EGSO Meeting Minutes 1/23
Tasks to be Completed
Luke Martin needs to submit the EGSO budget, which is due on April 11th.
Tony Delgado needs to begin organizing the EGSO gmail account.
General the EGSO needs to adopt a position apropos of the proposed changes to the University’s General Education requirements.
Attendees
Joshua Bartlett, Elaina Frulla, Tony Delgado, Sara Alotaibi, Christopher Jacques, Joel Sodano, Bret Benjamin, Michael Amrozowicz Matt McGregor, and Luke Martin.
Tasks to be Completed
Luke Martin needs to submit the EGSO budget, which is due on April 11th.
Tony Delgado needs to begin organizing the EGSO gmail account.
General the EGSO needs to adopt a position apropos of the proposed changes to the University’s General Education requirements.
Attendees
Joshua Bartlett, Elaina Frulla, Tony Delgado, Sara Alotaibi, Christopher Jacques, Joel Sodano, Bret Benjamin, Michael Amrozowicz Matt McGregor, and Luke Martin.
2:45-2:50 Poetry Reading
Luke Martin kicked off the spring semester once again with a spontaneous creative outburst poured straight from the heart, wowing and inspiring attendees.
2:50-3:00 Updating Bret on What’s Going on with the EGSO
Luke Martin reported on the upcoming conference. Tony Delgado is in charge of developing the artwork. 10 abstracts have been submitted thus far, five on the creative side and five on the critical. Programming will allot $50 for food.
Bret Benjamin suggested U Albany faculty members from other departments to deliver opening remarks. Here are their names and faculty profiles:
Barbara Sutton (Ph.D., University of Oregon) Women's Studies Honors Program Director Globalization; body politics; women in Latin America; human rights; women's movements; global justice movements; intersections of systems of inequality (race, class, sexuality, nation); qualitative methods.
Fernando I Leiva How particular economic ideas and policies transform class and gender relations in economies undergoing sustained processes of internationalization and the relationship between government-sanctioned labor market deregulation, firm-level labor "flexibility" strategies, and the changing nature of poverty and inequality. Latin American neostructuralism, its strengths and weaknesses, the kinds of transformations it enacts, and the power relations that it embeds in local institutions, culture, and populations.
Virgina Eubanks (Ph.D., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) Information technology and urban poverty in the United States; the relationship between public policy and feminist and anti-racist activism; collaborative research, design and educational approaches such as popular education and participatory action research.
Chris Jacques reported that last year’s conference website has been moved over to the English Department website.
Joel Sodano spoke about the Books for Prisoner’s program that the Outreach Committee looks to launch this semester. James Searle was MIA but you can email him to ask questions or express interest at: [email protected]. Holla at your boy!
Joshua Bartlett mentioned that the Americanist Group is considering bringing someone from outside of the department but a member of the Albany community to speak about American Literature. The event would most likely take place sometime in March.
The Social Committee plans to meet soon to begin discussing dates for the summer retreat.
3:00-3:25 Bret Reported on the Proposed Changes to the General Education Requirements
Bret Benjamin encouraged graduate students to attend events and rallies concerning the plight of the university and the Humanities. He informed attendees that potential changes to the University’s General Education Requirements have been submitted to the Senate. A subcommittee will consider implementing these changes. Bret feels there is a large amount of resistance to the new requirements. The current General Education requirements keep enrollment up in the English department and the courses are often taught by GAs. Under the current proposal, the US Diversity and Pluralism requirement would be cancelled in favor of what would be called the World Within Reach requirement, which would be taught by each department. This could hit the department hard because we offer many sections of Growing Up in America. The potential changes to the Writing Intensive requirements would push lower and upper division writing requirements to each specific program or as a Freshman seminar. Full-time lecturers, and perhaps some English Department graduate students, might be eligible to teach the large Freshman seminars. If the changes went through, the department could lose 12 to 18 course slots. As a whole the department is opposed changes. The College of Arts and Sciences teaches 90% of general education courses. The soonest these changes would be enacted would be 2013.
Students, GAs, and Adjuncts can request to speak at Senate deliberations about the potential changes. Bret recommended that the EGSO develop a response to the proposed changes. Anyone concerned can speak with Lana Cable, who is currently occupying the department’s Senate position. Her email is [email protected]
3:25-3:50 General Announcements
Joel Sodano announced a tentative schedule for this semester’s EGSO meetings. All meetings are schedule to take place at 2:45 except for the March 4th meeting. The dates and locations are:
March 4 12:00 in Humanities 354
March 25 Humanities 354
April 8 Humanities 354
April 29 Humanities 354
Joel also mentioned that the EGSO budget is due on February 11th.
The GSO mixer will take place at Jillian’s on February 11th. If you’re interested, you need to get tickets, which are free. They are available at the GSO office.
Sara Alotaibi announced an interdisciplinary kick-ball rematch on March 12th at 11 AM in Washington Park. There will be coffee and pastries. Sara also announced that the GSO is looking for volunteers to review travel and research grants. For more information go to Albany.edu/~gso/grants.htm
Michael Amrozowicz encouraged graduate students to apply for the University’s Benevolent Grant, which supports graduate student research. Here is a link to the pertinent information:http://www.albany.edu/anthro/graduate/benevolent.htm. Michael reviews applications and not many students are applying for the grant, which awards up to $500. Michael is willing to help applicants polish what their applications before they submit. If you would like to talk with Michael in detail about the Benevolent Grant, email him at [email protected].
Michael also suggested using Google to organize EGSO material and leave messages. Tony Delgado volunteered to fulfill this duty.
