BGSO Minutes Fall 2007

September 27th 2007

Contents:

  1. Seminar Speaker: Dan Simberloff
  2. GSC Issues:

a) Tuition Costs

b) Tuition Agreement

c)GSC Halloween Party

  1. Meeting Time
  2. Clarification: Conservation Working Group
  • Dan Simberloff

Iliana has volunteered to pick Dan Simberloff (DS) up at the airport and take him to his hotel. Thursday DS will arrive in the afternoon and give his seminar talk at 4pm.

At first the Open Forum was planned for Thursday preceding the seminar, but that may be too much to expect of DS since he will be arriving in the afternoon and may require lunch and time to prepare his talk. We’ve decided to look into having the open forum on Friday at 12:30-1pm. Locations such as the new Foster Hall Seminar room or possibly a room in the Science Hall were discussed. Having refreshments was also discussed. Both of these will be ideas will be taken to Dr. Bernstein. We plan on voting on these issues during the next meeting, location and time. We are also going to ask DS which time he prefers.

Originally Dan Howard (DH), Bill Boecklen (BB) and DS were slated to take part in the forum; however DH is not able to take part. It was suggested that Ecologist Dr. Francis James (FJ) take part. Avis James, daughter of FJ, will look into availability and get back to Melissa.

  • Tuition Costs for Grads.

Marcus has provided a tuition cost breakdown and is working to remove some costs to grads that do not directly benefit grads. This is one part of the ongoing separation of graduate students from ASNMSU and forming their own government AGS, work for this separation is ongoing through the GSC. Some things that grads pay for but do not have much say in regards to include but are not limited to Intramural Activities and the Round Up news paper and the universities media outlets (TV/Radio).

  • Tuition Agreement.

GSC is taking a vote to determine if they should meet with the Board of Regents with regards to tuition cost and TA salary. If the graduate school agrees to sign a tuition agreement this will lock in the cost of tuition at the current rate, but this will also lock in the pay rate for TAs. If the graduate school doesn’t sign the agreement tuition then TA pay rates may increase. It is unknown if they will increase at relative rates. The BGSO would like more information in regards to national averages of increases of tuition annually and if there is potential to see a raise in TA pay. This is a complicated issue and more details will be made available through the GSC.

  • GSC Halloween Party.

The GSC would like to coordinate with all of the GSOs to organize a single Halloween Party to increase the number of students attending the party. The party would be scheduled for Halloween night, a Wednesday, time and location is TBA. Last year only 2 individuals attended the party. The Fish and Wildlife Dept. agreed to coordinate their party with the GSC and BGSO would like to do the same. The GSC would like to have bands but cannot use their funds to pay them. This would mean that the party would have a cover charge to pay for entertainment.

  • Meeting Time.

A new meeting time was presented which would allow several more usually active members to attend the meetings. The new meeting time proposed was 12-1pm on every other Thursday. This would allow several GSC executives and grads to attend. Melissa will send an email to this effect, asking people to vote on the matter.

  • Clarification: Conservation Working Group (CWG).

Though both groups are made up of primarily members of the Biology Department, it must be made clear that the BGSO and CWG are two completely separate entities. All matters concerning the CWG are handled at their meetings which are announced via-email. The Gorilla bake sale was a function of the CWG, but members of the group requested help from the BGSO if possible. If you would like to have conservation related issues/projects considered ask Melissa to call a meeting of the CWG.

October 11, 2007

Contents

1. Dan Simberloff

2. Spring Seminar Speaker

3. Trash Hike

4. Movie Night

6. GSC Update

6.Checker Spot Butterflies

  • We discussed the finalization of Dan Simberloff’s visit on November 8th .
  • Dan arrives at 10:30am and will be picked up by Iliana/Avis
  • Arrive at 11am
  • Forum in the Foster seminar room starting
  • Food at 12:45pm. Forum at 1pm
  • Food will be Burritos from Chihuahua’s and Fruit/Vegetable tray.
  • Dan Howard involvement? Rachel will talk to Dan Howard at committee meeting to determine if he will be taking part in the forum.
  • Post Forum plans for Dan Simberloff 2-4pm
  • Friday Activities
  • Phylogenetics discussion group Friday morning.
  • Should there be one on one meetings?
  • Next seminar speaker
  • Email request for Spring semester nominees.
  • Who are the speakers? What do they do? How will they benefit all students?
  • Nominations should be ~ ½ page typed.
  • Nomination deadline October week of the 25th
  • Voting the first week of November.
  • Trash Hike
  • Off campus community service hours.
  • Locations? A Mountain or the Rio Grande?
  • Date Saturday November 3rd
  • Duration, as long as each individual wants to spend.
  • Trash must be disposed of so don’t leave lots of trash for those who stay until the end of the day.
  • Movie Night
  • Can we get access to Milton Hall movie theatre?
  • ASNMSU had their movie night w/ food there.
  • Do we need funding from NMSU for ©’s of the film.
  • Anke will talk to Phil Trujillo the Executive of Activites for ASNMSU
  • Estimated date: Thursday night November 29th
  • Next meeting: can we get funding? Movie suggestions?
  • GSC Update
  • Marcus’ proposal on separate government was received well.
  • Suggestions: work out details and logistics.
  • Logo samples for the group are very good.
  • Potential to form a fund that could pay tuition remission and or health insurance for grad students.
  • Work out details of the GSC Halloween Party
  • Checkered Spot Butterflies
  • If anyone would like to join Rachel Ryan () to go to Cloud Croft in hopes of collecting/rescuing Checkered Spot butterflies in order to breed them in captivity.

October 25th 2007

Contents

  1. Dan Simberloff visit
  2. Movie Night
  3. Spring Seminar Speaker
  4. News from Faculty Meetings

Dan Simberloff:

All of the logistics of Dan Simberloff’s visit are set.

Dan will attend the Friday morning phylogenetic group. Do you want him to suggest topic? If so let him know.

Movie Night

Thursday November 29th – Anke hasn’t met with Phillip he was extremely busy with homecoming week.

Place?Milton hall? Teleconference room, Rachel’s going to talk to Brook about using the teleconference room.

Speakers

All nominees have been submitted. Voting will begin this week.

Vote by Monday the 5th of November. Two votes per person no double voting.

Faculty meeting

There is a lump sum of money available for equipment repair University wide. You would need to go to your adviser and contact Marv to gain funds for you lab. This money can also be used for teaching labs.

There is a finite amount of money left to finish the building, make suggestions to you major professor and contact Marv.

November 15th 2007

Contents

1. Funding Requests

2. Movie Night

3. Faculty Update

4. Seminar Speakers

  • Funding Requests
  • It was voted that all student requests would be funded evenly at $100.
  • Movie Night
  • Take suggestions and hold voting on movies next week. Up to two movies can be suggested per person.
  • It was voted that this movie night will not follow the Mystery Science Theater 3000 format.
  • Faculty Update
  • Lunch with Peter Hraber.
  • Peter is a candidate for a position at the Institute of Applied Bioscience at NMSU. His position is one that will be directed at getting grant funding and having grad students.
  • Gus requested grad students attend lunch. BGSO plans to cut meeting short to attend.
  • Maria Castillo accepted the offered position but won’t be faculty hire for 2 years.
  • Mike Cristall turned down the position offered.
  • Seminar Speaker
  • 1st Diamond
  • 2nd Nixon
  • The nominator of the winner has been notified and is going to try to make contact. If the first speaker cannot attend we will try for the 2nd and so on..