GSA Newsletter: Nov. 12, 2018

 

Upcoming Graduate Student Presentations

• Anthony Azari, "Validation of the Colorado Pretrial Risk Assessment" at the American Society of Criminology Conference 
• Kitsya Cordova, "An Evaluation of Focus Reentry in Boulder County, CO: Examining a Jail to Community Mentoring Program" at the American Society of Criminology Conference
• Jessie Slepicka, "School Shootings as Organizational Accidents" at the American Society of Criminology Conference 
• Roberta Ballard and Christie Toliver, "Black Teacher Exodus: A phenomenological study of the dynamics underpinning and undermining black teachers’ longevity" at the University Council of Educational Administration Convention
• Meghan Walton and Taylor Touchton, "School-Aged Children Who Stutter: Speech Management Skills & Self-Perceptions of Stuttering Following Group Therapy" at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association National Conference
• Golriz Shayani, "No One Wants to Listen to Us: The Challenges of Female Iranian Musicians Performing Western Classical Music" at the Society for Ethnomusicology 63rd Annual Meeting
• Tara Brown-Ogilvie, "The FUNdamentals of Teaching Students with Deafblindness" at the Southeastern Orientation and Mobility Association (SOMA) Conference
• Emily Darrell, "Engaged teaching through partnership with a harm reduction coalition: A student perspective" at the Engagement Scholarship Consortium

Budget 101 Meetings

Wednesday, Nov. 14, 10-11:30 a.m., UC Ballrooms
Thursday, Nov. 15, 3:30-5 p.m., UC Panorama Room
Monday, Nov. 26, 1-2:30 p.m., UC Columbine B
Tuesday, Nov. 27, 8:30-10 a.m., UC Panorama Room

UNC President Andy Feinstein and Chief Financial Officer Michelle Quinn will host a series of 90-minute Budget 101 sessions to give you an overview of the UNC budget trends and how UNC ended up with a $10-million structural deficit. Each session will be followed with a question and answer portion. Any graduate students with questions about the UNC budget and how that will affect their future educational goals and/or funding should attend one of these meetings. 

Notes on budget/enrollment reports from President Feinstin:

• In late 2015, UNC began working with outside consultant Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) to develop a model for awarding institutional aid. The contract with RNL costs UNC about $75,000 annually.
• Since 2014, UNC's undergraduate enrollment has increased, but net tuition revenue has decreased due to more need- and merit-based aid awards.
• Enrollment management needs to focus on the entire student life cycle from first engagement to graduation.
• Huron Consulting Group has been contracted to assess current market position and recruiting practices, research price elastiticy of students, establish a sustainable discount rate for new and continuing students and establish aggressive and attainable enrollment goals. Huron Consulting Group will provide UNC with the tools to build, implement and manage our own strategic enrollment management model. The contract with Huron Consulting Group will cost about $335,000. 
• Colleges and universities that have worked with Huron Consulting Group have reported results that were worth their investment. 
• A steering committee is being formed for the 14-week process of improving UNC's enrollment management approach. There will be opportunities for students, faculty and staff to participate in the process, including focus groups to provide feedback. 

President Feinstein's complete message on Budget 101 and Strategic Enrollment Management

 

Graduate Students In Residence

Are you interested in receiving a free, one-bedroom, on-campus apartment and 50 dining hall meals per semester? That's what the eight members of the UNC Faculty In Residence program receive in exchange for being visible for 10 hours a month in the UNC residence halls! The Graduate Student Association would like to see this program extended to graduate students and we want to know who would be interested in applying. Read more about the current program on the Faculty In Residence website. Interested students please send an email to Margaret Sebastian, GSA Assistant Director of Graduate Community and Climate.

 

Graduate Students Able to Work 20+ Hours On-Campus

For graduate students with assistantships or other on-campus jobs, you may be able to run for Student Senate office even if that pushes your total hours to over 20 per week. The Payroll Office recommends notifying your program that you will be working more than the suggested maximum. Student Senate cabinet members (President, Board of Trustees rep, etc.) receieve $6,000 per year. Student Senators receive $2,000 per year. Some restrictions may apply for international graduate students. Contact the UNC Payroll Office with any questions. 

