CGS Goals for 1998-1999
1) Travel Grant
The G-Que Survey documents the need for travel grants for graduate students.
The Travel Grant was conceived in part to increase delegate numbers and involvement in CGS, and to increase CGS's visibility. Funds will be awarded only to students whose departments are in good-standing with CGS, thus creating an incentive for departments to support participation in CGS.
Our concrete goals are:
- Draft a full proposal by the end of autumn quarter Include in proposal: The Travel Grant will enhance graduate student performance, improving the ranking of graduate programs. (Compare to "benchmark" institutions, and the 2010 goal). The Travel Grant will complement the Research Forum, demonstrating that CGS's commitment to supporting graduate student research is ongoing/year-round.
- Raise $20,000 in annual funds by spring quarter Possible contributors: Faculty and T.A. Development has promised to provide $2000. We will target other offices for similar commitments. The Student Set-Aside Fund is a further possibility.
- Institute the Travel Grant by Autumn 1999 (a "kick-off" at the
1999 Research Forum is an alternative possibility).
Further Items to consider:
- Consult the GSARA and other similar grant applications when developing application and criteria.
- We must build in a mechanism to ensure that departments will not discontinue existing support, such as requiring matching funds.
- It will be necessary to develop a way to track delegate attendance and department standing electronically. If an application must be declined because a department is not in good-standing, not only the student but the Department Chair or Director of Graduate Studies should be notified of this.
- A related issue is the need for a central location for consolidating information on grants available to graduate students (a list or library). We believe that the Graduate School would be an appropriate location.
2) Visibility
Two 1998-99 projects which will increase the visibility of CGS are the Legislative Affairs Committee's VRVE drive (we will notify legislators that we are having drive, and invite President Kirwan and state legislators to join us in registering voters) and the New Graduate Student Orientation.
In addition, Graduate Student should take an active, even leading role in campus discussions of the Kellogg Commission reports. Round-table discussions with President Kirwan would be an appropriate forum for initial discussions. Students who have recently participated in the Preparing Future Faculty Program may be possible participants.
3) Communication Strategies
To increase communication among CGS delegates we plan to improve the CGS listserv (implementing an automatic sign-up for new delegates, and creating interest groups).
To increase communication between CGS and its graduate student constituents as well as between CGS and the public we will take measures to improve our web-site, re-design the Voice, issue press releases, and encourage delegates to create a listserv for their constituents.
4) Diversity
Diversity is one of four areas President Kirwan plans to prioritize.
CGS will seek to increase participation on the Executive Committee from representatives of graduate student groups that represent diversity.
Diversity Forum -- Because the forum did not take place last year, this should be a priority for 1998-1999. Sabiha is soliciting both volunteers and suggestions.
Graduate Student Orientation -- The Office of Minority Affairs will host a break-out session. The Black Graduate and Professional Student Caucus, as well as other graduate student organizations representing or advocating Ohio State's diversity, have been invited.
5) Delegate Involvement
To increase delegate involvement CGS will:
- Re-schedule meetings to Friday afternoon in order to increase attendance (a new location and refreshments, as well as optional, informal gatherings following the meeting may be options) and to better accommodate guest speakers (we plan to invite in the near future Ohio legislators and President Kirwan).
- Restructure meetings to include fewer and shorter reports (internal committee, external committee, and caucus reports may rotate; most reports can be submitted in writing) and more discussion and active participation of delegates.
- Develop a system to increase the accountability of delegates. Delegates should be encouraged to communicate with and better represent their constituents (report on CGS activities and poll their constituents on issues). Graduate student representatives to university wide committees should regularly report to CGS on their committee's activities. Representatives should seek to represent the entire graduate student body and should be encouraged to take advantage of the Council as a means to ascertain the opinion of the diverse groups which they represent.
6) Connections with other Student Governments
We will support the USG's proposal of an increase of the registration "check-off" from $1 to $2.
The Legislative Affairs Committee will cooperate with USG (the USG focuses on the Columbus City gov't, which complements the NAGPS focus on federal gov't and Corey's personal expertise in state legislative issues). Ideally CGS will ally with the Faculty Council, USG, Alumni Association, and IPC to create a strong, united higher education lobby.
7) Supporting GSA
We will revisit last year's proposal of a caucus system, which we believe may succeed if we can increase the number of delegates overall.
8) Increasing Number of Delegates
Our goal is to recruit either 30 new individual delegates or delegates from 10 departments.
We will actively recruit delegates from departments which are either unrepresented or underrepresented, targeting large disciplines with no delegates (such as Psychology or Social Work), and areas with historically low involvement (such as the sciences and engineering).
In some disciplines, faculty advisors discourage graduate students from university service. We should encourage these faculty members to rethink their position on the role of university service in their student's professional development. Service should be regarded as one of three vital elements in professional development: teaching, research, service.
In recruiting efforts, we will benefit from our past successes (such as the Research Forum, at which we can encourage student participants and faculty judges to ensure representation from their department). The travel grant, which will award funds only to students whose departments are in good-standing within CGS, will also encourage departments to elect/appoint delegates and ensure that current delegates remain active.
We may also rethink delegate quotas, calculating the number of delegates per department according to the total number of hours enrolled rather than by the number of students.
9) Community Outreach: Service Learning
We will form a new joint committee with 2 co-chairs for Community Outreach and Service Learning
10) New Programs and Events
We should discuss whether social events (casino night, ice-skating), which have had low attendance in the past, are a valid use of CGS funds. Other programs may be more advantageous (educational or community programs, graduate student workshops on topics such as grant-writing, guest lectures).
11) New Partnerships
We will identify and cooperate more closely with entities concerned
with issues relevant to graduate students (such as the Office for
Faculty and T.A. Development).
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