Agenda
- Announcements
- TechFest sponsorship (event funding request)
- Kristen is here to talk about requesting funding from the GSC for TechFest
- They would like us to help contribute to this event
- Want to put on a large event for the whole campus community which includes club fair fair, bands, and an outdoor movie
- Getting ~1000-2000 from other departments and funding sources
- We would get the chance to make announcements to the whole event through the MC (will be there for live music)
- It may also be possible for us to “sponsor” a certain food truck or event
- She noted that there was some turnover in the office planning this event
- Discussion
- The total budget for event funding (this could go on next year)
- We have 700 left this year and 5000 left for this year
- It seems ‘weird’ that they are asking us for money after the fact or that they are just asking us for money
- Maybe this is more like an opportunity to sponsor an event
- We may not get much from sponsoring anything because people aren’t paying attention
- There is also the idea that we are ‘buying in’ to help put this event on for grad students (i.e. we are getting a voice in the larger community)
- Maybe the best course of action is to say that we can fund it this year but in the future we would like more funding
- Note that the money does not ‘disappear’ if we don’t spend it, it just kind of goes back into the general pot
- We will have this vote on the slack
- The total budget for event funding (this could go on next year)
- Kristen is here to talk about requesting funding from the GSC for TechFest
- Approval of new Director
- Sephen (Steve) Markham, GPS
- He would like to be the new health care representative
- He is approved
- Orientation events
- Resource fair, October 4, we have two tables
- Let Camilla know if you want to participate
- If you are a chair of a committee you will also be expected to be there
- Next Tuesday we are getting swag and we need people to help put stickers on them to ‘brand’ them
- Look out for a slack message to help with this
- ISC updates
- Wanted to have an international movie night
- However, there is not enough money to license the movies
- Would like some more funding to try and show at least two movies for next year
- Legal counselling for international students
- People have had difficulty getting their visa back after returning back to their home country to renew their visas
- One idea would be to get some legal aid from the Caltech legal office
- Also note that the visa fees are going up every year
- Also if you get stuck in your country for extra review and you are dependent on your stipend, then this can be a huge burden for the student
- Note that the emergency fund does not support legal fees
- Note that a large number of international students that are spending over 1000 on renewing their visa
- One thing that would be great is if anyone would like to help writing the GSC survey report, specifically the sections on international students
- Wanted to have an international movie night
- Budget for 2019/2020
- Budget proposal for the next year; this is the outcome of what the budget committee decided two weeks ago (each committee had a rep as well as one person from a small club, one from a big club, and another person of David’s choosing)
- See the budget spreadsheet, which is available for everyone to see
- Note that there is ~5000 that is rolling over into the total budget
- Then from each of the buckets (i.e. committee budgets) 60% of the rollover goes right back to that committee and 40% goes back to the total GSC bucket
- Note that the request for $3000 in swag for the orientation events, and it was decided that we would spend $5 per grad student
- There will be a big increase in club funding, quick funding, and event funding
- This is aimed to encourage people to just ask if they want to have events (everyone should encourage just requesting for events vs preallocating)
- This also makes money available for people who are not technically a club (but there needs to be at least one committee sponsor)
- All of the BoD expenses have been reduced and steering initiatives have all been combined into one bucket
- Vote to approve the budget
- Unanimously approved with no one abstaining
- Survey highlights from Advocacy
- The purpose is to provide a gauge on what is happening with grad students at Caltech
- The central things we have been focusing on:
- Housing and financing
- International students
- Diversity at Caltech
- Advisee/advisor relationships
- Grad students supporting dependents
- Everyone is invited to join the advocacy slack channel
- Then you can see what is going on with ou advocacy efforts and hopefully help out, contribute, and point out things that they are interested in advocating for
- Diversity
- Caltech is not very diverse, females and underrepresented minorities are underrepresented at Caltech vs other top schools
- 20% of students said that they weren’t on a satisfying career path because of lack of diversity in the field
- Open to ideas about how Caltech can improve this
- Note that the diversity committee is also working on a specific report on this
- We can also do a climate survery to get more information about this
- We also want to advocate for improving recruitment efforts
- Advisor/advisee relationships
- People are generally uncomfortable talking to their advisors about routine things like mandatory vacation and research direction
- Also on the whole women are less comfortable with this
- GSC hosted workshops or events that help people learn about strategies to communicate with their advisors
- Institute a campus-wide progress tracking program (like the NIH’s myIDP [individual development plan])
- People are generally uncomfortable talking to their advisors about routine things like mandatory vacation and research direction
- Housing and finances
- Housing is very expensive causing graduate students to be financially stressed
- Stipend is finally growing faster than inflation, but it is not close to keeping up with housing
- 50% of students who had to move reported that the move was extremely or very stressful
- 75% of people would like to live in Caltech housing, but only 50% can
- Try to advocate for continual increases in stipends
- Establish a moving fund in addition to the emergency fund
- International students and students with dependents
- International students: 36% of people faced difficulties or hardships when collaborating, traveling, or renewing their visas
- There is also a huge burden associated with visa costs (see above)
- If anyone is willing to help with this
- Students with dependents: they have increased financial needs, only 2% of grad students applied for the emergency fund whereas 36% of students with children applied for this
- Advocating for giving priority to those with children for 2 bedroom apartments
- International students: 36% of people faced difficulties or hardships when collaborating, traveling, or renewing their visas
- Please join the advocacy committee slack channel and contribute to the report if you are able
- We will also set a time (next Friday) to work on the survey report together (look for an email about this)