Humanities Graduate Student Association
General Meeting Minutes
April 24, 2013
4:00 pm – 5:32 pm
Humanities Lounge, Fondren Library
HGSA Board
Kelly Weber, President
Anthony Koth , Internal Vice-President
Michael Heyes , External Vice-President
Carolyn Van Wingerden , Treasurer
Larry A Butz , Secretary
Attendance: Kelly, Anthony, Michael, Carolyn, and Larry all present.
Risk Management Training
Kelly had to attend as officer.
Signing forms for official university club status. Last hurdle.
Kelly conducts risk training:
Physical risks: Alcohol. Raise awareness of wellness center among others.
Repetitional risk: Avoid being seen as combative by administration.
-avoid knee-jerk reactions
-make sure responses are thought-out and discussed
Financial: Monthly report on funds.
Timing: Avoid scheduling during crunch times. Be ware of stress when planning events.
-plan ahead
PERFECT:
-physical
-emotional
-repetitional
-financial
-environmental (situation, physical space, but also RECYCLING)
-communication
-timing
Bring minors to campus: Requires special forms
Cultural sensitivity important.
-Address diversity in our plan?
Important to make it known that we are an open body for discussing sensitive issues for students.
Slides from Risk Management Presentation on Student Activities website.
TA Issues
Need better clarification and training for TA’s on responsibility
Carolyn proposes a 1-day orientation
Project for HGSA?
Kelly suggests tapping into existing FWIS plan
Email and ListServ
Kelly working on it. HYPERLINK “mailto:HGSA@rice.edu”HGSA@rice.edu possible vanity account. Kelly will create and distribute password.
Larry, as secretary, will ask Niffy Hargrave of GSA about “populating” listserv. How do we avoid doing it one name at a time? Need a list of all the grad emails. Email Rice IT. GPS (Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office another place to go for a list. Carolyn thinks there might be a privacy issue)
Student activities another option for getting list of graduate students.
-Carolyn thinks that, to get signatory power, paperwork is required.
Alumni on listserv?
Money
Dean’s Office:
Deans Shumway and Sanders have okayed a process of having automatic fees of $5/year put in HGSA account from graduate students in the humanities.
Denise says 215 grads in Humanities.
If everyone gives $5, we’ll have budget of $1,075. People can opt out.
Process of getting $5 put in. Email sent to Stephanie Spicer and Ryan Bell of Dean’s Office.
Constitution would have to be revised to ask for more money.
Ask departments for contributions?
$250-500 proposed by Michael.
GSA and SAPP (Student Activities …) available for grants and funding.
GSA has 2 grants: acitivities and enrichment
Activities have $250 ceiling
for when visitors are fixed to the organization
Enrichment
must be inclusive outside of your club/organization
Must be specific and works through reimbursement.
Michael thinks it might be possible to get an annual refreshable grant given our circumstances.
Meetings with Dean
Dean Shumway expressed interest in regular meetings with officers. But how often?
Monthly.
In addition, ask for regular briefs from office regarding important matters and actions.
HGSA Meetings
Monthly with all humanities graduate students welcome. (Agreed)
Faculty welcome? Leo Costello (HGSA Faculty Sponsor) should be.
– Faculty should be required to ask beforehand.
Regular council meetings a week before. (Agreed)
– Faculty welcome, but we ask for prior notice.
Summer council meetings?
GSA has meetings to discuss grants over the summer.
Fiscal year starts July 1.
Starting in May (Agreed)
4 pm Thursday (Agreed) Mid-month.
May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15.
Larry will create a public Google Calendar.
Orientation
Promotion.
Table activities fair.
Rice Gallery Event
Rice gallery. Email from Spephanie Spicer. Want to work with us on event in the fall.
Kick-off reception?
Costs? Catering?
Student Activities can offer $250 for new club.
GSA might cover additional costs.
Grants must be in by the first of the month, June for an August event.
Need to apply in June for an August event.
215 possible attendees, or more if they bring friends and partners.
Will return to this after talking to Rice Gallery and getting more information on logistics.
Michael will meet with Christina Friday 3:30.
Email: No fee to use the gallery space. “Our current installation will be up until August 30th. So it would be ideal to have an event before that date. We would be very glad to donate some white wine for the event and it would also be possible to put together a small reception (cheese tray/crackers).”
May Event
Valhalla. Call and ask about programs, special offers.
Anthony can find out about Rice Linguistics Society providing money that will later be reimbursed.
Also, the $250 from Student Activities.
Possible dates:
May 3rd. Tentatively.
Suggestion box? Yes.
Donation box? Yes.
Anthony will bring pens and clipboards.
RECYCLING.
Website
Secretary will create.
Link Google calendar.
Larry can ask Niffy about how website works.
To include:
minutes
mission
office profiles
general information
events
announcements
Funding HQ. Gathered information for Humanities funding.
Will need to plan with HGSA by talking to departments.
Might be able to get funding to create this database.
Talk to Cornell, who have a good database. Upenn? U of Mich?
Events for Next Year
Brown bag series.
Presentations.
Conference?
Michael has talked to HRC about a conference requiring papers with co-authors.
Application to put in February of 2014.
HRC could probably put in a few thousand dollars.
Could also do a preliminary Rice-only conference before then.
Marcel LaFlamme’s model proposal. He helped organize a joint Rice-UT Anthropology Conference.
Grant workshop.
Phyllis McBride. 713-348-4436 HYPERLINK “mailto:pmcbride@rice.edu”pmcbride@rice.edu
Organization and politics in the humanities.
Dissertation planning workshop. Contact: Andy Lang HYPERLINK “mailto:afl1@rice.edu”afl1@rice.edu
Teaching Opportunities
Everyone needs more teaching with funding attached.
Pedagogy and preparedness. Religious Studies Rep Linda has experience on this.
Department Reps
We need at least one from every department. Quorum question.
GSA Rep
All clubs need a rep at GSA. Who will we send?
For voting reasons, probably cannot have someone do double duty.
Anthony volunteers as HGSA rep to GSA.
Kelly also volunteers.
They’ll work it out.
