Psychology

Where does COGS fit? All Graduate Students COGS P&R Councils P&R Chairs GAPSA COGS Exec. Board Univ. Senate Student Senators Committees

Senator and P&R Council Reps  Senators Alternates needed  P&R Councils—all meet Oct. 24 th all meetings 3-5pm Biological Sciences (3) Wed. 11/14 Health Sciences (2) Wed. 10/31 Language, Literature, and the Arts (1) Tues. 11/13 Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences (3) Tues. 10/30 Social Sciences (3) Tues. 11/6

Officer Reports  Exec VP Committees to fill  IT Library (1)  UDS Advisory (1)  Graduate Assistant Health Insurance Advisory (1)

Resolution: Support for the Central Corridor Light Rail Line to go Through a Tunnel on Campus  WHEREAS, the Central Corridor Light Rail Line will be going through the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus on Washington Avenue; and  WHEREAS, a considerable percentage of the ridership on the Central Corridor Line will be University of Minnesota students, employees, and visitors; and  WHEREAS, according to the Federal Railroad Administration, "deaths in grade crossing accidents are the second-leading category of deaths associated with railroading"[1] and "elimination of at- grade crossings…offers the greatest long-term promise for optimizing the safety and efficiency of the two modes of transportation"[2] (trains and motor vehicles); and[1][2]  WHEREAS, the benefits of a tunnel appreciably outweigh the added upfront material costs; and  WHEREAS, a tunnel under Washington Avenue for the Central Corridor cannot be added once the line is completed without significant cost and construction; therefore  BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of Graduate Students supports the plan for the Central Corridor Light Rail Line to go through campus via an underground tunnel on Washington Avenue.

GAPSA Membership  GAPSA constitution change regarding definition of General Body Currently all graduate and professional students Proposed change to add the phrase “and who pay the GAPSA fee”

Research and Response to Changes in TA Assignment Rules (Eli)  drastic increase in number of undergrad enrollment required for a TA to be assigned  implemented by CLA in 2004, increasingly strictly enforced  similar in other schools? Research:  History? how did the CLA requirements change, and why did they change? differences across schools? correlated with other changes? (e.g., class enrollment sizes)  B) Consequences? using surveys and other research methods, demonstrate the effects of the changes across departments and schools for three different types of people:  undergrads  grads  faculty Response?  working with faculty on a collective response  COGS/GAPSA resolutions  other ideas?

Technology Availability  Do you have adequate access to computer labs, internet (LAN or WiFi) etc. for you to complete work for research and your assistantship?

Film/Social Committee (Geoff)  Interested in being on a committee to make this happen?

Public Safety (Matt)  More notices of safety problems?

Any Announcements?  Adjourn