Graduate Student Association
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Notes from September 2004 GPSF Meeting

We're off to a great start this year -- classes are in full swing, and we've officially welcomed all the new students at our August departmental welcome picnic. Tuesday, September 7, I finally had to get back to representing folks at the first GPSF meeting of the year. So, without further ado:

Here's what's new in your grad student government. First off, a big thanks to Sarah Harwood, our new GPSF alternate senator, who stood in at the first Graduate and Professional Student Meeting of the year while I finished a search committee meeting. I got there late, but we were represented throughout thanks to Sarah. I won't go into the gruesome details, but here are some highlights worth knowing about:

VOTE CAROLINA! NEEDS A JOMC CONTACT -- Vote Carolina! seeks a contact from each professional school. Sounds like someone's up to the task. If you're interested, please let your GSA prez ( jivory@email.unc.edu ) know.

GPSF COMMITTEES SEEKING APPLICANTS -- The GPSF is accepting applications to university committee positions as we speak. Options range from the Campus Safety and Security committee to the Diversity Task Force to the Parking Appeals Committee. Want to get involved? See http://www.unc.edu/gpsf/events.html for more information.

NEW OMBUSPERSON AT UNC -- CANDIDATES: Two new ombudspersons, described by the GPSF as "a person who helps faculty and staff resolve work- related conflicts by providing an informal, confidential, non- adversarial alternative" will be named soon. One is to be a full time staff member, the other is to be a faculty member serving half-time. (One candidate for the latter is our own Dulcie Straughan!) Open forums will be held with the candidates, at which questions can be asked and attendees can fill out an evaluation form. The candidates and their forum times follow:

Half-Time Position:

  • Laurie Mesibov (School of Government)
  • Dulcie Straughan(School of Journalism)
  • Ellen Peirce (School of Business)

Full-time Nonfaculty Position:

  • Jackie Overton (UNC Department of Public Safety)
  • Margaret Sloan (Self-Employeed Conflict Resolution professional, Durham, N.C.)
  • Wayne Blair (University Ombusdsperson, Columbia University, N.Y.)
  • Molly McAvoy, (University Ombudsperson, Hamline University, Minnesota)
Forums:
  • September 15, 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m.: Mesibov, Straughan, Peirce
  • September 27, 4-6 p.m. and September 28 7-9 a.m.: Blair, Sloan
  • September 29, 4-6 p.m. and September 30 7-9 a.m.: McAvoy, Overton

Check them out and evaluate the candidates.

That's the news for now -- talk to you more next month!

Jimmy

Copyright 2004 Graduate Student Association