The Constitution Committee plans on scheduling a meeting for Thursday February 18th at 11:15 AM. This will provide graduate students with an opportunity to give input regarding the mission statement of the EGSO for the constitution. Michael and Chris are interested in what others have to say regarding the EGSO’s role in professionalization, representation, and political activism. In short, they want to know what students want out of the EGSO and what changes they would like to see made. You can email Chris at [email protected] and Michael’s email is listed above.
Tentative Agenda for March 4th, 2011, EGSO Meeting
1. Conference committee report.
2. Books for prisoners (outreach) report.
3. Constitution committee report.
a. Elections.
4. Social committee report.
5. GSO report.
6. Budget report (if we have received our budget).
Luke Martin kicked off the spring semester once again with a spontaneous creative outburst poured straight from the heart, wowing and inspiring attendees.
2:50-3:00 Updating Bret on What’s Going on with the EGSO
Luke Martin reported on the upcoming conference. Tony Delgado is in charge of developing the artwork. 10 abstracts have been submitted thus far, five on the creative side and five on the critical. Programming will allot $50 for food.
Bret Benjamin suggested U Albany faculty members from other departments to deliver opening remarks. Here are their names and faculty profiles:
Barbara Sutton (Ph.D., University of Oregon) Women's Studies Honors Program Director Globalization; body politics; women in Latin America; human rights; women's movements; global justice movements; intersections of systems of inequality (race, class, sexuality, nation); qualitative methods.
Fernando I Leiva How particular economic ideas and policies transform class and gender relations in economies undergoing sustained processes of internationalization and the relationship between government-sanctioned labor market deregulation, firm-level labor "flexibility" strategies, and the changing nature of poverty and inequality. Latin American neostructuralism, its strengths and weaknesses, the kinds of transformations it enacts, and the power relations that it embeds in local institutions, culture, and populations.
Virgina Eubanks (Ph.D., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) Information technology and urban poverty in the United States; the relationship between public policy and feminist and anti-racist activism; collaborative research, design and educational approaches such as popular education and participatory action research.
Chris Jacques reported that last year’s conference website has been moved over to the English Department website.
Joel Sodano spoke about the Books for Prisoner’s program that the Outreach Committee looks to launch this semester. James Searle was MIA but you can email him to ask questions or express interest at: [email protected]. Holla at your boy!
Joshua Bartlett mentioned that the Americanist Group is considering bringing someone from outside of the department but a member of the Albany community to speak about American Literature. The event would most likely take place sometime in March.
The Social Committee plans to meet soon to begin discussing dates for the summer retreat.
3:00-3:25 Bret Reported on the Proposed Changes to the General Education Requirements
Bret Benjamin encouraged graduate students to attend events and rallies concerning the plight of the university and the Humanities. He informed attendees that potential changes to the University’s General Education Requirements have been submitted to the Senate. A subcommittee will consider implementing these changes. Bret feels there is a large amount of resistance to the new requirements. The current General Education requirements keep enrollment up in the English department and the courses are often taught by GAs. Under the current proposal, the US Diversity and Pluralism requirement would be cancelled in favor of what would be called the World Within Reach requirement, which would be taught by each department. This could hit the department hard because we offer many sections of Growing Up in America. The potential changes to the Writing Intensive requirements would push lower and upper division writing requirements to each specific program or as a Freshman seminar. Full-time lecturers, and perhaps some English Department graduate students, might be eligible to teach the large Freshman seminars. If the changes went through, the department could lose 12 to 18 course slots. As a whole the department is opposed changes. The College of Arts and Sciences teaches 90% of general education courses. The soonest these changes would be enacted would be 2013.
Students, GAs, and Adjuncts can request to speak at Senate deliberations about the potential changes. Bret recommended that the EGSO develop a response to the proposed changes. Anyone concerned can speak with Lana Cable, who is currently occupying the department’s Senate position. Her email is [email protected]
3:25-3:50 General Announcements
Joel Sodano announced a tentative schedule for this semester’s EGSO meetings. All meetings are schedule to take place at 2:45 except for the March 4th meeting. The dates and locations are:
March 4 12:00 in Humanities 354
March 25 Humanities 354
April 8 Humanities 354
April 29 Humanities 354
Joel also mentioned that the EGSO budget is due on February 11th.
The GSO mixer will take place at Jillian’s on February 11th. If you’re interested, you need to get tickets, which are free. They are available at the GSO office.
Sara Alotaibi announced an interdisciplinary kick-ball rematch on March 12th at 11 AM in Washington Park. There will be coffee and pastries. Sara also announced that the GSO is looking for volunteers to review travel and research grants. For more information go to Albany.edu/~gso/grants.htm
Michael Amrozowicz encouraged graduate students to apply for the University’s Benevolent Grant, which supports graduate student research. Here is a link to the pertinent information:http://www.albany.edu/anthro/graduate/benevolent.htm. Michael reviews applications and not many students are applying for the grant, which awards up to $500. Michael is willing to help applicants polish what their applications before they submit. If you would like to talk with Michael in detail about the Benevolent Grant, email him at [email protected].
Michael also suggested using Google to organize EGSO material and leave messages. Tony Delgado volunteered to fulfill this duty.
The Constitution Committee plans on scheduling a meeting for Thursday February 18th at 11:15 AM. This will provide graduate students with an opportunity to give input regarding the mission statement of the EGSO for the constitution. Michael and Chris are interested in what others have to say regarding the EGSO’s role in professionalization, representation, and political activism. In short, they want to know what students want out of the EGSO and what changes they would like to see made. You can email Chris at [email protected] and Michael’s email is listed above.
Tentative Agenda for March 4th, 2011, EGSO Meeting
1. Conference committee report.
2. Books for prisoners (outreach) report.
3. Constitution committee report.
a. Elections.
4. Social committee report.
5. GSO report.
6. Budget report (if we have received our budget).