 

MAST Graduate Research Assistant Position (18 hours/week)

Interdisciplinary researchers in geoscience education, geoscience, and educational psychology are looking for a doctoral student to join their highly collaborative team as a Graduate Research Assistant. The Graduate Research Assistant will work with the team on the following tasks: observation of current geology course labs, organization of quantitative surveys and qualitative interview protocol, implementation of attitudes and quantitative skills interventions in geology course labs, data collection of quantitative surveys, data collection of qualitative interviews, data entry in SPSS and Nvivo, assist with data analysis in SPSS and Nvivo, assist with research dissemination and assist with preparation of posters and manuscripts. Applications close on Jan. 31, 2019, at 4 p.m. Complete position description

 

MAST Graduate Research Assistant Position (15 hours/week)

Interdisciplinary researchers in geoscience education, geoscience, and educational psychology are looking for a doctoral student to join their highly collaborative team as a Graduate Research Assistant. The Graduate Research Assistant will work with the team on the following tasks: observation of current geology course labs, organization of quantitative surveys and qualitative interview protocol, implementation of attitudes and quantitative skills interventions in geology course labs, data collection of quantitative surveys, data collection of qualitative interviews and data entry in SPSS and Nvivo. Applications close on Jan. 31, 2019, at 4 p.m. Complete position description

Student Senator Positions Available ($2,000/year, 4 hours/week)

Student Senate positions are available for graduate students from the Monfort College of Business, Humanities and Social Sciences and Performing and Visual Arts. Login to UNC's Handshake and check on-campus positions for the listings. 

 

Campus Common's GPS+ to be Re-Named "Bear Central"

The one-stop, student support area of the new Campus Commons building has been re-named Bear Central to better convey its mission of supporting UNC students in attaining educational goals and enhancing their experience. This area will include services from financial aid, bursar office and registration services. Staff from these offices will move to the Campus Commons over spring break 2019. Learn more about Campus Commons

Student Senate Meeting Notes From Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018

• A motion was approved to show support for UNC students in response to recent changes to the federal definition of gender.
• The Student Judiciary is seeking members for their next term. Interested students can apply for Student Judiciary on Handshake.
• Applications will open for Student Governement Association vacancies on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018. Two senators needed from the Monfort College of Business (MCB application), one senator needed from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS application), and one senator needed from the College of Performing and Visual Arts (PVA application). Student Senator positions require four hours per week and pay is $2,000 for the year. 
• An achievements board is posted outside the Student Senate office for students wishing to share their accomplishments outside of Student Senate activities. 
• Jewish student group JewNC has a board game day scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 4, from 2-4 p.m. at Beth Israel Congregation. 

Student Senate Meeting
Wednesday, Nov. 14
5:30 p.m.
UC Council Room

Join the GSA Director David Shimokawa and NHS Student Senator Zachary McCarver for the regularly scheduled Student Senate meeting.  Special guests at this week's meeting are UNC President Andy Feinstein, Dan Weaver (VP of External & University Relations), and Roy Otto (Greeley City Manager). Andy, Roy, and Dan are interested in having a conversation about your perception (and UNC students' perception) of Greeley.

Administration often hears that students go home on the weekend or don’t engage with Greeley during the week as “there is nothing to do in Greeley” and this conversation is intended to talk more about that perception. As graduate students, you may have a different perspective than the average UNC undergraduate student. We'd like graduate students to attend this meeting to share their thoughts on the following questions:

1. What are student perceptions about things to do in Greeley?
2. What are the activities that students enjoy doing in Greeley and what more would you like to see?
3. What are some ideas you have about improving or strengthening students role in the community?

Graduate student attendees should check in with David and Zac after the meeting adjourns. Attendees will be treated to dinner to discuss the meeting. 

 

Graduate Council Meeting
Thursday, Nov. 15
3-5 p.m.
UC Council Room

All UNC graduate students are represented by three GSA members on the Graduate Council (Amra Mohammed, John O'Neill and Salaheddin Sharif). The function of the student members of the Council is to present the perspectives, information items, action items and
recommendations of the university's graduate students. If you have any topics that you would to address at a Graduate Council meeting, you can show up to the meeting in person or you can contact your representatives. 

