Graduate Student Reportfor the
Spring Meeting of the Corporation
Merrill B. Lamont III
President, Graduate Student GovernmentWPI
18 May 2007
“Promoting Graduate Life”
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The Past
○ 6 officers of equal footing– “Co-chair is no chair”
○ Unorganized, unrecognized, stagnant
○ Trustee recommendations (Oct 2006)– Value proposition– Department-level bond
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Definition & Mission
The Graduate Student Government (GSG) is the governing body of the graduate students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
PromotingGraduate
Life
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Broad Goals
○ Representation– Grad Student
Voice– Address concerns– Promote general
welfare
○ Communication– Grads-Admin– Grads-GSG– Transparency
○ Academic– Curriculum
changes– Science Cross-Talk– Conference funding
○ Social– Fund clubs– De-stress events
○ Orientation– Welcome to
“Woostah”
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Products & Services
○ Conference Funding ($300 x 20)○ Student Organization Allocation & Funding○ Events
– TSA, ISO, CSSA, dance, Office of Grad Studies workshops
– End-of-semester parties, bowling, Valentine’s Ball
○ Science Cross-Talk (NEW!)○Meetings: Advisory Board & General Body○ Office Hours
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Major Issues
○ Housing○ Funding○ Parking○ Health Insurance○ Orientation
○ Czar: dedicated Executive Board member
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Graduate Student GovernmentOrganization Chart
President
VP ofOperations
VP ofFinances
VP ofEvents
DepartmentGraduate
Representatives
VP ofAdministration
Relations
VP ofStudent
Relations
CommitteeGraduate
Representatives
OrganizationGraduate
Representatives
Advisory Board
Executive Board
VP ofMarketing
PRE: Merrill LamontVPO: Girish Mali (CZH) VPM: Ivor RodriguesVPF: Kunal Atigre (CZP) VPA: Terumi Hisano (CZF)VPE: Amit Bagadia (CZO) VPS: Judy Shum (CZI)
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Science Cross-Talk (SXT)
○ Graduate student interactions: notoriously limited to within departments– Untapped potential!– Social & Academic Growth
○ Promote Inter-disciplinary Communication– One department hosting another– Intimate + informal– Lunch + mini-lecture
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SXT I: Phy @ ChemEng
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SXT II: Math @ ECE
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NAGPS
○ National Association of Graduate-Professional Students– Develop and sustain a member network to
connect graduate and professional students and their associations
– Provide resources and support to empower members
– Advocate on local and national levels on their behalf
○ Health Insurance option○ North-East Regional Coordinator
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Task Force
○ Strategic & Campaign Planning– Match President’s Vision with WPI’s
Strategic Plan
○ Understand & am a fan of UG program
○ Promoting Graduate Education○ Silent Pillar: Entrepreneurship
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Summary of GSG Changes
○ Re-evaluation of our Mission & Effectiveness
○ Restructuring– Appropriate levels of influence into
departments
○ Refocusing– Knowledge Bank
○ Science Cross-Talk (SXT)○ Nation-wide Connections (NAGPS)
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The Future
○ Stronger GSG– New President: Terumi Okano– Continue framework– Grow SXT
○ Personal Direction– Develop & Grow SXT (Consortium, …)– Leverage NAGPS Connections– Promote Entrepreneurship on campus