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Minutes - 4 April 2003

In attendence were:

Absences:

Guest Speakers

A. Ilee Rhimes, Chief Information Officer, Office of Information Technology (rhimes.1@osu.edu)

Rhimes spoke before the Council to address student concerns and present the statistical data his office had compiled about the Homenet use of faculty, graduate, and undergraduate student use.

The presentation is available here (468KB pdf file).

After his presentation, Rhimes fielded questions from the Council. Delegate Abdullah asked if the University was investigating broadband access for students off campus. Rhimes explained that the University couldn’t support the cost of infrastructure needed to create broadband access, but offered that the University is negotiating with WideOpenWest (WOW) to provide broadband access at a reduced rate to students and faculty. Delegate Pirone offered that the loss of Homenet might impact teaching and instructing. Rhimes replied, explaining that the Office of Information Technology is gathering information from faculty, graduate and undergraduate students on this and other concerns. Rhimes added that the OIT will have finished their information-gathering campaign and will bring a resolution on the issue by the end of April. Delegate Mills asked if the University was able to sustain Homenet within the new budget constraints. Rhimes replied, stating that the funds needed to support Homenet were no longer available. Rhimes added that OSUweb.net is available at a minimal cost to the student. Rates can be found at the OSUweb.net homepage.

B. Yolanda Zepeda, Director of Recruitment Programs (Zepeda.3@osu.edu)

Zepeda spoke before the Council to explain her newly acquired position and offer her services to the graduate student community.

Zepeda explained that with her position she will emphasize the professional development of graduate students both in academic and nonacademic endeavors. Zepeda announced that dissertation writing workshops would be held both in April and May. Zepeda welcomed feedback and offered that her office is located at room 247 of University Hall. President Cormier encouraged members of the Council to bring suggestions to Zepeda.

I. Call to Order

Call to order at 3:35 pm, Kerry Hodak, Vice-President, presiding.

II. Approval of the Minutes of the 07 March 2003 Meeting

Moved by Delegate Dolan; seconded by Delegate Gasser; and passed by voice vote.

III. Unfinished Business

A. Resolution 0203-WI-022: Support for Diversity in Higher Education

Delegate Clark asked about the need for this resolution as this language was included in G-QUE Report. President Cormier offered that this resolution reaffirms the Council’s commitment to diversity. Delegate Dolan offered his view that a diverse experience can add to truth, debate, and discussion and promotes the achievement of higher learning. Dolan continued, adding that the University is failing to use diversity to obtain greater truth and is instead reinforcing racial segregation and promoting racial disparities. Chairperson Pickett countered that diversity is not used for truth-seeking but instead used to permit a nonmonolithic nation to take place. Delegate Pirone offered that affirmative action seeks to right historical wrongs.

Delegate Gossom offered that endorsing the University’s position in this matter is relative to endorsing the Regents of the University of California v. Bakke Supreme Court decision. Gossom explained that five justices signed onto the Court’s decision that the California system was a quota system and was unconstitutional; however, race could be taken into account as a factor of diversity. Delegate Horn added that the resolution was appropriate as it is a response to a particular historical moment in time. Debate concluded.

Delegate Clark moved to amend the resolution. Delegate Oelgoetz seconded this motion. Delegate Clark submitted a written amendment to the text of the resolution.

A placard vote was taken. Five delegates were in favor of amending the resolution and 37 delegates were opposed.

A placard vote was taken to approve the original resolution. Those in favor numbered forty-five while those opposed numbered three.

IV. New Business

A. Resolution 0203-WI-028: A Resolution Supporting University Coverage of Fees for Graduate Associates

Treasurer Depelteau introduced the resolution, explaining that the resolution would reiterate the Council’s will that the University cover graduate student fees.

Delegate Maltzan offered that another fee such as the new Union fee will add more difficulty to the hiring of graduate assistants, adding that positions may be lost due to the coverage of increasing fees. President Briggs replied, stating that while some positions may be lost, it is important that those positions that are maintained be funded completely and sufficiently. Vice President Hodak offered that graduate assistants who have already been admitted will not be removed, but that instead fewer students will be admitted as assistants. Delegate Sosnoskie posed that prospective students might avoid attending OSU if all fees were not subsidized. Delegate Clark asked when fees will be included and how they will be imposed. President Briggs replied, stating that the activity fee, Larkins fee, and then the fee for the union would open at the completion of each product and would be phased in over a 7-10 year period. Briggs added that Provost Ray, Bill Hall, and Larry Lewellen all wish to see that the benefits package has a competitive edge and feel it should cover all of the ancillary fees.

Delegate Maltzan moved to amend resolution to insert "costs upwards of" before "$560 per year out-of-pocket." This motion was seconded.

A voice vote was taken and the amendment passed.

President Cormier explained that the resolution includes fees such as the technology fee.

The amended resolution passed by voice vote.

IV. Nominations

President Briggs explained that all nominations forms are due by Friday, April 18th at noon.

Nominations were as follows:

V. Special Report on Unionization

Chairman Pickett introduced the Human Resources committee’s findings on unionization at other universities. The full report can be found here.

While discussing the committee’s results, Chairman Pickett explained that the committee chose a statistical test that did not make an assumption of equal variances. Delegate Pirone pointed out that the tuition and fee waiver can be considered part of a benefit package.

VI. Delegate Issues

Delegate Sosnoskie introduced Marie Purtell who had problems with identity theft. Purtell recommended that the Council urge the University to use student’s social security number less, or remove it as a student ID.

President Cormier agreed to do so and offered to bring a resolution into affect asking for the removal of social security numbers as student IDs.

Delegate Pletz asked about assistantship positions available through the Council. President Hodak explained that the Council no longer maintained a notebook with GA positions because positions were filled before even being posted by the Council and often departments would limit the advertising of position openings to their offices.

VII. Officer Reports

For the President’s Report see here.

VIII.Adjournment

President Cormier adjourned the meeting at 5:35 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Cristine Masters


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