Graduate students may:

• Recommend policies governing graduate programs and requirements at the University
• Recommend policies governing the transfer of graduate work from other institutions
• Recommend policies governing interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary graduate programs
• Recommend policies governing graduate program priorities, avoidance of program duplications, and reconciliation of program conflicts for the University
• Recommend policies, in consultation with affected academic units, for graduate program design, implementation, evaluation, modification, and decision-making
• Recommend policy for graduate program review and evaluation
• Recommend procedures as necessary for the implementation of graduate policies
• Adopt and amend its rules of operation as the "Bylaws of the Graduate Council"
• Recommend policies for student admission, retention and exit requirements for graduate school, including but not limited to admission standards, academic performance standards, school/college responsibilities, and procedures for dealing with exceptions
• Review and evaluate comprehensive program reviews and new program proposals
• Review and evaluate Graduate Dean’s Citation for Excellence and Citation for Outstanding Dissertation and Thesis recognitions

 

UNC Board of Trustees Meeting
Friday, Nov. 16
8:30 a.m.
UC Panorama Room
Past meeting minutes

All graduate students are invited to attend the regularly scheduled UNC Board of Trustees meeting in the Panorama Room. Meetings generally end by 11 a.m. Join GSA attendees Anthony Azari and Elizabeth Shmikler. Graduate student attendees should check in with Anthony and Elizabeth after the meeting adjourns; attendees will be treated to lunch to discuss the meeting.

 

Message from the Graduate HESAL Student Organization President (Mary Salinas)

The Higher Education and Student Affairs Leaderships Student Organization (HSO) has had a full semester! We had a picnic in the beautiful Glenmere park, and a social to welcome our incoming cohort. On Nov. 6, the HSO hosted an internship fair to learn about cool summer internships all over the country. We are planning our end of the year events and already planning some events for next semester. Come support the HSO for our fundraiser at the Green Earth Brewery, Tuesday, Nov. 13, from 2-9 p.m. $1 from each pint supports our organization!

 

UNC Graduate Student Co-Authors Chapter in the Springer Handbook on ChildhoodNature Education

Congratulations to Ann Moradian for co-authoring a chapter titled, ChildhoodNature in Motion: The Ground for Learning, in the Springer Handbook on ChildhoodNature Education, a Springer Nature/Spring International Handbook on education. 

GSA Volunteer Positions Available:
Board of Trustees, GSA Attendee
Meeting Schedule:

• Nov. 16
• Jan. 25
• March 8
• June 14

The GSA is currently seeking representatives to attend and report on UNC Board of Trustees meetings. The Board of Trustees is the governing authority for the University of Northern Colorado. 

Interested candidates should contact the Assistant Director of Graduate Community & Climate as soon as possible. 

 

Free Movie Screening: Forever Chinatown
Tuesday, Nov. 13
6:30-8 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.)
Kohl House (924 20th Street, Greeley, CO 80631)
Write-up by Peter Concepcion (APASS Graduate Assitant)

"Forever, Chinatown," a James Q Chan film, highlights the life and art works of 81-year-old artist, Frank Wong. Wong is an unknown artists who has spent most of his life in Chinatown, San Francisco. Wong is suffering from a deteriorating memory and wanted to preserve his most precious memories in the form of hand-crafted miniature sculptures of  the rooms he spent his life in. These art pieces are one of a kind and are only available to be seen for a short period of time due to the fact that Wong wants to be cremated with his sculptures in a way to live on in the memories he has built. 

Kadampa Meditation Club: Overcoming Anxiety drop-in meditation classes
Monday, Nov. 12
Monday, Nov. 19
Monday, Nov. 26
3:30-4:30 p.m.
University Center: Spruce or Aspen Suites

Do you experience worry, stress or anxiety in your life? Learn how to build the inner strength to deal with these unpleasant feelings and create the stability within to live in the moment. Even while doing things we like, our mind is rarely in the present. We are constantly planning for the future, worrying about what happened in the past or what might happen next. We will learn to create mental space and gain control over thoughts that cause us mental discomfort. We will develop special ways of thinking that naturally increase self-confidence and inner peace. These positive habits of mind oppose the tendency of negative thinking and improve our capacity to find happiness within ourselves.