September 22nd, 2011

Today’s Agenda

• David Thomson• Dr. Lenore Wright• Update on Baylor’s Current State of Affairs• GSA News• Invitation to Fundraiser• Committee Time

David_Thomson@baylor.edu

Dr. Lenore Wright

• Professor of Philosophy and Baylor Interdisciplinary Core

• Interim Director Academy for Teaching and Learning– Dr. Wright discussed learning inventory techniques,

collegiality, and the academy of teaching and learning.– Services of the ATL include Graduate Fellows, help in grant

writing and pedagogy, Seminars in Excellence in Teaching, and teaching assessments.

Addy Meira – GSA President

• Update on Current Baylor’s State of Affairs– Update on the meeting with Karla Leeper, Chief of Staff

of the President– Update on the meeting with Student Body President

Zach Rogers– Currently, Baylor is optimistic that the Big 12 will stay

together. The Big 12 Commissioner (Dan Beebe) has stepped down. • Baylor is pushing for the university presidents to be able to

make the decision about the conference• If graduate students have questions, they can tell them to their

dept. representative, who can then pass them on to the GSA.

Addy Meira – GSA President

• GSA News– New listserv

• Baylor_GSA+subscribe@googlegroups.com• Join the listserv for announcements, events, or general grad student affairs

– Developments on Social Committee• Currently working on the Grad Student Mixer Tailgate• Scheduled for Nov. 19 (BU vs. Oklahoma)• Social Committee plans small events frequently—these events are posted on

the GSA facebook page.

– Developments on Academic Committee• Planning a multidisciplinary research symposium for Grad Student Week

– Developments on Policy Taskforce• Working on summer language class funding and discounted meals.

– Ph.D. movie screening• November 16th 7-10pm on SUB

Addy Meira – GSA President

• Invitation to Fundraiser– Ph.D. student Ross Parker has been facing a hard

situation.• His 5-year-old daughter, Leah Grace, has seen

deteriorating health because of a rare heart condition. • Just recently, she underwent a successful heart

transplant operation in Dallas.• Fundraising celebration party in her honor at Shorty's

Pizza Shack on Monday, September 26th: http://new.evite.com/services/links/R2M2AIIZSF.– $20 buys two and a half slices of pizza and a glass of champagne

or sparkling cider for a toast to Leah's health.– Can come for lunch or dinner

GSA Shirts

• $5

Car Decals

• $2

Committees

• Social– The Social Committee is comprised of sub-committees that plan the GSA

barbeques, GSA social events like the ice cream social, and any other evens the committee deems appropriate.

• Academic– The academic committee is comprised of two sub-committees, the ISF sub-

committee and the Grant Writing Workshop sub-committee.

• Policy Taskforce– The policy taskforce is concerned with advocacy for graduate students

at Baylor with building the GSA’s profile and reputation in the university. The Policy Task Force will serve as a forum for discussing the work of GSA representatives on several university-wide standing committees. The Policy Task Force will also take up ad hoc issues raised by members of the GSA.

September 22nd, 2011