Sage Minutes (Revised)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
3:00 p.m., 3132 Wescoe

Attending: Heather Bastian, Keri Behre, Nate Williams, Stephanie Scurto, Kristen Lillvis, Kristin Bovaird-Abbo, Alicia Sutliff, Amy Hume, Jessica Isaac, Amy Sherman

Call to Order. Minutes approved.

Presidents: Thanks to everyone for turnout at open houses for new job candidates. Dr. Elliott mentioned to Bastian that several professors have commented on our professionalism and helpfulness.

Secretary: No report.

Treasurer: Balance is $368.81. SAGE Travel Awards committee needs to form immediately to process applications--deadline was Feb. 3rd. Two people are needed. Sutliff and Isaac volunteered to be part of the committee, and they will determine meeting info with Scurto.

First-year liaison: No report.

Academics Anonymous: No report.

Advisory: Met on the 28th. Discussed schedule of moving, which will begin after graduation (and after grades are due) for Spring. GTA's will move back 2009. GTAs teaching 101 and 102 will be in top floor of the library. Those teaching 200-level classes will be in two rooms of 4th floor of Wescoe, with separate rooms for individual meetings.

The dept. is talking about lowering the teaching load for GTAs at dissertation level. Also discussed, who teaches 300- and 400-level courses. Must have passed comps, have high merit, and have good teaching record. GTAL and Grad Committee will rank individual GTAs. Three groups are prioritized for FSE fundings--new GTAs, existing GTAs under 10 semester limit, and full-time and contract lecturers, and former GTAs continuing past the 10 semester limit, part-time lecturers. Bastian mentioned that she was under the impression that lectureships were guaranteed after 5 years of funding. Hume mentioned that it is a problem of how we define the graduate program and whether we are truly a program that allows students to continue from Master's to Doctoral work with funding.

FSE: No report

Grad Assembly: Next meeting is March 6th. If we spend all of our money by March, we can apply for more--they want us to spend it earlier. Graduate research summit is coming up in March.

Grad Committee: No report. Have not met yet.

GTAL: No report

Lecturers and Readers: No report.

Library: No report.

MFA: No report.

Professionalization skills: The committee is looking for suggestions. One proposed meeting would be how to stand out during a job search and present a successful job talk.

Public & Alumni relations: No report. Have not met.

SAGE Advice: No report.

Social committee: No report.

Summer Institutes: No report.

Supplemental funds: No report. Have processed several requests.

Website: No report.

Old business: Temporary move was discussed. 100-level courses and new GTAs will be in 5th floor of Watson Library. 200-level instructors will have 4th floor Wescoe. Our letter helped them determine this.

We need two volunteers for space committee. Sherman volunteered. We need one additional volunteer.

Promotion and Tenure in Voting Department has been debated for a few meetings. Professor Anatol has provided a sample feedback sheet; she would like our input on how its designed. Send comments to Stephanie Scurto or directly to Prof. Anatol.

New business: Incoming grad students have been accepted. Byron wants to help us send out congrats emails from grad students to newly-accepted individuals. We're trying to send information sooner to them than in previous years.

Discussion:

Meeting adjourned.

Minutes submitted by Nathaniel Williams, Secretary.