[SWAG] September Meeting Minutes

 

September.2014 Meeting Minutes 2014.09.12.1:00-2:00.Rm2019

In Attendance: Stephen Wenzel, Dan Kwak, Vikkie Chen, Zak Fish, Sonia Yuan, Amanda Ghantous , Emily Stafford

 

	MEETING ADMIN
1	Welcome and Introduction to SWAG for new students	SW/KQ
2	SWAG continuation and appointment/election of executives Need to advertise for people to take on executive positions Posters? Announcements on Tuesday to M1 Studios to outline events and initiatives that need volunteers as well as which executive roles need to be filled. Thursday meetings are best since people are in school anyways for studio	ALL
	NEWS
3	Student Societies Updates: BRIDGE, F_RMlab, WA Film Club, Garden Club, Photo Club, UnCOVERED, WAC Bridge had many new members at their first meeting Looking at ways to more fully utilize large space at 60 main. (Classes, F_rmlab etc.) Cambridge Crawl tomorrow at 5pm (Bridge initiative to orient new students to Cambridge) WAC ride on Sunday at 10AM	ALL
	NEW DISCUSSIONS OVERVIEW
	Gym Co-ordinator Need new coordinator for the fall term With 3 classes and larger grad cohort, the gym will see increased use Should be mandatory for Coordinator to attend SWAG meetings SWAG to create outline of job requirements and send them to Mona Skuterud (Zak and Dan to take this on)
3	Library programs,  suggestions and question Writing center cannot come to Cambridge this term Instead, there will 2 hour appointment on main campus Rebecca setting up library orientation session for new students Citation session in November Library sessions will be incorporated into studios, but will be open up to all grad student (Emily to send out messages) Stephen and Karine to meet with Rebecca next Wednesday	SW
4	Curriculum changes survey Feedback from the surveys is appreciated and is currently being reviewed Specific changes to course content still to be worked out Lack of space in electives and no auditing policy is a concern Admin believes balance will work out better in future terms Work out student needs as people drop courses and balance of undergrads vs. grads is sorted out.	SW,KA
5	Common Grad Space Rm 2019  is supposed to be a grad work space for students in M7+ Not a place to store things, you must clean it up when you leave Potential to use it for Student meetings as long as you respect those who are working in there Key fob access can be given to all grad students (raises security issue for belongings of students working in there) Other option is to give specific students key fob access to ward room for meetings	ZF
	ONGOING DISCUSSION OVERVIEW
6	Advertising for Student Initiative Fund Need to send out notice and application now as application deadline is end of September (Sonia and Amanda to coordinate) Bother GSA for money (still have  not received funding from last term) Unspent money can be spent on SWAG hosted events or carried over to next term (at discretion of current council) 30% of student initiative fund goes directly to Bridge	SW
7	GSA update GSA Student Services Fair on Thursday Reps from: Writing center, career action, centre for teaching excellence Lunch time 12:30-2pm Health services can’t attend because of separate event on main campus	VC
8	Student Success office and mentoring initiative Peer Support System set up by Amrit Graduates providing support to new undergrads Contact through group email (uwsa.peers@gmail.com) an appropriate grad student will then be ‘dispatched’ Post information and pictures of volunteers on Bridge and printed in the school	AP
9	Grad Directory Spreadsheet available on LEARN Send out message for students to update, remove graduated students? Make people aware of this resource	SW
10	Office Communication New M1’s still join Yahoo groups Pertinent info for current students is posted on Learn (Students instructed to set up email updates) Public events are posted on yahoo groups to reach wider Waterloo Alumni community
	Mx Review May not be happening this term Combining M1 deadline with Mx Review was a good idea last time (good opportunity to meet potential supervisors) Students would like to see Mx every term (good push to get lots of work produced) Emily to ask Ila about the possibility of Mx
	SWAG Continuity with a one year master’s program May need more support from admin and faculty to get SWAG started in the fall Record/instructions for future students to use as a starting point each term (general guidelines/term calendar)
	Fall 2014
10	RePost Symposium Planning for next term’s Symposium Zak to be student leader on this Ila as potential Faculty Advisor	ZF
11	3-minute Architecture thesis event Internal thesis presentation  event modelled after Competition held on main campus in the winter term Takes the place of the Pecha Kucha’s which we have typically been having every term Need someone to take on the planning of this event	KQ
12	Grad Christmas Soiree Dinner to be held at the end of term Need planning committee Stephen and Kim can provide advice after planning last year’s soiree	??
13	Peer Reviews To be planned, usually is hosted at grad student’s house	??
	SWAG ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS
14	Term Budget outline Sonia to update Amanda on role of treasurer Need to contact GSA to receive funding from this term and last term	SY
15	Executive Guidelines	SW
16	End of Term Report Stephen to write brief summary of events and initiatives from the summer term	SW
+	OTHER BUSINESS?

Follow up Tasks

 

Stephen: Write end of term report, Go to Library meeting, Talk to M1 studios to recruit

Zak: Send Mona list of requirements for Fitness Coordinator,  Talk to M1 studios to recruit

Sonia  and Amanda: Transition Treasurer duties, Send out announcement and update form for student initiatives fund

Karine: Go to library meeting

Dan: Write list of Gym coordinator responsibilities